acrowslament

[acrowslament]

hot-blooded and cocky

[acrowslament]

mierda

[acrowslament]

I like talking about my rooks sooooooo I started a new play through with a mourn watch mage!!! I also like making tragic backstories for my rooks too soooooo

Anwyn used to live with a Dalish clan before she'd been taken by a mage coined as the "Hollow Scholar". The necromancer did not seek to harm Anwyn outright—he sought to change her. His experiments were meticulous, guided by a belief that the mortal body could be remade, refined through manipulation of the Fade and death itself.

The process was slow. Her skin, once a warm olive hue, faded to an unnatural pale, as though life itself was being drained from her. Her hair turned white, stripped of its color strand by strand. And her eyes—once deep green, reflecting the endless forests of her childhood—became silver, catching the light like quicksilver.

She was a project to him, a test subject meant to prove that the mortal form could be reshaped. The spirits in the Fade called to her, but even they recoiled from the unnatural changes wrought upon her body.

For years, she was his captive, enduring his experiments in silent defiance. He wanted her to break, to submit, to become something else. But she never did.

[acrowslament]

brb gonna include this into a fic buhbYEEE

Prison of Regret cut content

According to the devnotes in the text file, the prison was originally different from what we see in the game. Rook first wandered in the darkness, then along a bloody path among fallen comrades. In the end, the path was supposed to lead to the Demon of Regret who could change its appearance and voice to put pressure on Rook. There was a choice to confront it or give in.

Alone in the Dark Rook awakes in darkness, alone. Chains appear to have attached themselves to Rook. Attempting to gain a bearing, Rook starts to hear a voice. The voice sounds like Solas, but different. A path appears before them. Rook attempts to get answers from the voice while following the trail. Blood Leading the Blind The path resembles blood dripping over the edge of a cliff. The trail disappears after rook moves forward. The Voice returns to inform Rock they have swapped places with Solas. Rook Demands answers, but is taunted in return. A small light appears at the end of the path. Reaching the Light fills the screen with white. A still image of Solas appears when the white fades. He is striding out of a opening in the fade. This scene is identical to the one where Rock was moments ago. Approaching Solas triggers a banter about Solas with the voice. Approaching the Portal triggers a banter about the prison. Reminded of the Lost The set pieces fade away into the darkness, the path continues beyond. Escaped, but the battle has just begun. Figures come into view as Rook travels down the path. They are the fallen followers from the Ghilan'nain's battle, Frozen in their death throes. The scene is frozen in time capturing the moments Rooks followers died along with a scene of Ghilan'nain. Taunted by the Lost The followers that died taunt rook. Banter will play as players fumble around the space and while they progress down the path. Banter line about the First Fallen Follower Banter line about the Second Fallen Follower Another flash of white fills the screen. The mighty have Fallen Rook finds themselves on the walls of Weisshaupt. Similar to earlier, the scene is frozen in time. Rook walks the ramparts with the still battle around them. The voice speaks of moments from the battle. Banter line about Ghilan'nain. Manipulation Manifest The voice asks why Rook is here. Rook responds by mentioning Varric. The scene fades away. Rook finds themselves on another trail, however this time there is a doorway at the end outlined in the darkness. Passing through the doorway leaves Rook inside Varrics room. Suddenly the furniture and the walls will fall away, revealing a pile of rocks. Approaching the rocks triggers the Varric Reveal scene. First/second/third/fourth banter of characters. Get the Characters speaking about Varric. Challenge the Demon of Regret by walking towards it. Regret Changes its appearance and voice to imitate characters Rook has interacted with in an attempt to stop Rook in their tracks. Changes again to another character. Changes to one last character. Within the Conversation there are non-standard game overs depending on which response is chosen. Give-in to Regret Confront Regret Approaching the Demon, Rook overcomes their regret. Triggering the outro cine. Rook emerges from the Prison, where all their followers await them. After the hugs and jubilation, the group sets off to stop Solas and Elgar'nan will new found determination.

The text also contains some lines from the dialogue with the demon.

----------

What is this! Is someone there! Hello! Rook. Solas? Solas, you...! It's like... walking against a wall. Follow the line, I guess. Where does this lead?

What... what am I seeing? It's what you chose. The tipping point. What are you? What's the point of this? This is the truth of your actions. Your tipping point.

The moment of freedom. A god walks free, because another took his place. Someone who played the role. Solas built a cage that could hold the gods. You trapped him, but were also his way out. You're not Solas. What are you? Another god? I am the lock on this prison.

Keep going, Rook. It's a long way back. Back? To what...? I'm not moving without answers! I deserve answers. You will get what you deserve.

You're more like Solas than you know. It's the blood on your hands. What blood? Show me!

Neve/Bellara? No. You're fake, like Solas.

(Neve banter) I fought for you, Rook. You led me to this. She'd call me Trouble, make some joke to hide how she feels. She wasn't fighting for me. She wouldn't say that.

(Bellara banter) Was this what I fought for, Rook? Was it worth it? She'd never say that. Every moment was worth it. She knew why she was fighting. Didn't need me to tell her.

You're not her. Not real. Live long enough, the only thing that's real is what you've lost.

(Harding banter) I did everything for you, Rook. And then you left me. Lace would blame herself. That would hurt more. Her voice, but she'd never try to hurt someone like that. You don't know her. Not like I did.

(Davrin banter) I saved you, Rook. What was the point? That's not how he'd challenge me. How he'd tease me about it. He'd have saved anyone. Done it for the challenge alone. You don't know him. Not like I did.

If the pain is great enough, appearances can be all that matter.

You're stealing these voices. If this is the Fade, are you a demon? I am Regret. The Regret of a god. And you are a speck that I will consume forever. You feed me regardless.

Wardens, hold the wall! This is our house! Hold that wall, Wardens! Push them back!

A face in the sky. Like no Blight before. The Mother of Monsters.  Like no Blight before.

That's Weishaupt. I saved the Wardens. You saved some of the Wardens. And they're dead, aren't they.

I came to warn them. Their plan wasn't going to work. I tried to warn them. The gods changed everything. They didn't know about the gods. Why were you here? I told you, to warn them. That's what you came to do, not why you were here.

But why you, Rook? Because I trapped Solas. Because Varric—

Why show me this? To make me give up?

Ascend. What? Rise to match the gods. Rise above those who died. See why you lead.

You won't keep me here! Said it yourself, this cage is for gods! I'm not like them! Not like Solas! "A cage built for gods." Or mortals with delusions.

I'll get out, you know. I get out of things. Solas got out. Stubborn. Another thing you and Solas share. Another? What's the first? The regret. The blood on your hands.

You want to know how he swapped places with you? How your regret could match his? Every choice you've made, you owe to this. This is the moment that put lives in your hands. Welcome to your cage. The moment why you lead.

When Varric showed you the cost of leadership. And the god of lies regretfully killed him. He was always...? Always.

The first fight against Solas? Varric is still... Right where you left him. This... is the moment Varric died. But this regret isn't mine.

The god of lies abhors blood magic, but made an exception for you. He had to do it. You made him do it. Varric died at that ritual. You didn't want to face it. And with a little blood magic, you didn't have to. The moment Solas used. When the blood on your hands clouded your mind. Solas was trapped in his own cage, but if your regret grew, he could escape. Only by trading you. Shaping you. Until your regret matched his. So Varric lived on, in your mind, until it could hit you all at once. This is the end. When he traded his regret for yours. This is the very real loss that let Solas swap his regret... for yours.

Regret is the price we pay for acting when no one else will. That's what leaders say. When they get people killed for the greater good. When they toy with lives.

It was lies. The whole time... I was toyed with. Lied to.

This mistake. This failure. And it can never be undone.

Do you see? How everyone says one thing, but you hear another? (Laughs.) Poor "injured" Varric.

(demon shows Rook memories of the companions?) [TEMP] Mementos - Lucanis [TEMP] Mementos - Bellara [TEMP] Mementos - Harding [TEMP] Mementos - Davrin [TEMP] Mementos - Taash [TEMP] Mementos - Neve [TEMP] Mementos – Emmrich

It's just you. Alone. Always alone.

Give up. Lucanis has only spite for you. Give up. Emmrich could never love you. Give up. Die. Taash doesn't care. Give up. Harding deserved better. Give up. Neve deserved better than you. Give up. Bellara needed better than you. Give up. Davrin deserved more than you.

Give up. Your fortune is wasted. End it. Give up. Die. No one will mourn you. Give up. Die behind the Veil. Give up. End this contract. You failed. Give up. You failed your calling. Die. Give up. Fade like the failed shadow you are.

Give up. You're a poor example of your kind. Give up. You failed what's left of the elves. Give up. Your time in the sun is over.

Give up. You can't fight your way out of failure. Give up. Your magical powers can't help you. Give up. There's no evading this death.

Give up. You're alone in the dark, like you deserve. Give up. You could never match those who came before you. Give up. Death is the only role you deserve. Give up. There's no point in even trying. Give up. Die. Like Solas knew you would. Give up. This is what your failure deserves. Give up. No one believed in you. End it.

You're right. I can't go on. I can't deal with the loss. Lies win in the end. Regret is too much to bear. It's too much... There's nothing...

I give up. I failed Harding/Neve/Bellara/Lucanis/Davrin/Taash/Emmrich.

I give up. I'm no Shadow Dragon/Warden/ Veil Jumper/Mourn Watcher/ Lord of Fortune. I give up. I failed the Crows.

I yield. I failed as a human/elf/qunari/dwarf.

I'm a failure as a mage/warrior/rogue.

I give up. I have no one. I failed the heroes before me.

Delicious.

I'll face regret. Keep going.

Things always seem impossible. Just fight one battle at a time. You're not in this alone. Go on, Rook. It was always you. You got this. You know bullshit when you smell it, and that demon is full of it.

Varric?

How dare you make me lose him twice! Using Varric was a mistake. If you really knew what Varric meant, you wouldn't have used him. You didn't take his voice. You couldn't, could you? Because it's always been a comfort! "Things always seem impossible. Just fight one battle at a time." "I know I can handle this." "It's not a personal failing to be scared!" "I'm not in this alone." What are you doing? Varric knew the risks. Knew what it might cost. I didn't lose him. Solas killed him! Solas did this, and he'll pay! You think you can break me with what I've lost? What Solas took? I don't regret this. But gods be damned, Solas will! He built this prison, not me! Solas lied, made me lie to myself! I won't be caged by what he did! I can see through the regret. I see through you! I can regret, but keep going! That loss might have ended me! But not now! You think you can hold me? That you're the first regret to try? I have friends to fight for! And no regret will keep me from them! I get beat up. Get sad. That's what life does. It hurts, and then I get back up! All I can do is keep going! All I can do is keep trying! Varric chose me. Saw something worthwhile! You're damned right he's why I'm here! I can't regret what he did for me! More time with him was a gift! All you've done is remind me why I try. The value of the friends I have left! Shown me how much I need them! I know they're waiting for me! You think you can keep me from them! You think you can keep me here? Keep me from what matters? All of this hurts, but you're wrong about me! I'm not alone! Not in my heart! I found love! That's my light in the dark! Nothing can keep us apart! Not gods! Not you! I regret nothing about the time we had. Nothing! (Growl!)

[acrowslament]

wha t if oregon trail was called wagon age: oregons

[acrowslament]

here's another lil headcannon I have about my grey warden Rook named Kalonice and Emmrich, be prepared for angst!!!!

The campfire burned low, casting flickering light against the curve of Emmrich’s features. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, and somewhere in the distance, the sound of the wind weaving through the trees filled the silence between them. Kalonice sat across from him, her arms wrapped around her knees, watching the way the firelight reflected off the deep hollows of his face.

He was colder now. Not just in body, but in something deeper—something that had shifted between them ever since he made his choice.

Lichdom. The path he had taken to defy death.

She'd been the one to help him make that impossible choice. But that didn’t make it easier.

“Tell me a story,” she said suddenly, her voice cutting through the quiet.

Emmrich’s gaze lifted to meet hers, his eyes unreadable. “A story?”

Kalonice nodded, a small, wistful smile tugging at her lips. “About us. About… the places we’ve been, the things we’ve done.”

Emmrich tilted his head slightly, considering her request. “You were there for all of it, my Dearest Heart."

“That’s not the point,” she said, nudging a small rock into the fire with the tip of her boot. “I want to hear it from you. I want to know how you’ll tell it when I’m gone.”

The words settled between them like a lead weight.

Emmrich’s fingers twitched slightly, his hands resting in his lap. He had never shied away from other's deaths, but this was different.

Kalonice wasn’t just anyone.

“You make it sound as if you’ve already reached the end,” he murmured, his voice lower now, more cautious.

Kalonice let out a quiet laugh, but there was no real humor in it. “Not yet. But we both know what’s coming, Emmrich.” She looked at him then, really looked at him—the man who had chosen eternity, while she was doomed to fade. “The Calling comes for every Grey Warden. I won’t be the exception.”

Emmrich’s hands curled into fists.

“And when that time comes,” she continued, her voice steady as she looked back into the fire, “I want you to promise me something.”

He didn’t respond. Not yet.

“Keep me alive,” she said softly. “Not like… this.” She gestured vaguely between them, between her heartbeat and the cold, unnatural stillness of him. “But in the way you tell our story. Keep us alive, the things we’ve done, the fights we’ve fought, the nights we spent like this. Tell people who we were. How we mattered. Tell them that I existed.”

Emmrich was silent for a long moment.

Finally, he said, “You’re asking me to do something impossible.”

Kalonice raised an eyebrow. “You chose immortality, Emmrich. You can do the impossible.”

A breath of a laugh escaped him. There was no humor behind that laugh.

She leaned forward, closer to him, her voice barely above a whisper now. “I don’t want to just be another Grey Warden who vanished into the Deep Roads, another name carved into some forgotten stone.” She swallowed hard. “I want to be remembered. By you.”

Emmrich’s throat worked around a response, but for the first time in his long existence—longer now than it should have been—he found himself at a loss.

Finally, he reached out, his cold fingers ghosting over hers. “You will never be forgotten.” His voice was hoarse, strained. “Not as long as I exist.”

Kalonice exhaled slowly, as if releasing something she’d been holding onto for too long.

“Then that’s enough,” she murmured.

And for the first time that night, Emmrich wasn’t sure if she was talking about his promise… or the time she had left.

[acrowslament]

brb currently writing something inspired by throne of glass with lucanis and rook byeeeeee

[acrowslament]

"No one from House Dellamorte kneels" -Dragon Age: The Veilguard

[acrowslament]

[ masterlist ]

mama de riva

#1

mama hero of ferelden - izara cousland

#1

grey warden rook - kalonice thorne

#1

mourn watch rook - anwyn ingellvar

#1

[acrowslament]

in one of my playthroughs, i have a grey warden rook who've i headcannoned to be the only child of my hero of ferelden (her name's izara cousland). i've quickly became obsessed with the idea that she's gonna go absolutely ballistic when she learns that her only baby had been trapped in the fade.

her name's kalonice and she's romancing emmrich

[lil snippet under the cut🙂‍↕️]

The door slammed open, and Izara’s form filled the doorway, her presence commanding the room like a storm. Her breath came in sharp, desperate pants, and her face, usually a portrait of strength and determination, now etched with grief and fury.

“Where. Is. She?” Her voice broke like a whip crack, sending a jolt through the room. She stepped inside, her boots heavy against the stone floor, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. Emmrich and Bellara, both sitting hunched over old tomes and notes, froze at her entrance.

Izara’s gaze locked on them, her eyes blazing with something raw and primal. The question hung in the air like an executioner’s sentence.

“Where is Kalonice?” she demanded again, her voice barely controlled, trembling as she spoke.

Emmrich looked up, but his face was a mask of exhaustion and guilt. He'd been awake for days, searching, hoping for some answer that could pull Kalonice from the depths of the Fade. But this moment—this confrontation—he wasn’t prepared for.

“She’s… she’s trapped, Izara,” he said softly, but his words felt hollow in the thick tension that filled the room.

“Trapped?” Izara spat, her voice cracking. “In the Fade? She’s my daughter. I raised her. She cannot be… trapped. Not like this.”

She advanced into the room, and Bellara, who had been sitting with her head in her hands, slowly stood. Her face was drawn with sorrow, but it was clear she was struggling with the same helplessness.

“Please, Izara,” Bellara whispered, her voice strained with her own grief, thick with sleeplessness. “We’re doing everything we can. We haven’t given up on her.”

Izara turned to face Bellara, her jaw clenched in frustration. “Everything you can?” Her laugh was bitter, tinged with disbelief. “This isn’t about what you can do, Bellara. It’s about where my daughter is. And you—you—are sitting here, searching through books while Kalonice is lost in the Fade!”

Emmrich stood up then, his hand reaching out, but there was a helplessness in his eyes that made it clear there was nothing he could say that would make Izara feel better. “We haven't stopped looking for her. We will find a way to get her out, get her home.”

Izara’s voice broke through the silence, sharp and jagged. “I need more than promises, Emmrich. I need my daughter back. Now.”

Before anyone could speak again, a soft, measured voice broke through the tension.

“You will find her, Izara.” Morrigan’s voice, calm and composed, filled the room as she stepped inside. She hadn’t followed Izara immediately, but the moment the door slammed open, Morrigan knew exactly where this was headed—and she wasn’t about to let her friend unravel alone.

Izara spun around, her eyes wide and still glistening with unshed tears. “You. Morrigan. You tell me where she is.” Her words were almost a command, an unspoken plea for something—anything—she could cling to.

Morrigan, who had been with Izara through the worst of it in the past, stepped closer, her dark eyes full of understanding. She moved slowly, deliberately, her presence steadying as she closed the gap between herself and her friend. The room felt like it was closing in on them both as Morrigan stopped just in front of Izara.

“I wish I could give you the answers you seek,” Morrigan said softly. “I know you’re hurting, but panicking won’t help. You cannot force her out of the Fade by sheer will alone.”

Izara’s breath hitched, the tremor of her anger finally cracking through. “You think I don’t know that? But I am her mother, Morrigan. I raised her. I love her. And I will not—cannot—sit here idly while you sit there telling me ‘we’ll find her,’ knowing she’s trapped—alone—somewhere where we can’t reach her!”

The desperation in Izara’s voice was palpable now. Her composure was rapidly eroding as her fear took hold. Morrigan’s hand, still resting gently on her shoulder, gave a firm squeeze.

“We will bring her back, Izara,” Morrigan assured her, her words unshakable. “But first, you need to believe that we will. I know it feels like we’re failing you, but that’s not the truth. Not yet. We will not stop looking.”

Izara clenched her fists, her entire body trembling with the force of her emotions. Her gaze flicked toward Emmrich, then to Bellara, and finally back to Morrigan.

“I’m not asking for promises anymore,” Izara whispered, her voice rough. “I’m asking for my daughter. I’ve lost too much. I won’t lose her too.”

There was a pause, a stillness in the room. Bellara reached out, her hand light on Izara’s arm. “We won’t stop, Izara,” she repeated, her voice softer now, though still heavy with grief. “Not until we find a way.”

Izara’s eyes softened, the hard edge to her demeanor cracking just a little. She exhaled sharply, her chest rising and falling. “Then show me. Show me that there is hope for Kalonice. Show me that I’m not losing her.”

Morrigan’s gaze was steady, and though she knew the path ahead would be difficult, she gave a small nod. “You’re not losing her. We’ll bring her back.”

Izara, still trembling, allowed herself to take a small step back. It wasn’t much—a simple acknowledgment of the fragile hope Morrigan had offered—but it was something. And in that moment, Izara held onto that sliver of hope, unwilling to let go of the belief that, somehow, she would be reunited with Kalonice.

[acrowslament]

I've something inappropriate to say

VIAGO DE RIVA

[acrowslament]

allow the wings to whisper soft prayers

annie / 24 / probably making sad backgrounds for my rooks / she/they

I like to hurt my feelings (and urs) with angsty writing

[ say it once again with feeling / how the death rattle breathing ]

disclaimer! all of my works are written for ADULT AUDIENCES. they contain ADULT THEMES. they cover ADULT SITUATIONS. while it's not smut, i don't feel comfortable with someone below the age of 18 reading some of these situations, HOWEVER, i cannot control your online consumption (i'm not your mother nor your sister). this is your big, big, BIG warning: these fics are not gonna be happy-go-lucky. they will be sad, and more than likely gruesome. this does not mean i won't write happy-go-lucky fics, and ships, however. i like to have SOME of my characters have a good life lol

ageless & below the age of 18 blogs, please DNI.

[acrowslament]

so lil writer me was standing in the shower, thinking (as one does) and couldn't help but keep straying to the thought of Mama de Riva's reaction when Crow!Rook comes back home after the events of Veilguard. (more under the cut)

Lucanis wouldn't let Rook refuse his offer to bring them home after the events of Veilguard. Lucanis also didn't want to see Rook beat themself up about all the loss that they'd suffered through - that was the gods' fault that friends died.

Needless to say, it took Rook a whole bunch of convincing to even sneak back into the de Riva house. Rook had went into their old room, looking around at the stuff that'd been sitting there for about a year, waiting for them to come home.

It took everything for them not to cry - how was it a year ago that everything had changed? Rook was tired, a type of tired that was bone deep, and made everything that much harder to do. So, Rook decided to do the one thing that would help when training with the Crows had gotten them like this - they were going to take a hot bath.

Rook had somehow gotten out of their armor, and filled the tub with scalding water before slipping into its embrace. They let out a soft sigh, closing their eyes as the heat seeped into their tense muscles, grateful for the silence around them.

The door creaking open behind them made them tense.

"Is it really you, Darling?"

Tears flooded Rook's eyes at the soft sound of their mother's voice, wavering with unshed tears. Rook turned their head, meeting the eyes of the de Riva matron.

"It's me, Mama." Rook breathes, offering a soft smile. Their mother lets out a relieved sob before rushing over and wrapping her arms around her second child. Rook let the unshed tears fall, leaving hot trails of salt behind as they reveled in their mother's homely scent.

Eventually, Mama de Riva washes Rook's hair like the old days and wrapped them up into her arms and refused to let Rook go until she believed that her child was once again home.