A brief tally.

I am Saarebas of the Tal-Vashoth.

It was not my choice.

My Arvaraad was killed. Had I returned to the Qun without him, I would have been killed on sight for fear that I had been corrupted.

I did not wish to die. So I fled.

I see. Where do you intend to go from here? Death is, after all, a door we all inevitably pass through, as as your status gives you few options indeed, with being bound by antiquated Templar enforcement only marginally better.

You would be best served if you could find safety in numbers. Perhaps one of the "Apostate" groups would be willing to take you in, if you could find them.

Tal-Vashoth Saarebas wrote:Though I am not an imbiber of alcohol myself, I have a question as to how dwarves produce their own. Wheat cannot grow underground, can it?

Some is made from mushrooms I believe. Some of it I've only heard rumors about. I will not be repeating them.

Kristoff Rickenheimer wrote:]Dirt. Orzammar drink is made from dirt. Let that fester for a moment.

-Kristoff Rickenheimer

... How? Alcohol comes from the process of fermentation. Fermentation requires sugar. Dirt has no sugar.

I am Saarebas of the Tal-Vashoth.

I am not entirely sure if drinking beer is healthy in the first place, let alone beer made with dirt inside of it.

Such strange traditions in this land. It is fascinating and worrying at once.

And I will not join with bands of outlaw mages.

I am Saarebas of the Tal-Vashoth.

I do not use my powers for ill deeds. I do not even use my powers.

I have harmed no one except those that have attempted to accost me, and that was with my bare hands.

I am not part of your Chantry, and so I do not care for the judgments of your Templars.

As to answer you, dwarf, I am in what is called the Free Marches, though if you ask me, no man or woman here seems to be truly free.

Lichens and dirt, mainly. As far as the ale goes.

Isen wrote:What makes an apostate bad anyhow? What if they don't hurt anyone?

Being a mage and not bound by the Circles is all that qualifies one to be an Apostate. I do not agree with this practice, but it is universally followed, save in Tevinter.

While he (presumably male, for I've yet to meet a woman so selectively obstinate) says he does not use his magic, even for defense, he is still a mage. Any Templar would immediately contain him once they learned of this, and given that he is a Kossith in a region where his kind are atypical at best, he will eventually draw attention.

As for what makes a mage "bad" is that they are all beacons to evil creatures of the Fade. The untrained, unwise, and unintelligent are especially at risk, and should they be consumed, they become something else entirely. Thus why the fear driven and barbaric practice of collaring mages persists to this day.

I am Saarebas of the Tal-Vashoth.

I do not expect you to know the meaning of restraint.

To not use my powers is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of control and diligence.

The temptation for the use of magic will always be there. It is a constant whisper in the back of a Saarebas' head. But unless the situation truly calls for it, I will not use it.

The people here are afraid of magic. Thus I do not draw attention to myself by using it and riling up the population and stirring up your Templars.

But your Templars and what they would do to me pale in comparison to the Arvaraad and what the Qun would do.

There is a difference between being ashamed of what you are, and knowing that you are a threat and must control yourself.