Author's note: It is always perilous to use fictional peoples as metaphors for oppressed groups throughout history. This is especially the case when the oppressed group is in possession of special powers that can make fear of them justified. What I'm getting at is that when I played Dragon Age Origins for the first time I viewed the circles as oppressive but did not know how bad it was until I played the Circle Mage Origin, let alone seeing the horror that was the Kirkwall Circle. Thus I made the character of Elissa blind to many of the nuances of circle life and ignorant of various aspects of the lore. For instance she thinks blood magic is 100 percent evil and that anyone who uses it is possessed and has to be killed. Needless to say this was before I played Dragon Age 2 and met Merrill.

...

I became suspicious when the guard at the dock gave us trouble, but I truly knew something was wrong as soon as the tower doors opened. The way the Knights scrambled around, the screaming, the wounded in the corner, it reminded me too much of that night. Why must the maker be punishing me by having me relive that terrible night over and over again?

The templars were scrambling about in a frenzy. Wounded mages and templars were propped up on the floor. I could hear the shouts of battle.

Knight Commander Gregor informed me that the Templars had lost control of the tower to a horde of abominations. The Templars assumed that most of the mages were already dead

Therefore they had sent word to the Grand Cleric in Denerim requesting reinforcements and the right of annulment.

Alistair must have remembered his old Templar training. I could see him freeze when he heard those words. I know what it is but he must have drilled for it. I touched his hand to steady him. I think that helped.

The terrible message was sent a while ago. They believe she has already received it.

Given our dire need for aid and the horrific fate awaiting the mages. I felt not choice but to try to resolve the crisis myself. I knew there were children in the Circle. They, and Conner needed our help. Many would say this plan was audacious,even suicidal, but doing nothing was worse. It would have cost us two of our four treaties, rendering our efforts against the Darkspawn fruitless. Compared to all those lives, ours were frankly insignificant, especially mine.

Gregor said he'd open the gates for us but after that they would remain bared. He would only believe it was over if the First Enchanter stood before him and said it was so.

We stocked up on supplies then joined Leliana for a prayer. Even Griffon bowed his head. I could tell that the Templars thought we were going off to die, for they prayed with us and saluted us as if we were Andraste herself being sent off to be burned at the stake.

I knew better. We had survived so much already that the idea of perishing at this point seemed unthinkable. No, I thought, the maker had a greater plan for us just like Leliana said. After she said the last bit of the prayer I clasped my companions across the back and told them. "We've got this."

Griffon got a pat on the head. I even gave him a lamb bone. Not that my valiant little boy needed any prompting to fight by my side.

Then we stepped across the threshold into the void.

The very space felt oppressive, which I suppose was the point. Tight corridors confined you while the high ceiling above reminded the mages of their smallness compared to the power of the chantry, or at least that's how my frightened mind imagined it. The bunks were lined up in rows with a chest at the front for what few personal items the mages were allowed. Apart from a table for gaming thier didn't seem to be any form of entertainment. Their were no windows.

The mages had died where they had lived, their bodies were strewn about the floor. I assumed their deaths had been just as miserable as their lives.

I would truly hate to be a mage. The maker is cruel to curse these people so.

The first living being we found were an old lady and some of the other mages who were defending the children. The senior mage had finished setting up a barrier and driving away a Rage Demon when she saw us. I as I got closer I recognized her as Wyne, a high ranking mage I had met at Ostagar

Things were tense at first. She believed we were sent by the Templars to enact the right of annulment, but the situation de-escalated when I told them that the Templars had yet to receive word from Denerim.

Wynne explained the cause of the outbreak. There was a revolt by a pro Logain mage named Uldred who tried to take over the circle. Logain seems to be heavily reliant on rogue mages, though his, or rather his catspaw's pitch was offering them more freedom in exchange for their aid. Given what my father told me about Logain's obsession with order I doubt he would let them keep those freedoms for long. Magic is chaos, and some people just don't like chaos.

Wynne came with us to find the first enchanter and I left Griffon behind to assist her companions in defending the children. They seemed to like him.

It was very impressive that a woman as old as her could erect such a barrier, at least as far as I am qualified to judge such things.

Demons are unnatural. You feel a certain wrongness when fighting them. And some of them spit fire too. It burns. They don't call them flaming mad for nothing. Not that we didn't have ticks of our own. Leliana's bombs proved especially useful. By the time we cleared the first floor Alistair was bleeding and Wynne and Leliana had injured their heads. And I didn't feel too fine ether. We found an injury kit and gave it to Wynne, despite her protestations. She heals us and so we should heal her. Plus one of the other mages said she'd been hit earlier.

As we moved up to the second level I espied a dark figure looming in the corner. In a fit of panic I drew my sword only to discover that it was one of the tranquil, Owain. He spoke in a flat monotone with no hint of fear or any other emotion. He still tried to keep it clean, as he decided to return to work once all avenues of escape were cut off. I would not risk his fate on anyone.

He spoke of a Mage called Nail who had the Litany of Adralla. Apparently it protects from blood magic, specifically mind domination. We found a way to solve the crisis but also another source of peril.

Sure enough encountered a group of blood mages and fought them. They used the same life drain ability as Morrigan. None were allowed to leave alive. I don't think demons are the only thing that can turn us into monsters.

Clearing rooms is its own kind of scary. Your tempted not to open the door but at the same time you know that enemies might come at you from the flank if you move on without clearing each room. I had Leliana go in first, since she had the bombs. I felt like such a coward. That settles it I'll learn how to use the dam things. It can't be too hard.

We found more blood mages. They were dispatched the same as the last group, though one had the good grace to turn into an abomination just to make my day even more difficult. Another froze me in Ice, which was not fun. Thank the maker for Alistair or I would have been killed where I stood.

The statues on all the floors gave me the creeps. Something about the Tevinter art style. I heard the magistrates sometimes turned their enemies to stone. I wondered if one of those blood mages would do that to me, before Wyne assured me that would not happen. I'm not sure if she meant she would not allow it to happen or if it was impossible. Neither was very reassuring.

Author's note: "Canonically this whole and the next chapter are one entry. However I felt the entry was getting to long and so I'm splitting it.