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[rebelenchanter]

WHO: Fiona & you
WHAT: Fiona and all of her Skyhold haunts
WHEN: Late Guardian (Covering a span of time)
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Nothing presently

library;

Her most frequented retreat upon arriving at Skyhold, it is quite, the alcoves are relatively secluded, and she can easily lose herself in all of the books. It is where she can be found most often if one wishes to enjoy her company. Advice? Counsel? Favors? Idle chit-chat?

stables;

Rarely, she can be found near or around the stables, for reasons entirely her own. These days Fiona seemed somber, but fully determined to redeem herself from the mistakes she's made. Now and then, however, she can be seen with the animals, it wasn't often that she had contact with horses so stroking them was a treat.

She was also keen on the dogs roaming about, though the Grand Enchanter did not seem the type, she had quite the liking for a nice, sturdy hound as opposed to the sad toy dogs they had in Orlais. In the mud and grass she could be seen rubbing bellies and scratching behind ears.

More rare than seeing Fiona with the dogs was the occasional laugh at their doggish antics.

garden;

When not in the library or around the stables she can be located in the Garden, fresh air, exercise? Even she needs these things, but more importantly the atmosphere is excellent for meditating.

Comments

[judgemewhole]

"Well ... that is probably true because Gaspard is an irrational lunatic from a land of irrational lunatics." Was Norrington's sarcastic reply, before he sighed. Heavily. He had no idea what happened outside of the Free Marches in the alienages -- he knew elves had it bad, wherever they were from. That he had learned from Pel, and it was not a lesson he would soon forget.

"Probably pushed to the side. Or murdered. Seems to be rather common occurrence, honestly." Seriously how did anyone get by being moral? Morality seemed to have a large target painted on one's back. He paused, then frowned a little, "...Mages formed the first Circle. It was their way to be protected, to be able to study what they wanted to study in peace and serenity." He worked another burr out of Dauntless's coat, continuing to speak softly, "And while it would be nice to have a tower with larger windows that let in more light and more freedoms for both templars and mages -- those big doors are there to keep the people of Thedas out as well. Do you honestly feel safe from all the people without magic, who hate you? Trust me when I say -- mages are not safe now on their own. Not among the common folk. Not until you've won some goodwill back by stopping Corypheus." He gently worked his way along Dauntless's back, "You say - look to the future. In the future, this will have to change or all of our lives work - mages and templars - will be for naught. I agree to that. But what I don't agree with, Grand Enchanter, is ignoring the consequences of today. To free hundreds, you endangered thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands. You released mages into Thedas, putting the common folk at the mercy of those mages who had gone mad from their imprisonment, and the templars who had done the same. At the same time, those mages who did not want to fight, who wanted to stay in the Circles, had no choice but to rebel or to go to the only safe havens left."

His jaw worked, as he stopped again, green eyes closing, "And even those safe havens were overrun by those who wanted to take their freedom by force instead of reason."

[rebelenchanter]

"I am well aware that mages formed the first Circle, but education and research was the intended purpose. That purpose was perverted, the Circles of today are not what those who originally created the circle had in mind, that I can assure you. Even then the Chantry had mages using their gifts to keep the Eternal Flames lit, detaining us to use us in the Chantry. That did not go over well either. Thus we have the Circles of today," those mages were not forced into being cloistered, "I feel no safer or protected inside of those walls than outside of those walls, as I have said before: not all Circles are created equal. I've had to deal with stories of mages locked away in prisons and conveniently forgotten, left to starve to death. How safe am I when left to someone else's whims and whether or not they feel like feeding me that day? What happens to us when men like Lambert are allowed to enter your ranks? Or when you have Knight Commanders stretching their hyper-technicality in order to enforce the Rite of Annulment? No, I do not feel safer in the Circles, I felt more security in the Deep Roads than in the Circle, because I knew when I was about to be attacked by Darkspawn."

And she could control how she reacted to that situation, within the Circle, control was limited, what one could do was limited.

"It was not a decision I made on my own, it was not a decision made lightly, we were backed into a corner by Lambert and what do you do when you are backed into a corner? Denied the conclave we were promised? Given the ultimatum to either march into prison cells where we would no doubt he left to starve or executed one by one? This probably could have been settled differently if we had been allowed our time, the time that we had been promised by the Divine herself. I know that constant warfare benefits no one and I want it to stop as much as anyone else, but at the time we had little choice. Thousands of lives are in danger every day, but I can honestly not take credit for all of it, not with humans burning alienages to the ground. We live in a world where no one can disagree with the systems set in place without someone crushing them under a boot. The elves in Halamshiral fought and killed and rebelled, that was not without reason. It is the sort of thing that happens when voices go unheard for so long."

[judgemewhole]

"Why couldn't they be that again, though?" Was Norrington's response, as he arched an eyebrow at her, "And why is it that mages hate the Chantry so? There are corrupt individuals, as we have discussed, but there are many good ones as well. I know you did not have a good experience - but can you honestly tell me that you have never known a good brother or sister of the faith? That all you have ever seen of our Order was corruption? I find that hard to believe, Grand Enchanter. You paint a picture of your life - and then try to fit that picture to everything else around you." He shook his head a little, "I will admit there are changes that need to happen - I am sure there are others who would agree to some, if not all you say. Especially to elves - who have always been welcome in our ranks, by the by."

He frowned, faintly, "I will not argue the merits of what Seeker Lambert did, or did not do. My personal opinions right now of Seekers have never been high and right now they are at an all time low. That those who would guard the guardians would step so completely off their intended roles? Is what should truly disturb us all. Splitting us from the Divine's own wishes? How could that turn out any other way but rebellion?" He looked at Fiona then, green eyes serious over the back of his horse, "You keep bringing the argument back to the alienages, to the elves. There is a strong difference, Grand Enchanter. The elves are helpless souls who are being suppressed against their will with absolutely little to no recourse outside of rebellion. I admire their courage. Mages, on the other hand, have the entire scope of magic at their fingertips. Some Circles were truly abysmal, and those templar knight commanders should be hung about the neck until they are dead, but that is not the case for all. What was needed was reform, not rebellion. To fight for your freedom in the White Spire? Absolutely - the Seeker Lambert had stepped far out of line. But to force rebellion when there was no clear majority? How is that any different than the boot you claim to hate?"

His lips pressed together, "There is always a choice, Grand Enchanter. You could have fought free of the corrupt Seeker and those corrupt Templars -- then gone with the Divine to continue your discussions. Decisions made in the heat of the moment are rarely the most considered. And what did it gain you? Are you truly free?" He sighed, as he ran the brush along Dauntless's mane, relenting quietly, "Are any of us? Responsibility is as much a cage as anything else. Duty, above all, to the Maker who created us, and the people who depend on us. Absolute freedom is not a luxury either one of us can afford, Grand Enchanter."

[rebelenchanter]

"The only way the Circle could be that way again is if studying and researching were accompanied by breathing fresh air. It is something that is done now to pass the time spent languishing behind walls, because what else are we going to fill our day with? I suspect it is not the same kind of pleasure it once was." Fiona simply shrugged, continuing to pet the horse in a soothing manner all the while her attention was fixed on Norrington, "Why? Representation I expect is part of the reason why some mages might dislike the chantry. Hesitation to interfere in certain instances where they should, because goodness knows it is the Chantry who is responsible for the Circles and yet there is so much tiptoeing. I have my own opinions of the chantry of course, my disquiet runs deeper...such as soliciting money from the poor...and why does the Chantry need to be political? Why does the chantry need it's own armored forces? Why does the Chantry need to control the Lyrium? The implications that come with dressing the Chantry up in moral-dignity breeches runs deep."

Fiona smiled faintly as Norrington brought the conversation around to her experiences, "hmm...I suppose my experiences have colored my perspective, but I was the Grand Enchanter, if abuses were uncommon in the circle then you could attribute my way of thinking as simply a case of tunnel vision. Nothing got by me, however...Circles in Orlais, Kirkwall, Ferelden...all have dirty secrets that would rattle your cages. These cannot be corrected by simple reforms, it has everything to do with character, with dehumanizing, with separation."

Fiona closed her eyes for a moment as if she could block out some of the crimes against her people that still haunt her.

"I keep bringing the argument back to elves and alienages because--look at me and tell me what you see? There is no separating the elf from the mage, I have had both experiences and I have lived both lives and so I stand on two platforms that are very similar. Both are treated differently for being born in a way in which they cannot help, both are kept in by walls, and mages having an entire scope of magic at their fingertips? That is incidental to me when there are plenty of Tranquil out there who are helpless, who cannot even refuse," Fiona simply shook her head, shaking off those particular thoughts, "I think it would be prudent to clear up certain misconceptions about the rebellion. To suggest that I forced it without a clear majority? The rebellion began before I became officially involved, it started in Kirkwall, so there were several leaders. Leaders that included First Enchanter Orsino, First Enchater Edmonde and his predecessor Adrian, First Enchanter Rivella. There were thousands of mages that gathered at Andoral's Reach, hundreds more standing on the battlements to fend off an army ten times our size. As most of our First Enchanter representatives were killed in the White Spire rebellion we made our choices based on fraternities. The Liberitarians and the Aequitarians made up the larger fraternities and they voted for rebellion, there was a rather clear majority. The margin was slim, but we all decided that in taking this vote we would follow through with whatever was decided. We ended up in conflict with Loyalists, such as Madame Vivienne de Fer, while the Isolationists fled."

"Sitting back and waiting for reform, for changes to take place...these things take time. People talk about change, they ask for patience, they ask you to wait...and then you keep waiting. Keep hoping that maybe tomorrow...but some people do not have until tomorrow. Mages that committed suicide in the Gallows much to the glee of Templars...the horrors of that place. Mages that are made Tranquil for the enjoyment of Templars in the White Spire. Those who are forgotten about and left to starve. Mages who are murdered for escaping or kept in solitary for years in Ferelden...they cannot wait for tomorrow. I do not want war, war benefits no one, but I feel I have gained ground on which to give voice to things that have no voice," Fiona shook her head, her petting having momentarily stilled, "I am not talking about absolute freedom, I understand that there is a present danger in some mages, but perhaps we can find a way to subvert those dangers without tightening the chains for both of us. I am talking about what is fair, and I can tell you that making a Mage who says 'no' to a Templar's advances Tranquil so they cannot say 'no' is unfair and a corruption that is beyond my ability to tolerate. I understand that not all Templars are the same, but corruption spreads like the taint."