therookery | crystal

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Deacon and Myrobalan
RECIPIENT: Everyone
WHAT: Confess your weird magic Inquisition
WHEN: Throughout the month
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES:
HERE is the survey sheet if you want to just fill it out that way. HERE are the assignment details. Also if you've got a rifter and/or a non-loyalist mage who'd like to be part of this please PM Deacon's journal and we'll sort it since they'd include one of each to try to get better coverage.
There's the option to self-report via npc if your character wouldn't but you'd like to. If you'd like to report on other characters please check with that player first but I know we got spies and shady folks and that's fun but let's make it fun for everyone!

Greetings Inquisition. In light of the negotiations some of your number participated in there are of course promises to be upheld on the Inquisition's end. Namely concerning magic or abilities those among you called rifters possess not native to Thedas as well as magic outside the Circle.

If you'd complete this survey, you'd have our gratitude. If you will have it, you'll have the Chantry's gratitude too: I needn't have to tell you the importance of not sitting idle, all of you.

We'll be available if you'd rather do this in person but copies of the survey are available in the Chantry Relations office.

As with the medical surveys and the information we’re keeping on the shardbearers, this will be maintained--and transferred to the Chantry--under a cipher. If you’ve further concerns about what might be done with what we’ve gathered, [and Myr’s tone says he very well knows there will be,] I’d ask you bring them to me as the new head of Chantry Relations.

[Not for him this whole formal announcement stuff; or, more likely, he’s had too much on his mind to make one. Nevertheless, a splinter of his usual humor:] I’ll be with the surveys in the office.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, well that all seems to square then. I'd much rather someone had names and descriptions of our Talents than some kind of sympathetic enchanted object tied to me. [Evidently not flustered by much of anything he's said:] No, list keeping seems very sensible if done responsibly. As does some division, if you like. But I suppose the problem is for people who it doesn't suit, isn't it? It seems very cruel to be made to live in a place you don't want to be in, doing a thing you don't want to do.

Though I suppose that's neither here nor there for the time being. Does the Chantry often change its mind about these things? Deciding who has rights and is or isn't a demon, I mean. I suppose it might depend on the Divine when a new one is chosen...--

[He’s a longer time replying to this one, his attention pulled away elsewhere.

It seems very sensible, she says, and he hadn’t realized he’d been braced for a fight on two fronts until then. That’s already endeared her to him.]

It does; but it was crueler still for those without magic to live under the rule of mages. Besides, [and here his voice is rueful,] it’s not that we’d have all had so many other opportunities to do as we wished outside the Circles; most elves live and die within a mile of where we’re born. [An alienage’s walls are more permeable than a Circle’s but where did you go, when you crossed outside them? Mostly back in.

He pauses a moment at her question, considers, reconsiders, and spends a moment in irritation at himself for doing so. Where's your certainty gone, Myrobalan?]

Much will depend on the Divine when she's chosen--though I'd consider also the Nevarran Accord as the closest we've got for precedent to your case. That carved out the Circles and lasted us better than eight Ages until it was broken, and not by the Chantry. A simple declaration without a Divine on the Sunburst Throne--it's not like to have such staying power, unless a woman who agreed with it is elected.

At the end of the day, I suppose cruelty is very much in the eye of whoever's getting socked by it. Which is to say, that I see your point entirely Messere and only wonder if the truth of it doesn't warrant some, I don't know, examination while we've the opportunity. Eight Ages sounds like a very long time indeed for so many people to be so frightened by magick and elves and being trapped by whatever they're born to.

[Wysteria, you have no idea what you're talking about.]

I suppose then the best hope for everyone must be a very forward thinking Divine who might take advantage of all this confusion to do a bit of good for everyone involved. It seems a shame to put it back exactly the way things were when you might do it a little differently and make everyone a little less grim over the whole ordeal.

--But really, a list doesn't seem like such a bad place to start. These things can't be done haphazardly or then they really will go upside down.

I'm of the mind cruelty's cruelty, [ruefully,] even when we're not aware enough to know what we've done.

[Wysteria, you have no idea what you're talking about, but the optimism's endearing all the same.]

The truth, [gently as he can,] is that mages can aspire to horrors if we're not careful every night of our lives. And even if we are, we've the Maker's own power given to us and not all of us treat it with the gravity it deserves--nor those around us with the respect they deserve. Magic is a fearsome thing; it's on us mages to use it righteously, with or without Circles.

[Mindful of who else is listening, he doesn't agree with her in the full-voiced way he'd like to. Instead:] A Divine who moves too quickly in all the confusion may well shatter the Chantry past bearing and multiply all our griefs instead. The Inquisition needs the support of a unified Chantry, not a thousand squabbling fragments.

[Breath in, breath out--damn it but he can't hide his heart this way for long, not entirely,] Though a Divine who's in it for all of Thedas would be our best choice, aye.

And thank you, [there's a hint of a laugh in his tone,] for saying so; you're absolutely right on that count. Enough of the world's upside down as it is we needn't contribute to it.

Speaking of, I've gone all out of order on this and don't even know your name, serah--?

[Oh right.]

Pardon, my manners are much better in person than they are like this. It's Poppell. Wysteria Poppell.

[He laughs a little at that.] Mine, too--the crystals derange 'em.

So you're the spellbreaker! [Somebody's reading the surveys as they show up.] A pleasure, Ms. Poppell. Myrobalan Shivana, at your service.

[Oh, there goes that scrap of anonymity. Ah well; hopefully no one is still listening to them prattle on.]

Happy to meet you, Messere. And of course I'd say the same - about service, I mean. Should you need assistance with anything that I might be useful for, don't hesitate to make it known.

[He realizes what he'd said in his enthusiasm only well after it's said. Score one for being able to keep these things appropriately secret--

Well, better next time and since she'd allowed as how that bit of her magic wasn't working right, it was--perhaps--not so bad as it could've been.]

Oh, gladly--we need all the help we can get here, most days, [dryly.] Though I'd not like to steal you from whatever else you're doing--who're you working with, if you don't mind my asking? Which projects?

Oh please, I'm really quite eager to be put to work. Right now I'm in the Research Division and I've mostly been assisting poor Seneschal Pizzicagnolo [driving him into an early grave] and tending to some of the gardens [badly]. I wouldn't mind something a little more stimulating.

--not that the Seneschal's work is dull, of course. It's very important.

[and lame.]

But he's got a zeal for it that's hard to match, hm? [which is to say: he'd be dying doing paperwork himself.]

Well--I don't know I've anything more stimulating than more paperwork at this point, but I've thought it might be good to have a rifter on board this project with us. Make it clear it's a willing joint effort and, mm. [He breaks off, gives a thoughtful little hum as he thinks precisely how to say what he wants without triggering any further outbursts--

Though truth be told he's likely already done that by suggesting they add a rifter to the group.]

--Well, you might think of things we'd overlook. Have a better idea what the risks and difficulties of all of this are, so we do better with 'em.

[The sound of her voice over the crystal brightens considerably. It's a strangely pleasant thing, isn't it? Being told your perspective on a thing might be valuable.]

Well, if you think I could be any sort of helpful at all then I don't see why not. It sounds like great fun. --Even the paperwork. I think you'll find I'm very passionate about that sot of thing given the right motivation. [A lie, but a very small one and in the moment she feels like she's being honest. So does it really count as being untrue?] And it sounds like a fantastic opportunity to learn a bit more about the Chantry.

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threadnecromancy; don't feel obligated to tag this but also wysteria is totally joining this project