Sending Crystal; Locked to Grey Wardens

[pinprick]

FORM: Sending Crystal
SENDER: Nathaniel Howe
RECIPIENT: The Wardens
WHAT: Office meeting re: the Architect and whether to tell the Inquisition about him.
WHEN: Current
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: TW: Mention of broodmothers.

[A gruff but refined voice.]

I am Senior Warden Nathaniel Howe. I was one of the Wardens personally recruited by the Hero of Ferelden after the Archdemon was killed. The others here who can say the same are Velanna and Anders. We were party to something that deserves an explanation.

[A sigh that might as well say "this is going to be a long one."] After the Archdemon was slain, the Blight...continued more than it ought. It was no matter of clearing up stray patches of darkspawn. They were organized, and marching over Amaranthine in Ferelden. Most alarmingly, some were able to talk and order themselves like had never been seen before.

The reason... [he takes a second, figuring out how to make this as short as possible] The reason was a creature known as the Architect. He was...is a darkspawn magister like Corypheus, but his aim was different. He sought peace and enlightenment, and the awakening of the darkspawn to thought and purpose entirely free from the compulsion of the Old Gods. He...thought of them as his children.

He began to experiment. As we drink darkspawn blood to change ourselves, they drank the blood of Grey Wardens to awaken, to become thinking beings with conscience. Doing so did not always produce...good results. His experiments woke the archdemon Urthemiel and began the Blight. And they created the Mother.

The Mother was a broodmother he had awakened. She was driven mad by it. It was she who organized the darkspawn after the Archdemon was slain. That was the end of the organized darkspawn attacks after the Blight.

The Architect...we spared the Architect. More than that, we allied with him against the Mother. It is his desire to rid the world of all future Blights, and so he continues his work, trying to free the darkspawn of the control of the Old Gods.

We have kept him a secret from the world. Now, the world is threatened by Corypheus, a darkspawn of independent thinking, who wields power of the Calling like an Old God. I believe that if there is a time to share our secret alliance with anyone, it is now. The Inquisition fights against Corypheus for the fate of the world. The Architect may have answers we all need.

But I wanted to ask for your opinions before meeting with the Inquisition's leaders. Is there a good enough reason for us to keep this from the Inquisition?

Comments

[justice_is_blond]

...Are you drunk?

[unbrokenoath]

Usually! But that's besides the point.

[justice_is_blond]

This is... Never mind.

[He sounds a little tired.]

[unbrokenoath]

[ Well, since Nate COERCED HER into taking this seriously. ]

What was he like, anyway? The Architect?

[justice_is_blond]

[A pause as he considers.]

Well. He didn't exactly have a face or body I'd have any interest in making out with, if we're still ignoring serious things. If we're not... Troubling.

[A beat.]

I didn't exactly have Warden lessons when I was conscripted, but I knew what everyone knew - Darkspawn aren't really intelligent, they're mindless killing machines. Then, suddenly, there are talking ones who know what they're doing. And then they've someone above them. Your enemy has changed entirely, and no one was ready.

On top of that, he's most definitely intelligent and crafty. If he'd wanted to eliminate every Warden in that area, every living thing in that area, I believe he could have. He'd the numbers and charisma. A Darkspawn with charisma, definitely something I could have lived without meeting.

[Or being held captive by.]

[unbrokenoath]

He sounds dangerous. More dangerous than regular darkspawn.

Darkspawn are easy to kill. They don't have motivations, or ulterior motives, they aren't people. They're just monsters. I don't like the idea of one that's crafty.

[justice_is_blond]

He's a little like a dracolisk. Potentially useful, potentially could turn on you. Feed the dracolisk, don't harass it, don't bother it beyond what's needed, and you've a mount that will generally carry you and not try to eat you.

Poke it, invite other people to poke it, and you're going to be bleeding at best the next time you're out for a ride.

[unbrokenoath]

Well, I'll make a mental note not to ride the guy, then.

[ A beat. ]

He should die. We should kill him.

[ This isn't bias talking, shut up, you're biased. ]

[justice_is_blond]

We made an alliance. Going around killing people your leader reached an agreement with doesn't bode well for anyone you want to agree with you in the future.

[unbrokenoath]

[ You can practically hear her grinding her teeth. ]

He deserves it.

[justice_is_blond]

Yes, well, so did I. You're going to need a better argument.

[unbrokenoath]

[ There's a moment where she considers, thinking on how much she wants to say. Then, finally: ]

Whatever. I guess it doesn't matter at this point, anyway.

[justice_is_blond]

[He sighs.]

What's done is done. One day the Darkspawn will be dealt with.

[And one day mages will know lasting freedom and not have to worry, and one day all cats will have reason to purr, and so on.]