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[OPEN] Throw some glitter;

WHO: Andra, the Surviving Sparrows, and anyone who wants to PARTAY
WHAT: That party that was supposed to happen a month ago let's just pretend the fliers said beginning of this month shhhh
WHEN: Solace 10
WHERE: the Sparrow encampment in the valley
NOTES: post is a little image and text heavy. Feel free to NPC refugees helping out or Sparrows, or if you want me to NPC a Sparrow let me know and I will but they're mostly just moving around here to enhance everyone else's experience. There are only 13 of them altogether, but they move around a lot, and there are refugees helping. Otherwise this is open, have fun with it and party until the booze is gone!

Since the notice went up in early Justinian, the colorful encampment belonging to the troupe of bards and mercenaries has been a flurry of activity, bringing in casks of wine and ale, clearing the open land, and erecting tents even more elaborate than the ones they live in. The week before large fire pits are built up around the area, and merchants stop by regularly and leave with less goods but looking particularly satisfied. Any curious on-lookers attempting to get a look into what the Sparrows are putting together will either be put to work or shooed away and told to come back later.

On the day of, any who turn up are welcomed.

Tents

Two large tents are erected to offer additional shelter from the elements, as well as a place to relax and enjoy conversation or anything else. They are lit dimly with lanterns and candles, and warmed with carefully contained fires. There is seating in both, as many pillows as the Sparrows could beg, borrow, or steal as well as logs stripped and polished to cut down on splinters. A few musicians rotate throughout the day playing music within the tents, and others mill about, offering conversation or drink to any who look lonely or too sober.

Fires

There are several fires built around the area the Sparrows have claimed as their own, flames kept high to stave off cold and offer additional lighting in the evening. People are welcome to congregate around them, and they are regularly tended by one Sparrow or another.

Food

Some may consider the food the main event, anything that can be cooked over a fire pit welcome game, as well as anything the kitchen was willing to pitch in. The Sparrows are a multicultural group, and that is evident in the food being offered. There's a little something for anyone, from Ferelden to Par Vollen. Those doing most of the cooking, oddly enough, are a qunari with broken horns and a dwarf with tattoos on her face.

Music

Throughout the encampment music can be heard. A space has been cleared and stamped down for dancing, and a regular stream of musicians, both from the troupe and not, are featured. If someone wasn't approached or didn't approach the Sparrows prior to this event but feel compelled to join in, they are not turned away.

Dance

During both day and night throughout the clearing if there's music, there are dancers. Several are professional, trained to dance and that is the purpose they serve within the troupe. Those offering performances rather than just dancing to the music as they see fit keep away from what has been designated as general dancing space, although there are a few who will be seen dancing in the crowd as well. If anyone were to ask for instruction, they'd be all to happy to accommodate those people.

Fire Dancers

As night falls a different sort of dancer emerges, with fans and sticks and poi, wreathed in flame and dangerous if it weren't for the grace with which they perform. These performers keep away from anything flammable, and other Sparrows will be quick to drag back anyone who gets too close, as it could be dangerous for the dancer and onlooker both.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Despite the discipline directed towards him, Hermione spares Garahel a quick glance at that huff of his and continues to absently pet at him, despite the vast majority of her attention being on Inessa and on answering her questions. "Blood magic would count," she replies uncertainly. "Our version of the Dark Arts is a little more... complex. Or simple, depending on your definition. Basically, any magic whose sole intent is to cause harm to a person counts as the Dark Arts. Dark magic isn't bad by definition, but any witch or wizard who specializes in the Dark Arts rather than in defense thereof is clearly more interested in doing harm than good, so that's where it gets its negative reputation. That, and some of the spells can be downright reprehensible, including controlling someone's mind, which is one of the three Unforgivable Curses."

The rest is an area that's been met with everything from skepticism to outright envy, so she mulls over her words before explaining, "The magical community is hidden from the non-magical community. That is, witches and wizards walk among non-magical people, whom we call Muggles, but the magical aspects of our lives - schools, shops, and so on - are hidden away, usually with magical barriers. Muggles think that magic is just a fairy tale, so there's no reason for them to fear us."

Inessa raises her eyebrows at that last part, not outright skeptical just puzzled. "A hidden world...and they never find out? Are your spells so subtle as to elude their notice? Mages who come into their power here can rarely call their magic such; set a bear on fire or freeze someone in place, and everyone knows what you are. Untrained mages are even worse, as their abilities often exceed their capacity to control them.

...I'm not certain I would want to hide what I am, but the lack of fear and judgment would be refreshing. I remember life before the Circle and life within it; the former was harsher in many ways. Knowing how mages are perceived outside the Circle made me little-interested in leaving it...and yet, the Circles fell anyway and here we are." She shrugs, speaking matter-of-factly and not interested in evoking pity of any kind. Most of her life isn't worthy of that and the parts that are she's not going to get into at a party. "It must be a strange adjustment, to use magic out in the open...and deal with the consequences."

"Well, we're taught as soon as our magic develops that we're to hide it from Muggles, and to only really use our magic around other people in the magical community. Or our families. I'm what they call a Muggle-born witch, given that my parents are both non-magical, but I can do magic. There are also half-bloods, since witches or wizards might marry with Muggles and eventually have to let them know the truth about magic, just as my parents had to be told when I'd been accepted into a magical school."

Just as what she's saying seems to interest Inessa, something the other woman sees seems to stand out as well. She'd been able to surmise from what she'd said that she's a mage, but that's not what makes Hermione tilt her head in curiosity. "It sounds as though you support the idea of Circles. I've only ever met one mage who's said as much to me."

Inessa hesitates, feeling that she ought to elaborate. It's not as simple as 'pro-Circle', not by a long shot. "You speak of bloodlines; in your would, I would be considered a muggle-born as well. My parents were alienage laborers, with no magic to be had. I don't know how much you've been told of alienages, but it's a harsh life within. Living conditions are often substandard, decent food is in short supply, and human nobles are often allowed to enter and abuse at whim. I was taken very young, so I'm sure there's much I didn't see, but I remember that feeling of dead-end hopelessness. I'm not interested in pity, I just want you to understand.

Discovering my magic, going to the Circle, is what saved me. There, I had clothes that fit, regular meals, an education I could never have dreamed of outside those walls. The Circle wasn't a prison to me; it was a home, a sanctuary. Later on, I learned that it was not as perfect as I supposed, that there were many things we had no say in. That disturbed me, and still does. But though I support greater freedom and transparency, I would hate for the concept of the Circles to vanish altogether. Mages deserve a place to feel safe among their own kind. It sounds like your world understands that."

Hearing about Inessa's past comes at a shock, so much so that Hermione initially has to wonder why she's being so forthcoming about such a painful experience at all. But then she realizes that it's not just a matter of small children being forced from their families to join Circles; it's also a matter of what kinds of circumstances those families had had before that child's magic was discovered. She still can't understand being forcibly separated from her parents, but she can understand well enough wanting to make a better life for oneself.

"We didn't always live separately from Muggles," Hermione murmurs after a moment. "History isn't clear on why, and it's been so long that the stories are more legend than historical, but there had been a reason for why that is. So for now, we live among ourselves, and when we get to be about age eleven, we're sent off to a school where we learn how to use magic safely. It's better for everyone all around, really, though I do feel bad when Muggles get caught in the middle of things sometimes and don't understand why." Such as when they get killed in wars that they hadn't even known been going on in their backyard, but instances that extreme are few and far between.

For Inessa, such memories are so long ago that she no longer remembers much of the context. They're just images, snatches of conversations. What pain there might have been has long since drained away. It's a testament to her sharp memory that she remembers them at all, when many taken at that age often forget their earlier lives completely. At any rate, sharing that information seems worthwhile when there's that flash of understanding in the rifter girl's eyes.

"If I had to guess, the 'why' of it has to do with fear. People fear what they don't understand, and they lash out. It's common enough in Thedas. Before the fall of the Circles, if a child came into their magic around others, there was every change they would be chased off or killed by mobs if Templars didn't find them. Not all the time, but I've heard enough stories from fellow Circle mages who nearly succumbed to such fates." For Inessa's part, she's just immensely glad that her magic had attracted Templar attention early on, instead of the human noble sort.

Her mabari, watching them both, nudges Inessa a little to snap her out of those memories. She rewards him with half a mabari crunch, also as much a reward for being so patient all this time. Turning her attention back to Hermione, she raises an eyebrow. "They only teach from age eleven onward? But what if their magic manifests before that time? Would they not need assistance in controlling it?"

"I can almost understand it here," Hermione murmurs quietly. "The fear, I mean. If magic here is connected to the Fade, then after having seen what's actually in the Fade, it's easy to figure out why people would be afraid. But there's no Fade in my world, no risk of possession, nothing like that. Even so, the only Muggles I trust with knowing that I'm a witch are my parents, and they hadn't exactly had a choice in knowing. I can't imagine what it would have been like if they'd found out and had reacted negatively."

She does know of wizards who'd experienced that sort of thing, of a half-blood "Prince" whose Muggle father had led him to have a distaste for Muggles that had been almost as extreme as that of Voldemort's himself. And then there was Harry, whose Muggle aunt and uncle had been caricatures of every Muggle-born's worst fear. But even for all their maltreatment, they hadn't actively tried to cause him physical harm.

Of course, that could just have been because they'd been afraid of him.

Garahel's movement catches Hermione's eye, and she manages a small smile as she looks down at him. "Oh, it does manifest earlier. But most witches and wizards have magical parents, so they can teach them how to repress it; besides, we don't get our first wands until we start wizarding school, and without a wand, it's much harder to do magic. Usually it will just be a little burst of something minor when we're very upset or excited. I had just thought it was comeuppance whenever something bad happened to the bullies in my neighborhood, but looking back at it now, I suppose some of the things that had happened had been a bit too coincidental to really be true coincidences."

No Fade, no risk of possession...it sounds incredible to Inessa, almost too good to be true. There's a brief stab of envy at the thought, and for the notion of learning, yet not separated from family. No mage in Thedas outside the Tevinter Imperium could ever be so fortunate.

"'Something minor'...I've heard stories of new mages starting house fires without meaning to, freezing lakes, and so on. Rarely do the manifestations take a benevolent form. I was more fortunate; mine surfaced when I was able to heal with just a touch. But more often than not, what surfaces is very destructive to all, including the caster. That it's less necessary to assist those new to magic...your world is very fortunate. Though I still wonder about the fate those whose magic is not accepted."

Once he's done inhaling that treat -and he does so at a blindlingly fast pace- Garahel nuzzles Hermione, too. "So, wands are as staves in some sense. It's possible to do magic without one, but the benefits are such that no mage really does so without good reason. Why make it harder on yourself?" She shrugs, never really having bothered when having a staff strapped to her back is as natural as breathing.

Hermione doesn't answer right away, since no, not all of the earliest manifestations of magic are harmless. Harry had accidentally freed a snake in a public zoo, after all, and that had been after speaking to it in Parseltongue, which carried some rather unfortunate connotations in the wizarding world. For one to develop a talent like that at such a young age... well, it was just lucky that Harry hadn't been the vindictive sort and had asked the snake to attack his family.

"They can sometimes be a little... tricky," Hermione admitted. "But as I'd said, most people don't even believe in magic, so if they see something incredible, they chose to believe it was some sort of freak accident. Even I'd thought of them that way when I was unwittingly the cause of them. I didn't relish the few times I'd accidentally hurt people - it was never anything worse than someone, say, inexplicably tripping and falling into gravel, which is painful but not necessarily dangerous - but even if I'd somehow caused a fire, the magical community would have ways of knowing and of minimizing the damage. They can tell when a minor has cast a spell in front of Muggles, you see. There's a law, the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, which punishes those who do magic under the age of 17 when they're not in school. Younger children get a pass, of course, since they can't control it, but any dangerous circumstances brought about by accidental magic are thoroughly investigated and taken care of." Shifting a little, Hermione has to admit, "I don't really know what happens to children if their parents can't accept their magic, but I assume that they might be given up by their parents for being difficult and are placed in foster care. Once they're accepted into their magical school, they'd be taken out of the system and will likely be well taken care of by their school until they're an adult. At least, I know Hogwarts - my magical school - would likely do that."

Absently petting at Garahel when he nuzzles against her, Hermione nods, remarking, "It's possible to do magic without a wand, and some spells can even become quite simple if you practice at them hard enough, but the only wandless spell any witch or wizard might do on a regular basis is a Summoning Charm, to Summon their wand into their hand from a distance. I haven't tried any wandless spells here, though, since using my wand has proven to be problematic enough."

That last part is very interesting and Inessa frowns in thought. "I didn't realize there might be limitations on otherworldly magic, though I suppose that ought to have been considered. Perhaps it's due to incompatibility, since Thedosian mages use staves instead? One of those might suit you far better now. If you need assistance, I can show you what I know." Later, of course, this is still technically a party.

"I have a feeling the Templars would prefer your world far more. Magic which is easy to track, easier to contain, less likely to harm others or cause a panic...." Her tone isn't disparaging of the Templars, merely matter-of-fact. "Then again, mages governing and regulating themselves is a contentious issue, as you're no doubt aware by now. Still, I'd like to think that these new magics and perspectives can be good for Thedas, if they're given a chance."

"From what I've been able to gather, staves and wands are both simply magical points of focus, so using one should, in theory, be similar to using the other," Hermione offers. "I've tried using a staff before, but I was so worried about accidentally hurting the person I was practicing with that I just barely worked at it enough to get a minor spell to work. Of course, if you'd like to spare the time and have the means to take whatever precautions might be necessary, I wouldn't mind practicing with one a bit more."

She doesn't like the idea that Templars would be able to take advantage of the Trace, given how many of them seem to have strong feelings against mages. But she tries not to associate all Templars with the aggressive ones she'd seen that had been corrupted by red lyrium, and instead she only takes a small breath and explains, "Our Minister of Magic has contact with the Muggle Prime Minister whenever any sort of magical mishap might have an effect on Muggles at large. So yes, we govern ourselves, and we keep to ourselves, but our leaders do keep an open line of communication with non-magical leaders to ensure we don't have any kind of negative impact on their lives."

Inessa can't help but nod in approval at the thought of mages and non-mages working together in that fashion. A small, wistful smiles forms. "A sound policy, and one I wish I could see for myself. It sounds like a model worth following, if it's possible here. Perhaps one day, though for now just having the Inquisition as a sanctuary for mages is more than I would have expected."

She doesn't get into council politics, since she doesn't know them and besides, as a Grey Warden they aren't likely to be relevant to herself.

Absently scratching behind Garahel's ears, she considers the rest. "I'm willing to spare the time to assist whenever you would like. There are currently no orders which compromise my schedule here, such as it is. If that changes, I'll mention it but otherwise, I remain flexible."

"Well, the circumstances here are a bit different," Hermione points out delicately. "Everyone already knows of mages, and as far as I know, you don't have any spells that would really help non-mages forget about your existence so you can start off fresh. That would be too closely linked to blood magic, I'd think, which has the potential to be far too dangerous. Plus, it wouldn't be fair for non-mages to forget about you, given that magic is much more common here than it is in my world, and that you have a link to the Fade that can prove dangerous without proper training."

Of course, maybe if mages weren't purposely put through a Harrowing or were better prepare for what it was....

But this is a party, so there's no reason to bring up possession or anything of the like right now.

"I think any available time where most people aren't outside would be best, just in the event that something were to go wrong. Early in the morning or late at night, perhaps, or else we can find a relatively safe valley just outside of Skyhold where we won't be bothered. I'm very careful with my magic, and I wouldn't want anyone getting hurt because of me."

A shadow passes over her face at mention of blood magic and she nods solemnly, unable to deny what havoc it can wreak even if she wanted to do so. "You're not wrong. I've seen the dangers of blood magic personally, and anything which alters the minds of others steps far too close to its use." She takes a deep breath, forcing her mind away from Kinloch Hold and the horrors of elsewhere. This is a party, not a time for such gruesome talk.

As though to remind her of that, Garahel whines and paws at her until she pets him again. Latching onto a better topic, Inessa nods in approval at the care Hermione's taking not to cause harm to others. "I appreciate your precautions. I've just begun to explore beyond the immediate valley where the Grey Wardens are settled. Perhaps tomorrow or the next day we might explore together and find an ideal location?"

Like the Dark Arts, blood magic isn't inherently evil, from what Hermione has been able to see. The process is a bit unsavory, which means that it's largely used by unsavory people towards unsavory ends, so she knows it can be something of a touchy subject for most mages, especially since she's sure more than a few of them have likely dabbled in it out of desperation. But then, even Harry Potter had cast Unforgivable Curses during the war, so she certainly knows how that goes. "Making people forget some things, though... it can make things easier, if one were responsible with it." She still doesn't know if what she'd done to her parents counts as responsible, even if she'd managed to reverse it, but it's the sort of thing that makes it easier to sleep at night.

Garahel serves as a distraction for her, too, and Hermione smiles gently at the large dog. "Tomorrow works for me if it does for you, yes," she tells her. "I've never actually been to the Grey Warden camp, but I know where it is. Shall I meet you there?"

'Touchy' doesn't begin to cover it, at least for Inessa. Just the thought of blood magic and what it's done is enough to effectively dampen her mood for a moment. There's much she could say on the topic, none of it good, but she reminds herself that this isn't the time or place. Still, she remains wary at the thought of magic being used to make people forget. Her voice remains calm, but that shadow lingers. "It still seems a slippery slope. It's easy to make justifications in times of desperation, but where does it end? Or does it end, instead of continuing to spiral into further extremes? 'Easier' is not always 'better'."

She takes a deep breath, then shakes her head. "...I apologize. I suppose recent events within my order have left more of a mark than I assumed." That isn't elaborated on, since she's sure Adamant is common knowledge...and can't bring herself to discuss Weisshaupt in detail with anyone who wasn't there. Not yet.

Garahel turns to whine at her and she manages a small smile to show she's fine. "Go on, continue to get spoiled." Shifting her gaze to Hermione, she nows. "If you don't mind the walk, then we'll gladly welcome you at camp. No doubt Garahel will find you first, as is customary. No jumping, understand?" The mabari wags his tail, friendly but behaving.

Though she knows she isn't actually being judged, Hermione can't help but feel that she is, and she debates whether or not to offer her own desperate justification for what she's done. But then Inessa apologizes, and she hesitates before ultimately deciding that remaining vague is probably for the best.

"I understand," she replies. "For what it's worth, I'd only done that particular spell once, and I'd reversed it as soon as it was safe to. It was just... there were two people who would have been much safer not knowing certain things during a specific time, and so it was the only way to keep them out of harm's way. I wouldn't have done it otherwise." And from the looks of it, she isn't proud of what she'd done, and her talk with Inessa has nothing to do with it.

For now, she smiles softly down at the dog who's far too large to be anything akin to "cute", but mabari seem to be special that way, Hermione's found. It must be because of how smart they are. "I suppose so long as I can recognize him for who he is and not a wild dog who might mean me harm, that would be all right. What time works best for you?"

Listening to Hermione's vague explanation, Inessa's expression softens a little and she nods. That Hermione isn't pleased with herself for such actions relaxes her a touch, as in her mind no one should be cavalier about that kind of magic. But realizing the reason behind it, she could reluctantly concede that perhaps there were times when it was needed. She just knew that for herself, the kneejerk reaction to mind-affecting magics would not go away.

"Hm...any time mid-morning? That will give me enough time to get him fed and walked, so there's less of a chance he'll be a pest. I admit I also like to check on the griffons first thing in the morning. It's still incredible to me that they exist at all, rather than truly extinct as we thought." A small but genuine smile forms, enjoying the view of such majestic creatures...at least from a distance.

People shouldn't be cavalier with most kinds of magic, as far as Hermione is concerned. But then, while she might not have been ripped from her family and stuck in a Circle if she'd showed signs of magic, she had grown up in a world where magic was of the utmost secrecy. Even doing something as simple as a water-making spell in front of the wrong people would have been dangerous, never mind if something had gone amiss while attempting a major memory modification on a pair of Muggles.

"Griffons?" Hermione asks, immediately curious. "You mean... half lion, half eagle? Those sorts of creatures? They exist back home, but I don't know that I've ever actually seen one."

"They used to be the mounts of the Grey Wardens, at least until the end of the Fourth Blight. Then they steadily declined until we thought them extinct. Some were saved by the use of magic I've never heard of before. If you want to see the hatchlings, I'm willing to show you their location, but I must warn that even young as they are, they remain proud beasts, quick to aggression with those unfamiliar to them. We're best off admiring them from a safe distance, just in case."

"What sort of magic?" Hermione asks, intrigued. If they actually had been extinct, she'd be surprised than anyone would think it worth it to delve into the sort of magic required to bring them back from that, but she doubts Inessa would have been entirely all right with that.

"They sound like the hippogriffs of my world. You have to bow to them before they'll allow you to approach, and it's only safe to do so if they bow back, as a sign of mutual respect."

"It was a magic which concealed them from common sight...from what I heard, only an elf mage could have been set on the path to find them, though no, that wasn't me. More than that, I don't know. However, I'm hoping that means there are more griffon eggs hidden elsewhere."

The notion of bowing to a creature gets a thoughtfully raised eyebrow, and she considers that for a moment. "The griffons might not mind that. To my understanding, they're enormously picky about who they let into their personal space. Maja seems to be the exception; she cares for them, even gave them their...colorful names."

"Is elven magic so different from other sorts of magic?" Hermione asks, tilting her head curiously. "The magic used by the elves in my world is much stronger than what humans can use, but I hadn't really been aware that there was a different in the sort of magic utilized by the different races here, save for certain variations owing to culture and whatnot."

Cracking a small smile, she adds, "Well, perhaps I can try it if I come across a griffon, though I'll be glad to have someone there who can keep me from getting mauled if it doesn't quite work."

"You're welcome to join us, if you're so inclined. They'll be curious about a new face, and I'm sure that you'll maintain enough caution to remain unharmed." Garahel perks up and barks, evidently happy about Hermione spending more time with them. As for elven magic, Inessa shrugs.

"Magic tends to follow the same principles all over Thedas, as far as I'm aware. All spells are limited by line of sight, and spells can't be cast back-to-back, requiring a 'cooldown' period to draw more energy before being cast again. Elven magic must follow the same principles, I'm certain, but beyond that its effects might be different. I can't say; any alienage elf with magic is taken to the Circle, and Dalish elves and their magic aren't known to me. Isseya wasn't Dalish, but perhaps more of their magic was known to elves at large when she was alive."

The barking surprises Hermione, though she realizes that it's not a sound of alarm from the mabari so much as a pleased noise. That brings a smile to her face, and she reaches over to gently scratch behind his ears once again. "I think I'd like that," she replies. "And it certainly looks like I wouldn't be the only one."

Frowning a little in thought at Inessa's explanation, Hermione's quiet for a moment before bringing up, "I know a Dalish mage or two here. I wonder if what they can do or how they do it is very much different from what other people have been showing me here." Everything else, regarding the cooldown period and the limitations of spells, are things she's already come to grips with, and she's not particularly pleased about that. Things are quite different where she's from, which is part of what makes learning Thedosian magic so difficult.

[OPEN] Throw some glitter;

Tents

Fires

Food

Music

Dance

Fire Dancers

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