001 | Crystal

[mousquetaire]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: d'Artagnan
RECIPIENT: Everyone with a crystal
WHAT: A question about phylacteries and discussion of the upcoming tourney.
WHEN: Shortly after tourney sign-ups are announced.
WHERE: Kirkwall, Docks

[ Here d'Artagnan is, seated on one of the long tables used for dining at the docks in Kirkwall. He's trying to look like it's very normal to talk into a crystal. ]

Hello. I'm d'Artagnan, recently of the Forces Division, originally of the King's Musketeers of Paris, which makes me what you call a rifter, I suppose, although I'll say I'm not fond of that title.

[ And with introductions out of the way… ]

I know that phylacteries is the word of the day. [ And check it out! He pronounced that with almost no problem at all. He maybe stumbled over the middle section, but surely no one will notice. Anyway: ] I'll be honest: I don't know what that is. From all of your reactions, I doubt it's anything I'd like. If you can explain it to me without starting another war over it, I'd owe you a debt.

[ Not that you're not all lovely people. But with that unhappy admission of ignorance out of the way, let him just segue straight into what he is actually good at. So… ]

The Tourney, on the other hand. You, my friends, shall have my sword, and I'll challenge any one of you to meet me on that field. My King is not protected by Knights, but by Musketeers, so when the games come, I will fight for the garrison, and my brothers. Who among you will attend?

Comments

[keenly]

They take a bit of your blood and put it in a vial. If you get lost, captured, or run away, they can use it to find you.

[mousquetaire]

I'll say now, some of those possibilities are kinder than others.

[ D'Artagnan turns the crystal over in his hand. He wishes he knew who he was talking to. ]

Are they made for our safety, or to keep us within reach? Intent makes a difference, even if the result is the same.

[keenly]

In the Circle, they said it was for our safety, but it was really to keep us from escaping. Though I wouldn't panic, not yet. There's a lot of uproar right now, but nobody is actually making phylacteries. So you have time to negotiate things with the Inquisition and the Chantry.

[mousquetaire]

I understand that. It's just that I can't negotiate if I don't know what's on the table.

[ He, unlike what seems like half the people in this city, is not overreacting. That's mainly because he's not fully abreast of the issues, though. ]

You're a mage? How do you feel about your own phylactery, presuming you have one.

[keenly]

Sort of queasy. I joined the strike, if that's what you're asking.

[mousquetaire]

So you'd have rid of it if you could. I don't at all blame you.

Can the magic that created it be undone?

[keenly]

Yes. You smash it.

[mousquetaire]

What, that's all? And that does no harm to the person it came from?

[keenly]

No harm whatever.

[mousquetaire]

That's good to know. Presumably they're very careful to guard against any sort of foul play.

[keenly]

Foul play like smashing the phylacteries? Or like torturing people from afar with them? [Because people aren't that careful about protecting mages.]

[mousquetaire]

I meant the former.

Is the latter what they do? Have they done that to you?

[keenly]

Um, it's not what they were meant for, but it did happen. Very recently. It's sort of how this entire phylactery business started, people doing that with existing mage phylacteries. You can cast a spell on a phylactery and it's just like casting it on the person.

[So yes. They did it to him. But he doesn't want to come out and say that. He'd rather forget it ever happened.]

[mousquetaire]

Then why would they want to put anyone else in danger?!

[ This is ridiculous. If something has already caused problems once, expanding it to take account of more people is hardly the solution. ]

What happened when they did it before?