Takes place after Origins but before Awakening
Alistair: *yawns in his throne.* I'm bored.
Daylen: *smirks* You'd think you'd be used to it, having grown up in the Chantry.
Alistair: *laughs* And you'd think you'd learn to control that tongue of yours while around a templar.
Daylen: One who never took his vows.
Alistair: True.
Alistair: ...anyway, I'm curious.
Daylen: Hmm?
Alistair: You told me once about the fraternities of the Enchanters, and how you were a Lucrosion.
Daylen: Yes? My accounting skills more than made up for Leliana's need to shop. Good thing I learned financing, or as much as any mage in a Circle can. Your point?
Alistair: It's just, I had given you the choice of any boon. You could've asked for freedom from the Chantry for the Circle, you helped the Collective enough to make it obvious you considered it. You could've asked for wealth and titles, and I would gladly have given you that Loghain's land, that would've been what a lucrosion would've done, based on what you told me Lucrosion's stand for.
Daylen: True, and I really wanted it. I'd make a great Teyrn.
Alistair: So modest. *laughs*
Alistair: But you asked only to serve me, and are now my chancellor. Doesn't that conflict with what your fraternity stands for?
Daylen: Nope.
Daylen: It's commonly misunderstood that we're greedy opportunists who simply want money, power, or all things material. And for many, this may very well be true.
Daylen: But it's a lot more than that. If there's one thing Lucrosions understand, it's economics, and not just in financial currency. Usually, when a tranquil is not available, it's a lucrosion who is put in charge of stores and stockrooms as you have to take inventory, know when things are getting short in supply, when you have an overabundance. This effects how much you're willing to pay to get supplies, and if your supplier knows how much you need it, may influence how much he is willing to charge for it.
Alistair: And what does any of this have to do-
Daylen: Don't interrupt!
Daylen: As I was saying, the skills I learned from my mentors before Irving took me as his apprentice taught me a great deal on budgeting supplies, money, and even good will.
Alistair: Good will?
Daylen: Yeah. An unscrupulous merchant, like that jerk in Lothering, can go where he pleases, and if he chooses to go where a demand is high, he can charge for the supply whatever he likes.
Daylen: Mages, unfortunately, are stuck to a single location. So whatever goods or services he provides is constantly going to be to the same market, other mages and templars.
Alistair: You can go on about this, I think I need a cheese platter.
Daylen: *rolls eyes* Whatever. Now, as I was saying, that mage, say he's smuggling lyrium for the templars, has to build a reputation to his market that he can be discreet and reliable. Do this, and that mage has repeat customers. And if his contacts that give him lyrium feel cheated or feel he's unreliable, they can cut him out and sell to the templars directly, so the mage also has to provide enough coin, or other service to make selling to him worthwhile.
Alistair: *to a servant* Cheese please? *back to Daylen* This is all fascinating, but it doesn't seem to have anything to do with you wanting to be my chancelor and still being true to being a lucrosion.
Daylen: *stares* Seriously? You don't get it? You're in charge of the freaking country! You are directly responsible for the economy, supply and demand, trade routes, establishing relations with other countries, from the Free Marches, Nevarra to Orlais. There's no way I'm avoiding that sort of action.
Alistair: *stares dubiously* You mean to say you plan to take advantage of my position to enrich yourself?
Daylen: .....no. *laughs* But seriously, you have no skill or training in economics. Eamon made sure of that to make sure you weren't any threat to Cailan's rule, so you'll need all the help you can get.
Alistair: Thanks for that, really.
Daylen: And besides, no one likes bad business partners. You'll need to manage the good will of Ferelden's merchants to bolster the local economy, maintain the appearance of Ferelden's strength to keep our neighbors from poking their noses in *cough* Orlais, *cough* not just militarily but also economically.
Daylen: And when results are good, people are much more susceptible to acceptance of things they aren't used to or don't like initially. Good results make good friends, bad results makes bitter enemies and leaves corpses.
Alistair: And you wondered why I didn't want to be king?
Daylen: If the people see you can provide for them, they'll provide for you. Manpower, confidence, trust, these all impact the economy, and if you play your cards right, you can change people's opinions on mages while you're at it.
Alistair: So that's what this is really about?
Daylen: *shrugs* Why not? People won't accept change that is forced on them.
Uldred: My dear, how wonderful to see you!
Soija: Uldred! *they embrace* Been busy with that 'secret' task Irving gave you?
Uldred: Tracking down blood mages in the apprentices? It's a time consuming one, learning how to identify them as each one is different.
Soija: *rolls eyes* Seems easy from where I stand. Such and such comes in regularly to demand lyrium for magical rituals or experiments, I say no, he does ritual anyway without lyrium and brags about his success.
Uldred: Yes, you've been helpful with the information you shared.
Soija: Surely this isn't just a social visit? Not that it's not nice to see you!
Uldred: *smiles affectionately* I wouldn't mind if it was.
Soija: Neither would I, but it isn't.
Uldred: Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, you are correct.
Soija: Knew it.
Uldred: Your little "chantry apologist" act has a lot of people fooled.
Soija: What act? I was baptized by the Revered Mother, I pray to Andraste and the Maker every week, and I recite the Chant of Light to my apprentices. *looks over Uldred's shoulder as a templar passes by*
Uldred: *nods, then smiles, and waits a few moments.* You know, for someone who recites the chant of light regularly, you do a good job of sabotaging it. Bacon and ham, peas? In Transfigurations?
Soija: *laughs* That was a fun little joke. That visiting priest from Denerim had a good laugh over it, said she'd try it out sometime.
Uldred: Yes, but it's all too showey. You are making a big show of it. But I know you still worship the Creators. And I know the deals you've been making on the side and off the record.
Soija: So do a lot of people, and no one discusses it publicly because it's too valuable to lose.
Uldred: You're undermining the templars and the Chantry.
Soija: And loving every minute of it. *grins*
Uldred: Perhaps you could work more...directly at it?
Soija: ....enchant helms so that they blind templars at just the wrong moment?
Uldred: *laughs* That would be interesting, but no. Perhaps you may be interested in resisting the Chantry more directly than that?
Soija: .....
Uldred: Perhaps you could possibly use your power over the lyrium stores to...limit how much templars have available someday.
Soija: So they are...what? Less resistant to magic, have less capacity to negate it?
Uldred; *nods*
Soija: Uldred, what are you planning?
Uldred: Nothing for now, but I'm preparing for possibilities. Hopefully, we can find someone outside the Circle with enough power to help us, but if not, we must find a way to-
Soija: Enough Uldred! I don't think you should go any further with this train of thought. I'm already in hot water as it is, if what I'm doing is discovered. The last thing I need is knowledge that would incriminate me in something more serious.
Uldred: ....fair enough. Will you at least consider giving the templars less so they are less effective when the time does come?
Soija: No promises. I may be able to keep the lower ranks from getting full amounts since they need it far less than the more experienced ones, but don't count on many of my...clients from not noticing.
Uldred: I see.
Soija: Uldred, whatever it is you're planning, leave me out of it. I'll try and do what I can, but I will not put myself in a position where I'm more of a risk than of value.
Uldred: You're valuable to me and....my associates.
Soija: And also to Irving and the templars.
Soija: Don't make me a target, and don't do anything that will change that. I survive and am well off because of it.
Uldred: You can help the mages.
Soija: I'll teach them to fish, not give them a platter of fishes.
Soija: Daylen! How wonderful to see you again!
Daylen: Yeah....nice.
Soija: Enjoy your holiday?
Daylen: You had me put in solitary confinement!
Soija: It's wonderful to get some time to yourself, isn't it?
Daylen: You....you.....are simply infuriating.
Soija: And you are stupid. Did you think that taking lyrium from the stores wouldn't go unnoticed?
Daylen: Well, Carroll was being really persistant and-
Soija: You should've said no.
Daylen: It wasn't worth a week in confinement.
Soija: It was if you took the time to figure out where you went wrong?
Daylen: So lyrium smuggling is wrong?
Soija: Mithal no! *discreetly looks around* Without it, we mages wouldn't have ANYTHING to hold over the templars. It's both a sword and shield.
Daylen: Then what am I supposed to learn from that?
Soija: That the lyrium already in the stores is written in the books.
Daylen: ....meaning?
Soija: That if it isn't in the books, we don't have it, even though we do.
Daylen: What in the Maker's name does that mean?
Soija: *grins* Tell you what. We are expecting a new lyrium shipment coming in from Denerim tomorrow. I'll write you a pass to go in my stead to pick it up. I want you to bring it back here as soon as it's in your possession. We'll go over the inventory, record what came in, and put the new stock in the storeroom.
Daylen: ...huh?
Soija: *hands over consent form.* Now, be sure to take precautions. Lyrium can have nasty effects on the skin. We can't go near it when it's unprocessed, but even diluted it can be dangrous. Barrels work great for the liquid the templars drink. Also, don't breathe it in, it does nasty things to the lungs, try not to drop any of it. No direct skin contact.
Soija: And let me impress upon you how much you should NOT even consider taking any of that lyrium between picking it up and dropping it off here. It wouldn't be proper.
Daylen: ....right. *nods*
Soija is quite the character. More cautious than I expected since she's willing to cook the books, get involved in drug dealing, turn a blind eye to the consequences, lie through her teeth and act coy about things, so her limits are interesting to consider. Its definitely about covering her own booty rather than about defending her morality, but still interesting. And ha! I think Alistair is right about Daylen, but if you're going to have friends in high places you really should take advantage of what they can do for you. Alistair seemed very in character and I loved his cheese plate comments.
ha, yeah, I had a lot of fun writing her. And a lot of fun writing Alistair's and Daylen's conversations.
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