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Chapter Five: Lord Dorian Pavus
One thing that has always impressed me about the Inquisition ever since we settled in Skyhold is the full breadth of the knowledge that could be found in the library, though I had to learn which authors to avoid due to being little more than Chantry mouthpeices and which were actually reliable.
By far the most reliable author, inspite of his being a Southern Chantry Brother, in cultural studies was Brother Genitivi. If only other scholars, both northern and southern, could set aside their beliefs and give a logical, factual accounts of things. It's part of why I quit looking for magical primers in the library. Most were over half way full of garbage religious rhetoric.
I was reading Genitivi's final work, the one he wrote before his mysterious disappearance, about the Temple of Sacred Ashes, when I felt a pair of eyes on me. Looking up from my book, I spotted the Hero of Ferelden looking down on me with an smused smirk on her face. "Can I help you?"
"Just thought I'd get myself a look at the 'good' Tevinter," Morgana replied.
Despite myself, I laughed. I then asked, my voice full of humor, "They don't actually call me that, do they?"
"A few people do. You've got quite the niche following," she commented as she sat down in the chair across from mine. "Mostly young girls who are drawn to either the overly romaticized rebel thing you have going on or one who are looking for ways to rebel against their fathers."
"Forget Ancient Tevinter Magister Darkpawn hellbent on destroying the world, there is nothing more perilous than being the subject of idle teenage girl fantasies," I say mockingly.
"As a former idle teenage girl I can assure you it's worse than you realize," she replied.
I shudder dramatically. "That thought will keep me up at night."
"To be fair, the mages who have joined the Inquisition are all looking for someone to look up to, but their choices are not people whom most would first consider heroes," Morgana said to me. "You're a Tevinter and despite how outspoken you are against blood magic and the Venatori, that's still enough to make people wary of you. Though that has been lessening over time. Solus is a brilliant mage and not just for a hedge mage. He could give some First Enchanters and Keepers I've met a run for their money interms of knowledge and utility. But he mostly sticks to himself and the way he utilizes the fade and talks to spirits puts them off. And as for Viv..."
I snort in an attempt to hold back my laughter. "You know she hates it when you call her that."
"As for Viv," Morgana pressed on, though she shot me a knowing smirk. "While she is able to provide a measure of stability and continuity, she was a First Enchanter after all, her assertations of being the leader of the 'last loyal mages' in all of Thedas has alienated more mages than she and her cohorts have brought in. I know a number of Senior Enchanters who's beliefs actually run parallel to what she says she believes, but they refused to join her during the Mage/Templar conflict and refused to join the Inquisition because of her until Leli's people descreetly let them know I was here." She then laughed. "It's funny in a way it shouldn't be because each of those groups were all die hard Aequitarians and I'm, for all intents and purposes, a very outspoken Libertarian."
"Ah, those cute little mage fraternities you all had. I'd heard about them, of course, but never gave them much thought," I commented. "Though I suppose I should have, if they affect mage politics like they are."
"Few people outside the Circles pay them any mind," Morgana replied. "With you being a Tevinter and Hector and Solus being true apostates, the only Circle Mages of any significance left after the failed Conclave are myself, First-Enchanter Viviane and Warden-Commander Clarel. And while I see myself as a mage first, Warden second, Clarel is the exact opposite. With Fiona reportedly killed at Haven and Wynne at Adamant, and the rest of the First Enchanters killed at the Conclave itself... Vivienne has a free and clear path to the top and by siding with the Inquisition, she's all but assured to be the next Grand Enchanter at the very least."
"I'd have thought that you, of all people, with your titles and such, would approve or is it because you dislike her so much," I stated, looking to get into the head of the Warden-Commander.
"While Vivienne and I never formally joined any of the fraternities, she has stated that her beliefs are largely Aequitarian, but in practice, she is more of a cross between a Loyalist and a Lucrosian. Very, very, few Circles were like the one at Montsimmard. All of them Orlesian. Mages don't ususally attend balls and celebrations and when they do, they are kept away from those actually celebrating. We are meant to be little more than window dressing, there for parlor tricks and not much else. Entertainment. Anything more and the Templars get twitchy and Chantry Mothers start spouting about how our existence is an affront to the Maker. But Vivienne, she batted her eyes at a noble and got a free ride to all the influence and power she could ever dream of. I won't deny that she's done well for herself since then and, despite herself, has become a fairly accomplished mage in her own right, but for her, it's always been about doing what's best for Vivienne, not what's best for mage-kind."
"And you think she could- should have done things differently?" I ask leadingly. "I'll admit that since I'm not a southerner, I don't really understand all that much about what mages down here go through and the way you desribe her, Vivienne isn't really any different from mages who grew up in families like mine. Given what we in Tevinter hear about how mages in in the south are treated, the fact that there are mages like you, Vivienne and the Inquisitor is nothing short of a miracle."
"During The Blight, right after my Harrowing, I was nearly branded Tranquil helping my best friend escape from The Circle because HE was about to be made Tranquil due to rumors of him being a blood mage. Rumors that turned out to be true, ironically, but that's neither here nor there. After being conscripted to the Wardens, I spent a year being accused of being a traitor and regicide, dodging assassins, ending two Civil Wars- because, Dwarves- killing demons and abominations and slaying more darkspawn in that time than most people even saw between the Fourth and Fifth Blights in five lifetimes." Morgana told me without an ounce of bravado in her tone. I'm not sure I could have managed it. On second thought, I know for a fact I couldn't have managed it. Those are all brag worthy achievements and I would have milked them for all they were worth. "Oh, and I fought and killed three High Dragons in that time- the third of course, being the Archdemon Urthemial."
I couldn't help myself. The way she casually slipped that last bit in, as if it was an everyday thing, and not a deed of worldwide renown, made me laugh.
"So, I slay the Archdemon and ask to serve the crown. Nora- Queen Anora- then makes me her Chancellor- not Archmage to the Queen, but a full on Chancellor. And, much to my shock after the Coronation, not one in name only. On top of that, for all Alistair and I did for the kingdom, she gave the Grey Wardens the holdings of the late Rendon Howe, namely the Arling of Amaranthine. Making me, as the newly appointed Commander of the Grey of Fereldan, the Arlessa of Amaranthine by default."
"That must have been overwhelming," I comment. She had gone from being borderline, if not outright, oppressed, to being on the run like some common brigand to leading armies of men and being an advisor to a head of state and all within the timespan of a single year. She must have gone through a much bigger culture shock than even I had when I first came to the south.
"Thanks to Nora, I did get a six month break between the Blight and having to actually deal with the Thaw since she allowed some Orlesian Grey Wardens take over for me. And she did allow me to deal with the strangely behaving darkspawn before calling me back to help her, Teryn Cousland and Arl Guerrin deal with matters of court," she replied. "And it wasn't all bad. While dealing with the Blight and the Thaw, I still had friends to help me. I kind of feel sorry for the Queen to be honest. Fergus and I are probably the closest people Nora's had to a friend since Cailan's death at the Battle of Ostagar. As much as I hate dealing with noble crap, I hate being so far from Denerim more because Fergus doesn't push her like I do." She then sighed. "The point is, with all her power and influence, Vivienne has only done things that benefit Vivienne and if other people benefitted, horray for her! But me, everything I've done since leaving Kinloch has been for the betterment of others. Usually, if I benefit, it's because I made someone's life easier and they're yelling less than they were."
"I don't envy you that. Before... Well, before I left, I saw how my father's responsibilities to the Magisterium often wore him down. I could never understand how he felt it worth it to put himself through all that, for little to no gain for himself. Sure the family benefited. One more notch on our grand legacy, but there was hardly ever in personal gain in it for him specifically," I say, commiserating with her, while mentally comparing Vivienne, Morgana and my father. Truthfully, I had always liked the First Enchanter. We had things in common, people who didn't like us for a number of reasons. And I still did, in all honesty, though I wasn't as blind to her faults as I had been before. Unlike so many others at Skyhold, including and especially the other mages, our interactions with each other reminded me of back home. "And I suppose I can see what your point about Vivienne. I'm not sure I wholly agree, but I can see why you feel that way."
The two of us sat in silence for a few moments, before he spoke up once more. "So, what are you reading."
"Genitivi," I reply, holding up the book.
"I met him during the Blight," Morgana commented.
"I know. This one is about Haven- his final work. You're mentioned in the foreward. He all but dedicated the book to you," I inform her in the event she hadn't read it.
"I know. I had intended to thank him when I saw it, but he'd already vanished," Morgana said with a frown. "I looked into what happened to him, but noone could find any trace of him. The trail ended led all the way to Haven, but there are no signs of him or the rest of his party having met an untimely end. It was as if they'd just... Gone."
"I hadn't heard that," I admit.
"Few people have. These last ten years have been a time of miracles... Me not only ending a Blight in a year- less than that when you really think about it- but also finding the Temple of Sacred Ashes... Ashes that worked as advertised. Arty almost singlehandedly stopping a Qunari Invasion of Kirkwall, Inquisitor Adaar, a... Qunari who is Andrastian and is seemingly her chosen... And those are just the highlights of things going on," Morgana shook her head. "I couldn't even fathom what would happen if people found out that Genitivi didn't just disappear under mysterious circumstances, but did so at Haven."
"Who else knows, if you don't mind my asking," I inquire. Given all the holy rhetoric going around, especially with the Inquisitor being Andraste's chosen, it was hard, even for someone like me, to get wrapped up in the mystique and wonder of it all. It all made for a fantastic tale and I couldn't wait to see how Varric would put it all down on paper.
"Myself and the Senior Wardens of Ferelden. We were one of two groups looking into it. Seeker Pentaghast and the people she had with her- they were the other group. Divine Justinia and Queen Anora for certain. I also suspect that Empress Celene might know, though I have my doubts given how the secret of his disappearance, few as they are, are still secret," Morgana told me. "So you have joined a very exclusive group of people. Don't make me regret trusting you."
"I won't. The people around here are polite, but I can still see how some of them fear me, despite having done nothing for them to mistrust me so. I'll not bollocks it up by betraying your's, and by extention, The Inquisitor's trust," I vow to her sincerely.
"I have to admit, it's nice to be able to have a conversation with a Tevinter I didn't want to stab or lob a fireball at," Morgana said to me. "Of course you not being a two bit, slaving, Magister, blood mage probably helps."
I look at her unamused. "Not all two bit, slaving blood mages are Magisters."
"I didn't say they were. They do, actually. Apparently, one of the requirements of being a two bit, slaving blood mage is a need to monologue and more than a few I've encountered have claimed to be Magisters. True or not, they knew us southerners hadn't the means or the caring to verify one way or the other, especially considering that within mere moments either they or us would be dead. And Caladrius, the two bit, slaving blood mage I killed in Denerim's Alienage even had papers stating as such. Really, you only have your own countrymen to blame for the south's perception of you."
That stung. I was fairly outspoken on my opinion of the south's perception of the Imperium. Especially given the number of times I had to explain that I while I was a mage from Tevinter, not all mages were members of the Magisterium and thus I myself was not a Magister. Although, Warden-Commander Amell's explanation did explain why so many in the south associated Magisters with slaving and not just blood magic- the southern definition of blood magic.
"Fair," I respond. "You know, speaking of coutrymen, I think an ancestor or two of mine might have been Amells."
She merely shrugged. "That's hardly surprising. It's generally accepted that noble families as inundated with magic as the Amells or the Trevelyans have roots in the Teviniter Imperium."
"That must be a horrifying thought for most," I reply amusedly.
"No one really thinks about it too much. After all, the Imperium was once spread across the whole of Thedas, so it stands that if you look back far enough, most, if not all, of the noble families that exist today have some sort of ties back to the Imperium. Even the ones who claim to have no magical ancestry," Morgana replied easily. "This is especially true for the Amells since our family history is Kirkwall's history."
She then looked as if a thought just occured to her and suddenly she laughed.
"Care to share?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
"I just find it amusing that, like most Amells, I was born in Kirkwall and became the Hero of Fereldan. Whereas Arty was actually born in Fereldan and became the Champion of Kirkwall," Morgana answered with a smile.
That made me chuckle as well. "What is that saying... The Maker moves in mysterious ways."
"If you liked that irony, you'll love this one. Arty and I aren't exactly cousins. Not really we're more... second cousins once removed or something. Our mothers were cousins, both born to the Amell family. Point being, we Amells aren't known for producing weak mages, and this is in spite of years of attempting to carefully breed magic out of our family line," Morgana informed me.
"Good to know that noble practices remain the same no matter where you go," I reply flippantly. I was amused by the fact that she was a powerful mage in spite of breeding and I was one, partially, because of it.
"That's not the punchline," Morgana stated.
"Oh?" Now I'm really intrigued as I straighten up to hear what she has to say.
"Arty's mother Leandra, met and fell in love with a Junior Enchanter of the Kirkwall Circle during one of those little parties I mentioned. Not surprisingly, one for an Orlesian noblewoman, Flori-something or other. Arty wasn't sure herself. Story short, skipping over things unwanted engagments and Grey Warden blood rituals holding back evil Ancient Tevinter Magister Darkspawn, and Leandra and Malcolm elope and run off to Ferelden, where they have three children, only one of whom was a mage, despite Leandra's lineage and the fact that Malcolm wasn't a slouch in that department himself," Morgana's face held a hint of pride. "In fact, Bethany was named a Senior Enchanter in record time in the Kirkwall Circle, second only to First Enchanter Orsino, and is currently acting First Enchanter. According to Varric, between herself, their friend Aveline and the Prince of Starkhaven, the acting Viscount, some blowhard named Bran, wouldn't be able to keep order in Kirkwall as well as he has, all things considered."
Morgana smirked at this point. "My grandparents, on the other hand, chose my mother's husband because his line boasted that because of their devoutness to the Maker, their line had never once had been cursed with with the blight of magic and their honor had forever been and remained untarished due to that fact."
"Sounds like they're overcompensating to me," I reply dryly. Having come from a place where magical lineage was everything, I wasn't exactly pleased that there were families in the south who extolled the virtues of being the exact opposite of everything I've ever known.
"There's a reason I go by my mother's name," Morgana pointed out in agreement. "Part of Cousin Leandra's decision to run off and elope with Malcolm was because of my own mother, Revka, having given birth to several children, ALL of whom were magical, inspite of our father's 'non-magical' lineage. Because Amell history is Kirkwall's history, we were sent to the four corners of Thedas. Daylen was sent to Ostwick and became their First Enchanter, only to die at the Conclave. Solona was a promient Senior Enchanter of the White Spire Circle, but she was killed by Templars who had attempted to stop the College of Enchanters from seceding from the Chantry. And me, who was likely the most famous mage in all of Thedas until Anders blew up the Kirkwall Chantry."
"Hard to beat slaying an Archdemon and being the first mage outside of the Imperium in almost a thousand years to hold a noble title," I reply. "One has to do something to stand out and you did set the bar rather high. Just look at the lengths the Inquisitor had to go to to become famous."
"So what, Corypheus trying to open up the Black City a second time is just his way of saying 'I'm the greatest mage of all time, kneel before me, and bask in my presence lesser creatures'?" Morgana asked me in a tone of incredulity.
Once the words were out of her mouth, we both blink in shock, thinking her words over.
"I know your words were said in jest, but they make a disturbing amount of sense," I say in shock.
"It's insane is what it is," Morgana replied with a frown.
"And Corypheus has always been Paragon of Sanity," I respond sarcastically.
"It really is the end of days when a Tevinter starts making sense," Morgana stated with a pout.
"It's less me making sense and more me being incredibly self-aware," I reply glibly.
Morgana raised an eyebrow questioningly at me. "And what's the difference?"
"Our complete and utter destruction is only mostly assured rather than being completely so," I inform her. "You'll have to ask Varric what the current odds on our success are though, he's the one running the book."
The Warden-Commander sighed. "Maybe it's less you're making more sense and more the rest of the world is less sense."
"Oh, that would be a game changer," I say excitedly. "I wonder how that would affect the odds and whether or not I should change my bet."
Morgana slumped in her chair. "Varric is right, this shit IS weird!"