I'm not asking to judge. [ his judgement is private clearly that doesn't count. ] I just want to know what's been made common knowledge, so I know what I can speak freely about.
Right, ah... Well, they know we’re tainted. I think they know that joining us kills people sometimes, but that part wasn’t me. What is you want to tell them?
Some of them, maybe, sort of. To the extent any of us understand it at all. We had to explain what the Calling was, when we were trying to stop Clarel.
I understand you have a... [ girlfriend?? wife?? a sabine. ] partner. It's not my intention to pry. I only seek some clarity on...what to tell those who have formed some attachment to us. I didn't intend to ever have to consider it.
Well, I'm not in charge. But I think you should tell them, if you want to tell them. I've told Sabine. And we told—during the Blight, you know—Cousland didn't keep anything from the people who were helping us. So it isn't just me and my big mouth. It's also him and his big mouth.
I think we're in the midst of something worse, honestly. At least for us. We can't stop Corypheus—we can't even get near him. And he's free and no one was prepared for him because we kept so many secrets.
But besides all of that, if your friends care about you, I think they ought to know. If they don't hear it from you, I'm sure they'll put it together from everything else eventually.
I know you're right about Corypheus. But I don't know what we can do about that, other than what we did in Nevarra: keep our distance and control the flow of battle, let people who aren't in danger try to deal with him directly.
Yes. If they can. If we keep things from them that might help them stop him, then we're to blame for that, too.
The fact that you specifically are going to die horribly pretty soon [ :D ] might not stop him, but the fact that we're tainted and that it kills us—those have been necessary disclosures. It's in the records now. It comes up sometimes when we try to discuss how to stop him or why the Wardens are in the position they are in. If your friends don't hear it from you, they'll probably hear it from me sometime.
Grand Enchanter Fiona was a Warden, [ how old is he ] thiry-five or forty years ago. Now she isn't. And before they wandered off wherever they wandered to, Anders and Nathaniel Howe managed something like it. It killed the Wardens who tried it after them,
[ omelette, eggs? He's not really so cavalier about that, but it also wasn't his call, ]
but when it comes to the point that you're already dying, you could flip the coin.
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[ it's complicated. having associations who aren't wardens is a lot. ]
Do they understand what the taint is? How it works in us?
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[ after a pause— ]
I understand you have a... [ girlfriend?? wife?? a sabine. ] partner. It's not my intention to pry. I only seek some clarity on...what to tell those who have formed some attachment to us. I didn't intend to ever have to consider it.
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Not in that way. Not romantically. But there are some who consider me a friend.
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Ooh, a friend.
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Yes. A friend only. But it's important to me that I'm fair to them.
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That is all there is.
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[ Sure.
But he is actually only teasing. ]
So you want to be fair and... tell them that you are going to die?
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[ not that he needs to tell alistair that. ]
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That we're going to die young and horribly.
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[ and that ellis is banking on it, but that's not relevant to this conversation. ]
And that there's nothing they can do about it.
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But he can focus, first. ]
Well, I'm not in charge. But I think you should tell them, if you want to tell them. I've told Sabine. And we told—during the Blight, you know—Cousland didn't keep anything from the people who were helping us. So it isn't just me and my big mouth. It's also him and his big mouth.
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[ all his loopholes, useless. ]
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But besides all of that, if your friends care about you, I think they ought to know. If they don't hear it from you, I'm sure they'll put it together from everything else eventually.
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[ ha ]
I know you're right about Corypheus. But I don't know what we can do about that, other than what we did in Nevarra: keep our distance and control the flow of battle, let people who aren't in danger try to deal with him directly.
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Yes. If they can. If we keep things from them that might help them stop him, then we're to blame for that, too.
The fact that you specifically are going to die horribly pretty soon [ :D ] might not stop him, but the fact that we're tainted and that it kills us—those have been necessary disclosures. It's in the records now. It comes up sometimes when we try to discuss how to stop him or why the Wardens are in the position they are in. If your friends don't hear it from you, they'll probably hear it from me sometime.
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[ now he needs to think of a way to impart this information, infinitely harder. ]
Do you feel it will be pretty soon?
[ fun co-worker banter: do you feel the cold hand of death on your shoulder yet ]
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[ Exposure to darkspawn is supposed to speed it up, so that's not working in his favor. But on the other hand, ]
There might be a way out, you know.
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That sounds like wishful thinking.
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[ omelette, eggs? He's not really so cavalier about that, but it also wasn't his call, ]
but when it comes to the point that you're already dying, you could flip the coin.
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[ what an understatement. ]
Do you want to flip that coin?