faderift | Truth or Dare: The Imperial Court

Truth or Dare: The Imperial Court

WHO: Select Orlesian and Fereldan Nobility and the Inquisition
WHAT: Josephine and Vivienne have orchestrated a good-will soiree in response to this dastardly rumor.
WHEN: Drakonis 15, Evening
WHERE: Skyhold Great Hall
NOTES:
- A list of nobles in attendance can be found here. The list was provided by the mods but there will be no npc support for them. Play away.
- A secondary outside party is being held in the valley in the tent town for anyone who couldn't/wouldn't attend and/or behave in the fancy pansty party.
- The goal of the evening is to clear up a spurious rumor about Cassandra and Leliana, with secondary goals of establishing the Inquisition as a respectable presence in Thedas (and fish for more money). Any major disruptions that would Game Over the court approval should probably be brought to the advisors and/or mods.

To say that Josphine has far outdone herself with this little soiree would be the understatement of the year. The Lady Ambassador has pulled out all the stops in providing a festive and yet elegant stage for this political intervention. Because sometimes gossip can be more deadly than a sword.

The Great Hall of Skyhold has been converted into a grand receiving hall, glittering with hundreds of lights around the room, in addition to the repairs accomplished to the original chandeliers. Of course, there has been artful placement arranged so there are a few shadowy corners for rendezvous of the more suggestive nature. Just in case. The majority of the floor has been cleared for dancing, and a fine troupe of musicians have been installed for the bulk of the evening's entertainments. Some members of the Inquisition have plans to entice attendees with their own artistic performances in addition to the group of mages performing illusory tricks to oohs and aahs.

For those who feel their energy flagging, there are chairs set against the walls, with a few tables interspersed between. Servers hired for the evening circulate the crowds with wine, fine Orlesian and Nevarran reds as well as crisp whites from Antiva. Refreshments are set out on buffet tables, tasteful and extravagant nibbles, including imported cheeses, spicy saucisson, dried fruits and nuts, and the highly sought after deep mushroom and anise petits fours that are all the rage in Orlais.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That makes plenty of sense to Kain, really, despite how unlike the magic of his world it seems to be. "That sounds like an incredible spell." He's trying to imagine it, animals coming forth like Eidolons to defend the caster. "Although we have defensive spells of protection, it's nothing on that level... we simply have one that's a shell of magic absorbing the worst of magical attacks, and another to protect against physical attacks. Still, I hope you're able to work your best even with the restrictions of this world..."

"An apt comparison." He'd been sure there's some fundamental similarity somewhere, but the more he hears of the differences, the stranger it all seems. "Then there are worlds that seemingly don't have magic at all..." Which is just as strange a thought as saying there's no water, when you grow up with it being just a normal part of the world.

To Kain, of course, it's like dealing with Zemus... the same level of terrible power, the same horrific threat facing the world. "Then the world has yet another problem lurking out there. It wouldn't surprise me."

"We have protection spells and shield charms," Hermione reveals. "They're much easier, and usually much more effective. The Patronus seems to work best against certain Dark creatures; I suppose, in terms of Thedosian magic, the Patronus Charm would probably be close to spirit magic. That may be why it took me so long to achieve it; I've never been good at any kind of metaphysical type of magic."

Shrugging a little, Hermione offers, "Well, a non-magical person from my world would claim there's no magic there, because they wouldn't know any better. So perhaps it's similar for those rifters who say they don't know about magic back home. It doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't exist, just that they aren't privy to it for some reason or the other." After all, magic is energy, and it can neither be created or destroyed, so the thought of a world with no magic whatsoever, even in terms of untapped potential, just doesn't make any sense to Hermione.

"Thedas seems to be a world with more problems than it knows what to do with," she murmurs softly, looking out over the party. "The first step to solving a problem is admitting that there is one, but given some of these nobles here, that might just prove to be an even bigger problem in and of itself."

“We all have our strengths, whether it’s in magic or physical combat… and weaknesses as well.” Though Kain can understand the notion of such frustration. He’s still struggling to overcome the things he’s weakest in, to strengthen his mind against outside attacks. “But protection against darkness sounds especially useful, especially here. I hope that you never have cause to need it.” Both because she’s unsure how it’d work but also because it would have to be something terrible happening to have need of such a power.

Kain is still baffled by this notion of some knowing about magic, and others not, but she’d explained it well enough in their first meeting. “Perhaps so. It would explain a great deal, and given how it’s worked on your world it’s all too plausible for it to be hidden from some on others.”

That’s entirely it, he thinks, considering some of the attitudes he’s come across among their nobility. “Maybe it was for the best, for us rifters to shake up their natural order. They certainly seem to need it. But even so, it’ll be a long road ahead, working toward resolving many of those problems…” If they can be solved at all. He’s a realist above all else, so he knows better than to think they’ll just be able to fix everything.

"Thank you," she murmurs. "I hope I never have to use it, either. It might not be a real animal, but I'd hate for it to fail if I try to cast it. I've grown fond of it."

Nodding, she expresses, "I'm almost certain that most people who think their world is devoid of magic simply don't know about it. That's part of why I'd asked for all rifters to come see me for an interview regardless of whether or not they believe in magic. I thought I could lead certain questions in such a way that I could say with relative certainty whether or not magic exists, simply just out of sight for those not privy to it."

Thinking about this being a "long road" makes Hermione frown, and she looks up at Kain with concern in her eyes. "Just how long do you think it might take? I jut... I think about the people back home, and how they're probably worried over me...." After all, while the war had ended, there are still Death Eaters on the loose. It wouldn't be beyond the scope of possibility that one of them knew a way to get into Hogwarts and would abduct one of Harry Potter's friends as some form of revenge. She might be safe, but none of her friends knew that.

“And considering what we may be facing… I don’t blame you for being concerned about its fate.” It reminds him a lot of Rydia’s Eidolons… he could imagine how difficult it would have been for her whenever they were defeated. They always returned later, but even so.

If anyone could notice magic, it would undoubtedly be a mage, and Hermione seems to be an especially perceptive one. “It sounds like you’d know the signs to look for. I’d almost be more surprised by a world where magic absolutely doesn’t exist than one where it was hidden somehow.” The separation of mages may still be an odd concept for him, but he’s from a world where magic unquestionably exists. It’s hard to imagine otherwise.

Kain considers for a moment, frowning. “I’d hope it won’t be long… but I’ve been preparing for the worst. We don’t have any answers after a few months of this happening, after all... “ He shakes his head. “Not that I want to give up hope entirely, of course. I understand the need to return home, even if I’ve less of an urgency for that than most.” He’d already left his actual home, after all, and hadn’t seen any of his friends for months before leaving his world.

A Patronus can't die or get hurt, not in any real sense. But after practicing with them for so long a few years back, Hermione can't help but feel as though it has its own personality, its own sort of sentience. She doesn't know how to describe it without actively showing Kain, so she only says, "Perhaps one day I'll be able to conjure one up in relative safety and show it to you."

Hermione merely shrugs, remarking, "I grew up as a Muggle and wasn't introduced into the magical world until I was eleven. I've learned what to look out for in terms of signs of hidden magic over the years. I'd be shocked if magic truly didn't exist somewhere rather than select people simply not knowing it when they see it."

Hearing that the rifters seem to be no better off now than they had been a few months before isn't exactly encouraging. "'Preparing for the worst' doesn't exactly make things sound like they're queued up to get much better, all parties aside."

Kain’s expression is curious and encouraging. “I’d like that. It’s unlike anything else I’ve seen… But of course, only when it’s safe.” He wouldn’t have her take any unnecessary risks just for the sake of random curiosity.

“So you’ve seen both of those worlds firsthand, magic and non-magic… That must give you an interesting perspective. It’s so different on my world… not only do the mages live among us, but even those of us without magic still have unusual abilities.” Or what this world seems to consider unusual, based on a lot of reactions he’s gotten to how he fights.

He realizes she’s right about that, there he goes again looking on the less than pleasant side of things. “No, I suppose not. And I certainly don’t mean to imply that we should give up. When things are at their darkest, we need to prepare and fight all the harder…”

"Of course," Hermione willingly agrees with a small nod. "I wouldn't do it before then. One of us might get hurt, and I've been practicing specifically to avoid that."

She pauses for a moment before realizing, "There aren't very many people like me - Muggle-borns, that is - when you think of how many people are either part of the magical world or aren't. It does place me in an interesting position. My parents, too, since all they know of magic is what they've seen when taking me to buy school supplies or meeting with my friends' families, since I make it a point not to do any in front of them." Except for the time that she'd had to modify their memories and make them forget they had a daughter, but she'd fixed that once it had been safe to, so it doesn't really count. Or so she tells herself.

"Well, there's that saying about how it's always darkest before dawn," she points out, putting together a small smile. "We can't really expect anything to get better until they get worse, or else life is just one constant barrage of positive things that don't seem particularly good anymore, since there's nothing negative to compare them to."

“I hope that the practicing is going well, at least… and that most of your magic works as it ought to.” Kain could understand how frustrating it might be to have one’s powers not functioning right. He definitely wouldn’t be able to rest, himself, if he had to deal with that.

It makes sense, given what she’s already told him about her world. “That must be a bit of a challenge, hiding your magic from them all the time… though I suppose if your magic is anything like this world and even my own, you don’t often use it for basic daily tasks.” Really, most of the magic is battle-related, with perhaps some exceptions that can be used in other ways. And healing magic of course is very applicable. “I’m sure that having that understanding of both worlds can help, though… if they ever came together or clashed in some way, you’d know a lot about both sides of it.”

“How true… and there is no light without darkness, nor darkness without light.” It’s finding the balance between the two of those things which is the real challenge. “The best we can do is keep fighting through the worst of it, whatever may come.” He has a feeling the worst is yet to happen here in Thedas.

"Thank you," she tells him sincerely. "I appreciate that."

With a shake of her head, Hermione remarks, "Many wizards and witches are so accustomed to their magic that they use it for any little thing. That's why we tend to live in communities set away from the non-magical world, to ensure we don't accidentally reveal ourselves. Given that I can function perfectly normally in the Muggle world, I'm often asked for advice on how to perform certain everyday tasks without magic" Really, it's sort of amazing what some people will try to use magic for.

Unable to hold back a deep sigh, Hermione shrugs her shoulders and remarks, "I just wish the worst of it didn't always have to be quite so terrible."

“You’re welcome,” he replies, as seriously as ever.

That’s got to be strange, he realizes, and it’s yet another fundamental difference between how they use magic in their worlds. “Yet another way in which our worlds differ. There are some spells which I suppose the mages of my worlds might use in daily life… the healing spells, others such as float… and of course fire has plenty of practical uses… but so much of it is battle-oriented. They’d never hide any of it, either.” He does wonder if it would have developed differently, if magic were used in other ways, or if the non-mages hadn’t developed their own superhuman skills. “It sounds like you must have a tough job, sometimes, teaching them such skills.”

That’s something Kain can definitely agree to and he nods, grimly. “I know… unfortunately, I don’t think we can do much about that, except be as prepared as we can.” Preparing for the worst makes it a little easier to bear, he always figures.

"Mostly I teach them how to use electronics and other machines, since they many of them consider that the non-magical world's answer to magic." And they aren't wrong, necessarily. Hermione's still amazed by all a computer can do these days, and she hasn't even seen the dawn of the 21st century yet. Still, sometimes she's asked for help of a simpler nature, leading to the small smile she cracks now. "Though sometimes I have to teach them about clothes, which is funny. I've never considered myself much of a fashion plate, but seeing the way some of them dress - especially when they're trying to blend in with Muggles - I'm grateful that my parents at least taught me about matching colors and clashing patterns. It's not important, in the long run, but it's...." Shrugging, she concludes, "Endearing."

She nods at his assertion, deciding, "I suppose that's all the more reason to try and perfect my magic. And perhaps learn some skills beyond magic that can help me, in the event that I can't."

“How interesting… the Lunarians had such a strong match of both magic and technology surpassing our world’s, that I’ve just taken it for a fact that those things go hand in hand. But it seems not to be so.” He’s amused at the talk of clothes, it’s something that seems so simple, and yet if you’re not part of that world, you truly wouldn’t know much about it. “Funny as it sounds, I see its importance. The wrong clothes really can make someone seem even more out of place…”

“Right, and who knows, you may learn something more from the mages here to enhance your own power… Though it’s never a bad idea to have some other combat skill. Among the mages I traveled with, one knew archery, and the other used a whip as a secondary weapon. It never hurts, just in case you need it.” More of a back-up skill, of course, since the magic really is their strength. Still, that can make a big difference if it comes to needing it.

"Magic and technology don't mix very well," Hermione explains. "They interfere with one another, and so most wizards and witches don't use and thus don't really know much about modern appliances. My school was about as technologically advanced as Skyhold, to tell the truth." At Kain's mention of clothes, Hermione glances down at herself. She feels a little uncomfortable in her modified dress, but considering that it would have gotten her stared at if she'd kept it at the shorter length it had originally been.... "And no one like feeling out of place, it's true."

Hermione actually chuckles a bit when he mentions learning another combat skill besides. "Oh, I understand the value of it, certainly. It's just very odd, for the people who know magic in my world to resort to physical violence. The one time I'd actually hit someone out of anger, people couldn't stop talking about it until the end of the school term, despite the fact that students were routinely jinxing one another blind... sometimes literally."

“That’s interesting… the Lunarians seem to have mastered both, but perhaps they’re a rare exception… their culture was supposedly far advanced beyond our world’s. Their technology was mostly large-scale things, anyway, such as airships that can travel into space, and so on.” Things which could be turned to war readily, and had been. “But I could see how if magic had enough of a role in your daily life, you’d have no need to rely on mechanical things…” He nods sympathetically about being out of place. “Unfortunately, many of us can’t help it much here…”

Kain looks amused despite everything, that really does sound like a certain young black mage he knows: Palom was constantly causing mischief. He can’t imagine an entire school filled with like-minded students. “Typical. In a school filled with mages, it’s almost surprising you got any work done.”

"There's little need for automobiles or mass communication devices when it's faster and cheaper to use Floo powder," Hermione acknowledges. "Granted, it's not the most comfortable means of travel and communication, but it gets the job done; if I had any, I'd show you how it works."

Cracking a small smile, she tells him, "I'm sure the professors felt the same. There's enough trouble keeping so many teenagers in a contained space, but when they're magically endowed as well? Luckily, I was never one for improper use of magic unless I had no other choice, but my two closest friends seemed to be trouble magnets, so I still got to see more than I needed to in a given school year."

“Floo powder? How does a powder let you transport yourself?” A thought occurs. “Is it something like teleportation? There’s a teleport spell where I’m from that can transport people automatically…” Of course, they can’t use it everywhere, all the time, so other means of getting around ended up being still useful.

Kain nods, thinking about how things might have differed had he, Cecil, and Rosa all been mages. “I suppose it helps that you had mages in charge as well. They would have been able to contain it all… to an extent.” They’d still be outnumbered and all, after all, but even so, kids still need a lot of training to surpass masters of magic. “I think if my best friend and I had been mages, there would have been more trouble than Baron could contain.” He sighs, but his look is fond overall, recalling the better parts of the past.

"Magic," Hermione replies, cracking a small smile. "That's how. Beyond that, I really wouldn't be able to say. But it only works within the Floo Network, which is linked between fireplaces. As I said, it's not the most comfortable way to travel."

With a bit of a laugh, Hermione remarks, "Oh, they certainly try to keep us all in line. I'm surprised poor Professor McGonagall is still as active as she is even after all these years. To be honest, part of what I'd dread about having children of my own someday is the fact that they'd more likely than not be able to do magic, and I don't know how I'd be able to cope with that. I might just end up giving up an casting Silencing Charms everywhere instead of dealing with them." She doubts she'd go that far, of course, assuming any children she might have take after her at least a little.

“Fireplaces? That already doesn’t sound too comfortable… I at least hope no actual fires are involved…” Well, you never know what might be the case there, with how strange it sounds. It seems there really are some forms of magic that differ greatly from what he knows.

Kain smirks a little bit. “I know all too well. There were two children who traveled with me and my companions, a set of twin mages. The white mage was well behaved, but the black mage… he was always a handful, playing pranks on his sister and the rest of us, turning various people to toads or pigs for the fun of it…” He shakes his head, but he doesn’t sound annoyed as he had been at the time, more fond and like he really misses the kid. “There were plenty of capable adults around but he still kept us all on our toes.”

"Only when we need to communicate," Hermione answers. Making a slight face, she adds, "That's why I prefer to send letters, or use a Patronus if I really need to speak with someone right away."

She listens to his story with a small smile on her face. "I know-... knew a pair of twins." She hates that she has to correct herself, but technically, they're not the twins anymore. It's just George. She's still having trouble remembering that. "They were both a handful. They even opened up their own joke shop. It almost makes me wonder if that's a trait common to most pairs of twins."

"A good idea. There's something to be said for using the ordinary option." Even now, it's weird to him to bother with things like the sending crystals, but he'll do it when there's a great need for communication. That and simply keeping up with things in general.

Kain is amused, thinking about the twins he knows and the comparison that Hermione makes. "Palom would appreciate that joke shop, and I'd imagine he'd be those twins' best customer. Knowing how skilled he is with black magic, he'd probably try to imitate them a bit too." He can just imagine it, if Palom had a set of prankster twins to look up to. The world would never be safe again. "It may as well be the case about twins, although Porom, the sister, would probably not approve of the jesting. Still, they have a bond unlike anything else I've seen, even in other types of siblings."

Hermione has never utilized the sending crystals, except for when she'd first received hers, to make sure that she knows how to use it in the event of an emergency. But mostly, people have only attempted to contact her face-to-face, and she's no stranger to using birds to send her messages, so she's never had occasion to really get used to the crystals.

"George might be looking for a new partner," Hermione admits softly, but that hurts too much to think about for too long. "But it's more than likely going to remain a family-owned shop, since the family name is quite widespread and fairly well-known among British wizards." Mostly because they have so many children, but that's besides the point. At any rate, she smiles slightly at Kain and remarks, "Only one of my close friends - the twins' brother - has a lot of siblings... well, two of my close friends, but Ginny doesn't count since she's their sister. I'm an only child myself, so I wouldn't know what that sort of bond is like, other than from what I've seen among the Weasley family."

Family is something that Kain takes with the utmost seriousness, even though he technically doesn't have any blood relatives still around, himself. He gives her a questioning look when she mentions

"It must be nice... to have such a large family, so many others to always rely on. Though the sibling rivalry would be terrible, twins or otherwise." He could only imagine what it would have been like, had he and Cecil been actual blood brothers. It was bad enough being pseudo-adopted brothers of a sort, though all the rivalrous feelings had been Kain's alone. "I'm also an only child... though in part I grew up with someone who was essentially a brother to me... and though they're not family, the comrades I've traveled and done battle beside... are close to it."

Hermione cracks a small smile at the mention of sibling rivalry. "Ron was the youngest of six boys, so I remember hearing him complain that he rarely had anything new, and that there was no accomplishment he could achieve that hadn't been done before by one of his other siblings. I can't imagine what it would have been like, needing to compete for my parents' attention like that."

She hesitates for a moment, thinking about her parents, and how they're her only family in all the world... after a fashion. "Family isn't just blood," she admits. "There's something... deeper to it. Friends are the family you choose, after all. Even if you don't always get to choose your friends, either."

That's something Kain can sympathize with, feeling like he was ignored often by the king as he favored Cecil. "Nor can I. It was bad enough only having one, and he wasn't even a true sibling. That sense of competition was always there. To have so many to compete against though... It must have prepared your friend for a lot of challenges later in life, though, to grow up around so many others."

Kain nods firmly, he definitely knows what she means by that. "Sometimes circumstances force people together... and you end up forming bonds you may not have otherwise. I've made my firmest friendships in the most difficult situations..." The unending war was awful in its way, and yet, he'd never have met any of those people had they not been brought into it.

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