[OPEN] Throw some glitter;

[faithstarved]

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.

Comments

[bookish_lioness]

"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."

[circleprodigy]

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?"

[bookish_lioness]

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?"

[circleprodigy]

'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.

[bookish_lioness]

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?"

[circleprodigy]

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.

[bookish_lioness]

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."

[circleprodigy]

"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."

[bookish_lioness]

"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."

[circleprodigy]

"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."

[bookish_lioness]

"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."

[circleprodigy]

"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."

[bookish_lioness]

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.

[circleprodigy]

"It might be; I cannot say for certain. And I doubt they would wish to share their knowledge with me. I'm a city elf, after all, a 'flat-ear'. The heritage they cling to has little to do with my own life. But I don't feel any sense of loss for all that; I have my own ways of magic." And though she's not going to disparage the Dalish, Inessa doubts that her Circle-taught magic would ever be inferior to theirs. Circle mages are the best in Thedas, or they were, and she'll cleave to that tradition proudly.

[bookish_lioness]

"Oh, I don't know," Hermione muses. "Ellana is quite nice, and very open when it comes to talking about her people. At least, she was that way with me, and I can't say whether she really was being open or if I just don't know enough about the elves in this world to gauge just how much she's telling me, relatively speaking." Most of the elves she's met here have been Dalish, actually, and while she's interested in knowing the functional differences between them and city elves, she doesn't ask after that just yet; there may be some sort of animosity there, and Hermione wouldn't want to bring it up.

[circleprodigy]

That particular name has Inessa perking up slightly and she smiles. "I met her, just after reaching the Grey Warden camp. It was a warmer welcome than I anticipated, and she seemed refreshingly open with me as well. Perhaps those who join the Inquisition are more prone to sharing, working with others? I'm too new to properly guess, though the reception was welcome regardless."

[bookish_lioness]

Pleased that Ellana seems to have made a good impression on her, Hermione tells her, "I've come to the conclusion that those in Skyhold are, generally speaking, much more inclusive than the rest of Thedas. Of course, that conclusion is purely hypothetical, since most of the people I've met outside of Skyhold were still part of the Inquisition. Except for the Orlesians, I suppose, but from what I hear, they can be something of a... close-minded group, as a whole."