So, were I to reform the Circle here's what I'd do. Some of it may have been said by other posters in the last few pages. I've been working on this for the last few days. Feel free to point out any flaws with the ideas, people. I don't promise this will be perfect on the first try:
1) First, the Templars should no longer be under the authority of the Chantry. At least not in everyday circumstances. I would say that the Divine should only be able to assume direct control of the Templars during times of true holy war. Nothing like what Divine Ambrosia wanted to do on her own Cathedral. Even then though, it still setting up a dangerous notion. But I think they should either be under the jurisdiction of the state or the Circle. I'm leaning more towards the latter, simply because the former doesn't give a guarantee of it working for future generations. For kings like Alistair, it might work. But for kings not like Alistair, it'd be bad.
Then again, there's no guarantee that the former will work all the time either. But there's a better chance of it I think.
Ideally, what should happen is that the Mages and Templars form a council. We already have half of that, what with the mages having the senior enchanters and the First Enchanter. I'd propose that each Circle be governed by a council of Senior Templars, Senior Enchanters, the First Enchanter, and the Knight-Commander. The last two would have the authority to make decisions after discussing the matter -- like they do currently where they discuss issues, or should in the case of Kirkwall but don't because of Meredith -- but would discuss the matter in an open forum with the Senior members beforehand
I think that this would help matters somewhat.
2) Routine psychological screenings of both Mages and Templars. Pretty self-explanatory. We don't need repeats of Quentin and Meredith. The former
had to have been close to the edge prior to his wife's death and her death was what sent him into the depths of insanity. And Meredith was never fit to raise beyond the title of "generic mook Templar". Hell, she should never have been a Templar in the first place IMO.
3) A division of Seekers should be present in every Circle, consisting of varied people. Atheists, believers, Elves, Dwarves. I think the Seekers should definitely be sworn to the state and not the Chantry or the Circle.
4) Recruit Dwarves into the Templar ranks. Have Dwarven Templars. This means fighting rogue maleficarum or Abominations will be easier.
5) Quit preaching that magic is a curse and a sin on the person's soul, a mark of the Maker's hatred. That leads to more problems then it solves, if it solves any at all. If you're going to call it anything, call it a privilege. You have to use it safely, otherwise you're not fit to be a Mage -- and that comment is made based on the idea of a refined form of Tranquility that eliminates magic but not emotions.
6) Allow supervised research. Demonology should
always be studied, so as to learn more about Demons and how to fight them. Allow Mages to refine and practice all types of magic, save for the forbidden art of blood magic. My personal feelings on blood magic is that it isn't inherently evil and can be used for great deeds that can help humanity, but it's far more common for it to be abused. As a result, it's best left as something that only certain Mages can practice. Grey Wardens for one. Mages like Jowan and Merrill are others, but you'd be hard pressed to determine who would be good their entire life and able to be blood mages.
So my personal feelings on blood magic aren't factoring into what I think should be done with it. That said, Grey Warden mages can practice it since it helps them do their duty and we now have evidence to point to it cleansing inanimate objects of the Taint. And, if done appropriately, Wardens can live for 200 years and fight the Darkspawn as opposed to only 30 or so.
7) Teach the mages more about the Harrowing. Don't inform them at the last minute. By Chantry dogma, even normal Mages are plagued by Demons day in and day out. If this is true, then they've already passed Harrowings time and time again. We know it's true for Somniari, who are a different type of Mage. But is it true for normal Mages? I don't know. If it isn't, then it needs to be corrected to say only Somniari are plagued by demons day in and day out.
8) Allow the Mages to form personal bonds. They can have friends currently, but if they want something more they shouldn't have to do it in secret. They should be able to meet with family and have a dating life.
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I'd also like to say what should be done ideally to allow for Mages to live alongside the community that provides both relative freedom and security.
So, let's run with the idea of Johnny being discovered to be a Mage.
One day, Johnny's helping his father clean out the horse stables when somehow he freezes the bucket of water closest to him. He's not sure how, but when he tries to touch it again it suddenly melts back into liquid form. He runs to tell his father and his father says, "Johnny, looks like you're a Mage."
The Templars that are somewhere close by to Johnny's father's farm are notified. They arrive to take Johnny to the Circle Tower, but before doing so they sit down with Johnny, his father, and his mother. They discuss the issue and say that since he's a Mage, he's required by the law of the land to study at a Circle Tower, preferably the one closest to him so as to lessen the chance of being possessed ASAP.
"Madam, I realize it'll be hard for you to watch your child grow up without you there, but this is truly what's best for him. We will allow you to communicate by letters and visit, as that is your right. Given time, if your son proves himself to have followed the laws regarding magic well, he can even spend an extended amount of time with you. With Templar supervision nearby, of course."
So Johnny and the family converse with the Templars further and come to an agreement that it's best if Johnny does in fact go to the Circle.
He arrives there and is amazed at how huge it is in comparison to his dinky little farm, but is sad that he can't see his family. But he decides to make the most of it and do his best so he can make them proud and see them again, as he was told.
They take his blood and create two phylacteries.
Jump ahead 15 or so years. Johnny has proven himself a capable mage. Now it's time for his Harrowing. He's been informed of what he'd face in the past so he knows full well what's in store. But he knows that it's not as simple as "Go in, defeat demon, live happy". He knows that it's going to be difficult, because he's been hammered with that idea in his classes. It's never easy. To assume it will be means failure. He's been taught Dalish views on the Fade, knowing that in the Fade all you can believe is yourself. Everything in there is a lie, a trick, or a trap. So he goes in.
....
He's now passed his Harrowing. Now he is informed by the Knight-Commander and the First Enchanter of his two options: 1) He can either remain at the Tower to live there for the rest of his life, tutoring new Mages and assisting in daily Circle affairs/politics or 2) He can move to a (fairly) major settlement -- like Redcliffe, Denerim, Kirkwall, Starkhaven, or Lothering -- that has a considerable Templar presence, where he can then have his own life and assist in increasing the positive opinion of Mages.
If he chooses the second option, it comes with its own set of limitations:
1) He must check in with the Templars daily.
2) If he is to perform magical research, it must be of the sanctioned kind and he must notify the Templars in his area, the Circle closest to him, and the Grand Cleric/Revered Mother/whoever is the highest priest in the area.
3) The Templars of that area will have on store one of the two phylacteries that were made when Johnny was first brought to the Circle.
I dunno, maybe some other things.
I think this is a good way to start off on reforming the Circle system, based on what we know.
Dave of Canada wrote...
The strong arm of the Chantry, templars serve as guardians of the Circles of Magi, hunters of apostates and maleficarum, and rarely, as a standing army at the command of the Divine. Through ingestion of carefully prepared lyrium, templars gain resistance to magic, including the ability to interrupt spells. Though the Chantry controls the lyrium trade, those with the right connections can acquire enough to emulate the abilities of these vigilant warriors.
But Alistair's own comments on the matter show something different.
1) Alistair says that Templars only receive lyrium when they take their vows.
2) Alistair says he has never taken his vows, therefore he has never ingested lyrium (he even says he never has IIRC).
3) Alistair is able to be a Templar
4) Duncan recruited him partially for his Templar abilities
5) Alistair can teach this to a Warrior Warden, who has also never ingested lyrium.
While the intended idea was for the Templars to only gain it upon ingestion, that idea was scrapped for DAO so it cannot be applicable as lore.
As such, what this Templar description that we have from one of the games right here says directly contradicts the facts established by Alistair.
I can accept lyrium
amplifying Templar abilities as Alistair himself posits, but not lyrium actually being
required to become a Templar. Simply because of what Alistair has said in DAO.
Modifié par The Ethereal Writer Redux, 13 mai 2012 - 07:33 .
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