[IC/OOC] Fade Rift Inbox & Contact

[faithlikeaseed]

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Comments

[faithlikeaseed]

And what about mages who don't feel their birthright should bind them to a life of service? What will you do with them?

[Were he discussing this with Van, he'd bring in a comparison to the Circles here--but he hasn't the familiarity with Anders to know what might touch off unproductive bickering instead of a worthwhile discussion.

And they've had far too much of that for one lifetime, he thinks.]

Speaking with someone more versed in the law's sensible enough, though. I can't begin to think what might be appropriate for some of these--coercing someone's free will away from her is awful enough to me to warrant a death sentence, though I s'pose it should depend on how much damage the coercion did.

[justice_is_blond]

They can go as they will. This is to provide a place for education, training, and an offering of stability as well as protection. There may be some sort of compulsory training time for mages included in the treaty, whether by the community or by another fully trained mage that wants to take in an apprentice, just for the sake of safety, but the basics a mage needs to know could be covered within two years.

I realize giving the option to go one's own way will weaken the standing of the group. But freedom and options are of paramount importance. Without them, things absolutely will go downhill.

And I... would not disagree regarding a death sentence for such an act. But the line will have to be set at which doing that earns it because the law attempts to make black and white things that can sometimes be grey. Mind control for personal gain should be punished severely. But what if a blood mage mind controls a slaver to set slaves free?

[faithlikeaseed]

"May" seems a weak word when an untrained mage is as much risk to herself as to others. But what about those who refuse even that--how d'you plan to make learning truly compulsory with the recalcitrant? And if they should take all their training and turn around and harm others, for gain or for spite, will the mages of your school be obligated to bring them to justice?

[A brief noise that's almost a laugh follows.] That's what the law's for--making things black and white. It's up to righteous judges to bring the gray back in where it's warranted.

What if she does? Did she have other options to free the slaves? Stripping someone of her volition, her Maker-given free will, even if it's only temporary--it's evil. Maybe not evil beyond excuse, maybe it's evil the same as killing is evil, sometimes excusable-- But this is why I'm not a judge. [Among many other reasons.]

[justice_is_blond]

Teaching is absolutely needed. Everyone can agree on that. The how... I don't have that figured out yet. If there are enough mages we could send out tutors, and I hope for that, but I don't know if we will. There are so many unknowns because we've never had anything like this before.

But I do think that mages of our school should be tasked with bringing in mages who have used their magic for ill after training with us.

And life is shades of grey. The law can dictate and try to make things black and white, but life never is clear the way the low wishes it to be. Two wrongs does not always make a right, but sometimes it does. Kill the bandit who is robbing and killing, mind control a slaver to free people, one is permanent, and both seem fair.

[faithlikeaseed]

[Thoughtful,] And mages who haven't trained with you, but still use their magic for evil? --Although before I go on, I should ask: D'you envision this world being one entirely without templars, or anyone who's access to their skills and training?

Two wrongs don't ever make a right, serah. If I kill a man in self-defense, he's dead beyond help and redeeming, condemned to wander the Void until he's penitent enough to embrace Andraste's mercy. [That's an interesting bit of theology right there, but--] And in that I wronged him, even if in doing so I prevented many greater wrongs he'd have committed.

Though that's a digression from the point. I'm not convinced that any use of blood magic to overthrow the minds of others is ever legitimate, but that's something to be decided much later, I imagine.

[justice_is_blond]

I... Let's set aside the talk of blood magic for the moment, perhaps. That's a large topic in its own right and we're discussing a great deal already. And perhaps the wrongs and rights. We can come back to that.

[Because that's especially interesting in light of Myrobalan's belief. It's not something he's encountered before.]

As far as Templars go, they get their abilities from lyrium, and that same lyrium is an addiction that is by all accounts nearly impossible to overcome. I do not see a reason to make more Templars as if we are scared of policing our own. Those who are already Templars, if they come with recommendations from several mages as someone who has not abused or taken advantage of, we could allow to serve out the rest of their time helping teach their non-lyrium skills to mages.

I feel that keeping them is simply too risky as well, as with mages in charge it could look like an army of swordsmen serving mages. And if they choose to try to take control we've the wolves penned with the... Mm. Wolves and sheep aren't exactly the right comparison, mages have magic, but there is something disconcerting about training people to defeat you, given them the means to strip you down, and keeping them on an addictive substance the whole time. Mages can learn Dispell; we don't need Smite thrown around.

As far as mages who do not train with us but choose to break the law... [He contemplates this for a moment.] I think we need a team of mages at the school that is prepared to go up against the unknown to bring them in. It would be irresponsible of us to say that we will only take care of mages gone wrong if they've been with us when we want Thedas to trust us to do right by them. We have to protect our vulnerable people, but we also have a duty to protect those who do not have magic from those who do.