#kind of like samson and the templars I guess?

[seaglassmelody]

Y’know what I wanna see?

More Wardens who are sketchy people. We are TOLD that the Wardens did bad things in the past and keep a lot of secrets and like. We have these moments of people doubting the Wardens. We know how Thedas as a whole has mixed opinions of the Wardens.

But as players we’re never really allowed to engage with them AS sketchy. The Hero of Ferelden is a hero! Origins lets you be evil but it doesn’t really have meaningful consequences for the world or the Wardens as a whole. Anders makes some Choices but they’re based on his background as a mage, not a Warden. Blackwall is explicitly complimentary to the Wardens, both in his in-character opinions of the organization and the man whose identity he stole, but also in a meta sense because his crimes weren’t done by a Warden, because he’s NOT a Warden. Davrin is EXPLICITLY a heroic, upstanding and dignified warrior. Davrin also has an…optimisitic? View of the organization, with his explicit discussion of the Wardens being a second chance for people (underlined by the fact that a Warden Rook is the only one who can reform the mayor of D’Meta’s Crossing by conscripting him).

Even the Wardens in Inquisition are being manipulated and controlled by Corypheus and the Venatori. They come off at worst as incompetent and fearful.

I don’t dislike this hopeful view of the Wardens at all. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Wardens as a paramilitary hit squad dedicated to fighting the imminent threat of the Blight.

I just think it would be interesting to dig more into the idea that anyone can become a Warden and how some people would use that reputation and opportunity for ill. Like I’m thinking about a character like Kimblee from Fullmetal Alchemist— someone who takes advantage of the carte blanche to enact their own principles and skirt consequences.

I wish the games dug more into the darker areas of the Wardens that we’re told exist but we don’t really get to SEE.

[daitranscripts]

What Pride had Wrought Pt. 12b

Confronting Samson

What Pride had Wrought Masterpost First: Speaking With Morrigan First: Meeting Kieran Previous: Petitioner's Chambers

The party enters a large open area full of trees and greenery. The Well of Sorrows is visible in the distance.

PC: The Well of Sorrows!

Party Comments:

Vivienne: Finally!

Blackwall: Maker’s balls!

Solas: So Mythal endures.

Cole: It’s loud. And so cold.

Cassandra: Andraste guide us.

Iron Bull: That’s… something.

Dorian: How has such magic lasted?

The proceed down the stairs to the chamber floor.

Samson: Fight on! An army of these bastards won’t stop us!

Red Templar: How will you get to the Well, General?

Samson: Tell me you brought some damned rope!

Red templars and sentinels fight on the chamber floor. When they’re defeated, Samson approaches his men.

Samson: You tough bastards–a day’s march, hours of fighting and still fierce as dragons. The Chantry never knew what it was throwing away.

Red Templar: Samson! Ser–watch out!

The PC runs up.

Samson (allied with the sentinels): Inquisitor. You and those elf-things don’t know when to stop. Samson (did not ally): Inquisitor. You’ve got a damned long reach.

Choice dependent dialogue:

Completed Before the Dawn [1]

Did not complete Before the Dawn [2]

1 - Completed Before the Dawn

Samson: You’ve hunted us half across Thedas. I should’ve guessed you’d follow us into this hole.

Dialogue options:

General: Maddox is dead. [3]

General: It’s over, Samson. Surrender. [4]

General: Why are you here? [5]

3 - General: Maddox is dead. PC: I spoke with your Tranquil, Maddox. He sacrificed himself for your cause. Samson: I told him not to… He died as one of us, then. One of the faithful. [9]

4 - General: It’s over, Samson. Surrender. PC: Your reserves are gone. So is the lyrium. Isn’t it time to stand down? Samson: To enjoy the mercy you showed our brothers and sisters? No, thanks. [9]

5 - General: Why are you here? PC: What are you doing here, Samson? Samson: Following his orders. [9]

2 - Did not complete Before the Dawn

Samson: We come to the back end of nowhere, and here you are.

Dialogue options:

General: I didn’t come for you. [6]

General: I like to travel. [7]

General: Why are you here? [8]

6 - General: I didn’t come for you. PC: You and your red templars weren’t my concern, not until now. Samson: You keep getting in over your head, don’t you? [9]

7 - General: I like to travel. PC: Leading the Inquisition takes me to all sorts of interesting places. Samson: You came too far this time. [9]

8 - General: Why are you here? PC: What are you doing here, Samson? Samson: Following his orders. [9]

9 - Scene continues.

Samson: Corypheus chose me twice. First as his general, now as the Vessel for the Well of Sorrows. You know what’s inside the Well? Wisdom. The kind of wisdom that can scour a world. I give it to Corypheus, and he can walk into the Fade without your precious Anchor.

10 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: You’re a “Vessel”? [11]

General: He’ll cast you aside. [12]

General: That’s insane! [13]

General: He’s not getting the Well. [14]

11 - Investigate: You’re a “Vessel”? PC: What’s your part in it? What’s a “Vessel”? Samson: What else empties a well? I’ll carry its power to Corypheus. One more task entrusted to me. Being force-fed Chantry lyrium was good for something. This armor makes me a living fortress–mind and body. I won’t forget a word of the Well’s knowledge. Corypheus will be unstoppable. [back to 10]

12 - General: He’ll cast you aside. PC: Once Corypheus is that powerful, you and your soldiers will just slow him down. Samson: You dare say that to my face? After you butchered my men? [15]

13 - General: That’s insane! PC: Corypheus already caused one disaster. Help him now, and he’ll rip the world apart! Samson: I’m helping him reshape it! He’s had centuries to make ready. [15]

14 - General: He’s not getting the Well. PC: I’ll see Corypheus dead before I let him wield that power. Samson: How are you going to stop him? [15]

15 - Scene continues.

Samson: You’re no match for Corypheus. Even if you drink from the Well, you’ll never master its wisdom as he could. This is the strength the Chantry tried to bind. But it’s a new world now. With a new god.

Samson (did not complete Before the Dawn): I will bring Corypheus the Well’s power and your head, all at once. To arms! [18]

Samson (completed Before the Dawn): So, Inquisitor. How will this go?

Dialogue options:

General: Quick and painful. [16]

General: Destroy his armor. +Sera Approves

16 - General: Quick and painful. PC: Let’s see if you’re the general they believe in. Samson: To arms!

17 - General: [Destroy his armor.] PC: Power’s all well and good. Until it’s taken away. The PC holds up the rune Dagna created. Samson: (Screams.) What did you do? What did you do? My armor. It’s gone. The lyrium–I need it! Kill them all!

18 - Scene continues.

The party fight Samson and his men.

Samson: Take them! Samson: Watch your flanks! Samson: Get around them!

Samson: I’ll show you bastards! Samson: You think you’ll win? Samson: Get away from me!

Samson: There we are! Samson: Ha! Come on then! Samson: This has to do it.

Samson: You’re nothing! Samson: There’s no mountain to save you now! Samson: You will fall! Samson: You can’t run!

Samson: No! You’ll pay for that! Samson: Those were my men!

If the party fails: Samson: Nowhere to hide, Trevelyan! Samson: You die here, Lavellan! Samson: It ends here, Cadash! Samson: It ends here, Adaar!

When Samson’s health is low: Samson: (Pained groan.) No… you can’t…

The party defeats Samson and his templars.

Samson: Not the Well, you wretch. You can’t take it from Corypheus. You mustn’t… (Grunts.)

He falls unconscious.

Party Comments:

Cassandra: He’s still breathing.

Cole: He’s not ready to go yet.

Varric: Still alive? That’s some damned good armor.

Blackwall: Still breathing after all that. Impressive.

PC (if no one comments): Still alive. He’s tough.

PC: We can take him back to Skyhold for judgement.

Next: Abelas

[spainkitty]

Tranquility and Free Will: After the Shrine of Dumat

tw: death, neither pro nor anti Tranquility, Cullen's PTSD

Lanil's Pieces Masterlist

It was... a much less easy journey back to Skyhold. Harder to joke. Harder to smile. Maddox had shaken Lavellan to the core. It made her remember that conversation with Cullen weeks ago, the lyrium scattered on the ground, templars and mages and Meredith. Seeing Maddox, his Tranquility, his emotionless yet fervent suicide, his faithfulness to a man who had shown him kindness and wanted to destroy the world.

It was... horrifying.

Heartbreaking.

It made her fucking furious.

She sat on the edge of camp a few days out from Skyhold. She could hear Dorian and Cassandra bickering over spices for the stew, Varric humming softly as he cleaned and calibrated Bianca, Cullen whispering to the horses. The usual sounds of each night. She stared up at the stars, watched her breath fog in the air, and told herself not to scream.

To breathe.

Which was made harder when Cullen's whispering ended and his footsteps approached her. He stood next to her shoulder for a long minute. Silent, too. Maybe staring at the stars, too. Maybe trying not to scream, too.

"Sit or leave."

"I didn't want to impose."

"Looming over me isn't imposing?" Lavellan asked dryly.

"Right, I apologize, I'll go--"

"I wasn't angry about Fairbanks. I wasn't even angry about the blasted halla comment, though it was out of line and you should apologize to the halla."

"Apologize... to the halla."

"Yes. There's a ritual for it. You have to find a temple of Ghilan'nain."

"I could... do that."

"And then weave a blanket of spindleweed and fresh spring grass."

"And if it's autumn?"

"You'll have to go to a country that always has spring grass. Or suffer the terrible, crushing disappointment of halla everywhere."

"So, I find a temple, weave some grass and weeds?"

"And then sing to Ghilan'nain a special Elvish prayer while wearing only the grass blanket."

"So I have to be naked."

"Ask Dorian. He knows all about elves singing flowers into bloom while naked."

Cullen huffed and slowly sat down next to her. "You're teasing me, so I guess you're not upset?"

"Of course I'm upset. I'm mad. I've never been so mad in my life." She said it quietly, voice shaking, arms wrapped around her shins. "I'm mad at Samson for dragging Maddox into it. I'm mad at Meredith for... for punishing him like that. I'm mad at you for saying templars serve a purpose. I'm mad at the Circles for existing. I'm mad at the Chantry for what they put mages through, for what they put templars through, for what they allow and keep secret and destroy, with this facade of doing what Andraste wanted. I'm mad at the whole fucking world."

"I... I get that."

"Thank you." She braced her chin on her knees. "More than anything, I'm... I'm sad. He shouldn't have died like that. He deserved so much better than that. But I'm also... I don't pity him. I'm in awe of him. His faith. His determination. His loyalty. He wasn't a puppet, Cullen. He wasn't an empty shell. He shouldn't have died, but I can't pity him. He doesn't deserve that, either."

"In the end, he made a choice of his own free will. I wish it could've ended better. I wish we could've stopped him. But I won't pity him either." Cullen spoke so softly and firmly. Lavellan was filled with rage, with fear, but Cullen. Cullen was hurting for Maddox. It laced through every word, that empathetic pain.

"That could be me."

"What?" The word ripped out of him with so much shock, so much offense. It made her smile.

"Whoever the new Divine is, they could be like all the others. They'll put mages in the Circles. The templars will get their purpose back. They'll remember everything that happened and they're not all you, Cullen. They might not grow out of the resentment or the fear. Mages will die. I could die. I could be made Tranquil. They'll catch me and throw me in. And when they do, will templars be serving their purpose?"

"Lavellan, it's not the same, it'll be different, it'll have to be different--"

"No. It doesn't have to. You've met Vivienne, right? She's a mage that thinks like you do--"

"That is not how I think."

She startled and slowly turned to face him.

"I don't want that to be a templar's purpose. Why do you think I left?" Cullen said. "Everything was about fear. It made me more afraid, more angry, and I had good reason for it. Kirkwall was...  Kirkwall was worse than the Void. But in the end, it was just fear. Fear feeding fear, going in this violent, murderous circle. Mages pushing at limits, templars hurting them for trying, mages becoming blood mages to hurt templars back, templars pouring lyrium down their throats and losing their minds, and mages summoning demons and losing theirs. Everyone trying to hurt everyone else because they were hurting."

"Explains the explosion. It sounds like everything was a bomb waiting to happen."

"I haven't even told you about the Qunari."

"Don't worry, I read Varric's book."

Cullen laughed softly, so softly it shredded into nothing the moment it left his mouth.

"I knew a young woman, a mage, and elf, like you. She was... I thought I'd never met or seen a girl like her. You remind me so much of her that it was hard to separate you in the beginning."

"Su...rano?"

"Surana."

"Ah."

"She passed her Harrowing at 18. I was there, I held a sword ready to cut her down if she failed." Lavellan's fingers clenched into fists. "I'd been to Harrowings before, I never had to, every time it was over was a relief. I never had to use my blade on these people I swore to protect. After hers... she asked... would I have done it? I told her it was my duty, I had to, but I didn't want to. And she laughed and told me it was okay, she knew all along she'd be fine. She was... so bright." He forced the word out, and it sounded like it tore his heart in two.

"Was?" she asked, had to ask, even as she shook and desperately didn't want to know.

"She was supposed to be made Tranquil and I helped her escape."

Lavellan finally moved, finally broke from her curled and defensive position, turned her whole body toward him to stare at his profile.

"What?"

"There were blood mages in the Circle. Everyone was fighting, and dying, and I watched the Tranquils... they were some of the first," Cullen swallowed hard and sweat glistened across his forehead. She should tell him to stop. She didn't have to know. But she wanted to know. "I watched them become abominations at the hands of people that called them colleagues, maybe even called them friends. One of them said, this is uncomfortable. That's it. This is uncomfortable."

"Oh... Mythal..." Lavellan breathed out, filled with horror and disgust.

"The thought of her, that laughing, confident girl, waiting to be become something like that, like them... I let her out. Forced her through a door and used a Templar rune to lock it. She was safe and... and the blood mages tried to use her, my memory and my... my infatuation with her, against me. To break me."

"And so you feared mages."

"I hated them. For a time, I even blamed her. For making me weak. It took me years to realize that of all the sorry bastards they tortured, I was the only one that didn't break. I don't know how much of that was me, and how much was her," Cullen whispered it, stared at his gloved palms, shoulders bowed under the weight despite sharing it.

"It could be both." She hesitantly raised a hand. Let it drop. "But I think it was you." Cullen met her eyes and they sat side by side, everything they've seen and been through and what they could have become lying heavy between them. "People say I'm... indomitable. I have a strong will. But I've got nothing on you. Me? I'm an asshole, I bludgeon my way through problems." Cullen chuckled. "But you? You're kind. After all that, you're so kind. You're... you're the indomitable one."

"I didn't tell you about this for praise, Lavellan."

"Call me Lane, remember?" She knocked her shoulder against his arm. Froze, held her breath; had she pushed too soon?

"Lane."

She released a slow breath of relief. "So why did you tell me? Just... draw it out for me. Pretend I'm stupid."

He laughed at last and she smiled.

"Because I don't want that to be someone's future, forced on them against their will. I want there to be a better way. But I need you to understand why I defend the templars, why they're important. Everyone in Kinloch Hold was at fault, everyone was a monster... even me. But we can't pretend like taking away all protections makes us more free, or absolves legitimate reasons for fear. There will always be abuses of power, and they make people like Uldred and Samson."

"But they also make Maddox."

"Yeah. They also make Maddox."

"It's... not an easy fix," Lavellan scowled. "Which is the understatement of the damn century. Millennium."

"No, it won't be easy," Cullen agreed.

"Do you think I could find it? A fix?"

"You're the one person I believe who can."

"You know... I'm not so angry at you anymore."

"What a relief." His whole body sagged as his sigh gusted from him. "I don't still have to dance naked for the halla, do I?"

"Ass." She bumped his shoulder with her fist, grimacing at the metal she hit. "Double ass. Why are you always wearing armor?!"

He got to his feet, and she moved to follow, taking a brief moment to stretch out her legs. He reached out his hand, and... she glanced up. Carefully, she set her hand in his and let him gently pull to her to feet. He was so damn tall, it hurt a little to crane her neck, but she couldn't look away from his face. From that shy, private smile.

Her hand tightened around his when he tried to pull away. His eyes widened slightly, then something happened to his expression. His eyes grew darker, his smile slipped away, but it wasn't anger. It had her heart thudding.

She remembered, out of nowhere, that moment in Halamshiral. The ground shifting under her feet. It was happening again. When his hand moved to interlace their fingers, their hands hidden by their cloaks and his eyes intent on her face, the ground shifted under her, her knees quaking.

"Do you still confuse me with her?" Lavellan asked, wondering where it came from. Wondering why it mattered.

"No. You are..." He searched for a word and Lavellan shook her head.

"I wasn't asking for praise, either. I just wanted to know I... that I'm just me to you. No one else."

"Lane..."

"I'm sure your conversation is riveting!" Dorian called.

Lavellan and Cullen jerked slightly apart, but not far enough to need to drop their hands. In fact, she couldn't help but hold on tighter. Her heart pounded when his thumb brushed the back of her glove. It felt as intimate as if it had been skin to skin.

"However, this stew is long done and you need to eat it before it overcooks."

"You can't overcook stew," Cassandra said incredulously.

"My dear, you can overcook anything."

"C'mon Shortie, Curly, stop being so serious. We've got a long way to Skyhold yet. Your faces will get stuck like that."

"As opposed to what, looking like yours?" Lavellan asked. Varric scoffed.

"You wish you were as pretty as me."

She grinned up at Cullen. "I think we've got good faces. What do you think?"

"I definitely like yours more than his."

"Good answer."

Just a moment longer, they held on tight. Then, slowly, their hands slipped apart, finger by finger, inch by inch, until they could walk towards the fire without a single bit touching the other. For the rest of the night, she couldn't help staring at his hands.

Wishing she could've held on longer. Wishing that after the maraas-lok, she had managed to get to Cullen's office. Wishing she knew what it was like to wake up next to him with his hand holding hers.

Part I / Part II

[ramonadecember]

48+50 for the angst list 👀👀👀 I wanted to send more but I don’t wanna bug you too much 👀🔪♥️

Angst Prompts or OTP Prompts

because you big me SO much >:*** this got... longer than intended. and I think as I told you, it went entirely NOT in the direction I first planned... or really secondarily planned. 48 altered a bit to fit my needs. here’s your boys.

small warning for mentions of... coercive relationships? I guess is a good way to put it? cullen’s romantic history is kind of a mess.

48. “Can you promise me no one else has to get hurt?” + 50. “Do you even know what love feels like?”

--

“The things we do for love.” “The things love does to us.”

The evening had started with the lot of them in the main hall toasting to their success against Corypheus, but now it was Cullen and Dorian alone in the mage’s quarters, knocking their glasses together over the latest sentiment before downing the rest of their drinks.

Earlier, Dorian had watched as Cullen slipped out one of the side doors of the main hall and into the garden without a word, and because of his propensity for curiosity and his seeing inability to leave Cullen alone for long, he’d followed as well. He found Cullen tucked away on a bench mostly obscured by shadows, sitting with his head in his hands, only to raise it when Dorian startled Cullen by sitting down next to him.

“Needed a bit of air?”

Cullen nodded. “In there, it’s…” It took a moment for Cullen to decide how to phrase it until he settled on, “It’s a bit much.”

Dorian didn’t comment on the fact it had been a rather subdued, intimate affair, he thought he knew what Cullen was getting at, so instead he did comment on the fact they were a stone’s throw away from his room, a room that was always supplied with at least a few bottles of something. Cullen had said it wasn’t necessary and tried to apologize for pulling Dorian away from the celebration, saying they could go back, but though he stood and motioned back toward the hall, he made no move to go back that way. Dorian waved it off, and when he stood as well, looping his arm through Cullen’s, Cullen didn’t object to being led away.

Cullen opened up more once he had a glass pressed into his hands. He confessed that he knew they had much to celebrate—the war was over, they had won—but that he couldn’t stop his mind from going to all they had sacrificed to get there, to all who weren’t there to share in the revelry with them. Dorian decided another healthy pour of the dark liquor he’d been plying Cullen with was in order after that.

Conversation drifted to one of the other reasons the get together in the main hall had seemed so stifling, and that was because despite how much their dear Inquisitor tried to act like she was fine, she was barely holding it together. 

Everyone knew what had happened—the dust settled on the final battle, they started to regroup, and there was one particularly notable disappearance. Solas was gone. Up until that point, Lavellan had convinced herself that it could still work out, but that was the final nail in the coffin that was her romantic daydreams.

She’d declared him dead. Others, thinking they were helping, tried to assure her not to give up hope, that he could just be loss on the mess that was the aftermath, but Lavellan only shook her head and more firmly said that he was dead. 

Which is how Cullen and Dorian had arrived at their most recent toast. It had Cullen wincing and Dorian letting out a snort of a laugh. 

“I envy her in a way,” Dorian said, swirling his freshly poured drink around the glass. “Able to cut him out so effectively like that. Andraste knows I’ve made a fool of myself trying to cling to what I should have run from long prior, all because I called it love.” 

“Love hasn’t tended to work out in my favor in the past,” Cullen agreed. “You put your faith in someone, your trust, and then...” Inevitably, in Cullen’s experience, they let you down. He shrugged it off.

Dorian frowned, moving from the arm chair he’d curled himself up in to sit next to where Cullen had perched himself on the edge of the bed. He rested his head on Cullen’s shoulder, letting out a dramatic sigh, and for a moment they both sat there in silence, lost to their own thoughts. 

When Dorian elaborated on some of his more failed attempts at winning love, it was supposed to be a way to lighten the mood, even if that particular flavor of self-deprecation brought with it a lot of daddy issues. He never meant for Cullen to feel like he had to share anything in exchange,  but the alcohol loosened lips.

It started innocent enough with Cullen claiming his very first heartbreak was as a child when, after working so hard to win the favor of a neighbor girl, she chose someone else as her champion when they were playing at knights at a tourney. Dorian couldn’t quite disguise his snort or mumble of valiant since birth behind his glass, but Dorian’s laughter died out the more they swapped their tales of woe, the look of concern on his face growing instead. 

It started with Cullen confessing that it took him far too long to learn that a Circle mage under his watch could never truly, freely be able to return his affections. Dorian winced, but like Cullen said, he had learned. He knew he’d like to think over a decade of time left plenty of opportunity for growth in person, he was sure Cullen would like to believe that as well. 

Dorian’s tried to distract from whatever spiral that seemed to be sending Cullen’s thoughts down with a more light hearted story that ended with a sigh of, “You think you know somebody,” but it only ended up pulling Dorian’s concern in a different way when Cullen nodded his head along in agreement. 

“Like when the man you once loved—“ probably still did, even if it wasn’t in the same way “—surfaces again as the right hand man to some darkspawn magister?”

Dorian’s eyebrows shot up and he pulled back a little to better look at Cullen. “Are you saying that you and that fellow currently occupying a cell in the dungeons were once...”

“Once, yes.” When Cullen was first reassigned to Kirkwall, most everyone was still treating him like he was damaged goods, but never Samson. He always knew that what Cullen needed wasn’t to be handled fragile and liable to fall apart at any moment, even when Cullen himself tried to use it as an excuse. 

“We... drifted apart,” Cullen said with a shrug. Samson being ousted from the Order may have had much to do with it, and then when Cullen left Kirkwall, he left behind any shreds of a relationship that might have remained as well. That, and, “The then-Knight-Commander made it... difficult to maintain anything as well.”

“Relations discouraged amongst Templars?”

“It wasn’t that she was actively discouraging that relationship but rather trying to... promote a different one.” A crimson blush washed over Cullen’s face, he was sure Dorian knew what he was getting at.

“With that woman?” Dorian may not have known her personally, but in the past he’d gleamed enough information from Cullen and others to form his own opinion of Knight-Commander Meredith. “But she was your superior.”

Cullen grimaced, and Dorian thought maybe that was how Cullen realized what he did about the way he’d chased the affections of that mage. 

“I was a good distraction to her,” Cullen said, and Dorian could understand that, everyone could use a little fun, even uptight Templars, but Cullen wasn’t finished and it made the difference. “It was for the best. If she was otherwise preoccupied then she—well—there was this sort of... implied promise that no one else could get hurt.”

No one but you, you fool, Dorian thought. “Cullen...” he managed to say instead. Of course Cullen would offer himself up like that if it meant taking the attention off of others. 

“I.. really do think that she loved me in the end,” Cullen said, ducking his head. “In her own way.”

“You call that love? Andraste’s tits, Cullen—“ Dorian sounded properly horrified. “Do you even know what love feels like?” He may be no expert himself, but he knew it wasn’t that, wasn’t whatever Cullen was describing. 

Dorian hadn’t meant to come off that harsh, but he was aghast at what Cullen was telling him. A wash of guilt came over him when he watched Cullen’s face fall. 

Cullen’s eyes dropped down to the glass clutched in his hands as his hands as he turned it about, like the dark liquor might offer him up an appropriate response, but seeing as it’s what helped start this conversation in the first place, he doubted it. “I’d like to think I do now,” he said, his tone a little too tight. There was a flicker of eyes in Dorian’s direction. 

Love felt a lot like taking time out of busy days to get a moment with each other, like chess matches with silences that didn’t need to be filled. It felt like leaving bits and bobs for the other because they thought it might make them smile and exchanging well-loved copies of favorite books It felt like an offer for quiet conversation when everything was ‘a bit much.’

[fandomn00blr]

It has recently come to my attention that my AO3 is an overwhelming dumpster fire in terms of organization. Instead of writing 100-chapter longfics (I wish I could focus on one story for that long), I actually use (abuse?) the “Series” feature of AO3 to string together my long and short fics into epic, inter-connected sagas, I guess? So allow me to give you all a glimpse into my non-linear madness with this Masterlist? Apology? Explanation? Roadmap! for my first (and most complete so far) such series, Lost and Found: The Misadventures of Marian Hawke and Everyone She Meets.

This canon-divergent series revolves around my ridiculous, boorish, horribly awkward and irreverent Marian Hawke and the absurd tragedies and even more unbelievable victories that befall her and all her friends and relations at the end of DA2 and then after that.

Works are arranged (and re-arranged) in chronological order within the series, but that is totally not how I write, so you’ll notice some things are still marked “incomplete” (I have an endpoint in mind, I just haven’t gotten there yet) or “ongoing” (these are mostly drabbles or head canon fills). I try to view each work as a self-contained story-within-the-larger-story, and write them so you can just dip in if you want. “Parts” with Roman numerals follow the main plot, while the Prologue, Epilogue, and shorter works in between are like...bonus features?

1. Prologue: In Kirkwall (ONGOING, 10.9k...)

Most of these started as flashbacks/background writing for the relationships and world state the rest of this series is set in (9:30-9:37). Most of this is not canon-breaking, and fits into a rogue purple female Hawke friendly Handers playthrough (except Bethany and Carver are both still alive).

2. Part I: Lost (COMPLETE, 22.5k)

This is the setup for the rest of the series, and contains a big break from canon, and some head canon development of Orana. Basically, a rewrite of the Chantry explosion. A certain character's death results in Hawke's early departure from Kirkwall (9:37), prior to the endgame showdown(s) at the Gallows. 

3. Fenris the Dreamer (COMPLETE, 5.1k)

Fenris is processing the Chantry explosion (9:37) through dreams and nightmares and...possibly some kind of backwards prophetic abilities. Angst, grief, anger, romance...lyrium dreams! Way deep into my head canon (and non-canon). 

4. Part II: Those Who Remain (COMPLETE, 16.9k)

I originally intended this to be a quick summary of Aveline's non-canonical role in the mage-Templar conflict (9:37) after Hawke leaves, but I am a sucker for bringing in supporting characters. So basically everyone who is left or randomly shows back up in Kirkwall gets a chapter here.

In Violation (INCOMPLETE, 10.3k...) Ser Agatha spin-off, with Orsino and all the disaster Templar boys (Ser Thrask, Cullen, Samson...) and eventually maybe some of the other supporting characters who show up in Kirkwall after DA2 (like Rylen and Leliana and Cassandra...). THIS HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THIS SERIES because it kind of became its own Templar-focused thing, even though it's the same world state...but it dips back and forth in time between 9:30 and 9:42 exploring all the politics and drama with the Templars in Kirkwall.

5. Part III: Fly Away (COMPLETE, 68.8k)

Hawke and Fenris and Isabela and Merrill and Varric grieving and sailing around aimlessly after the Chantry explosion (9:37). So much angst, but there's also sex in this one! Head canons abound! Slow(ish) burn Fenhawke...side Merribela...everyone is sad, though. 

6. Letters To and From Kirkwall (COMING SOON!)

Correspondence between Hawke, Varric, Isabela, Merrill, Fenris, Aveline, Bethany, Carver, and a certain dagger-wielding former employee of the Hawke-Amell Estate in the months following the Mage Rebellion in Kirkwall (9:37-38). 

7. Part IV: Legacy (COMING SOON!)

Carver seeks out his older (and very pregnant) sister for more than just a nice family visit (9:38), and they meet up with Bethany along the way. Wardens, lyrium-addled dwarves, ancient Magisters, Kirkwall reunions, Fenhawke, and weird preggo cravings...this fic will have it all. 

8. "And when it comes..." (COMPLETE, 5.4k)

Domestic Fenhawke parent!fluff drabble...inroducing toddler half-twins Malcolm and Leandra Hawke. This one happens right before Hawke joins the Inquisition (9:41).

9. Part V: Found (COMING...LESS SOON?)

Hawke and Fenris bring the kids to Skyhold (9:41-9:42). It’s cute, until Hawke volunteers herself to stay behind and fight the Nightmare in the Fade at Adamant…well, shit. Spoiler: Fenhanders finally, what?!

Reunited (ONE-SHOT, 1.3k) Alistair and Brosca fluff, post-Adamant/Weisshaupt (9:42?)...that's all. ALSO REMOVED FROM THIS SERIES, because minor spoilers...kinda?

10. Epilogue: Home (and Other Fluff) (ONGOING, 6.7k...)

Happy head canon endings, post-Inquisition, pre-Trespasser (9:42). Skipping over all the angst and suspense to get to my OT3. Don't read if spoilers aren't your thing. Dumping all the domestic family fluff and Fenhanders smut here (for now), so this is mostly just a collection of one-shots and drabbles!

[bluesunsdusk]

--// Muses who aren’t exactly evil or Daedric Princes, but watch out: 

King Logan: During his reign after Aurora, he will be a dick. So, RIP to you. He lets other people do his dirty work, though, so you won’t see him be hands-on cruel. He has called for mass executions, he has sent people on suicide missions, he has done public executions, he has forced his sibling to choose between the life of a friend and the lives of citizen protestors. Some may wonder why he is listed as not exactly evil after all that... but I make the rules. He is trying to save Albion and is driven to extremes by the Crawler’s torment and Theresa’s vision of the future of Albion, so there’s at least that, I guess.

I can put Set here again, seeing as some aspects aren’t evil and Overwatch is doing a bad thing by putting an extremist activist group for a marginalized people as main antagonist we are not supposed to feel ambivalent or conflicted about killing, because it will be used by already messed up people as justification to look down on irl activist communities when they display outrage or have bad apples. It’s done far too often in media. It happened with the Faunus in RWBY. At least the Equalists in the Legend of Korra turned out to have been misled, but it is still a questionable decision, and I wonder whether Blizzard will decide to hold onto the idea that Null Sector is an extremist Omnic rights group or if they will make them have been betrayed by Talon and used as pawns. It would be a poor choice of them to keep going with their current narrative for Null Sector, considering certain events in which justified parties are demonized as being extremist despite that not being the case. I may not have worded it as well as hbomberguy in his video “RWBY Is Disappointing, And Here’s Why,” but I hope my point is clear.

Frankly, I can put Akksul here, too, if I am considering putting Set here. Akksul has the added issue of Mass Effect Andromeda’s story being essentially about colonization, in which the narrative bends over backwards to try and make out the Initiative to be the “good” colonizers, despite having just gone to Andromeda to take over planets with little regard for native species. They seem surprised when they run into the Angara, which is pretty silly. They seem to feel some kind of way about the Kett, who they previously thought the natives, attacking them upon arrival. Really? Really? It’s understandable that they can’t go back to the Milky Way and now are forced to settle on worlds that the Angara already live on in some cases, but a colonizer is still central to the story and made out to be special and able to control native technology better than the natives, which calls forth many harmful tropes. It also hinges fully on the “white savior” trope (though white is replaces with human here), because the Angara were effectively doomed until Ryder showed up with their special AI that can somehow control Remnant tech perfectly. It also has an oddly exoticezed look towards the Angara, wherein everyone is in awe of how “emotional” and “open” the Angara are. It’s just short of having people ask if they can touch the flaps on the sides of their heads within a split second of meeting them. Jaal, along with the males of the angaran species as a whole, was specifically made to be appealing to female players as well, which just makes things even more awkward.

Samson, in his canon verse: He is evil, but also... I don’t want to go back to that post just to change it. Man infects people with red lyrium and works with Cory to destroy the world because Templars were treated poorly... (and also he’s stuck in the sunk cost fallacy which makes him be a complete idiot and continue to help the guy despite knowing in his heart of hearts that he is wrong to do so.) 

Captain Nadine: She’s a smuggler and cares about some people, but also she will keelhaul someone and not feel bad about it. 

Xarthrahn: He is a Dremora and was on Mehrunes Dagon’s side during the Oblivion Crisis, but he really doesn’t care if you’re a mortal or not. He will treat people and even let people stay at his place if he knows them, but strangers may be left outside to die unless he’s feeling exceptionally generous. More likely that you’d be stashed in a cave or something. Last thing he needs is mortals being that close to him and risking his cover. 

Luceras: Luceras can and will stab someone with their bladed staff to cast a spell inside them. This can cause someone to combust from the inside-out or have ice spikes grow out of them. It is very painful. Luceras doesn’t care. 

Maoren: Maoren also fought on Mehrunes Dagon’s side in the Oblivion Crisis and also was aware and a part of the cruel things Mehrunes’ army did, with little care in how that would feel for mortals. It helps that daedra can’t exactly grasp what’s so bad about dying nor really grasp the concept of family and loss, since they are reborn without loss of memory or past self. Anyway, he can be nice and some may argue that he is nice, but he is more likely to run someone who sees him without disguise through. 

X3-28: He’s just a fucking tool. He doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing. That being said, he can be pretty cruel to some people, and once out of the Institute, it takes some kind of self control to not make Institute members suffer. He doesn’t always have that self control. He will break people’s bones to keep them from fighting or running away. 

[life-is-no-sugarlicking]

Name: Chevy Hawke

Nickname: when he was younger he told everyone his name is ‘Chev’ because he thought the y would make his name girly || Chuckles after he complained to Varric that he never got a fancy nickname || Birdy from Samson.. ||  the Champion (of Kirkwall)? Sometimes just ‘Champ.’ Anyway his title isn’t something he is really proud of so he rather doesn’t get called like that.

Age: 39 at the time of DAI

Height: 183 cm

Race / Class: Human / Mage

Weapon of Choice: The Final Thought. He nearly sold his liver for it but found some other fancy stuff to sell.

Skills: Force Mage / Prefers Fire and Ice Magic

Eyes: Iceblue

Hair: dark brown, in the light redish.

Body type: He is well build like a warrior. He likes to train with Carver, even after his brother joined the templars. Chevy knows how to fight with a Sword, but isn’t really the best in it.

Status Currently: On his way to Weishaupt to take care of the last wardens.

Relationship Status: . taken. Even when it’s uh… complicated. Many red lyrium, many guilt and of course countless dead people doesn’t help to make things easier..

Spouse(s): → Samson: Everything started that he more or less forced Samson to team-up with him to  fix his mistake with Feynriel to save the boys life. Later they talked a lot and Chevy got the feel that Samson wasn’t a bad guy, just someone with bad luck and he decided to help him. Slowley they became friends and then… more. They had many crisis, it wasn’t always something that everyone would call healthy but in the end they found always back to each other. Even after Corypheus. → Tallis: Shameless flirt? Chevy loved the little adventure with her, but in the end the (temporarily) break up with Samson was too fresh for something new.

Sexuality: Bisexual

Gender:  cis male

Family: His father, his mother and his sister died but there are still his little Brother Carver and his uncle Gamlen. The relationship to them is not always the easiest but he loves both of them and they love him. They… .. just have weird ways to show it.

Scars: many scars all over his body - swords hurts. Arrows hurts. bad dogs hurts. dragon hurts very much.  Uuhh.. yeah. But the first thing you can see is his small scar over his eye. it was a training accident with Carver and even when Carver wouldn’t say it, he feels still bad about it. Only because of the magic of their dad he haven’t lost his eyesight.

Physical traits: many people think his eyes look creepy? That’s pretty rude btw. Anyway there isn’t very much to say. He loves to paint himself (and everyone else who is in his near) a red stripe into the face. It’s Mabari-Paint. 

Voice:  he sounds most of the time amused, so people have a hard time to guess if he is serious or not. Chevys voice is warm but a little bit rough.

Clothing: what ever is comfy? He doesn’t like overfancy stuff, even when he has the money for it.

Poor skills: He would be the first one who would accidently kill himself with an arrow? Don’t give him a bow, dudes.

Affiliations: Mages

Enemies: there are still people who are very angry of him because he still supports Anders. They can kiss his ass, tbh. Same to ones who can’t understand that he still stands on Samsons side. 

Neutral Affiliations: Templars. Sure he is a Mage so he should scream “BAAAAAD” but that’s bullshit. Chevy knows there are many good guys under the templars so he can’t see in everyone an enemey.

Religion: He has a hard time to believe anything but would never say something against it

Likes: Mini-Cakes. He loves them. He would die for them. Or at least get badly hurt because dead he can’t eat them. |  Dogs. Small Dogs. Big Dogs. Medium Dogs. Dogdog. He tries to pet them all and that’s maybe one reason why he got bitten so many times. | he likes Taverns. The feeling. The drunk people. The small hope your stupid title will help you to some free beer.. it’s great | Dragons. But they don’t like him :C | Varric Storys. He liked to add things to it, even when he wasn’t there | He loves to spend time with his friends. Being alone isn’t his thing. Maybe the reason why he invites everyone into his home |

Dislikes: like just mentioned above - he hates to be alone. Alone he talks a lot with himself, just to kill the silence | big fights? he is more the peace, flower and cake-type. Especially fights under friends stresses him out a lot | People who can’t deal with their own problems? Probably because he can’t say no and this… brings a lot of problems, tbh | red lyrium. | caves. He gets pretty easy lost in them |

Pets: Potato, his loyal Mabari-Buddy. Chevy loves Potato and Potato loves Chevy. They are such great bros, Varric gets sometimes jealous.

Personality: Chevy Hawke, the guy who is known for his good look and bad jokes – probably mostly for last ones because he seems to never know when he is stepping over a line. Sense of tact was never really his thing but what people count as ‚it’s because he doesn’t care‘ has in reality deeper reasons. After the Death of his father, Chevy was always the protector of his family - if he wanted or not. Pretty much overwhelmed with this new ‚job‘ he learned that humor helped a lot through everything. Now it’s some kind of wall to hide his real feelings because otherwise he wouldn’t be able to stay strong for everyone anymore. This kind of acting is such a big part of life, that he started to believe himself. He is more pessimistic how the first or second look will tell you, but this doesn’t stop him of keep going. Chevy is loyal, loves to explore new fancy things and adventures with his friends. Beside if his sarcasm and stupid jokes he is most of the time a calm guy – getting him really angry is hard work. Believe when I say that people who managed to get him angry, regretted it pretty fast.

Favorite color:  red. The reason for the color of his stripe. :p

Favorite foods: …guess.

Favorite drinks:  the beer of the hanged man. It tastes horrible but the right way of horrible p>

[euryalex]

━━ character information • Evie

thank you @lelibela for tagging me ^-^ idk who to tag so whoever wants to!! go ahead!!

&. basics ↳ name: Evie Callier ↳ age: 16-17 during the events of Inquisition ↳ race / ethnicity: (idk how to answer) ↳ gender: Female ↳ pronouns: She/her ↳ sexuality: Lesbian ↳ special abilities: Spirit healer/healer

&. associations ↳ color(s): green, brown, red ↳ animal(s): Cats ↳ themes / words: warm, sun, elfroot ↳ season: spring

&. background + family ↳ birthplace: Orlais ↳ titles and jobs: apostate, rebel mage, healer ↳ family: They were killed but Evie doesn’t know them anyway since she was sent to the circle

&. personality + morals ↳ personality traits: Determined, quiet, protective, loyal, efficient, impulsive, stubborn, butter, vengeful, guarded ↳ fears: Templars, small dark spaces ↳ liked traits in others: kindness, slow movements ↳ disliked traits in others:agression

&. interest + favorites ↳ favourite foods: apples ↳ favourite weather: warm but not too warm. the sun’s behind the clouds but you know it’s there

↳ favourite animals: nugs and druffalos ↳ hobbies / interests: healing? mage rights?

&. other relationships ↳ current romantic partner:  Well there’s Cecilia I guess ↳ closest friends: Samson, Bull and the Chargers, Cole, Blackwall, Vivienne

[blustersquall]

Hey what's your opinion on Dorian and Cullen as a ship? I personally don't like it, I don't really think they would be good together. I'm all for Cullen being bi (especially since it's canon, right?) And I love Dorian to death because his story helped my personal journey, but I think those two in particular are just better off friends. What do you think? You don't have to answer I just really respect your opinions within this fandom and love your OMB story.

Okay, so, before I get to the main question here, let me just *sighs for a million years*.

I’m on a roll with these unpopular opinions, so why stop now.

Cullen is not bisexual. 

There were plans to make him bisexual, just as there were plans to make Solas bisexual. But due to time constraints, both those ideas were scrapped. Lines were recorded, and someone very bored decided to dig through who knows how many files to find those handful of lines, but they did not make it into the game. Ergo, bisexual Cullen and bisexual Solas are not canon.

If it made it into game and was an actual thing then yeah, I’d agree with you. But it didn’t. Lines were recorded, but it never happened. Not canon. I guess I’m a purist when it comes to stuff like this. If people wanna make them bi, go ahead (although, I mean, Bioware made every LI in DA2 bisexual (bar one) to appease people and so their PC could romance whomever they wanted and they complained so I don’t see the benefit of taking canonically straight characters and making them bisexual, but whatevs). Fandom is fandom. 

Like I said, I’m a purist. I prefer keeping characters with the sexuality and race gating they are aligned with canonically. I like that Cullen can only be romanced by a f!human or a f!elf. You know why? Because, in real life, people have preferences. I know the real reason was again, probably time constraints, and they couldn’t work out the logistics of him vs. a f!qunari or an f!dwarf. But, I still like it. Same with Solas. Although I’ve never romanced him (I really dislike him, sorry) I think the fact he can only be romanced by an f!elf PC adds more weight to his romance. I think a lot of impact would have been lost if he could have been romanced by any of the female PCs.

And I know, I know. Bisexuals are severely wanting for representation. In general. Not just in video games. And I am not trying to take that away. But taking a canonically straight character and proclaiming they are bisexual because of a few prerecorded lines and the dropped plans of making them bisexual is not representation. It’s a head canon. Real representation comes from these characters being gay, bi, lesbian, transgender, polyamorous, pansexual, etc. etc. in the finished product. The product that is shipped to the masses.

That’s how representation is done. And while it is still severely lacking in pretty much every medium out there, representation is growing. And long may it continue.

Anyhoo, ON TO THE QUESTION.

The Dorian/Cullen ship is as dumb as Cullistair. As dumb as Samson/Cullen (though, admittedly, not as fucking creepy or twisted. Seriously people who ship Samson/Cullen, what the actual fuck? That’s for another day. Focus).

The two of them have one scene together (two if you choose to side with the Templars and Dorian arrives from Redcliffe to warn you of the mages coming). That one scene of them playing chess together is actually optional. Did you know that? If you don’t talk to Dorian before you go and have that scene with Cullen, you get Leliana in the scene instead. And yet there is no Cullen/Leliana shipping.

I wonder why that is.

Could it be because Leliana is female? Could it be that this fandom has a weird fucking obsession with shipping male characters together, regardless of interaction or whether there’s actually any chemistry or friendliness there? You know, I think I might be onto something.

I think they would be amazing friends. I think the two of them comparing their histories, and even going so far as to work together on things would be amazing. Cullen has clearly had few friends since Kinloch, and I think it’s safe to say Dorian probably didn’t have many people around him he could call friends, that he could be open and honest with. I would like to think that changes with Inquisition, and I think that he and Cullen would be really good friends.

The kind of friends that could have conflicting opinions on something, and yet still see the other person’s point of view. Who can and are supportive of the other person and their romance with the Inquisitor.

Do I think Dorian might think Cullen attractive? Sure. And I imagine Cullen would admit that Dorian is handsome too. Does that mean they want to bang? Nope. You can appreciate someone’s appearance, their good qualities, and accept their bad things too, without wanting to stick your dick in them (or have them shove their dick in you. Whatever).

I am glad that Dorian helped you with your personal journey, to end this on a positive note. That he did is amazing, and a testament to the fact video games are more than just games. That these characters often resonate with people on deeply personal levels and can help them in ways the game devs probably never expected. I think it’s really wonderful than Dorian’s story helped you. That you found a character you connected with, and who in a way guided you, is an amazing thing.

Cullen is the same for me. I suppose that is why I make these posts, and get so protective over him (and why I literally clench my teeth when I see things with him being … out of character. I get that super dominant Cullen is a kink, but yeah. Lets not get into that.) 

Watching him deal with the trauma he experienced, to try and atone for his mistakes, all the while knowing his actions (or inaction against Meredith and her tyranny) can never be forgiven (and that he doesn’t ask for or expect forgiveness for it) really speaks to me on a personal level. 

So, I am really glad that Dorian was a positive experience for you. No one can ever take that away from you. And you should cling to any character who gives you that experience with all your might. Never, ever let someone take it away or taint it. Fight tooth and fucking nail to keep it, and never be afraid to tell people why that character means so much to you, and why you are so protective of them. Especially when its because you’re afraid of backlash. Characters who speak to you on a deeply personal level, whose own experiences help with your own are few and far between. 

[the-red-and-the-scornful]

As Sally spoke, Orsino listened with lowered head and eyes locked on the spidle in her hands. Samson was right, the Manni were healers. Just as her fingers could spin light into fabric, her words seemed to sort the mess of his thoughts into a single string and draw the pain from his chest like a balm. When he had arrived he was riddled with worry, guilt and a heep of past wounds that had started to bleed anew. Now the stabs at his heart had vanished, leaving only a dull ache and a profound exhaustion, in the same way he'd only experienced with morphine. The ease he felt in his soul however was not a product of a high this time, but of awareness. The priest let out a deep sigh and leaned his back against the rock he was sitting on.

What a goddamn mess they had made of things...

"He was't wrong, you know." He finally said. "I did regret it and ran for my life, but it wasn't because I thought he was some abuser like other templars I had met; it was because I thought it was selfish of me to want something he clearly didn't... It's ironic. I remember that night I told him that one of the reasons he meant the world to me was that he saw me as a person, past the labels and the responsibilities I had to carry. And only now I find out that he didn't do the same with himself; he thought he was a templar to me and nothing more... Perhaps even that i was using him; emotionally manipulating him to my own ends."

He let out a mirthless, tired chuckle. "Could you imagine that even now I find it hard to believe that this is what he really wants, some old, corrupt and good-for-nothing excuse of a man. He could at least find someone better, younger and prettier. Someone who wouldn't be a burden. Someone he won't have to worry about all the time or pick up their messes. Someone he wouldn't be afraid to show around. This is why I told Fana he'd be better off with a wife and children; it has nothing to do with what either of us want, but with what would be to his best interests the end. Yet I didn't expect Fana would tell Maddox and he'd 'helpfully inform' Samson in turn, I thought it was confidential information... I guess that was yet another thing I got wrong..."

"You know, when you said that the feelings I have for him are making me uncomfortable so I keep pushing him away... you weren't entirely wrong. The truth of it is that on top of everything else I am a coward too. I keep thinking of the numerous ways this could go wrong and I am afraid, because I realize how much I've still got to lose. Our friendship, my pride... I know there are 100 reasons he should reject me as well as I know that if he did I wouldn't be able to take it for a second time. So I hide like the coward I am and do nothing, hoping things will untangle themselves in time, but lo, they only get worse, big surprize there. And now, because of a stupid argument he may not want to speak to me again..."

A long silence ensued, and eventually Orsino let out another deep sigh. "I should go and talk to him, shouldn't I? Clear the air between us, so to speak. Did he happen to tell you where he was going? And... before I go..." he hesitated a little "...may I stay here a little longer? I don't know how you do it or what kind of magic this is, but... i think it works."

host-of-chthon asked:

“You think he ain’t coming back?” (@the-red-and-the-scornful from Orsino to Sally)

Sally looked up from the thread she was spinning. After Sam’s visit and now  Orsino’s, she needed to replenish her supply of bandages… 

“Do you really want him to? Because…it doesn’t sound to me like this started with the ambush. From what Samson tells me, every time he tries to get close, you find some reason to push him away. It mostly seems to be about your God looking down from his cloud and saying, “Oh, those two again? Trying to be happy, when I created them specifically for a life of martyrdom? How dare they?”

“He said you told him God wanted him to get married and have kids. But tell me Father, is this really about God? Or is it that your feelings about Samson are uncomfortable, so you want to avoid them by foisting him off on somebody else?”

“Look Father, if you don’t want to deal with those feelings, don’t you think he at least deserves the truth? And come to think of it, don’t you?”

[iimmcrtalis-archive]

DA verse

a summary post of all my active muses verse(s) in dragon age because i’m f EELING IT BOYS. except terry for rn bc it’ll be Hard. one day. gonna try and go in a from least knowledge bout their verse to extensive knowledge of ‘em so. ayy

this is a pretty long post i apologize to those on mobile!!

Nova; mage(???), human ( ? ), possibly a distant noble

probably a mage? because blue space magic is her jam. though she’s actually more of a combat & tech. she was like well rounded in that regard so i’m considering iunno??? battlemage maybe w/ lockpicking who knows. she’s a sneaky mage that can stab u real good.

would probably also assume she’s pretty good as inquisitor because she would treat it as her role and thing she still has to bare and takes it seriously. like nova is no nonsense as inquisitor but absolute nonsense when she’s not playing that role lmao. 

Morgan; mage?? human af ye. defo a noble blood t BH. 

i unno man. iunno. is he a mage? yeah probably. would he be a legit battlemage + arcane warrior? probably. Would i say he uses a real sword? pro b ab ly. like listen he’s a beefy mage who wears normal armor and probably looks like a fckn non mage but bOOM SUDDENLY LIGHTNING FROM HIS HAND W H AT 

iunno he’s a mage and he’s aggressive as FUCKKKK. aggro as fuck. probably sides withhh iunno both he’d want both and think it’s wasted potential to only have one lmao. iunno he’s hard to figure out man. he’d ultimately probably be like templars because actual ppl who know how to fight. but also wouldn’t wanna condemn the mageS??? so who knows who knows. 

anyways he probably likes blackwall and the iron bull and viv and cass?? and just ye. chills w/ them a lot probably. probably would flirt w/ cass tho god. butw/e no he’s uhhhh real aggressive as a fckn inquisitor like every body getting beheaded. except a few probably.. he would probably make uh... whats his name... tranquil tbh. worse fate than death that yes he would wish on his enemies bc otherwise they get what they want & too risky otherwise. 

Igne; old af elf, probably an assassin combo w/ magic??

like listen if you tell me that they can’t be both ima fckn punt u bc really that’s dumb. defeats the point of multiclassing in the fantasy genre of g am es. anyways really tho they’re old. old as balls. probably? iunno. probably served like... andruil for a while or somethin! got a lil lil corrupted but didn’t want it and wanted freedom so they were like FUCK THIS SHIT IM OUTTIE 

how’d they live? no idea. not a single clue bc i just don’t know jackshit bout ancient elf shit anymore (when did i ever) but honestly. it’s probably a thing right? old af elves everywhere. but no no they’d probably even annoy sera bc like they’re literally?? nonsense. violent af nonsense. hanging off a roof with a fckn potato in their mouth & lookin ready to murder. 

it’s a look™  but nah thinkin that u hhh corruption shit is probably what gave them a red eye ayyy

inquisitor igne is like dagger eyes at solas but doesn’t snitch on him ever not even once. she’s got his back man. she’d be like cool i’ll plaY BOTH SIDES SUre. sure. no mercy run on ppl tho god 

EVELYN / ISENE; old af elf. got that fckn combo again

it’s a theme really, combo classes. all my muses? multiclassed fuckers.  for a detailed everything, please refer to her old blog bc this is gonna be a stupid summary of it so ayyy.

old as dicks dude. lost her arm in the rebellion, against the rebellion. served elgar’nan because he fits her the most tbh. still sort of serves him i guess. like if he showed up she wouldn’t hesitate to follow his orders is what i mean here. otherwise she keeps up the facade of being a former dalish elf mercenary. and definitely doesn’t shy away from admitting she’s got magic. never calls herself a mage because  like lmao 

she has a fckn big ol sword she carries around one handed? and if ur like UR JUST A MAGE she’s gonna use said big ol sword to chop ur head off. not a fan of modern mages tho lmao. at all. like not a lot of sympathy for them. but she would also just kick a circles door in and be like cool leave gtfo you weaklin lil fucks jfc go learn somethin. 

would fight solas in a denny’s parking lot at 2am if she knew jack shit. but she really doesn’t so she’s like ur weird and i dont trust you  butyeah lm ao

Eludysia; ngl i unno if she’s old old but she’s Old. Old seer lady. 

honestly i think she’s not gonna have much of a da verse in general but it exists enough that i feel like i should cover it here. but essentially she’s an old elf seer in rivain. leader of a port side town. No chantry or qunari around its a lot of elves tho. refugees and what not from kirkwall and stuff. 

i unno if she’s an ancient elf but i know she’s old. like real old. so who knows

if she is ancient she probably woulda been like a priestess to ?? falon’din or dirthamen??? because seer shit but like even in a current state she’s fairly devoted to on e o f them or both? probably both lmao. so it’s w/e. 

she’s the former keeper of the clan revas got sent to, which is where revas’ mom is also from and how she gets to that clan. but she was keeper of the clan for like.. a long time like a long time. like that bald fuck from da:o  but without plaguing people with a curse. iunno how she did it but magic and better than that shit. 

more important if revas is inquisitor because lmao she’d probably be like.. welp im gonna come guide you?? probably.   shit she’s probably like emerald knights old tho shit but no fuckin!!! probably comes to be an advisor. 

i think if u go revas as commander/advisor or inquisitor in a thread eludysia’s probs gonna show up and be like sup  but otherwise she’s mainly just a contact in rivain for info and resources!! no special quest or anything u can just contact her for stuff. 

Warren; half-elf, half-qunari. big man w/ a bow.

&& a thick af accent let’s be real here. 

i haven’t made a post about his shit yet so! this one might be a lil longer!! 

grew up in/around starkhaven. in an alienage somewhere really! but he’s got that starkhaven accent. probably just fumbled his way there because honestly he got fucking ditched by his people and has no idea who his parents are lmao. just knows his mom died during child birth and he was fuckin cursed essentially via his?? clan or something. that qunari bit of him is real obvious as his horns grew out and probably had a harsh life in an alienage. 

because he’s not an elf. but he’s not human. and he’s not a qunari. so he’s just. him. 

eventually falls in with some ppl who teach him to steal. so he does a lot and then gets busted and they fckn break his horns off and chop his ears!!! and throw him the fuck out. as you do. but they taught him to use a bow so he’s good with that. and knives. good at close quarters and a long range.

gets better with a bow. real top knotch stuff. ends up in a mercenary crew (same one as qunari inquisitor? probably.) enjoys his merc lifestyle ya know has a good time killin shit 

anyways. companion warren is p much like ‘Strength & force.’ because he has no tact and doesn’t care about politics. like one day i’ll have his approval / disapproval shit. but today is not that day.

but the same applies to his inquisitor shit. he’s fucking brutal as an inquisitor. cares about the little people but FUCK the rich. takes the well for himself ( tho if i would also say revas is there bc i can and she’d take it) but generally just!! give him power and let him kill shit!! that’s all he cares about. tho he wouldn’t kill samson or calpernia bc he doesn’t see them as enemies or villains truly? just pawns in a big scheme and he’d probably stare corypheus in the face and be like get fucked you saggy fuck 

he’s great, great guy. 

Revas: Keeper. Dreamer. Dalish elf. 

literally like most people know Revas’ Dragon Age basics!! but if you don’t i’ll just direct you to her old blog, so you know what’s up.  i’ll put it into a summary the best i can tho! 

Backstory: short and simple? #fucked.  expanded? she was born to the lavellan clan to one of the head hunters & warriors. ended up having magic so she was sort of training to become second, or first, till her moms old clan was like hey we need a new first so uhhhh help us out. and they traded some goods and revas went on her way. ended up being a fucked up situation where the previous first was murdered by two clanmates who eventually tried ( and did) murder revas but she came back bc lmao spirit help & ended up killing them and leaving for her actions.

Dragon Age: Awakening:  full page about it Takes place shortly after this event happened. she lived on her own for awhile, protecting people as much as she could from darkspawn during the blight. ends up going to the wardens because someone doesn’t appreciate her help since she’s a Mage.     The choices made by the warden in regards to her effect how she becomes a warden and the rest of the timeline. Sort of a branch off feel. highly recommend taking a look at the page and also this post. 

DA 2:  If not in the Awakening verse, Revas travels around to the clans. becoming a traveling keeper & helping the clans the best she can. As well as finding ruins and exploring man memories from lost objects. Eventually finds her way to Kirkwall to actually speak with Merrill. But some other shenanigans play out and some stuff goes down. Ends up helping in the fight at the end and leaving with Zevran ( @allurfavesrqueer‘s zevran only lmao. )

DA:I     Companion: Shows up in fereldan with some tree peeps. gets some elvhen shit. offers her services to the inquisition bc that’s what her spirit told her to do. and ya know real fucky. shares some approvals as solas but usually has some pretty contrasting opinions on things! Will defo take on the role of like older sibling or sibling figure with the inquisitor if they’re close enough. Be kind to elves & mages and you’re good.  ( also she’s an option to take the well if the inquisitor doesn’t want it) 

   Advisor: Takes up an offer by the inquistor to become an advisor which is more or less her using her network with the elves around the countries to do certain objectives and what not. acts a bit like an ambassador for the elves & mages in the meetings to give them a voice and remind the human board of trusteeeess that they’re fucking not the only ones around :)) 

  Commander: Mainly with @desiderrium‘s Cullen. Basically Revas takes over for Cullen? at his request kinda because she’s like what the fuck you’re whAT. and gets pissed at everyone else for keeping him on when he’s Not Okay even if she’d rather kick his teeth in 99% of the time. why revas take over? because she’s actually p fuckin qualified, gestures vaguely towards being a first and the advisor au. like she knows how to lead ppl so ayy. 

  Inquisitor: Same ish backstory happens except her parents died to the blight and she left the clan for the other and ye same shit happens. but the clans ask her to go check shit out for them and shes like of course and gets caught up in the mess so. 

ALRIGHTY !! 

so that got long but yea!! hopefully this is a more condensed version of stuff and good for reference later. 

[punwolf]

Yeah yeah more Dragon Age Inquisition rambling

The last 2 times I played I sided with the Mages. The first time I went templars because that’s what my character (yes a mage - gasp) would have done. I like to mix things up and see the whole game or I get bored. The last time I played was with someone else’s character for a video game so I did what he asked me to for recording footage. He went mage so magery it was.

First of all there’s Dorian. How can you ever have too much Dorian in your life? Hint: you can’t. That perfect mustache and immaculate hair. That wit and humor and snark. He’s just Dorian and that’s all that need be said. So there’s that about siding with the mages.

You also get that side quest with Cullen to ruin Samson’s day armor. That’s super cool. I liked running around extra with Cullen and it was an interesting bit of insight into Samson.

Third... Gideon Emery. That man could read the instruction manual to a toaster to me and I’d hang on his words. Even if I hate Samson as a character he’s like Rendon Howe, I can’t help but love to listen to him because of the VA. Also, I was surprised how Cullen reacted to turning Samson over to him. He was incredibly ... nice... about it. I kind of expected Cullen to lop his head off like Alsitair did Loghain and wouldn’t have stopped him if he would have.

No freaking timer. That’s a big one. I hate the timer on the Templar version. I’ve had a hate-hate relationship with timers since Mario was the most sophisticated game in existence.

The things that happened to Leliana and how they decided to explain why the Origins crew never got Blight sick, poor Felix, Conner and the last stand of your red lyrium infected friends. Gut wrenching stuff. Leliana had some slick moves there, too. She’s been watching Arrow, obviously. Seriously, though, that’s some great animation.

Okay but now for the down sides. Cole. Dorian is a human being so he makes sense - more or less. Cole on the other hand is weird. In a good, sweet, I love the spirit-person way but not human. If you don’t go Templar, Cole shows up out of nowhere and somehow the Inquisitor knows all about him? That could have been done better because it’s a bit jarring.

Time travel. Parallel universes and time travel have long been the stuff of fantasy and Sci-Fi. If the Eluvian idea wasn’t lifted straight out of The Magician’s Nephew I’d probably dislike it more. Magic, yes, I got it. Really though... time travel? I expect that in Sci-Fi, not in fantasy inspired by Tolkien and G.R.R. Martin. I groaned the first time I did it and couldn’t believe they played the time travel card in Dragon Age. I’ll never be 100% on board with that. Personal preference.

Now for the Templars.

People have different ways that they’re creeped out but damn... the Envy demon poking around in my character’s head (particularly a mage) is a big one for me. My mages’ biggest fear is usually to be taken over like Uldred, Sophia Dryden, Orsino I guess? I dunno, maybe he just turned himself into that reused DLC monster at the end and wasn’t an Abomination. I’m not a fan of DA2 so I don’t remember. Even Anders had problems because Justice could break out and take control. That body you were born with? Not yours anymore. You’re a Muppet without any cuteness or Jim Hensen. You’re a meat puppet being played on a demons strings. A great horror concept and why I’m in Viv’s court about the world needing templars ... just not asshole templars who abuse mages and are drunk on power.

Cole. Covered already.

Ser Barris. Because he’s awesome and good.

It felt more personal to me because so much of it was centered around my character and made the protagonist literally face themselves.

Cullen getting his throat cut by Leliana. Ouch. Being threatened with a carving knife by psycho-Josie. Yikes.

I also prefer Calpernia’s story over Samson’s. Hers felt more interesting and complex. You also have an option with her at the end that you can release her after turning her against Corypheus. I like that being an option, at least.

Overall I think I still like the Templar one better in some ways, but like the choices back in Origins, I tend to like them both for different reasons.

[dalishious]

Samson's character arc was never the templar seeking redemption. Samson is a nice person, who passed notes between a mage and his girl at great personal risk. He got burned, and my best guess is that that and lyrium withdrawal made him a pretty hollow person. In DA2 he is not seeking redemption. I don't believe that he knew those mages would be sold, but he also doesn't seem very broken up about it. You have to threaten him or pay him to get him to talk. He doesn't go out of his way. (continued)

(continued) Samson is the kind of addict that will do anything for a fix. That’s not good. I mean, I feel very bad for him and wish there was some place for him to get help (fuck you Chantry!), but the fact that he’s an addict does not excuse his behavior. Yes, Samson is bad because he’s helping Corypheus, but it was my understanding that he was only doing so because Cory gave him a means to satisfy his addiction. (continued)

(continued) I’m not a big fan of Cullen, but he isn’t out ready to destroy the world to get a fix. This, of course, is (at least partly) because he decided to stop taking lyrium. Samson was forced to stop because he couldn’t get it anymore.

There seems to be some confusion between us. I never once said Samson’s addiction is an excuse. I would never, ever do that. Growing up with an abusive alcoholic father, it took me a long time to realize that there’s a difference between excuses and explanations. Samson is absolutely accountable for his own bad decisions. (Just as Cullen is.) My problem lies within people either blaming or excusing things based on templar’s lyrium addictions, and not their own choices. And also holding one character accountable for something and another not.

I said exactly: Samson is a villain because he wants to help Corypheus end the world, not because he has a substance abuse issue. 

To put it more simply: I don’t like mental health issues in itselfbeing considered villainous traits.

[king-of-space]

101 Dragon Age Questions

Going to answer it because I’m waiting for dinner

How did you get into Dragon Age? A friend of mine got a Bioware bundle I think, and gave me Origins.

Have you finished all three games? Nope, Currently starting Trespasser and at the beginning of DA2 (finished Origins)

How long did it take you to finish the series? I can say it took me around 50-ish hours to finish Origins and I’m currently at 105h on Inquisition.

What was your first Warden (gender/class/race/personality)? Curiously enough, it was a female mage elf. But since you can’t marry Alistair with that warden, I started a new game with a Warrior Female Human, Ellyah Cousland. Personality wise, I usually go for the dork sarcastic and maybe a tiny violent dialog. I can’t really remember, it was 2 years ago :T

What was your first Hawke like (gender/class/temperament)? First Hawke was a male mage, I actually forgot his name, with the sarcastic temperament. Best.Hawke.Ever

First Inquisitor (gender/class/race/personality)? Mage \female (my headcanon, they are agender but we have to choose one so YEH)\, again with the sarcasm violent dork. Also another headcanon, they aren’t a Lavellan, but a Mahariel (dalish origin from Origins), but that’s another story.

Favorite DA:O backstory? I only played the dalish mage and the noble warrior, so I’m going with the second one.

Preferred class overall? Mage. I wish they were stronger ;_;

Do you tend to play male or female characters most? Good question. I’d say it’s 50/50. Right now I have 2 male inquisitors created, and 1 female (let’s make it 2 then). on Origins I’ve only played female, on DA2 I’ve only played with males.

Share a pic of your favorite OC from any DA game. My “Lavellan”

Best Hawke quote? I have no idea, he’s a fun ball, all of them???

Do you prefer DA:O, DA2, or DA:I most? DA:O for nostalgia, DA:I for gameplay, DA2 for Handers

Favorite mission from DA:O? not the fade

Favorite DA:O party combo? Alistair, Morrigan and Zevran

Favorite DA:O companion overall? Alistair ;3c

DA:O: Did your Warden survive? She sure did

What did you name your Mabari? ...............I CAN’T REMEMBER???? 

Who did you choose to rule Fereldan? Alistair and Cousland duh 

Favorite mission from DA2? can’t say yet 

Was everyone loyal at the end? ladada da da dididada 

Did Hawke side with the Mages or Templars? Mages

Favorite DA2 party combo? Anders, Fenris and Isabella 

Did you give Fenris back to Danarius? I doubt I will 

Favorite main-story quest from DA:I? ooooOOOOOOOOH LET’S SEE, anything about the elves makes my heart pound faster. I LOVED the Here Lies the Abyss!!! 

Favorite DA:I place? Anything elf-like. Really. It’s where I was happy

Did your Inquisitor choose the Mages or the Templars? Mages

Which did you leave behind (Abyss)? Hawke. Here’s why: Anders died and I wanted him to join him in Andraste’s bosom. Besides, Strout had to restore the Wardens. 

Inquisitor’s feelings on being the Herald of Andraste? They don’t believe in it, but if the people want to, then what can they do? (aside from denying it every time)

What are your feelings on the Chantry? I’m going to skip this one sorry

What are your feelings on the Circle? Needs retirement tbh

DLC for the first 2 games: All of it, some of it, or none of it? All of them I guess? 

Favorite DLC mission overall? from the first game? I’ve only played the Shale one so I’ll go with that one, besides I love her  from da:I I loved the last part of JoH, but I’m sure Trespasser will kill me 

Favorite DA character overall? wHY.  DA:O - Alistair, Morrigan, Shale, Zevran, Barkspawn  DA2 - Anders, Merril, Isabella, Varric, Sebastian for the looks (I’m sorry I don’t know him yet), sometimes Fenris DA:I - Cullen, Samson, Solas, Bull, Sera, Harding, Cassandra, Ameridan, Dorian, Nug King, I’m pretty sure I’m forgetting someone 

Least favorite character? DA:O - Howe DA2 - hmm?  DA:I - eh

Who do you want to see return in the next game? Zevran. For sure. 

What kind of DLC do you hope for for DA4 (heh)? something about the return of the Warden?

Bloodmagic: yes or no? it’s a yay for me, my Mahariel is a bloodmage.  Again, it’s a type of magic that depends on how you use it. 

Funniest moment in the games? for starters, when you go talk to your companions on Trespasser? I cry.  The avvar-goat-situation.  The Bull x Quizzy x companions moment (yes, that one) I...can’t remember anything else

Creepiest moment in the games? BROODMOTHER 

A moment/action you regret in-game? Sentencing that stupid dude to tranquility in Inquisition. KINDA goes against what Mahariel is, BUT it’s still in character but eeh 

Who did you romance in your first playthrough for each game? DA:O - Alistair DA2 - was going for Fenris but ended up Anders DA:I - Cullen

Who do you wish you could romance that you can’t? SAMSON AND KREM 

Favorite romance overall so far? Alistair and Cullen. Dorian and Bull next. 

One romance you just can’t stand/doesn’t make sense/etc? none. Everything makes sense so shush

Which 3 DA characters would you want as your best friends? Krem, hmmmm I guess Bull and I DUNNO Anders because we could talk about cats 

A character you’d love to drop in a volcano and forget about? Solas (I kid, I love you my egg nug) the BROODMOTHER 

Best antagonist in the series? Coryphallus

Worst antagonist in the series? Howe. Annoying prick 

Something you do in EVERY DA playthrough, no matter what? ............romance the cute dork????????????

Describe your perfect playthrough for any DA game. Ay mate, I don’t know, I like the way things are eXCEPT, give us poly romances plz

Favorite Warden/Hawke/Inquisitor headcanons (any or all)? oH BOY HERE WE GO My Lavellan\Mahariel is in a poly relationship with Cullen and Samson :B  My Lavellan\Mahariel actually started on Origins, as a fake warden, went to DA2 and ended up helping Anders blow up the chantry and then went to the inquisition to help with Corypoopalus

Favorite non-Player Character headcanons? Samson redeems himself and continues to help mages in a legal safe way ;U; 

That One Headcanon that hurts to think about? @weirdsal ‘s Qunari dying

Fluffiest headcanon ever? OK SO HEAR ME OUT, Cullen is dozing off on a bed and Samson goes in for the cuddles and after Mahariel goes for the extra cuddles and it ends up in a pile of limbs and love and everyone is happy and they have a Mabari called Pepper

Your non-Player Character OTPs? Krem x anyone that makes him feel happy

Your absolutely NOTP? I don’t know? 

Who would you date if you could (as you, not your OC)? bweheheheh I DON’T REALLY KNOW??? Cullen

Who has the best character arc overall? hmMMM Samson

Who was written really poorly? good question, I have no idea 

Who do you wish had been given more story? Samson :B 

Favorite NPC? ..........guess

A character you think deserves more fan love? SAMSON 

Best story moment? I’ll come back to this one 

Favorite achievement? FIRST KNIGHT 

Any epic game play moments in any DA game? the end of Here Lies the Abyss 0:

Something you hate about any/all of the games? why are mages so much weaker than the others! 

Best non-OC quote? “I myself never had the pleeeaaaasssaaah”

Have you cosplayed any DA characters? I wish 

Who would you cosplay if you could (no holds barred)? Cullen, any Warden, Samson? 

Did you read the comics? nope

Did you read the novels? trying to get my hands on those 

Did you see Dawn of the Seeker? nap

Favorite OST song(s)? The themes and Tavern songs 

Do you take screenshots in any DA games? fuck yes? 

Do you edit images/gifs or make videos about DA? sometimes I put flower crowns on them yes

Have you ever made a DA Let’s Play? nay

What moment/memory still gives you chills/feels? that Warden Killing the dragon while reciting the Warden’s motto thing 

What are you hoping for from DA4? SAMSON, also some body-mod and maybe better hair. ZEVRAN 

What are you worried about for DA4? my laptop not running it? 

Favorite fanmix? ay mate

Favorite fanfic? I’ve only read one AND IT DESTROYED ME SO I’LL NEVER READ ANYMORE 

Favorite fanart/fanartist? @nipuni that’s for sure , @janearts 

Favorite fan musician/music? labadiii labadaaaa

Favorite cosplay(er)? :B

Favorite Let’s Play? :BBBBBBBBBB

Favorite DA-themed blog? :BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

Do you create anything in the fandom (write, draw, craft, gif, etc)? I draw

Do you participate in or run a DA RP? nope

Are you on any DA forums, chats, reddit subs, etc? nay nay 

Do you run an DA-themed blog/page/website? my blog is 95% DA, does that count? 

Do you have any friends who love DA too? I sure do

Did you get someone into DA? Yes

Do you own any DA merchandise? the artbooks and the playing cards

Have you ever made any DA-themed crafts (clothes, toys, etc)? no but I want ;_; 

Which actors would you cast for a movie of your fav DA game? DUD ok, Cate Blanchett as Morrigan, I’m sorry

Do you use game mods? nay

What’s your favorite DA mod? that Cullen with stubble and messy hair makes my pants drop

If you could be any non-Human DA species, which and why? Elves, because they are amazing and I love everything elf related 

Where would you live (Fereldan, Orlais, Free Marches etc?) eish, I have no idea mate 

Circle, Templar, Chantry, Guard, Seeker, Inquisition, or none? Inquisition

If you could meet your Warden/Hawke/Inquisitor, what would you say? Warden: Marry me Hawke: Marry me Inquisitor: Marry me