faderift | Our aspirations are wrapped up in books

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Our aspirations are wrapped up in books

WHO: Hermione Granger and Open!
WHAT: There's a new ~~witch~~ mage wandering around Skyhold. Come say hello?
WHEN: Backdated to her arrival near the end of Guardian and onward throughout Drakonis.
WHERE: ~~The library.~~ All over Skyhold. ~~But mostly its library.~~
NOTES: Feel free to run into her pretty much anywhere, or have her run into you. And be prepared for all the questions about your character and Thedas/their homeworld and everything in between.

If not for the fact that Hermione had spent so many of her formative years in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Skyhold might have been overwhelming

As it was, the sprawling fortress was a little hard to get used to, since the academic environment that had given Hogwarts some sense of structure amidst the chaos wasn't present here. There was a library, thankfully, and she spent much of her time there, though it was so small that she was certain she'd end up reading every book in there in two weeks' time if she didn't actually go out and explore the rest of her surroundings.

And so every so often, she pried herself away from the cold little corner she'd set aside for herself and wander the rest of the area, though granted, she more often than not was carrying at least one book with her. Usually it was one of the books that had survived the trip through the Fade; anyone who might spot her in the garden or tavern or a safe distance away from the sparring going on in the training grounds might notice her engrossed in such unfamiliar titles as Hogwarts, A History or occasionally digging through Spellman's Syllabary in the vain hope of finding recognizable runes on various inscriptions throughout Skyhold.

After all, just because she was endlessly fascinated by all the new people and cultures and history and magic, it didn't mean she didn't occasionally need a bittersweet reminder of home. Especially when her other major reminder was her wand, which - despite the fact that she'd taken to finding the most solitary places she could find and practicing with it harder than she ever had the night before an exam - still wasn't behaving properly at all. Apologies to those of you who end up slipping on some wayward ice or getting sprayed with pebbles from a spell gone wrong.

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"Dwarves are like that here too." She looked intrigued by the word 'minotaur,' but brushed past it to answer Hermione's question.

"There are giants, yes. I heard there were a few in Emprise, in fact, being experimented on by the Red Templars to be their muscle. Even without that happening to them, they aren't to be trifled with. They have huge tusks and one eye in the center of their forehead. They'll eat anything, including people, so it's best to keep away if you see one or else you'll have to fight it. Not an easy task because they are, as the name suggests, giant."

Ellana nodded. "That's how I feel. Not everyone will like me, but if it's for a good reason instead of just my ears, I would understand."

Hermione blinked at the explanation of giants. "That... sounds more like a cyclops," she murmured uncertainly. "No, our giants look just like people, just... well, giant. They're thought to be a bit savage, but they can really quite reasonable if you'd just sit down and talk to them. Why, the groundskeeper at my school is even half-giant, though I have no idea how his parents quite managed that. It boggles the mind to think about that sort of thing, really."

Cracking a small smile, she told Ellana, "Then it seems as though we'll get along just fine. And for what it's worth, you have lovely ears." She was pretty certain that wasn't what she'd meant, but Hermione decided to throw it in there anyway.

"I'm pretty sure you can't talk to giants here. Anyone who tried probably didn't live to say they tried." But she left it at that, because she too was rather mystified as to how someone could be half-giant. The races in Thedas did intermingle, because they weren't so far off in size from one another, but it was rare and a sign of shame for many based on the community in which they were raised. A half-giant just seemed... well, Hermione put it best: it boggled the mind.

"Oh, thank you." Her pale face took on a rosy look, because compliments made her blush, and she shifted a little, standing up straighter and tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"Humans' ears are so little. They're cute, really."

"That's... sad," Hermione noted softly. "Hagrid - the groundskeeper - introduced me to his half-brother, who's rather small for a full-blooded giant. He gets picked on an awful lot for his comparatively small size, and he's a little intimidating for a human to look at, but he's really quite sweet and usually listens if you tell him to put you down." Usually.

She couldn't help sheepishly grinning at the way they seemed to be batting compliments back and forth, and Hermione found herself mirroring Ellana's movements, tucking a bit of hair behind her own ear. "It's just a superficial difference," she said, trying to shrug it off. "I mean, it is, isn't it? Or do elves have better hearing than humans do? I'd never really thought about it."

"You know," she began, looking thoughtful, "I've never noticed if I've heard things better than the humans with me. But I do know we can see better in the dark than the other races. That's easy enough to see at night when their eyes reflect no light and the elves' eyes do."

It made her wonder how these differences came to be when the Creators set about how the People would look. Why did they need them to be able to see so clearly in the dark? Were they meant to hunt prey at night? Or was it for their safety, so predators couldn't attack them? A curious thing.

"Like a cat?" Hermione asked, grinning a bit before sheepishly adding, "I don't mean that in any disrespectful way. I like cats. That's just the first comparison I thought of."

Unlike most people from her world - and from Thedas, for that matter - Hermione was hypersensitive to the possibility of insulting people, particularly elves. They had enough to deal with, after all.

"I suppose so. And I took no offense, but other elves might. We're unfortunately called 'rabbits' by some small-minded Orlesians. Because of the ears." Ellana sighed and gave her shoulders a shrug.

"At least they took the time to think up an animal. Fereldans just call us knife-ears."

Frowning at the mention of the derogatory nicknames, Hermione asked, "Orlesians are those from... Orlais, am I right? That's awful. Both of them. I could understand if it was a teasing sort of thing between friends - Heaven knows I call my friends all sorts of things when they grate on me - but I'm under the impression that that isn't the case."

Inter-racial friendships seem rare here, though it did gladden her to hear that elves and humans could procreate; it at least meant that some humans were bright enough to get past their prejudices.

"Yes, Orlais. Have you heard of a place called the Dales? It is in Orlais, but it was gifted to my people long ago. We left slavery in Tevinter to claim it, and rebuild our lives there. Then the Orlesians became greedy, and resented us for not worshiping the Maker, and they marched on us. We lost the war, and were told to either worship the Maker or leave. Those who submitted became city elves, and those who refused became nomads, with no permanent home. That is why we are called Dalish elves, as a reminder of what was taken from us."

Ellana may be an optimist who tries to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but she has a natural prejudice against Orlesians as a whole.

"But... I'm sorry, I don't mean to speak out against any religion, but I've never understood this. This happens in my world, too: if someone's beliefs clash with my own, why should it matter to me so long as they aren't actively harming me and mine? You could worship your gods and the Orlesians could worship their Maker; who can say one or the other of you is right or wrong?"

Hermione's big on empirical evidence, and most religions aren't. Treating a person differently because of dogma that may or may not be the least bit valid irked her beyond words.

"So did the city elves actually convert, or do they just pay lip service to the maker so they can stay there? Or does it depend on the individual?" She couldn't imagine any forced conversions being genuine, but someone who was born into that sort of life might genuinely believe in this Maker.

Ellana smiles gently at Hermione's question. "It doesn't make any sense, does it? But I think -- at least, what I've heard -- is that in the Andrastian religion, they believe the Maker won't return to them until the Chant of Light is sung from the four corners of the world. To them, everyone should convert or they'll never get their Maker to return. Personally, I don't see why they need him. Our elven gods were locked away from us long ago where we can't reach them, and we don't suggest everyone convert and maybe they'll be freed."

Now Ellana moves to the other side of the battlements, looking down at the lower courtyard and stables below.

"I say that would depend. The city elves remember less of our culture, but they keep some words and traditions alive. The loss of the Dales was over seven hundred years ago, so I suspect many city elves turned to worshiping the Maker simply because they forgot the old ways."

"The... Chant of Light?" She'd read a bit about it, and may have come across a few instances of it actually being quoted, but that didn't make sense. "The same Chant of Light that was written by man?" She can draw more and more parallels between this and religions she already knows from home, but she's sure she sounds like enough of a skeptic as it is.

That's especially true when she learns that many city elves likely worship the Maker simply because that's what they'd learned while growing up, rather than for any genuine belief. While not as awful as the plight of mages and elves, it's still sad to think that people will live their entire lives according to rules set aside by a Chantry that hasn't sounded particularly trustworthy over the years, at least according to Hermione.

"Maybe people will be free when they realize they're allowed to learn about the ways of the world on their own, rather than follow a strict code their parents passed down to them. I have nothing against most religious beliefs, you understand, so long as a person really believes and isn't just using it to justify their own complacency or bad choices."

"Yes." Ellana only knew the parts of the Chant she couldn't help but overhear constantly being recited around Skyhold. She supposed it brought people comfort, and therefore wasn't all bad. Other elves might think it was recited for more spiteful reasons, especially in their presence.

"Then you have a clear view of what religion should be, while knowing what it becomes." She smiled sadly, giving Hermione her full attention. "Please be careful how you express such views to others. I don't need to tell you how some people will react. You can guess that on your own."

Hermione had come across various examples of the Chant in her reading, but with no context or personal affirmation to back it up, they were just words to her. Words that were likely written by human hands, much like many of the religious texts and songs of her own world.

At Ellana's warning, Hermione frowned and asked, "Would I be thrown in an... alienage?" No, alienages were for elves, weren't they? Mages were put in Circles, and not as punishment so much as simply a way of life. "I can be tactful. But if the conversation turns towards something that I have very strong opinions on, it might be a little difficult to stay completely silent. Even so, I'll make it a point to at least disengage from the conversation rather than steer it towards something unfortunate."

"No. That is where elves live in the cities," she explained patiently. Hermione was still learning about this world and she wouldn't fault her for all her questions or occasionally misunderstanding.

"It's hard to know how people will react. Some will get angry or offended. Some will try to convert you, thinking they're doing you a favor. I just want to give you fair warning because people can be fools."

Even she couldn't deny that, optimist though she was.

Alienage was still an awful term, regardless of what they were or why they existed. It was never pleasant for her to remember that mages aren't the only ones who had to put up with being classified as some strange and mysterious Other.

"Sometimes people just need to be told they're being foolish," Hermione replied before managing a grim smile. "As politely and as logically as possible."

If only it were that simple. Well, maybe Ellana has a bit more reason than most to be wary, being both an elf and a mage. But being in Skyhold has been an education, and every day she has learned a bit more about people and how to deal with the foolish ones. Hermione wasn't necessarily wrong. Some people needed telling off. It was just a question of having the backbone to stand behind what you said, which Ellana needed to work on.

Pushing away from the wall, she nodded.

"I think you'll do all right for yourself here. You are wise and straightforward. If you stick to your ideals, no one can tear you down."

Hermione only knew she truly belonged in Gryffindor because she was never afraid to speak her mind. She had opinions, and she was also tactful, which meant that there was never any reason for her to not share those opinions with whoever might listen.

"I don't know that I'd say I'm wise," Hermione remarked with a small chuckle. "Booksmart, maybe. But I know what I believe in, and I'm willing to defend my beliefs without simply disavowing someone else's. Hopefully that means I'll give other people something to think about without ruffling too many feathers."

"Hopefully," Ellana agreed, still thinking Hermione to be wise. "I should be going, but it was very good meeting you. I hope we can talk more soon? I think we could have some very good conversations."

"I'd like that, yes," Hermione affirmed with an enthusiastic nod. "I might have more questions about elves or mages by then, but I promise not to get offended if you tell me to stop. I wouldn't want to badger anyone. It was nice meeting you, even if I'm sorry it didn't give you the best first impression of my magic."

"It's all right. No harm was done." Ellana smiled, knowing Hermione would be a good person to sit and chat with. And Ellana could give her a perspective on mages who were raised outside a Circle.

"Until later."

Hermione was just excited to have made friends with an elf, despite the differences between Ellana and, say, Winky. With a wave, she conceded to leave the space so Ellana could practice at her leisure, deciding she'd definitely have to make it a point to have another chat with her before too much time passed.

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Our aspirations are wrapped up in books

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