[OPEN TO MAGES]

[deflocked]

WHO: Mages, mages, more mages. I guess non-mages can sneak in or be dragged along by friends, but they will be glowered fiercely at by Daylen if he knows.
WHAT: Mage meeting
WHEN: 3 Firstfall
WHERE: What would be Solas' room if Solas were there.
NOTES: Feel free to mingle/threadjack/and anything else you might think of! A top level comment will be made for the meeting itself with no particular order for commenting. There will probably be discussions of mage rights and such. I will edit if any warnings come up.

It's not exactly the biggest room, but on the plus side it's not in a terrible state of disrepair either. In case anyone isn't sure this is the right room there is a sign on the door indicating it is for the mage meeting. If that isn't enough, it is full of chairs. Arguably too many chairs for a room of this size. Especially since they are arranged in a circle for convenience of being able to talk rather than making the most of the space.

Hello, mages. Hope you're all ready to argue.

Comments

[deflocked]

[Definitely not the intended audience. A part of him wishes he could have ruled out certain mages, but he knows that would have been a bad idea. Besides that, he does genuinely want something that will hold together all the mages of Skyhold.

Even the ones he doesn't necessarily agree with.]

I prohibited anyone who wasn't a mage. That does not mean I only see value in those of us who possess magic.

[arlathvhen]

[ Beleth is having a stirring conversation about darkspawn teeth with Helisma. Okay, maybe not, but she's lingering near the tranquil, who doesn't seem to mind that Beleth is just kind of watching the mage gathering. It's out of a desire to know what decision is going to be made! Certainly not just because she's nosy, or that she wants to be able to draw a more accurate caricature the next time someone irritates her.

Anyone she doesn't know peeking up at her will have Beleth quickly turn back to Helisma. Anyone she does know (especially Pel) will just get her to stick her tongue out at them. Look at her, dropping all these eaves. ]

[fleurdesel]

The Order had it's place and it's use. We are building something new here- both mages and templars. Much as we must consider them as we move forward having a means to handle disputes on our own without relying upon them would be a requirement.

Christine has the right of it should we move choose to go with the idea for a council. Martel, unfortunately, has the right of it that this must be resolved quickly. Before the hold burns down around our ears.

[deflocked]

They're willing to allow that. We don't have to shut them out. This isn't the like the rebellion.

We all know how well that has gone.

[mythalenaste]

I can't give a squirrel's rump about the rebellion. It has naught to do with me or mine. My clan gave this Inquisition two mages, and I'm not going to go to sweet, sunny Ellana and tell her she's got to stand at a templar's sword-point for the rest of her stay, for her generosity. No templars, or we're out. Or at least, don't force them on us.

[gatheringstorm]

[Korrin gives a firm nod to Pel's words, her own blunt and to the point.]

That wasn't the plan for myself, either. If you want to do it, that's your issue, but I won't be dragged into dealing with templars. It's bad enough I have to put up with them nearby in the first place.

[She shifts her weight, starting to sound impatient. There are so many other issues, must they focus on that?]

[liberalum]

Remember that the Templars the Inquisition is hosting are renegade, who chose to dissolve their allegiance to the Chantry, and with it, any external accountability, [ Dorian says, whilst studying his nails. ] Beyond the reach of the Inquisition, of course. We cannot presume -- least of all in this one meeting -- what their intentions are. Every Templar is a Templar.

Not every mage is of a Southern Circle, and many of those that are fought for their freedom departed from the Order. We ought to set thoughts of fellowship aside, at least today.

[ He glances to Mae, tips a wink in greeting. ]

[kremdelacreme]

<sub>[Whoops, someone else wanting to listen in and maybe pick up some lovely gossip to head back to Bull with later. With a small supply of fabric scraps in the pouch at his side.

He can hear the discussion easily from the upper walkway, and count heads. Oh look, Korrin...Adelaide...Pel...Sam, Dorian, and that pretty Orlesian mage he'd spoken with briefly at the funeral. They all look somewhat peeved about the mage in the middle of the whole thing, so why not provide some amusement?

So, now there are little fabric bombs happening. A little plaidweave pouch with scraps of confetti-fine other cloths that he's trimmed off of his projects is dropped with impeccable aim, and before it can be noticed before it bursts, Krem has ducked back away from the rail.

Here, ladies and Sam, have a free chuckle.]</sub>

[arlathvhen]

[ Now she has to try to not give herself away by laughing at Krem. Dang it, Krem!!! She turns to look very seriously at Helisma, though there's a hand over her mouth to stifle the fit of giggles she's having.

After a moment, her eyes dart to Krem, and she flashes him a thumbs up, eyes dancing with laughter. This is a very important discussion she's trying to eavesdrop on! But Sylaise have mercy on her, she's going to give Krem a fist bump after all is said and done. ]

[el_tybs]

[Krem you are NOT making this easy. This is a very serious discussion. And he knows it's the Charger. Who else has this many scraps of cloth confetti and that particular pattern of plaidweave?

He had finally calmed down from the bear comment, but now with a bunch of cloth patches falling on everyone's face, Sam is having a harder time keeping his face straight.

Of course the culprit isn't to be seen when he looks up. But he does see Beleth. Oh, she better be careful.]

[mythalenaste]

[FABRIC.

Pel holds up a finger to signal "one moment" and quickly starts gathering up the scraps. It's like someone throwing out free money. Amazing. Shems do this?]

[eolasemah]

[A packet of fabric explodes in front of Sina, and rather than be amused by it, she's startled. She throws her hands over her eyes and looks around, taking a moment to realize they aren't being attacked.]

[gatheringstorm]

[Glancing sharply up, startled, Korrin then chuckles. She's fairly certain as to who's behind this as well, though she's not going to out him to those who might not know. The distraction is welcome. She greatly approves, Krem.]

[fleurdesel]

[ In the tone she's used countless times over the years with misbehaving apprentices, Adelaide snaps. ]

Children.

[ Her eyes flick up to the parapet, narrowing. Could you not? Vexing enough when they've much to discuss- but upsetting an admittedly high strung mage as well? ]

[aceso]

[ Christine doesn't catch sight of the culprit, but anything to stop Daylen going on about Templars is fine by her. Her lips only twitch with a smile, not wanting to lose her composure, but well done, anonymous contributor. ]

Ah, yes, well. Let us return to the matter at hand.

[liberalum]

[ Dorian wanders a hand outwards to collect some of the fluttery confetti out of the air, turning a piece over between his fingers. It's at least a nicer ice breaker than he's witnessed in a Magisterium caucus, where the conversation is derailed by someone suddenly dying of poison, or some such thing.

He flicks the fabric away, watching the Dalish go scrabbling after the pieces with a slightly blank look, before he comments in Christine's direction; ] I for one am taking this as divine agreement.

[magistermaevaris]

[Dorian’s unspoken greeting earns a slight nod of the head in acknowledgement. The plaidweave bomb is not so easily dealt with while remaining any sense of subtlety. Maevaris settles for covering her mouth with a hand, glancing off to the side while the brief wave of commotion rides itself out. Is she hiding laughter or displeasure? Who can say? (The crinkles framing her eyes hint towards a smile.)]

Has anyone thought to write everything discussed thus far down? That would be a good place to start.

[mythalenaste]

[Pel ventures toward Sina, making sure she can see her, tilting her head while rolling scraps around her hand and palm.]

You had something you wanted to say? [she whispers, turning an ear.]

[eolasemah]

[With a hand clasped nervously over her glowing chest-shard, Sina watches the ensuing meeting with increasing wariness. She is almost caught off-guard when the other elf addresses her.]

I-- I don't know.

[She smiles weakly, and whispers back,]

I don't trust humans to know what's best for us, but I have never seen this many mages in one place. I have no... context for this.

[ungovernable]

If I may,

( from beside dorian, suppressing her faint amusement at the ice-breaker of choice and his reaction to it-- )

the purpose of this meeting is to unite us. Yes? Then we should be careful not to alienate those who are vulnerable - we should have a care not to create factionism where we would fight it. The former Templars ( a deliberately chosen term, ) are still, by many measures, at war with the mages that broke with the Chantry. We will achieve very little by ignoring that or expecting that they will.

If we mean to unite mages, then that is what we must do.

Let the Templars make their own choices. If they wish to speak with us in the future about those choices, let us have a clear voice of our own with which to answer.

( recreating circles, submitting to the templars - where benevenuta stands personally on those issues is irrelevant. trying to do it is only going to split the mages before they've even managed to come together, and it's barely even in-fighting when they have so little cohesion yet in the first place.

they need a clear-cut sense of community and leadership before they can start fighting amongst themselves about what it should mean and be.

a beat later, )

I am happy to make notes. I brought paper.

[deflocked]

[Daylen had been half-risen to go and track down the person responsible for that interruption when Adelaide manages to bring things back under control.

Does no one beside him appreciate the importance of what they're discussing? What will happen to them if they don't organise themselves? He does sit back down again once it looks like they might return to more important matters though.]

They do want to speak to us.

[The response is sullen and half to himself. He's outnumbered here. Talk of a proper alliance with the templars they have in Skyhold is probably not what's going to happen here.

More clearly:]

Notes would be certainly be useful if you are happy to make them.

[fleurdesel]

And we will speak with them on our own terms when the time is right. The Knight Commanders here are not entirely unreasonable- but as the circles have been disbanded and all of us are rebels? We no more defer to them than they to us, we all defer to the Commanders of the Inquisition. It is something that should be discussed after we have chosen how it is we wish to present a united front. Something that benefits every mage in the Inquisition.

[ If she is here to speak sensibly and attempt to keep order, then fine. She shall attempt to do so. Anything more need not rest on anyone's shoulders until they've come to some manner of agreement. It is not entirely unlike wrangling cats on a good day with mild topics at hand. With this? They may be here for some time.

Adelaide glances around the room once, taking measure of those sitting in or around the circle, and glances up to Martel and whoever else may be hiding in the eaves. Not exactly the most discreet of meeting places but- they must make do. ]

Are we all in agreement that some manner of council ought to be formed?

[el_tybs]

[It seems that bit of interruption was enough to break the last bit of ice between everyone.

There is no way that things are going to be perfect right off the bat, and it might take some time to get everything sorted. But the fact that they were trying to do something? That was the biggest step.]

A council sounds like it would be a good first step to go in. There are a lot of us and too many do not know where or who to go to, to have their issues resolved. Having a place to bring those issues to be discussed... well it might resolve some tension around Skyhold. Not all of it though.

[ungovernable]

It is a beginning.

( --spoken without glancing up from where she's busying herself with paper and pen to make these promised notes. better to do it while it's quite fresh.

perhaps she'll speak with adelaide afterwards, to ensure she hasn't missed anything important. )

[mythalenaste]

[Damn, Benevenuta and Adelaide are making sense. Pel's shoulders relax as the fight seems to slide off them. She nods to Sina, a nod that says I got your back.]

All right. I am in favor of a council and I rescind my condition about templars, for now, till the matter can be properly and officially discussed. My only condition is that the council must have one Dalish member.