[ heyo. anders has changed back into his clothes from home, and now resembles a giant, bedraggled crow.
he will just be sort of ... wandering aimlessly outside, because he keeps stopping outside of the buildings and then clearly chickening out of going inside. it all feels deeply uncomfortable. pacing around the neighborhood and nervously doing and undoing the bandage at his sleeve. well if you want to talk to this crazy guy, go ahead. ]
[ Wow mage fashion. I'm too lazy to grab image links and by lazy I mean I'm stuck on mobile but Marcoh has also changed into something that seems more comfortable. Jeans. Belt. Combat jacket. The deal. ]
[ it's not even typical mage fashion. he has pants, for example, instead of skirts. but that's because he is a Renegade, which marcoh also seems to dress like. so he gets it. ]
No. Not really-- [ hm. awkwardly shuffling for a second. ] I'm not used to being out in the open streets like this. Or wandering into any shop I please.
[ offended for literally no reason. marcoh just said it was fine. ]
All mages are illegal. Or it feels like that-- when you're born a mage, you're born guilty. The Templars come to your ratspit village, and they find you and take you from your family and drag you in irons to one of the Circles, where you're supposed to stay for the rest of your life. Which could end at any moment on a Templar sword for looking at them sideways too long, or for not being good enough at casting a shield, or daring to fall in love with someone.
[ huff. ]
I escaped the tower. So they branded me apostate. A criminal, maleficar. [ scowling at that, stubborn.] I'm a healer.
[ Marcoh's expression shifts. He opens his mouth as if to say something and then closes it, furrowing his brows so hard he may as well be staring holes through Anders. ]
...
I'm sorry that happened to you. That doesn't sound fair at all.
[ sorry we've literally just met and 10 comments in anders is ranting about the plight of the mages but that's so accurate to the canon so. leaning into it. ]
They are scared because the Chantry teaches them to be scared. Because they don't understand. Andraste's teachings that magic should serve mankind, not rule over it didn't mean we should imprison them and keep them as Templar slaves. A blade can kill anyone as well as a fireball, and yet we don't go around cutting the hands off of children so they can never wield one, do we?
I won't. I don't think having lightning thrown at me sounds good.
Ministry of Darkness. They are the founders of the Church where I am from. I've never heard of a place like yours so I don't think you'll know mine, Vatican City. Nobody else seems to really get it.
I think they teach it in the Church. To specific people, their students. I don't know about being born with it but if the god likes you then they'll grant you a bit.
I found out myself.
[ He does say this a little bit carefully like it's his turn to get called insane for it. ]
[ well, there's something a little ominous about a Ministry of Darkness teaching secretive magicks to students through gods, but ... he's curious anyway. ]
You were going perhaps a bit Tevinter Imperium on me with the Darkness Ministry and gods and such, but that seems ... fairly harmless, all things considered?
What do frogs and rats and crows speak of? I can't imagine they're great conversationalists.
I've never heard of anyone speaking to frogs, but it's an interesting idea.
[ so he must have some magic. you don't just start yapping to rats without some inherent magic. ]
I've heard tall tales of Chasind hedge witches who can transform into animals. I used to always dream about that as an apprentice - turning into a cat and slipping out the door. Or a tiger, and mauling the Knight-Commander.
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he will just be sort of ... wandering aimlessly outside, because he keeps stopping outside of the buildings and then clearly chickening out of going inside. it all feels deeply uncomfortable. pacing around the neighborhood and nervously doing and undoing the bandage at his sleeve. well if you want to talk to this crazy guy, go ahead. ]
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Hey.
[ You there. Crazy guy. ]
Are you looking for something?
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No. Not really-- [ hm. awkwardly shuffling for a second. ] I'm not used to being out in the open streets like this. Or wandering into any shop I please.
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Do you have a strong curfew where you're from?
Nobody will stop you from walking into them. There doesn't seem to be anybody else but us still.
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I'm an apostate. An illegal mage. The templars know my face, so it's best not to travel around Hightown without being in Hawke's company.
But apart from that I suppose I don't really know this place. It doesn't feel safe.
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[ He frowns a little bit, unsure what that means. ]
Like you are a cultist? I don't care as long as you aren't hurting me, or others.
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[ offended for literally no reason. marcoh just said it was fine. ]
All mages are illegal. Or it feels like that-- when you're born a mage, you're born guilty. The Templars come to your ratspit village, and they find you and take you from your family and drag you in irons to one of the Circles, where you're supposed to stay for the rest of your life. Which could end at any moment on a Templar sword for looking at them sideways too long, or for not being good enough at casting a shield, or daring to fall in love with someone.
[ huff. ]
I escaped the tower. So they branded me apostate. A criminal, maleficar. [ scowling at that, stubborn.] I'm a healer.
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...
I'm sorry that happened to you. That doesn't sound fair at all.
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Not just me. Every mage. And it's not fair, or right, or just.
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Ay. It doesn't sound right at all.
Is it because they are scared?
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They are scared because the Chantry teaches them to be scared. Because they don't understand. Andraste's teachings that magic should serve mankind, not rule over it didn't mean we should imprison them and keep them as Templar slaves. A blade can kill anyone as well as a fireball, and yet we don't go around cutting the hands off of children so they can never wield one, do we?
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No, we don't.
So you can use magic? A few students of the Ministry of Darkness learn things like that. I wasn't one of them.
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[ but, that's an intriguing thing he's just said. ]
Ministry of Darkness ... ?
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Ministry of Darkness. They are the founders of the Church where I am from. I've never heard of a place like yours so I don't think you'll know mine, Vatican City. Nobody else seems to really get it.
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[a bit of a nod, and he crosses his arms. that sounds extremely familiar - if not the exact names. ]
The Chantry runs the Circles. It's probably more similar than we'd like. But-- you can't learn magic. You're born with it or not.
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I found out myself.
[ He does say this a little bit carefully like it's his turn to get called insane for it. ]
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Go on.
[ say more. ]
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[ Brother just told you he's persecuted for being born with magic. ]
...
I can talk to frogs.
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You can talk to frogs?
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A girl who studied at the churches gave me a book to do some reading on. It works. I don't get it but it does.
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What do frogs and rats and crows speak of? I can't imagine they're great conversationalists.
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They know things. They knew the city better than I did. So that was a little helpful.
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[ so he must have some magic. you don't just start yapping to rats without some inherent magic. ]
I've heard tall tales of Chasind hedge witches who can transform into animals. I used to always dream about that as an apprentice - turning into a cat and slipping out the door. Or a tiger, and mauling the Knight-Commander.
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I think animals have a lot of advantages.
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