219 réponses à ce sujet

[phyreblade74]

The Ethereal Writer Redux wrote...

Every bit of evidence we have says the Mirror is dangerous, while nothing indicates it'll lead to any discernable advancement for the Dalish. Tamlen, after all, was killed upon coming into contact with the thing and the Dalish warden was sickened by it. Merrill working on something that, even if only possibly, killed or otherwise sickened members of her clan makes her actions in regards that particular object reckless and stupid.

Wrong. We know it's safe because Merrill cleansed it and it didn't infect her or anyone else in the Alienage, or even Hawke. If the taint was still present it would've spread to the whole mirror and amplified the taintiness (sorry, had a brain meltdown and couldn't think of a good word).

Also, we know that if Merrill gets it to work, the elves have a way to communicate. Merrill does in fact know that this was what it was used for. She tells Hawke and Varric this.

Meaning that if you spared her clan and if you supported her efforts then when another clan comes with Halla for them she could give it to the other clan and tell them it's a functioning method of keeping in touch with the other clans over a distance. I would hope that her clan would realize how idiotic they were acting at that point.

The fact she had to cleanse it to begin with indicates she knew it was dangerous and knew it should've been left alone.  Choosing to disregard that evidence and work on the Mirror, as I said, was stupid.  Asking a demon to help her do it was even more stupid.  Going back to the demon was stupid still more.  But one stupid action demanded another, nonetheless.  Which kinda shows how stupid it all is.

[LobselVith8]

phyreblade74 wrote...

I'm confused.  She behaved stupidly only three times and that makes her less stupid, how? 

The first time she was with Marethari, the second time she managed to learn blood magic and not become an abomination, and the third time Marethari already accepted a demon into her body. How is Merrill stupid when she was able to deal with a demon who was trapped by ancient elven magic inside a totem and not become an abomination?

phyreblade74 wrote...

Do you understand what I mean when I use the word stupid?  I don't ask you that in any meanspirited way, mind you.  I'm just honestly wondering if you're really appreciating what I mean.  I say stupid as in reckless -- knowing better and doing it anyway, being foolishly bold, or having or showing a lack of concern for possible consequences, etc.  Nothing of which denies Merrill's intelligence or ability. 

Except Merrill takes precautions (like bringing Hawke) and accepts that the effort could mean her death, so she knows the consequences. You might disagree with her, but I don't see how it makes her reckless when she is planning for the worst possible outcome.

phyreblade74 wrote...

I myself was a very smart teenager but I did a number of purely stupid things.  Most of us do that when we're growing up and it's understandable.  That's just the way I see Merrill, is all.  Cute and kinda stupid.  I like her actually, lol.

The thing is, I don't think Merrill was reckless. David Gaider has pointed out that Merrill actually gathered lore about the Eluvian, so she has a better understanding of it than the protagonist does. If she read the lore and believes it can help her people, I support the effort and back her up. It's not like the Dalish have done any better over the centuries to change their fate.

[TEWR]

Also, I don't mind the Chantry as a religious institution so long as it stays just that. No affairs in the lives of mages or politics. Just a place of worship.


Oh yes and I forgot to mention that the demon was trapped for centuries inside a fat demonic Buddha totem thingy. Which could only be released by a very powerful spell, which Merrill had no intention of performing.

Modifié par The Ethereal Writer Redux, 28 mai 2011 - 05:24 .

[TEWR]

phyreblade74 wrote...

The Ethereal Writer Redux wrote...

Every bit of evidence we have says the Mirror is dangerous, while nothing indicates it'll lead to any discernable advancement for the Dalish. Tamlen, after all, was killed upon coming into contact with the thing and the Dalish warden was sickened by it. Merrill working on something that, even if only possibly, killed or otherwise sickened members of her clan makes her actions in regards that particular object reckless and stupid.

Wrong. We know it's safe because Merrill cleansed it and it didn't infect her or anyone else in the Alienage, or even Hawke. If the taint was still present it would've spread to the whole mirror and amplified the taintiness (sorry, had a brain meltdown and couldn't think of a good word).

Also, we know that if Merrill gets it to work, the elves have a way to communicate. Merrill does in fact know that this was what it was used for. She tells Hawke and Varric this.

Meaning that if you spared her clan and if you supported her efforts then when another clan comes with Halla for them she could give it to the other clan and tell them it's a functioning method of keeping in touch with the other clans over a distance. I would hope that her clan would realize how idiotic they were acting at that point.

The fact she had to cleanse it to begin with indicates she knew it was dangerous and knew it should've been left alone.  Choosing to disregard that evidence and work on the Mirror, as I said, was stupid.  Asking a demon to help her do it was even more stupid.  Going back to the demon was stupid still more.  But one stupid action demanded another, nonetheless.  Which kinda shows how stupid it all is.

I'm going to give an analogy or something. Whether it works I don't know, but here goes:

If I come across a few dogs with a violent viral infection that is contagious, but I have the means to cure them(say driving him to a vet or I am a vet), I am going to ignore the risk to myself to save the dogs. 

Modifié par The Ethereal Writer Redux, 28 mai 2011 - 05:28 .

[LobselVith8]

phyreblade74 wrote...

The fact she had to cleanse it to begin with indicates she knew it was dangerous and knew it should've been left alone.  

Basically, Merrill did something you disagree with. She handled a corrupted shard of the Eluvian without getting infected, and discovered a way to cleanse it of its corruption. I don't see how that makes her reckless.

phyreblade74 wrote...

Choosing to disregard that evidence and work on the Mirror, as I said, was stupid.  

If it meant the improvement of every elf in Thedas, from the wandering nomadic tribes to the impoverished city elves, why shouldn't Merrill have explored the possibility of the Eluvian? She gathered lore about it, and she was more informed about it than Hawke was.

phyreblade74 wrote...

Asking a demon to help her do it was even more stupid. 

Merrill gained knowledge without becoming an abomination.

phyreblade74 wrote...

Going back to the demon was stupid still more.  But one stupid action demanded another, nonetheless.  Which kinda shows how stupid it all is.

It shows Merrill is willing to risk her life for a chance that could benefit her people across the continent.

[phyreblade74]

LobselVith8 wrote...

phyreblade74 wrote...

Every bit of evidence we have says the Mirror is dangerous, while nothing indicates it'll lead to any discernable advancement for the Dalish. 

When it was tainted, which isn't the issue now because the shard was cleansed. If it wasn't, then Merrill would have succumbed to the same corruption that infected the elves in Witch Hunt because of the remaining shards from the broken Eluvian.

phyreblade74 wrote...

Tamlen, after all, was killed upon coming into contact with the thing and the Dalish warden was sickened by it.  Merrill working on something that, even if only possibly, killed or otherwise sickened members of her clan makes her actions in regards that particular object reckless and stupid. 

Again, you seem to think Merrill is stupid because of an issue that's no longer a factor. The shard Merrill has is cleansed; if it wasn't, Merrill would have been a ghoul a long time ago.

phyreblade74 wrote...

As for Sebastian, you have to understand I play a pro-templar game.  In my canon, Sebastian would support Hawke's role as the new Viscountess of Kirkwall, politically and otherwise. 

I figured you were a fan of Sebastian, so I thought you might have some idea on how he would react if he were good friends with a pro-mage apostate Hawke.

phyreblade74 wrote...

As I imagine Cullen would become the Knight-Commander of the city, I tend to see a Circle in Kirkwall more along the lines of the Ferelden Circle, where the abuses incurred under an insane Meredith wouldn't be tolerated.  I don't see Sebastian disagreeing with that, no.  I could imagine he would be open to reforms in the Circle, even.  He respects Hawke that much, I think.

Except the Circles of Magi across the continent rise up against Chantry and templar control, and emancipate themselves. It's an era of the mages being free, and the templars leaving the Chantry to hunt down the mages. Reforms aren't an issue. The status quo of the Chantry controlled Circles is gone. I'm curious how you think Sebastian would react if he were allied to a pro-mage Hawke. Hawke says the Chantry controlled Circles shouldn't be a torture chamber, and he agrees with Hawke that they must reclaim Andraste's mercy. Sebastian points out that they must show that the Chantry won't condone tyranny among its templars.

She knew it was tainted and worked with it anyway, which I think was stupid.  She asked a demon to help her out, which I was think was stupid.  She used blood magic to do all of it, which I think was stupid.  When you can make a good argument why those things were sophisticated motions --  as in, Merrill knew no one would be hurt and no one would be possessed and no one would be killed, KNEW THAT -- then I'll agree she wasn't so stupid to do as she did.

But it's like someone telling me there's no harm in not putting my seatbelt on when I'm driving down the road, by benefit of the number of times I've been in a vehicle driving down the road without a seatbelt and nothing bad happened.  It doesn't change the fact that getting into a car and heading down the road without putting on my seatbelt is a really stupid thing to do.  Even if I get to where I'm going without having an accident.  Lucky me.

And I've never played a pro-mage Hawke, however, lol.  I can make guesses, sure.  But that's all it would be.  Sebastian doesn't come off, to me, as abusive or meanspirited in anyway.  I can't imagine he would be adverse to treating mages with greater respect and consideration, regardless.

[TEWR]

She knew it was tainted and worked with it anyway, which I think was stupid. She asked a demon to help her out, which I was think was stupid. She used blood magic to do all of it, which I think was stupid. When you can make a good argument why those things were sophisticated motions -- as in, Merrill knew no one would be hurt and no one would be possessed and no one would be killed, KNEW THAT -- then I'll agree she wasn't so stupid to do as she did.

Blood magic isn't inherently evil and you can't harm anyone else using blood magic if you choose to use your own blood, which Merrill did.

[phyreblade74]

LobselVith8 wrote...

phyreblade74 wrote...

The fact she had to cleanse it to begin with indicates she knew it was dangerous and knew it should've been left alone.  

Basically, Merrill did something you disagree with. She handled a corrupted shard of the Eluvian without getting infected, and discovered a way to cleanse it of its corruption. I don't see how that makes her reckless.

phyreblade74 wrote...

Choosing to disregard that evidence and work on the Mirror, as I said, was stupid.  

If it meant the improvement of every elf in Thedas, from the wandering nomadic tribes to the impoverished city elves, why shouldn't Merrill have explored the possibility of the Eluvian? She gathered lore about it, and she was more informed about it than Hawke was.

phyreblade74 wrote...

Asking a demon to help her do it was even more stupid. 

Merrill gained knowledge without becoming an abomination.

phyreblade74 wrote...

Going back to the demon was stupid still more.  But one stupid action demanded another, nonetheless.  Which kinda shows how stupid it all is.

It shows Merrill is willing to risk her life for a chance that could benefit her people across the continent.

Is it your argument, then, her stupidity is disproven solely because nothing bad happened...until it did?  What she did was perfectly reasonable, only because no one was hurt...until someone was?  You're making my head hurt, lol.

As I said, I like Merrill.  I just don't find her actions particularly heedful or wise, that's all. 

[phyreblade74]

The Ethereal Writer Redux wrote...

She knew it was tainted and worked with it anyway, which I think was stupid. She asked a demon to help her out, which I was think was stupid. She used blood magic to do all of it, which I think was stupid. When you can make a good argument why those things were sophisticated motions -- as in, Merrill knew no one would be hurt and no one would be possessed and no one would be killed, KNEW THAT -- then I'll agree she wasn't so stupid to do as she did.

Blood magic isn't inherently evil and you can't harm anyone else using blood magic if you choose to use your own blood, which Merrill did.

I disagree.  I think blood magic IS inherently evil.  Blood is a life force, a component absolutely required for health and wellbeing, so that a magic fueled by the spilling of blood is a demand that life itself be squandered and/or endangered.  There should be no place for it. 

Ask yourself this, as well.  Why is it blood magic requires human (or elven or dwarven) blood and not animal?  You just don't see blood mages bleeding out little bunnies or lambs, anyway.  Magic, I think, is inherently emotions-based.  The inability of an animal to react to the spilling of its blood with fear, terror, or anger is partly why blood magic depends on that sort of sacrifice from a human.  Any magic that depends on the creation of fear, terror, or rage in its target isn't really "good".

[LobselVith8]

phyreblade74 wrote...

She knew it was tainted and worked with it anyway, which I think was stupid. 

Merrill cleansed the shard of its taint, then she used it.

phyreblade74 wrote...

She asked a demon to help her out, which I was think was stupid. 

You mean she gained knowledge about blood magic without becoming a demon, since she didn't have the sufficient amount of lyrium required to cleanse the shard with regular magic?

phyreblade74 wrote...

She used blood magic to do all of it, which I think was stupid. 

I guess now would be a bad time to point out that The Joining is technically blood magic, and therefore blood magic is the only reason Thedas is still standing as it is without an Archdemon ruling over it? Gaider made a mention that even the phylacteries can be viewed as blood magic at PAX.

phyreblade74 wrote...

When you can make a good argument why those things were sophisticated motions --  as in, Merrill knew no one would be hurt and no one would be possessed and no one would be killed, KNEW THAT -- then I'll agree she wasn't so stupid to do as she did.

Merrill put her own life at risk - which is why she brought Hawke to kill her. Merrill was willing to pay the price for the knowledge that Audacity may have possessed.

phyreblade74 wrote...

But it's like someone telling me there's no harm in not putting my seatbelt on when I'm driving down the road, by benefit of the number of times I've been in a vehicle driving down the road without a seatbelt and nothing bad happened.  It doesn't change the fact that getting into a car and heading down the road without putting on my seatbelt is a really stupid thing to do.  Even if I get to where I'm going without having an accident.  Lucky me.

I suppose you and I disagree about Merrill, then. I don't think she was wrong in trying to improve the lives of the People.

phyreblade74 wrote...

And I've never played a pro-mage Hawke, however, lol.  I can make guesses, sure.  But that's all it would be.  Sebastian doesn't come off, to me, as abusive or meanspirited in anyway.  I can't imagine he would be adverse to treating mages with greater respect and consideration, regardless.

I can't imagine siding with the templars, myself. Siding with an insane Knight-Commander who wants to commit genocide against an entire population of men, women, and children who are innocent of the act Anders alone had committed seems wrong to me.

[TEWR]

I think animal blood can be used but human/elven/dwarven/Kossith/Fex? blood is probably there in more quantity and thus allows for more power. I don't know.

And if blood shouldn't be used for anything because it's in our body, then we shouldn't draw blood for transfusions. I believe blood magic can be used medicinally to control the blood should a man's artery be severed. Blood magic does allow for manipulation of blood as well as using blood to power spells.

Also, I hope you're not implying/saying animals don't have souls and can't feel emotions. That's one of the arguments I disagree with immensely and find absurd and arrogant.

Modifié par The Ethereal Writer Redux, 28 mai 2011 - 06:02 .

[LobselVith8]

phyreblade74 wrote...

Is it your argument, then, her stupidity is disproven solely because nothing bad happened...until it did? 

You mean when Marethari accepted a demon inside her without telling anyone? I thought the Keeper was an adult who should be accountable for her own decisions.

phyreblade74 wrote...

What she did was perfectly reasonable, only because no one was hurt...until someone was?  You're making my head hurt, lol.

I don't see how it's fair to blame Merrill for the actions of another adult.

phyreblade74 wrote...

As I said, I like Merrill.  I just don't find her actions particularly heedful or wise, that's all. 

I respectfully disagree. If there was a chance that the lives of the elves living in poverty and despair could be improved because of the Eluvian, then I think Merrill had the right idea in trying to restore it to see if it could be useful for the People.

[phyreblade74]

The Ethereal Writer Redux wrote...

I'm going to give an analogy or something. Whether it works I don't know, but here goes:

If I come across a few dogs with a violent viral infection that is contagious, but I have the means to cure them(say driving him to a vet or I am a vet), I am going to ignore the risk to myself to save the dogs. 

And that would be stupid.  Knowingly putting yourself at risk for an infection is stupid.  I can sympathize with your impulse to do it, I can understand why you feel compelled to do it.  But it doesn't change the stupidity inherent in the action.  All you'll have to go on is the HOPE you're lucky enough not to get infected and/or infect others along the way.

[TEWR]

Sometimes hope is enough to do what needs to be done. If I see a car heading for a kid at 60 mph, I can only hope that I grab him before the car hits him. I can only hope I don't get hit myself.

And yes, I'm creeping on this thread constantly. I'm refreshing it every minute =P

[LobselVith8]

phyreblade74 wrote...

I disagree.  I think blood magic IS inherently evil. 

I think The Joining is valuable, and it's the reason darkspawn aren't eating people alive and violating women across the continent. Duncan also notes that some Grey Warden mages use blood magic to gain an advantage against the darkspawn.

phyreblade74 wrote...

Blood is a life force, a component absolutely required for health and wellbeing, so that a magic fueled by the spilling of blood is a demand that life itself be squandered and/or endangered.  There should be no place for it. 

Ask yourself this, as well.  Why is it blood magic requires human (or elven or dwarven) blood and not animal?  

I don't believe it's stipulated that it requires human (or elven) blood, but we know a blood mage can use their own blood for spells. Some mages become blood mages simply to protect themselves against the templars who are capable of nullifying ordinary magic.

phyreblade74 wrote...

You just don't see blood mages bleeding out little bunnies or lambs, anyway.  Magic, I think, is inherently emotions-based.  The inability of an animal to react to the spilling of its blood with fear, terror, or anger is partly why blood magic depends on that sort of sacrifice from a human.  Any magic that depends on the creation of fear, terror, or rage in its target isn't really "good".

Saving the sentient races from extinction is something I consider quite good, personally.

[TEWR]

I just want to say that before anyone starts to deny it; yes, the Joining is indeed Blood magic. See my thread concerning blood magic where it comes up in discussion.

http://social.biowar...4/index/7404632

Sadly the thread sorta died T_T

Modifié par The Ethereal Writer Redux, 28 mai 2011 - 06:14 .

[phyreblade74]

LobselVith8 wrote...

phyreblade74 wrote...

Is it your argument, then, her stupidity is disproven solely because nothing bad happened...until it did? 

You mean when Marethari accepted a demon inside her without telling anyone? I thought the Keeper was an adult who should be accountable for her own decisions.

phyreblade74 wrote...

What she did was perfectly reasonable, only because no one was hurt...until someone was?  You're making my head hurt, lol.

I don't see how it's fair to blame Merrill for the actions of another adult.

phyreblade74 wrote...

As I said, I like Merrill.  I just don't find her actions particularly heedful or wise, that's all. 

I respectfully disagree. If there was a chance that the lives of the elves living in poverty and despair could be improved because of the Eluvian, then I think Merrill had the right idea in trying to restore it to see if it could be useful for the People.

Is that the only bad thing you see as coming of Merrill's actions?  Not me.  Merril wasn't able to live amongst her clan, because she turned to blood magic.  She wasn't able to be with people she loved and who loved her.  She was alone, scarred emotionally, obsessed even.  Flemeth tells her, "No path is darker than when your eyes are shut."  Merrill kept her eyes shut a long time.

And please tell me how putting that mirror back together was supposed to save the Elves from poverty and despair?  History isn't redone by benefit of understanding it.  Regardless of that Mirror, the Elves will continue to struggle and grow and change.  That's the way history works.

BTW, I'm not blaming Merrill for what Marethari did.  Marethari's actions proved, rather, how utterly stupid Merrill was when she insisted she was in control.  She was never in control, not of Marethari, her clan, nor the demon.  She couldn't say for sure what any of them would do or how any of them would be effected.  Reckless.

[phyreblade74]

The Ethereal Writer Redux wrote...

Sometimes hope is enough to do what needs to be done. If I see a car heading for a kid at 60 mph, I can only hope that I grab him before the car hits him. I can only hope I don't get hit myself.

And yes, I'm creeping on this thread constantly. I'm refreshing it every minute =P

Recklessness is generally a hallmark of heroism, though, isn't it, lol? 

[phyreblade74]

LobselVith8 wrote...

phyreblade74 wrote...

I disagree.  I think blood magic IS inherently evil. 

I think The Joining is valuable, and it's the reason darkspawn aren't eating people alive and violating women across the continent. Duncan also notes that some Grey Warden mages use blood magic to gain an advantage against the darkspawn.

phyreblade74 wrote...

Blood is a life force, a component absolutely required for health and wellbeing, so that a magic fueled by the spilling of blood is a demand that life itself be squandered and/or endangered.  There should be no place for it. 

Ask yourself this, as well.  Why is it blood magic requires human (or elven or dwarven) blood and not animal?  

I don't believe it's stipulated that it requires human (or elven) blood, but we know a blood mage can use their own blood for spells. Some mages become blood mages simply to protect themselves against the templars who are capable of nullifying ordinary magic.

phyreblade74 wrote...

You just don't see blood mages bleeding out little bunnies or lambs, anyway.  Magic, I think, is inherently emotions-based.  The inability of an animal to react to the spilling of its blood with fear, terror, or anger is partly why blood magic depends on that sort of sacrifice from a human.  Any magic that depends on the creation of fear, terror, or rage in its target isn't really "good".

Saving the sentient races from extinction is something I consider quite good, personally.

Saving people by spilling their blood...isn't that an oxymoron?

[phyreblade74]

I'm sorry, it's 1 am, here. I have to leave this delightful Sebastian-turned-Merrill thread. G'Nite!

[LobselVith8]

phyreblade74 wrote...

Is that the only bad thing you see as coming of Merrill's actions?  Not me.  Merril wasn't able to live amongst her clan, because she turned to blood magic. 

The same clan members who denigrated her because she now lived in the city? How awful she can't live among those hypocrites anymore.

phyreblade74 wrote...

She wasn't able to be with people she loved and who loved her.  She was alone, scarred emotionally, obsessed even.  Flemeth tells her, "No path is darker than when your eyes are shut."  Merrill kept her eyes shut a long time.

Merrill had Hawke, Varric, and Isabela. And you think she kept her eyes shut - I don't.

phyreblade74 wrote...

And please tell me how putting that mirror back together was supposed to save the Elves from poverty and despair?  History isn't redone by benefit of understanding it.  Regardless of that Mirror, the Elves will continue to struggle and grow and change.  That's the way history works.

Societies benefit from scientific discoveries and advancements in technology. The fact that Hawke is ignorant of a great deal of information regarding the Eluvian tells me that he shouldn't be demanding that she stop trying to save her people.

phyreblade74 wrote...

BTW, I'm not blaming Merrill for what Marethari did.  Marethari's actions proved, rather, how utterly stupid Merrill was when she insisted she was in control.  She was never in control, not of Marethari, her clan, nor the demon.  She couldn't say for sure what any of them would do or how any of them would be effected.  Reckless.

You realize you're blaming Merrill for what another character does, right? How is Merrill stupid because Marethari did something based on the Keeper's opinion of what would happen?

[TEWR]

Is that the only bad thing you see as coming of Merrill's actions? Not me. Merril wasn't able to live amongst her clan, because she turned to blood magic. She wasn't able to be with people she loved and who loved her. She was alone, scarred emotionally, obsessed even. Flemeth tells her, "No path is darker than when your eyes are shut." Merrill kept her eyes shut a long time.

And please tell me how putting that mirror back together was supposed to save the Elves from poverty and despair? History isn't redone by benefit of understanding it. Regardless of that Mirror, the Elves will continue to struggle and grow and change. That's the way history works.

BTW, I'm not blaming Merrill for what Marethari did. Marethari's actions proved, rather, how utterly stupid Merrill was when she insisted she was in control. She was never in control, not of Marethari, her clan, nor the demon. She couldn't say for sure what any of them would do or how any of them would be effected. Reckless.

The clan ousted her, not Merrill. Zathrian used blood magic and Lanaya even suspected it, yet he wasn't thrown out as their keeper.

That mirror can act at the very least as a telephone and as far as we know is a portal to another realm (maybe more than one). If the elves could figure out how, they could use it as an escape and find a land of their own, free of oppression and racism.

Marethari is an adult. Merrill can't control another adult's actions. I hardly blame Merrill for what Marethari chose to do for a spirit that she acknowledged 7 or 8 years prior was trapped and couldn't do any harm to anyone.

I don't blame Merrill for Marethari feeding the clan baseless lies in a futile attempt to get her to return.

"Merrill will bring back the Blight disease!"
*clan is now afraid of Merrill*
"Come back to us, da'len. Stop working on the mirror"

If she was tainted ceasing contact with it wouldn't stop her from contracting it and the clan would either fear her or hate Marethari upon finding out that she's been lying.

Also we don't know that Flemeth, the woman who speaks in riddles as her primary language, was referring to Merrill's use of blood magic. Which kinda wouldn't make sense since Flemeth values power.

Modifié par The Ethereal Writer Redux, 28 mai 2011 - 06:25 .

[LobselVith8]

phyreblade74 wrote...

The Ethereal Writer Redux wrote...

Sometimes hope is enough to do what needs to be done. If I see a car heading for a kid at 60 mph, I can only hope that I grab him before the car hits him. I can only hope I don't get hit myself.

And yes, I'm creeping on this thread constantly. I'm refreshing it every minute =P

Recklessness is generally a hallmark of heroism, though, isn't it, lol? 

There's typically risks involved, and Merrill realized the risks of dealing with Audacity in Act III.

phyreblade74 wrote...

Saving people by spilling their blood...isn't that an oxymoron?

Not according to WWII and Andraste's war against the Tevinter Imperium.

[TEWR]

phyreblade74 wrote...

I'm sorry, it's 1 am, here. I have to leave this delightful Sebastian-turned-Merrill thread. G'Nite!

oh come on, it's 2:30 a.m here and I'm still going strong.

[TEWR]

Also you have to remember:

Fortune favors the bold

Some of our history's greatest figures took bold and reckless roads.