open | sending crystal

[extramural]

FORM: Sending Crystal
SENDER: The Outsider
RECIPIENT: Open!
WHAT: A morbid question.
WHEN: mid-month
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Talk of death, horrifying things, the Outsider being himself.

Tell me. What would you consider a fate worse than death?

Comments

[in_death_sacrifice]

Losing control of yourself, acting against your will under another's command... Anything like that.

[extramural]

I take it you do not consume alcohol, then?

[in_death_sacrifice]

I can hold my liquor just fine. No, I've no qualm with drinking... [A number of substances beyond alcohol, he has drunk more blood than most tend to, thanks to Grey Wardening and reavering.]

...but if a person controls another through magical means... that I have a problem with.

[extramural]

Yet it can make one lose control, can it not?

It seems to be a common fear, here. More so even than the Darkspawn.

[in_death_sacrifice]

It very well can. Yet it's fine for those of us who can handle it.

[Don't ask him about drunken stupid things that he's gotten involved in. Or more like, other people have involved him in.]

It's by far a more terrifying fate, to be used against your will. Falling to the Darkspawn is something that many of us are more prepared to face.

[extramural]

Those able to moderate themselves, perhaps.

[ 'Handling' is a matter of volume, he imagines. ]

Yet they are far less common than mages, are they not?

[in_death_sacrifice]

Some of us just have a better sense for it than others.

As for darkspawn... yes, that's true, unless we're dealing with a Blight. But since mages are far more common, the fear of being controlled through blood magic is a justifiable one. Fortunately, they don't all practice that.

[extramural]

In my experience, people tend to fear the unknown -- though mind control is certainly unknown, and with mages kept away from the rest of the population, they must be rather unknown as well.

[in_death_sacrifice]

Mind control is the most terrible fate imaginable. Blood magic is terrible. Magic in itself is not. Though that could be because I knew a mage quite well, growing up... I don't see magic as a whole as an unknown. Just... certain types.

[Kain has often wondered how different it might have been, if he'd not fallen in love with a mage. She hadn't returned those feelings, sadly, but still... It makes some difference in how he views magic.]

[extramural]

Not all blood magic is related to mind control, is it? It does not necessarily even have to involve the blood of others, does it?

[ There is a pause. ]

All magic is loathed in my world. Those who use it are killed once they are found out. The differences between it and this world are sometimes striking, as a result.

[in_death_sacrifice]

True, it can be used for... other means. It can be activated with one's own blood. That doesn't change that of all forms of magic, it has the most potential to cause the worst harm.

[Though he's pretty shocked to learn that there are worlds that treat mages even worse.]

Magic is feared here, certainly loathed by some, but... it's never gone that far. The traditional response has been to lock the mages away. I can't imagine such a world. Have they put up any resistance?

[extramural]

I imagine that depends on your definition of 'harm'.

Some. There are not as many magic users, and those that do exist typically work in other ways than attacking the Abbey directly. When the Abbey comes for them, however...

Well. It is not pleasant for either party.

[in_death_sacrifice]

Hmmph. I've seen firsthand how horrific blood magic can be. Leave it at that.

[It's not something he's exactly thrilled to elaborate on but his experiences have left him deeply disturbed.]

[Drinking blood, however, is totally a different thing and doesn't count, nope. Also it's not human so it's ok. :| But he knows better than to get into that, he knows how creepy that can sound. ANYWAY.]

How terrible, for everyone involved. No one deserves such a fate. Much like here in Thedas, I imagine it's a situation that won't be easily resolved either. That type of hostility is difficult to work past, on both sides.

[extramural]

[ that is not an answer kain :||| ]

The Abbey abuses its power where others have none. But we shall see what the future holds.

[in_death_sacrifice]

[Be ready for a lot of non-answers from Kain, that's his favorite thing to do.]

I hope that you find some form of resolution. Such a thing cannot continue forever... it may someday come to a drastic action.

[Because apparently that's how these things get resolved.]