Sarkan leans his head against his fist, watching and listening to this young woman with a shockingly intent, cold gaze. Though abrupt and unfriendly, to his credit, he is giving this witch a chance and allowing her to speak with the same attention he would give to any other advanced mage.
"Forbidden? Ridiculous. No, it's certainly not forbidden."
Sarkan appears almost offended, even infuriated by the notion, and not at Petra herself. He scowls in an almost self-deprecating sort of way, then backtracks to explain himself in a level, mildly acerbic tone.
"Your country reminds me a little of mine, historically, when witches and wizards were wild fledglings whispering promises of power in dank huts."
He pauses, and it dawns on him that this probably sounds like an insult of her home. He recollects himself and resumes.
"I suppose there isn't much harm or use talking about it now that I've left, but here it is. Kingdoms in the distant past, and even some of the farthest dynasties from Polnya, were known to forbid magic. Fools feared things they couldn't grasp. What they failed to consider was that a wizard who lost the thread of a spell due to inexperience or downright recklessness is far more dangerous than properly allowing us to teach one another and take on apprentices. Human survival would be extinct without a wizard's means for fighting creatures borne of magic, which sharply rose in numbers with the rise of rogue dark spell-casting and the birth of corruption. Furthermore, wizards are a useful tool for monarchs." He allows himself an offhanded shrug, explaining plainly, "The more master court wizards, the better likelihood to win wars. Therefore it is law to train up a wizard at the first sign of magic inclination..." He blanches. "Was law in my realm."
Sarkan slowly shakes his head. This is not exactly the subject he had in mind when a witch expressed interest in talking with him. He had thought they would focus more on their present predicament.
"There are codified rules." He presses his lips together, recalling the exception embodied in a plucky forest witch. "Guidelines is a better term. Well, never mind that, the crux of the matter is that we had books and apprenticeships," and some of those books he brought with him, and rest under lock and key tucked away in a trunk in his rooms, "but truly gifted witches and wizards were rare and there were no schoolhouses."
He clasps his hands on the table and raises his chin, a sound between a hiss and a sigh seething through his teeth. That's enough of this.
"Again, little of this history matters now, unless we wish to wallow in nostalgia. Thedas offers schools, and mages of varying skill are plentiful. Neither of us are going back."
no subject
"Forbidden? Ridiculous. No, it's certainly not forbidden."
Sarkan appears almost offended, even infuriated by the notion, and not at Petra herself. He scowls in an almost self-deprecating sort of way, then backtracks to explain himself in a level, mildly acerbic tone.
"Your country reminds me a little of mine, historically, when witches and wizards were wild fledglings whispering promises of power in dank huts."
He pauses, and it dawns on him that this probably sounds like an insult of her home. He recollects himself and resumes.
"I suppose there isn't much harm or use talking about it now that I've left, but here it is. Kingdoms in the distant past, and even some of the farthest dynasties from Polnya, were known to forbid magic. Fools feared things they couldn't grasp. What they failed to consider was that a wizard who lost the thread of a spell due to inexperience or downright recklessness is far more dangerous than properly allowing us to teach one another and take on apprentices. Human survival would be extinct without a wizard's means for fighting creatures borne of magic, which sharply rose in numbers with the rise of rogue dark spell-casting and the birth of corruption. Furthermore, wizards are a useful tool for monarchs." He allows himself an offhanded shrug, explaining plainly, "The more master court wizards, the better likelihood to win wars. Therefore it is law to train up a wizard at the first sign of magic inclination..." He blanches. "Was law in my realm."
Sarkan slowly shakes his head. This is not exactly the subject he had in mind when a witch expressed interest in talking with him. He had thought they would focus more on their present predicament.
"There are codified rules." He presses his lips together, recalling the exception embodied in a plucky forest witch. "Guidelines is a better term. Well, never mind that, the crux of the matter is that we had books and apprenticeships," and some of those books he brought with him, and rest under lock and key tucked away in a trunk in his rooms, "but truly gifted witches and wizards were rare and there were no schoolhouses."
He clasps his hands on the table and raises his chin, a sound between a hiss and a sigh seething through his teeth. That's enough of this.
"Again, little of this history matters now, unless we wish to wallow in nostalgia. Thedas offers schools, and mages of varying skill are plentiful. Neither of us are going back."