Nathaniel hesitates a moment, unsure of how much to say. But if Martin is flatmates with Anders, there are things he should probably know.
"Probably, though I don't know how much he's told you." He thinks for a moment, getting his thoughts in order before speaking. "When someone's found to be a mage, they're immediately sent to live in Circles of Magi, where they're constantly watched over by the Templars. And when I say 'constantly', it's not an exaggeration. Day and night, no matter where they went within the Tower, they were watched. That's what Anders told me anyway." And he's never had any reason to doubt the man's word.
"They're not allowed to leave the Circles unattended, for any reason, and the ones that escape are called Apostates. They're hunted ruthlessly by the Templars until they're captured and taken back to the Circle." Anders had never spoken about what came after the capture, but he was sure there would be some form of punishment for a wayward mage who was bold enough to believe they didn't need to be under the Chantry's watchful eye.
"Most people in Thedas fear mages, and despise them. We're told that they're dangerous, and that they can't be trusted to watch over themselves. That if they did, they'd allow themselves to become possessed by demons, or become blood mages. There's a passage in the Chant of Light that says 'magic is meant to serve man, and never to rule over him.' Most of us take that to heart." He has no problem including himself in such statements; even if he no longer believes any of it, there was a time when he thought the Chantry was right in what they did to mages.
He gives Martin an apologetic look. "Sorry for being so long-winded, I don't usually talk this much. To give a short answer to your question: yes, mages are treated badly in Thedas, and that's not likely to change any time soon." Especially after what Anders did in Kirkwall, but that's not his story to tell.
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"Probably, though I don't know how much he's told you." He thinks for a moment, getting his thoughts in order before speaking. "When someone's found to be a mage, they're immediately sent to live in Circles of Magi, where they're constantly watched over by the Templars. And when I say 'constantly', it's not an exaggeration. Day and night, no matter where they went within the Tower, they were watched. That's what Anders told me anyway." And he's never had any reason to doubt the man's word.
"They're not allowed to leave the Circles unattended, for any reason, and the ones that escape are called Apostates. They're hunted ruthlessly by the Templars until they're captured and taken back to the Circle." Anders had never spoken about what came after the capture, but he was sure there would be some form of punishment for a wayward mage who was bold enough to believe they didn't need to be under the Chantry's watchful eye.
"Most people in Thedas fear mages, and despise them. We're told that they're dangerous, and that they can't be trusted to watch over themselves. That if they did, they'd allow themselves to become possessed by demons, or become blood mages. There's a passage in the Chant of Light that says 'magic is meant to serve man, and never to rule over him.' Most of us take that to heart." He has no problem including himself in such statements; even if he no longer believes any of it, there was a time when he thought the Chantry was right in what they did to mages.
He gives Martin an apologetic look. "Sorry for being so long-winded, I don't usually talk this much. To give a short answer to your question: yes, mages are treated badly in Thedas, and that's not likely to change any time soon." Especially after what Anders did in Kirkwall, but that's not his story to tell.