[semi-open] a friendly query

[stabsbooks]

WHO: Cassandra and rifters/shardbearers
WHAT: Rifter interrogations
WHEN: Following Cassandra's log with Galadriel and the advisors' conversation
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: For planned rifter/shardbearer interrogation threads with Cassandra! If we haven't discussed your character's thread, please drop me a note here or hit me up on Plurk for general (this can be very general) setup/discussion of what you hope the outcome to be. She'll be most interested in talking to rifter mages, but we can swing her interrogating anyone with a shard.

With or without your support, she had said to the Spymaster, and she had meant it. She would have preferred that Leliana understand her position, the necessity of action - but she does not, and dwelling on it will do nothing to change that now. Whether anyone else sees it or not, Cassandra at least recognizes the risk that the shardbearers pose. If nothing else, they must understand who the rifters are, what they are capable of - and what they may do.

There are still plenty who agree with her, who are not as idealistic in this matter as Leliana, and it's not difficult to find soldiers willing to find those of interest and bring them to her, one at a time. She waits until each is seated before she turns to face them, and always begins the same way, whether she recognizes them or not.

"I am Cassandra Pentaghast, and I represent the Inquisition. State your name, and where you come from."

Comments

[stabsbooks]

"The Mage Council."

Cassandra's eyes narrow in disapproval. She has kept out of the Mage Council business until now, content to allow Skyhold's mages and templars alike to manage themselves until proven incapable of doing so. Allowing young, Dalish (unharrowed) healers to practice combat spells alone - especially with such a devastating result - does nothing for her esteem of the Council's judgment or its competency.

"Continuing to hone spellcraft is not the same as performing entirely new spells without supervision," she says. "On whose authority were you practicing fire spells? Surely you must have some sort of teacher? Why were they not with you?"

[eolasemah]

Shaken by the turn the conversation has taken, Sina has to stop and collect her thoughts for a moment, watching Cassandra nervously. "..I.." she stammers, "...I do, but..." At this point, she might be expected to out Ellana as her teacher, and as the person who allowed her to practice alone. But the idea of sending a Seeker after Ellana twists her stomach and stabs her heart, so she just hunches her shoulders and continues, "...they didn't know I was doing it. But I was alone," she insists, "practicing them as-- as I would have any other, where I wouldn't come in contact with anyone. I can barely cast flames, it... I took precautions. And it was raining." She smiles, in a way she hopes is ingratiating, but is actually just anxious. She cuts her eyes to Nari, just for moral support.

[nadasharillen]

It was the first time that Nari had heard the story in its entirety. The hunter felt oddly guilty that she hadn't known about Sina's continued magical studies. It's not as if she would have disapproved, or would have wanted to supervise it; after all, she'd never taken an active part in the younger elf's lessons before save as a sounding board. Someone to listen, to question, to aid in her memorization of the stories.

But here, now, with the Seeker's discerning gaze leveled at her clansister, she found herself ashamed, full of hindsight's clarity. It was that expression that Sina saw when she looked over--although as soon as Nahariel caught the glance, the guilt on her face quickly morphed to a small reassuring smile. One that almost reached her eyes. Even with her own self-recrimination, she nodded slightly at the young mage. Siuona had done no deliberate wrong. With what they'd known about the shards--until the rift had opened in Skyhold--it hadn't even been incautious to practice as she had.

Now that they knew, it was another story, but... surely the Seeker wouldn't punish Sina for something she couldn't possibly have predicted. Something that had nearly killed her in the process.

[stabsbooks]

"Precautions," Cassandra says acidly, but stops herself before saying anything more. Sina already looks terrified enough, and even Nari seems nervous.

She takes a moment to calm herself, willing herself not to snap at the young elf. She looks as if she's about to cry in any case, and Cassandra has no desire to make that happen. When she trusts herself to speak, she jabs a finger in Sina's direction.

"You will practice no new spells without the supervision of your teacher, or another senior mage," she commands. "There will also be a templar present at all times when you practice, until you master these spells." She is not so blind as to not recognize the importance of learning spells of combat and defense, even for Dalish healers. But this cannot be allowed to happen again. "Do you understand?"

[eolasemah]

Sina is nodding at first, growing more and more timid the more Cassandra speaks, but one thing seems to catch her attention more than the others. Templar.
The Keeper warned her about Templars specifically. She has assimilated well into Skyhold's culture, but the one group she still cannot bring herself to approach, or allow in her presence without excusing herself, is the Templars. Perhaps to many her fear would seem irrational, since every mage in the Inquisition is now an apostate; it's not as though they're all going to be murdered as maleficarum or dragged to a Circle that doesn't exist.
But still, there's that word, and Sina goes white as a sheet.
"Am I going to be made Tranquil?" she asks breathlessly, cutting her eyes quickly to Nari, checking for her continued presence and readiness to, if needed, make a quick stab and a hasty escape.

[nadasharillen]

Nari's eyes narrowed immediately upon hearing that Templars would be forcibly involved, and the fear in her clansister's voice drew her muscles taut like a bowstring at full stretch.

"Of course not, da'halla," she said firmly, sounding much surer than she felt. Even so, she eyed the Seeker warily for confirmation, frowning slightly.

"Do you have faith that this Templar will even be able to deal with anything that comes about due to the shard? It isn't as if they can do anything about the rifts--it's a different kind of magic than they're trained to combat." The hunter sounded defiant, but her posture spoke of fear more than anything else.

If this were to happen again, and Sina hurt by a Templar's power as well as the shard's...

[stabsbooks]

Cassandra looks stunned at Sina's question. She can understand one of the Dalish being wary, even afraid, at the thought of Templar supervision; Sina would never have been part of a Circle, of course, and Cassandra cannot imagine that many of the stories they may have heard of Templars would be good ones. Yet even so, the thought of a mage as timid and eager to please as Sina being made tranquil is - it is preposterous.

"Of course not," she says, echoing Nari, and frowns, pausing as she gathers her thoughts. "The Rite of Tranquility is one of last resort. It is never used lightly, and never without the approval of - of a senior mage." The Dalish have no First Enchanter, of course, but...well, the specifics of the thing are hardly worth getting into at this point. She has no expectation that it will ever become an issue.

That said, she looks to Nari, and nods in recognition of her objection. "The templars may be able to help suppress the magic of the rifts. That is still untested. Even if they cannot, they will be able to assist in eliminating any demons, should such a thing happen again."

She glances back to Sina, meeting her eyes. "You have nothing to fear from the Templars. They are trained and sworn to protect mages, as well as others."

[eolasemah]

Cassandra's reply certainly mitigates some of Sina's worry, and she seems to relax after hearing the situation explained; all the same, she can't help but still be suspicious, as she is in any dealings led by the Chantry.
She listens, her brow pensively furrowed, as Cassandra makes her case for the Templars. As far as the rifts and demons go, she believes her, having no other point of reference. But she glances to Nari again at the Seeker's last statement. "I have plenty to fear from Templars," she concludes, her voice still shaking, but backed by a thoughtful resolve, "but if you believe this to be for the best, I will accept your judgment." There's a double implication here: if anything should go wrong, if she should feel persecuted in any way by the assigned Templar(s), the blame will fall soundly on Cassandra. Perhaps Sina has no real power in Skyhold, but, after all, the Dalish talk.

[stabsbooks]

Cassandra lifts a single eyebrow.

"It is not up for debate," she declares. "But I will ensure that your guards understand your...history. Should you feel threatened in any way, you may inform me directly."

She stands, hunched slightly in the low tent, and glances to Nari, and then back to Sina, with a nod.

"It is good you were not more badly hurt. Rest, and heal quickly."

[eolasemah]

The Seeker's phrasing yields a pensive look from Sina, who has, over the course of the conversation, gone from quivering in fear to vetting a deal. Even if Cassandra doesn't think it is one, Sina begs to differ, and she glances to Nari as if to say 'are you getting all this'.
She nods slowly to the second part, her eyes following Cassandra as she rises and begins to make her way out. "Thank you," is all Sina replies, quietly and cordially, with little actual gratitude.