FORCES(+MISC) WAR TABLE: FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES

[katabasis]

WAR TABLE ASSIGNMENT(s): FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES

WHAT: Over the last few years, Riftwatch has made connections or been in contact with a handful of anti-enslavement and reform groups within the Tevinter Imperium. The two most notable of these are currently:

VALERIANTUS' BROKEN BLADES - a network of spies and saboteurs actively operating within notable Imperium households and cities. Primarily composed of currently enslaved and a small number of reform minded citizens, the exact identities and number of which remain a mystery. Operates on a strict policy of 'no one knows everyone', but Ambrose Valeriantus, a Laetan mage, seems to be a key figure in the group. Unfortunately, the group also has ties to Calpernia/The Venatori that need to be discouraged.

THE PEOPLE OF THE SILENT PLAINS - A group made entirely of escaped slaves, mostly elves, who operate out of Southern Tevinter. Historically, they’ve worked to smuggle escapees across the border, but more recently they’ve been branching into assassinating slavers, and have gained a small reputation for ruthlessness. Pretty functional and impactful, considering their small size (no pun intended) and lack of resources; Tertia is a member of the group recently dispatched to Kirkwall to reconnoiter Riftwatch.

In the interest of gaining allies within Tevinter in the fight against Corypheus, Riftwatch will be making efforts to ally more closely to these two factions by assisting them in their work... or by sabotaging key efforts by Venatori-aligned individuals who might be looking to do the same.

HOW: A bunch of interconnected plots! These plots (6 in total) are fleshed out and available to claim and run for the next two plot periods (aka from now through September). The long lead time is an effort to make these accessible to everyone even if you're not ready to play in a plot right this second, and to allow for the opportunity to run interstitial player plots and/or assignments that might further effect the relationship building effort. Basically: someone might decide to claim and run Plot 2 of 6, and runs it 3 weeks from now instead of this weekend. Then, if they (or someone else) wants to do a spin off adventure based on that plot's outcome/themes/whatever, you should have time to squeeze it in before the whole string of six assignments is completed and we're done with recruiting allies among these two factions*.

These assignments will work similar to the Jobs Board. You can claim an available assignment at any point between now and the end of September, but assignments are claimed on a first come first serve basis.

Once you make a claim, I'll give you all the prepared info and/or mechanics to run it like a normal player plot. It will then be your responsibility to assemble a team (if you haven't done so already) and do something with the info provided. If your group doesn't do anything with the plot within 4 weeks or fails to file a report by the listed deadline, no harm no foul—the assignment just reverts back to the pool and is available for someone else to claim and run.

Anything that isn't claimed/run in the available time period will still produce a result, it will just be as if Riftwatch never had the opportunity to intervene/assist. This doesn't necessarily ensure a negative outcome, but since we're the main characters here it probably doesn't produce a very significant one either.

*I'm not the boss and there can be other plots focusing on this theme outside of this time frame; but this is building to AN EVENT IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, and are designed to lead in that direction.

WHO: Everyone! But mostly Forces; see the assignment description table for details.

WHEN: Now through September; the calendar is your oyster.

ASSIGNMENTS BOARD:
The below table gives a rough overview of the plots available to claim. This board includes an assignment description (a short, incomplete summary), tone (intended scope and vibe of the mission; you can ultimately do whatever you want with the info provided, but this should give you an idea of what kind of information I'll be providing to you. If it says 'action adventure', the stuff I have prepared is geared toward facilitating action and not stealthy backroom conversations. You can absolutely still thread the latter rather than the former, you might just have to read between the lines of the info you get to do so), the division requirements (only characters who are in the listed divisions can participate in those assignments), and a suggested character number.

To claim one of these plots, please comment in the appropriate thread below and I'll update this table. See the last assignment, 'SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE', and it's related claim comment in the thread for an example of how this will work.

Description	Tone	Division Req.	Suggested Character #	Claimed?
HIGHWAY ROBBERY: The Broken Blades have asked Riftwatch to waylay the payroll of a dawnstone mining operation in the Hundred Pillars. Riftwatch will be responsible for knocking over the (heavily armored) payroll delivery and making off with the cash before it can reach the mining operation.	Action/adventure; heist; point pool mechanics	Forces	3-6	Brooklyn - link; report due 9/30
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: PERIVANTIUM DRIFT: A clandestine meeting of key members of the Broken Blades is planned to occur in Perivantium following the height of the festivities surrounding the city's annual chariot race. While originally tasked to simply run interference to ensure that the meeting isn't discovered, Riftwatch's members instead must infiltrate and compete in the race themselves in order to ensure that a key member of the Broken Blades survives the race.	Action/adventure; dice roll mechanics	Forces + Scouting	2-4	Ammmy and Lor; report due 9/30
A BITTER PILL: A Laetan mage overseeing the distribution of war loot and captive would-be slaves coming in from the South is secretly a reformed minded abolitionist. Unfortunately, her effort to broker the freedom for many captives is contingent on her relationship with the Venatori as an artifact finder. Riftwatch has learned the time and place of their next meeting and now must intervene to ensure an end to the Venatori acquisition efforts.	Sneaky violence; moral quandaries; no fancy mechanics	Forces	2-4	Saved for Later
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES: The manifest and schedule of The Ciconia, a merchant ship plying chattel cargo between Carastes and Seheron, has fallen into the People of the Silent Plains' possession by way of one of the slavers they've recently assassinated. They've now tasked Riftwatch with intercepting the Ciconia, seeing the slaves on her freed (and remanded to the People's care), and the ship's crew executed.	Action/adventure; moral quandaries; point pool mechanics	Forces	3-6	Saved for Later
THERE'S NO ETHICAL CONSUMPTION UNDER LATE-STAGE VYRANTIUM: Adelphus Kyrus, an Altus mage who has made his fortune in the slave trade will be traveling overland from Minrathous to Vyrantium for the summer season; the People have asked for Riftwatch to guarantee that Kyrus never makes it to his vacation home. To complicate matters, Kyrus is also a staunch anti-Venatori voice in high-ranking Tevinter circles and killing him may jeopardize the momentum of some anti-Venatori factions in the Magisterium.	(Psychological/Body) Horror; PvP; no fancy mechanics just bad vibes	Forces + Scouting	3-6	Cass - report due 9/30
SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE: An ex-Templar hiding out in the Rivaini village of Sanavo has volunteered to travel to Tevinter in order to join up with the People of the Silent Plains where he can act as a strategist/milita/anti-mage expert. Riftwatch will be smuggling the ex-Templar, and a pile of supplies to the People, and spend a brief stint in the People's company to relationship build and assist with their efforts on the ground.	Mingle log; choose your own adventure	All Divisions	No Minimum/Maximum	Various - link; report due 9/30

Comments

[katabasis]

Thanks for signing up! The log for this plot is located HERE. A quick summary of the events:

Late in fantasy!August, an ex-Templar by the name of Toma Cassel arrives in Kirkwall from Sanavo (which Riftwatch previously assisted by closing a rift that had appeared over their pearling waters, and Project Haven/Diplomacy has since maintained friendly relations with). After only a few short days in the Gallows, during which one might safely assume the man means to join up with Riftwatch, it is instead made clear that Riftwatch is to organize a party to escort Cassel—along with other supplies and equipment—across the border into Tevinter, where they will be delivered to the ex-enslaved rebel group known as The People of the Silent Plains as an ally to assist the rebels' efforts. For anyone who might be close with Tertia, the name of the group may ring a bell—particularly as she's coming with to act as an intermediary.

In early fantasy!September, the party will travel to the Silent Plains region of Tevinter by griffon (and if there aren't enough griffon riders, we can pretend a griffon taxi service was organized and the folks who aren't joining in on the mission have other pressing business to attend to after they drop everyone off), and link up with the rebels there.

The group will spend a few days to weeks in the company of the People delivering intelligence, Research Division-concocted supplies (both defensive and offense), weaponry scraped from Riftwatch's armory, and in general building some face to face rapport with a group that has heretofore been cautious of who it associates with. The linked log above includes some suggestions for the activities that might fill this time and some NPC sketches that may be utilized for play, but in general you're encouraged to get creative and use this as a mingle log for building player character CR with a backdrop of guerrilla warfare camp flavor. Or just skip to the end set piece. That works too.

Late in Riftwatch's visit, they'll have a chance to lend more direct support to the People's efforts by joining them on a raid of a Tevinter supply line. Details for how this raid shakes out will be divided and PMed to the players involved. Some significant loot will also be recovered during this raid, the details of which will be PMed to the relevant players.

In general, everyone will get a PM details/secrets/plot revelation that they can play with. It will be up to you how much you want to OOCly hide your hand from your fellow players vs sharing the information you receive ahead of time. If you want to reveal info through play, have a party! If you prefer to compile all your info together OOCly and plan your threads with the big picture in mind, that's a-okay too. If you don't do either of those things and instead play something completely different with these suggested hooks as handwaved happenings, that works.

Please make sure the group files a report by no later than 9/30 so that the results can be incorporated into [MYSTERIES YET TO FOLLOW]. Have fun!