Mage Council Emergency Meeting!

[mythalenaste]

In the aftermath of the Abomination, Pel calls an emergency session of the Council. Those not present in Skyhold attend via Sending Crystal. The meeting is public and anyone can watch.

Her proposal is threefold:

First, a two-week anti-demon training course. Whether it's mandatory or not can be tossed back and forth by the Council in discussion.

Second, a variation on Harrowings, held in a safe location outside of Skyhold to be determined (for the safety of non-mages), with three major differences: (1) they are opt-in only, with the mage fully apprised of what the experience will be beforehand, (2) the subject has the option of being accompanied by a spirit medium for safety and education, and (3) they are called something besides Harrowings, due to the fearmongering nature of that name.

Third, mages going alone on missions will be partnered with (not escorted by) a templar, who does not oversee the mage's work but who accompanies them as a sort of bodyguard and helps them in their work. They are to be on utterly equal terms. If they're with another mage, one templar can cover more than one mage. That limit can be set at the Council's discretion, since obviously you can't have one templar with ten mages. In Skyhold, mages can go about without templars, but they can ask to be quartered with a templar if they feel like they need it to be safe. The templars being quartered with mages must have the Council's utter trust.

She concludes by beseeching the Council to work with the safety of all people in mind, whatever their background. Dalish mages will not submit to Harrowings or Templar oversight, but they still believe in this Council and don't want to lessen the fragile power it has.

It would be best to handwave as much of this meeting as possible, due to holiday schedules and time zones, so let's hash it out in the comments below.

Comments

[nofury]

Then she's going to join the 'this isn't any kind of a real test' camp. This is a basic training exercise that isn't a real proof of anything. Something that is useful, but if there are no consequences for failure it isn't a real 'final exam.'

[mythalenaste]

Yes...we're trying not to kill vulnerable mages. Maria, she respects and wants you of all people on board with this, but it's just not going to be like what templars are used to. Consider it a training exercise. Do templars summon a demon for their recruits to fight to make sure they can do their job?

[nofury]

Templars also don't turn into abominations. Maria is okay with things changing, but there has to be real results. They can't have people giving into demons every other week. If Skyhold is ever under attack, they need to know people are ready and won't start making deals left and right.

Basically, she wants to know if the Council is actually willing to do anything about a mage that is unreliable. Soldiers that go against their oaths are punished if not executed and she supports that. What does this mage group support if a mage cannot perform their duty?

[fleurdesel]

Mages unable to handle their power reasonably and responsibly will be subject to the judgement not only of the Mage Council, but that of the Inquisition's advisers as they are not a risk and danger to themselves and other mages, but the Inquisition as a whole.