[Open] the one who survives by making the lives of others worthwhile

[meds4sale]

WHO: The Medicine Seller and Open!
WHAT: The Medicine Seller wants to get his bearings. Or sell medicine. Since he’s a medicine seller.
WHEN: Feb 2017/Guardian, 9:43 Dragon
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Open starters below - message me on this journal or at GreenRivers if you want a private starter.

A. Got A Remedy For That
The thing the Medicine Seller noticed about people was that they generally saw what they wanted to see so long as it fit their personal narrative of the world. Despite his numerous tells, he'd passed easily as human in his own world. He was the right general shape, and what words couldn’t explain away, a pretty face could certainly distract from.

Here, it was even easier to go unnoticed. Most had but a passing familiarity with the Dalish and their lore, so when they saw his pointy ears and facial markings, and assumed he was just some elf who'd nicked an Orlesian noble's bathrobe and was going for A Look, it made things quite convenient. And he wasn't one to deny people their assumptions when they benefited him.

Dalish may have had a stigma, but between that or being considered the very thing he existed to fight, the former misconception was infinitely less trying.

He didn’t have a stall set up, so much as a few planks of wood balanced together to make a crude, make-shift table. Which he had then covered with a cloth. There were bottles, flasks, vials, powder packets, small, colourful silk pouches and ornate lacquered boxes, bright and vibrant against the gray winter backdrop of the fortress. He’d set a few other planks down to sit on, sparing his knees the cold, winter mud.

He was out of the way of the main hubbub of the merchant stalls and there were no signs or boards with a list of prices, but the vibrancy of his attire and stock made him and his wares impossible to miss. If one was in need of a remedy, they could do far worse.


B. The Price of Knowledge
Being a stranger in a strange land was new to the Medicine Seller, but once the novelty of it wore off, it really wasn’t so different from home. People were people wherever you went - however different their appearances, customs, and cultures, they were still driven by the same emotions.

Still, customs were important, and moreover, he hated not knowing things. Especially things that could make him seem ignorant. It didn’t do to be ignorant if you could help it.

The library had proven beneficial. At the very least he had become acquainted with the Chantry’s version of Thedosian history. He doubted it was in any way accurate or removed from bias (which the historian Genitivi had at least admitted to in his writings), but it was still useful. The more he read, the more he understood the attitudes and inclinations of this society.

The books on medicine were also quite informative - elfroot seemed to go in just about every cure for any ailment which certainly made his job easy. Deep mushrooms also seemed to be a fairly common component.

He was not particularly neat with his research - books were scattered about his work space, some half open, others in haphazard stacks. His notes on Thedas’s medicinal herbs were just as erratically spaced, though his calligraphy and brushwork copying the illustrations was meticulous and quite skillful, if completely illegible to almost anyone in Skyhold.

Still, history and medical books could become a bit tiresome after a while, even for someone with the Medicine Seller’s boundless patience. He deemed a break necessary and went in search of some fiction, leaving his mess for now.

Hard in Hightown 3: The Re-Punchening sounded like some particularly delightful literary schlock. He returned to his spot, lit the tobacco in the bowl of his kiseru, and sat back, prepared to be thoroughly entertained.


C. Curiosity Killed The Cat
Skyhold was a curiosity in and of itself, and the Medicine Seller could hardly refrain from exploring the grounds. It wasn’t often one got the opportunity to poke around a fortress, and while there was work ahead of him here, he was rather nosy.

The ramparts offered quite a view of the chilly Frostbacks. The great hall was aptly named, altogether rather grand with its high ceilings and the imposing throne. The stables held a wide variety of peculiar animals. The gardens had all manner of botanical goodies. The place was absolutely huge and, if rumour was to be believed, quite a windfall for the Inquisition in its budding stages.

Such things were very interesting to the Medicine Seller. He’d move on once he was able to play by this world’s rules and pass through society without too much in ways of questions, but this was certainly ideal for the time being.

D. Wildcard!
Is the Medicine Man eavesdropping on your business? Did you spot him petting a good cat or talking to his weird sword? Did he sell you some faulty medicine? Anything goes!

Comments

[circleprodigy]

A little surprised to be asked that particular question, Inessa mulls it over before answering. "I wonder if there was even a time before the Veil, if perhaps instead it always existed. Perhaps the legends of its creation are only that; we have no real proof that the world was ever any different. Even if it was, our priority has to be on the state of the Veil as it is now. Corypheus' actions have severely damaged it and mortals and Fade inhabitants alike will continue to suffer if it's not mended. Not all rift demons were such before they crossed; the creation of the rifts, being drawn into our world, has driven spirits mad, warping them into the forms we have already seen. And their suffering only spreads to others, when civilians stumble across such rifts. If there is a way to safely mingle across the Veil, this...is not it."

[meds4sale]

"Like the unexpected breaking of a dam," he mused, his usually detached expression softening somewhat. "Everything suffers."

There was nothing like the Veil in his world - while there were clear cases of spiritual and physical, the line between the two sides was incredibly blurry. Many spirits mingled with humans and visa versa, sometimes without either party being aware of the other's nature.

Inessa was right - if there were a way for things to be like that here, this wasn't it.

"How did Corypheus manage such a feat?"

[circleprodigy]

Inessa nods solemnly at that assessment, glad to see that a newcomer grasps what is important about the situation. Most don't even have any equivalent about the Fade, let alone the Veil. She tilts her head, staring off.

"An ancient artifact, I was told. Some kind of orb? It's difficult to discern more when it hasn't let his side. When he destroyed Haven, Corypheus had it with him...I was told, at least. I wasn't yet part of the Inquisition, at the time."

[meds4sale]

He rested a finger contemplatively on his chin. Unusual orbs and orb-shaped jewels were not uncommon in tales back home. But that didn't seem particularly relevant for now.

"Has any such thing appeared in documents here?" He gestured to the library as a whole. "Or does its nature remain a mystery?"

[circleprodigy]

Glancing around the library, Inessa shakes her head. "It must predate Chantry records, which makes up the vast majority of our tomes if not all. There is one person who might know more -an elf hedge mage named Solas- but he has not been seen in Skyhold for some time. If he was, you would know it; he dwells in the area just below the library, and is responsible for the frescoes."

[meds4sale]

"A fine artist," he remarked off-handedly, thoroughly convinced that the murals had a distinct lack of cephalopods and bare bosoms, but that was the unfortunate oversight of the artist and really there was no accounting for taste.

"But where would he have learned such things?"

[circleprodigy]

To that, Inessa can only shrug. "Not in a Circle. Hedge mages often have magical styles from civilizations that predate the Chantry, so they could have been of some influence. More than that, I can't say. He was too busy researching for the Inquisition to teach me rift magic, so I began learning from another. Our paths have not often intersected."

[meds4sale]

"Hedge mage. Rift mage."

He repeated these things, more to personally memorize them.

"I take it these things are not one in the same?"

[circleprodigy]

She shakes her head, quick to clarify. "No, not at all. Hedge mages are those not trained in a Circle. Rift mages are those who learn a specialized form of magic, Circle-trained or not. My trainer is Circle-trained, and I find that to be the best situation for me. Circle mages tend to have training and techniques in common, whatever the particular Circle."

[meds4sale]

"I have read many mixed accounts of these Circles," he said casually, as though remarking upon a mildly unusual sight, rather than the crux of a widespread conflict.

"To some they are a fortress and to others they are a prison. What are they to you?"

[circleprodigy]

"A school and home in one." Inessa answers promptly, with no hesitation. "Arriving at the Circle was the best thing that ever happened to me. Before then, I was a sickly alienage child with no real future. Because of the Circle, I had access to regular meals, clothes that fit, the best education in Thedas outside what nobles can afford. I know others have had very different experiences, but I won't deny my own. The Circle -or something like it- has its place in Thedas as an institution of learning, but is in dire need of reform."

[meds4sale]

It was not an uncommon position as far as he could tell; the Circles had problems that needed to be addressed and changed. What those problems were, exactly, remained the matter of a hot debate. Some believed in more freedom, others thought more stringent methods should be in place.

He didn't play politics, but as far as he could tell Abominations were little different in principle to Mononoke, and such places, run as they were, were the perfect storm of emotions for demons to leech.

"What would you change, if the opportunity were to arise?"

[circleprodigy]

Inessa paces a little as she speaks, glancing over her shoulder at where she can still see Garahel napping.

"I would allow the mage contact with the outside world. As the Circle stood, unless they had considerable influence -such as being from a noble family- they never heard from their families again, nor were they to have families of their own. Everyone else in Thedas has this right; denying them only makes the demons' offers more tempting. And the Templars have been given too much power. They should fight against demons, abominations, blood mages...but not monitor mages who have done no wrong. Their abuse of power is partly what lead to the rebellion.

And before you ask, I did not take part in that. When my Circle fell, I left to join the Grey Wardens."

[meds4sale]

"Such things do not seem so unreasonable, even considering the potential danger of magic."

He was doing his damnedest to ignore the dog. Let sleeping dogs lie was his personal motto.

"Why, I wonder, has the Chantry been so reluctant to grant such basic things?"

He had his own thoughts on the matter - but he was an outsider, and one without the full picture. Innessa might have been able to grant him better insight on things.

[circleprodigy]

"That's a question with a long, complicated answer. How much do you know of our past with Tevinter Imperium, in the north?" If he's been reading up on Thedas and its history, then that will make explanations much easier. If not, she'll muddle through. Fortunately, this is a topic that surfaces a lot when explaining the present state of Thedas to rifters.

[meds4sale]

"A little."

In truth, he hadn't run across a passage about Tevinter that hadn't somehow mentioned every ill they had committed - the Blight, Andraste's death, slavery - were the Medicine Seller not painfully aware of the ills people were capable of, he might have even been surprised.

"One nation's actions becomes the excuse for others."

[circleprodigy]

"Indeed. In Tevinter, it is the mages who rule. The Chantry blames Tevinter for the coming of the Blights, as it was seven magisters who enacted the blood sacrifice of thousands or more to enter the Fade. They intended to gain power, possibly become gods, but upon entering the Golden City, they became corrupted and were cast out as darkspawn. The First Blight nearly destroyed Thedas, and the ones to follow were only better in that they did not last centuries. The destruction they have caused cannot be overstated; one devastated my homeland a decade ago, and it is still very much in recovery.

Andraste preached that magic was meant to serve man and never to rule over him, a direct challenge to the cruel ways of the magisters. She was a slave of Tevinter herself at one point, and she fought for the freedom of herself and others. Her greatest enemies were the magisters but if she held any anti-mage sentiment, I'm not aware. The scars Tevinter has left behind from the times when it dominated the continent still remain, and the fact that Andraste was martyred on Tevinter soil only furthers that resentment.

As magic had been the source of the Imperium's power, it was all but banned when the Chantry became the new dominant force in Thedas. In 1:20 Divine, the Nevarran Accord created the Circle of Magi in the south and established the Templars as wardens of the mages. Initially, the only permitted magic was that which allowed the eternal flame in every Chantry in Thedas to be renewed. When the mages of the Grand Cathedral protested, negotiations resulted in permitting broader use of magic in exchange for the mages being removed to more remote locations, away from society. Thus, they would only be a danger to themselves or the Templars, who were bound to watch them for corruption."

[meds4sale]

He wondered how much magic really was the 'source' of Tevinter's power. After all, other cultures didn't seem any less magically-capable. After all, had Arlathan, a beacon of magic, not fallen under the Tevinter's conquest? And were they not locked in an ongoing war with Qunari who had an even tighter leash on their mages than southern countries?

More likely it came down to an abundance of resources, smart maneuvering, and enough lives to throw away for whatever their latest cause was.

He was quiet for a time, contemplating these things.

"That is ... convenient for the Chantry. It is no surprise then that the Circles are a breeding ground for Mononoke."

[circleprodigy]

"Yes, it hasn't escaped my notice that much of what transpires is structured to end in the Chantry's favor. History is written by the victors, as can be seen in many of the tomes here. Another perspective offered is rare." Inessa then raises an eyebrow, curious. "...mononoke? Can you elaborate?"

[meds4sale]

"How often that is the case," he agreed. Which was why he sought other perspectives. History may belong to the victors, but that didn't make them right. It just made them loud. And the Medicine Seller was much more interested in truth than noise.

"People here call them 'abominations', but I find the term inaccurate."

It was rare he offered up a genuine opinion on any matter, much less one that was remotely specific or placed his stance on something concretely away from neutral.

[circleprodigy]

Inessa nods, her eyes darkening at mention of abominations as her tone takes on a practiced calm. "It seems apt enough to me. The result of a demon possessing a mortal is beyond horror, a being which exists only to exact destruction. Even in death, they are dangerous, exploding and killings others unfortunate enough to be close enough. Inhabitants of the Fade and mortals were never meant to exist in such a state, and it does neither any favors. In the end, all that can be done is to kill them as quickly as possible, or more will suffer.

As for Circles being a breeding ground...yes and no. I can't deny that the restrictions imposed create a foothold, one that demons can exploit. But there is a gulf between what might happen and what often does. Save for an incident during my tower in the Fifth Blight, full-fledged abominations were not a common occurrence. Most possession cases resulted from a failed Harrowing, and that is dealt with promptly. The vast majority of days in my Circle tower were peaceful, even monotonous ones."

[meds4sale]

"Such things are terrible," he said softly, not missing the way Inessa seemed to be keeping her tone in check, "But I would no more call a Mononoke an abomination than I would a person with a terrible illness."

He was, after all, a peddler of medicines. All kinds - even a rather unconventional sort. A disease of the soul was no different to him than a disease of the body.

"When spirits entangle themselves with the fates of men, a Mononoke is born. This is true enough in your world as it is in my own," he explained.

"The Form they take may be monstrous indeed, and their actions volatile. But for some their Truth and Regret force them inward, and their Form does not change. Such a being cannot be recognized by sight alone."

He leveled a look at Inessa.

"This too I believe to be the same in both worlds."

[circleprodigy]

Abominations have been and always will be a touchy subject for her, but Inessa won't let her memories get the better of her. At least, not in a conversation with an acquaintance. She doesn't interrupt, and though her expression isn't always agreeing, she seems to at least be giving his words some weight.

"You could call it an illness, but I'm not certain that applies, past a certain point. It is possible -albeit very difficult- to free someone possessed whose physical form has not yet begun to change. Once that has happened, though...the process is irreversible.

Even as a mage, I don't pretend to be an expert on the Fade. Spirit Healers would be the most apt in that category, and their knowledge comes with a price; heightened attention from spirits. I don't know that they would agree, entirely, but there might be overlapping truths to some extent. When it comes to the Fade and its inhabitants, it's dangerous to keep to one perspective, either way. If you've met one spirit...you've met one spirit. No two are exactly alike."

[meds4sale]

"So it is the same in that regard as well," he said, partially to himself. There were Mononoke where the human host had survived the exorcism, but that had always been dependent on the host already being alive and largely unchanged physically. When it came to the sad souls who had died or had their forms so violently twisted, an end was their only release.

He returned to directly addressing Inessa.

"There are many parallels that I cannot dismiss them out of hand either. In my world as well, spirits are individuals with their own vices and virtues."

He frowned, eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"Which is why the differences are... concerning."

[circleprodigy]

"It's interesting that you mention vices and virtues, since spirits often embody such concepts. It's in forcing a spirit to go against its nature that can provoke a darker nature into surfacing. A spirit of Wisdom, forced into denying its role, can become a demon of Pride. Every spirit may be different, but they all seem to adhere to specific concepts and do their best to fulfill it through some means or another. The differences are worth noting, especially as dealings with the Fade and its inhabitants always carries some risk."

There's yawning and stretching -and scratching- from Inessa's own book nest, and then a mabari head drowsily pokes around the corner. She backs up to stroke his head. "Hello, Garahel. Did you have a good nap?" In response, Garahel lets out a contented grunt and leans into her for more head-scratching.