The Iron Dragon

Chapter 22. Mages and Templars

The next time we spent wandering through some more rooms turned out to be quite how should we put it, quite unremarkable. We roamed from room to room hoping to find something, but most of the rooms were just uninteresting. So while we were walking around the building, I listened to further conversations of the group. I overheard Varric and, for once, Cassandra talking about how a certain Sebastian had invaded Kirkwall and how they thought about this situation. I had also heard about this incident. I had simply been interested to know what was going on in the place where I had once lived. Well, and I guess that place was not doing so well.

It was not that it was not only now in danger around the city of chains. Kirkwall had already had many problems over the past ages, which here and there had great effects on future ages. In the ancient ages, Kirkwall had often had to defend itself against forces that wanted to take it. Then came the occupation of the Qunari and then the upheavals of the Templars and not to forget the great battle between mages and Templars that has been going on in many parts of the world until today.

Sebastian Vael had dedicated his life to the church at an early age. And although he was the third heir to the throne of Starkhaven, this seat did not interest him very much. Sebastian had decided early on to renounce his throne and dedicate his life to the service of the Church, which was understandable, since he strongly believed in the Maker. He had never seen himself as a politician and to have power over such a strong kingdom had never been what he had wanted for himself. Well that changed one fateful night. It also had to be said that Sebastian had not put himself into the service of the church from the beginning. One could even say that he had no intention to join the church voluntarily, which unfortunately did not please his parents, because they were very strict believers. Sebastian also believed from the beginning that the maker existed, but he was not as devout as his parents. Elthina the highest cleric of the free marches even helped him to escape from the church. Many years later he came back voluntarily to join the church but also to serve Elthina, because she had impressed him with her kindness.

But then his family, the rulers of Starkhaven, were brutally murdered and suddenly he was the sole heir to the throne of Starkhaven and all the politics of his country fell upon him and he tried to flee from it by all means. He succeeded for quite a while and he was able to fulfill his duties to the church and serve Elthina faithfully. However, when the rebellions of the magicians and Templars in Kirkwall escalated, Elthina was killed and Kirkwall was thrown into chaos. The Templars blamed the Mages because it was a Mage who had killed her and the Mages defended themselves by saying that a Mage did not represent the will of all, which was true. Both sides did not want to give up and that is why a real massacre took place that one night.