[OOM] Settling In
The room that Zevran leads Zak to, number 715, is much like the Antivan himself. Small, neat, clean, yet cheerful in its own way and a far cry from the rooms he keeps in Antiva City. Those are nothing more than a place to stay and a place to work, a place to keep the more sinister tools of his profession, not a place to really share with others.
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He takes another sip of wine and looks thoughtfully at the wall opposite his gaze. "The Crows can be harsh masters, certainly, but it is not such a bad life. There are many things to enjoy about being a Crow, in Antiva. And they do offer a chance to many who would otherwise have none, no matter how slim a chance it is."
They kill the recruits who can't cut it, that only makes sense--no one would feed a horse that could no longer run or pull a plow, or an old hen that could no longer lay. It would be like throwing good coin down a deep, empty well. But Zevran is willing to admit that veritable slave though he is, he has a far better life now than he would have if he'd stayed with the whores. At least he has the opportunity to earn or buy a relative level of freedom in time, even if that "freedom" must be found within the guild itself--or with someone that even the Crows dare not touch.
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The whole 'offering a chance to those who have none' sounds remarkably good in words though Zak is aware it's probably not as good in practice. Still, the attrition rate is high enough among drow commoner youths (even among their siblings) competing for status, power and openings in noble families, that Zak can hardly want to complain or criticize the actions of people who already admit to have... some morals that his people lack.
(OOC: OOH this Foreshadowing of yours is AWESOME.)
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Zevran is aware of the reason for the Dragon Age being named what it is. He is unaware of precisely what the portent foretold, what he is the child of--an Age of violence and destruction, death and despair, suffering and loss.
"As for how long Antiva has existed, I am uncertain. 'Thedas' is a Tevinter word, that simply referred to all of the lands beyond the border of the Imperium. I do know that the country was once a fractured mess of principalities and kingdoms, before it unified. As for the Crows... Well, so long as there are competing regions and families there will be assassins, yes?" He snorts. "Antiva is good at everything except fighting, if you can believe it. We have no army, proper ladies do not bear arms... It is a good thing that we Crows exist, otherwise my country would be overrun in a minute."
It is the reputation of the Crows that holds Antiva's borders. Unlike other countries, Zevran's gentle and fertile homeland needs no ring of steel or harsh mountains. The threat of going to sleep after the victory celebration and never waking up again is more that enough to dissuade even the boldest of generals and would-be conquerors.
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"No armies?" The drow looks dazed As if he cannot imagine it. Which is true. He can't. All drow females are vicious when angry and most are very much armed. Be it with snake whips, or arcane spells, or blades... Female drow who are submissive and do not bear arms are too rare, unless one counts the few who are slaves.
"None at all? And women do not bear arms? No whips or maces or cursed artifacts? I begin to understand why you said that those nude beaches appealed to you..."
Zak also begins to see why it is necessary that the Crows be so feared, and reluctantly, his respect for this strange Organization grows. Especially if Zevran's homeland is as lovely as he says it is. Zak knows any drow matron who heard of such a place in the Underdark would have marshalled her forces to take such a lovely land over and burn the inhabitants' cities to the ground, enslaving the populace.
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He finishes off his wine and gets up to pour another cup, offering the pitcher to Zak when he's finished. "We have plenty of female Crows, of course. Not all of the men are as well suited to play the part as I am, you see. And there will be the occasional female mercenary or guard. But for the most part, women in Antiva do not wield weapons. That is not to say that they cannot wield power, however. And it is not the same in other countries, like Ferelden and Orlais. And, of course, humans and elves of both sexes may be born with magical abilities and be trained as mages. But Thedosian mages mostly stay with those of the Circle, though occasionally a handful will be volunteered to offer support to their nation's army if necessary."
A sensual look overtakes the Antivan's face, his ample mouth curving into a heated smile. "The nude beaches do have their allure, but the mages... Ah, now there is a delicious hotbed of depravity. All alone in their Towers with the same people for years on end, hungry for a taste of the outside world."
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The drow has never liked mages. The idea of a tower of them... He shudders in distaste, and the aftertaste of fear. "Demon-pacting, untrustworthy and powerful, with unpredictable natures, prickly tempers, an inability to understand the word 'no', an excess of pride, a tendency to stick their noses in knowledge no sane individual would want to learn and having a tendency to cast spells to torment others at a whim. No, I do not understand this interest of yours in mages."
*No male drow in their right mind wants to run afoul of the archmage. Zak knows his limits, and knows his place. And it is as far from aforementioned archmage as possible.
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"Thedosian mages are... different, than the ones you are used to, it seems. Certainly there are those who are not the nicest people, and those who break from the Circle or never join it in the first place. But most are happy to keep to their Towers and their books."
The assassin absently rolls his mug between his hands to warm them. "Of course, what I know comes mostly from apprentices, and one or two mages that I had to dispose of along the way. But in Thedas, at least, the Circle mages are surrounded by templars, who are supposed to kill them if they become possessed by demons. And the people are so terrified of the mages that any who practice magic are usually happy to stay as far away from those who do not as possible. Only in the Imperium do you really see those with magic lording over those without."
And everyone knows about the Imperium.
"Most of the mages I have met tend to be very mild and controlled people, and surprisingly unassuming--except in their sexual appetites, but given that they do not get out much, that is understandable. Admittedly the apprentice dormitories sometimes smell rather strongly of burnt hair, but I think that is just an unfortunate inevitability of the learning process."
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"The mages of my people are power hungry, prickly and proud, eternally hungry for any scrap of knowledge, no matter how forbidden it is. Most mages have pacts or can summon demons for various things, aid in battle, specific tasks, information... Mages of my people can cast spells to turn other beings into animals, or monsters; can summon and control the corpses of the dead, can blast people with fire or lightning, turn people to stone, bind elemental spirits to talks and create golems... and those are just the fairly normal spells without going into studies of specific vocations." Zaknafein said gloomily.
"And they have higher status than fighters. Which basically means they are more likely to have things their way. If a powerful, high ranked mage takes a fancy to a commoner fighter, the fighter in question... most often the approach used to this situation is to bend over and take whatever the mage wants to dish out. And pray the mage doesn't decide to turn them into something... unpleasant.
When facing a mage, stealth is the best option. Facing them straightforwardly without others to back you up is suicide. Painful, polymorphed suicide."
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Zevran does look surprised, by this information. "I suppose that mages vary between worlds as much as everything else. I do not think you would find issue with many of ours, if you met them. They receive training in magic precisely so that they become less of a danger to themselves and to others. I understand that most mages manifest ability around the age of six, usually quite dramatically. They are taken to the Towers and raised there, so that they learn to control their magic and use it constructively."
Polar opposites, for the most part. Maleficarum and apostates are exceptions to the rule, and Zevran has to admit that even all of them aren't necessarily bad. But then, his "familiarity" with a handful of mages has probably made him more tolerant than most.
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"All mages in my home learn magic mainly to kill other people with. Can Bards use magic here the way they do in my home world?" Zak asked curiously. "Many of the other disciplines and... vocations of people in my home world can use some sort of magic. A druid for example can command animals, change shape, and cause trees to eat people, though one understands the last feat is very rare."
The drow tilts his head at the other male questioningly. "You can, of course, ask me whatever you wish about my home, since you have so obligingly put up with my queries."
(ooc: off to bed for now!)
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He stretches out once more and gives a low hum of pleasure as he settles. "The Chantry controls the mages, in Thedas, and the Circle often accuses them of being afraid to let the mages use their Maker-given gifts. But only mages can do magic. Bards sing, though they are considerably more popular in Orlais than Antiva. And rangers can summon animals. But I believe that only mages can assume the form of an animal, and then only a very small number ever learn. The other skills are ones that only rogues like myself can learn."
What he doesn't know is that it's simply impossible for most mages to learn to shift into anything useful. That learning requires the ability to watch animals for years, and save for apostates, mages don't really have the freedom to go and observe bears or wolves or eagles.
"The druids and so on that you speak of, are they among the surface dwellers? Or simply among your people? I would not think that you would have trees, below ground."
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"Druids are always found among the surface dwellers, but raiding parties sometimes come across them when moving through the woods on their way to maul some unfortunate surface dwellers and burn their villages down.
Rangers exist in my world too, though some of them can use spells, especially when they have a patron deity.
Wizards, Sorcerers and Warlocks are all base definitions for magic users with varied skills and the ability to enchant items, though the names for their specific vocations vary based on what schools of magic they devote themselves to. Warlocks are significantly different from the other two types because they gain their skills by pacting with a being from another dimension, like a demon, or spirit of some sort.
Psions are a different thing entirely, and far more limited than mages in their capabilities. Some are born with the ability to foresee the future, others shape substance from the realm of dreams into items or weapons. Others can read minds, control other people's thoughts or actions, or simply blast people."
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He shakes his head and takes another sip of wine, swishing it thoughtfully in his mouth before swallowing it. "As I said, only mages can work magic in Thedas, and most are happy to be and let be. The blood mages, they are the ones who can control others. But such magic is forbidden, and any known maleficar is hunted down. Though I have met one or two who were actually decent people, in spite of their unsavory knowledge. Apostates with such knowledge are much sought after by the nobility as protection, so of course we Crows must have one or two, that we may learn to defend against such magic as best we can."
A slight shrug. "But I know little of magic compared to those who work it. I am a poisoner, myself. Only slightly less chance of inadvertently torching my eyebrows off, but absolutely no risk of demonic possession."
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Zak will not mention that he does have a few magic tricks up his.. currently rather short.. 'sleeves', as do most Faerun elves. He would not wish to be known as a mage, after all. He never liked them and has no desire to be sent to a tower full of them.
"I am glad to hear that the mages in your home are very little like the ones in mine." Zak says finally, sipping at his drink. "And that you have defensive measures and training in case they decide to turn against your folk."
He's not sure if he should be happy or disturbed that they hunt their mages down when said mages delve into forbidden knowledge.
On one hand, Zak hates, distrusts and does not have great respect for mages. On the other hand, all magic being reason for someone to be hunted down and trapped? Not a good thing for an innately magical being to have to face.
"A poisoner, hm?" Zak murmurs curiously. He understands some of the risks of the trade, and poisonmakers are very, very respected among the drow. "A very highly admired skill."
He finished the last of his drink and carefully put the mug away next to the pitcher Zevran had been using, before he went back to his pile, sat himself down, and looked through his belt until he found one of the more commonly made poisons. Drow poisoners made thousands every year, and Zak may not have had most of what was available but what he did have was quite... adequate.
He pulled out a vial that held a certain poison based on a mushroom that inflicted death by massive internal bleeding on any unfortunate eaters and put the belt back, before he got to his feet and walked over, to offer the tightly sealed vial of poison to his host.
"This is one of the poisons of my people. I think it will be.. interesting for you to use."
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He looks surprised when Zak offers him the small vial, but accepts it gratefully. "I... thank you," he says. "I am grateful, truly. What are its effects? Its means of administration?"
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"Used to coat a blade, dart or needle, or it can be mixed in with a target's food. It works very fast once it's actually in the bloodstream."
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