[ Strangely, this doesn't sound quite as terrible to Aro as a phylactery, maybe because it sounds a good bit more like an adventure he'd undertake by choice.
Though, like many things here, their reasoning for it seems completely stupid. ]
So they put us at risk of possession in order to prove we won't be? Bloody circular reasoning. I don't understand these people. Listen, don't do it alone, will you? Not when we don't know how it works.
Right? It makes no sense. "We believe these people might be dangerous, so we'll put them in a position where overwhelming odds say they'll prove us right. Confirmation bias? What confirmation bias?"
And mages have been dealing with this for centuries. That loyalists even exist is beyond me, these people should have fireballed the Chantry into oblivion at least 500 years ago.
❰ the hate adalia feels for the chantry, as a rational faerunian with normal gods, knows no bounds. the chantry lies and cheats and murders in service of its maker, and everyone believes in it out of... guilt? desperation? disgusting. they need to be saved from their own conditioning. ❱
I have a Templar I trust I'm going to ask to keep an eye on me when I do it so if I go all abomination-y I won't hurt anyone. There apparently has to be someone in charge of the ritual, or something...? In any case, I won't be alone.
All right. Just be careful, Adalia, please. None of this is worth endangering your life over.
[ And honestly, he really doesn't trust the Chantry to care whether she lives or dies. He cares, and he doesn't like the thought of her doing this when she doesn't have to. ]
I agree with you, about the Chantry. Religion has never seemed so poisonous to me before. I mean, I was never any god's acolyte, but these people just...it's disgusting, the way they treat mages and elves.
[ He sighs, feeling suddenly tired. He wants to go home. He really, so badly wants to go home. ]
We should probably talk more about these lists they're after.
❰ not. at all. but at least she can sound earnest when she says it? ❱
I believe in the gods like anyone else, but this... the Maker isn't even here. There are no clerics, no paladins... The closest these people have to actual gods is spirits, and they hate them. It's mind-boggling to me. I don't understand them at all.
❰ it's really nice to hear from someone with sane opinions on the chantry and the maker. adalia sighs again, and runs her wet hand through her hair — her disgruntled noise is audible over the crystal. ❱
Registers, of all Rifters with magic abilities and native mages with "unusual" magic. I'm trying to convince the others that blocking them should be a priority, but no one listens.
Not to mention, they don't believe in any other gods, and we know for a fact that they're wrong! But that doesn't matter. It makes no sense to me.
[ Aro doesn't understand faith, not in the way these people do. There is no doubt about the existence of gods in his world. No one sensible would claim there's only one god.
He runs a hand over his face, thinking about that list. Obviously, he hates the thought. He hates it less than phylacteries, but he still hates it. His instinct is to tell them nothing, but... ]
The danger would be in what would happen if we could do something we didn't tell them, and then they discovered it. Quite honestly, though, I don't really know all that I'm capable of. If I tell them that, what'll they do?
❰ aro you are speaking adalia's language. her angry, bitter, polytheistic language. ❱
Yes! Right! How on earth could one god take care of all of creation? And if he can't, is he even really a god? And then you say that to them and they get all huffy, like you haven't just been asking logical questions that should have easy answers.
❰ ...right, she's getting distracted. back to the important part. ❱
Keep an eye on you for anything new, I'd imagine. The idea is that people have been keeping notes on all of us anyway, the Chantry just wants to see them. But what could the Chantry do with lists like that except prepare countermeasures against us, for whenever they think they'd need them? The Chantry is Thedas' enemy, almost moreso than Corypheus is. I just hate the idea of giving them anything they want.
[ She's speaking and he's nodding, regardless of how she can't see him. ]
It may make sense to someone who's never seen the work of other gods, but...
[ Another sigh. ]
It's no wonder they don't like us, you know. We know they're wrong and they don't like it. But honestly...
It's not just them. Of course they want to know what magic we can do, given how tightly they control their own mages. It makes me want to hold things back, not tell them everything, in case I someday need to play a card they don't know about to save myself. But if I do that aren't I just proving that they can't trust me? But then maybe they can't trust me, if I can't trust them.
❰ adalia is also nodding vehemently, even though aro can't see it. there's a reason he's one of adalia's favourite people here, and it's not just because he has a dragon too.
...okay, iessa is a significant portion. but not all of it! ❱
If you gain any new abilities, hide them as much as you can, I say. Whatever you've done up to now, you have to assume has been noticed and noted by someone, so don't bother to hide it. But if you learn anything new...
Tell me, and we'll go to Sundermount together to test things out. Iessa and Charis can look out for anyone who might follow us and alert us before they become a problem, so you can work on your new abilities in peace.
Fuck trust, if trusting the Inquisition means playing into the Chantry's hands. If you've got to reveal something to save lives, that's one thing. Saving people and doing the right thing is more important than secrecy or protecting yourself. But don't give away valuable weapons just to make the Chantry's life easier when the war against Corypheus ends and their war against the Inquisition begins.
[ Okay. That sounds sensible. Plus, she's agreeing with Aro's
general instinct to play his cards close to his chest, so he's very much in
favour. ]
That makes sense to me. I'm not their enemy, I'm not about to run off and
join Corypheus. That doesn't mean they get to own me. The Chantry certainly
aren't my church.
[ No church is Aro's church, and he's never felt particularly
strongly about religion. This one, however, feels the need to dominate
everyone. He's not going to be a part of that. ]
A list's not the worst thing in the world, Adalia. Do what you have to do
at those talks. I trust you.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Though, like many things here, their reasoning for it seems completely stupid. ]
So they put us at risk of possession in order to prove we won't be? Bloody circular reasoning. I don't understand these people. Listen, don't do it alone, will you? Not when we don't know how it works.
no subject
And mages have been dealing with this for centuries. That loyalists even exist is beyond me, these people should have fireballed the Chantry into oblivion at least 500 years ago.
❰ the hate adalia feels for the chantry, as a rational faerunian with normal gods, knows no bounds. the chantry lies and cheats and murders in service of its maker, and everyone believes in it out of... guilt? desperation? disgusting. they need to be saved from their own conditioning. ❱
I have a Templar I trust I'm going to ask to keep an eye on me when I do it so if I go all abomination-y I won't hurt anyone. There apparently has to be someone in charge of the ritual, or something...? In any case, I won't be alone.
❰ after a moment, then, softly: ❱
I appreciate your concern, though. Thank you.
no subject
[ And honestly, he really doesn't trust the Chantry to care whether she lives or dies. He cares, and he doesn't like the thought of her doing this when she doesn't have to. ]
I agree with you, about the Chantry. Religion has never seemed so poisonous to me before. I mean, I was never any god's acolyte, but these people just...it's disgusting, the way they treat mages and elves.
[ He sighs, feeling suddenly tired. He wants to go home. He really, so badly wants to go home. ]
We should probably talk more about these lists they're after.
no subject
❰ not. at all. but at least she can sound earnest when she says it? ❱
I believe in the gods like anyone else, but this... the Maker isn't even here. There are no clerics, no paladins... The closest these people have to actual gods is spirits, and they hate them. It's mind-boggling to me. I don't understand them at all.
❰ it's really nice to hear from someone with sane opinions on the chantry and the maker. adalia sighs again, and runs her wet hand through her hair — her disgruntled noise is audible over the crystal. ❱
Registers, of all Rifters with magic abilities and native mages with "unusual" magic. I'm trying to convince the others that blocking them should be a priority, but no one listens.
no subject
[ Aro doesn't understand faith, not in the way these people do. There is no doubt about the existence of gods in his world. No one sensible would claim there's only one god.
He runs a hand over his face, thinking about that list. Obviously, he hates the thought. He hates it less than phylacteries, but he still hates it. His instinct is to tell them nothing, but... ]
The danger would be in what would happen if we could do something we didn't tell them, and then they discovered it. Quite honestly, though, I don't really know all that I'm capable of. If I tell them that, what'll they do?
no subject
Yes! Right! How on earth could one god take care of all of creation? And if he can't, is he even really a god? And then you say that to them and they get all huffy, like you haven't just been asking logical questions that should have easy answers.
❰ ...right, she's getting distracted. back to the important part. ❱
Keep an eye on you for anything new, I'd imagine. The idea is that people have been keeping notes on all of us anyway, the Chantry just wants to see them. But what could the Chantry do with lists like that except prepare countermeasures against us, for whenever they think they'd need them? The Chantry is Thedas' enemy, almost moreso than Corypheus is. I just hate the idea of giving them anything they want.
no subject
It may make sense to someone who's never seen the work of other gods, but...
[ Another sigh. ]
It's no wonder they don't like us, you know. We know they're wrong and they don't like it. But honestly...
It's not just them. Of course they want to know what magic we can do, given how tightly they control their own mages. It makes me want to hold things back, not tell them everything, in case I someday need to play a card they don't know about to save myself. But if I do that aren't I just proving that they can't trust me? But then maybe they can't trust me, if I can't trust them.
What do you plan to do?
no subject
...okay, iessa is a significant portion. but not all of it! ❱
If you gain any new abilities, hide them as much as you can, I say. Whatever you've done up to now, you have to assume has been noticed and noted by someone, so don't bother to hide it. But if you learn anything new...
Tell me, and we'll go to Sundermount together to test things out. Iessa and Charis can look out for anyone who might follow us and alert us before they become a problem, so you can work on your new abilities in peace.
Fuck trust, if trusting the Inquisition means playing into the Chantry's hands. If you've got to reveal something to save lives, that's one thing. Saving people and doing the right thing is more important than secrecy or protecting yourself. But don't give away valuable weapons just to make the Chantry's life easier when the war against Corypheus ends and their war against the Inquisition begins.
no subject
[ Okay. That sounds sensible. Plus, she's agreeing with Aro's general instinct to play his cards close to his chest, so he's very much in favour. ]
That makes sense to me. I'm not their enemy, I'm not about to run off and join Corypheus. That doesn't mean they get to own me. The Chantry certainly aren't my church.
[ No church is Aro's church, and he's never felt particularly strongly about religion. This one, however, feels the need to dominate everyone. He's not going to be a part of that. ]
A list's not the worst thing in the world, Adalia. Do what you have to do at those talks. I trust you.