#[ to be updated later w/ more info abt cadri ]

[ourdawncomes]

THORA & THE LAST TWO YEARS

Thora diverges from canon in that she completes the events of Jaws of Hakkon and Descent before the defeat of Corypheus, giving her plenty of time to pursue other matters of importance to her which were less pressing than earthquakes in the Deep Roads and a dragon-god invasion.

Her Inquisition timeline lasts three years and change rather than one, putting Corypheus’ defeat in midwinter of 9:45 Dragon (having started by my timeline in August of 9:41 Dragon).

Thora’s main party throughout Inquisition varied, but she almost always had Solas with her. It was his responsibility to care for the Anchor in case it reacted strangely with anything they encountered, and they had good chemistry both in and out of battle. The vibe of her party changes with him gone, it’s often a little sadder as in his absence she does lose her best friend, but she’s still in good company. She finds herself missing him a lot through the next few years.

Ian ( @theshirallen ) takes over many of the duties Solas once bore, having been taught how to manage the Anchor through more practical means which supplemented Solas’ innate control over it. Ian often accompanied the Inquisition before then, but it isn’t until after Inquisition that the two started to become close friends.

She also grows closer to Iron Bull and Sera.* While she never disliked Sera, she often found herself at a loss when in her company, but through Inquisition she found herself starting to connect and understand her more. Bull was often kept at arms’ length (often unfairly) because of his place with the Qun, but after the events of his personal quest she relents. They don’t always quite connect (he doesn’t like it when she asks what’s wrong) but they do start to forge a friendship. More often than not, they accompany her, Ian, Cadri, and Cole.

As the months go by, she starts losing more friends. In what order varies, Dorian returns to Tevinter, Varric to Kirkwall, Blackwall comes and goes as he works on fixing past mistakes. From in-game dialogue it seems like Sera, Iron Bull, Cassandra, and Cole are the companions which remain the closest at hand. There are indications that they, especially Cole, wander, but I honestly headcanon that companions were sometimes deployed as agents during Inquisition itself so I think of it as akin to that.

Thora returns to the Free Marches for some time, sealing Rifts there and in northern Orlais, and securing weapons that can heal Rifts beyond her reach. I imagine she does so around about the time Varric or Dorian leaves, so she can see them off in the Free Marches rather than Ferelden.

In the Free Marches she visits her family, she stays with her sister Sylvi who has since moved back to Ostwick, and makes sure to stay hello to her father and Lantos, who is distant family but family all the same.

Her most important diplomatic trip is to Orzammar. She established ties with King Bhelen after the events of Descent, and the two eventually decide to meet. Sera, Ian, Cole, and Iron Bull accompany her, as well as Gorim Saelac, the official head of House Tamar after his Paragon wife’s death. She has conflicting feelings about what she sees, even if a lot of it is what she expects, but she can’t deny she was proud to finally lay eyes on the city. Her hands shake as she peruses through the Shaperate, barely able to believe her luck. The party stays in a suite provided by Queen Rica Brosca, who Thora strikes up a friendship with.

The artefacts they collected over the course of Inquisition are for the most part surrendered, excepting dwarven ones which Thora can reasonably lay claim to (although some of them are also parted with when she comes to Orzammar). The Staff of Tyrdda Bright-Axe was given to Stone-Bear Hold years ago, the recreation of Suledin’s Blade is given to either Keeper Hawen or was given to a companion Lavellan upon its forging, etc.

Thora continues her studies, learning more about language and history while her knowledge of nobility admittedly falls a bit to the wayside. She begins to be able to grasp more of what the Well of Sorrows is telling her. Over time, she begins to suspect Solas may have been an ancient elf along the lines of Abelas, mostly drawn from what she learned of him over the course of their friendship. In hindsight though she wonders if the Well had something to do with her hunch.

* This is obviously subject to interpretation and I don’t hold any writers of this character to any of these notes.