bethen avilla ; the circle mage (bethe) wrote in thedas,
Beth nodded at Signy, listening with equal parts fascination and sympathy. It wasn't until the dwarf's small hand brushed against the marking on her cheek that she even noticed it was there. She had read about that -- it was a brand, a mark of status, but not a positive symbol the way that Dalish had tattoos. In the Tower, she'd known a few of the elven mages to put markings on themselves in reverence of a god that they had only read about, even though the Circle discouraged such cultural distinctions. All magi were equalized upon arrival, all heritage forgotten simply because they had the common bond of wielding magic. These marks were on the two Dalish Wardens, but she hadn't yet been able to ask them about it. Beth considered asking Signy about hers, but was easily distracted by the volley of questions that had been thrown her way.
She slowly tapped the tips of her fingers on the table as she gathered her thoughts, uncertain where to even begin, "Well...it's like... For me, the Circle has always been home. Some people think it's...a prison, or a cage, and I can understand why. You can't leave without permission from the First Enchanter -- the head of our organization, in charge of the Tower -- and the templar leader, the Knight-Commander." Her fingers had stopped moving. Was that too much, or too little? Signy said that Dagna told them about the lessons and the structure itself, but what about their function? "We're always under watch by the Templars, who serve the Chantry. They're supposed to protect people, from us. From magi. I don't know what you know about the Chant of Light -- but that's another story, for another time -- but according to them, we're dangerous. They send us to the Tower because they don't trust us to be among the rest of the population, which is not unlike the conclusion that your Assembly drew. Other than guarding us, templars are supposed to hunt maleficar -- those who use forbidden magics. And they also look for apostates, like...well, like you."
She paused to take a deep breath, a sudden thought dawning on her, which registered in her expression, brows raising higher. Beth exhaled with a gasp, "It makes sense now, why you're here. Not that you wouldn't be worthy otherwise, but -- well, the Warden-Commander wanted you for himself, I think. Er. In that, if the Chantry had their way, they would probably be taking you to some remote...somewhere, for study. And he's actually an ex-templar, so I can see why he'd think that you'd be better off here, as a Warden, than under their--" A violent image had formed in her mind of dungeons and tables with straps and sharp knives, and she went quiet, not wanting to share the idea with Signy, lest she frighten her. Besides that, she had been going on a tangent apart from what she had been asked. The woman smiled apologetically.
"I'm rambling, aren't I? I...do that. Sorry. That's the basics. We're taken to the Tower to learn control over our powers, and when we're there, we can't leave, and we're under constant watch by the templars," Bethen tried her best to sum up the last few minutes of her lecture in one sentence, which would have been easier to say if she'd thought of it in the first place. But the way she had phrased that last part seemed...negative, and she didn't want Signy to get the wrong impression, especially since it was likely that her closest encounter with their order had been in that tiny room, only hours ago. "Not all of them are-- were-- like Maddock. Some of them are really wonderful, kind people, like Alderic. And Aurin." Upon speaking his name, she glanced away from Signy to stare at the low burning candle she had brought with her, visibly pensive, but not speaking her mind aloud for a change. The pause didn't hold for long, as she proceeded to explain, "Maddock wasn't a bad person, either. He just had very strong convictions, and was dedicated to his role in serving the Maker."
After a beat, an apologetic smile replaced her grave expression, "That was a lot of information to just heap on you there, I'm sorry. Is there something specific you wanted to know, or are you tired of listening to me drone on, yet?"