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Gods preserve me. Ingrid An Cornelia O Ashhold tried maintain her footing, she wasn't sure what would happen if she fell into an abyss in the land of dreams and was in no rush to find out. She looked around for another portal like the one that brought them there.

August did his best to maintain his footing on the crumbling arena, pushing his sword against the ground to steady himself.

Cerenna stumbled as the floor began to quake, and fought to regain her balance. Like Ingrid, she tried to look around for any apparent route of escape from the Fade.

Mira

Mira collapsed onto one knee after the battle due to her being thoroughly exhausted as a result of the magical energies she had expended during the past few hours and it wasn't something that they taught in the circle. "Maker.........." She uttered just before the floor began to quake. "OH COME ON!" She yelled as she forced herself up and quickly looked for any signs of an exit.

The Floating Island

The island continued to rock and plummet towards the endless abyss of the Fade; the inhabitants found no escape save for the possibility of jumping off. They had no time to ponder it; upon Pride's completely fading away, a large explosion of light emanated from where the creature once stood, and the light faded to complete darkness.

Starkhaven Market Square

The individuals that had been sent to the Fade awoke in the market square, where they had previously gathered to watch Gideon's speech. They were surrounded mostly by corpses; the corpses of people who had also gathered at the disturbance but hadn't the good fortune to survive the attack or the trip into the Fade. Notably, Senior Enchanter Gideon's corpse laid motionless on the platform he had spoken from.

Not far away, Knight-Commander Forender and First Enchanter Pentaghast both stirred, recovering from unconsciousness around the same time as the varied fighters that had only narrowly escaped from the Fade.

Ingrid would wake to Rua, her fennec companion, licking her on the face to wake her.

Mira

Mira was relieved that it wasn't going to be another trick of the fade when she felt the cold hard ground of the market but she was more then aware of how easy it would be for this to be a trap. She saw Gideon's corpse and slowly got up. She walked over to it. "You [&@%!] traitor!" She screamed at his lifeless face with what little energy she had left and spat on his face. "You stupid selfish [&@%!]." She uttered as she went onto her knees and knew what the Templar Order could do to the circle because of the actions of a few.

Solen resigned to his fate as soon as the island fell, only to be surprised (Pleasantly he will add) to exit the fade, safely as he had done, his brief smile was ruined however by the view of corpses. "Rest well.." He murmured softly, hand upon his chest. "Rest deep."

Ingrid sat up and smiled briefly as Rua licked her face. But the smile quickly faded as she saw the horror around her. Ingrid hugged her companion, glad to be back in the waking world. "I thought I'd never see you again." Ingrid said, holding him close with her eyes closed. She opened her eyes, loosened her grip and looked around the square.

Out of the many who had died Ingrid found it unfortunate that the Knight Commander was not amongst them, there were countless others who Ingrid would have saved before that Dwarf. Alas, it was not mortals like her to make such decisions. Looking at Mira hurling insults at a vessel who's essence had long since fled she couldn't help but wonder if she made a mistake in staying Revas's blade. It was probably only a matter of time until Mira became possessed or stabbed her fellow mages in the back. But it felt right at the time.

Cerenna rose from the ground of the market square, dusting herself off instinctively and thanking the gods (and Purpose) for helping her survive Pride's realm. But then she looked around the square, and caught her breath. She stared aghast at the corpses, the people so suddenly robbed of their lives due to Gideon's pride.

Shaken, and filled with a desire to leave this place, she made herself look to the others who had survived. She wanted to say something to them, but she didn't know what. What even is there to say now? Or to do? she wondered, half to herself and half to Purpose.

Revas surveyed the mire of death around him. His gaze turned sharply towards Mira, and then Knight-Commander Forendor. He approached the dwarf, a scowl upon his face. "Basvaarad, nehraa kost, bas-saarebas kata!" The Qunari gestured to the dead. "One of your mages did this; one of your mages rebels, speaks to the dead as if they will answer." He thrust a dagger in Mira's direction. "Control it or kill it! Ebasit shokrakar."

Purpose

Advice of this sort I do not often give, but in this matter I suggest we observe before acting.

Starkhaven Market Square

Knight-Commander Forender awoke to Revas yelling at him in Qunlat. He raised a hand to try to get Revas to stop. He looked over to First Enchanter Pentaghast from across the square, and nodded. "While I don't fully understand what the giant was saying, I can't help but agree. I've had enough of these disturbances. We have tried to be lenient with your kind in these past days, but it is clear that this was a mistake. Corruption has taken hold of the mages of the Starkhaven circle, and innocent people have died for it." he spoke aloud as he stared at the corpses of innocents all around him. "One day I will answer to the Maker for my mistakes, for letting this carry out as far as it did, but today I will do what I should have done already."

Forender looked to one of his templars. "Send word to the Grand Cleric. Tell her that the Templar Order of Starkhaven invokes the Rite of Annulment." he said grimly. The young templar, his face and his reaction to such a sobering task, turned about to leave as Forender continued to address the templars gathered. "As for the rest of you! The mages are to be herded until such a time passes that the Grand Cleric grants us the Rite. Maker be with us all."

First Enchanter Pentaghast stood agape. "Knight-Commander, we have known each other for years! You know I would not let this come to pass! I have fought the corruption of this circle just as hard as you have; if you are to punish anyone, punish me instead! Do not make the others suffer on Gideon's behalf!"

"There can be no quarter when it comes to the possibility of abominations." Forender replied, intently suppressing the emotion in his voice. "There can be no chance when the lives of innocents are at stake."

Ingrid scratched Rua behind the ear one more time and got to her feet. She stepped over the bodies and tried to get closer to those who were still alive and arguing. "What's a Rite of Annulment?" Ingrid asked. She knew it couldn't be anything good but was unaware of just what the Templars were planning.

Mira - Mage of the Circle of Starkhaven.

Mira was shocked by the Knight Commander's words and always feared that this day would come. The chantry cared little for the plights of the mages and she had heard of what happened to Kirkwall's circle because of the action of the terrorist, Anders. Gideon was Starkhaven's Anders in her eyes and many of her friends were dead because of it. "It means the chantry gives permission to the templars to slaughter us like dogs regardless of who is innoccent. Our apprentices are children but in the view of the chantry, they are rabid dogs that much be slaughtered." She told Ingrid. "And that [&@%!] does not give a [&@%!] about who is innocent. All the templars care about is guarding us cattle and should we ever so much as make any noise about being treated as equals, they threaten to tranquil us! They threaten to execute any who they think are too dangerous to live just because they have a natural affinity for it. Kirkwall is an example of what the Chantry's dogs are allowed to do!" She said as she stood up. "And then they wonder why some mages resort to blood magic." She looked at the Knight Commander. "And the talk of innocents is always shoved down our throats when most mages are innocent! We did not ask to be blessed with magic!" She yelled at the dwarf.

"Parshaara. Submit to your templars, monster!" Daggers drawn, Revas began stepping towards Mira, on guard for any attacks coming his way.

August had antcipated this moment, but the gravity of the situation did not hit him until the dreadful command let the Knight-Commander's mouth. He was rooted to the spot, his helm hiding a look of confusion and a half-open mouth. Through sheer willpower, he broke free of the paralysis holding him. Lacking any idea of what to do, he acted upon instict.

August drew his sword and stepped between his siter and Revas, shielding her from attack, "It is not your place, Qunari! You are no Templar! Away! Before I lop off your horns!"

Ingrid was shocked to hear what was about to take place, she heard stories of how the Lowlanders treated their mages but didn't expect it to be this bad, that the Templars would do something like this. "You speak as though imprisoning you were perfectly natural, that it was only when they moved to kill you that the Templars overstepped their bounds. Truly, the idea of freedom is as alien to you as your circles are to me." Ingrid commented. She looked around at the Templars, the individual soldiers rather than their commander. "You must know in your hearts it is wrong, the words of a priestess or commander won't make it right."

Revas' eyes narrowed as he afixed his sight on August, and his next words dripped with more venom than vitaar. "Neither are you." He did not advance, but neither did he pull back. "None of you can defend their kind. In your lands, villages burn, town squares become lifeless, your Chantries are obliterated. There is no order; only madness. As we stand here, having seen what we have seen, to stand between a mage and a blade is either madness or corruption. Both have but one cure. I will not yield while they yet walk free."

Starkhaven Market Square

As Revas turned his attention to August, First Enchanter Pentaghast pulled Mira by the arm and spoke to her with grave import.

"Listen to me, child. Put aside your anger for a moment, and go as quickly as you can to the chantry. You have to speak to the Grand Cleric, convince her that this course is not what is best. Go now; we will do what we must." she instructed. While Pentaghast may have disapproved of Mira's actions going along with the mage freedom rally, she seemed to be trusting Mira for the time being.

Knight-Commander Forender banged his mace on his shield. "That is enough! Qunari, your words are not lost on me, but this is a templar matter. Trust us to restore order here."

Templars began to fall out of rank to corral the mages within the market square. Ingrid's words seemed to give some of them pause, but no one was stopped in their tracks as she might have hoped. With Revas' spat with August taking center stage, if anyone wished to cut loose and run, now was the time.

Mira

Mira felt her arm being grabbed and expected it to be a templar but was relieved when it was the First Enchanter. She listened to her wise words and whilst she had her issues with the circle system, she always had a respect for the First Enchanter. "Maker watch over you." She whispered and knew that the Grand Cleric was the best option without another Kirkwall occuring. With that, she immediately proceeded to make her exit by using the nearest path that would make her hard to notice and would immediately go to the Grand Cleric. Maker,, if you really give a damn about us, let me get to the Chantry and to the Cleric. Let that beast be occupied by the Qunari. August, don't follow.

Starkhaven Market Square

Anyone who might've seen Mira run was unable to follow her in the confusion after she slipped away into the Starkhaven alleyways. The way was indirect, but it would likely conceal her, so long as no one recognized her as a mage by chance.

As she ran, her thoughts began to race and become cloudy. Eventually, a deep voice pervaded throughout the murkiness.

"They want to kill you. They want to kill you and all those you have ever known. The Grand Cleric will not hear your cries. She will do what she believes is necessary to save the common folk. In the end, they will always choose that which is safe over that which is unique... what is special.

Magic has no place in their world. Strike back before they can lull you into a false sense of security."

Mira- Another Encounter?

As Mira ran, her mind was occupied by her concerns of the circle and the fear that the Templars would cause another Kirkwall. She didn't dare stop in case someone had spotted her and then a voice spoke to her. "[&@%!]." she uttered. She knew of the dangers of Demons and she had every reason to presume it was a demon. Begone, Demon. She knew she was screwed if it was indeed a demon but had read about certain spirits inhabiting people after coming to their aid. If what the author of the Tale of the Champion wrote was true, Anders was such a person but she would not allow what happened to Kirkwal to occur here. She continued to make her way towards the chantry without giving anyone any notice. For now, she had to reach the Grand Cleric.

The Nightgust
Solen scowled, his features scrunching up as he turned, moving simply at the start picking up speed as he focused on a means of egress, an alley or some place he can slip into the shadows. Should one seek to stop his path a swift whack or a push. He was not being executed by being tarred with the same brush as the mad man. "It's like you templars only have one idea, you brain addled trolls." He muttered angrily.

Ingrid was disappointed that the Templars continued on but wasn't surprised. She stayed where she was standing for now, looking at the Qunari waiting to see if he'd leave or attempt to join the Templars on their imminent slaughter of mages.

Satisfied, Revas sheathed his daggers. He did, however, continue to loom over August. "What of you, bas? Will you do what you must, or will you forsake what you are, as so many across Thedas are wont to do?" His face no longer held anger--replaced now by a blank, calculating stare.

Starkhaven Alleys

Mira's dismissal brought a few moments of silence, but the haze of thought returned soon after.

"Come now, Mira. You know better than to cling to Chantry rhetoric. Consider those that seek to turn their blades on your brethren. Am I truly more evil than they are? The power I offer can offer you is the power to defy them. The power to save lives."

As the presence spoke, the Chantry came into view. A Templar initiate stood guard at the front door.

"The child standing guard likely does not know of the ordering of the rite. Still, he will not let you pass."

Starkhaven Market Square

Solen was also able to pass from the chaos in the market square, into another set of alleyways different than the ones Mira had taken. He was hidden from sight for the moment, though he could still risk a peek at the on-goings if he wished.

One of the mages being backed into submission by the Templars lost grip on restraint and retaliated, firing a gust of ice at an approaching Templar. The Templar was able to raise his shield and deflect the spell by angling his shield, and then proceeded to incapacitate the mage with a pommel strike to the base of the neck. "Anyone else?" he cried, his nervousness echoing from his helmet.

"Enough! Drop your staves, all of you. Let us hope the Grand Cleric will see reason in this matter." Called First Enchanter Pentaghast. She led the charge, so to speak, by placing her staff on the ground. The majority of her fellow mages complied, but a few held on out of paranoia.

"To the Circle, then. There we will await the word of the Grand Cleric." Knight-Commander Forender ordered. The Templars corralling the mages began to usher them in the direction of the Circle Tower of Starkhaven.