faderift | [Open] Tell me would you kill to save a life?

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[Open] Tell me would you kill to save a life?

WHO: Anders and, at last, fully open!
WHAT: Anders is back in Skyhold after the revelation and Warden mission
WHEN: Around mid-Drakonis
WHERE: around Skyhold
NOTES: It's Anders. Beyond that, if someone does swing for him, he will be defending himself or we can have a handy-dandy Warden NPC Joeth Smithicus step in, up to you!

1. The Healing Tents

He's more quiet than he was before as he works, trying to stay out of the way while still being available. The atmosphere isn't a pleasant one, and he knows there's a lot of anger, but how is he going to help out if he's sitting in the Warden camp all the time? Even more, how is he going to keep Justice in check if their hands are figuratively tied?

The fact of the matter is that staying somewhere safe where people don't loathe him isn't an option so he's here. He only wishes it wasn't putting a weight on the shoulders of someone he's directly hurt.

Whenever someone comes in he looks over, focusing on the fact that it's all right however many times he hears no as the answer to his question - "Can I help you?"

2. Wardentown

It's not the most glamorous setting, but the life of a Grey Warden rarely is. There had been nights at Vigil's Keep... but those are long gone, and now it's tents and fire pit and keeping snow from piling up.

a) Magic-

Anders is currently kneeling near the tent that he shares with Nate, working on creating a pair of small walls of earth - one around the tent, and another small, circular one nearby. Earth isn't something he struggles with, but keeping them level and not causing any extra dips in the surrounding ground is a challenge. His lips are pressed together as he works on precision, and an approach gets a sharp glance and no words, but he's not annoyed someone's come over. A moment later he'll raise an eyebrow, but he's not starting this conversation.

b) Kitten

No matter how many times he has to keep drying her off and warming her up, Hero of Purrelden doesn't want to stay in his lap today. She's insisting on pouncing on snowbanks, batting at ice, and attempting to climb tents. The latter she's pulled away from each time while protesting loudly, but there's a little smile on his face as she misbehaves. It's nice to have a cat again, no matter how much more difficult than Ser Pounce-a-lot she is.

"Still better than a mabari," he'll say to anyone who comes close.

c) Foraging

He's not alone, which sometimes puts him on edge, and sometimes makes him feel a little safer. All the same, Anders is in the area outside the Warden camp with another Warden, looking to see what foodstuffs can be found to add to the pot. They're not in danger of going hungry but it's best to be prepared and know what's growing out here. There's no telling how long the Wardens will be near Skyhold, after all.

There's also no telling who he'll run across out here, and he's more on edge and defensive due to the fact that he doesn't know how someone might react if they come across him when not anticipating that he might be around.

"Watch the snow back that way," is what he says, though, tilting his head in the direction he's come. "There's some hiding a nasty drop. I've marked it with stones." Let them react to that how they will.

3. Wildcard me!

[[ooc: Come at me bros! Skyhold, Warden camp, whatever. If you've got a question about a scenario, feel free to private plurk me @ Nadat or PM this journal.]]

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"If she hadn't been beyond rational thought due to her own nature and the red lyrium of her blade, it should have made her stop and realize that she wasn't solving anything. It should have. When seeing what you think are your best efforts fail, wouldn't you think that you should try something else? Except that I had no way of knowing she was beyond thought thanks to her weapon." And they really should have looked into red lyrium more, but hindsight and all that.

"And I don't know what to do if people attempt to reinstate the Circles as they were, required captivity for simply being born. I, at least, can learn from what works as planned and what does not." Especially what doesn't. His life is a story of what doesn't work. "Perhaps what we need is not too dissimilar from Redcliffe, minus the influence of Corypheus' agents. A settlement of our own. Away from the Chantry-obsessed fearful faithful, away from those who want to use us."

If they want mage services, they can pay mages fairly for them, not Templars. And mages could certainly make any place they moved into a fortress and defensible.

Edited 2016-03-30 08:29 (UTC)

Sam can agree that not seeing efforts succeed you would think to try something else, but he just doesn't see how blowing up people would bring that about. Things blowing up made people scared, but most angry and wanted someone to blame. He had been at Haven, witnessed how the people had reacted, this is why he cannot get why Anders would think that would've changed anything. Even so-

"She had red lyrium in her blade?" That was several years ago though wasn't it? It had been known that far back?

"It sounds like you're suggesting mages having a city state. As much as I want to agree with that, wouldn't many view that as us possibly becoming another Tevinter?"

"Her whole blade was red lyrium. We, Hawke and the rest of us, found a small amount in a thaig while we were trapped in the Deep Roads, and we though that was it. We didn't realize that one of the Dwarves hadn't just locked us in, but had taken that and more up to the surface with him." And there had been no way to guess, either. "It drove him mad. We were under the impression that the little bit he had was taken care of." And by taken care of, he means given to Varric, but as the Dwarf's not gone mad he figures it's been handled.

"And the difference between us and Tevinter would be two-fold. One, no blood magic. I believe we can all agree on that." Except for Merrill. But she'd likely be with the Dalish anyway, and wouldn't be a concern. "Two, we're not using magic to rule others. It will be a separate mage population, with people who aren't mages only if they truly want to be there. No one would be kicked out if, say, they're a child of a mage and don't have the gift."

It's a fair point Sam's raised, and one that they'll have to be extremely careful with making if they go this route. He'd rather mages be allowed their own citizenship where ever they'd like, without worries of being locked up for use of magic, but if too many start pushing for Circles, this may be the safest alternative.

Shit, a whole blade? Well he supposes that such a thing now wouldn't be that odd considering there were large formations of red lyrium now and of course red templars. Even so, knowing that red lyrium actually affected Dwarves was concerning, considering regular lyrium didn't as much.

"I can agree, but... there would have to be so many things to consider. Who would govern such a place? a council like we have here in Skyhold? We would have to consider the protection and rights of people without magic, because I hate to admit it but reverse-discrimination could happen. And what would happen if there was blood magic discovered among the population? We'll be gathering mages from all over, and we both know with everything going on that some probably have resorted to it."

Sam knows it's a lot of questions, and not even easy ones. It's something he's considered himself, and the answers were always complicated and complex. The realization about these issues made more complicated after having discussed plenty with mages like Korrin, or any of the Dalish.

"There's a great deal to consider, yes. It would take a lot of mages to put together some sort of organized rules and standards, something that covers mages and those who aren't, gives freedom and equality to all. We don't want discrimination of any sort. We cannot become that which we are trying to escape."

This is a topic he loves to talk on, think on, dream about. It's their future, and he wants one that doesn't include them all being locked up again. If the next generation never has to know that fear and pain, then everything has been worth it. Every single thing he has endured, the loss of so many he's cared for, the punishments for trying to escape, the merging with Justice, possession, even the taking of lives that still weighs on him, will have been worth it.

"And blood mages should be given a chance to repent. To forswear any further use of it. Even without 'everything going on' people have been backed into a corner and felt like they had no option but the use of it; this way they have a reason to try to do better. The former stance of trying it and being executed means that mages have no reason to stop using blood magic, and an offering of one clean slate could be incentive enough to stop everyone who isn't using it for increased power alone."

Justice isn't so sure about the leniency. Blood magic should mean death. But between Hawke and Merrill, Anders can't look down on all blood mages anymore, no matter how easy it is for the spirit to do so.

"And how would that work against people who are still or going to become Templars?" He's curious since Anders said they wouldn't want discrimination, and he doesn't see things getting better between the two groups at the moment.

"I can understand that anyone who uses blood magic aren't all the same, but you really think a clean slate would be incentive enough? No consequences? People who didn't turn to blood magic in the same situations might not feel comfortable. What would you do if blood magic was discovered to still be done?" There were obviously some who didn't view blood magic in an absolute sense. "Would those who truly thought they could do good or trying past rituals to forward research be condemned?"

"There wouldn't be Templars there. Not unless they pledged to treat mages as equals, and to submit to the government of the city-state, which would be mage-run. They can be in the optional Circles, protecting the mages who are terrified of themselves. But any allowed to stay would also be screened. None who are there for power and pleasure, the way so many were, would be allowed in. For once mages should think about mages, and mage safety, rather than keeping our heads down."

So many questions, and he doesn't have answers to all of them. Nor does he think he think the answers he does have are all complete. But he can try.

"One clean slate for those who used blood magic in a way outside of pure, contained, observed research. If it got used against someone again, then that would be dealt with. And anyone uncomfortable with that would need to realize that there are people who have been in very desperate situations with little to no options. It's not like we'd make everyone comfortable at any time, and I'd prefer that everyone have a chance at freedom and life, to take or throw away as they will. Research... for Council-approved uses, when done with great care and respect, I would think could be acceptable. But I would not be making that call."

At the end of the day, no matter how desperate Anders is to help move his people forward, to see them seize the future, many don't want anything to do with him. And some of the ones who do still believe in violence as an answer. He'd only have a leadership role if somehow it served to keep the latter in check.

"And Templars who submitted to such rules and laws wouldn't be discriminated against?" He knows a vast majority of Templars have done terrible things, more so from what Anders has said, but even so Sam doesn't feel they should do the same to anyone who decides to live in this hypothesized city-state. It was something that needed to be considered since there had been a few examples of templar and mage relations alright and having been judged on such.

"That sounds decently reasonable."

He's asking a lot and Anders is answering them relatively well, which has Sam relaxing a bit more around the other mage. He still doesn't agree to Anders' actions in Kirkwall - he said as such at the beginning - but Sam can certainly appreciate where Anders wanted to go with all this, the thoughts he put into all of it.

"... how you were acting on the way back from Emprise du Lion... it was because of all this wasn't it?"

"If they submit, then they should not be. But the moment they cross a line, like if a blood mage returns to using blood magic against someone, then they will feel the full force of the law. Abuse of any kind will simply not be acceptable." No armored fists raised in anger or for 'fun.' No one beaten simply because they're willful, no one locked in a tiny cell and deprived of company for a year.

"There are reasonable solutions, if people will simply allow them to happen. When the few stop seeking personal gain, or control, or power, the many can live." The corrupt, the cruel, the ones like Vivienne, all of them stood in the way. But there was still a chance.

"And yes. I thought I was turning myself in to die. It wasn't a particularly happy thought, but I wanted to finish what I could first. Help a little more." Aside from telling Adelaide, which was nothing except pain.

"... if this does come to pass, you know it will be difficult to pull off. Trying to do what we're trying to manage here in Skyhold at a larger scale, there will be a lot of issues." The power seekers, the ones who want control, all that will be brought in just as equally as all the other things. Even if they picked and chose certain people to start it out, it would make others angry and start feuds.

"And now you're with the Grey Wardens? Does that mean you'll have to leave with them once they're done with helping with Corypheus?"

"Life is difficult. The only thing that's easy is giving up. And if I'm permitted one more cliche, the only things worth having take work. And it will be worth it. Freedom is valuable and so we'll have to make an effort to gain it for mages for the future."

There'd be so many challenges to overcome, but it's far superior to work on moving forward rather than surrender and return to captivity.

"And I don't know what's going on with the Grey Wardens. We've a great deal to figure out." The leadership is a mess. "But no one is about to stop working, even if Corypheus is dealt with. So long as there's no new Blight we may be free to assist with other matters as well."

"I'm not saying not to try, but trying to make something as grand as a city-state... we'll have to hope that this war with Corypheus doesn't last forever." And that a Blight or something else doesn't come up.

"I see. I wasn't aware on how things worked with the Grey Wardens. They're... elusive from what I know. I wasn't expecting to meet one, let alone so many." This war was certainly an interesting one.

"Well. If the war with Corypheus lasts forever, then there won't be any concerns about mage freedom." It's a bleak thought. "Mages will learn battle magic alone, or healing and battle, and be sent out to die like anyone able to carry a weapon. And right now, I've not a vast amount of hope in the Inquisition. It's fragile." Volatile. With divided leaders, if rumors of arguments are anything to go by, divided factions, and people angling for power for themselves.

"But some of the people here are good. And I've seen smaller forces prevail against impossible odds. We could win. And then this becomes far less an academic discussion and more one of survival. Also the Grey Wardens are less elusive than you think. It's simply that we're most often found in the Deep Roads, unlike anyone sane."

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[Open] Tell me would you kill to save a life?

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