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When Rook is twenty-eight, and Emmrich fifty-four, Emmrich takes Rook's hand gently and tells her that they must fully consider what it means for him to be so much older. To attach herself to him, when he is so close to his own decline, is folly—

Rook looks at him directly, waiting until his downcast eyes meet hers.

"I'm a Grey Warden," Rook tells him. "I know how to make every year that I am given count."

When Rook is thirty-one, and Emmrich fifty-seven, as Emmrich presses a kiss against the back of Rook's bare shoulder, Rook admits in a small voice: "I have, at most, fifteen years left to live."

In the warm darkness of their bedroom, the quiet stretches like the last moment after a crystal has been struck, just before the world falls again into silence.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Emmrich vows.

When the bells peal, sunlight and thrown petals and grains and joyous laughter raining down on them in equal measure, when Emmrich clasps her hands and says I give you my heart and soul. I will honor and cherish you each and every day of our lives— his voice sounds exactly the same.

When Rook is thirty-seven, and Emmrich sixty-three, she finds him on the floor of his laboratory, overcome by weeping.

"I have it," Emmrich tells her. "I have it. The Blight will progress no further in you."

She rocks him on the floor for a full hour as he sobs with the heart-rending relief, clutching her as if afraid to ever let her go.

When Rook is forty-six, and Emmrich seventy-two, Emmrich claims that most of his smile lines are Rook's doing.

"And many of the worry ones, too," Rook teases gently, brushing her thumb over her favorite, the divot closest to his right eyebrow.

Decades of love settle over a person as tangibly as gravity: they are both radiant with it.

They watch the sun set together, as they have done hundreds of times, hand in hand. Emmrich waits until the last sliver of pink has left the clouds before he turns to Rook to speak.

"I have learned that my solution was flawed," Emmrich admits very quietly. "The Blight in you will be at bay only so long as I live."

The light of the first rising star is reflected in Emmrich's gleaming, tear filled eyes.

Rook raises their joined hands to her mouth, kissing the back of his.

"I am older than I ever thought I would live," Rook says tenderly. "This life is enough, love."

The words soften Emmrich's expression, but fail to touch the grief in his eyes.

"It is more than enough," Rook tells him, at fifty-two.

"You think I want to live in a world without you in it?" she tells him at fifty-six.

"I love you," she tells him, every day.

"Every word in every love poem ever written isn't enough to say just how much I love you."

Emmrich peers at her over his thick glasses, pausing in his reading of the book of sonnets.

"Should I stop, then?" Emmrich teases.

"No," Rook says, settling her head more comfortably in his lap.

He runs one knotted, shaking hand through her grey hair, presses a kiss to her forehead. Rook closes her eyes.

When Rook is fifty-seven, and Emmrich eight-three, he slips away in the night. She wakes, as always, with her hand in his. She lies quietly for a long time, her eyes bleakly dry, knowing that this time is the last.

Most deaths feel sudden, in the end.

And yet every griever knows: it is still possible, somehow, to survive the removal of a heart.

After Rook has stood for two hours at the funeral, crying mechanically and stopping just as suddenly, Manfred guides her away.

"It's time to sit down, Mother," Manfred tells her gently. "Would you like water? Tea?"

Even fifteen years after beginning his travels, Manfred still sounds so much like Emmrich. The place where her heart is meant to be aches. Rook lets him settle her in a chair, and bring her the blend of tea that he designed just for her.

"There are two more bequeathments to distribute from Father's will," Manfred tells her. "He wanted both to be delivered by my hand."

The first is an elegant leather-bound book, intricately tooled, with fine gilded additions. It's carved with both their favorite flowers, intertwined. Rook opens the cover with shaking hands.

The lines are labelled with a date, with a single sentence accompanying it, penned in Emmrich's fine hand. Each is a message to her. It began almost four years ago, but— the book is far too full. Every page is written in. Rook flips forward to find that Emmrich wrote a line for every day for the next three decades.

"He should have spared himself the pain of writing so much," Rook says. "The Blight will have me far sooner than that!"

Manfred silently hands her an envelope. On its front is written:

To my darling Rook.

Rook reads the letter. She stares at Manfred, uncomprehending.

Manfred embraces her, pressing his forehead to hers in his version of a kiss to the cheek.

"The Blight won't take you at all, Mother," Manfred says gently. "He transferred the spell to me eight months ago."

Through a veil of tears, Rook sees that every neat line in Emmrich's book ends the same way.

I love you.

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Neve's Case Notes: Beso;

Even Minrathous had heard of the Drake, if you ask the right people. Miners, glass blowers, juwelliers, sometimes soldiers passing from eastern frontlines: the man has a brand and sticks to it. Not much on him, except that he sits in prison back in Marothius. Allegedly. From time to time. Which is something for a soporati. Does he have powerful mages around? Knuckles deep in someone’s pocket? Unlikely, given the scraps people whisper about. He emerges in the cooperatives, amongst workers and slaves, and there’s always a fair barter. A warning. A bargain struck. What’s worse  — he delivers.  Word is he bargained with Kashtaar. Word has it the reason for Ashur's recent headaches smokes pipe and says comrade.

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💠 Felassan prefers Dalish songs, but after joining in with Varric and Harding he discovered his love for various tavern songs throughout Thedas. His favorite one is The Girl in Red Crossing, and he'll sing along whenever he hears it. If someone would write a song about his adventure he'd feel a bit embarrassed, actually. He isn't much for being the center of attention.

💠 Alessio loves music. Every chance he gets he sneaks off to a tavern to listen to the bards. He sings along with every song he knows (which is most of them). He usually tries to drag Lucrezia with him, but often fails. She is small but mighty. If the bards' would write a song about him, it'd probably go to his head and Viago would banish him to the outhouse.

💠 Lucrezia enjoys music, but most often prefer the quiet. She does enjoy Sera Was Never immensely, however. But if you'd ever catch her sing along - no, you didn't. Whenever Alessio tries to drag her along to the tavern, she almost always manages to avoid him. I doubt any bard would dare to write a song about her - unless they'd want a dagger to their throat. Or axes. Taash protects their girlfriend fiercely.

💠 Ever has always found comfort in music. It was a way for her to escape in her youth, a way to imagine living her life how she wanted to live it. Nightingale's Eyes has always meant a lot to her, as well as Sera Was Never. She'd be so honored if the bards wanted to write about her, but she'd also want to make sure they didn't address something she didn't want to.

Rook Intro Hour: Songs

Good morning! I'm going to take a little break from spirits/demons until I can figure out the best way to word the remaining ones I'm interested in doing, so here's a fun one!

How it works: I ask you a question or questions about your Rook(s) and you answer it/them however you want! You don't have to answer all the questions, and you don't have to worry about length. The easiest way for me to keep track of everyone is for you to reblog this post and add your answer, although you can also mention me in a separate post, if you want! You can do this whenever you want, and I’ll reblog it + add some comments! There’s no time limit— if you want to do the older ones, they are collected here! (The post is updated on Fridays!)

*Please be aware that if you rb RIH to a community WITHOUT rbing to your blog first, I CANNOT rb and comment. If you want me to comment, please put the post on YOUR BLOG first. Thanks!

Today's Question(s): What's Rook's favorite Thedosian song (this list doesn't include the elven ones from the WoT, the Qunlat one from Taash, or the one Leliana sings in DAO, but feel free to pick one of those, instead!)? Do they like to sing along with bards, when they encounter them? Would they (or did they) join the Sing-quisition? How would they feel if someone wrote a song about their adventures?

Have fun, and be creative! Thanks for sharing !

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Maker, I've missed this game 🥰

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oops I comm'ed them again 🙈 commissioned art by the amazingly talented @yelenhol !

realized I updated the end-of-series fic with this a while back but didn't share here so... feast your eyes 😭💙🥹

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💠 Felassan is old enough to have experienced the Blight. So, if he had been conscripted instead of Mahariel, well... he might have been able to defeat it, if he didn't strangle Wynne, Leliana or Alistair first. He wasn't as mindful in his twenties as he is now, and there would be a lot of arguments between them.

💠 Alessio would make an absolutely horrible Champion. Not because he couldn't do it, he could - but he would disagree with both Meredith and Orsino, and in act 3 just tell them to fuck themselves and leave. Everything else? He'd give his heart and soul. Fenris needs slavers killed? Done. Aveline needs help with a date? Weird, but okay. Varric needs help with his brother? Say no more. But the whole templar vs mage is just crap.

💠 Lucrezia would make a pretty decent Inquisitor. She has the analytical mind to plan strategies, and the sheer determination to take on a would-be God (I mean, she does fight two gods, so...). The Game could become a problem, unless Josephine manages to hide Lucrezia's knives. And the whole Holy thing? Well, it's just a side effect.

💠 Ever was raised in a Necropolis, and is quite shy. I don't think she would do very well in either position, but the Hero of Ferelden would be the closest to what I can see her as. Mostly because it's similar to what Rook does.

Rook Introduction Hour 2/17/25

Hello, Heroes of Thedas! 🌟 It's Monday morning, which sucks, but it's also Rook Intro Hour day, which is fun! Yay!

How it works: I ask you a question about your Rook(s) and you answer it with as much brevity or verbosity as you desire. You can do this whenever you want, and I’ll reblog it + add some comments! There’s no time limit— if you want to do the older ones, they are collected here! (The post is updated on Fridays!)

Today's Question(s): If your Rook had been in the role of one of the protagonists of the other Dragon Age games, how would they have have done? Could they have saved Fereldan from the Blight? Become the Champion of Kirkwall? Led the Inquisition? How would it have changed them as a person? Impacted their emotional state?

Answer whatever you want, and have fun!

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💠 Felassan loves Davrin, deeply and ferociously - in a way he hasn't loved anyone before. He loves his protective side, his dry humor and his love for Assan. They enjoy spending time together, even if it just means quiet time. They love sleeping in, cuddled together - much to the frustration of the others.

Felassan advised him to give the griffons to the Dalish, because they deserve a new start and he kinda feels like the Wardens fumbled their chance.

He also urges Davrin to take up contact with his clan, because who are you without your family? Felassan promises to be by his side whatever he chooses, however.

Felassan didn't chose Davrin to lead the distraction team, in part because he wanted him with him, and in part because he felt Harding was a better choice. A choice he lives with every day.

Davrin: Hey, ass.

Rook: Vehnan?

Davrin: Assan wants you to come to bed.

Rook: Ah. Not you, then?

Davrin: Well, I can't deny Assan what he wants.

Rook: *laughs* Fine. If he insists.

💠 Lucrezia likes Davrin, like an older brother. She likes learning about Dalish culture from him, just like with Bellara, but she finds his down to earth personality a bit more palatable.

They like to exchange war stories as well as tips for weapon management. A couple of drinks are always good, too.

She encourages him to hand the griffons over to the Dalish, because they're animals and deserve to be free.

Lucrezia doesn't encourage him, nor discourage him, about the clan. She says that he should do what he feels is best for him, and she'll support him whatever he chooses to do.

She doesn't choose him to lead the distraction team, because she thinks Harding is a better choice - she's smaller, she's a scout and she can move easier across the terrain.

💠 Ever finds Davrin's presence grounding. He's so sure of himself, something she struggles with a lot.

As a warrior, she likes to train with him and she's happy to receive tips and tricks. They also spend a lot of time talking; about childhood, about dreams and hopes.

Ever, also, wants him to hand the griffons over to the Dalish - simply because they deserve to be themselves.

She neither encourages nor discourages him to reach out to his clan, she just says that even if family is more than blood, it is important to have something to fall back to.

She is about to choose him for the B team, but ultimately chose Harding - because she's been there since the beginning and she wants her there to the end.

Rook Intro Hour: Davrin

Good morning, everyone! As you may or may not already know, #DavrinWeek2025 is coming up from May 19th - May 25th, hosted by @datvcompanionweeks !

To celebrate, today's Intro Hour will be centered around Davrin!

How it works: I ask you a question about your Rook(s) and you answer it with as much brevity or verbosity as you desire. The easiest way for me to keep track of everyone is for you to reblog this post and add your answer, although you can also mention me in a separate post, if you want! You can do this whenever you want, and I’ll reblog it + add some comments! There’s no time limit— if you want to do the older ones, they are collected here! (The post is updated on Fridays!)

*Please be aware that if you rb RIH to a community WITHOUT rbing to your blog first, I CANNOT rb and comment. If you want me to comment, please put the post on YOUR BLOG first. Thanks!

Today's Question(s): What is your Rook's relationship with Davrin? What do they like about him? What do Rook and Davrin enjoy doing together? What do they advise him to do with the griffons? Do they think Davrin should reconnect with his clan? Did Rook choose Davrin to lead the distraction team on Tearstone Island? Why or why not? Lastly, if you want, write a unique banter between Davrin and your Rook!

Have fun, and be creative!

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💠 Felassan views Bellara as his best friend - and maybe a little as an adoptive daughter of sorts. They're both Veil Jumpers and they both have a huge interest in ancient artifacts. He wants to tell her to keep the Archive, because it is literally all they've been fighting for - but he does tell her to release it, because he knows there'll always be people who'll kill for it and he doesn't want that on his conscience.

He's at first angry with Cyrian for what he's done. He can understand the theoretical viewpoint of wanting better for ones people, but the execution of it? Poor performance. He becomes close with the rest of Bellara's family, however, and they always insist he and Davrin join them for weekly dinners.

Bellara: Felassan?

Rook: Yes, da'len?

Bellara: Mom sent you a pie.

Rook: Again?

Bellara: Yeah... she thought you looked skinny the last time you visited.

Rook: *groans* Tell her thanks.

💠 Lucrezia finds Bellara adorable, if a bit annoying. She enjoys learning about elven culture from her, and Davrin, but she thinks she can be a bit too... elf-ish sometimes. Lucrezia grew up in an Antivan alienage before being recruited to the Crows at the age of nine, and thus view herself Antivan before anything else. But she's fond of her friend and she'll stab anyone who's mean to her.

She hates Cyrian. Well, hate might be a strong word, but she dislikes him. Sure, helping your people is a noble goal - but selling out to Anaris? Maker, he's an idiot. That doesn't mean she wanted him to die and she is sad, helping Bellara grieve.

The rest of Bellara's family is cute, if a bit overwhelming sometimes. She feels welcome there and often visits when she's in the area.

Rook: hey, Bel?

Bellara: Hm?

Rook: Why's there ink all over my desk?

Bellara: Huh? Oh! Mythal'enast! *scrambles* Must have tipped the well over!

Rook: Yeah.. I figured as much.

Bellara: *trying to remove ink from a letter by shaking it* Sorry...

Rook: *sigh* It's okay, Bel.

💠 Ever finds Bellara a bit overwhelming sometimes. She struggles with keeping up with her speech and often feels stupid when the elf rants about artifacts and magic. Ever likes her, however, and tries her hardest to help her with whatever she needs.

She's sympathetic towards Cyrian, because she understands the desire to help. To be someone. Yet she recognizes that the way he does it is very wrong.

She finds the rest of Bellara's family as overwhelming as her, but she does visit and she does enjoy feeling part of something.

Bellara: Ehm, Ever?

Rook: Mm?

Bellara: I'm sorry.

Rook: For what?

Bellara: For talking so much about Cyrian, and my family, and... and you didn't even have one.

Rook: You didn't know. It's okay.

Bellara: Well, you have one now. We are your family now, Ever.

Rook Intro Hour: Bellara

Good morning, everyone! Good news: Bellara Week is coming up on @datvcompanionweeks! It will be from Thursday, April 17th - Wednesday, April 23rd!

To celebrate, today's Intro Hour will be centered around Bellara!

How it works: I ask you a question about your Rook(s) and you answer it with as much brevity or verbosity as you desire. You can do this whenever you want, and I’ll reblog it + add some comments! There’s no time limit— if you want to do the older ones, they are collected here! (The post is updated on Fridays!)

Today's Question(s): What is your Rook's relationship with Bellara? What do they like about her? What do Rook and Bellara enjoy doing together? What does Rook tell Bellara to do with the Archive Spirit? Why? What does Rook think about Cyrian and the rest of Bellara's family? Lastly, if you want, write a unique banter between Bellara and your Rook!

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💠 Felassan is very comfortable with his manliness and has never questioned it. That, however, doesn't mean he's macho or saying it's the end all be all. Despite never struggling with his gender identity, he tried his best to support Taash in their struggle, listening and having a shoulder for them to lean on. When Shathann stormed out of the Lighthouse after Taash admitted to being non-binary, he was so angry. Angry for her not supporting her child, and angry for not being able to help.

💠 Lucrezia is, now, very comfortable with her femininity. There were moments in her teenage years when she questioned her gender, wondering if maybe she was genderfluid - but settled on the fact that she wasn't and that there was nothing wrong with being a woman. This struggle helped her support Taash, knowing what it felt like struggling with what you are. Despite realizing she was a woman, she still support Taash with their identity with every fiber of her being - they deserve nothing less.

💠 Ever struggled with her gender from an early age. She was never comfortable with what her body looked like, nor being raised as a boy. When she was twelve, she came out to her adoptive parents that she was a woman and that she wanted to be treated as a woman. Her parents weren't particularly supportive and so she didn't express herself publicly until she was an adult - but then she did almost everything at once. This is why Taash's struggle resonates so much with her - she knows how frightening it is to not feel normal. And when she realizes that Shathann reacts in the same way her own parents did, she becomes adamant that Taash will have whatever support they need. She'll be the biggest supporter ever.

Rook Intro Hour: Gender

Hello, I'm sorry this was late, I was playing Delatrune lol. But it has reminded me that it is Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Hooray! So in that spirit, let's do some celebratory stuff!

How it works: I ask you a question(s) about your Rook(s) and you answer however you want! You don't have to answer everything, and you don't have to worry about length. The easiest way for me to keep track of everyone is for you to reblog this post and add your answer, although mentioning me in a separate post also works. You can do this whenever you want, and I’ll reblog + comment. There’s no time limit— if you want to do the older ones, they are collected here! (The post is updated on Fridays!)

*Please be aware that if you rb RIH to a community WITHOUT rbing to your blog first, I CANNOT rb. If you want me to comment, please put the post on YOUR BLOG first. Thanks!

Today's Question(s): What is Rook's relationship to their gender? Did they discover it? What was that like for them? Did/do they experiment with their gender presentation? Did their experience with their gender influence how they advised Taash on their journey of self-discovery?

Have fun, and be creative! Thanks for sharing !

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Emmrich is tired, you guys.

He has been tired before, he has lived a few years by this point.

It wasn’t so long ago that he would be up late, trying to find the time to tailor individual lessons for eight separate students while still performing his duties in the Necropolis, and attending to his side passions and research on lichdom.

And now, just like then, Manfred rattles in with a tea tray and interrupts his thoughts with cajoling hisses. Emmrich doesn’t taste the tea when he gulps it down.

He recalls sleepless nights with Johanna, arguing and prompting and critiquing papers and theories and experiments, driven by passion, fueled by caffeine and lyrium, and often piloted by sheer spite.

He throws a cloth over Johanna now when she spits vitriol at him. “Pull yourself together Volkarin! The world is ending!”

Before that it was sleepless nights in a dormitory, chased by his nightmares into the waking world to sit in a dark puddle of sheets and sweat, waiting for the darkness to fall in and crush the life out of him.

He has been tired often in his life. But this is a different sort of tired.

This goes beyond exhaustion

He is no longer motivated by his duty, or lifted by Manfred’s tea.

He can no longer hear the nagging of Johanna’s skull.

He has no time for the fear that tries to claw its’ way out of his chest where he has locked it away.

Last time he gave into it, it cost him everything.

It cost him Rook.

He is so tired of being afraid.

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And I'm back in the fucking building! ❤️

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*sigh* thanks to fandom abuse, one of the Veilguard storyboard artists is hesitant to share his work.

Anyway, go check out Nick’s art.

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Reblog to let your followers know that despite your current obsession your previous obsessions still exist and are simply lying dormant until they awaken and strike again

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My obsession with Abnur Tharn came back in full swing after coming back to ESO after a long break.

So, enjoy.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/65674510

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new da ocs time. rostahm, a lord of fortune (more brutal version than in datv), pirate, thief and knows how to kill people. upd: sowwy he's not a rook, just a guy.

he was raised by a human mother, she's most likely his biological mom, so rostahm is a half-breed. she's a former pirate, so since childhood the boy has seen all the delights of a pirate life and can't live without the sea. then mom lost her leg and settled in some port-city of rivain and is now engaged in trade, very successfully. rostahm lives by traveling and theft/robbery. with the loot he buys himself some pretty jewelry, expensive booze and time with a couple of women or men for the night. the rest goes to his mom. a charismatic bastard. you chat with him for a couple of minutes and then you'll be left without all your money, pants and boots.

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new & returning fans:

this post is written for dragon age fans who are returning on account of da4, but applies well beyond that. i think it's just sound fandom advice :)

please share your reactions and your thoughts!

they do not have to be "original" to be worth sharing

they do not have to conform to fanon

you do not need to research all that has come before you before you're able to share

you do not need to have played/read everything to talk about it. it's fine if you've only played one game or only read one book; you can still be part of the fandom!

coming to the same or similar conclusions as others is natural - fandom is based on a lot of people looking at the exact same set of materials and drawing conclusions from it/building off of it/etc

it's fascinating reading through other people's meta - but if you don't want to, you absolutely do not have to!

and if you do want to but don't know where to start, you can ask people in fandom or make a post asking for recs - many established fans will jump at the chance to share information!

also: i personally have no problems with "why has no one ever thought of this!"-type posting (it just seems excitable or playful to me, not malicious), but i've been talking with my friends and apparently it can be a powerful pet peeve. so bear that in mind!

all in all, please share your thoughts, your ideas, your reactions, your meta, your fic, your art!

established fans:

new people will be coming, and they won't know all the Big Name Bloggers or the Established Conversations/Conclusions - this is natural!

they also don't have to know any of that to be respected within a shared fandom space

there's a pressure to conform to established povs, and sometimes it's hard from inside to see just how strong that pressure is, but it's still there

so being deliberate about making space for new fans is nice - this is why i'm making this post! and because seeing a post like this would have helped me when i got back into the fandom

making space for them includes not putting specific demands on how they act*

new fans means that old conversations and "disproven" povs will emerge! this is natural! it's new for them, and just like a lot of us had space and grace in which to process these, we should give them that same space and grace

the above doesn't mean you need to follow them ofc. just don't be an ass in/about their posting

*this does not apply to like... basic standards like not harassing people/not being offensive/etc. that's not a fandom-specific thing, that's a social interaction thing. this post is about the one and not the other

all fans:

i'm not telling anyone to interact with anyone they don't want to! i'm a firm believer in the block button

but it's nice to be nice? tbh? to try and assume best intentions and take things in good faith

i hope people make space for new fans; and new fans, i hope you feel welcome in sharing your thoughts and reactions

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When you're picking up the fight you started several thousand years ago.