Party Banter Meme

[faderifting]

In the Dragon Age games, as you travel Thedas with your best pals, they have a lot of short conversations about politics, the weather, butts, etc. So this is the Fade Rift equivalent, in four easy steps!

1. Imagine your characters are on a very long walk toward a mission objective, or on a very long walk back after kicking ass, or standing guard together, or gathering herbs, or working in the library late at night, or something. Anything sort of boring that might make people want to have a dumb conversation just to break things up a bit.

OPTIONAL CONTEXT: Over the course of the month, many/most members of Riftwatch will be sent into the mountains around Kirkwall to deal with some local issues. Details and action scenes will be available when the plot goes up, but feel free to use snowy mountain trekking as a starting point for banter—complaining about or admiring the snow, fighting about whose fault it is the fire kept going out overnight, debating whether those were really bear tracks you saw, etc.

2. Post a few remarks your character might say (similar to TFLN, except spoken out loud and less ridiculous and sexy, maybe. maybe not. we don’t know your life) while passing the time. If you did the gossip meme, feel free to include a link to that here to help people think of things to bother your character about. (If you didn't do it...do it now? If you want. It's not too late.)

3. Tag around to reply to those general remarks or to start new/wildcard conversations! Threads should be pretty short and involve minimal action; there’s no need to turn anything into a big production. Multiperson threads are encouraged. Series of conversations between the same two characters occurring on different days are also encouraged.

4. Gather up all of your little conversation snippets like a bouquet and keep them forever, because they’re game canon. Banter threads can't be used for Base AC, but do count towards AC Rewards points.

Comments

Darras Rivain

[staysail]

1. What's the point of us going all the way up a mountain when we're just going to have to come down it again? Ought to be circular.

2. Snow was a mistake. No one is going to convince me of else.

3. You going to finish that? Only I've got a griffon that's starving. So he says.

4. WILDCARD with help from gossip

4

[cozen]

Will you be offended if I tell you I have asked after your ship?

[staysail]

Not offended. Surprised, maybe. What's it you asked about?

[cozen]

Only what people had heard, around the docks. The gossip was bloodier than I expected, I have to say—but I am sure that was just my naivety. You are a pirate.

[staysail]

[Boy would his wife not like hearing this but also his wife knows. It's complicated. Darras, for his part, doesn't quite smile. It's not like he's proud. But--]

Fooled you by talking about all the smiling on board. [But, again--] We're fair. There's worse out there, whatever gossip you had. If that doesn't sound too much an excuse for you.

[cozen]

No, no—I do not doubt it. But what do you mean, you are fair?

[staysail]

Do my best to give chances. If we raid a ship, let the crew join up, if they've a mind to and seem trustworthy. 'Course they're kept under close watch, and I don't put my back to 'em if I can help it. They can swim for it, if they think they can make it, though that's a trip that ends in drowning most cases, I'd say.

I made it. But I've a powerful luck on my side. I don't s'ppose you heard that of me, did you?

[cozen]

No, but I would love to hear it now. You made the swim?

[staysail]

I was fifteen, more or less. Didn't have a choice but to swim for it. I'd nearly died fighting for the safety of--well, myself, but I was working sailing as an escort for merchants sailing through Rialto Bay. Beset by pirates, we were. I'm aware of the irony. And I found myself up against their captain, this madman called Iakovos. Painted himself gray every day 'cos he'd had it off a Chantry brother that demons were really gray at their skin. Or maybe it was a slight against the Qunari. Anyway, he'd bit my arm, nearly strangled me, I put a knife in his eye--took with a fever the next few days, 'cos I think there was some sickness in Iakovos' mouth, or maybe a poison painted on his teeth. Woke up half-fevered in the night and these bastards were trying to rob me. And I didn't see any way out of it but to defend myself, again--only when it was done, I realized how it would look--so, I jumped overboard.

Which was idiotic. But I was fifteen, still had a bit of that fever. And anyhow, I wasn't alone out there in that water.

[cozen]

[ He's an attentive listener, eyes narrowing and widening in concern and surprise, mouth occasionally moving as if about to start some mildly alarmed interjection that never comes, until: ]

I hope this is not about to involve sharks.

[staysail]

[He opens his mouth to reply, or at least to go on, but then a thought stops him.]

Are dolphins related to sharks?

[cozen]

Perhaps if their families have intermarried.

[staysail]

Yeah? I could see where that'd get confusing. They look more'n a bit alike at a glance.

Anyhow, I've given it away. No sharks. Just dolphins. Didn't know what they were at first, thought the same myself--sharks--or else something with my fever and blind panic, but turns out they were as solid and as real as anything. Three of 'em.
So I started swimming. Chose to swim to the left, 'cos that was always my lucky side. It was clumsy work at first, with me half-fevered. And as I went, I realized that the dolphins were keeping pace with me, swimming along beside me. At first I thought maybe I was dreaming, or else mistaken, that they were truly sharks and I was losing my mind, but no. And eventually I washed up ashore--hours, and hours later, mind--and my luck had held, 'cos I was on Brandel's Reach. And then I met a smuggler with a knife, lied my way to the Black City to be vouchsafed by my brother called Gareth, a brother I didn't have, mind, what was working on a ship...

It's a whole tale. The point of it being, I've always afforded anyone that same courtesy. If they think their luck will hold, they're welcome to test it. Or join up. Don't take officers, can't trust 'em, but anyone else might have a go of it and--lucky again--might work out.

2

[taxonomy]

It doesn't lodge in places though. Or choke you. Blinding, yes, but we've spiced wine surely?

[Did someone pack the spiced wine???]

[staysail]

We won't have any by the end of tonight, if it's left with me. [js.] Poor way to give us a little warmth. They ought to have sent a case of it along.

Have you really not been choked by snow yet?

[taxonomy]

I'll inform whoever is in charge of our supplies then that you're not to be left alone with it lest we be reduced to rationing it which is a sad state of affairs. [Or worse: the dreaded homebrew.] Maybe they think camraderie, the bonds of friendship will warm our hearts and thus ourselves.

What are you doing where it's choking you? I mean it's snow, it melts.

[staysail]

Oh, well, now, listen to you. [Not unkindly, more teasing.] Saving me from drinking myself to death by warning the officers of me, and ignoring my trials with the snow. A real friend. I'm feeling camraded and warmed already, I don't mind telling you.

Haven't been walking in the snow much, have you? Gets up the nose even out there. Choking, and blinding. Cruel.

[taxonomy]

Best leaving the drinking for the students and the bards, no one needs the gossip being how you threw up on someone's good boots if they even have any. [Not for the snow, at any rate.] Isn't suffering together good for morale? Why else would so many of us be out here?

I've worked in the snow many times on expeditions and other studies, usually remember a scarf and some of the lenses I'd wear if something might spit on me. Though up here-- [Well it's a drop. Riftwatch probably don't do expenses.] So long as the nose still feels the cold you're grand. Where did you go that was so terrible that you'll slander it in such a way?

[staysail]

Ah, now you're doing me a disservice. I haven't thrown up on anyone's boots since I was fifteen. [But his feelings aren't hurt, not by his tone.] And speaking of, I hear there's a nasty bit of grippe going through the region. Maybe they wanted the lot of us out of the Gallows so they could air it out a bit. Freeze the disease out by getting the windows open, and freeze the disease out of us by getting us out here among the ice. How's that for your morale?

Now, t' tell it true, this'd be the first and worst time I've really spent among snow. I haven't seen much of it before. Must have been driven half to madness one of your last times, that you've worked in snow before and come back now for more of it.

[taxonomy]

Then I won't press there, you've done better than I have on that count. [There's always a keg at student parties. Always someone who says they'll hold you upside down.] I always thought you were meant to sweat an illness out? Maybe that's what they're really doing back at the Gallows, every hearth blazing in the rooms we're not in, lounging about in the baths, the place stinking of sweat worse than a hard-worked horse.

[Which is probably worse because how many people actually bathe in the Gallows on a good day?]

The wildlife was more interesting last time, what's about here? Some goats. Where've you been to not be about in the snow, even Ferelden can get a good dusting in the right places.

[staysail]

Sure and I'm not keen on it, but there's worse to be smelled than sweat, isn't there? Don't know if that's true of sick sweat. I've always heard the opposite. Get cold, clear out the lungs. Worked a wonder for me in the past.

And I said really among the snow. I've seen it before. Most of my life has been in Antiva and Rivain and then out on the sea. Hard to get a good thick snowfall out there. The water keeps moving, doesn't make a place for it.

How many goats, do you think?