( The main sword hanging over their heads, the main consequence for deserting. There’s the sound of some rustling paper, Stephen checking the pages in the enchanted book. )
Shielding from ‘civilian rule of law, pursuit and persecution by rebel magi, and any consequence of wartime actions performed in the service of the Order’. What do you think that’s going after? “Congrats on your war crimes and slaughtering civilians during the mage-templar war”?
Not that I’m saying you specifically did that, just— wrapping my head around this threat in general.
Covering their asses, maybe. Taking care of loose ends. Maybe even trying to make some kind of crude peace with mages? [He sounds distinctly unhappy about all those possibilities.] After all these years, a lot of the cats have long left the bag; it doesn't seem like a great time to suddenly try and save face.
Which means I don't like it. Especially being perfectly willing to hand names over to mages with grudges. That doesn't fit any Templar or Chantry MO that I'm aware of. Could be someone on high is starting to realize this is a war of attrition, and that they aren't gonna have the numbers to take on the Venatori themselves. Make whatever peace with mages that their pride is willing to let them, make a peace offering of any Templars stupid enough not to fall back into ranks.
I think the stupider thing would be to go crawling back and then tossed bodily at a bunch of Venatori and become another corpse to throw on the pyre. I don't know what else they're doing with Templars now given the March. Still probably have a couple higher ranks with cushy jobs in major cities doing the usual duties of taking care of maleficar and looking into reports of blood magic and the like. But they still need plenty of foot soldiers in their war.
If we could just-- This split with the Inquisition didn't help our odds even if it gives us more freedom to bend and break whatever rules they wouldn't have let us.
( Mobius can probably hear the smile in Stephen’s voice when he says, ) Good. Agreed. Obviously we’re still hopping around to our superiors’ orders here, but I fully believe we have more freedom and more options at our disposal. It’s our war; we’ll be the ones fighting it on our terms.
And, hell, you’ve got a pretty good excuse now. ( The anchor. )
Being closer allies to people we disagree with wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. [Mumbled a bit under his breath, but still audible. But, they don't exactly have a Hero of Ferelden around to unite a bunch of disparate people.]
Yeah, I'll make sure I don't find any reason to get my arm lopped off. If my name gets sold to any angry mages, I'll just zap them with some Fade lightning.
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Kinda thought you'd be jumping for joy about this. An official separation of services or whatever other polite way I'll phrase it.
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Just hoping you don’t catch any shit for it. The phrasing of that letter was— hm. Well. Y’know.
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...For the most part.
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( This is only sort of half-kidding. Maybe. )
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Oh, you meant the potential Templar or otherwise Chantry officials. Yeah, them too, maybe. Not sure how endearing that would be to the cause.
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( The main sword hanging over their heads, the main consequence for deserting. There’s the sound of some rustling paper, Stephen checking the pages in the enchanted book. )
Shielding from ‘civilian rule of law, pursuit and persecution by rebel magi, and any consequence of wartime actions performed in the service of the Order’. What do you think that’s going after? “Congrats on your war crimes and slaughtering civilians during the mage-templar war”?
Not that I’m saying you specifically did that, just— wrapping my head around this threat in general.
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Which means I don't like it. Especially being perfectly willing to hand names over to mages with grudges. That doesn't fit any Templar or Chantry MO that I'm aware of. Could be someone on high is starting to realize this is a war of attrition, and that they aren't gonna have the numbers to take on the Venatori themselves. Make whatever peace with mages that their pride is willing to let them, make a peace offering of any Templars stupid enough not to fall back into ranks.
Can't be sure, though.
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( That is, after all, technically what Mobius is doing — )
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If we could just-- This split with the Inquisition didn't help our odds even if it gives us more freedom to bend and break whatever rules they wouldn't have let us.
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And, hell, you’ve got a pretty good excuse now. ( The anchor. )
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Yeah, I'll make sure I don't find any reason to get my arm lopped off. If my name gets sold to any angry mages, I'll just zap them with some Fade lightning.
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—and thank god, I’ve had enough of people wanting their arms lopped off. Weirdly glad to hear you’re okay keeping yours.