Lithuasil wrote...
So most mages we see in DA2 consider the circles to be bad, first of all everybodies favorite terrorist Osama bin Anders.
Perhaps to the templars. I'd imagine the mages see him differently for striking a blow against their oppressors: Freedom fighter. Emancipator. Abolitionist.
Lithuasil wrote...
The question is - why?
Let's look at this, with a bit of logic, shall we? Thedas isn't exactly the nicest place to live, and from what we see, we can safely assume that, just like in real medieval times, a good 90% of the people aren't born into nobility or high citizenship, but rather the fifth child out of twelve, in some mud-hut village on a sheepfarm.
You're asking why, logically, mages would prefer being free to being in servitude to the Chantry? Because people want freedom. It's the reason why Saint Dominique rose up against France. It's why the Cuban revolution took a stand against the dictatorship of General Batista. Look at the thirteen colonies breaking free from England. Time and again we see people willing to fight and die to be free, so why expect anything different from the mages who haven't been free in a thousand years?
Living conditions aren't ideal in Thedas, that's true, but plenty of people have left behind creature comforts and safety for freedom. Mages are forced into servitude, and escaping the Circles represent the last bastion of hope for any mage wanting a life where they aren't under Chantry or templar subjugation. Sometimes, they can exactly what they're looking for (as we know from the Cold Blooded codex):
"Adain of Starkhaven escaped from the Circle of Magi in the winter of 8:76 Blessed, the coldest winter that the Free Marches had seen in decades. He decided that it was better to die a free man than remain a servant to the Chantry and broke out of the Circle's stronghold, fleeing into an unforgiving blizzard. The templars gave chase, but there was little they could do in the harsh winds and bitter cold.
They came after Adain again in the spring, tracking him to his hideout. But Adain was prepared, and he tore them to pieces with blood magic and destroyed they phylactery they used to find him. With his phylactery gone, Adain was finally free. He married a young woman from the village of Hambleton, near Markham, and dedicated the rest of his life to the study of blood and primal magic."
For some, it's better to die on your feet than live on your knees.
Lithuasil wrote...
Now, what do we see in Ferelden, the only circle we actually see from the inside? Bid fancy beds, free food, large libraries? Now add in, that mages aren't forced into military service, and don't actually have to do any kind of labor aside from not getting possessed.
I saw an oppressive place that was little more than a dressed up prison where peope had no freedom, where forced to undergo the Harrowing that seemed to be setting them up to fail, in a toxic enviornment where they had no basic rights and were living under templars who talked about killing mages "with glee," and could be made tranquil - essentially stripped of your humanity. The tranquil handle menial labor and craft magical items, and I don't see how ripping out a person's emotions and their agency makes the Ferelden an ideal place for anyone to live. How would you feel if you knew you could be made tranquil, and could do nothing about it? Are you surprised mages followed Uldred in the desire to be free from the Chantry and the templars?
Look at what happened with Jowan. First Enchanter having no say over your fate or even being able to look at the evidence against you (and even Irving admits he never saw the evidence against Jowan, and couldn't do anything about the matter). While Jowan was guilty, what about Aneirin the Healer, who was stabbed and left to bleed to death at fourteen because he was "accused" of being maleficar after he ran away?
Lithuasil wrote...
Joining a circle, for the vast majority of people, will be a massive improvement of their lifestyle, in every conceivable way. Even the whole restricted freedom and violent templars thing isn't that bad - after all, it's not like some farmhand is going to travel much, and it's not like there's large quantities of raiders and darkspawn around, waiting to make your life miserable - both of which usually shy away from frontal assaults on a castle full of templars, making said templars the only thing a circle mage has to worry about.
Is that accurate? Anders asks Sebastian at one point, "What's your answer when someone asks, 'so if Andraste preached freedom and ended slavery, why do you lock up mages and keep them as slaves'?" Given how mages have no rights, can't have relationships or marry in some Circles, can't raise their own children, and could be made tranquil with no say in the matter, why would anyone surrender their freedom for a life where they live in subjugation?
Lithuasil wrote...
Also note, that being a mage, unless you're as extremely priviledged as the hawkes are with their father, you pose a considerable threat to yourself and everyone around you, unless being in a circle. (Not to mention, that being among people that share your gift, and therefore your problems, is probably a lot more fun then being the only mage among lot's of mundane).
Clearly, the Chantry controlled Circles have shown how effective forcing mages into servitude has been... now that the mages have broken free from the Chantry and its templars.
Lithuasil wrote...
With all these things in mind, why would anyone but the most lucky mages choose the permant life on the run of being an apostate over the safe and comfortable life of a circle mage?
Being a slave doesn't make any mage lucky by any measure.
Retour en haut
