faderift | Sixteen books on magic spells

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Sixteen books on magic spells

WHO: Hermione Granger and rifters (or anyone who saw her note and wants to chat)
WHAT: Adelaide is having Hermione find out about magic in other worlds by interviewing rifters ~~for SCIENCE~~.
WHEN: Mid-Drakonis and onwards. There's no deadline on acquiring knowledge!
WHERE: The default is Skyhold's library, otherwise note in the subject line if your character would have arranged to meet her somewhere else.
NOTES: Nothing comes to mind; will change if necessary.

Anyone frequenting the library has probably become used to the curly-haired young girl who's claimed a small alcove as her own. She can usually be found sitting in the corner, nose buried in a book as her brow furrows, attempting to bridge the gap between her worldview and that of Thedas'. It's not always an easy task, and sometimes names and dates get jumbled, which is why she can sometimes be found just a few steps away at the nearest table, books and journals and bits of parchment scattered about as she tries to make sense out of all the reading she's done.

Still, what at first glance appears to be a mess is actually rather organized, and for however engrossed she seems to be in her work, she's always been happy to talk to new people. After all, each conversation counts towards research, even if it isn't in the particular field she's been asked to study. Go ahead and ask around for her if you don't know where to find her; chances are she's hard to miss, and many will be able to point out the inquisitive rifter if she happens to be around.

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Despite not being a mage, Araceli has still managed to gather a decent amount of information about them and other matters, so the notice catches her attention. Besides, there's a stack of books she has to drop back to the library.

Her teacher's reading list is extensive, and she has to work harder to catch up with what Beleth knows by virtue of being a native.

"Señorita Granger?" She asks once she's set her books down, a stack of papers neatly folded under one arm because no, she's not going to even try that first name with her acccent. "Araceli Bonaventura, at your service."

And as ever, she bows before she sits.

The accent is an unfamiliar one, at least insofar as what she's heard here in Thedas. She doesn't presume Araceli is more comfortable with Spanish, though; not everyone who's come to her has been a rifter, and of the ones who are, not all of them are from the same world. After all, speaking French to an Orlesian likely wouldn't pan out quite right.

So she resists the urge to use her very limited Spanish in response, instead only smiling up at the young woman who sits with her. "Hello, Miss Bonaventura. Are you here about the interviews I'm conducting with fellow rifters?"

"Araceli is fine, I...simply do not know how I would say your first name without likely insulting you." Right now, she would rather be honest, there are too many secrets and lies in Skyhold than she's comfortable with as she nods, setting the papers on the table between them.

"I am, I was in the first group of arrivals through the rifts, and I come from a place with no magic. Only sleight of hand and tricks, which I have realised falls very far from what Thedas would call magic, I will do my best to answer whatever questions you have."

At least this time she'll be interviewed by someone in the same boat.

The honest admission garners a genuine smile from her, and Hermione lights up as she says, "Oh, believe me, I've heard so many variations that I've learned not to be insulted. For what it's worth, it's Her-my-oh-knee. Hermione. It might be easier for you to drop the 'h' sound and make the last vowel sound short instead of long. Air-my-oh-neh. Or you can just call me whatever you please. That works, too."

She isn't a diction coach, though, and so she takes a more specialized interest in the information Araceli offers. "You were among the first? About how long ago was that? How many of you came in versus how many arrive now?" She'll ask about Araceli's home soon enough, but this sort of information could definitely be important.

"Hermione then." She settles with the second one with a smile before she clears her throat, casting her mind back to give the best answer that she can.

"They said it was the third week of Harvestmere, so about six months ago. Including myself there were...eight or nine of us though you must understand that we arrived in the wreckage of Haven, where the Inquisition was based formerly, and that as we arrived in Skyhold they had found the body of their Herald. Everything was something of a blur at first and some of them are no longer here though how they returned? That is more difficult, I don't know if anyone investigated it. After that there was a group that arrived in the Fallow Mire, I was present for that. I think there were maybe around five then. The month of Haring, that seemed to pass with none, I had thought that maybe it would stop but then there were arrivals in Emprise du Lion. Usually the stories of new arrivals seem to occur in the middle of each month, I would imagine there's some significance to that." Or rather she would hope, because it might get them closer to some sort of answer and if the sky is involved, there are much more predictable cycles to look at.

Hard to believe that it's really been six months though, so long away from home without any real way to get back.

"I know that the first group in Emprise du Lion was very small, but I don't know as much about the group you arrived with. Skyhold has been busier than usual," she manages, her smile a little tight around the edges for a moment before it's gone. It's the most polite way she can put things since it feels like everything has taken several giant steps back. "We should probably try to organise another rifter meeting, it's been too long since the first one but the timing right now might mean it sends the wrong sort of message." But it's at least something she can bring up to Marcel, even if they move to a slightly more private venue this time and she perhaps floats the suggestion of allowing at least one member of the Inquisition leadership to attend.

If nothing else, Araceli is better at pronouncing her name than Viktor Krum ever was, so she'll take that as a good sign.

As Araceli speaks, Hermione hurriedly jots down everything she says, as close to verbatim as she can possibly manage it. She falters only once, only to quickly start up again, not wanting to miss anything and doing her best to leave her questions for later.

"I see. I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure how many people arrived with me. I did see a few, maybe a half-dozen, but I couldn't say if that was everyone. I was a bit... dazed." That's certainly one way of putting it, considering that was when she'd discovered her magic was all but useless to her here.

"I'm sorry, you said.. some of the rifters are no longer here and were returned? Is there confirmation they'd returned? Or is there a chance that they'd simply met with an unfortunate accident in the woods?" It was scary enough to imagine that she might disappear and no one here would really worry, but what was more worrisome was that people had traveled back through the rift and no Thedosian saw much of an issue with that. Who knows if those missing made it back to their own respective worlds, or if they're now stuck someplace else, someplace even worse?

"I'm sure there's someone who has the job of keeping track of that, maybe two." The Templars had decided to watch, Alayre had told her and Marcel that much but until now they've more or less been free to conduct themselves as they see fit, or Araceli certainly has. Pitching in as needed, keeping up on the rooftops to get around more easily and to watch. "But I understand, my hand was so sore when I came through and a demon knocked me clean off my feet into the snow."

If it hadn't been for Korrin, she's sure they wouldn't be here having this conversation.

"Well, I would rather think that they've returned. I didn't get the chance to speak to all of them but I was a thief for many years, and a thief notices the people around her, and there are certainly a few faces I saw making the journey to Skyhold that I haven't seen in a while. There are plenty of terrible things in Thedas, the rifts and what comes out of them some of the worst." Better to think they're back where they belong than where they could be, especially after she helped pick the locks on Red Templar cages out in Sahrnia, desperate frozen bodies pleading for her to hurry. "People disappear all the time, where I come from you get used to not finding the body but here, considering that we are the only ones able to close rifts, then I think they would have said. Things slip through the cracks like sand through the fingers. A lot happened between my arrival and now, even in Skyhold."

"I can relate," Hermione murmurs as she continues to take notes. "I'd rather not have to deal with demons ever again if I can help it."

Quiet for a moment besides the scratching of pen on paper, she softly murmurs, "It's nice to think they've returned home. Maybe they have. But unless we have proof of that, we can't assume that they aren't still out there somewhere. It wouldn't do to give up on anyone based on an assumption." Shrugging mildly, she adds, "But that's just my opinion, and I haven't been here very long, so who am I to say?"

Glancing up at Araceli again and hoping she hadn't pointed the conversation down a dismal path within the first few minutes of it, she asks, "What sort of things have happened?" That isn't relative to her research, but she hasn't heard much of Thedas' current affairs, beyond the fact that there are wars within wars cropping up all over the world.

"Yet we can close rifts. There will be little choice in the matter." Not something she wants to dwell on, not after what Korrin said about how the less she uses her mark, the more stable it might remain.

Remembering her dinner with Alayre all too easily, she frowns. "I wouldn't want to abandon people but resources are stretched thin here as it is, and honestly, there are many who would believe that the fewer of us, the better. Knight-Commander Sauveterre put it to me over dinner that they – the Templars that is, and their authority is not the Inquisition's authority but still, something to be kept in mind – didn't know if we should be locked in cells or treated as honoured guests. There is much that falls between that and yet an honoured guest can still be little more than a prisoner, if the cage is gilded well enough."

Lurking is how he'd put it, and perhaps it's not a surprise that she sides with the Mages on most matters.

Unfortunately, for every good scrap of news, there's often plenty of bad to go along with it. Araceli looks down at her hands for a moment, as if better answers will materialise from the glow in her palm but they don't. "When much of the Inquisition went to the Western Approach or Emprise du Lion for initial scouting missions in the month of Haring, an abomination attacked. A Mage from Skyhold but it would take another Mage to explain it completely, magic is very new to me. The news that came out of Emprise du Lion was awful, Red Templars capturing people and keeping them in cages to force them to mine red lyrium in the quarries, I heard the news a few days after what had happened here. Recently…"

She falters, curling one hand and biting her lip until the moment passes and she can breathe. "When I was in Emprise du Lion, my friend Sina…she opened a rift in Skyhold. Without meaning to. She's a native but she has a shard in her chest, and there were demons, a rift to be closed, and she almost died. They are few but many remember the attack at Haven and that their Herald died. Skyhold was meant to be a place of safety and for many, even that has been taken from them too. It's why I've taken to making sure I have as much information about Thedas and the people from the people."

Sorry Hermione, usually she's actually one of the cheerful and positive ones but things like that don't tend to keep your head on your shoulders.

Hesitating, Hermione realizes she'd never thought of the fact that she'd be forced to face the demons once again, and she pauses briefly in her writing, shifting a little in her seat. "How does that work? Do they hear reports of an open rift and send out a team with a certain number of rifters in it? Is it a rotational schedule, or do they just grab anyone who happens to be in the vicinity and put them on a mount?" Because in that case, Hermione will just have to make sure to never ever budge from the library, perhaps hiding away in one of the alcoves.

Frowning a little at this Templar opinion, Hermione sniffs a bit and remarks, "So they'd like to create little Circles of rifters to bring them out when they need us. Because from what I've heard, the ones they'd set up for the mages had worked so well." And what would they do with rifters who could also do magic? The thought is disturbing, and so she opts to keep it to herself and makes a mental note to be a little more discerning about who knows about her magic.

Hermione's heard about Sina, and she knows about Abominations, but she hadn't heard of one attacking. The news is a little disturbing, since she'd been among those who considers Skyhold a safe haven, especially since it's where she'd been taken after being rescued by demons. The more she's uncovering, though, the more she wonders if any place is truly safe, or if it's just a matter of choosing the sort of danger you'd least mind likely encountering.

"When it comes to culture or recent history, talking to people is often the best thing to do," she agrees absently. "It's why I'm here, talking to the rifters. At least I get to hear about the different sorts of magic or unique circumstances they have in their respective worlds, making it easier to attempt to solve an unforeseen problem before it starts up here. That's the idea, anyway. Or, at least, part of it."

"For those of us who arrived in Haven they were just scouting the ruins for anything they could salvage and for the Herald's body. In the Fallow Mire though there were those who went to close a rift - the Herald could do it alone, but it requires several of us at once. I fought the corpses as people arrived since disturbing the water drew them out and well, you've seen the heavy armour, the big swords and the shields?" She tuts, shaking her head. A wonder nobody sank under the weight of it all. "You're not forced to go on a mount, I haven't closed a rift yet either and I've been here longer than I've been anywhere else but home but we have them. We're the only people who can do this, if asked, I won't say no, and if I must volunteer at some point then I will. I won't give them a reason to say I'm not helping." And she is keenly aware of what whispers and accusations might follow if people aren't pulling their weight, that's when people start speaking of mutinies or holding someone to ransom.

Her father is a captain, he told her all the stories she might need to know.

"Trust me, there isn't a lock I can't pick but I doubt the council would let it happen, I know Korrin certainly wouldn't." Even if her and Korrin weren't lovers, she feels secure enough in saying that as she smiles at Hermione's next words.

"It's why I've been working on this." The pages she brought with her are turned over with a small smile. "I can't say I'm a great scholar but my parents then life drilled certain things into me, and information is valuable. A lot of people have told me a lot of things, things that you won't always find in books but knowing where that information comes from? Useful too. I shared these before at a rifter meeting but I've added to them since, I'm hoping I'll find time to organise them better in the future."

The papers are fairly extensive to say the least, all written in a looping elegant hand, quotations from memory and lacking names (on this version) but race, nationality and political stance where she can, if they're a rogue, a mage, or a warrior, and any other affiliations. Bias is an important consideration, after all.

"Disturbing water draws out the undead?" Hermione asks, seeming interested in that, making a small note off in the margin. Interesting. She wonders if they're similar to the Inferi back home, but she wouldn't be able to say for sure. After all, the elves are certainly different enough. "Surely they wouldn't think less of a rifter not volunteering for such an expedition if that rifter can't fight, would they? I could understand if numbers are a bit strained, but otherwise, having too many people milling about can just muddy the waters."

She does smile a little at the mention of Korrin, though, having grown rather fond of her. "I'm sure she would have a fit if such a thing was ever so much as recommended. She strikes me as rather protective of those she considers friends."

A little surprised by the information in these papers, Hermione blinks before putting her pen down and looking the papers over, scanning Araceli's writing. She's not entirely sure what's meant by a "rogue", as she's never heard anyone here described by that term before, but everything else she can more or less put in its proper place in Thedas' social structure.

"These are very helpful," she murmurs after a few moments. Glancing back up at Araceli, she asks, "Would you trust me to hold onto these to make some copies? I can understand if you'd rather I didn't - I can just jot down some key points - but I'd like to review them a little more deeply and see if I can incorporate my own notes into them."

"In the Fallow Mire? Yes. There had been a plague and here, death draws spirits, they push close and weaken the Veil then they can possess the corpses. It's the reason that Andrastians burn their dead, there's nothing to be possessed then, so things like that won't happen, not all water, fortunately but the whole place was one giant fetid bog." Even thinking about it makes her shudder, bile rising in the back of her throat because she's never quite forgotten the smell of that place, how it clung to her hair and clothes. "I don't think Sina has left Skyhold since arriving, where her shard is located makes it more dangerous for her but if you truly don't want to? I don't think tiw ould be held against you. There's always plenty of work to do though, from catching possibly undead cats to making snowshoes."

Araceli clearly has had all the luck in the two assignments she's drawn when she volunteered to go out into the world with the Inquisition. The remark about Korrin has her laughing fondly, very much aware of how she can be. "Protective and then some, trust me. But never in a bad way."

At least her guard skills aren't going to go rusty on her, even if she'd rather keep that to herself for now, or to the very few who know.

"I still have the rough copy, just let me know whenever you're finished with this one and I can come collect it again."

"So the undead are corpses possessed by spirits?" Hermione asks, trying not to imagine an entire swamp smelling of death and decay. "Magic has nothing to do with it? Because in my world, typically such a thing has to do with the Dark Arts; if it were a natural occurrence-... well, I don't know if that makes it more or less frightening." Especially since she doesn't know what to do with the concept of undead cats.

"No, never in a bad way," Hermione remarks with a small smile. "I was actually sort of scared to talk to Korrin when I first saw her. But in my defense, she is a bit intimidating when you don't really know her." And is still intimidating, if you find yourself on her bad side. Hermione's determined not to end up on her bad side.

"I'll take very good care of them, thank you," she promises, carefully setting the papers inside her notebook. "And I'll of course share any new information I might come across. None of this works if we don't all have open access to information, after all."

"As I understand it? Yes, though the mages will explain it far better. But magic is involved because of the Veil, it's like a magical vibration, that was how Korrin explained it to me, and where there has been much death or much magic then they seek to cross. It makes it easier for them to cross, especially at night when people dream. Definitely ask the mages before I confuse the issue entirely, magic was just tricks and stories before I came here." Life was easier when it was just something she could read about or pick apart, when she knew how to hide coins and do card tricks by herself anyway though she's charmed by much of the magic here, always excited to see it. Undead cats however she can very much do without, she's sure Harding would agree with her.

Laughing, she leans closer, dropping her voice should someone appear to shush her. "When I saw her she was hurling lightning at a thing trying to kill me and all I could think was how striking my rescuer was. Maybe that colours it but I adore her, so I am very much biased." And utterly shameless about it.

"Thank you, mutual understanding is the very best way to avoid unpleasantness, and though it isn't in the nature of all, learning the customs of a land and abiding by them while you are there has always made sense to me. Why cause a problem when we have no easy way to return?"

"So magic is connected to the Fade, which is in turn connected to dreams and the Veil, which is what makes it easier for spirits to cross over into the world of the living?" It... makes sense, so long as Hermione keeps clinging to all the logical bits. After all, the Veil is a magical object in her world, so it would make sense for it to have a similar meaning and purpose here, as much as she would prefer not to think about Sirius Black's unfortunate run-in with it. For now, she instead absently comments, "Or magic could have simply been well-hidden, before you'd come here. That's how it is in my world."

Though Hermione smiles at Araceli's assessment of Korrin, it gives her pause. Does she mean adore her in a platonic sense or...? It's none of her business, of course, and humans being enamored with non-humans isn't strictly unheard of where she's from, so she only agrees, "There's nothing wrong with the occasional bias, so long as it's a positive one."

Nodding at Araceli's assessment, Hermione replies, "For the most part, the Inquisition has been nothing but cordial towards me. While I don't agree with the way mages or elves were traditionally treated, it wouldn't do to spark a revolution when I don't know all sides of the matter. I'm at least willing to learn before I risk going on any self-righteous tirades." Well... usually.

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Sixteen books on magic spells

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