"Yes, that's right." He is going to have to explain, to give context to his reaction, and he certainly doesn't give the impression of being eager to do so. That said, he goes on calmly enough.
"I was there. Well. Not for Uldred's Rebellion itself; I was one of a few mages who'd been pulled out for discussions about the Blight, after Ostagar. But I saw the aftermath when we returned." He pauses, deciding on his words "Uldred had been a senior enchanter. I don't know that I need to explain the full politics of what led up to the incident, really, but Uldred attempted a coup against the Circle's leadership. He summoned a Pride demon, lost control, and was possessed by it. He then tempted or coerced some of the other mages into using blood magic or becoming abominations, or first one and then the other. Between those who succumbed to using dark magic and those who died resisting them, it was..."
He stops for a moment, glancing away. Finally, he says, "Cousland and his allies managed to stop Uldred and get the situation sufficiently controlled that Kinloch Hold was not annulled outright, though I understand it was a close thing. Those of us in shape to do so supported Cousland in the fight against the Archdemon, that's true. But when we went back to the Circle after the Blight, it was ... a very empty tower, compared to before. So my experience with blood magic is particular, even for a mage."
no subject
"I was there. Well. Not for Uldred's Rebellion itself; I was one of a few mages who'd been pulled out for discussions about the Blight, after Ostagar. But I saw the aftermath when we returned." He pauses, deciding on his words "Uldred had been a senior enchanter. I don't know that I need to explain the full politics of what led up to the incident, really, but Uldred attempted a coup against the Circle's leadership. He summoned a Pride demon, lost control, and was possessed by it. He then tempted or coerced some of the other mages into using blood magic or becoming abominations, or first one and then the other. Between those who succumbed to using dark magic and those who died resisting them, it was..."
He stops for a moment, glancing away. Finally, he says, "Cousland and his allies managed to stop Uldred and get the situation sufficiently controlled that Kinloch Hold was not annulled outright, though I understand it was a close thing. Those of us in shape to do so supported Cousland in the fight against the Archdemon, that's true. But when we went back to the Circle after the Blight, it was ... a very empty tower, compared to before. So my experience with blood magic is particular, even for a mage."