Plot armor: "Character shields (also known as plot armor or plot shield) are plot devices in films and television shows that prevent important characters from dying or being seriously injured at dramatically inconvenient moments. It often denotes a situation in which it strains credibility to believe that the character would survive."Plot armor.
People leave the US without a passport all the time. They just can't get back in.
Medhia Nox, human rights issues aside ("human" in the broadest possible interpretation), draconian discipline like that has been tried before, many times. As a general rule, the head of state winds up in a shallow grave somewhere with acid poured over their corpse. The problem is that there's a stick, but no carrot. The group singled out for genocide is never friendless, and those friends will stand up to defend them. Sure, you can add the defenders to the monitoring program, but you've just doubled the workload of the secret police... and proportionally expanded the number of people who hate you. Eventually, the government becomes the prisoner, living a (justifiably) paranoid existence in underground bunkers while civilization crumbles. You can't collect taxes from people who are running from the regime, and even if you could, people who are running from the regime don't have time to work the fields. Sure, you could insist that anyone who isn't a mage, mage sympathizer, or has any family or friend who's a mage/mage sympathizer go out and do the farming, but you're going to need that group in the army to try to control the looting in the streets. You're going to need a really big army, too, because neighboring states are going to perceive you as a threat to their stability, and they're going to act accordingly. For documentation, see all of recorded history.
@berelinde: That's not draconian at all. In America you need a license to drive, you need to register for the draft when you turn 18, you have a social security number.
You're inventing a fascist state where I didn't make one to support your moral outrage.
I would have strict laws governing magic - if those laws are broken, then punishment is the result. Sorry if laws offend you.
If I could construct a prison for mage criminals covered in Anti-Magic Runes - then I'd invest in that, but otherwise there is no alternative for punishing a mage criminal.
Driving without a license is not a capital offense. Children are not forced to register for the draft before they are old enough to be held legally responsible for their actions (and of those adults who do register, some remain exempt for medical or religious reasons). Those who fail to register for the draft are not executed. The Social Security system was designed as a carrot: workers contribute to a government-administered savings plan to provide for them in their old age.
You're using the word "fascist" for shock value, but what else would you call a state where the failure to participate in a government-mandated work program was punishable by death?
There is a prison for mage criminals covered in anti-magic runes. It's called Aonar. There's an essay about it in the upcoming encyclopedia, World of Thedas, volume 2. I won't spoil the details, but the leaked previews make it sound as if it wasn't such a great idea after all.
Let's assume for a moment that this isn't some kind of weird power trip and that the entire idea is to prevent the Haves from taking advantage of the Have Nots. You're really better off recognizing that as the objective rather than simply killing off all the Haves. You need a system that doesn't punish people for something they can't control. No one asks to be born with magic. Sure, if somebody injures someone else, punish them. No one is saying that crime should go unpunished. But you can't just go around killing or imprisoning all the Haves on the off chance that they might one day commit a crime, or you'll wind up with the acid-doused coffin thing and a lot of terrified citizens. Your best bet is to create incentives for the Haves to use their resources for the betterment of their communities. Help them become invested in their community's welfare. The dominant religion has been telling them for a thousand years that they'll get a free pass to heaven if they help their fellow man, so they'll probably be eager to do so.
@Forsythia77: Did you have documentation upon entering my nation?
Let's not get all up in arms about "papers" either - I'm not sure about other nations, but you don't leave the U.S. without a passport.
A simple card registering you as a "Visiting Mage" detailing your capabilities would be enough... so long as the magic you used doesn't go out of those capabilities.
No where in your original post did you say a mage would need papers to come or go. Thedas doesn't seem like a place that requires papers to go from point a to point b. Maybe it is, but I don't get that vibe. I am glad you have thought this out but I fear your regime is so punitive that eventually it will lead to an uprising like the one that happened in Thedas to begin with. If anything, rather than the slow simmer that happened in Thedas I foresee a rapid uprising of angry magical people. Thedas was reaching the proverbial tipping point but it was definitely the whole Kirkwall thing that sent it over the edge. And I feel it was because Kirkwall was so punitive that crap hit the fan.
^^ Good point about Kirkwall, Forsythia. It's never a good idea to push someone to the point where they have nothing left to lose.
Emilie is a noble and cant leave like Bethany.
Not the same. Emile is the youngest son of a very minor and unimportant noble family....one that is lucky to get within a stone's throw of the Viscount. By contrast Bethany through her brother (or sister) has serious clout that goes right to the Viscount and the Captain of the Guard even in Act 2....and if Meredith forget how potentially ugly that scene was when Bethany was taken into the circle, Cullen would be sure to remind her.
I also note (as Meredith says herself) that Bethany is a model mage within the circle while Emile.....well wasn't. That matters too.
@Forsythia77: In medieval Europe many people needed papers to come and go. You also needed your lords permission to travel. Thedas isn't medieval Europe - but it is inspired by it.
I also didn't sit and write a tl;dr version of a government I'd make.
But I find delusional free for all magical kingdoms to be ludicrous in their vision. I'm fine with them in fairy tales or in light fantasy (mostly because in fairy tales magic self governs with severe punishments), but in something considering itself more "realistic" - no.
Mages would have several very comfortable positions they could fill in government rolls. Some of them would be heavily regulated - any dealing with combative magic - and some would be only lightly moderated (anything dealing with healing magics). So I don't think they'd find it quite so restrictive as you suggest.
The only rights I'd be infringing on... are those mages who would want to raise dead, cast fireballs or cast storm of the century whenever the mood struck. I'm not sure why you find that so appalling. Yes, I spoke in hyperbole that did not make room for casting healing spells or other benign magics... and such things would likely be severity of fines (and forced registration). But perhaps I can't imagine why a person who doesn't want to burn people on a whim wouldn't simply accept reasonable laws.
NOTE: Peasants weren't allowed to just stockpile weapons legally in their homes in medieval Europe... so using that model, it's not like I'd be giving the non-magical populace unique dispensation.
You don't want to be watched - you don't embrace violence.
@Forsythia77: In medieval Europe many people needed papers to come and go. You also needed your lords permission to travel. Thedas isn't medieval Europe - but it is inspired by it.
I also didn't sit and write a tl;dr version of a government I'd make.
But I find delusional free for all magical kingdoms to be ludicrous in their vision. I'm fine with them in fairy tales or in light fantasy (mostly because in fairy tales magic self governs with severe punishments), but in something considering itself more "realistic" - no.
Mages would have several very comfortable positions they could fill in government rolls. Some of them would be heavily regulated - any dealing with combative magic - and some would be only lightly moderated (anything dealing with healing magics). So I don't think they'd find it quite so restrictive as you suggest.
The only rights I'd be infringing on... are those mages who would want to raise dead, cast fireballs or cast storm of the century whenever the mood struck. I'm not sure why you find that so appalling. Yes, I spoke in hyperbole that did not make room for casting healing spells or other benign magics... and such things would likely be severity of fines (and forced registration). But perhaps I can't imagine why a person who doesn't want to burn people on a whim wouldn't simply accept reasonable laws.
NOTE: Peasants weren't allowed to just stockpile weapons legally in their homes in medieval Europe... so using that model, it's not like I'd be giving the non-magical populace unique dispensation.
You don't want to be watched - you don't embrace violence.
People usually only object when they're singled out. If you're going to require registration and passports and if you require it for everyone, no harm, no foul. Medieval parishes took censuses all the time, and people were taxed according to their profession and land holdings. In the case of tenant farmers, the landlord paid the taxes and they paid the landlord rent. In a representative government such as Thedas enjoys, it would probably be best to allow mages representation in their govenment, or at least remove the prohibition against owning or inheriting land. It gives them a personal stake in their future and that of their community.
I still think that it's probably too expensive (and too demeaning) to subject mages to scrutiny that others don't have to endure. You don't hire guards to watch a baker make every loaf of bread. Are you really going to hire somebody to stand around and wait for somebody to cast a spell? Keeping in mind that most offensive spells have practical, non-violent applications. Mages don't have to cast their spells at full power. Storm of the Century can be used for irrigation. Fireball can be used for metalworking. Entropy spells can be used for rodent control. Using lesser forms of the spells keeps the mages in practice and allows the whole community to benefit from their talents. Wouldn't it be more practical to allow mages to set up training academies (if you were sneaky, you could even use their attendance roster as an unofficial census), set up the magical equivalent of driver's ed, and then only issue court summons if there are violations? If you're a mage and if you get drunk and turn your neighbor's hair purple, you have to pay a fine. If you're not a mage and if you get drunk and paint your neighbor's hair purple, you have to pay a fine. If you're a mage and go crazy and burn down the local orphanage, you face execution. If you're not a mage and go crazy and burn down the local orphanage, you face execution. Most societies have auditors and surprise inspections to catch people who are selling short-weight loaves, so it would be reasonable to conduct surprise inspection of mage quarters to look for evidence of blood magic.
Necromancy? I suppose that depends on prevailing local custom. Nevarrans don't seem to have a problem with it, but people outside Nevarra look on it with grave suspicion.
The thing is, most mages don't want to go all mwahahaha and dominate the world. Except for Vivienne, but she's the most vocal advocate of magical restrictions out there, so what does that tell you? Society does better when there are checks and balances: authority balanced by responsibility.
It's also worth mentioning that many societies require mandatory military service from *all* citizens. If you make the mages free citizens with all the attendant rights and responsibilities, you could become an enviable military power.
@berelinde: But again, using Entropy to kill rodents... or fireballs for metalworking... isn't "whenever the mood strikes"
I'd argue that the schools can contain beneficial spells - but that "Fireball" would be a weaponized version and wouldn't be what a mage uses for metalworking.
The other issue is possession. It's a tough one... and non-magic citizens are nowhere near as susceptible to it.
I think it's duplicitous to claim that mages are "just like everyone else" - everyone else can't use magic. Yes, mages are people... that isn't the argument (from me) - but they're people who hear voices and are compelled by very real otherworldly forces that want to carve them out and use their bodies as finger puppets.
Non-mages can't use magic, no, but if mages aren't taken from families the instant their power manifests, the family as a whole now has magic at its disposal. Over time, it would even out.
The argument that mages are just one bad day away from possession is a tiresome one. Mages learn to avoid demons at an early age, and they learn the cost of possession. Tevinter actively encourages magic, but it isn't overrun with abominations. I suspect that the reason for that is because people don't usually surrender their free will unless they are truly desperate and are completely out of options.
Which brings up another point. If you want mages to be subject to secular law, you must offer them the protection of it, too. As it stands now, crimes committed against mages are punishable by... nothing. Murder, rape, torture, abduction, if the victim is a mage, the perpetrator doesn't even get a slap on the wrist. It's simply ignored. It's a classic example of medieval outlawry. Medieval outlaws are not protected by the law, so there is no incentive to adhere to it. That right there is dangerous.
Circles teach mages to control their magic. Independent academies could do the same. Magic is energy. There isn't a metalworking version of a fire spell and a weaponized version of it. There's just a fire spell and it's up to the mage to pour mana into it until it's intense enough to do the job. And if you want mages in the army, you'll want them to do more with those ice spells than chill wine.
I'm a chemist. I know how to make explosives. I have fertilizer and kerosine in my garage. Why aren't I mixing up a batch of boom at this very moment? I don't need explosives (and I do need my garage). Plus, I know what can happen if I'm not careful with the measurements, and I've grown quite attached to my fingers. People know how to do all kinds of things, but without the conscious decision to use that knowledge for evil purposes, the worst thing that's going to happen is that I'm going to grow tomatoes and maybe light the tiki torches if the weather is nice.
Knowledge isn't anywhere near as dangerous as the lack of it. A mage forced into hiding, forced to lie about what he is in order to survive, never learns to control his abilities. Demonic possession aside, he never learns his limitations or how to channel the energy without going overboard. Best case scenario, that mage decides to take on a bear and gets mauled. Worst case scenario, he intends to light a campfire and burns down the forest. It's much better if that mage doesn't have to hide. That way, he gets the training he needs.
@berelinde: I think you're still talking about what happens in current Thedas and nothing that I've mentioned.
As for Tevinter - talk about draconian. They don't suffer abominations because they're a Meritocracy within a Kratocracy.
Concerning science - it is highly regulated in the US AND systems of governmental control and surveillance are in place regardless of your intentions.
@Medhia_Nox: Current Thedas is the relevant setting to consider. If you're imagining a worldstate where 900 years of abuse never happened, well, you can hypothesize about it all you like, but it won't be relevant to Dragon Age.
For the sake of those who are unfamiliar with obscure terminology, a kratocracy is a government established through force or cunning. I would argue that doesn't really apply here, since the Imperial Senate was established before the published history of Thedas begins. The populace was not tricked into electing their representatives, nor do we see evidence that those in power seized it from someone else. According to Dorian, the senate is composed of representatives from the Circles of Magi, the Imperial Chantry, and the major families. All government positions are held by mages, but that does not make their positions unlawful or suggest that they got there through force or treachery. But it doesn't matter what kind of government Tevinter has. I didn't propose the government of Tevinter as a model government capable of ensuring the safety and well being of Thedas. I presented Tevinter as a counter-argument to the fallacy that mages without invasive supervision will invariably become abominations.
There's nothing inherently wrong with a meritocracy, but I would argue that doesn't apply to Tevinter, either. Senators from the Circles and from the Imperial Chantry probably obtained their seats through their own accomplishments, but for the most part, the seats held by the major families are hereditary. My personal opinion is that the Tevinter Magisterium is intended as illustration that even a republic may be an imperfect form of government, but whatever. We're talking about the Circles of Magi, not Tevinter politics.
Anyway, we're getting into circular arguments. Your mind is made up, so nothing I say is going to change that. Those who do not learn from history will inevitably repeat it.
This part is behind a cut because it's irrelevant to magic in Thedas.
@berelinde: I understand that you're discussing current Thedas - but my original "contribution" to the thread was a suggestion of what I'd do were I a secular power to which you responded. I had assumed you were responding to what I was saying.
Also - concerning history, I gather you are not referring to real life history since there is absolutely no analogue to mages in our real world.
So what is the history of Thedas?
First, Elves had tons of magic. Enslaved their own people and wiped out their own civilization.
Then, or perhaps the same time, the Fade and Thedas were not separated and it was reportedly hell on Thedas - hence the Inquisition (which was not formed just because of mage hate)
Then the Tevinter Imperium uses mages to breach the Veil... create Darkspawn that have not tried to devour the world 5 times... because of magic.
Then the Chantry (and Imperial Chantry) overreacts by a mile and restrains mages.... and Thedas takes on some level of stability and sanity. The current Imperium severely restricts it's mages and mages who cannot perform become Tranquil or slaves. So yes, they are invasive.
Now... elven "gods" and ancient magisters use more magic.... and the world is back to ****.
Thedas history is written in blood... at the hand of magic and mages. So if Thedosian history teaches me anything - it is that mages cannot be allowed to practice unregulated.
@berelinde: I understand that you're discussing current Thedas - but my original "contribution" to the thread was a suggestion of what I'd do were I a secular power to which you responded. I had assumed you were responding to what I was saying.
Also - concerning history, I gather you are not referring to real life history since there is absolutely no analogue to mages in our real world.
So what is the history of Thedas?
First, Elves had tons of magic. Enslaved their own people and wiped out their own civilization.
Then, or perhaps the same time, the Fade and Thedas were not separated and it was reportedly hell on Thedas - hence the Inquisition (which was not formed just because of mage hate)
Then the Tevinter Imperium uses mages to breach the Veil... create Darkspawn that have not tried to devour the world 5 times... because of magic.
Then the Chantry (and Imperial Chantry) overreacts by a mile and restrains mages.... and Thedas takes on some level of stability and sanity.
Now... elven "gods" and ancient magisters use more magic.... and the world is back to ****.
Thedas history is written in blood... at the hand of magic and mages. So if Thedosian history teaches me anything - it is that mages cannot be allowed to practice unregulated.
@Lumix19: It is overly simplistic - but it isn't incorrect. All the most world altering events on Thedas are abuses by mages.
How is treating mages like everyone else, with no centers for training and no oversight a good idea?
I'm not saying that the Circles are perfect. They're not. But in a world such a Dragon Age, where anyone with magic has significant potential to be possessed by demons and is that potential is inherently dangerous to the lives of everyday citizens, SOME kind of system has to be set up. That system must provide the following:
1. A place for young/new mages to train and learn to control their powers.
2. A system that protects the public at large from the inherant threat that mages posses through their powers.
5. A system that protects mages from the public at large, which can hate and fear mages just as easily as sympathize with them.
3. A system of oversight and authority which judges mages based on a reasonable, accepted standard.
4. A group of non-mages that can provide said oversight by being trained specifically to deal with the threat mages pose to the average Thedosian.
Try a I might, I can come up with no reasonable system in the Dragon Age universe that would provide all of these things and NOT be distinctly like the Circle system.
I'm not saying that the Circle system is perfect. It isn't. Reformation every now and again is healthy, and by the time Dragon Age takes place, the Circle system could use some. But that doesn't mean the the Circle system, in principle, isn't still the right way to deal with the threat of magic in Thedas.
Too often people get this idea that we should treat all people equally, but fail to realize that mages in Dragon Age CANNOT be treated the same way everyone else is. That doesn't mean that we treat them as less than human. But it does mean that we must treat their powers, and the inherent threat they pose with a great deal of caution and realistic practicality
In an ideal world, mages would all say 'No' to demons, use their powers only for good, and have the intelligence and wisdom to use them in the right way. The world of Dragon Age is not ideal. Therefor its inhabitants must work with the world they have, not the world as they would like it to be.
@Lumix19: It is overly simplistic - but it isn't incorrect. All the most world altering events on Thedas are abuses by mages.
How is treating mages like everyone else, with no centers for training and no oversight a good idea?
I'm not saying that the Circles are perfect. They're not. But in a world such a Dragon Age, where anyone with magic has significant potential to be possessed by demons and is that potential is inherently dangerous to the lives of everyday citizens, SOME kind of system has to be set up. That system must provide the following:
1. A place for young/new mages to train and learn to control their powers.
2. A system that protects the public at large from the inherant threat that mages posses through their powers.
5. A system that protects mages from the public at large, which can hate and fear mages just as easily as sympathize with them.
3. A system of oversight and authority which judges mages based on a reasonable, accepted standard.
4. A group of non-mages that can provide said oversight by being trained specifically to deal with the threat mages pose to the average Thedosian.
Try a I might, I can come up with no reasonable system in the Dragon Age universe that would provide all of these things and NOT be distinctly like the Circle system.
I'm not saying that the Circle system is perfect. It isn't. Reformation every now and again is healthy, and by the time Dragon Age takes place, the Circle system could use some. But that doesn't mean the the Circle system, in principle, isn't still the right way to deal with the threat of magic in Thedas.
Too often people get this idea that we should treat all people equally, but fail to realize that mages in Dragon Age CANNOT be treated the same way everyone else is. That doesn't mean that we treat them as less than human. But it does mean that we must treat their powers, and the inherent threat they pose with a great deal of caution and realistic practicality
In an ideal world, mages would all say 'No' to demons, use their powers only for good, and have the intelligence and wisdom to use them in the right way. The world of Dragon Age is not ideal. Therefor its inhabitants must work with the world they have, not the world as they would like it to be.
Saying that the Circles are a bad idea is not saying mages should be treated like everybody else, that's a separate issue. But why should mages be ruled by non-mages? Why should people who know next to nothing about magic dictate what mages can or can not do? And why is it assumed that these non-mages would be any less corruptible than the mages themselves?
So what, exactly, is the alternative to the Circle system? I would argue that any realistic alternative system would end up looking distinctly like the Circle system. The mages might have a little more freedom, there may not be actual templars, but the system will still be similar.
As to why non-mages should hold the power over mages, the only answer I can give is this: Tevinter is the alternative. If mages are treated equally, then they are being given an advantage because there are things they can do that the average person cannot. The result of this will be, eventually, that mages will hold the power in Southern Thedas. After that, you're only a stone's throw away from Tevinter's system of slavery and secret blood magic.
In my opinion the only way to protect the public from magic is to make sure that, in the end, non-mages(through their chosen representatives) have the power. They are the majority, they are the ones who have the most to lose if mages gain power, and are by far the most helpless if a mage deals with demons. Am I saying that mages should have no power at all? No, that would be idiocy. But I don't think that they should be holding the power, at the end of the day. Individual mages in certain cases should be given power, if only to provide a voice. But mages as a whole? Bad idea.
As to whether or not non-mages are more or less corruptible than mages, the answer is they are just as corruptible. The difference is that when a mage is corrupted, the consequences are more severe. In the same way that a seven-foot-tall man who can bench 340 lbs and carries a gun is far more dangerous than an unarmed prepubescent kid with a yoyo.
So what, exactly, is the alternative to the Circle system? I would argue that any realistic alternative system would end up looking distinctly like the Circle system. The mages might have a little more freedom, there may not be actual templars, but the system will still be similar.
As to why non-mages should hold the power over mages, the only answer I can give is this: Tevinter is the alternative. If mages are treated equally, then they are being given an advantage because there are things they can do that the average person cannot. The result of this will be, eventually, that mages will hold the power in Southern Thedas. After that, you're only a stone's throw away from Tevinter's system of slavery and secret blood magic.
In my opinion the only way to protect the public from magic is to make sure that, in the end, non-mages(through their chosen representatives) have the power. They are the majority, they are the ones who have the most to lose if mages gain power, and are by far the most helpless if a mage deals with demons. Am I saying that mages should have no power at all? No, that would be idiocy. But I don't think that they should be holding the power, at the end of the day. Individual mages in certain cases should be given power, if only to provide a voice. But mages as a whole? Bad idea.
As to whether or not non-mages are more or less corruptible than mages, the answer is they are just as corruptible. The difference is that when a mage is corrupted, the consequences are more severe. In the same way that a seven-foot-tall man who can bench 340 lbs and carries a gun is far more dangerous than an unarmed prepubescent kid with a yoyo.
I would point out that Orlais already has slavery.
Orlais does not have slavery, it has oppression. There is a difference.
Besides the alternative to the Circle system is one where mages are allowed to rule themselves, I'm not advocating a Mage government, I question why people think the Chantry or Templars would do a better job of regulating mages than the mages themselves.
And why you think that any group with special powers governing themselves is a good idea, I can't imagine. That's like saying the military should be autonomous and not under the authority of the civilian government. It's going to lead to serious trouble.
To give mages the ability to manage themselves autonomously is to invite men like Uldred and Jowan to gain power within the ranks of mages with no oversight. Now, instead of causing chaos and destruction while under the watch of the Templars, men and women who are specifically trained to handle(or at least contain) such situations, you're going to give the power over such situations to men and women just as vulnerable to such temptation?
Regardless 'regulating' mages doesn't make their powers disappear
It can't be argued that the power of mages will ever disappear under regulation. If their powers did, then there would be no need for regulation. That's a circular reasoning, and it's nothing close to what I'm saying. So I'm not sure who you're debating that with, but it isn't me. If mages are to be regulated(and I think they should), it must be permanent. Like it or not, mages will always have power and will never live a normal life. The power they wield and the demons that want to exploit it remove that possibility. It sucks, but there you have it.
you're just relying on those governing them not to misuse their powers.
The exact same thing can be argued for this "mages governing themselves" scenario. You're putting an awful lot of trust in the mages to watch over their own with diligence and integrity. Such trust is unwarranted and dangerous, in my view. Sooner or later, the mages will start to overlook things. And you'll either end up with a new Tevinter or open war between mages and anyone who stands against their ambitions.
There is little difference between a corrupt Mage government and a corrupt government with control over its mages.
I must heartily disagree.
In the first case, it is the commonfolk who suffer. Slaves, servants, anyone who is unfortunate enough to be born without the gift of magic or enough influence to be useful to those who are. Easily the vast majority of people living under the authority of such a government. Hands-down the worst form of government in Thedas, including the Qun.
In the second case, it is anyone who is unfortunate enough to be born a mage who will suffer. Easily a smaller population, and one that is decidedly more dangerous. Ideally their fate should not be that of a prisoner with no chance of parole, but if that is what it takes to ensure the safety of the common people, I think it's an easy choice to make. If your government is corrupt(the natural progression of most governmental authority, I would argue), I think that the least amount of people should live under that corruption and the most amount of people should be given protection by it.
Now don't start to peg me as one who hates mages and thinks that they should be locked up forever. I don't. I think the Circle has its problems and should be reformed. But to throw it out entirely is to put the mages in charge of themselves, and that is a scenario that I would never want to see happening if I lived in Thedas. This is because such a scenario depends on the mages living and acting altruistically and not carrying out selfish desires and ambitions. For good. The chances of such a scenario occurring in Thedas are incredibly remote, IMO.
If I were a commoner in Thedas, the last place I would want to live is a place where mages are in charge, corrupt or no. I'd prefer the Qun to such a place(and I say this as someone who reviles the Qun with a passion).
Plot armor: "Character shields (also known as plot armor or plot shield) are plot devices in films and television shows that prevent important characters from dying or being seriously injured at dramatically inconvenient moments. It often denotes a situation in which it strains credibility to believe that the character would survive."
She leaving is not plot armor.
Bio has been known to bend the rules and lore for story/gameplay reasons. Bethany coming along is just that.
So what, exactly, is the alternative to the Circle system? I would argue that any realistic alternative system would end up looking distinctly like the Circle system. The mages might have a little more freedom, there may not be actual templars, but the system will still be similar.
As to why non-mages should hold the power over mages, the only answer I can give is this: Tevinter is the alternative. If mages are treated equally, then they are being given an advantage because there are things they can do that the average person cannot. The result of this will be, eventually, that mages will hold the power in Southern Thedas. After that, you're only a stone's throw away from Tevinter's system of slavery and secret blood magic.
In my opinion the only way to protect the public from magic is to make sure that, in the end, non-mages(through their chosen representatives) have the power. They are the majority, they are the ones who have the most to lose if mages gain power, and are by far the most helpless if a mage deals with demons. Am I saying that mages should have no power at all? No, that would be idiocy. But I don't think that they should be holding the power, at the end of the day. Individual mages in certain cases should be given power, if only to provide a voice. But mages as a whole? Bad idea.
As to whether or not non-mages are more or less corruptible than mages, the answer is they are just as corruptible. The difference is that when a mage is corrupted, the consequences are more severe. In the same way that a seven-foot-tall man who can bench 340 lbs and carries a gun is far more dangerous than an unarmed prepubescent kid with a yoyo.
Mages have existed in Thedas long before any circle system. Still Thedas and its societies functioned just fine. And what is so wrong with mages ruling southern Thedas, compared to the current mundane nobility? How much the life of an average peasant would change? You are forgetting that southern mages have never lived in Tevinter. They are mostly andrastian with southern upbringing. The Imperium returned to its own ways because blood magic is a part of its society, andrastian or not.
@Lumix19: But normal people aren't born with vast reservoirs of personal world shaking power.
And it's funny - people say, what's the difference between mage and a king. It takes a ruler with vast resources to match... a mage.
And then we say: "They're just like everyone else."
And no - I don't think mundane kings would have concocted the attempt to enter the Fade because mundanes don't experience the Fade directly. They experience it through dreams. It takes a mage to invent the invasion of a place only they can get to.
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