Blood Magic - 101

[judgemewhole]

WHO: James Norrington, and YOU.
WHAT: Norrington gets ambushed, for information.
WHEN: Currently
WHERE: Norrington's 'office' (aka the table he's secured outside his tent to write reports)
NOTES: Warnings for blood magic, irritated Templar and probable Mage and Templar politics abounding, as well as people asking silly questions

Honestly, he really should have seen this coming. He was a known Templar Knight Commander - he had been hunting blood mages for nearly fifteen years now. His name were on several papers on Maelficarium, and he had trained Knights all over the Free Marches and even as far away as Orlais and Fereldan on how to properly hunt and kill blood mages.

Certainly, people were going to know of him. Certainly people were going to ask him about his past experiences. It was inevitable.

What he did not expect that was after coming in at the tail-end of an abomination attack to be bombarded by questions about blood magic - from soldiers down to the common folk. They crowded around him now, and you could just hear his voice over the fray of questions, stern and sometimes even caustic.

" -- NO I am not here to execute all the apprentice mages! One of them slipped - one. That does not mean the rest of them are suddenly going to start slicing open their wrists! They are children, they are learning. Is there a danger? Yes, but I sincerely doubt any of the mages here is blatantly teaching them ancient mind control rituals... "

There was a fast murmur of questions and then Norrington's voice could be heard again. "... No. You cannot do blood magic simply by cutting your finger and cursing. If that was the case every cook in the history of Thedas would be a blood mage. There are practices that someone must follow to use blood magic. If not, that is how we get abominations and demons from those failed spells."

Another fast and loud rat-a-tat of questions, and Norrington could be seen rubbing his face, "... No, not every blood mage is a Tevinter. Nor are they all Dalish. No, the Dalish do not practice sacrificing babies with Tevinter magisters -- do you know what the majority of the slave trade is? Yes, then it stands to reason that the Dalish and the Tevinter Magisters are Not In Cahoots. And NO the Dalish are not aiding Corpheyus with their tattoos -- their tattoos are not blood magic!"

Clearly, this is going well. So if you wish to help Norrington -- or just add more fuel to the fire -- please, feel free to stop by.

Comments

[judgemewhole]

Well, Norrington had been doing that before now. He had wanted to formally join the Inquisition however, to make sure that he was at least doing the right thing for the right reasons. It had become ... murky after the Chantry all but fell and Seeker Lambert had lost his mind.

"The other Templars, absolutely." A pause, and a sigh, "... We shall have to see about the Mages. They are not keen to have us around, and I am not keen to argue the same arguments."

There had to be a middle ground - Lydia had believed there could be, as did Swann, and Divine Justinia.

[middle_of_calibrating]

He's only been here for a short amount of time so honestly he doesn't know much that is going on at the moment. Though he definitely can see that there are tensions between the two groups, and infighting within each of them. Seemed to be the norm any where Mages and Templars were involved.

"Well can't really blame a lot of them feeling like they do. Have to say you're one of the first Templars I've met that talks in a positive light on Mages. It's different."

[judgemewhole]

Norrington paused for a moment at that, before his lips curved into a faint, sad smile. His gaze was distant, as he looked away, his voice almost a whisper when he responded, "I had two very good teachers."

Then he shook his head, pulling himself back to the present. "And I may be one of the first Templars, but I will not be the last. I think all that is left of the Order is those who truly believed. The ... less savory elements have been weeded out by process of elimination. Or soon will be."

[middle_of_calibrating]

Crossing his arms, Garris simply watches and listens. Norrington was was being decently vague on some details, but between the looks and the tone of his voice it was very clear on what he was eluding on the different subjects.

The past tense and sad smile indicated that something had happened to the two people he had looked up to. The pause, use of words and promise of punishment about the Templars led him to believe that the man was taking some matters into his own hands. "And how do you determine if those elements should be eliminated?"

[judgemewhole]

"Well, quite simply, if I find a templar who is in the midst of murdering, or otherwise harming innocent people - including mages and Tranquil, I strip him of his rank and then charge him under the Templar's bylaws for such behavior." Was Norrington's crisp reply, "And if you ask me what that is, I shall tell you. Death by hanging."

[middle_of_calibrating]

Honestly he wasn't going to ask since he had already figured by Norrington's previous statement that hanging had to do with it. Still that was an interesting tidbit to know.

"So you have to catch them in the act in order for you to bring down the hammer? Or in this case, the noose?"

[judgemewhole]

Norrington shook his head, his expression becoming more sober and saddened, "Often enough, but no. There were times when people came up to us, begging us to take care of the 'situation' with other templars in their villages, their farms. If there were witnesses, that was also good enough to practice justice for the people they had hurt."

[middle_of_calibrating]

"Are the Templars you're flexing authority and justice over aware of those bylaws?" Not that he was disagreeing with Norrington's practice, anyone who would do harm onto others by exploiting their power should expect to be punished regardless if there was a law or not. Still he was curious to know.

"I doubt the Inquisition is going to be very welcoming of you doing such things here though. How does that work exactly? Are the Templars who joined the Inquisition still part of the Order, or they a different section now?"

[judgemewhole]

"If they are not, then all the more reason they should be punished for their crimes -- but we are very clear on which tenants we are following." He stated this quietly, but firmly, "Justice is not served in open vengeance. It is served by the letter of the law."

He paused, before a smirk appeared on his lips, "Which is why I have confessed about my actions, and threw myself on their mercy. Whether or not they condemn me has yet to be determined at this time. At most I will be executed myself -- a grim possibility but a likely one. Just as long as my men are not censured for following my orders ... I can die in peace."

[middle_of_calibrating]

Well at least Norrington did not have any reservations that he was above being judged as well. "Did you execute anyone who was just following orders when you were going around serving justice?" He hadn't thought of that before, but since Norrington had mentioned about his own men not being judged.

[judgemewhole]

He shook his head, "No. For them, I turned them over to the local Chantry, or told them to come here to speak to the Inquisition leadership. There were enough confusion after the death of the Divine -- those who followed orders, but came to their senses afterwards? They need to be judged individually, and by a power greater than a simple Knight Commander."

[middle_of_calibrating]

He's honestly impressed, nodding his head a bit at the decisions the man had taken. "You're pretty thorough. Were you at one of the Circles, or did you stay at headquarters?" Templars had a headquarters right?

[judgemewhole]

"...I have been accused of that, yes." Is Norrington's slightly dry response, before his expression becomes grave again. "I was not stationed at the White Spire -- and I have come to believe I am a better man, because of it. I trained in the Tantervale Chantry, and then was assigned to the Ostwick Circle."

[middle_of_calibrating]

Well it was good to see that there was some good that come from the Templar Order, which was hard to believe with the issues that had been at Kirkwall and some other Circles. "Tantervale, huh? So north of my neck of the woods. Well probably a good thing you ended up in Ostwick and not Kirkwall."

[judgemewhole]

"Honestly, I thank the Maker every day for sending me to Ostwick. I was ... it saved my life, that decision. He works in the moment, and he was there for that assignment." The kind of man he could have become, in Kirkwall with all his anger and grief? Twisted under someone like Meredith. Providence. Pure providence.

[middle_of_calibrating]

Garris makes a face but shrugs. He wouldn't be thanking the Maker for anything. If he was there he certainly hadn't done squat for the people of Kirkwall. "Yeah, you would've been a fine piece of work if you had landed there. Probably would've ended up like one of those Templars you judge now." Hanged if not dead from that battle.

[judgemewhole]

James was never going to go into what had to make Kirkwall, Kirkwall. Rather Kirkwall was the entire Mage and Templar war in a nutshell. There were good mages who be be driven to do desperate things. There were good templars who could be driven to do the same. There were bad people on either side, and corrections had to be made or they would relive it again and again.

See, the Temple of Sacred Ashes.

"Precisely so. A man, utterly lost to his rage." He looks pensive, before he speaks, "Which is why we have to take such care with those who have come back to us. They are on the knife's edge."

[middle_of_calibrating]

Garris lets out a long, but soft sigh at that, combing a hand through his hair as he reflects on everything Norrington said. Things were certainly not going to be easy for the Templar, and honestly he didn't see it ever getting easier. Maybe. Who knows how things would go with the Inquisition.

"Besides the Templars who are with you do you not have any other allies to turn to?"

[judgemewhole]

Things never went easy with Templars. In fact, that might have been part of their vows. Never take the easy path - always strive to exist despite the burdens they bore. The Inquisition was the perfect place to prove that.

"... A few mages. Merchant families in Tantervale. Not sure what that counts for here."

[middle_of_calibrating]

"Well I guess it would depend on how wealthy or big those merchant families are. But mages you say? That should count for something I would think?" In his book if anyone from the 'opposing' side could vouch for you, you had some inkling of a chance.

[judgemewhole]

"...Wealthy. Tantervale has never lacked for trade. Clearly not Val Royeaux or even Kirkwall, though. Big, no." He nods his head, "Yes, I have a few ties amongst the mages - some here, many in Orlais."

[middle_of_calibrating]

Garris gives a small shrug at that. "Well the Mages sound like they'd be your best bet in getting a foot hold here as a Templar. The merchants... maybe something the Inquisition would be interested in utilizing."

[judgemewhole]

Norrington narrowed his gaze on the other man, his lips quirking up at the corners. "Pardon me, but does all this free political advice mean that you are one of the proponents of assisting the New Templar Order?"

[middle_of_calibrating]

"Oh, you think I'm giving this for free?" He's looking down, inspecting his gloves as a smirk forms on his face, but he is indeed joking. "Nothing of the like. Just a simple merc, talking to a man who seems like a good sort to know. And you must be if Emmie came over to chat."

[judgemewhole]

"I wasn't quite sure - although I am not honestly sure what you think I can give you in turn. I have money, but I do not pay for advice." He arches an eyebrow, a faint smirk on his face. "Yes, I know her. She's ... trouble, isn't she?"