Let No Soul Hunger For Justice: Nothing But The Truth

[justice_is_blond]

WHO: Adelaide, Alistair, Anders, Bethany, Nathaniel, Varric, Vasran, Velanna
WHAT: The Second Ritual
WHEN: 10th of Bloomingtide (May 10th)
WHERE: half an hour outside of Skyhold
NOTES: Plotting post.

They've kept to the same clearing as the last, because the location's good. Far enough away that no one could stumble upon them by accident, near enough in case something went seriously wrong, it works.

He has scarcely more hope this time than he did the last, but at least there's no singing involved. This can't go as strangely. In theory.

Comments

Velanna Aftermath | OTA

[failedfirst]

Library
[Despite wanting to avoid human interaction until the effects of the ritual wore away, Velanna finds herself in the Library, pulling books on anything spirit-related she can find.

She then sits at her usual table out of the way and hopefully largely ignored by others. She tries not to draw attention, but she can be occasionally heard talking to herself.]

Creators damned rituals and circle magic. If magic were only properly understood by all mages...

[Yes she's going to blame the circle trained mages for this. sorry guys.]

Camp Shady Fuckers

[Most of her time is spent sitting at her camp. It's safe, people usually don't approach her, so her quietly sitting and reading out front isn't any different than any other day. Hopefully this won't be the day when other Wardens or general rabble decide to get brave and talk to her.]

Library

[unharrowed]

[And, what do y'know, Vasran happens to be passing by at exactly that moment.]

If anyone properly understood magic in its entirety, the world would be a very different place.

[She's going to ignore the pointed comment about Circle magic. For now.]

[failedfirst]

[Velanna doesn't look particularly ashamed that she was overheard by one of the circle mages she was grumbling about. Really it's nothing she hasn't said to Anders's face and she likes him.]

It is more obvious in some than others where the gaps in knowledge appear.

[unharrowed]

You're being vague on purpose. [But then, so am I. She manages to swallow that part before it's said out loud.]

We all failed. Our failure was not due to a lack of Dalish knowledge.

[failedfirst]

[She lets out a huff of air, shaking her head.]

I was not speaking of Dalish knowledge. Magic knowledge. You are all taught wrong in those Circles. Your magic is weak because you are all taught to fear it.

[unharrowed]

[A small scoff, as she turns back to the bookshelves.] I doubt you have never feared your own magic.

[failedfirst]

Never. [Even if she were capable of lying, that's something she wouldn't need to lie about.] I was overjoyed when I discovered I had magic. We are celebrated among the Dalish, not shamed for a gift we should all be proud to have.

[unharrowed]

Shame is not the same as fear. [She speaks over her shoulder, still keeping her body angled toward the shelves, as if this conversation is only worth so much attention.] Fear teaches us to be cautious, and practical. Fear shows us who we are when we are forced to confront it. I have been afraid of my power, but never ashamed.

camp

[pinprick]

[Nathaniel won't make her talk. But he approaches her with some good bog whisky and offers her the bottle, settling down beside her wordlessly.]

[failedfirst]

[Usually, Velanna doesn't drink. If someone offers her a drink she'll sit and stare at it and eventually let the other person drink it.

Right now, however, she accepts the bottle with a slight look that says she's still kind of upset with how the ritual went, and takes a pull from it. She grimaces at the afterburn but doesn't hand it back until she takes a second drink.]

[pinprick]

[When she does, he takes the bottle back and sips.]

Any topics I ought to avoid till this is over?

[fleurdesel]

If it was Circle Magic, this would not have failed.

[ Adelaide mutters, from where she's peering at another round of books that likely aren't going to help much at all but it feels better to pretend to work. ]

[failedfirst]

[That gets a derisive snort.]

Yes, because it would have done nothing at all. I suppose that would have been better than accidentally cursing an entire group of people, however.

[fleurdesel]

Circle Magic works because it is tried and tested and any possible variation that might result in anything but the ideal outcome had been cut out a century ago. As much as it limits innovation it is relatively low risk. Relative being a key word.

[failedfirst]

That is your problem! Magic should not be stifled in such a way, it's a miracle you are all as effective as you are!

[Honestly, she feels bad for you poor circle mages.]

It's a beautiful gift from the Creators, and you all shut it in and clam up like you're afraid you're going to burn yourselves. That's how burns happen. It's no wonder you have such trouble with blood mages.

[fleurdesel]

Are you telling me that never in the history of the Dalish there have been blood mages? Not once?

[ Oh the doubt, it is heavy in her voice. ]

I said it works. I did not say it was ideal. They are very different things.

[failedfirst]

I didn't say that, I said we don't have trouble with them. Because blood magic is not forbidden to Dalish practitioners, that thrill of danger is less tempting.

[At least that's how she'd looked at it. Obviously they have blood mages. Everyone has blood mages.]

You should all strive for more. If it just works you may as well be using a hammer as a battering ram. Yes it works but it takes forever.

[fleurdesel]

It is not the thrill of danger that calls mages to blood magic, nor the fact that it is forbidden. It is the power it promises when they are made to feel weak. When the whole of your worth is narrowed down to what you can do for the Circle with your magic, when that is insufficient and you are treated as lesser for it? The promise of power can be an overwhelming thing. If we were allowed to be more than mages, if we were seen as such, it would not solve the problem but it might help.

[ How easy it is to look back and see the system so broken. ]

It took me two years, fifty two meetings with the First Enchanter, seventy essays, and a six hour debate on the safety of the project before I was permitted to teach something not already outlined in the Circle's doctrine. Deviations, change, innovation? Are frightening and more often than not squashed with bullshit bureaucracy. I only managed because I was too stubborn to quit and too spiteful to let them win.