( Neria / Fenris )
They may have succumbed to weakness, but it is not entirely their fault. Some, certainly, but when you have blood magic in the numbers you speak of, there is almost always an external force at work. When the Circle fell, there were a great many blood mages, but it was the work of one man who had fallen into madness. Many were turned into abominations against their will. It was horrifying.
I am not some paragon of virtue, Fenris. People believe a great many things about the Hero of Ferelden. The power I wield comes from the Wardens and from the people who supported me. Yes, I learned a great many things in the circle, but I learned a great deal more out in the world. If I had not left the Circle, something I was only able to do because Duncan made me a warden, I would have been locked away in the Aeonar or made Tranquil. I am not exaggerating to provoke sympathy. That is the fate Duncan saved me from.
But it is the same. I am not saying Hawke is not a good person. She clearly is. But she is still a blood mage, and that means she has dealt with demons as surely as Merrill has. I must ask though, are there no mages in your acquaintance who have not turned to blood magic?