CLOSED | Doctor, won't you tell me, am I going insane?

[keenly]

WHO: Julius, Inessa, Anders, and Colin
WHAT: They all got two things in common: where they come from, and a weird-ass enchantment with no explanation.
WHEN: Wintermarch 22, morning
WHERE: The Gallows, an empty room.
NOTES: Will update.

The room's drapes are pulled back, letting in the early morning light. On a table is a plate with a pile of warm, fresh donuts Colin just pulled out of the fryer and bathed in cinnamon sugar. A steaming pot of coffee is there with four mugs. But first, Colin leans in with a plate of small vials filled with an herbal concoction.

"Elfroot and willowbark to start, Ser?" He offers the traditional headache remedy like a polite servant offering champagne.

Comments

[keenly]

"We have to do something," Colin says, slightly agitated. His hands shake a little; he pulls out his braid to give them something to do, finger-combing through his hair and rebraiding. "It's our blood in there, our leash. Isn't there--a leash can be pulled from both ends. There has to be some way to track down a phylactery. If that's what's going on, I want mine gone. If that's not what's going on, I still want mine gone."

[circleprodigy]

Inessa nods at Julius' words, doing her best to calm herself. They don't really know anything yet, and though that's as much a source of agitation as anything else, it's also a reason to keep a clear head. They'll need it to discover just what is happening.

Even so, she darts a sympathetic glance to Colin. "Likewise. The issue of the phylacteries has been too long overlooked. Even if this matter is somehow unrelated -unlikely, but still- it's something that must be dealt with. There are too many dangers to allowing their continued existence."

[justice_is_blond]

He sets the vial down on the side, looking at them all.

"Do we have any other guesses as to what these mystery ailments may be? Because treating it as our main theory and finding a way to deal with the phylacteries doesn't preclude us working on other ideas. And it does give us a solid path to move forward on."

Anders' gaze lingers on Julius. "Are we all on board with trying to find and destroy whatever remaining phylacteries there may be? I can see if there's any Warden business in Denerim we can add ourselves on to, Julius, Inessa, you can see if there's anything your respective projects need there, Colin, maybe there's a business matter that could interest you and the Inquisition?"

This could all fall apart if they get reported to Templars. It helps that right now they're all dealing with their own mess right now, but Julius' loyalties could stop all of this in its tracks.

[overharrowed]

"I agree that phylacteries should be dealt with. My point was more that it may be a separate problem, and we should bear that in mind, which I think is your point too, Anders. I don't want us throwing all our efforts behind only the one avenue without more information, that's all, especially since if it's Warden business taking you to Denerim, it would look odd to argue that Colin and I go along. That would draw more attention than the other two of you going without us."

It's an offering of sorts -- that not only is he on board to take care of it, but he trusts them to do it without him. He may want a different future for mages than his comrades, but on the other hand, they're all apostates now, and he'd feel safer with confirmation that his phylactery is gone.

Julius drums his fingers against the table, once, thinking. "In the meantime, if we haven't yet, we should start observing when spells happen, how long they last, as much as possible about what we were doing beforehand. I haven't noticed an obvious trigger, but it's happened only a few times; more incidents to compare might make connections more apparent."

[keenly]

"Right." Colin scrambles about, trying to locate pen and paper. When he does, he grabs an empty plate, puts the paper on the back of it, and starts writing. "We can make a chart. Every time we experience a spell, we write down these things about it. Time of day, obviously. What we were doing at the time. What we experienced. How long it lasted. What else?"

Doing things, making a chart, that's suddenly becoming more comforting than running and hiding. Apparently even if he had stayed away, never telling anyone, he would still be experiencing this, and he would be alone. He's not alone here. What that means for the time he spent hiding, tucked away aboard a ship for three years while other mages fought for their freedom, his freedom, isn't pretty.

[circleprodigy]

As Colin starts writing, Inessa glances over and frowns thoughtfully. "Precise locations, that could tell us something. And perhaps how often we cast magic before the episode and the type would be of note, but otherwise I think you have it covered."

Looking back to Anders and Julius, she listens intently and nods. "Julius has a point, about not drawing attention. It can be just us, Anders, or Teren as well. She's aware of our situation, and has kept it secret, hasn't she?" As intimidating as the older female Warden can be, Inessa doesn't hesitate to trust her when it comes to having their backs. "Besides, it might be best if we have someone with us, just in case we have episodes at the same time."

[justice_is_blond]

He hadn't expected it to feel quite that good to have Julius on board with destroying the phylactery, but he's feeling more than simply relief. For the first time this meeting there's a flash of a faint smile on his face and it's directed at Julius.

"Specific symptoms, too," he says to Colin. "Beyond the sudden weakness spells I've had the moments of confusion that you noted beforehand, as well as..." Anders takes a breath. They've likely all had it, but that doesn't make it any easier to talk about moments when he's felt stripped of who he is. "Magic failing entirely, as if I'd been silenced or dispelled. Do we have any other symptoms going on?"

It's a lot of data to keep track of, but if it's just the four of them it shouldn't be too complicated.

"And you're right, Julius. Teren knows some of it, Nate knows some," that Nate does not know all yet is a source of stress and it shows in his voice for a brief moment before he continues, "and a four-person Warden team would draw far less attention than a four-person mage team. We can request permission to go, Loghain isn't incapacitated and I can speak with him, while trying to see if we can find more specific information than 'in Denerim' as Denerim is... massive. I've been, but I could really only get us to a certain watering hole and the docks."

[overharrowed]

Julius catches that faint flash of a smile and returns it, just as muted and brief.

"I've only had my magic fail once, though I agree it's the most unsettling of the symptoms. For me, though, it's usually not weakness as such; I'm frozen in place, unable to move for a second or two. Lady Vauquelin saw one such spell, though she pretended she didn't after it had passed. Other than that, I don't think anyone beyond this room is aware I'm affected at present."

He's had an incident or two over the crystals, but so many things could cause an unexpected pause in conversation he doubts anyone thought much of it.

[keenly]

The description of magic shorting out like that makes Colin's breath catch. He casts so seldom that he hasn't experienced that particular symptom, and he's glad for it. But this, all of these symptoms are things he knows how to cause. He runs a hand down his face.

"So, spirit magic. And a touch of entropy. We know the names of these spells. And phylacteries are how you would cast them on someone from a distance. It's blood magic. Technically. Could we experiment with anti-magic spells of our own?"

[circleprodigy]

"I've mainly experienced weakness and disorientation; the other symptoms are a much rarer thing for me. Why, I don't know." Inessa frowns, caught between feeling grateful for that and so very tired of...well, being tired. "Ciri and Kain are aware of my symptoms, and if either went with us, it would still be seen as a Warden affair."

She tilts her head at Colin, nodding thoughtfully as she's thought along similar lines. Spirit and entropy magic makes all too much sense to her. "I know Dispel, though not the other anti-magic spells. If it can be of use, I'll do my best." Anything to help bring this increasingly debilitating time to a close.

[justice_is_blond]

"So that gives us two avenues to pursue. Finding something to counter what's going on, and finding out where the phylacteries are." He always feels better when there's something to be done.

"I've never put much thought into anti-magic spells, but it sounds like we may have a private class to start," he says with a grim sort of smile. "I'll start digging through any Chantry or Circle records about phylacteries I can find here; no one will be surprised I'm doing that. Would one of you mind gathering up what anti-magic spellbooks they can find and leading those of us who want to learn in learning them? Julius, you're the known teacher, you might rouse the least suspicion there."

Whereas Colin might rouse the most, and he probably wouldn't welcome that much scrutiny.

"I think we need to be prepared for this to continue until we reach the end of this path. The episodes have been more frequent as time has gone by, and more severe. There may come a point in time where we each want to make sure we've someone trusted nearby at most times in case of falling or lasting confusion." Or lasting vulnerability with no magic.

[overharrowed]

"I'm in the library all the time anyway, I'll see what we have here," he agrees, quietly. "But I agree that it doesn't seem likely to resolve itself. It's going to be hard to hide it indefinitely if we don't get any sense of what sets off an incident, though it seems it's still fairly infrequent for now."

Julius pauses, and it seems like he might leave it there, but then he adds, "We may need to be prepared for accusations if it seems like we're sneaking about. Considering the current state of the Inquisition in Kirkwall." Templars and rifters are ill and mages are doing covert things? He can imagine how that might look.

[keenly]

"And in the meantime, avoid open windows and breakable things. I mean I've always been good at anti-magic shite, but I'm not certain I can cast it on myself mid-fall." Colin tosses back his portion of headache cure and sits back, waiting placidly for it to kick in. His head drops back, he stares at the ceiling while he gathers his thoughts.

"Why would anyone do this?" he asks quietly. "To just...regular people not hurting anyone, trying to go about their lives?"

[circleprodigy]

Garahel looks up and grunts in agreement with Anders, prompting Inessa to stroke his head. "I agree. Keeping company at hand or at least close by and being aware of our surroundings -adjusting them, if possible- could prove vital, given how this seems likely to escalate. We won't be able to hide it forever, but with so much attention on the rifters and templars, the Inquisition at large should be sufficiently distracted for the time being."

That's all they can do, really, take this moment by moment. She glances over at Colin, sympathetic. "Our enemies must have eyes and ears in the city. I could see them learning that the Inquisition is already weakened and taking that further. They could have had them for a while, just waiting for the right moment." The thought has her shuddering a little, unnerved even further.

[justice_is_blond]

"It likely isn't much comfort, but I doubt they know whose phylacteries they have." He'll address the most pressing concerns first. "I think they know they have active ones and that's all. I'm not... While it's not a fact I'm pleased with or proud of, I think there would be a bidding war if they knew they had mine. I think they're hurting indiscriminantly, bullies who made a lucky find of the phylactery stash."

His location and the ability to hurt him would both go for a high price.

"As far as being accused of sneaking about, that's a fairly regular occurrence for me. I can take it. Especially for the sake of snapping this leash for good. Not to mention it will be deserved, because I can't see a reason to leave someone doing this alive."

[overharrowed]

"Anders makes a decent point. Beyond the interest in his, particularly, other than our pasts at Kinloch and proximity to the Inquisition now... I can't think of anyone with a single motive to hit all four of us that wouldn't apply to any four mages at random. Inessa may have the right of it."

He exhales. "Either way. It seems like next steps are clear, for now. And we can watch out for one another, as much as we're able, in the meantime."