this is my first network post in this game oh god i hope i don't ruin it

[twelvelabours]

FORM: sending crystal
SENDER: Hercules Hansen
RECIPIENT: locked to Grey Wardens! Grey Wardens only club!!!
WHAT: Anders & what do with him: a Grey Warden opinions discussion
WHEN: late Guardian /mumbles vaguely - set after Anders turns himself into Herc, before Leliana deduces is identity
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES:
This is regarding the Anders reveal plot, as discussed in this ooc post and as a follow-on from this log thread.
Threadjacking and hopping around encouraged!
If you'd like a thread with Herc to turn to actionspam for characters in Skyhold, go for it.

Wardens. We’ve got something important to discuss. If you’re not someplace private, stop listening now, drop whatever it is you’re doing, and get somewhere suitable. This is strictly Warden business.

( This is not the happy and friendly Herc. This is tense and angry Herc, even with his temper very carefully kept in check.

He leaves a pause to allow them to either stop listening without him accidentally unveiling something, if they need to, takes a breath, and carries on. There might be the sound of wind whipping behind him as he stands on the ramparts - what you can’t hear is the sound of him trying to reduce Anders to ash with his gaze. )

A Grey Warden who left our numbers has handed himself in to answer for crimes committed. Not against the Grey Wardens, but against Kirkwall and the Chantry. Some of you already know this man. Some of you knew him by the adopted name ‘Detlef.’ Others will just know the crimes of the mage Anders.

( Considering how to continue, what to say next, Herc exhales a moment. What a day. )

Anders has turned himself into us of his own free will, ( which unfortunately denied Herc the chance to tackle-slam him face first into a wall, ho hum ) and confessed to blowing up the Kirkwall Chantry, an act he claims was for the sake of mage freedom.

( He pauses, there. )

I don’t have much of a personal stake in that. I’m not a man of the Chantry, and I’m not a mage. Far as I’m concerned, there’s mages and there’s mages. The likes of Bethany and Kaiden have saved my life more times than I can count. Others can be dangerous, and I reckon the same goes for Templars, same as any other person. You’ve got honourable ones, and you’ve got monstrosities.

Now, I don’t even know all about what was happening in Kirkwall, back then, but I can’t say I’m a fan of killing some innocent people for the sake of saving other innocent people, one way or the other.
( Sounds like a pile of crap to him, personally. ) And as Grey Wardens, our roles is to try and protect all of Thedas. From the Blight and darkspawn, usually, but I don’t think innocent lives being lost, no matter who they belong to, sits well with any of us.

( Still. )

But Nathaniel reminded me that we all know how much someone can change, and that we all come to the Wardens for different reasons. Atonement is one, but Anders’ fate isn’t something any one of us can decide. He’s one of our own, and he’s our responsibility. Speak up with your thoughts.

Whatever our decision is, we are telling the Inquisition. The Wardens integrity isn’t going to be compromised any further.

Comments

[pinprick]

The Council has no authority to judge him, and neither does the Inquisition. His judgment and sentence were already carried out, legally, by the Champion of Kirkwall. The Council can't decide differently just because they didn't like the decision.

[bunko]

But-- they can, can't they? Any judge can decide any thing. I have stood before judges. Some judges, you find that you are standing before a kind judge, and some days you do not. Man to man, city to city, some let the justice be soft and some would put you in a little cell with only the plain bread for food.

If it is a question of authority, then Councils, Inquisitions, these will question that authority.

[pinprick]

Which is why we can't. We have to remain strong on this, or else this Inquisition and this Council will take power away from others as well. It's true that if someone's enough of a bully, they will take all the authority they like. We can't let that happen.

[bunko]

But then what do we say to them, when they demand? We say we are strong and together on this, and that will sway them?

It is a precarious thing, I think. There are so few of us.

[pinprick]

We remind them that the decision was already made years ago, and if they have a problem with it, they should take it up with the Champion of Kirkwall. They have no authority that isn't freely given to them.

[bunko]

To which they will say, an absent judge? Or even: that was somewhere else, sometime else.

I do not disagree with you, my friend. But when my trials began to turn in this way, when there were too many against me, I did not stay to see the end. I left the town.

[pinprick]

Then there are those of us who couldn't run from our trials. Or do you think everyone I run into believes the Howes have paid enough for their crimes against Ferelden?

[bunko]

But then, you know. No matter what has been paid, there will be those who want more to be paid. There will be those who think that they have a better knowing. We can say that they do not, but they will only say the opposite. And on, and on.

[pinprick]

And, marvelously, they don't have to get what they want. I'm not arguing about what will happen. Nobody knows what will happen. But we put the odds in our favor if we are unified against allowing this Inquisition arbitrary power over everything it doesn't agree with.

[bunko]

A unity is important. But we are foolish if we do not think of what will happen. I know that to make a plan, you think of every end. We say we will be unified, and this makes for good odds. Yet if I were to gamble on this, I would not place my bet on us. As much as I like us.

We will see us opposed. From who, from how much, these are unknown. But we will. I do not know very much, I am first who would say it, but I do know these few things.

[pinprick]

You're not enlightening anyone, boy. Just don't talk like this outside the Wardens, is all I ask. Thing about negotiation is that you have to go in with the assumption that it can work out, or there's no point.

[paperwing]

Scipio is correct, though. We have so little sway, here.

[she's got your back leave him alone]

We negotiate, but what are we willing to back down on? What aren't we?

[bunko]

[thnx Sab would kiss you c: ]

[pinprick]

That's what we're trying to decide here.

[bunko]

Then, ser, you have been a part of some very kind negotiations. I myself always assume success, but prepare for the worst. This explains my living.

And, of course, I am very clever.

[unbrokenoath]

We could always leave.

[ Pause. ]

It's not the option I would want, but if they are so set on overruling us that they decide that they are the ones who ought to judge Wardens as they see fit...

The question on if its their authority or not is obvious. The question I'm worried about is if they'll try to force that authority onto us anyway.

[bunko]

To leave is always a good option, when things are hard.

[pinprick]

Except that we need the Inquisition's eyes and ears to fight the threat to the Wardens.

[unbrokenoath]

I don't want to leave them and their resources, but--

I didn't join the Inquisition. I'll help them, but they aren't the ones I dedicated my life to when I drank from that chalice.

I just worry that they're going to claim authority to judge one of our own, and then it turns into a slippery slope. If we're this dependent on them, how could we stop them...?

[ There's no malice in her voice, just actual worry. ]

[pinprick]

Offer them terms when we come to them about Anders. Give them assurances if they cooperate, and consequences if they do not. It's just a matter of negotiation.

[paperwing]

That is true. They don't. But that will not stop them from saying so, or how they feel. We have scarce few allies; can we afford to lose another?

[pinprick]

We must assume they are rational beings and give them the chance to negotiate first. Executing a plan for the worst-case scenario is plan B.

[paperwing]

I will have to bring it to them, officially. There questions will still need answering. Perhaps not from Anders himself- [that's unwise, and she is more concerned about those outside the council's authority that those in it,] -but from those who are willing to champion him.

[pinprick]

I'm willing. I knew him and Justice before they were...merged. I was also there the night the Chantry was destroyed. Tell them I'll answer any questions they have.

[paperwing]

Very well, Nathaniel. [His faith in Anders is doing much for her opinion of their returning brother.] I shall, when the time comes.

I just hope it will be enough.