RP: Open to anyone

[cullen_fadewalk]

Cullen straightened, then slowly rose to his feet. He was in the main yard of Skyhold all right, but there were telling differences even beyond the troubling sky. The greenery hadn't all been stripped away, for one. The Herald's blood red banners were nowhere to be seen. The tavern still stood, and the high parapets were bare of their bristling defenses.

If he could ignore the tempest going on above his head, it almost seemed...peaceful. Like it was before things started going so wrong.

He turned in a slow circle, chains clanking, and silently noted the changes--then went perfectly still when he heard a footfall.

Comments

[exiledalistair]

Alistair shifted so he could look from Cullen to Neria as they spoke in turn, not expecting it to be as comforting as it was. He nodded, a slight wrinkle of a frown between his brows, making himself breathe. He had trained as a Templar, he could find clarity when he remembered to look for it, and stopped tripping over his own ridiculous worries.

"Right. You're commanders, you command things. So, commands?" He quirked an eyebrow hopefully.

[cullen_fadewalk]

Cullen nodded to Neria. "Research," he said. "You should make friends of the mages here, if you can. The more eyes we have on this, the better. You and I," he said to Alistair, "should take control of key points in Skyhold before the others work past their confusion and start to think strategically. Weapons. Provisions, if we can. Poisons and grenades. We'll need to try to keep the armory contained and control the flow of weaponry as much as possible. People will arrive with their own blades, but this at least will give us a chance to have a leg up. We'll begin a militia and earn their trust. Meanwhile, we will learn who they are and what they are about...you two will," Cullen corrected himself, rubbing the back of his neck. "I am...no longer very good at social interactions. But knowing them will allow us to determine their safety. Cole. Cole is vital. He will know if someone is dangerous."

[heromiyuu]

"Cole, right. I'll keep this name in mind." she nodded "But before walking around, making friends with the mages, I'll help you two with our key points. I can set up some magical traps and alarms to warn us if something goes wrong. And there is Jäger too... he's an old hound, but he can still chew arms and hands off if needed."

Neria kept a straight face, even knowing they could find slightly disturbing the fact she hid the mabari from them.

"So, I assume we should take the armory, the kitchen and the requisitions office, for a start. Any other location you find important?"

[exiledalistair]

Alistair was comfortable with plans. Plans that other people put together, particularly. Plans that didn't involve him getting hit with swords? Even better. He nodded, listening with clear-eyed attention, despite how he might smell, to Cullen's list of priorities, and then then turned to Neria. He felt a slight hitch in his chest at the mention of her mabari. Another strange echo of the Hero that he knew.

He cleared his throat. "Where does Skyhold's water come from? If it's a well or a cistern should we make sure it hasn't been tampered with or tainted? Not tainted obviously. Well, probably." He made a slight face then shook his head.

[cullen_fadewalk]

"There are wells," Cullen said. "That is very good thinking, Alistair. There is also a very small lake toward the end of the property. No way of knowing whether the borders we've been given extend so far without trekking out to see for ourselves."

He frowned, thoughtful.

"I'd like to claim my own tower, but that's just...familiarity, rather than necessity. We should leave the tavern. It's difficult to defend, as I said before, and it will attract a lot of attention early on. The War Room," Cullen added. "It has a single large--and heavy--door in, and it would take extreme skill and courage, not to mention luck, for anyone to scale the wall and slip through its windows. It is a good place to store and guard supplies."

[heromiyuu]

"Well thought. Seems like I already know where to mingle too."

Neria led out a sigh, far from being excited to play the sociable person. But looking at Cullen and Alistair, she could see she was their best option now.

"So, let's make it happen. If we want some edge, we can't stay here waiting for our plans to complete themselves."

[exiledalistair]

Alistair blinked. Good thinking? If Cullen said so. He nodded to Neria and rolled his shoulders. "Right. Lifting and carrying. That I can do."

He waited until Cullen lead the way to the War Room, trying to mark the route, the doors and chambers, nodding when storerooms, dead ends, and potential egresses were pointed out. He looked forward to the labor, really. Something useful to do, wear himself out, and then go see about the tavern for drinking himself into a deep, black sleep after.

(OOC: Do we want to wrap up this thread? Assume that Cullen is inventorying, Neria has gone to try to make friends with other mages, and Alistair is busy fetching and carrying?)

[cullen_fadewalk]

(OOC: I think this is a perfect end!)

[heromiyuu]

(ooc: yep! works for me ^^)