faderifting | War Table

THE WAR TABLE

Operations

Characters may not participate in more than one war table operation at a time.
Sign-ups are first come, first served. After the minimum number of characters is reached, we'll wait approximately 48 hours to allow additional sign-ups before closing the operation and giving participants the necessary information.
Travel time for operations outside of Skyhold can and should be OOCly condensed/handwaved for the sake of not RPing weeks upon weeks of roadside camping, but you're welcome to set scenes along the way as well.
Operations will not be GMed, but we're always happy to answer questions or provide additional details as requested.
If you would like to suggest a war table operation--if your character is doing something other people should probably notice and investigate, their relatives are causing trouble, etc.--let us know on the Plot Request page.

Ferelden

The Secrets of Andraste: The team that investigated the ruins beneath and beyond the Temple of Sacred Ashes returned with ancient texts and artifacts. Adequately cataloging and translating these finds could help the Inquisition recover some of the political ground it has lost with the Chantry since the Herald's death. The texts, unfortunately, are written in an ancient runic script that no one in the Inquisition can fully translate. One scholar suggests that they are Alamarri, and the closest links are likely to be found among the Chasind Wilders. This operation requires four to six characters who will be absent from Skyhold for at least ten days. Those chosen will be told to equip for a fight but to try not to start one.

Orlais

The Chantry Remains: The Chantry's scattered condemnations of the Inquisition ceased--or at least ceased being publicly trumpeted--for a respectful period after the Herald's death, but the accusations of heresy and calls for the organization's disbandment have renewed. This operation requires three to five characters, with preference given to those who will not be immediately branded heretics as soon as they show their faces or open their mouths, who will be absent from Skyhold for at least five days.

Skyhold

Investigate Lyrium Theft: Small amounts of lyrium have been disappearing from the Inquisition's stores with enough regularity that it can no longer be considered a coincidence, and the Inquisition is looking into the problem. Those asked to help will need to be capable of discretion. This operation requires three to four characters who will need to remain in Skyhold for the seven days during the investigation.

INFO REQUESTS

If your character is investigating, experimenting, researching, normal-searching, organizing, exploring, polling, or anything along those general lines and you'd like mod input about what the results would be, ask us here! There's no form for this, just let us know what they're up to and what your question is and we'll get back to you. While requests and replies will generally be unscreened, please make sure to check whether results are IC public knowledge before assuming that your character is aware of them.

PLOT REQUESTS & IDEAS

We strongly encourage player plots, quests, missions, adventures and so on, especially ones that grow out of PC action. We are also always open to ideas if players have something in mind but feel for some reason that they can't run a prospective plot themselves. So that requests and answers can be screened, please use the form on the Plot Request page.

—NAVIGATION↠

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Scout the Western Approach: The Grey Wardens are up to something, and all available information suggests they're up to it in western Orlais. The Inquisition is sending a small group of low-profile scouts to follow the trail they've left and find out where they are and what they're doing so the Inquisition will know what to expect before sending more forces. This operation requires 3-7 characters who will be gone for at least three weeks. If the Western Approach is chosen as the next region, the scouts will be asked to remain there until Inquisition forces arrive rather than return to Skyhold. Characters are not required to be scouts in order to participate, but they will be expected to attract as little attention as possible.

Participants: Rachette Dakal, Salvatore, Dismas, Clint Barton, Fenris

This group will initially travel with those doing the Scout Emprise du Lion operation, but the group will split in two after leaving the Frostbacks. They will be able to track the Grey Wardens--who the Inquisition's Warden guests will report were previously in Montsimmard--using tracking methods and overheard gossip. They should follow the Imperial Highway south of Lake Celestine and then cut west to the desert. They will be instructed to pose as merchants and travelers rather than Inquisition forces until the situation has been assessed.

Upon reaching the Western Approach, the group will quickly notice signs of a Venatori presence in the eastern areas of the region, while they will have to scout further west to find the Wardens they were sent after. Rather than establishing a noticeable camp, they should set up in a cave along the canyon walls. Through observation, the scouts will find:

An old Tevinter palace nestled in the cliffs, guarded by Venatori.
Signs (sounds, movement to and from) of additional Venatori activity beyond an unbreachable door built into a cliffside.
Grey Wardens occupying Griffon Wing Keep in large numbers, apparently disinterested in the nearby Venatori and vice versa. The scouts may be able to get close enough to the keep to discern the sight--or smell--of bodies being disposed of on pyres. During the course of the scouts' stay in the Approach, the Wardens will begin to leave the Keep in groups and retreat toward Adamant Fortress.
Various mines, resources, water sources.
Sulfur pits rendering much of the area inaccessible.
Signs and brief sightings of a dragon.

Toward the end of their time in the Western Approach, the scouts may come upon a young, runaway Grey Warden recruit named Margot who will be able to confirm that the Wardens are performing blood sacrifices but not be able to explain why. She will ask the group--whether they tell her they're merchants or Inquisition members--if she can travel them. If they permit her to do so, they will later be discovered by a group of Grey Wardens following her trail. They will have to choose between maintaining cover as uninterested merchants/travelers and returning her to them, or defending her and killing her pursuers. The latter will likely alert the Grey Wardens that someone in the area is counteracting them and may have longterm consequences for the Inquisition's efforts in the region.

Day to day, characters may need to combat thirst, aggressive local wildlife, demon-producing rifts, and groups of highway bandits. They may also be discovered by small groups of Venatori and need to take appropriate action--either by talking their way out of it or by killing them. If the latter, it would be advisable to make their deaths look natural rather than potentially put the Wardens and Venatori on alert.

The group will be tasked with sketching maps and reporting its findings back to the Inquisition. They're welcome to communicate with Skyhold and individual characters via their sending crystals, whether to relate what they are seeing or to keep themselves entertained during slow periods, and they will not be asked to keep anything they discover a secret. Meaning: please disseminate this information!

ICly, the characters cannot leave before Haring 5, when the majority of the Inquisition's forces will have returned from the Fallow Mire and had time to regroup. OOCly, you may begin before or after December 5 and back- or forward-date accordingly.

In addition to the player characters, you can choose to have up to three NPCs participate in this scouting mission. NPCs must be Inquisition members (or hired help) and cannot have any skills or information that would be remarkable for your run-of-the-mill Inquisition scout. The purpose of these NPCs is mostly to give you someone to kill off. (:D) They can also do grunt work (e.g., if it would be stupid not to leave someone behind to keep watch but no players want their characters to stand there twiddling thumbs) and advise characters who aren't used to scouting or stealth on any basic skills they may be lacking.

Whether you use the NPCs, what their names and personalities are, and what happens to them is up to the group.

War Table

SCOUT THE WESTERN APPROACH

ADDENDUM