Video

[dreadinquisitor]

[He wanted time to familiarize himself with this place. He needed to know if anyone else from the Inquisition had been brought across as well, and then to find them if they had. But first, he'd looked through the information they'd given him - the neat print on the strange white paper - and now, suddenly, Maxwell had a much more immediate, personal worry.

The video opens on his face; his expression a mixture of incredulity and concern.]

Hello. [It feels awkward, addressing nothing, but he pushes on.] My name is Maxwell and I have a question, and there doesn't seem to be anyone else to ask.

[The camera turns and fixes on a portion of the pages he'd been given. He points to a section, chases a sentence with his fingertip as he reads it aloud.] 'Bears will always find him.' [Then the feed swings back to him.]

Why would anyone want this? How many bears do you even have in this place, to hope to make this useful? And do they just-- roam about?[He glances away, as if one might have suddenly sneaked up on him, then back.] Are these abilities negotiable in any way?

Comments

[viced]

I don't know if I'd say it's quite that, but close enough.

More like changing the world by changing the way we operate, you know? Reform from the inside.

absolutely no worries :) .

[dreadinquisitor]

Maxwell. I'd say a pleasure, but, circumstances. [A small, but handsome smirk and a little shrug.]

So how long have you been here?

[dreadinquisitor]

[He does know, and he nods gently.]

And while change might not be easier, it's certainly more so than trying to rebuild from nothing.

Usually, at least.

[ghoulking]

it's no problem. Good luck.

[viced]

Exactly. And it has the added benefit of avoiding total anarchy. Which really is a good thing, if you ask me.

[dreadinquisitor]

Hard to help anyone if you're too busy trying to tell your ass from the hole in the ground.

[He nods again, understanding.]

So is that what you do here?

[viced]

[ A snort. ] That's true.

Anyway, I'm a Senator. So, if you believe the stories about politicians... one of the worst sorts out here.

[ It's said with no lack of humor. He knows how people feel about politicians, after all. ]

[lightinside]

The horseless carriages are known as cars. Just if you wanted to know. [Based on what he has said so far it seemed likely that he was from way back in the past.] And most people call that thing a communicator.

[Laurel considered it to be like a very advanced smartphone.]

Magic isn't something I've had much experience of where I'm from. [It wasn't about her at the moment though.] When you talk about magic, do you mean like spells and stuff?

[marriedmedium]

A very fair point! Try to enjoy some downtime between bears, dear.

[dreadinquisitor]

[A low laugh.]

And here's the part where I confess that I could, loosely, be called a politician where I come from.

[Some would say more than just "loosely," but that's how Maxwell preferred to think it.]

So fear not, you're safe with me.

[dreadinquisitor]

This must have been quite the change for you. Not just the being brought here, but the abilities on top of it.

[No, he might not know what a car is, but he's certainly used to the weirdness that magic can produce.]

Yes. It's an inherent ability some people are born with in my world. At it's most basic it's elemental - manifesting fire or lightning, that sort of thing - but as they develop and grow mages are capable of... seemingly anything.

[dreadinquisitor]

[A chuckle.]

I certainly intend to try, thank you.

[viced]

[ A pause, and then a laugh. ]

Really? A politician that gets mauled by bears?

That sounds really goddamn familiar.

[ Hello new BFF ]

And what kind of...politicking do you do?

[dreadinquisitor]

Well, I'm not sure what a Senator would convert to exactly... but I did end a three-way civil war for the Empire by stopping an assassination attempt on the Empress, reuniting her with her lover, and revealing her cousin in a secondary plot against her.

[lightinside]

That's amazing. [And she meant it too.] The kind of magic you've described is pretty much the work of fiction where I'm from.

But we do have people known as 'metahumans'. They do have abilities - like super speed as an example. Others can create something out of nothing.

Would that count as a type of magic?

[viced]

Well, shit. You're doing a hell of a lot better than me.

Although that's a lot of meddling with personal relationships. Maybe you're like a diplomat, then? That sounds about right -- and a good one.

[dreadinquisitor]

Don't sell yourself short. After all, good remains to be seen, technically. [Sure, it had worked out where it came to ending the war and defeating Corypheus, but in the lasting long-term....] I merely made a choice.

[dreadinquisitor]

To be fair, I'm not a mage myself, so I'm hardly an expert and shouldn't be taken as such, but... [He thinks for a moment.] Yes, I would think so. In fact, Dorian-- a, friend of mine, is quite skilled with a spell that manipulates time around him into slowing down, appearing to make those within range of it move quicker.

[viced]

That is all politics, honestly.

Choices might not be the right ones, but...it's still better than doing nothing, you know? Being crippled by indecision is worse than the wrong choice.

[dreadinquisitor]

At least a wrong choice can possibly be fixed. Nothing begets nothing because it's nothing.

Not to mention there's usually more understanding because at least you bothered to try.

[viced]

Yes. Ineffectiveness is just met with more derisiveness.

Not that I can blame anyone, honestly. This is... at least something.

[dreadinquisitor]

So I assume you're an - import? - as well?

How did you go about getting involved with the politics here?

[viced]

I am.

I've been lucky -- I've been here a long time already. I started as an ambassador, but I have...experience in being a politician. Both in my home world, and the last world we were in. It gives me a little bit of an edge -- and a hell of a lot of consistency compared to other imports.

[lightinside]

[Laurel listens carefully to what he had to say, wanting to learn something. She was fascinated by what went on in other worlds.]

Now that is definitely interesting. The kind of spell that would come in handy...maybe not for me, but for someone else. [Okay, not true. It'd probably help her but Laurel wasn't going to reveal her vigilante identity to him.]

If you're not a 'mage' - was it? Then what do you refer to yourself as?

[dreadinquisitor]

[A brief look of confusion flits across Maxwell's face. Idly, he tried to recall if he'd ever been asked that before.]

Uh- a non-mage.

I'm just a man. [Besides the Anchor, which he doesn't count.] Human, ...though I suppose that only makes sense to clarify if you know there are other races in Thedas and can't tell the difference between them.