faderift | 01 | Open | General introduction and foundation building

WHO: Waver
WHAT: Waver getting to grips with surroundings
WHEN: Post inital arrival on 8 Firstfall-End of th month
WHERE: Location
NOTES: Content warnings, OOC notes, links to other relevant posts, etc.

I. Stables
Staying near the stables so much isn't exactly a good choice, Waver knew. It meant he smelled like horse constantly, and the smell lingered in his hair most of all. Lingering also made him look just as much as a fish out of water as he felt, but such things weren't quite as important as why he insisted on frequenting the area so much: horses meant fast transport. Fast transport meant greater paths to learning outside of the immediate area. And being thrown into another world entirely, Waver wanted to learn everything he could as quickly as he could. He was at a disadvantage now, and he disliked it intensely.

So he stayed, watching tack go on and off the horses, memorizing the order of events. Observing horses and their personalities, so that he knew which ones might eventually accommodate someone who had never rode a horse before. Trying to figure out who to approach for lessons with minimizing awkwardness or needing to take up more of Iskandar's time. It was a delicate balance of observation, and one that got involving after some time. Enough involvement to ignore the rest of his surroundings, and for him to become more obvious than he'd like.

Then again, it was fairly hard to miss a strange tall man in a red coat, looking at horses like he was going to write a book on them.

II. Outside
One thing that Waver had insisted on doing, was adamant about doing, was trying to keep himself doing was walking the grounds and trying to learn them as quickly as possible. Certainty staying with and near Iskandar would be safe enough for his untrained self whose primary form of self defense was starting to dwindle, but on the off chance of something going wrong or else getting separated, Waver wanted to have some routes available to him.

But he was informed by his desire for safety as he was by Iskandar's preference for staying outside of the primary buildings, sleeping in a stable or a tent like the man was on one of his legendary campaigns. Waver had to admit, perhaps there was something there, but not something he wanted to dwell on.

So he simply walked time and again, retracing paths, a cigar sticking out of his mouth and the smoke billowing ahead of him, the acrid smell announcing his approach. From time to time, he took the thing out and examined it, before muttering, "Where can I get a steady supply of these anyway? I'm nearly out."

III. Additional
For additional prompts in and around the location!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Waver regarded the brief show of magic with interest, although he refrained from leaning in and wanting to get into the nitty gritty of it all. It was clear though that his attention was captured.

"Interesting," he said, thoughtful and running over what he already understood of Thedas' magic. "I admit, I would have thought the populace's er, attitude, towards magic here would mage healing-via-magic almost impossible. I'm glad to see I'm wrong about such an assumption."

His smile becomes very, very wry.

"Oh no. It was always available... if one had the money to pay the Chantry to use their captive mages." There's bitterness in his voice. "After all, why would someone want access to healing at any time if it meant that the dangerous, horrible mages were running around free?"

The question is rhetorical, though he pauses for a moment to let it linger.

"You asked if everyone was so helpful around here. The answer is no. Everyone has an agenda. Mine is simple. I and my people should be free, and if people meet us, get to know us as people rather than things to be feared, then maybe we can remain free rather than the Circles being formed again once Corypheus is dead. You rifters may be key to helping unbalance the power the Chantry has had. So I help, because I will not see us be enslaved, murdered, and worse again."

The way that Anders responds is something a little too familiar to Waver. He'd probably reply in a similar tone on the topic of equally infuriating mage nonsense back home, but the rules back home were far, far better than Thedas'. Magi could be terrible to each other, but at least they were in control of themelves and only answerable to other magi.

But was was more was the honesty about ulterior motive. People who were that forthright were well, bolder in action that could border on reckless. Not that Waver could speak of reckless without being the pot calling the kettle black, but it was something to keep in mind.

"I can't actually disagree with the sentiment," Waver said, his tone a careful neutral. It was, however, a rather wide political net. Not that those were good words to voice. "God knows I thought magi back home had societal issues. Although I'm not sure everyone would be thrilled about being put to such political ends."

Waver had to take orders from Reines to repay debts, but he never made anyone else follow after him. On the matter of Arda Castle, he had given Gray the chance to decline to accompany him to the investigation.

Neutral is... to be expected, really. No one asks to be dragged here, and even more no one asks to be hurled into politics.

"Some are lured in by the questionable comfort of every choice being made for them. Why try and risk failure if they can expect the Templars and Chantry to decide every detail of their lives? Especially if they've appeased their captors enough to have some relative comforts and luxuries. Meanwhile the majority of mages suffered in the Circles." There's a lot of pain in his past, and while he's starting to do better about covering it up with humor rather than frustration, right now he's just not managing it.

"As I said, I can't disagree. That kind of existence is, bluntly, a nightmare. I'd hate it, and it isn't something I'd want for any of my students." Not even Flat, although Waver had to entertain the thought that Flat, via sheer force of personality and ability to make everything into absurdity, could probably break parts of the system without any effort at all.

"But can I actually ask how you're approaching this kind of reform? If it isn't too much to put upon you at this time."

He wasn't an idiot, Waver could hear the tone.

"I'm trying to find a system that works, right now. I'm trying, testing, lessons, trying to see if we could simply go to a schooling process, where any people can come and go and learn. There's no question that mages need lessons, that we need training to have control of our abilities. But if I can establish a school and a baseline of teaching, show people that there's a better option..."

Anders trailed off and shrugged. "I believe it's doable. I believe every people group can and should have equality and freedom. But the people in power need to see it happen before they'll even start to consider not fighting it."

"Founding an entire new system is," Waver stopped, letting out a low whistle to indicate how sizeable the task seemed from his perspective. "I run a department at the mage university, and that's more than enough work for any man." Never mind the politics, the intrigues, and everything else that the Mages Association liked to throw. Hell, his entire appointment to the Modern Magecraft department had screamed politics.

"But what about outside perception?" he added, after a moment. "Changing attitudes probably won't happen on just one front."

He ran a department at a mage university. Anders leaned forward. Waver's question would come first, but then...

"If others are invited in, to come and go and learn just as freely, they can start to see a benefit. If we publicize the lessons, their practical applications that can help the population in their day-to-day lives, they can start to see a benefit there too. Basically establishing this will cause a ripple effect. It has to." He had to believe in that. "What can you tell me of the running of a mage university? I could use... anything, really."

"Hm. Would some sort of hybrid hospital accomplish something similar?" Waver asked, the idea stumbling out of his mouth before he could word it more eloquently. He felt the need to justify it though, and he quickly added, "Mostly that benefit thing you mention, plus an improvement of health is more hm," he stopped, looking for the right words. "Immediate and demonstrable. Although the barriers might be hard to overcome."

If Thedas' view of magi was in a bad place, inviting magic to play around with one's insides probably wasn't going to be appealing. But Waver let that thought go, his mind focusing to the next part of it all.

"Clock Tower," Waver said with a grimace. "Is tied very closely to our politics, and thus is an absolute nightmare to navigate. I can tell you about our structure and matriculation, but anything beyond that is," Waver stopped, realizing he could actually make a decent Thedas comparison here. He had been filled in on Tevinter, and hell be damned if it wasn't close to home. "Think Tevinter, on a smaller scale, and forced underground. And then imagine me complaining for hours on end."

Aaaand there goes the leaning forward. Anders leans back a little, face going more serious.

"Blood magic. You maintain your operation with blood magic and everyone stays clear due to that?" He admires Tevinter's freedom for mages. He doesn't appreciate the methods they often use for it, or what they do to elves or the poor. But maybe he's misunderstanding Waver.

"That's nothing at all like a hospital."

"No, no, I meant in terms of," Waver gently tapped the palm of his hand to his forehead. The concept of blood magic didn't exist back home, not in the way Thedas described it and feared it, and admittedly, Waver was being vague. "How our insular mage society is set up. Generally the next generation of magi will be more powerful than their parents, so there's a massive emphasis on heritage and bloodline. It results in, essentially, the old magi families getting more and more powerful and the newer ones being left out of most things."

Waver was from a newer family, and he could go on a tear for hours on the topic. "Apologies, I forgot about the blood magic angle. Our system of the craft is completely different as well."

01 | Open | General introduction and foundation building

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