Why'd You Kill the Merchant?!

[sansseraph]

Who: ALL O' Y'ALL
Broadcast: If you want
Action: FRICK YEAH PARTY AT THE JUNKYARD...I mean, Waystation. Junkstation.
When: 10/07 - Event End

It looks more like a junk heap than a waystation, but luckily there aren't any math fetishists to add you to the pile (hopefully). Talk to the scavengers and heed their warnings...if you want. Or perhaps you'll approach a shady individual for purchasing or selling stuff.

"Welcome, stranger!"

Comments

[bryces_pup]

I have no doubt of your abilities to make a person talk. [Really, she doesn't.] But let's leave that as Plan B, hm? Try it my way first?

[wolfuncaged]

[His way is far more satisfying. ]

Fine. If you insist.

[bryces_pup]

[But it creates a mess. and making things difficult.]

I do. Now, do you have a location or any hint as to who else may be involved? So we can pay them a visit?

[wolfuncaged]

They are scattered. We would have to find one of them, and get his books. Something to lead him to his buyers.

[Ugh, the mess is worth it. ]

[bryces_pup]

I see. [She taps her finger to her mouth. How to find their way to one of them?] As you've been watching them, have you noticed any place that they particularly like to gather at? [They need some kind of lead, or they might be wandering for awhile.]

[wolfuncaged]

They move around, but there are a couple of stations they prefer to spend their time upon as a group. We can go to them.

[bryces_pup]

A good as any a place to start. I'll follow your lead.

[wolfuncaged]

[He gives a nod of his head, neither refusing nor questioning her following along. He knows Riona well enough to know that there's little that will keep her from a task if she's set her mind to it. She stopped the fucking Blight, for Maker's sake. ]

We'll want to move fast. They'll be suspect with the amount of their fellows who have met an...unfortunate end.

[bryces_pup]

[The last bit makes her glance sidelong at him, brow raised.]

Just how many have you taken out already?

[wolfuncaged]

...Ten, perhaps a few more.

[He gives a shrug of his shoulders. ]

I haven't exactly been counting.

[bryces_pup]

You've been a busy man.

[No wonder people had been so on edge around the station the last few days.]

[wolfuncaged]

I didn't aim to stand idle while these people kidnapped innocents and sold them like objects.

[bryces_pup]

[Right. Maybe she should... hold off on the jokes for tonight. Or at least tune back the witty commentary.]

No rest for the wicked?

[But she understands it, at the very least.

She glances around, drumming her fingers against her lips. In her mind she's turning over how exactly she's going to get information out of these slavers. They're already scared, so intimidation may not be the best option.

Charm it is, then.]

[wolfuncaged]

[Fenris once again ruins ALL the fun. ]

That's usually the case.

[Charm them, Riona. Charrrrrm them.]

Do you have an idea?

[bryces_pup]

A few. Between being raised noble and my experiences during the Blight, I've learned a few ways to get what I need out of people. [A slow smile stretches across her face.] It's all about knowing your target, so to speak, and how to approach them.

[wolfuncaged]

[He makes a soft noise of amusement. ]

You are far more skilled in this than I, then.

[A people person, Fenris is absolutely not. ]

[bryces_pup]

To be fair, I had a lot of practice. Forced practice. [She rolls her eyes.] But it's served me well. Frankly, while my murdering the Archdemon ended the Blight, diplomacy is what got me to that point.

[wolfuncaged]

I take it people were less receptive of the Grey Wardens showing up to defend them from the Blight? Seems rather foolhardy, to be honest.

[He was in Tevinter still when it hit. They tend to not care as much. Because, well, history and all that. ]

[bryces_pup]

Yes and no. Depends on whom we're speaking about here. The peoples I went to for help weren't necessarily unreceptive. They just had major troubles of their own. "Oh, we'd help but werewolves are attacking our clan" or "We'd honor our word but our king is dead and the entire dwarven kingdom is in a deadlock deciding the next one". And of course, "Love to help, but our Circle is overrun by abominations."

[A pause.] Almost forgot: "The Arl who could lend you aid and help engineer an end to the civil war is unconscious with a poison we can't cure. Also, our town is being overrun by undead. Please help."

[Nothing went easy during that year.]

To top it all off, once Loghain took power, he pinned King Cailan's death and the disaster at Ostagar on the Grey Wardens. So many in Ferelden saw us as traitors and tried to claim the bounties on our heads.

[wolfuncaged]

[Fenris listens, occasionally giving a soft, amused scoff. ]

Sounds a lot like our time in Kirkwall, honestly. Hawke ended up helping the city out a lot, but people were unwilling to do their part if we did not run around pointlessly for them - doing their work for them.

Hm. And that is where you met Zevran, correct? He was one of those claiming a bounty...on behlaf of the Crows?

[bryces_pup]

People do love to pass their dirt work onto someone else.

[At the mention of Zevran, she smiles. She can't help it; she usually does when he's brought up.]

More or less. Loghain hired them. I suppose Alistair and I just weren't dying as quickly as he'd have liked. Zevran and some hired lackeys ambushed us on the road. After a sound thrashing, we found him alive and interrogated him. He readily gave us information on Loghain, and then asked to be spared.

[Her lips twitched.]

You know, I still can't quite pin the reason why I did. I'll admit, a part of me found him rather curious, given his personality and how he argued his case. I do believe he called me a death goddess. [Which helped his cause, admittedly.] But... I don't know. Something told me to bring him along. And I'm glad I did.

[wolfuncaged]

Maker forbid they do it themselves, after all.

[That does get a soft huff of amusement out of the elf. ]

Zevran has a way of cajoling people I have only ever seen the dwarf manage, in all honesty. I would not be surprised if those two survived us all, relying almost entirely on their own wits and charisma.

[bryces_pup]

Zevran knows how to read people. It's almost uncanny. And, he's a good person. With a questionable love of killing people.

[wolfuncaged]

Hm. Well. He is an assassin. He would not be a good one if he couldn't kill people with some degree of satisfaction.

[Says the living weapon, who doesn't really feel anything when he kills people, doop doop. ]

But yes. He does have a skill in reading people.

[bryces_pup]

Very true. He's taught me quite a few things about that, actually. Best places to strike and how to hit them. One of his maneuvers saved my life once. [Against Howe, of all people. Who better to teach her how to fight a rogue than another rogue?]

And in manipulating them and cajoling them. [She chuckles.] At least when he's not driving them crazy. Oh, poor Wynne. I think she threatened to remove his brains through his nose once or twice, and she was the most level-headed of the bunch. [And Zevran just kept on poking her, because he could.] Though I think we all considered that once or twice, especially when he started with the unsolicited sex advice.