faderift | In Search Of...

WHO: All Welcome, ATTN: Taashath
WHAT: Seeking mages and a certain qunari
WHEN: First two weeks, following this conversation
WHERE: Around Skyhold, Herald’s Rest
NOTES: He’s screening mages and looking for a handful who will be willing to join him in meeting with the Templars to present their side of Things. Non-mages welcome.

Salvatore has a mission. A responsibility. He wasn’t an altogether responsible person. Not usually. But this was something that mattered. To him. Maybe to others as well. He hopes. He just has to find mages with opinions, and voices ready to be heard.

He can be found in every corner of Skyhold, finding various excuses to interact with whatever mage he bumps into. He starts in the library and steadily makes the rounds, offering assistance in trade for conversation. Need some boxes moved? Tents pitched? Training? He can spar and talk! Need help with gardening? He can dig holes! Healing? …He can dig holes! (By the way, how do you feel about feel circles?)

He does take up the Knight-Commander’s suggestion and heads down to the Herald’s Rest as soon as it is prudent to do so. Maneuvering around people and tables, he’s less concerned about getting a drink and more concerned with his objective. How hard can it be to find a “behemoth”, as Sauveterre put it?

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In all honestly it wasn't that hard. There were two of them usually hanging in the tavern, after all. Taas had sat down on a somewhat protesting bar stool and was kicking back a drink or two while taking to the bartender about the goings-on of Skyhold.

Unfortunately it wasn't the best advice that the Knight-Commander had given Salvatore, as the big qunari wasn't fond of mages and found Templars to be a good thing.

In that case, he'll hold the Knight-Commander personally responsible for anything going wrong, and throw in accusations of being set up for good measure.

He locates his target easily enough - hard to miss - and strides over to the bar to get this business done with.

"Are you Taashath? Knight-Commander Sauveterre recommended you to me. Do you have a moment?"

The Knight-Commander is a good man and just missed the part of qunari society that says 'magic = bad'. He'd probably help anyway, just not as... unbiased as he may seem.

The warrior was ordering another round when the new guy strode up next to him, but he doesn't actually pay Salvatore any attention. People went up to bars all the time, and he couldn't hear a word of what the young mage said.

That kind of information would have been helpful before sending the hopeful mage off in search of an unbiased moderator.

Damn all the noise. Sal moves in closer and leans in some, raising his voice. "Excuse me! Can I have a word?"

Sauveterre was a good man. Just slightly mistaken, if anything.

The man leaning closer to him made the qunari turn to look at him, slightly irritated. Taas was not in the mood for a bar fight.

...then he reads those words on Salvatore's lips and his features relax a bit. "Alright. What can I do for you?"

That still remains to be seen. Perhaps the Knight-Commander's intentions are good, but Sal is already aware of some key points they disagree on.

Once he's got the qunari's attention, Sal backs off. He's not looking for a fight either! "You're Taashath? Sauveterre thought I should speak to you." His eyes flick around the tavern. It's not a subject he wants to shout over the din. "Is there somewhere we can go?"

The big qunari tosses back the next drink and stands up, towering over the other man. "That's right, I am." Taashath says with a brief pause, measuring the human up before he smiles. "The Knight-Commander wanted you to speak with me?"

He starts heading towards the exit, motioning for the mage to follow along. "We can chat behind the tavern."

Who doesn't love being made to feel tiny and insignificant while standing in the shadow of a horned man who could probably break him like a twig? Not this man!

"He thought it would be a good idea, yes." Sal spins and quickly follows the qunari. "Right. Thanks!"

It is much quieter outside.

It is quiet, and peaceful, and Taas can't quite help enjoying the cooler air. The sky is probably nice, too, but he has to keep his eyes on the man's face if he's going to keep up with anything he's saying.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't curious about that the Knight-Commander had said about him.

"Well, then. Please enlighten me of what I can do for you," he starts, eyeing the human. Probably a mage, with that build.

Right. Salvatore looks up. Up, up, up - where's a box to stand on when you need one? - and clears his throat. "It's like this. We've agreed to hold a forum between the Templars and mages. A platform to air grievances and be heard. But given the tension between us and them, it seemed wise to find a mediator to keep things fair, and, well, non-violent."

The massive warrior looks a bit thoughtful at that, considering Salvatore's words carefully. Alayre was a good man, but Stannis understood the qunari better than the Orlaisian.

They had already had the discussion of saarebas and how the bas-saarebas here made him uncomfortable. Then again, he'd been able to keep conversations with a few of them without too much of an issue.

"It's an interesting idea, to have a qunari as your mediator. I'm certain you've heard the stories of our mages?" Taas smiles slightly, mostly to disarm the subject.

"I would not be opposed to keep order between your factions, as none of it is my personal cause - but I cannot give unbiased opinions on the subject of magic."

"To be honest, I've never met a qunari before this moment," Salvatore admits. Stories, sure, some, but his focus had largely, always, been on other things. Those things rarely had much to do with outside cultures. He's not at all bothered by his own ignorance on these matters. "I'm afraid I don't know anything about your mages."

A troubled look crosses his face. "You can't. What do you mean you can't be unbiased?"

If the kid doesn't know, he's not about to tell him. No need to upset him and have some magic accidents, after all. You never knew just how good control they had, and Taas... well, that was the point of all this, wasn't it?

"I'm not comfortable with magic, and thus not with mages. It's a cultural thing that still sticks with me even after I left the Qun." He explains calmly. "That lingering feeling of unease makes me biased, and therefore not a good mediator. I can only make sure your groups don't fight, not get involved with the discussion."

"I ... see." Sal's not quite sure how to process about this information. The Knight-Commander hadn't warned him of this. He feels foolish now. "I certainly can't change the way you feel, not in any reasonable amount of time. You wouldn't have to be involved in the discussion, but I still had hoped for someone without a preference. I do thank you for your honesty."

"There's no need. I'm not here to deceive anyone." The large warrior smiles slightly, clasping the mage on the shoulder with a meaty hand. "I do not believe the Knight-Commander is at fault for this, so please do not blame him. He put more faith in me than I can return, and for that I am only honored."

Taas inclines his horns slightly. "If you seek an unbiased person, may I suggest someone from a diverse group? Those who have grown up with mages and not exposed to templars, or having favorable relations with both. I'm certain there must be some here." The qunari scratches his beard slightly.

"...either way, I'm still willing to make sure nobody kills anybody." He couldn't hear the discussion, but damn if he didn't know the signs of someone about to snap. That could be helpful.

He tries valiantly not to stagger under the weight of that hand. And regardless of what the qunari says, he does still blame the Knight-Commander. He's too upset still to let it go just yet. There will be words.

"There are a diverse number of people here, I'm sure." Sal nods his thanks for the suggestion, but seems apologetic at the same time. "Equally sure, as you may or may not know, many mages are not altogether worldly. Ah, but I'm sure a little conversation can cure that?" If he looks a uncertain, it's a trick of the light.

"It's not what I was hoping for, but... I will keep you in mind. If nothing else, you seem honorable."

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