(This has minor spoilers for origins and inquisition) So I know some mages can leave the circle if they are on official circle business but it seems like some leave even if they are not on circle business and still are not considered apostates and some stuff just doesn’t make sense.
1) in the stolen throne there are two mages who are not in the circle tower. On serves prince maric and the other serving the orlesian ruler of ferelden. So I can understand them being out of the circle to serve royalty. But even after the orlesian occupation of ferelden is over, the mage who served maric retired to honnleath according to origins. I don’t understand why he wasn’t sent to a circle tower unless maric granted him freedom for his service or something.
2) it seems that vivienne could leave the circle tower as she pleased even before the events of inquisition considering her knowledge or orlesian functions and the protocol for said funruons. Also she would’ve had to leave to have her affair with her nobleman lover. And that obviously not circle business. So I don’t really understand that.
3) for wynne, the Templar who she had a son with said in a letter that she willingly gave her son up to remain securely in the circle. She wouldn’t have been allowed to leave the circle anyway. It’s not like a mage can be kicked out of the circle as it’s too risky. So I don’t understand what the Templar means In the letter. I’m really confused. Also with wynne in awakening she isn’t restricted to a circle tower (although she is at the chantry so that makes some sense) and her botanist friend is also out in the woods with no Templar escort. Can someone explain these things to me?