therookery | open | sending crystal

Tranquility, absolutely. When those who are Tranquil get a few moments of clarity and all they can do is beg to die rather than return to that...

Is that common, Tranquil gaining moments of clarity? [She's honestly curious, she doesn't really have a lot of experience with Tranquils.]

No. The circumstances were... unique.

Ah, I see. The way you said it made it seem like it was something that had happened more than once.

I was trying to leave it rather vague. I don't know of a way to reproduce it, unfortunately.

[Not yet, at least.]

I take it such a thing has happened in your presence.

[ he fuckin told u so cassandra ]

Yes. For a few moments they were themselves again. The world was drained of everything while they were Tranquil, joy, colors, absolutely everything that makes life life.

[There's anger in his voice, though it's anger he has a firm hold on at the moment.]

And yet people say it is better than death. It seems far more like a walking one.

Those... people... have never lost someone precious to them to it. It's easier on the consciences of those people to not stop a heart but stop who the person is anyway.

They're doing worse than killing with Tranquility, but they choose not to see it because they like to think themselves right and they are not.

They think of life as the beat of a heart, the breath in the lungs. Not of the mind.

And they do not listen to other opinions.

Because they don't have to. Because no one will ever hold them accountable. They can claim they'd reason for it, and there's no proving otherwise because they never need proof of justification.

[There's pain here, but he's masking it with anger.]

'No one', hm?

It's legal to make someone Tranquil. Even those who have done it illegally can continuously get away with it as those in authority look away.

That does not mean there is no accountability. Not if someone demands it.

Someone with position enough to be heard would have to care enough to demand it. They're not going to.

At this point I'd be pleased if making someone Tranquil was simply made illegal. There's no jus--fairness for those who have already been lost until a cure is found; it would be nice to make certain that no more have this fate befall them.

There is a mage council here, is there not? Do you know their positions on it?

Would they be able to live cured, after all they had lost, what was done to them?

On the Mage Council there is one mage who has killed mages for the loss of her comforts and position. There is another who wants to go back to the old system because he had it better in there and doesn't care that many had it so badly. Vivienne and Raylan.

Then there are the two politicians, Adelaide and Benevenuta, I do not believe would raise voice against Tranquility. It's an official Chantry method of controlling mages, and they're not going to risk angering the Chantry.

And we're left with Korrin. One person, a qunari, who likely would speak against Tranquility but one against four is useless, especially when they're not human.

The mage council is useful in theory. I've yet to see how it's useful in practice.

And if we can reverse Tranquility permanently, yes. Karl only begged me for his death because he could feel himself fading away.

And there is no rifter representation? Perhaps that should be changed, given- recent events.

[ thanks for getting possessed kain it works out bc now he can argue that, if there's no way home, rifters are likely to be treated as mages if not worse by the chantry!!! ]

Is the Inquisition not outside of the Chantry? Ridiculous that so many cling to it so hard.

I believe there's only one rifter mage. Resolutionists would likely get a seat before rifters, and that's not about to happen.

And the Inquisition and the Chantry are inexorably intertwined. The Chantry called for the Inquisition, and Leliana and Cassandra were the right and left hands of the Divine, the former head of the Chantry. Cullen has served as a Templar in the two worst Circles there were, where abuses ran rampant.

The only reason there's hope for the future is that Leliana has seemed to start reaching out beyond the usual lines expected from her, and Josephine seems to be thoughtful. There is still a great deal to be concerned about.

Only one rifter who can use magic? [ He laughs. ] Not at all. Unless I am the one you're thinking of, and in that case, you're still incorrect.

Then it is the force that should call for reform -- in itself first, and to the world at large later. Is it not?

I'm sorry. Yourself and Hermione? And right, Galadriel makes three? The point is that there are groups of mages without representation, and while you deserve it as well, I believe in the eyes of the mage council you fall under Korrin as the non-Circle-exposed group, with only three.

And while it is the responsibility of the Inquisition to call for change and reform... they've only power so long as Corypheus is a threat. As soon as he's dealt with, it will be a mad scramble, and I fear unless we help in memorable ways our peoples will be crushed in the middle.

Edited 2016-10-20 03:33 (UTC)

[ He hums noncommittally. There is Corvo, of course, and Thranduil- but he will not name names. ]

But a typical apostate is different form a non-Circle mage. Perhaps some rifters would like to be in a Circle, for some reason, but their needs would be different.

Then we must help in memorable ways.

I don't know that the mage council is ready for rifter mages. I don't know that they know how to do anything. You're missing a part of what I'm saying. They're figureheads that are there for a show, and that show is currently to make people feel like mages are safer. If you add Rifters on there, the moment, ah, certain knowledge gets out there, then there will be fallout for the mage council for keeping that knowledge quiet as well as rifters, even if it's by advisor authority that it's being hushed.

The politicians, Vivienne, Raylan, Benevenuta, and even Adelaide, will not want to deal with that risk. Just as they won't deal with the risk of having Resolutionists on there. I'm not saying don't try if that's a goal you have. Most definitely try. When the, if the resolutionists get organized, I'll be trying to help them get someone there even if I doubt there will be success.

My main focus is to contribute in ways that cannot be ignored, and cannot be taken as anything but beneficial. It's what I recommend for mages, and what I recommend for rifters and elves. Help, be seen as helping, be remembered for helping, and then perhaps they cannot forget us and write us out and off and away.

I'm rather accustomed to helping stir the pot of power and politics -- or turn it over, as it were. Typically I do not do so directly, but...

This is not my world, yet I am stuck here. I may never return to my world. In truth, I do not think the Inquisition cares if any of us do -- it is riskier if we try. If Thedas can forget about us, if we can fade into stories, then they would be happiest. Making a problem not appear to exist is easier than solving it, after all.

We must do something lasting. More than closing rifts -- something that leaves true impact.

I'm not skilled at power or politics. It's not something I enjoy, or truly know what I'm doing with.

But I agree.

That being said, it needs to have good impact. Positive. Impact for impact's sake is worse than fruitless. It backfires. I'm certain you've heard of what I've done. A repeat of something like that would help no one, mages or rifters.

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