in which bethany hawke learns about the concept of 'glamping' via a tevinter magister

[walking_on_sunshine]

[Why is it always templars?

Well, it's not really always templars, to be fair. But it certainly feels as if they are nearly always the source for the trouble that Bethany faces. Throughout her childhood, in the Circle, and now especially during the mage rebellion, templars have been a constant source of grief for her.

If avoiding the templars were a sport, she would be considered an expert by now. Alas, Bethany is not alone at the moment, and the three mages she is escorting are less familiar with the cat-and-mouse act. Though she hasn't pinpointed exactly what went wrong to draw a group of rogue templars their way as of yet, the Hawke plans to have a long talk about it with her charges later. Some time when they're not directly in the heat of battle, assuming they all survive.}

Stand back!

[No-- not assuming. They will all make it out of this, if Bethany has anything to say about it. And she does.

As a fan of magic used for defense more than offense, being a Force mage certainly comes in handy for situations such as these. After motioning for her companions to get out of the way, Bethany aims a telekinetic burst at the templars currently headed towards her group. The goal is to send them hurtling in the opposite direction, but instead of flying through the air, she peers in confusion as their bodies slam against some kind of magical barrier.

Alright, that definitely wasn't there before, and she's not the one who activated it. Or-- could the barrier have been invisible up until something (or someone, or someones) came into contact with it? Hmm.]

Comments

[magistermaevaris]

[As far as Maevaris is concerned, camping without a barrier in place would be like a dwarf walking the Fade—it’s simply unheard of. (For the most part.) Traveling through the south is already a dangerous affair in its own right, and with the mages and templars squabbling like children and catching innocent bystanders in their crossfire, the threat involved is that much higher.

Luckily for her, she loves danger.

The barrier was set some distance away from the camp. The rationale was that it would give her ample time to prepare if something came across it, and her instincts prove right when she feels the disturbance of her magic, a flickering of energy that she’s attuned to. There’s always the possibility that it’s nothing more than wildlife, but with the fighting that’s been known to happen in the general vicinity, it’s not a risk she can take. Besides, she’s heard things about templars down here. Like the fact that they’re actually competent. The chance that they could dispel the barrier is enough to get her moving.

Her worst suspicions are confirmed when she arrives at the scene of the disturbance. Templars and mages engaged in combat, flinging spells and swinging swords like it’s going out of style. Judging from the amount of blood already shed and the righteous fury radiating from the templars in waves, talking it out is obviously out of the question. What a shame. Her arrival is one that goes initially unnoticed thanks to the fray, at least, and she uses that to her advantage. The barrier dissipates with a wave of her hand, and the remnants of blue magic in the air still linger as she summons a mass of thorny vines that erupt through the ground. They coil tightly around the bodies of the templars, holding them in place, and Maevaris elects to make her presence known, then, stepping forward with a flourish.]

My, my. What have we here?

[walking_on_sunshine]

[Magical barriers and wards are a must when camping, if there is a mage present who knows how to conjure either. But while individual weak barriers to cushion incoming damage can be casted on oneself and others while moving, keeping up a single, mobile barrier with a large perimeter would likely waste more mana than Bethany can afford to waste. Hypothetically, anyway. She's never thought to attempt it.

The mage had been planning on using Pull of the Abyss to immobilize the templars, but those vines that just burst out of nowhere will do a better job, since the spell's caster has taken the enemy by surprise-- and Bethany as well, for that matter.

She glances at the extravagantly-dressed stranger for a moment, before hastily throwing ice magic at the templars, realizing she should act while they are still too disoriented to use any dispelling abilities. Combined with the thorny coils, the ice seems to have rendered their attackers helpless enough that Bethany's companions feel more confident in casting their own spells at the weakened opponents.

Once she feels safe enough to distract her attention towards the newcomer--]

Thank you for the help! We're not causing trouble, I swear- err, any more than we have to. We didn't start all this, is what I mean. I would hope defending myself doesn't count as causing trouble. Not of the deliberate sort, at least. If any innocent bystanders had gotten caught in the fray, that would be a kind of accidental grey area, but...

[Bethany clears her throat. That's going a little off-track.]

Anyway. Was that your work? The...

[She motions towards where the barrier was, or the area where the templars were launched at high speed, specifically.]

[magistermaevaris]

[All it takes is the appearance of one mage and the element of surprise to turn the tide of battle. Maevaris doesn’t even have to lift a finger. The combination of her vines and their apparent leader’s ice magic gives the other mages the courage to press on and finish the job. One of the templars even explodes into frozen chunks when a particularly powerful arcane bolt finds purchase in the center of their chest encased in ice, and the resulting blast seems to badly startle the mage that cast it. It brings back fond memories of the first time Mae fought in combat, how new and unexpected everything was— but she imagines this won’t be quite so fond an experience for anyone in this group.

She crosses her arms, head held high as Bethany delivers her long-winded explanation. There’s no hostility there, only a sense of attentiveness that runs deep, made clear by the knit of her brow and purse of her lips. She's weighing the situation in her mind's eye, deciding how to approach, how trust-worthy this stranger looks.]

It was. I have a camp set up not far from here, and I value not being interrupted by the danger this region so plentifully offers.

[Then the sun breaks through the clouds as the corner of her mouth upturns, her posture loosening.]

However… I think I can make an exception for such an adorable mage. Your little friends, too. You must be exhausted, after that ordeal.

[walking_on_sunshine]

[The combat flows too quickly for Bethany to tell exactly who threw what spell, in the end. She glances sympathetically towards her small entourage, who all look deeply shaken by their experience. While she might stop to offer comforting words in other circumstances, addressing the mage who essentially led them to victory over the rogue templars seems a more pressing issue.]

I...

[She blinks.]

What?

[It isn't the change in demeanor that catches her unprepared so much as the choice of vocabulary. When was the last time someone called Bethany adorable?

She hopes her surprise will seem aimed at the offer of refuge, rather than the offhand flattery. She won't actually expect it, by any means, but there's nothing wrong with a little wishful thinking.]

That's... incredibly kind of you to offer. Are you sure we wouldn't be imposing?

[After the day she's had, Bethany honestly couldn't care less about how much of a bother her group might be. But she suspects it is in her best interests to make a good impression on this woman, and if some etiquette will improve the chances of that happening, she will put extra effort into minding her manners.]