Riftwatch!

[Loud, brisk, and early in the morning, here is: Val de Foncé.]

Salut! I have an opportunity, for which I require--what luck for you all!--several volunteers. Several, several.

The requirements are simple. One, you must be strong of arm. Two, you must-- No, I should say: one, you must be permitted to leave the Gallows and venture into Kirkwall proper, which means you must not be a recently arrived Rifter subjected to the, what is-- to the quarantine. [No one has ever pronounced that word so Orlesian until now.] Is that still something that is done? I cannot recall.

In any case. The ability to depart the Gallows is the most crucial for this opportunity. Second to that is the strength of arm, for you shall be required to lift many heavy boxes and crates and things of this nature--many of which are terribly fragile or delicate--

No, no, I have changed my mind again. Second to the blah-blah-departure is complete fearlessness. There may be sights or experiences during this opportunity which may disturb or frighten individuals who are of weak hearts and weak stomachs and weak composures, who may pale at the sight of what might be traditionally defined as the weird--but only by cowards without sense or imagination or the thirst for true knowledge!

So: one, the ability to depart the Gallows. Two, fearlessness. Three, the strength of arm.

If you have these three qualities--and a spirit of discretion--and if you are available this very afternoon, then you are uniquely qualified for my opportunity. I promise no reward but the satisfaction of the work itself. Certainly there is nothing better.

Bonjour, mes amis.

[ Faintly sing-song, but in a drawling and subdued way. It doesn't do to sound too chipper and excited about asking people semi-invasive questions. ]

I have been talking to the Seneschal, and we thought—well, it's possible we might need a fraternization policy. Or a record, at least, in case it becomes a problem later. And to decide whether that is necessary: information about fraternization.

[ It's obvious from his voice that he's pleased that that rhymes. ]

So who is together? Or involved, if together is a scary word.

Please feel very free to rat out your bashful friends.

[ As an afterthought, ]

If you have opinions about the policy or record part, I will take those, too.

So what are everyone's intentions for the new year? Personally, I'm resolved to finally bulk up. By this time next year, you'll all be calling me Biceperly.

[The voice that comes over the Crystal is a very new one - words all smooth around the edges and tone chilly, arch, clinical.]

Well met. Given as my quarantine has ended and I have already stepped out once, I thought it prudent to make an open introduction. My name is Diabhall Minett, and I am newly arrived as of roughly a month ago. I will be entrenching myself in the Research Division and trying to make myself useful. I look forward to working alongside the rest of you. For the most part, I have found the answers to my questions in the time I was unable to leave the Gallows...but there are a couple of things I am curious about, if you will indulge me.

I am an architect by trade, and I have been studying the Gallows and the areas surrounding. I believe I have an understanding of standard construction and materials here in Thedas, at this juncture, but I would like to further deepen that knowledge. Is there anyone in charge of building upkeep here?

Second, is there anyone or anywhere at present who would have call for an architect's skillset? I needn't languish if there is anywhere I can immediately apply myself.

[There is a beat, just a brief note of hesitation in the otherwise clear, articulate speech.]

Lastly - can anyone recommend someone of some skill to set a small bit of crystal in a simple ring for me? Or a place where I may see about having this done?

SUBJECT: REPORT: Better Dead than Red
PARTICIPANTS: Vanya, Valentine, Ellie, Adrasteia, and Thranduil
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: backdated to the return from Orzammar
STATUS: The gang heads into the Deep Roads with a team of dwarven scholars and scientists to survey the extent of red lyrium spread in the mines and install cleansing runes. It all goes exactly according to plan and they don't crash through the floor and get lost and find new enemies.

REPORT: The original assignment was to assist with the evaluation of the spread of red lyrium and the installation of cleansing runes to affected mining areas of the Deep Roads with Shaper Renca Ghoskan and Assistant Chief Miner Artem Ress and several other Orzammar scientists and scholars.

At the furthest point into the mine, the pathway beneath us collapsed and we found ourselves in ancient tunnels according to both the Shaper and Assistant Chief Miner Ress. These ancient tunnels did not immediately lead to a way back to the party we'd left behind in the mines, but to a series of tunnels with elven carvings of plant life and animals on the walls. These led to two massive doors carved into the stone and a chamber beyond which felt massive and could not all be perceived by the eye in the darkness of that vastness. On every surface, there were ancient elven carvings showing scenes that at first felt wonderful to gaze upon but as we looked gained a sense of danger and wrongness about them.

I've included a reproduction of Messr. de Foncé's artistic renderings of the rooms and some of the images we found there.

In the center of this room hung a giant red lyrium crystal, but appearing for lack of a better word dead. It was the color of dried blood and opaque and did not put any of the weight of the usual exposure to red lyrium upon any members of our group. We found another, regular-sized door with dwarven carvings in the same fine style as the elven ones. There were cages carved out of stone and in several of these were darkspawn being held.

Before we could investigate further we were rebuffed by a group of dwarves wearing red lyrium-laced armor and holding a pair of red lyrium infected brontos with them. They spoke in a dialect that the Shaper has posited may be an ancient dwarven dialect. They were well-armed and chased us from those rooms all the way back to the carved tunnels. After some work we were able to find a pathway back to known mining areas and returned having found that roughly two days passed since we'd gone missing.

NEXT STEPS: The spread of red lyrium has gone farther and perhaps had deeper roots than just the current conflict with Corypheus' forces. It is unclear what those donning the red lyrium-laced armor were doing with the darkspawn in their captivity, but it is unlikely to be anything good. We should keep in touch with Shaper Ghoskan and Assistant Chief Miner Ress about any developments to the study of red lyrium or expeditions into the passageways that were discovered.

NOTES & LINKS: IC log | OOC info

SUBJECT: Nug Quest
PARTICIPANTS: Adrasteia, Holden, Jone, Joselyn, Sawbones, Val de Foncé, Wysteria, and Dick
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: Cloudreach
STATUS: Ongoing
SUMMARY: A team set out for the Minranter River west of Hasmal to find a potential population of Fade-touched nugs. Poachers had gotten there first, killing many nugs and capturing two. The team killed the poachers, rescued the nugs (and a bonus horse), and brought them all back to Kirkwall.

( 'nug' doesn't look like a word anymore )

SUBJECT: The Gang Explores A Cursed Temple
PARTICIPANTS: Adrasteia, Laura, Ellis, Tony, Val & Holden
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: Beginning of Cloudreach
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: A team went to Ghislain to explore the Temple of Dumat uncovered there last year. In their exploration of the temple, they uncovered evidence of blood magic, including mechanisms in the temple that demanded blood for the agents to travel further into the wings and potentially conjured or sprung illusory traps in later temple rooms, but also blood offerings made to Dumat for unknown purposes. Both teams were able to safely make their way through their respective wings, but the rift remains both corrupted and open.

( Here we go! )