I apologize in advance for any block quote failure...I won't be surprised if this completely implodes...
Sir JK wrote...
I think the core of the problem is that mages, in the admitedly rare cases they do go wrong, doesn't hit like a madman with a club (or even a handgun) but more like a lesser and very localized earthquake. By the time you hear of it and can actually act on it there is a huge risk that the number of victms lie in the dozens, if not more.
I agree that some mages posess that kind of power, and that the risk is real. I don't agree this calls for a life time in prison, but fair and equitable regulation. Like it or not, a mage who's imprisonned for just the potential of unleashing a localized earthquake is unjustifiably imprisonned.
This is raises the second problem of magi. Not only are they insanely dangerous to innocent bystanders, but even more so to the people going after them. I wouldn't be surprised if the templar apostate-hunting squads have a rather high mortality rate, even despite being templars.
Regulation, by mage and non-mage, in which each side respects the other
as deserving some very basic human liberties, should address this. Pair some mages with those Templars - we'll see how high that mortality rate remains. Part of the risk of any police force is mortality, however, and is not in itself justification for the imprisonment of all mages, everywhere. Again, I must insist - why are
all mages insanely dangerous to innocent bystanders? And why are they
all treated this way? Judge a person by their actions, not prejudiced fear.
This is not even touching if said apostate has turned abomination or blood mage. Then the hunters would be in -real- trouble. Just sending them after normal mages is bad enough in terms of danger, these things would have no qualms at all about absolutely destroying the templars (or in some, or most, cases using innocents as ammunition).
Also... the problem with imprisoning a blood mage is that how do one prevent them from mind controlling the warden? They might even go along peacefully and not use their powers until they feel confident they can get out. How do you actually keep them locked up?
If a mage does indeed pose that kind of threat, perhaps imprisonment is not an option. Anyone - mage or non-mage - should be subject to the law.
I just happen to believe the law should be fair to both parties. As for hedge wizards, I thought the policy was to bring them in if one can but a carte blanche to kill was given if they resist (which naturally would be abused by some, but such things are difficult to prevent... or prove). After all... not all mages they bring in are small children... if I understood correctly they sometimes bring in people in their late teens too (I'd assume magic has long since surfaced by then, making them hedge wizards)...
Why shouldn't they resist? They're being tagged and imprisonned. Maybe they don't
want to go to the tower, be forced under the apothecary process, and live the rest of their life away from their families. I think self-defense is justified at this point.
I'd say cone of cold is a very poor example (the healing one is a lot better) since it hardly seem like the most harmless of spell, you know. I think it's fairly safe to say it can easily be fatal for the one caught in it. Same thing applies to many other spells too... and therein lies the problem. One can restrict people access to arms or prevent them from the resources from making things like explosives. But how do you limit a mages potential of killing? It's practically inside them... you can't really take it away (well... you can tranquilize... but neither of us wants that, right?) or even limit it. No matter what you do, short of killing or tranquilizing, a mage will always be dangerous.
You're right that the mages are indeed persons and it is very unfortunate for them to be loaded with this raw power. It is not their fault (nor anyone elses). But how do you protect people from it? Like i mentioned above... it isn't like a weapon but more like a natural disaster in terms of the power.
It is indeed a serious problem. I think mages and non-mages should work together to solve it - in a manner that is fair and reasonable to both parties.
But protecting people from hypothetical threats isn't a fair solution, and punishing an entire people for something they've never done is unjustifed.
But you can't hook mages up to wireless seismographs (even if they had existed), you can't study weather patterns to determine the risk of them abusing or losing control of it. You can't predict who or when they'll become abominations or turn to blood magic. You can't even determine who is prone to abuse it and who isn't...
Actually, the current Circle does do some of that - they just go way beyond reason in how they treat mages for the rest of their lives. The Harrowing exposes a mage to a demon, and they are judged accordingly. Now, I'd like to see that process revised, to say the least - but why throw the baby out with the bath water? If mages - supposedly, allegedly - barged their way into the Golden City, they can at least attempt research into the Harrowing.
It's also worth underlining that not being able to determine who's prone to abuse is a serious problem. I agree. Why, it's even enough to call for...regulation.
All you have is a population of mages, some of which (but we don't which ones and can't ever know until it's too late) really shouldn't have it at all... both for their own and others sake.
All you can do is keep them localised and under surveilance, allow them to help each others become better and keeping themselves safe.
How do you prevent it from happening far from your reach other than keeping them localized in small areas?
How do you prevent them from gambling with their own and others lives if not keeping constant watch over them?
How do you prevent the free-roaming and abusing ones from killing lots of innocents and the ones sent after them (or even sort them out)?
How do you prevent the ones that won't make it from slaughtering their friends?
How do you prevent the manipulative ones from using their fellow mages against you?
and, unfortuantely, the most important one:
How do you assure the afraid non-mages that the actions taken are appropriate to keep them safe? (because you know how we humans get when we're afraid of something... we kill it).
I think a far-reaching regulatory force is a worthy goal to strive for, and one that doesn't keep all mages in a small pen, to boot. The kinds of problems you list are ones that could be argued for days. This would require cooperation, and compromize, and it would not be easy in the slightest. Tough but worth it, I say: because together, mages and non-mages could develop a system that evolves as needed, all the while learning how to respect the other's basic liberties. It won't be perfect, but how about an improvement?
The treatment of the mages is not good... and many members of both chantry and templars are unnecesarily cruel and treat mages with excessive force... Yes. Unfortunantely this is because ultimately... they're all human, naked and afraid before that the one they opress hold more power at the flick of a hand and whim than they ever will come close to.
It isn't acceptable... It isn't good... It certainly can and should be improved upon something fierce...
Unfortunantely it's the only realistic option...
I will, for reasons previously stated, disagree with the "only realistic option" part. Maybe
short term, while working on an improvement, is a realistic option? Because realistically, some mages
will revolt - either by leaving, or insurrection.
You cannot blame them.
/sigh. edited for some grammar and spelling
Modifié par ImoenBaby, 15 septembre 2010 - 06:56 .
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Regulate? (yes, sure. They do more things, some very questionable. But their duties do include regulating mages). 
