this is my first network post in this game oh god i hope i don't ruin it

[twelvelabours]

FORM: sending crystal
SENDER: Hercules Hansen
RECIPIENT: locked to Grey Wardens! Grey Wardens only club!!!
WHAT: Anders & what do with him: a Grey Warden opinions discussion
WHEN: late Guardian /mumbles vaguely - set after Anders turns himself into Herc, before Leliana deduces is identity
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES:
This is regarding the Anders reveal plot, as discussed in this ooc post and as a follow-on from this log thread.
Threadjacking and hopping around encouraged!
If you'd like a thread with Herc to turn to actionspam for characters in Skyhold, go for it.

Wardens. We’ve got something important to discuss. If you’re not someplace private, stop listening now, drop whatever it is you’re doing, and get somewhere suitable. This is strictly Warden business.

( This is not the happy and friendly Herc. This is tense and angry Herc, even with his temper very carefully kept in check.

He leaves a pause to allow them to either stop listening without him accidentally unveiling something, if they need to, takes a breath, and carries on. There might be the sound of wind whipping behind him as he stands on the ramparts - what you can’t hear is the sound of him trying to reduce Anders to ash with his gaze. )

A Grey Warden who left our numbers has handed himself in to answer for crimes committed. Not against the Grey Wardens, but against Kirkwall and the Chantry. Some of you already know this man. Some of you knew him by the adopted name ‘Detlef.’ Others will just know the crimes of the mage Anders.

( Considering how to continue, what to say next, Herc exhales a moment. What a day. )

Anders has turned himself into us of his own free will, ( which unfortunately denied Herc the chance to tackle-slam him face first into a wall, ho hum ) and confessed to blowing up the Kirkwall Chantry, an act he claims was for the sake of mage freedom.

( He pauses, there. )

I don’t have much of a personal stake in that. I’m not a man of the Chantry, and I’m not a mage. Far as I’m concerned, there’s mages and there’s mages. The likes of Bethany and Kaiden have saved my life more times than I can count. Others can be dangerous, and I reckon the same goes for Templars, same as any other person. You’ve got honourable ones, and you’ve got monstrosities.

Now, I don’t even know all about what was happening in Kirkwall, back then, but I can’t say I’m a fan of killing some innocent people for the sake of saving other innocent people, one way or the other.
( Sounds like a pile of crap to him, personally. ) And as Grey Wardens, our roles is to try and protect all of Thedas. From the Blight and darkspawn, usually, but I don’t think innocent lives being lost, no matter who they belong to, sits well with any of us.

( Still. )

But Nathaniel reminded me that we all know how much someone can change, and that we all come to the Wardens for different reasons. Atonement is one, but Anders’ fate isn’t something any one of us can decide. He’s one of our own, and he’s our responsibility. Speak up with your thoughts.

Whatever our decision is, we are telling the Inquisition. The Wardens integrity isn’t going to be compromised any further.

Comments

[paperwing]

[it's funny you should mention that]

Unwanted sin, if there were any.

[paperwing]

I thought as much.

[Because, well, Justice.]

[unbrokenoath]

Yeah, I didn't think of that. Good point.

Maybe we could try to see if there are any Rivaini mages left after the chantry went and annulled them all. I heard that they used to allow spirits to possess them regularly. Doing some kind of seer stuff?

But that wouldn't really help us right now.

I think keeping a Warden on him is the best thing we can offer, right now. If it wouldn't just make the situation worse, we could let them pick out someone else to do it, too? Someone...not a Templar, presumably.

[paperwing]

That is true. They don't. But that will not stop them from saying so, or how they feel. We have scarce few allies; can we afford to lose another?

[byblow]

I may be...

This is weird. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for something to disagree with you on.

[paperwing]

Scipio is correct, though. We have so little sway, here.

[she's got your back leave him alone]

We negotiate, but what are we willing to back down on? What aren't we?

[pinprick]

I appreciate it.

[bunko]

Then, ser, you have been a part of some very kind negotiations. I myself always assume success, but prepare for the worst. This explains my living.

And, of course, I am very clever.

[paperwing]

It was a secret from all of us, before. Now that we all know? We cannot not say anything. Because if we don't, the Inquisition will find out. It's Spymaster will discover it, eventually.

And then we are all implicit.

[bunko]

[thnx Sab would kiss you c: ]

[pinprick]

That's what we're trying to decide here.

[pinprick]

Please, boy. Tell me how kind the negotiations have been in my life. Tell me how naive a Howe is, with regard to losing absolutely everything.

What happened to you, or to me, has absolutely nothing to do with the case at hand. Doomsaying is pointless.

[pinprick]

We must assume they are rational beings and give them the chance to negotiate first. Executing a plan for the worst-case scenario is plan B.

[paperwing]

[... oh. Well. Yes.]

But he is to be our brother once again-

[Sabriel deflates, for Bethany's sake more than anything else.]

-will others see it that way? Is it not acknowledgement of our part in it?

[paperwing]

Templars underwent the Joining in order to pursue him...?

[pinprick]

It's precisely as insane as it sounds.

[bunko]

Well. I am a very good secret-keeper, at least. But if this is the reason, then I do not know why we stay at all. To make use of these fine Inquisition resources? These are only so good as we are free to use them.

And they are not so fine as that. I have seen far finer, in Antiva City.

[where we could all go. come on. it's warm.]

A new disguise, for our friend. A new disguise for us.

[bunko]

I presume to tell you nothing. I do not know of your life and you do not know of mine. This is no contest of the piss, but-- it is not doomsaying, to advise preparation. It is to have a trick up the sleeve.

[paperwing]

I will have to bring it to them, officially. There questions will still need answering. Perhaps not from Anders himself- [that's unwise, and she is more concerned about those outside the council's authority that those in it,] -but from those who are willing to champion him.

[byblow]

Do you know someone in Antiva with an army we can borrow?

[unbrokenoath]

They were Orlesians, is it any surprise.

[paperwing]

[that could be a valid option. there's just one, itsy little problem.]

And we leave those out west to their fates?

[the only force strong enough, with enough resources, is the inquisition. they all know that.]

They were our fates too, once. Had we not found you and Rafael, what then?

[pinprick]

You're not advising preparation. You're urging a foolproof plan. Once you've been around a bit, you'll know there's no such thing. By the end of this discussion, you're not going to feel very good about whatever we've decided, because it will still have a good chance of going wrong. That's living.

[pinprick]

I'm willing. I knew him and Justice before they were...merged. I was also there the night the Chantry was destroyed. Tell them I'll answer any questions they have.

[bunko]

Ah...

Part, maybe.