The Amell Legacy: Transgressions

[Marian Hawke]

Marian looks up, interrupted deep in the middle of an essay on the finer points of the Path. "No?" she asks, trying to rewind, see if she missed anything. I don't think anyone had spoken since Helene handed me this essay...

[Haliel Lightsong]

Haliel glances up as well, having started to go back to the book she had been reading prior to Marian's offering. "That's not... It's not for me, that manner of worshipping Astea. It's too... I cannot see such limitations on love. Love and Compassion are too intertwined for me."

[Marian Hawke]

Marian blinks. "Which-- there's like four different ways in there," she protests. "And..." she adds, softer, glancing away. "That's what Astea demands. The right kind of Love. Ciren's more of a free-for-all, if you're looking for that sort of thing."

[Haliel Lightsong]

"Not according to this text," Haliel points out, tapping the first book she'd finished. "The Bright that wrote it was part of a..." What was it called? "Oh, right, a commune. Group marriage system, she had four wives and three husbands. The book's focus was more about art and beauty but she talked about her own life as way of examples so..."

[Marian Hawke]

"That's-- that's a very Ciren thing, are you sure she's a good example? Cirenites often have passion for the arts, and they practice group marriage all the time."

[Haliel Lightsong]

"She was a Bright, the head of her church so... Granted, her congregation was her commune but.." Haliel shrugs helplessly. "I mean, she got spells so Astea must have been okay with it?"

[Marian Hawke]

"Astea is very forgiving," begins Marian.

[Helene Dakesh]

"This one could contact Astea and ask?"

[Varric]

Varric snorts, grinning at his...Hmmm. Should discuss terms and labels. Suitor maybe? "This is brilliant by the way- where did you get it?"

[Marian Hawke]

"The-- the text?" says Marian, startled by the whiplash. "I-- it's one of the few things I was able to bring when I was sent to Draslina. My parents wanted me to keep the faith, but I didn't."

[Varric]

"Ah. Have you reread it recently? Since you got trained in critical reading?" Varric asks with a knowing nod. "Not just skimmed it or the like, but read-read it."

[Marian Hawke]

"Not in years. Why?"

[Varric]

"I could be wrong- Helene, you want to look this over?- but I could swear this collection was complied- not written, just compiled- by a Char," he explains. "I've read one just like this for Naugrix that was bait for converting people to the All-Taker. Really well done, but once you've seen the illusion, it gets easier to see it again."

[Marian Hawke]

Marian stares at him, paling. "A-- what? No, that can't be right-- it's Astean. One of the more popular tomes in Nyra. How would that even work? Exalting Astea and Love in order to-- what?"

[Varric]

"Because it's limiting," Varric explains. "It excludes a lot of people from being 'real worshippers.' Either it turns people off worshipping Astea- and maybe a scant handful trickle their way down to the Darks- or it causes the people that buy this to kick out the ones that don't. An Astean church that is fighting amongst itself is one that's not recruiting or preaching." He shrugs a little. "Besides, Chars don't always need a reason to lie. Lying in and of itself is an article of faith so..."