010.

[dashing]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Herian Amsel
RECIPIENT: Division Heads (and/or their stand-ins) project leaders & assist leaders, Saoirse & Myrobalan.
WHAT: An idea to tackle the rifter phylactery discusssion.
WHEN: Current
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES:

I apologise for making contact with you all after so recently sharing an update on the Chantry Relations project with the network, however I think we can agree that the matter of the rifter phylacteries and the reaction to them is a disruption to our work, and causing divisions amongst our ranks.

Following the hard work of those who attended Skyhold to negotiate the matters of the phylacteries and were faced with considerable opposition from the Templars and Chantry, I think it is key that they come to understand it is not Skyhold and the Inquisition that pushed for this measure, but those other agents.

I also come to you to propose an idea to counter. Given that the Chantry and Templars pressed the matter of phylacteries for rifters, the most effective way to work against it is to diplomatically persuade them of the dangers and risks that come with said phylacteries, and diffuse the idea without further fracturing of our alliances and resources.

One matter that has been raised is that, as we have so recently seen, phylacteries could be used to harm the rifters should they fall into enemy hands. Furthermore, they could be used by the Venatori to target and abduct rifters. We do not know what they could do with them, but their shards are powerful and important to our efforts, even if we were to neglect what the Venatori might use them for in order to further their goals.

If you have insights or ideas on what other arguments could be used to present to the Chantry and the Templars, I appeal to you now to share them with me so we can present a strong and effective argument. This is not solely a matter of concern for rifters, though I can confess my bias; this is for the sake of our Inquisition, and more importantly, the sake of Thedas. Interruptions to our work jeopardise our cause.

Those who would be willing to attend a meeting with Chantry leadership with me, please make yourselves known.

Comments

[aceso]

Yes.

[ She sighs. If only "he's a really good kisser so he's not evil, okay?" could be a good response to the fears of Rifters. ]

I feel my mind come to a standstill whenever I try to come up with something. If Rifters are vulnerable to kidnappings -- which we know has occurred before -- then keeping track of them is not a bad idea. But being that the best known way is blood magic and that phylacteries can be used to torture, another method of tracking must be used. But what method of tracking that is foolproof and not open to abuse is the question. And that is where I get tripped up.

[faithlikeaseed]

Coming at it from another direction: We could prove that phylacteries aren't foolproof--then any substitution for them on the grounds of tracking alone simply needs to be good-as.

[aceso]

Foolproof in not being tampered with, no, but foolproof in being able to track its owner? How can we prove such a thing is not?

[faithlikeaseed]

[Soft, thoughtful,] That's the question, isn't it?

If you can sever the bond between a mage and her phylactery, then they aren't foolproof. If you can otherwise block it from finding her, even if not permanently, they aren't foolproof. So how d'we do that?

[limier]

Tread carefully. This would be seen as a hostile act by many.

[faithlikeaseed]

I've no doubt, ser. I'll be careful. [like they weren't having another conversation about how bad he is at that]

[aceso]

Well.

[ This is taking all her brainpower, and she still is grasping for answers, no matter how ridiculous. ]

I... wonder... if an outside force can taint the blood inside a phylactery? It is like a compass, so the force would have to cause the compass to lead the wrong way.

[ She lets out an irritated noise. ]

But I have no idea what could do such a thing.

[faithlikeaseed]

We'd be best-served, I think, if we could find something--not a spell--that might interfere with them naturally. Then it's no positive act on our part to tamper, simply a fact of the world we can point at.

If you put a lodestone by a compass, it turns that way. Maybe it's not the compass we need to change--not the blood.

{ private }

[aceso]

[ ...Myr, you're a genius. ]

Let us test this. Have you been told that Church wishes to volunteer to have a phylactery made from his blood?

private ∞;

[faithlikeaseed]

[Oh for the Maker's sake, he thinks.

It's not her fault. Not her fault at all.]

I'd not been told, no. You're thinking we might get him one and test with him?

[aceso]

He is insistent that he go through with it to see that it can be safely done.

[ From the tone of her voice, it's clear she's not happy about it, but it was impossible to dissuade him. ]

We already know we cannot delay in testing, so we may as well do so, and with the lodestone as well. Am I right in thinking that a bit of lodestone out in nature could confuse a compass? If so, we may have at least one argument against Rifter phylacteries being foolproof, should making one even work and the lodestone do its job.

[ It's a bunch of "what ifs" but it's something. ]

Even if this does not do what we wish, at least we test it to know.

[faithlikeaseed]

[He's not happy about it either, from his own tone, but from what he knows of Church he's also fairly sure there's no keeping that particular rifter from getting his way.]

It...might? If it were near enough, and large enough. I can't say I know much about it than from books and a demonstration Enchanter Virag once did for us. I don't even know if lodestone might work on phylacteries, or if the natural principle's different--if there's something else we need to use, to have the same effect. We'll need to investigate.

But at least we can test it, yes.

[aceso]

[ Frustrating, isn't it? And she lives with the man. ]

Good. I told Church I would be there for him during this experiment, to heal him should something go wrong. I had not anticipated I would be coming up with things to test myself.