Senior Enchanter Ophelia,

We were too naive. When news broke that the Herald of Andraste was a Dalish elf, we thought that she would be sympathetic to mage freedom. Landless and displaced, it was natural to assume that we were natural allies with those who were similarly oppressed by the Chantry. Even I believed that she might reject the notion that mages are monsters to be feared. Instead, she conscripted our kin into the Inquisition military.

All those war casualties, all that bloodshed, and the rebellion simply traded one master for another. The irony is so bitter that it makes my heart ache.

You know that I am loyal to our cause. The very basis of our friendship lies on the shared belief that mages could be trusted with independence and responsibility. But we should have foreseen this outcome when the Grand Enchanter sold the rebel mages to the Tevinter Imperium. The world loathes the magisters for their forbidden magic and their slavery, and Fiona proved that mages would choose tyranny in order to save their own lives. Whether or not I believe this is the nature of mages is irrelevant. What matters is what ordinary people believe.

All of this puts us into a very difficult situation. As long as we remain free of Chantry control, mages will never be trusted. And mage children will continue to be born into a world that is even more hostile to magic than before. You don’t want to hear it, but isolationism is not a sustainable plan for the long term. We must choose powerful allies who can protect us, and soon.

I’ll speak to the First Enchanter about all of this. In the meantime, please ensure that Dana is internalizing her lessons. She likes to take naps when she’s left alone for self-study.

Sincerely,

Senior Enchanter Tahren