Dearest Father,
You will not believe the trouble I almost got myself into today! Actually, you probably would believe it. It all started because I went to the Chantry to see if I could find Sebastian. I've been feeling a bit uncomfortable about the way we left things last time I saw him, but haven't been able to catch him there since. I may need to stop going there every day; I think some of the sisters are becoming suspicious.
When I left the Chantry, I ran into a woman named Macha. She was begging a templar for help in finding her brother, but the man kept blowing her off. When I offered to help, she seemed so overjoyed I thought she might hug me!
Macha's brother Keran is a templar recruit. She is worried because he stopped writing to her several days ago, and the templars have done nothing to help her. Even Meredith threw her out of her office! Macha says that Meredith sees demons everywhere, and that she is terribly fierce and utterly without pity. This frightens me; especially when I heard she also goes after anyone found harboring mages.
Not that I would feel bad if something happened to Gamlen, but I would never forgive myself if Mother got caught up in this.
I asked Fenris to come along with me to the Gallows to speak with the other templar recruits, and he suggested I go home and change my clothes first. I hadn't thought about it, but walking to the Gallows in my robes would not have been a good idea! Thank you Fenris! Picked up Varric and dragged Carver along, and we went to the Gallows to find out what we could about Keran.
Turns out at least half dozen recruits have gone missing. Though they were sworn to secrecy, some of the remaining recruits confided in me out of fear. They said Meredith puts them through some initiation and if you aren't strong enough to survive you end up dead! Of course Carver and Fenris both thought that was a good idea, but Father! If she'll do this to her own templars, what's to stop her from doing whatever she wants with mages! Macha said a friend of hers knew a mage that was made tranquil for no reason! What kind of city has Mother brought me to?
The recruits gave me directions to finding another one of theirs that had disappeared but returned. His name was Wilmod, and we ran into him as well as the one and only knight-captain of Kirkwall. How do I always find myself stepping right into the line of fire?
"Are you sure this is a good idea Hawke?" Varric asked apprehensively as they rounded the cliff's edge. They weren't a far distance from Kirkwall, but the idea of being out alone looking for templars seemed absurd to the entire group.
Including Hawke. "Not in the least Varric," she said laughing nervously. "But I made a promise to help Macha find out what happened to her brother." Hawke glanced at her own brother as he walked beside her. "If Carver were missing, I'd want someone to help me find answers," she admitted softly.
"But would you have them walk directly into the enemies arms?" Carver continued to disagree with the plan even as they heard raised voices over the hill. "Ditch your staff," he warned. "At least try not to use your magic."
Hawke shook her head and sighed as Varric handed her one of his hidden daggers. "Rogue for a day?"
She didn't accept the weapon; instead she turned her staff upside down so the bladed end was now visible behind her back. "Pointy spear," she said with a grin.
Fenris smirked at her ingenuity but remained silent as they approached the two men in plate mail in a heated argument.
"Andraste be my witness Wilmod, I will have the truth from you now!" The older of the two, the knight-captain Hawke assumed, was holding the boy by his arms while threatening him. The recruit begged for mercy, but the knight-captain responded with a knee to the boys stomach, causing him to fall onto the ground. The older templar drew his sword and pointed it at the recruit's throat. "I will know where you were going, and I will know now!"
At that moment she didn't care that he was a templar. "Don't you lay another hand on that boy," Hawke said interrupting the fight.
"Sister," Carver warned in a whisper behind her, "that's the blasted knight-captain. Don't!"
Golden eyes fixated on her as the man replied. "This is templar business stranger."
Hawke opened her mouth to respond, ignoring Carvers plea and Varrics held breath, but she found herself unable to do so as the recruit suddenly stood and released a wicked laugh. Seconds later he turned before their eyes into an demon, raising other demons from beneath the ground. "Maker preserve us," the knight-captain whispered as he fastened his shield and stood ready in defense.
A wave of energy swept through the air, and Hawke immediately felt the mana drain from her body. The templar hadn't realized he just crippled her; he was focused on a rage demon in front of him. Whatever he cast was meant for the demons, but Fenris had to steady Hawke when she nearly fell from the momentary weakness.
"Thank you," she whispered to the elf as she began assisting in the fight, using her staff as she had planned from the beginning. Held in both hands and used as a polearm, Hawke began attacking from behind any demon that was otherwise engaged in combat with Fenris or Carver. Varric assisted the group from cliffs, Bianca easily finding her mark in the enclosed wooded area. A warning call from Varric caused Hawke to thrust her staff spearhead first under her arm and stabbed whatever was nearly upon her. The heavy thud confirmed that her target was dead, and she resumed pummeling the abomination in front of her.
With five seasoned fighters the demons and templar recruit had little chance of victory. As the last of the demons fell, Hawke watched the knight-captain kneel besides the corpse of the creature his recruit had become. "I knew he was involved in something sinister," the man whispered, voice hinting of despair. "But this...is it even possible?"
Hawke stood over the two, careful not to get too close to the templar. Her father had always warned her that they could sense a mage sometimes without testing them, so she kept her distance. "Do you think he was possessed?" Hawke asked softly.
The man glanced up at her. "Normally we only worry that mages will fall victim to possession," he said shaking his head in disbelief. "I have heard of blood mages that could summon demons into unwilling hosts, though I did not consider one of our own to be susceptible."
"I'm glad I was here then," Hawke spoke truthfully. "You shouldn't have been out here alone with him."
He stood now, focusing on the woman before him. A long pause passed between them before he spoke again. "Have we met before? You seem...vaguely familiar to me."
Carver shifted uncomfortably behind her. She heard the thump of Varric kicking her brother, and tried not to laugh as she replied, "I don't believe so. My name is Hawke."
"I am Knight-Captain Cullen," the templar returned, eyes still narrowed as if trying to place where he thought he knew her from. "I thank you for your assistance. As for being alone with Wilmod..." he trailed off, running a hand through his hair and wondering why he was about to explain his actions to a woman he just met. She did just save your ass, he reasoned with himself. "Several recruits have recently gone missing. Wilmod was the first to return. I wanted to question him privately to find out where he and the others had gone."
Hawke laughed. "So you thought you'd take him outside the city and beat it out of him?"
"Sister," Carver warned harshly behind her.
"Of course not," Cullen replied. "I thought if I scared him enough without doing any harm that he'd confess."
Hawke crossed her arms over her chest. "There are rumors your knight-commander holds secret initiations for the recruits, and if they aren't strong enough they die."
"What?" Cullen's expression showed clear shock. "That's preposterous. Hawke was it?" She nodded. "Serrah, if you listen to everything the recruits tell you, Meredith could fly and be able to make the statues in the Gallows come alive." Hawke couldn't help the large smile on her face. "Honestly, the gravest danger these recruits face is falling asleep."
"Do you have any idea where Wilmod went to while he was gone?" Hawke asked, relaxing a bit in the conversation.
Cullen looked down at what was left of Wilmod. "He was never fully convinced of the Orders rules. Mages cannot be our friends," he said with a hint of sadness. "They must always be watched. Wilmod had a lot of friends in the Circle, I thought maybe he escaped to visit them."
Hawke felt her stomach tighten. "I also have friends that are mages," she tested, "do they too need to be watched?" She knew her brother was furious behind her, but she kept her expression neutral. She had to know what this templar really thought.
Cullen turned his back on the group and looked out over the cliff. "During the blight I was at the Circle tower in Ferelden. I saw firsthand how a templar's trust and leniency can be rewarded." Hawke strained to hear his next statement, and assumed he hadn't meant to say it out loud. "I still have nightmares of Uldred's...depravities."
Word had come to them about what Cullen spoke of. Blood mages taking over the tower, possessing and killing innocent mages and templars. Hawke tried not to dwell on it too much, knowing full well she came very close to being in that Circle herself several times. She decided to change the topic and get back to the task at hand. "I was hired to investigate the disappearance of Keran. Would you know where he is?"
"Unfortunately no," Cullen told her, turning to face her again. "Both he and Wilmod were last seen together at the Blooming Rose, but I had no luck interrogating the...uh...young ladies there," he said as his cheeks turned a slight shade of pink.
Hawke grinned at his embarrassment. "Would you like me to try? Perhaps they'd feel more comfortable talking to a woman," she offered.
He seemed relieved as he accepted the offer. "The Order would truly be in your debt if you could help us with this." Cullen took one last look at the remains of his former recruit. "If you learn anything, please come find me in the Gallows. I will ensure that you are rewarded."
They watched as Cullen walked down the path and away from them, and once he was no longer within sight Carver released the breath he seemed to be holding the entire time. "Maker, you sure know how to terrify me."
Varric slapped the younger Hawke on the back. "Relax Junior, you should have some faith in your sister."
"Agreed," Fenris stated to the surprise of everyone.
Are you as shocked as I am to learn Father that our dear Uncle Gamlen was at the brothel? He told me not to mention it to Mother, though I'm certain she already knows. It's difficult to miss the stench he brings with him when he returns. Knowing he spends his nights here staring at all the workers gives me the creeps. I sincerely doubt he can afford them, so what, he just watches them? I wonder if Fenris would mind me moving into his filthy mansion; I'd rather live with a mage hater than a pervert!
The hostess at the Rose revealed that they do indeed have a lot of business from the templars. Of course that got me wondering how often Cullen had visited, and if he paid for any of their services.
We visited the woman that the recruits had been with the last time they were seen. In hindsight it was probably a bad idea to bring three men with me; even Varric seemed enthralled by her, and watching a dwarf try to flirt is not pretty let me tell you!
It didn't take long to realize why however. She began asking me questions and I was answering them against my will! That necklace you created for me to protect me from blood magic saved my life Father...I had my own knife to my throat and nearly slit it before I was able to resist her. It shocked her just as much, and she was ready to do whatever I wanted to spare her life. She told me it was a combination of blood and desire magics she was using on us; I can only assume she means the assistance of a desire demon.
She admitted she enchanted the recruits and sent them to some place called Sanctuary in Darktown. I sent Fenris to fetch the templars while we watched the blood mage, and they took her to the Gallows. I don't know if that was the right move Father; deep down I really wanted to kill her for what she had done to me. Given my history...well, you know. Whether she lives in the hands of the templars or not is out of my hands. I did all I could.
Carver was concerned we wouldn't be able to handle the other blood mages in Sanctuary, but I didn't want to waste any more time gathering the others. We headed straight for Darktown and confronted Tarohne. Her master plan behind the kidnappings was to turn the recruits into abominations and send them back to the Order, thus causing chaos within their ranks. The others that were missing didn't survive her experiments, but we found Keran who was imprisoned in some kind of stasis.
Once Tarohne was dead, her hold on Keran ended and he was released. He spoke of nightmares; of demons laughing and poking at him, his body on fire for days on end. Constant screaming; either his or someone else. His story caused Carver to "understand why people were terrified of mages." He said Andraste was right to warn against magic, and that he sees the templars side now.
Maybe he doesn't realize that I see their side as well. Not all mages can be trusted, that much is clear no matter where we go. But am I to be held responsible for the actions of others my entire life?
Varric mentioned Keran may already be possessed. Fenris agreed. Keran pleaded his case, but that wasn't really my call. The templars needed to know there may be a chance. Everyone else agreed.
When Hawke arrived at the Gallows, Keran was already there with his sister beside Knight-Captain Cullen. "Blood mages have infiltrated your ranks," Hawke warned Cullen. "They've been implanting your recruits with demons."
Cullen closed his eyes upon hearing the news. "Sweet blood of Andraste."
Keran filled the knight-captain in on all that had happened at the hands of Tarohne. Macha stepped away from him in fear that he too could be possessed, and Hawke tried to calm her and the knight-captain down with her opinion that Keran did nothing wrong and should be free from any possession.
"Perhaps it is best to keep our enemies close," Cullen stated quietly, studying Keran. "Keran, you will remain here with us in the Gallows. If you show no sign of demonic possession within ten years time, you will become eligible for full knighthood."
Keran nodded, accepting his fate and acknowledging the opportunity Cullen had just given him. "Those mages were horrifying," he then mentioned. "They see us all as ants to be crushed. They won't stop until they destroy the Chantry and the templars forever."
Hawke felt the anger begin to rise within her. "Not all mages are like that," Hawke stated. "And mages have been systematically abused by the templars for a thousand years."
Cullen moved closer to her. "How can you say that after what you've seen?"
"Yes," Carver muttered behind her. "How can you say that to the templar right in front of you?" And then in a soft whisper, he begged. "Sister, please."
Cullen didn't hear Carver, and continued speaking his mind. "At any time any mage can become a monster, from the lowest apprentice to the most seasoned enchanters. Mages can not be treated like people. They are not like you and me." Hawke resisted the urge to blast him across the courtyard. "They are weapons. They have the power to light an entire city on fire in a fit of pique."
A hand rested gently on her shoulder, and she realized it was her brother trying to stifle her anger and emotions. She reached for his hand and squeezed it. "Mages are humans and elves, not weapons. And there's fault on both sides," she finally said calmly to Cullen. "We," she emphasized to clue him in on who he was speaking with, "must find a way to live in peace."
Cullen took a step back as he reached out with his templar ability to sense her magic, and confirmed for himself what she really was. He paused for a moment, ignoring his first response to haul her into Merediths office for being an apostate. The woman who stands before you saved your life today, he heard his subconscious remind him. "Perhaps you're right," he conceded. "Perhaps mages need better education as to why the Chantry functions as it does. Maybe then they would not go against the will of Andraste herself."
Hawke released her brothers hand and extended it towards Cullen. "I would very much like to hear what you would say when teaching the mages," she offered honestly.
He clasped her hand. "I will look into it and get back to you," Cullen said to her as he bowed to her and her companions before withdrawing his hand. "Keran, we must report to the knight-commander."
"Yes Sir," Keran replied as the two walked towards templar hall.
Hawke turned to Carver who's expression seemed to resemble sympathy as well as anger. Thankfully Varric spoke before either one of the siblings could. "Never a dull day with you around Hawke," he stated. "Drinks are on me, for narrowly escaping a new home here."
Hawke nodded in agreement and moved with the men towards the boat landing. She took a moment to glance at Fenris who had remained quiet during the confrontation. His eyes met hers and nearly tore through her, as if trying to see her entire future of intentions. "Do you see me as only a weapon as well?" she asked him.
He continued to look at her, not even blinking, for several minutes until he finally replied. "I suppose every one of us could be considered such from a certain perspective."
Hawke curled her lips upwards in a small smile. Changing prejudice was not on her agenda for the day, but she was happy with herself that at least two people in Kirkwall may now look at her and other mages a bit differently.