PLAYER PLOT(s): MOVERS AND SHAKERS

[katabasis]

WHAT: A series of mixed-division/mixed-project, more or less official Riftwatch business assignments dealing with some of the mage-templar-chantry politics in the aftermath of the kiboshed Conclave attempt.

These are odd-job style assignments that are meant to be done by a small number of characters (2-3), or styled as mingle logs for ease of play.

HOW: You'll be provided with a brief overview of the goals/stakes/potential complications of each mission, but will otherwise be expected to set up their logs/conduct the missions as you see fit. If presented with a choice of A path or B path, the selection won't affect the success of the mission itself, but it may weigh the scales for Conclave Pt.2 so make your decisions wisely.

WHO: All y'all. Each mission has preferred character types noted, but I'm really just using these suggestions as flavor guidelines so a) don't feel tied down by them, and b) please don't hold the respective divheads/project leads personally responsible for any of my half baked hijinks.

WHEN: OOC sign-ups close EOD Saturday, Oct 1st. Groups will be finalized and additional details distributed in the next 48-ish hours. This sign-up period is purposefully short to make sure all business is settled before Conclave Pt.2. ICly, you're welcome to date these however is convenient or interesting so long as it occurs pre-Conclave Pt.2 (whenever that happens), so don't be worried about this overlapping with any IC obligations/feel free to sign up for multiples if you have the time and interest.

Reports for these mini-plots will be due by October 31st. Don't make me hunt you down. [knife emoji]

Comments

[katabasis]

EXPECTATION :)
Marcus, Ellie, and Ellis have been ordered to assist a small detachment from the Inquisition charged with raiding supply lines feeding the Tevinter army in siege around Starkhaven. They've been permitted to redirect whatever goods they can recover during these raids; anything that can't be moved is to be destroyed rather than permitted to continue to the Imperium's standing army. This is very much something of a mutual favor—these particular Inquisition field agents have been at this game for a while and should be grateful for the extra hands, eyes, and firepower (literally). In exchange, Riftwatch gets to do whatever they want with what can be recovered from the various sites they're charged with turning over.

To this end, any supplies, cash or goods that can be packed away are to be transported east to a large refugee encampment that's sprung up in the Markham territories. Riftwatch's team has been provided with the names of Sister Anell, a Chantry sister (shock), and Philip Allright (not his real surname—seems to be derivative of a habitual impulse to agree to everything with a long suffering sigh followed by 'All right'), a prominent leader in the Marcher refugee community there who will help to distribute whatever can be recovered. Once they've gathered their supplies (whatever can be slung between two griffons and flown—which isn't inconsiderable), Marcus, Ellie and Ellis have been ordered to part ways with the Inquisition agents and travel there to assist with the distribution however they're able—be seen, make sure people know Riftwatch is the responsible.

While in the company of the Inquisition's agents, the Riftwatchers will nominally be under command of the Inquisition's ranking officer.

REALITY :(
However when they rendezvous with the Inquisition's five person strike team, the vibes are immediately off. Rather than being welcomed by allies happy for the backup, they'll find themselves dealing with a general tenor of unease, worry and defensiveness. The commanding officer, Livia Glas, is a woman in her late forties who has dispensed with all her plate but still carries a Templar's sword and shield. She is at turns affable (she's pleased to see a Warden; despite no longer being a member of the Order, she once served in Hossberg) and then shockingly impatient and short-tempered. She's clearly a brilliant strategist, but Glas also does things like takes what others have suggested and immediately presents it as her own idea or conveniently forgets having harshly rebuked someone one moment then treating them as a friend the next.

It's possible that Glas is just one of those tyrannical leaders who thinks of themselves as sociable and fair. It's possible that something more than just abuse of the chain of command is going on. Is the hesitation to call her authority into question due to worrying about what might happen when they eventually return to the main body of the Inquisition's force and face censure, or is it that these are symptoms of lyrium dementia and Glas's comrades are trying their best to insulate everyone from the repurcussions as they comb through hostile territory?

What is true is that after a few less than productive raids, the group will eventually have the opportunity to toss an old farmstead being used as a stash house. Among the assortment of goods stored there are three crates stamped with all the correct trade marks for Orzammar, the Chantry, and whatever trading house is meant to have imported them. Inside the crates is a stock of refined lyrium. Ellis's Warden Senses will be able to detect that the lyrium is corrupted, but Glas will insist otherwise based on the apparent providence of the crates and the fact that this isn't the first time they've found lyrium (albeit not in any bulk amount worth hauling back to the allied armies) among Tevinter's supplies. She will want to take possession of the crates in order to return them to the Exalted March where they might be put to good use. Suggesting otherwise is bordering on mutinous and will be included in whatever vehemently written report she gives on her return.

Marcus, Ellie and Ellis will have to determine what they do in light of this discovery. Allowing Glas to return to the March with corrupted lyrium could be devastating; allowing her to return without it might harm their reputation with the Inquisition given how rare small joint operations like this one are. Accompanying Glas back to the March to plead otherwise risks the loss of the supplies they've collected for the refugees. Splitting the party might force an overland trip to the refugee encampment and make the supplies especially susceptible to bandit attacks. All these possibilities, AND MORE!

In general: I've provided you with a lot of details and not a lot of concrete resolutions in the interest of letting y'all run wild. Feel free to characterize your group of NPCs and your various encounters with scattershot Tevinter soldiers how you please. Maybe Glas is suffering lyrium dementia. Maybe she's taken lyrium they've discovered in the field and is actually corrupted herself. Maybe she's just a jerk. Maybe this erupts into an armed conflict. Maybe its settled diplomatically. Further, the potential consequences detailed above are all only possibilities—my interest is in creating drama and hard decisions for your characters, not in trapping you into a result. If you want to come to me with 'Hey our characters are going to do this, what happens?', then I'm happy to provide a solution. But you're also welcome to just detail their decision and the immediate consequences or lack thereof in your report (due Oct 31) and I'll sneakily lift that info and incorporate it and any cascading effects into future plots.