#Commander Brosca and her second-in-command

[falcatas]

What are you drawing, dear?

Me: a meme

What’s a meme? Show me :3

Me:

The meme:

Not again! Why I am this way?

[mllemaenad]

The issue with reccomending people to the Wardens is that, unless you're already blighted or condemned for a capital crime... your odds of surviving the joining seem to be significantly worse than 50%.

Alistair says that he was the only member of his group to survive, and the joining at Ostagar had, depending on how you count it, either a 50% or a 33.3333333333333% survival rate.

Those are lousy, lousy odds, even if you are from the wrong side of the tracks. And if you're in your early 20s or late teens, you're probably still cutting your life short, and ensuring that you die alone in agonizing pain down in the deep roads.

It's just... really not a good deal for anyone who isn't already literally at risk of imminent death.

It's not really an issue ..? I mean, I'm not having an issue, and neither is Warden-Commander Brosca, since I assume this relates to my post about Seanna cheerfully recruiting everybody. :)

For a start. Eh. Honestly, trying to work out how dangerous the Joining should be is a mug's game. I accept your examples, but I could just as easily counter that in Awakening five of six companions come through it just fine (Six of seven? Are we counting Justice, since Kristoff survived his Joining?).

If you recruit Loghain to the Wardens, he's fine. If you send Bethany or Carver to the Wardens, they are fine. If you send Blackwall to become a proper Warden, he is just fine.

Honestly, how dangerous the Joining is just seems to be related to how interesting you are. The deaths of all possible recruits but the Hero of Ferelden and Alistair occur because it is imperative that there be functionally no Wardens left – so there can be no more youngsters than that for Duncan to protect. The Awakening companions are mostly fine because we need a new party for a new adventure, so we can't just keep killing off candidates for hours.

I realise that's the most Doylist viewpoint possible, but honestly it's just not worth worrying about. Does the Joining carry with it a risk of death? Absolutely! Do I need to consider it so very risky that one should never offer it to anyone? Nah. It has its share of "everybody lives" scenarios too.

But regardless – I said Seanna never met an apostate, runaway slave, casteless dwarf or petty thief she didn't try to recruit. She's not recruiting people whose lives are going well. Even if they're not facing literal death right this second, these are all people whose lives are likely to consist of crushing poverty, imprisonment, torture, captivity, Tranquility, and an appalling lack of personal agency and dignity.

Are the Wardens kind of taking advantage of Thedas's horrific levels of prejudice and inequality? Yep! They're a bit dodgy, as many of the best things in Dragon Age are. Seanna takes her duty seriously and does her best by her recruits ... but she did get her start as the muscle for a Carta crime boss. Her morals don't have to be 100% pure all the time.

On the other hand – the Wardens largely do deliver on the promise of a better life. Yes, there is a duty and there are drawbacks, but they are one of the few genuinely multinational and multicultural organisations in Thedas. You see elves, mages and branded dwarves in positions of respect and authority. These people can marry, travel, own property, raise children if they manage to acquire any – and genuinely live their lives in a way they very likely would not be able to elsewhere.

How many casteless dwarves will expect to live to a ripe old age? Seanna didn't. There were so many ways she could have died young. And even if she somehow made it past forty (which is hardly old), she was terrified of ending up like her mother – or even worse, out starving on the streets.

Instead of that, and because of the Wardens, she is Commander of the Grey and Arlessa of Amaranthine, and she will absolutely keep telling just about any poor, down-on-their-luck bastard she meets that the Wardens have food and a steady pay cheque, and if the Templars or the slave hunters or the Carta come looking for you, you'll have dozens of your brothers and sisters watching your back.

[antivanplumage]

worldstate questionnaire by @fromthedaswithlove

part 2: the hero of ferelden, talya surana

Who did your protagonist romance and why? Do they have secondary choices?

talya romanced zevran. i thought the dynamic between zevran being so outgoing and flirtatious x talya who starts out so repressed and reserved was really fun. (fun fact, i was gunning for leliana! but a few conversations made me reconsider, then i met zevran, and then they turned into my worldstate's biggest platonic divorce. my brosca is a lelimancer instead)

and also there's morrigan but they're like. the anti-romance. it's only so romantic because of all of the unconscious yearning and pining during origins itself and the romantic subtext i can read into their 'platonic' dialogue. i'm doing a second run right now where i actually do morrigan's romance, and it's fun, but so out of character for how i see them it's breaking my brain a little.

Do they have a family?

talya's only surviving relative around origins is her estranged twin brother, eirian, who told her to kill herself fighting the archdemon when they reunited in the denerim alienage. after the reveal of her magic when they were children, his apostate father fled out of fear for his own life, leaving his mother and him to defend for himself. the anti-malcolm hawke, if you will.

because of this, eirian sees magic, and talya as an extension, as the reason why his life was torn apart. his wife was sold by tevinter slavers, and she was sent away before talya could stage her rescue.

"what, do you want a fucking medal? do you want me to congratulate you? you were too late to save her, o great hero. go get your medals and accolades from people who care."

she's Very normal about it (lying through her teeth. never truly gets over it. projected her desire for a brother on both jowan and alistair because of him)

Do they have any regrets?

so many. holy shit. so many. the core of talya's character is that he blames himself for absolutely everything that goes wrong if he can vaguely be blamed for it.

she regrets leaving anders and justice alone. she regrets not reconciling with alistair before he throws himself into the fade. she regrets not killing the architect SO FUCKING MUCH.

20 years later he manages to blame himself for nero de riva becoming a crow because she made a few questionable decisions about the crows in denerim during the blight. if solas sent talya to the fade prison then she wouldn't have made it back out alive

What is their Specialization? Is there a reason they chose it?

spirit healer + arcane warrior. she learned spirit healing in the circle, but arcane warrior came from her fascination with the dalish. during origins, she sees them almost as this fantastical ideal she can retreat into, even though she knows damn well she comes from an alienage. learning a forgotten elven combat art is incredibly exciting for her. arcane warrior also comes from her desire to protect the people she cares for.

during awakening, she switches spirit healer to blood mage. in the time between awakening and origins, she returned to soldier's peak to study blood magic under avernus. i forgot if this is an hc or canon anymore, but blood magic also weakens your connection to the fade. this is a good thing for her, she hates the fade and spirits are obsessed with her, so she eventually just stops healing.

so she ends awakening as arcane warrior + blood mage + battlemage. there's no narrative reason for this one, it just synergized so well. beyblade surana upon ye

Do they have a preferred weapon? Preferred armor set?

during origins: duncan's sword + warden-commander's shield, wade's superior heavy dragonscale armor (which i transmogged into a retexture of the da2 viscount robe because. um. it's uglee <3)

during awakening: vigilance + landsmeet shield, armor of the sentinel set. i did not transmog the sentinel set so she lowkey looks like a villain. after vigilance gets stolen by the crows he goes back to duncan's sword

Do they have a preferred skill that they use often? (example: spells from the spirit tree in Inquisition)

RATIO + MANA CLASH MANA CLASH MANA CLASH. she also loves auras. miasma + telekinetic weapons + draining aura with blood magic active feels soooo good for a warden commander

How did the first few days after Ostagar feel like?

overwhelming. horrifying. talya thought she had found some semblance of freedom and a new belonging, only for her new group to be torn apart, and responsibility for stopping the end of the world getting shoved onto her.

How does the Warden feel about the Deep Roads? The Fade?

at the time the deep roads disturb talya much more than the fade does, mostly because he's used to the fade, even if he doesn't like it. the deep roads disturb talya more for what she learns in there, though: what a broodmother is.

What was the hardest decision that your Warden had to make?

the decision to kill isolde. it's not as if she cared one way or another if isolde lived (she hated the woman,) but knowing jowan had to do it with his own hands was absolutely harrowing. she's disgusted by herself. if she could've done the blood ritual herself, she would have.

How did they feel about discovering how an Archdemon dies?

after the shock wears off, she's immediately willing to sacrifice herself, no questions asked.

How did they feel about Morrigan’s Ritual? Were they hopeful? Did they feel betrayed?

talya was tentatively hopeful, and accepted the offer. it understood she had her reasons to hide the ritual from them. she was more heartbroken by the understanding that she'd probably never see her again. but no she's definitely not in love with her perish the thought

talya still goes in thinking it might fail, though, and carries herself like she's not going to survive.

If there is one thing that your Warden could have done differently, what would it be?

kill the architect.

Who did your Warden struggle with the most out of the companions? 

wynne. talya respects her as a senior enchanter, but she sees wynne's views as complacency when they're not, and wynne wants talya to return to the circle even though she has no interest in it. in time, talya reflects on their relationship and remembers her fondly, but it's too late to make amends.

Who did they get along with the most?

besides zevran (they match each other's freak in a way that makes everyone else uncomfortable) i think leliana. talya has a deep curiosity about the world, and leliana tells her so many stories to feed it.

the biggest source of tension between them is unresolvable, though: the chantry. talya respects her during origins because she thinks she's different from the chantry as an Institution, but once she learns she's personally affiliated with the divine, she feels personally betrayed.

everyone is very dear to talya, though. they all expose her to different views on the world and help her grow as a person. yes even oghren, he's the drunk uncle she never got to have and she wants him to get better.

How does your Warden feel about Sten returning to Par Vollen?

resigned, but she understood it was bound to happen eventually. still, they depart with a deep respect for each other. that's her kadan.

How does your Warden feel about Alistair becoming king?

opposed, if only because of how much he doesn't want to be king. at first she considers trying to convince him, but after meeting anora and realizing how reasonable the woman actually is, she sees no reason to pressure alistair into a position it feels like eamon is forcing him into.

i have a lot of feelings about king alistair. there are some scenarios where i can see a warden choosing to make him king, but talya loves him and respects his wishes too much and respects eamon too little. it always feels like a bad ending for him, even if you could argue it's a better option for ferelden.

How does your Warden feel about Zevran going after the Crows?

frustrated. not because of what he's doing, she agrees with it, but he leaves pretty quickly after origins with barely a goodbye and a promise that he'll come back for her. communications are sparse because he's in hiding, and she can't follow him because she's still bound to the wardens.

How does your Warden feel about Leliana returning to Orlais?

mostly just wistful: she wishes she could join her and see the places leliana told stories about, but she's decided to stay with the wardens. their conversation does plant the seeds of

If alive, what is the boon that your Warden had asked for after slaying the Archdemon?

for kinloch to get independence from the chantry. this doesn't last, of course.

If dead, what does the engraving on your Warden’s grave say? (Could also use this one in theory as well)

i think if talya died, the chantry would immediately work overtime to recoup her image for themself. not sure about the exact engraving but i can see the chantry strongarming it to be some sort of line from the chant of light or something

Does your Warden ever find out about Wynne? (Asunder)

i'm gonna be so honest y'all i didn't read asunder. i think she knows wynne is dead, but she doesn't know why.

Did the Warden keep in touch with any of the companions? 

alistair and leliana, for a time, but as she becomes more reclusive and eventually leaves the wardens, the letters stop coming. both of them are only left to wonder why

Is Nathaniel Howe alive? 

yep, that's oomf and he was always in the party.

Who did your Warden get closest with during the events of Awakening? 

anders and justice. and i promise you it's not just because of their future relevance. she's got a shared history with anders that bonds them together, and she has a similar wide-eyed appreciation of the world that justice does. she finds justice and their perspective absolutely fascinating.

What did your Warden think of their companions (Velanna, Sigrun, Oghren, Nathaniel, Anders, Justice)? 

talya cared for and appreciated them all. the most tension existed between her and velanna because of the way talya idealized the dalish, but ultimately velanna set her straight. when talya leaves the wardens, she entrusts warden-commander to sigrun.

What did your warden do about the Architect and the Mother? About Avernus?

talya spared the architect, a decision that almost immediately after fills her with a deep sense of shame and remorse that eventually lead him to leave the wardens.

she also spared avernus under ethical restrictions, but she doesn't regret that.

How does their life look after the events of Awakening?

he stays as warden-commander for a few months, but after departing to hunt down morrigan and returning to find anders and justice gone, she fucks off and hunts down zevran, refusing to let her duty to an order that doesn't care about her ideals keep her separated from him any longer.

partially inspired by my favorite awakening epilogue slide. the drama of it all. they're so funny. after this point, talya never strays from his side again, helping zevran in his quest to dismantle the crows and refusing to take no for an answer.

If the Warden has heard of the events of Kirkwall, how do they feel about it? 

talya was there: she goes where zevran does, after all. she meets hawke when he does, and when the chantry explodes, she kinda went "ohhhh that's my circus.... ohhhh no that's my monkeys" and rushed to moira's side to help her out and get to the heart of this. he approved of anders' actions unconditionally, they were of the same mind about what had to be done and was just grateful that anders survived it.

Did they know that Anders and Justice merged? Were they against it?

talya is against it but for utterly insane reasons: she thinks justice should have chosen her as a host, instead. she thinks she would have made a better match for justice and feels personally responsible for the pain anders is clearly in. because there's something wrong with this guy.

Does Kieran exist? How does the Warden handle the knowledge of his existence?

kieran is her weird little son. he looks like her and acts like her. it's beautiful. i stand behind the fact that talya would've been a terrible parent to a young child, but some time after DAI, she does finally get her reunion with morrigan, and finally gets to meet him. she absolutely adores that boy.

How do they feel about the Calling?

at first, talya just sees it as a grim responsibility. things change in the deep roads, though, after he learns about broodmothers. he's so horrified and disgusted. learning the taint can transform a woman into that triggers her fear of her bodily autonomy being taken from her, and completely alters the course of her life. after this point, talya becomes more and more obsessive about purging the taint from her body before it's too late.

What did the Warden find in their journey west?

i... don't know. this is the biggest question mark in his timeline tbh. i know he gives up, but i don't know why yet.

How far has the taint progressed in the Warden? Has it changed them in any way?

by the time of veilguard, talya is slowly starting to succumb. he's found a way to postpone it through transfusions of untainted blood (yayyy blood magic) but it can't last forever and he knows this.

Does your Warden ever discover a cure?

no. i think a cure would at the very least break veilguard, and i think it erases the tragedy and urgency of the wardens if they ever find one. i think the blight is evolving, and the calling is gone, but the taint is still bound to overtake wardens.

i have a bit of a theory on how the taint could be cured, but it involves soothing the pain of the titans, and that's not how talya would try to cure it without learning things she has no business to know. it's all still pretty up in the air how much he ends up learning and what he's able to do.

What does your Warden think about Leliana becoming the Divine?

ohoho. THIS is the platonic divorce. this is what shatters their relationship entirely.

objectively, leliana is the pro-mage divine. she makes the chantry better. she opens up the chantry to accept non-humans and mages. talya doesn't care. how dare she try to save the chantry? how dare she become the icon of an institution that causes so much harm? it's not just mages that the chantry hurts, after all.

she can forgive jowan's role in the inquisition - he was forced into it, after all - but leliana becoming divine strikes a very deep nerve in her. eventually he mellows out and begrudgingly respects the good leliana has done. still, they don't ever talk again. that bond is severed.

What was your Warden up to during the events of Veilguard if they were alive?

most of her timeline post-DAI is still up in the air, but right now i have talya working with antoine and evka to study the blight while keeping his identity hidden from the wardens. she eventually contacts nero just to ask for information about the archdemons and what they know about the blight (she's hiding her identity from nero too but she's weirded out so bad.) from that point, he's involved in the hossberg wetlands questline.

[dragonologist-phd]

Fic Wrap-Up Meme: 2024

(repurposing an old tag game to yap about fics, and i encourage anyone else who wants to do the same!)

FANDOMS - Baldur's Gate 3, Dragon Age, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Pillars of Eternity

3 FANFICS WITH THE MOST KUDOS IN 2024 -

Pagan's Prayer (BG3):

Shadowheart isn't accustomed to placing her trust in other people. Neither is Naia. But these are interesting times, and stranger things have happened. (A loose re-telling of the game, with a focus on Tav/Shadowheart romance)

Songs of Elysium (PWOTR):

A collection of small one-shots and stories woven into the tale of Piper Chanterelle- a tiefling bard who only ever wanted to survive, until she suddenly found the power of Elysium dancing at her fingertips.

Of Diamonds And Dust (DA):

Marja Aeducan and Darvis Brosca lead lives as different as one could possibly imagine. Marja Aeducan, a member of the nobility and second in line for the throne, has spent her life maneuvering the dangerous political machinations of the Diamond Quarter. Meanwhile, Darvis Brosca, a Casteless dwarf rejected by society, does whatever it takes to survive on the streets of Dust Town. When a Grey Warden arrives in Orzammar, the lives of Marja and Darvis are forever changed. Driven from the city by misfortune and betrayal, the two must join the ranks of the Wardens in order to save their own lives. But the surface has far greater dangers than they realize. The noble and the thief will need to stand together if they're going to fight against the oncoming Blight, the brewing civil war, and the strange surface malady called "sunburn".

FAVORITE OPENING LINE FROM A FIC IN 2024 -

(limiting this to one-shots for the sake of simplicity! i don't have the patience to sort through one-shot collections and multi-chapters sorry)

Command Me To Be Well (BG3):

Ursa’s mouth is full of copper.

FAVORITE CLOSING LINE FROM A FIC IN 2024 -

(same rule as above for simplicity!)

Violent Delight (BG3):

It’s a weak barb, but it’s enough to let Naia leave with some small semblance of pride still intact, and to let herself pretend she does not feel Araj’s smug, crimson gaze on her as she goes.

FIC I’M MOST PROUD OF IN 2024 -

i've answered this before in various asks, but it's a tie between Love & War and Burn Clean (both pwotr fics!)

Love & War grew way beyond what i originally had planned for it, but i love how it turned out and it's one of my favorite longfics that i've written- and it feels so good just to finally have it completed

Burn Clean was just something very different than my usual fics, but i loved putting it together and i'm really happy with how it turned out. i've been working on a follow-up of sorts, which has stalled a bit as i hit an inspiration wall but which i do plan to finish- the whole worldstate her just really gets my wheels turning!

NEW THINGS I HAVE TRIED IN 2024 -

as i said, Burn Clean was a fic where i got to mess around with a different kind of style, and that was very fun! i also wrote my first official fic for Ursa, my BG3 Dark Urge, and i have so many more ideas for her that i hope to add to the collection!

GOALS FOR 2025 -

despite what i just said about new ideas i have so many wips to finish...i do plan to make some progress on those! but i'll still be coming back to new ideas of course, and i do have some one-shots already planned out for femslash feb!

[dragon-age-sideblog]

Follow up post

Thanks @becausedragonage for the recent ask, I realized if I answered it in that post it would have gotten too long lol. Without further ado, my DA OC babies:

Daria Brosca & Alistair: Ok other than the whole thing with Kieran (who. idgaf what canon says. they are part of his life they are like his "fun aunt & uncle") they had both thought like "Well grey wardens can't have kids AND dwarves & humans can't have kids together" so they didn't worry about it until oopsies it turns out they CAN. Their first son is born (Can kids be born with the taint? Idk. but I decided yes) and they name him Duncan :) and he is very frail and sick. Years later they come across a 2yo orphaned elven girl (during Inquisition stuff happening) and they try to find a home for her but no one was suitable so they just keep her and go off someone's recommendation to name her Adahari. Duncan (if he survives to adulthood, haven't decided yet) becomes a rogue; Adahari a mage.

Garrett Hawke & Fenris: My Hawke got a permanent hysterectomy when the Arishok impaled him on the sword sooooooooo. Also Fenris was very hesitant because "Are you sure we should even be parents" but similar to above, they find a young orphaned girl in the alienage after the Qunari invasion and she just kinda keeps coming back even when they find other families to take her in. So eventually they keep her and rename her Maribeth (after Marian and Bethany). She ends up being a mage and Fenris is even more freaked out but Hawke is delighted.

Kiilani Cadash & Josephine: For a long time they just didn't think it was a good idea - they were both busy with the Inquisition and then Josie was dealing with her family's estate and affairs, Kiilani was traveling and working as a mercenary company commander. But many years later when things settle down a bit they talk about it and decide adoption would be good, plus it would leave an heir for the Montilyet stuff (beyond Yvette's children). Then Veilguard stuff happens and they're suddenly confronted with an orphaned dwarf boy whose family got wiped out with the "new" blight. They take him in, his name is Wyldan and he's approx 10-12 years old when they adopt him. On his way to be a warrior (especially with Kiilani training him).

Plaio Lavellan & Cassandra: *Steeples my fingers* I've thought about them the most. So in a post I made long ago about them getting married right before one of the last battles against Corypheus because one or both of them might die? Yeah. That's where their first kid comes from, and he's born shortly after when the main-game ends. Anthony Lavellan-Pentaghast is their firstborn, and he becomes a warrior like his mom, most likely a seeker in her new order as well. He looks like the carbon copy of Plaio just with longer hair and no vallaslin. He loves dragons and is appalled that his parents contributed to the death of at least 12 dragons. Their second child is born during Trespasser (literally Plaio loses an arm at the same time Cassandra goes into labor) and her name is Atisha; she's a rogue and a hunter just like her dad. She's the peacekeeper, very quiet and reserved, very good at reading people. Their last kid is born about a year later and she's the wildchild. Ignisia is a mage and it starts YOUNG. She has her mom's dark hair but her dad's bright green eyes and she tends to electrocute things when she gets too excited.

Minerva Adaar & Sera: Minnie didn't really want kids at all and Sera didn't care either way, so they never have any official kids. But Minnie does consider all of her mage students to basically be her kids and Sera considers any of the younger Red Jennies to be her proteges, so I guess those ones count? They have a slowly growing army of prankster rogues and mages.

Enzidya Trevelyan & Dorian & Iron Bull: YEAH theirs was an accident too i.e. they FAFO but they adore their kid and wouldn't trade them for the world. Asaara Pavus is born right after events of Trespasser. Dorian thought it would be hilarious and would make his father turn in his grave if he knew that his grandson was half-qunari and had been given the Pavus name. Enzy was fine with not passing his name along (he changes his last name to Pavus too). Iron Bull is just delighted to have a little one. Asaara was picked by Bull once he saw the little guy because he was so... spindly and swift-looking. Turns out he was 100% right bc that kid becomes a rogue as well.

ROOKS: (I haven't decided anything for sure on them yet, will perhaps add to this later)

[jb-nonsense]

Okay, so, you guys voted for this so

JB's Intricate List of Dragon Age OCs

Under this, you will find a slightly more detailed than normal post about my extensive Dragon Age OCs and how they all exist in one universe and how that all ties together.

First we'll start with DAO and the one who started it all - Eliana Mahariel

This is my Warden. She was 18 years old, a baby, when everything went down. And she's got a natural skill at getting shit done (fake it til you make it mentality), and despite being very stressed, managed somehow. Also romanced Alistair but he became king and they both survived the Blight so...Angst. She goes on to be Warden Commander for Ferelden but will eventually step away to try to find a cure, which leads us to the next guy.

Arik Tabris - I pushed the city elf origin up a few months so he's a warden with Alistair and Duncan at Ostagar, but junior enough to be left behind. Why doesn't he take command?? Because he has too many issues to sort through with his attitude and gruff, impulsive fight everything act so he needs to cool his heels a bit before he's leader material. Which he eventually becomes. What's he doing by Inquisition? Well, he tried to talk sense with the Orlesians, but he got locked up at the fort but can be rescued and recruited for Inquisition. Also his romance plan was Morrigan, and they've basically gone their separate ways by Inquisition. Still feelings but knowing it is what it is.

Next we have one of 3 Amell siblings I made - Zoria Amell. The second youngest of five, she and her younger sister were both at the Fereldan Circle. There is a huge ass plot with her siblings, which involves her older 3 brothers coming to the circle to plot an escape and them having Northern family but...I feel like that deserves it's own post. What you need to know about Zoria is she very much is a fuck you let's go, I want to do what I want type. And she romances Zevran. Runs off with Zevran after the game, and is not a warden. So she becomes an apostate.

Dimetrea Brosca - Sadly I didn't get to develop as much as I wanted for the Leliana romance due to computer issues. But the plan was for her to escape, go to the surface and work as a mercenary and is recruited to the party when you help her protect a caravan from darkspawn. She'd probably continue various mercenary work afterwards, but always be on call to help Leliana.

Finally, Lir Cousland, because I made him to try the Cousland origin and got attached. He has no romance, he's just a noble to use to tip the scales at the end in my character's favor. He is the middle child, with older brother Fergus and a younger sister. He was at Ostagar but his sister arrived, terribly wounded, and told him what occurred at home before dying. Fergus had already left to scout and Lir, blinded by rage, left Ostagar to find Howe and get revenge. You meet him in the village after Ostagar and can recruit him if you agree to help him get justice for his family.

Moving on to Dragon Age II, we have the champion, a warrior named Atena Hawke.

Atena Hawke is a trained soldier, who lost her girlfriend at Ostagar, barely escaping with her and her brother's life. She's highly protective of those close to her, and can be a mix bag on personality (I broke the game with overlapping dialogue with aggressive and humor once). She's not afraid of a fight and she 100% was going to punch Cullen when he came to take Bethany to the circle. She romanced Anders, sided with the mages, and obviously, fled with Anders after sparing his life. She has attachment issues.

Next we have Atena's cousin, Dazbo Amell. The only Amell son to escape the events at the Fereldan Circle in that thing I need to make a separate post about. Definitely relies on his wit, humor, and charm to get out of things as well as mask his severe survivor's guilt and other issues, he's just trying to figure out what he's going to do with his life now that he can't be tracked by the circle, they probably think he's dead, and so decides to hang around his cousin and others. He also romances Fenris because...it fits to me.

Speaking of mages, let's talk about my templar OC. Katarina Anhalt. A Free Marcher and twin sister of a mage, Katarina is a nobleman's daughter who became a templar with noble intent, but a grave misunderstanding of what the templars actually do. She really wants to change the system from within and willingly turns a blind eye to apostate mages if they're not causing problems. But she will have to come to terms with reality sooner or later. Also romances Sebastian.

And since we mentioned criminals, let's discuss Sasha Fritz, a half elf human who was raised by his elven mother, who had been abused by his human nobleman father in Kirkwall. This boy is a Robin Hood; steals from the rich, gives to the poor. This, obviously, puts him in a place where he could join up with Hawke. Definitely gets a crush on Merrill and they romance each other.

more seedy undergroundness, is the apostate Selena Porter. Born under a different name, at ten years old, Selena realized her true self and that she had magic. She ran off, joined a smuggler ring and learned the tricks of the trade. She specializes in smuggling arcane items right under templars' noses. She romances Isabela.

And now we get to Inquisition.

We'll start with the Inquisitor himself, Rajmahel Lavellan

The First of his clan, Rajmahel was sent at 27 years old to the Conclave to see what he could find out as he had some connections which would enable him to get in. This, of course, changed the course of his life. He was torn from his daughter and his clan to become the leader of the Inquisition, trying to protect the world and make it better for his daughter. When they get to Skyhold, he sent for his sister to bring his daughter, Elera, there for safety. He romances Dorian.

Speaking of the Inquisitor's sister, we have Idrilla Lavellan. She joins the Inquisition at Skyhold after bringing her niece. And she does the work her younger brother might not want to dirty his hands with. But she also has a fascination with the tear in the sky- she had encountered an artifact in her youth enabling her to walk in the fade in her dreams, and she is concerned as it seems more restless than before. She romances Solas.

And as for the Inquisitor's connections, he is friends with members of the Trevelyan family. Specifically, Seigfried Trevelyan, the middle son. Maxwell, a templar and the youngest son, died at the Conclave where Seigfried was meant to be as well but was detained from arriving. Seigfried started to work as a scout for the Inquisition, having a strong huntsman skill and history as a city guard. He romances Cassandra.

Do you recall the Amell siblings? Here is the baby one, Aurora Amell. A talented spirit healer even from a young age, after contending with abuses and then studying as an apprentice to Wynn, she ended up joining the mage rebellion, eventually becoming engaged to an Orlesian mage. He was killed at the conclave while Aurora was helping a local woman with a difficult labor. She readily joined the Inquisition, only to meet someone from her past. She romances Cullen.

Hildegard Cadash is a respected and feared name within the Carta. After the murder of her husband and son, she had torn down her rivals, whether through assassinations or ruining them financially. When a member of her family (niece/nephew/nibling) was killed at the Conclave, she decided to do what she did best - seek retribution by aiding the Inquisition with her extensive underground connections. If you don't cross her, she's warm and friendly, glad to share a drink and story. If you cross her, though, that could be a problem. She romances Blackwall.

When their older sibling went to the Conclave and Inatar and Shamut Adaar stayed behind, they thought it would be a routine event. They didn't expect their sibling to die. Now, Inatar keeps an eye out ofr her mage brother, and they decided their best bet was to join the Inquisition. Protection under an organization headed by a mage as well as be able to avenge their brother. Inatar romances Sera and Shamut romances Bull. Didn't get to delve into these two much due to computer issues.

Next is a wholly companion OC, a Crow from Antiva. Sergio di Vasco. Sergio had learned of a hit set on the Inquisitor and, deciding he wanted more than being a crow after his alcoholic father sold him to them, he betrayed them and offered his services to the Inquisition. A bit aloof at times, he merely wants to sus out the people around him. If you earn his loyalty, though, he won't waiver in it. He ends up romancing Josie.

Another fully companion OC, Shalelan Amalasis is a Dalish elf from Antiva. A skilled warrior, he was sent by his clan to offer his services to the Inquisitor upon learning they were Dalish as well. They hope was to help them in their struggles in Antiva. Shalelan is a quiet, albeit easily flustered man. He knows how to fight, and focused on that for so long, some of his social skills are lacking.

This one is just a fun one. Antoinette de Ghislain, the cousin of Seigfried Trevelyan, is an Orlesian noblewoman very tired of her life and with little means of her own. And thus, she decided to write novels. But what kind of novels? Usually risque novels involving notable figures from across Thedas for her patrons. It gives her some independent income from her husband and a bit of freedom, even if at times, she can't help but roll her eyes over what some of the requests she receives are.

And now we'll get into DATV, with my Rook, Ogden Thorne

Working on his history, but he's around 37 years old. His last name wasn't originally Thorne, but he was called Thorn in the circle due to his habit of standing up to the knight commander and other templars more than they liked. He was recruited to the Wardens in his early 20s by the Hero of Ferelden herself, because she liked his fire and attitude. Of course, this eventually gave him issues with the other wardens as the order dwindled and here we are. No idea who he romances; we'll find out. He is the staple sad blond human man for this Dragon Age game since that's not a romance option.

And a bonus:

Others not listed here

AU where Atena had a twin brother named Alric (I wanted to play in CC)

Son of Idrilla and Solas named Fenvir

Ancient elf seer named Mathras Myriani

Ancient elf servant of Ghilan'nain named Dalineva who is...a piece of work.

A Tevinter blood mage magister designed as a villain named Vincentius Titus

Emrys Moysten, who could have been my Rook, that I made for a tabletop game. A Fereldan mage who just wants to be left alone but gets dragged into various situations.

[lcgacyofages]

I am pretty flexible with working out how muses can interact with other muses from different games, I just need to work it out. That said, I've got some that are easier to interact with in certain time frames within the game setting. This list can be modified in the future if need be, just need to think on some.

DAO

HOF: Eliana Mahariel

Companions: Arik Tabris, Dimetrea Brosca, Lir Cousland, Zoria Amell

Others: Atena Hawke (briefly at Ostagar), Dazbo (prior to the events at the Circle) and Aurora Amell (at the Circle), Seigfried Trevelyan (ran off to help his uncle in Ferelden's West Hills during the Blight), Mathras Myriani (he woke up around 9:30)

DA2

Champion: Atena Hawke

Companions: Dazbo Amell, Katarina Anhalt, Sasha Fitz, Selena Porter

Others: Eliana Mahariel (as HOF), Arik Tabris (as Second in Command for Ferelden's Wardens), Lir Cousland (visiting Fereldan noble), Zoria Amell (if she is with Zevran when Zevran is featured in DA2), Aurora Amell (if we plot Wynne stopping at Kirkwall while on tour with Aurora as her assistant), Seigfried Trevelyan (maybe during the wyvern hunt since he's a hunter), Mathras Myriani

DAI

Inquisitor: Rajmahel Lavellan

Companions: Aurora Amell, Hildegard Cadash, Idrilla Lavellan (requires Rajmahel as inquisitor), Inatar Adaar, Seigfried Trevelyan, Sergio di Vasco, Shamut Adaar

Others: Atena Hawke (as champion), Arik Tabris (can be recruited after Here Lies the Abyss), Katarina Anhalt (can be working with Cullen), Lir Cousland (can be a delegate from Ferelden), Dazbo and Zoria Amell (visiting Aurora), Selena Porter (can act as a contact for the Inquisition on the topic of magical artifacts), Elera Lavellan (requires Rajmahel as Inquisitor, her as a child in the Inquisition), Mathras Myriani

DAVG

Rook: Ogden Thorne

Companions: Sergio di Vasco (de Rivas only, otherwise he's with the Crows), Elera Lavellan (a link to the Inquisition and their collective knowledge)

Others: Selena Porter (probably moved up to Rivain and might work with the LoF), Dazbo Amell (by this point, he's learned of his father's lineage and may be in Tevinter as his heir but works with the Shadow Dragons), Mathras Myriani, Vincentius Titus, Idrilla Lavellan and Fenvir (if Rajmahel is inquisitor), Rajmahel Lavellan (as the Inquisitor)

[thedastrash]

OC Tag Game!

Ooo thanks for tagging me @kittynomsdeplume & @cleverblackcat!! This took a while to get to but it was very fun!

Favorite OC: Evil question to start. I can't possibly choose unless I set some limits for myself so I'm going to cheat and say my most popular OC. I have the most art of her by no fault of my own. Velaneth Surana is my canon HoF and Warden Commander. Vela is a very open person: never lies, has no body shame, and loves to learn about other people and where they’ve come from. She walks into every hostile situation with her best foot forward trying to make friends and allies.

Newest OC: I’m slowly congealing my ideas about Orlagh Trevelyan because I’ve been imagining what the different cultures of the Freemarches look like - especially on the coast where trade is frequent. She’s from Ostwick of course and trained as a Templar as a youth but spent summers at a monastery with her aunt in Wycome which I imagine a bit like Morocco. I’ve been staring at my Pinterest boards imagining her lonely days growing up and what it means for her to leave her walls behind and be thrust into this new organization with all these people and their differing ideals. I'm particularly interested in exploring her being a templar but having some latent magic that has been tied up in her templar abilities so long she didn't realize it was ever there.

Oldest OC: In DA my oldest OC is Topaz Brosca from my original run of origins. The one where my save got deleted right before the Landsmeet lol rip. I've recently revisited her and I'm falling in love with her again. She's a hot trans girl and stabby rogue and she falls in love with the surface world immediately. My oldest OC ever though... might be a self insert hobbit character I made for myself as a child before I knew what fandom or fanfiction was lol! I think her name was Charlie? my memory is BAD but I know that's a name I loved as a kid.

Meanest OC: Szadrine Aeducan is my final origin from DAO to get an OC and I'm slowly growing deeply obsessed. She’s involved in (literal) cutthroat Orzammar politics and ends up skipping the warden bit after the whole betrayal and exile thing. She simply deserts at Ostagar. I think she should end up kicking ass in Orlais because she would be so good at the Game.

Softest OC: Bearnard Cousland is a soft, sweet, bookish baby-gay who would rather bury himself in his research in a library than seek glory or fight battles or do politics. Bearn is the second son so he’s gotten away with avoiding some of that but of course he has to attend his lessons and participate in the tourneys. His scholarly work lends him some political savvy since he’s intimately familiar with Ferelden’s history, but he’s most interested in lost texts and translating ancient works. He never had good gay role models growing up and thinks of himself as homely and forgettable, so he never felt like that was an option for him, but Maker does he ever pine lol!

Most Aloof/Standoffish OC: Gotta be Irene Amell. She's a real bitch with resting murder face. Incredibly unapproachable, intimidating Domme energy. Tends to default dislike people and keep to herself, prefering to slink around and eavesdrop than talk to people for info. She’s very protective and loving toward her close friends and lovers, but it’s hard to get close in the first place.

Dumbest OC: Myrna Hawke is a smart woman, she's an accomplished mage, enjoys reading, quick witted, but she has zero self-awareness and has a very hard time even understanding how she feels, much less how other people feel about her. She’s absolutely clueless and fully blindsided by anyone’s interest & gets tongue tied and stupid when she’s horny. She’s also very impulsive and acts before she thinks things through which leads to getting into a lot of dumb shit.

Smartest OC: There are excellent contenders here: Bearn with his book smarts and Topaz with her street smarts, but I want to say Ithadhea Mahariel because even though they are incredibly dense when it comes to interpersonal relations, their wealth of traditional knowledge from their clan is incredible. They are not really a people person, usually quiet and solitary, but they took to hunting like they were born for it and eagerly learned everything in the realm of woodcraft and survival. They know all their clan's stories by heart and and know resources by seasons in a way that is part of their internal clock. I think this kind of generational knowledge probably outstrips the scope of any of my other OC's knowledge.

OC I’d Be Friends With: Edric Cadash is so laid back and friendly I think he’d be one of the easiest to make friends with. I want to have tea and gossip with him and have that turn into late night drinking and telling stories by the fire. Vela would be an instant friend as well; she wants to befriend everyone and she'd have an easy time with me!

no pressure tagging some of my DA OC enjoying friends: @sinquisition, @highwayphantoms, @lets-get-brave, @sandalinbohemia, @dismalzelenka and anyone else who wants to share! Feel free to @ me so I can see your post! <3

[illusivesoul]

A Letter of the Divine

Summary: A letter found in the office of Divine Victoria shortly after her disappearance. Relationship: Leliana/Female Brosca Words: 671 Read on AO3 Lots of angst ahead lol

.

The following letter was found amongst the few possessions left behind by Divine Victoria following her sudden disappearance. Due to the nature of the letter, its existence shall not be revealed to the general public for the foreseeable future. In the unlikely event of a movement developing to support the Divine or if the Inquisition tries to make a political move, the contents of this letter, after being made even more unpalatable to the common people, shall be revealed and distributed as far and wide as we are able.

Serena Brosca

My Queen of Stone

You warned me about how going down this route would only bring me pain, and I ignored you, for even as much as you made my heart beam with joy from every smile you gave me, I couldn't let you dictate what my faith commanded me to do, just as I couldn't dictate what you did with yours.

I wish I had stayed at your side to help you handle the treacherous waters of Orzammar's politics, politics that you shook to the core by becoming a Paragon and allowing the casteless into your House. House Brosca. How proud I was for you when it happened. How blind I was to not see the dread and pain you felt when hearing those words. "I got my house by standing on top the corpses of my people, Leliana. A House for the Casteless earned by drenching my hands in their blood". But how could you not enjoy the power? How could you not see you had the world at your feet? How very naïve of me.

I've kept count of the time passed since we last wrote to each other. I've tracked every second since I last saw your face, since I last saw your lips curving into a smile when I sang for you. How much I have longed for the feeling of your hands of mine, your breasts on my back, your mouth on my skin, our bodies joined in perfect harmony as they sang promises to each other that my excess of pride and the pride you lacked never let us have. I held the world in my hands whenever I held you in them, and I let you go. To serve the faith, to serve the Maker. Well, Justinia is dead, the Maker laughs at me and all the grieving people in this broken word as always. Some god he turned out to be. At least your Paragons are there for you to feel and touch, the solid stone more real than my endless prayers to the dark. Thought that I had what it took to set things right. The blank slate. And in the end all I did was drown myself in a sea of blood and a world of lies, and Thedas quakes in chaos, the Chantry and the faith more broken by my actions than by anything Corypheus or Tevinter ever did. At long last I finally understand the meaning of your words. I also got my own House by drenching my hands in blood.

I've been drinking so much as of late, giving way to base desires to try to find something to make me feel alive, something to make me forget of all the damage I've done and keep doing... and every time I always end up thinking of you.

Perhaps my absent Maker or your Paragons will let us see each other again one day, and maybe then will you be able to forgive me for all I did and for how much I failed you, but life has taught me better than to hope for the impossible. I just hope that wherever you are, that you have found the peace, happiness and love you deserve and that I tried but failed to give you. I now dream of the cliff of my dreams, and I hear the rocks and waves of distant lands calling my name. One last song remains to be sung.

Forever yours, Your Leli

[frankensteined]

31 Days of Dragon Age (Day 2)

missed day 1 so i'll just jam both prompts into this post

Introduce your Hero of Ferelden & Favorite Origins romance

Oct 01 - Introduce your Hero of Ferelden

i don't have any images currently because my origins playthroughs all took place on the ps3 or a PC that i no longer have, but a rundown of my main three HoF incoming: neira mahariel - DW rogue with the ranger spec.

she was actually my second playthrough, after i used my first one to acquaint myself with the game and its lore before i dove into the roleplaying aspect of it. neira started out as your typically distrustful dalish elf, who resisted becoming a grey warden every step of the way. she didn't care if she was tainted and slated to die, she did not want to leave her clan, and she resented duncan for dragging her away from them. ultimately, she fell in love with zevran, though not until well after she'd gotten closure and properly grieved for her first love, tamlen. neira's seriousness mingled well with zev's more playful approach to the horrors of life, and that created a healthy bubble for them to be vulnerable and supportive with one another. ultimately, left anora to rule ferelden on her own, since alistair didn't want to become king and neira didn't want him to have to give up "his clan" (the wardens), but did convince him to undergo the dark ritual with morrigan. has since disappeared with zevran in search of a cure for the calling and according to the experts (my headcanon), they're doing just fine now, thanks.

syrill amell - mage (obviously) with the spirit healer spec.

he was a smartass, irreverent brat at the circle, but in that way that people still liked him, even when he was getting on their nerves. vain and prideful, he was also totally the type of mage that a demon would have loooooved to get ahold of...if not for the fact that syrill was also a gigantic nerd and studied frequently to avoid falling into the pitfalls of becoming an abomination. jowan was his buddy, in a "sidekick" sense, and it definitely annoyed syrill that jowan went and did...All Of That behind his back, but he still did what it took to free him and keep him safe when the opportunity arose. truly hated being in the circle (though not to the 'escapist' degree of anders), and truly, truly hated the templars, so he jumped at the chance to leave when duncan rolled in (ignoring all the blood everywhere and all that). he and alistair did not get along at all, but he fell all over himself to impress morrigan the second that he met her. somehow, his cringefail attempts at charm and his really nice hair won her over, and they fell in love. he spared loghain, not wanting to risk losing someone who knew what they were doing when it came to big battles, and alistair stormed off, never to be seen by syrill again. oops. post-game, he actually grew up quite a bit as the warden commander, but he never let go of his love for morrigan, often wondering about her and the child they supposedly had together. come witch hunt, he went with her without hesitating, and instantly loved their son the second that he met him. lived with his family for years in the crossroads, became a Certified Fun Dad, and only left them to try to cure the calling. as far as i'm concerned, he's currently hovering over kieran's shoulder while morrigan is away, not ready to see his baby boy (read: a 20 year old man) move out on his own.

vaye brosca - DW rogue with the assassin spec.

Hardened Criminal with a heart of gold. we love that trope, right? vaye's another warden who didn't want to leave her home, but her sister's pleading ultimately prompted her to do so. everything that vaye did was for rica's sake anyways, so she left, and was a fish out of water every step of the way since then. her go-to response to most problems was Knife, which her companions needed to break her of that habit really quickly (or, in zevran's case, teach her how to wield it with a little more grace). every single awkward, socially-inept dialogue choice was put to good use with this character, but somehow that ended up making her blisteringly honest and very capable of cutting through the bullshit in order to tell when she was being manipulated. ironically, fell in love with leliana because she was able to see through her layers and they found common ground with their bloodied pasts. quickly became the squishiest of romances, and vaye really loved gifting her the nug (something from her home that leliana didn't yet understand), and the flowers (something from leliana's home, that vaye didn't yet understand). since vaye understood that "king = power = safety", she nudged alistair to marry anora and rule jointly, and when she was named paragon, she was happy to see her sister elevated to nobility so that she could marry king bhelen and also enjoy that much safety. is currently living in a villa on the waking sea, surrounded by nugs, waiting for when leliana can come home.

Oct 02 - Favorite Origins romance

Actual Love Of My Life, Zevran Arainai

on my aforementioned tester first playthrough, i made a city elf and romanced alistair and went around flirting with whoever i could, just to get a sense of what sorts of characters i was dealing with. the inevitable "time to choose" conversation with zevran, though, really surprised me and gave me serious enough pause that it decided my first "real playthrough"'s romance for me right away. i was struck by how zevran, who'd been such a flirty, casual guy in this department up until then, was making it very clear that he didn't want to hurt alistair with any continued dalliances, given how much the other guy was clearly falling. he was sincere and respectful, and didn't even lose approval when i opted to have my tester warden break things off between them, and that kind of care and maturity really won me over.

fastforward to my neira playthrough, and that sincerity and deep, terrified love really, really solidified itself as an rpg favourite for me. you really feel the progression from "for fun" and "for life" with this relationship. it has its silly moments ("is there something in your tent that needs...assassinating?" or the dirty antivan poetry that he tells you just to make you laugh), and it has its truly moving moments (the earring scene, especially if you ask him if he's proposing, his farewell scene at the game before the final battle). and in the end, he stays with your warden through everything. yes, his DA2 appearance was fully bugged on import so i never actually saw him acknowledge the romance to isabela, and yes, i'm still bummed that he's the only origins romance that didn't get an appearance in inquisition, but a romanced zevran is still stated to be traveling with the warden in their letter, so he's still with them, after all these years, keeping them safe and helping to save their life. again. all because they spared his at a time when he didn't care if he lost it.

there's something really lovely about your pc being a character's first love, but there's something even lovelier, to me, about them being a character's last love, and the zevran romance is exactly that. it's still my number one of the series, no matter how much more content some of the others have in comparison.

[writingthedas]

ok I'm putting this under a cut bcs this is gonna be long. some of these worldstates are newer and need more fleshing out but I love them all.

worldstate 1: Belladonna Amell, Easter Hawke, Niara Lavellan

ok so this is my 'main' worldstate

Belladonna is probably my favourite of all my heroes of thedas. shes a blood mage, she's 16, she's got a god sized ego, she's aroace. she's got it all. she heard about Anders blowing up the chantry and that he was possessed by a spirit and thought, "huh. i can do that" and let herself get possessed by a spirit of wisdom who'd been visiting her in her dreams since she was little. his name is Wisely. they're platonic life partners. she's also related to one of my other wardens, as well as my friends warden (as in they are all siblings)

Easter is technically Belladonna's 2nd cousin but is at least 8 years older than her. Easter is a blue/purple mix leaning more towards purple as the game progressed. her life is a nightmare, Bethany dies before they get to kirkwall, Carver dies in the deep roads, then her mother gets killed. also she romances Fenris so there's the whole breakup that she also has to deal with.

Niara is my Solasmance inquisitor bcs I love pain. she's a fighter bcs I love that solas canonically likes buff women. and she's a templar for angst reasons. she was originally born into slavery in tevinter but her mother grabbed her and ran when she was about 7 and left her with clan lavellan. her mother ended up in orlais and they reunite post trespasser.

worldstare 2: Eden Amell, Tola Kader, Jeannie Hawke, Celene Trevelyan

Eden is probably my most tragic warden. she's Belladonna's older sister, they look nothing alike. she's a bleeding heart. I designed her to be representative of the warm, protective, healing aspect of fire. she romances Alistair, and doesnt let morrigan do the dark ritual with him. she never even tells him it was an option, bcs she knows he'd ignore his own discomfort to save them both. she died killing the archdemon. she was only 19.

Tola comes from a carta family and has done everything she can to escape them, going so far as to join the grey wardens. she's the warden commander for awakening since Eden is. y'know. dead. I know it's not canon but she ends up in a relationship woth Nathaniel bcs I say so.

Jeannie is 1 of 2 blue hawkes I have. she's a lesbian and romances Isabela. Carver becomes a templar in her timeline which has extra sting behind it bcs she has some intense templar related trauma. I like to think her and Isabela are living happily sailing the waking sea post inquisition. they deserve it.

Celene is another lesbian, and she romances Josephine. she's actually a half elf, her Orlesian mother having had an affair with one of her family's servants and being married off to Lord Trevelyan before she started to show she was pregnant. Celenes step father was kind enough to give her his surname and raise him like she was his own. she ends up meeting her father after Josephine finds out who he is for her, and he comes to work for the Inquisition as a groundskeeper in skyhold. he later comes with them to Antiva post trespasser. also when I named her i forgot the empress of orlais was named Celene, which is why her mother ended up being orlesian

worldstare 3: Jelsi Brosca, Malcolm Hawke JR, Sumeyye Adaar

Jelsi Brosca i love you. Trans woman, bisexual, in love with Morrigan but gets rejected and romances no one. she fathered Kieran though. she's a dual weilding rogue, and until coming to the surface didn't know how to read or write.

Malcolm jr is my second blue hawke. a gay trans man who romances Fenris. he's desperately trying his best and do good in a world that does nothing to help him and always seems out to get him. Bethany becomes a warden, his biggest regret is bringing her with them to the deep roads.

Sumeyye is a no nonsense mage who fights on the front lines alongside bull as a knight enchanter. she romances blackwall. she lives her small human boyfriend that she can pick up without trying too hard. and he lives that she can pick him up so easily.

worldstate 4: Jon Cousland, Amelia Hawke. Efe Adaar

Jon is another one of my characters whos a soft bleeding heart. he wants so bad to be what's expected of a warden, to make his parents proud. he becomes king by marrying Anora. their marriage starts of purely political but Jon eventually starts falling in love with her, and they start a courtship despite already being married. it's very cheesy and romantic.

Amelia is one of my red hawkes. I think red hawle is severely underappreciated. she's a dual weilding rogue who romances Merrill. its very much a 'touch her and I'll kill you' kind of relationship. neither of her siblings survive past act 1 unfortunately.

Efe is Sumeyye's younger brother, he's taller than her and has no horns. he's Bi and romances Cassandra. i don't have too much fleshed out for him yet.

worldstate 5: Arenil Surana, Valentine Hawke, Esric Lavellan

Arenil is actually the first warden i made, now revamped and renewed. she has a twin brother named Lion (leon) who uses crutches to get around. she's a hopeless romantic who believes in soul mates and romances Leliana. she's also albino

Valentine ehehehe. a mage who's doomed to repeat the mistakes of a father she wants nothing to be like. she's got his personality, his eyes, his magic. she turns to blood magic like he did. shes red, romances Isabela and Carver becomes a warden.

Esric is another one I don't have super fleshed out yet. he's twins with Esmae and is the more chaotic, spontaneous of the 2. he's a trans man who romances Dorian.

worldstate 6: Oriel Mahariel, Holly Hawke, Esmae Lavellan

Oriel was in love with Tamlen, but never knew if his feelings were reciprocated until he had to put him down. she romances Morrigan, and follows her through the Eluvian. also they're genderfluid and use any pronouns.

Holly is the definition of disaster bisexual. everyone's hot and she doesn't know what to do about it. she's purple. romances Merrill and Bethany becomes a circle mage.

Esmae is the third inquisitor I still need to work details out for. she's Esrics twin sister and is the more careful and calculated of the 2. she's a trans woman and romances Cullen

worldstate 7: Eloril Tabris, Theodore Hawke, Von Cadash

Eloril is one of my favourites. she's a lesbian who didn't want to marry Nelaros, and hates that he died for her. she's angry, aggressive, straightforward, and sometimes downright mean. she romances leliana. is some canon divergence, after the blight she's given the title of Arl of Denerim, and after finding a cure for the blight, she takes up her position. she's nicknamed The Wolf of Denerim.

You know how Anders says that he'd drown the world in blood for Hawke or something like that. yeah, Theodore thought that was the most romantic thing he'd ever said. Theodore is my third red Hawke. he's bad with people but tries his best for Anders.

I created Von bcs I saw like. no Cadash romances for Bull and thought that was a crime. Von is another carta dwarf who wants nothing to do with his family, and uses the Inquisition to put some distance between himself and them.

worldstate 8: Adelaide Cousland, Fiona Hawke, Fane Lavellan

Adelaide has a lot of Lioness imagery in her Pinterest board, and i live that for her. she romances Alistair. honestly she doesn't have a lot of drama surrounding her.

Fiona wants to be your typical knight in shining armor for Anders, but cant take things seriously long enough to do so.

Fane is my little weirdo. thousand yard walleye stare, necromancer obsessed with death, sera romancing weirdo.

AU 1: Minerva Bywater

OK MINERVA. There's a lot about her, but basically she was a harrowed mage in the Ostwick circle. when the circles began uprising, some of the templars in her circle got scared and grabbed a bunch of mages and made them tranquil, Minerva was one of them. she, alongside others, was brought up at the conclave to prove the templars abuse. this caused a huge argument and justinia called for a break which is when corypheus arrived.

being sent into the Fade + exposed to that amount of raw magic undid the Rite of tranquility. Minerva's an emotional mess for a lot of the story, but with some help from Cole she relearns how to control her emotions. she's a spirit healer and basically refuses to use offensive spells.

she ends up in a relationship with Krem. and after trespasser becomes a member of the chargers. her and krem get married on a battlefield very Elizabeth Swan and Will Turner style, with Bull officiating.

AU 2: Inquisitor Belladonna

she's back, baby!! this AU came to me one night and ive been obsessed with it since. Basically, Belladonna attends to conclave to see what's up, disguised of course. when the wardens show up with Corypheus Bella's darkspawn senses go nuts so she goes to investigate. and then the explosion happens.

the most drama here is how her companions react to finding out she's possessed. like, her and Vivienne BARELY get along, they'll gossip over wine, but that's it.

also poor Cullen (not really) has to deal with the girl he had a crush on 10 years ago now being his boss.

I love hearing about people's specific world state dramas in the tags. Whenever you reblog a post from me and expand upon your wardens, hawkes, and inquisitors and their fucked up lives, know that im sitting here like "wow I love that please tell me more"

[falcatas]

Forget about Ibuprofen…

[dragonologist-phd]

Jumping in on the trend started by @mightymizora and doing self-promo for some of my favorite stuff I’ve written/worked on this year!

Midnight Black and Paris Green (BG3)

Shadowheart isn't accustomed to placing her trust in other people. Neither is Naia. But these are interesting times, and stranger things have happened.

(Tav/Shadowheart, 15.3k, ongoing)

“The way you write Shadowheart makes me oddly happy. It just feels... right in every way. Her internal musings and conflict, the dialogue, the longing, the banter, the prescence of her Shar worship and how its affecting her and Naia's little affair all just fits together so nicely. You're doing her such justice and I'm so charmed by Naia!! She's so lovely. Just a silly and whimsical girlie trying her best.”

The Weight of Silver Linings (BG3)

Wyll’s pact is broken, his father saved. All should be right with the world…but of course, things are never so simple as that. After a tense reunion with his father, Wyll and Naia find themselves contemplating the day’s events as they discuss forgiveness, family, and the twisting path into the future.

(Tav & Wyll, 2.4k, one-shot)

“That's really beautiful, and I love the snapshot of Wyll and Naia's friendship and the contrast in their perspectives”

Her Tongue So Mean (PWOTR)

Lilith is busy. Wenduag is bored. A battle of wills ensues.

(Commander/Wenduag, 1.4k, one-shot, smut)

“Oh, this was SO GOOD! I love the way you write Wenduag, and the back-and-forth she and Lilith have is so captivating to read ❤️”

“Incredibly hot AND a good character read”

Love & War (PWOTR)

Galfrey was a queen, a paladin, an icon for all that was righteous and just in the Crusades. Cleo was a barbarian, a tiefling, a personification of demonic chaos. By all rights and logic, the two should have been at each other's throats- and often, they were.

But somehow, through war and struggle and sacrifice, they ended up finding more in each other than either ever expected.

(Commander/Galfrey, 27.8k, ongoing)

“I absolutely love your characterization of Galfrey – her awareness that she’s no fun, but also her awareness why. Her doubts and hopes about this new Knight-Commander and her reaction to her insubordination. That hand kiss was so charged…I am also in love with how you describe Cleo. She totally comes to life already in this first chapter.”

“DRAMA!!!”

Of Diamonds And Dust (DA:O)

Marja Aeducan and Darvis Brosca lead lives as different as one could possibly imagine. Marja Aeducan, a member of the nobility and second in line for the throne, has spent her life maneuvering the dangerous political machinations of the Diamond Quarter. Meanwhile, Darvis Brosca, a Casteless dwarf rejected by society, does whatever it takes to survive on the streets of Dust Town.

When a Grey Warden arrives in Orzammar, the lives of Marja and Darvis are forever changed. Driven from the city by misfortune and betrayal, the two must join the ranks of the Wardens in order to save their own lives. But the surface has far greater dangers than they realize. The noble and the thief will need to stand together if they're going to fight against the oncoming Blight, the brewing civil war, and the strange surface malady called "sunburn".

(205k, longfic, ongoing)

“Ooooh! What a wonderful idea! The dwarf origins are my favorite and to have them both brought together in a single adventure honestly has me excited! And such a great writing flow you have here! The episodic parallels work so well to showcase the characters and how they grow into their own people! Love it!”

And So They Burned (DA:O)

The world was not a kind place to those touched by magic. Haunted by whispers of demons, fear of the Templars, and memories of the lives taken from them, three apprentices in Kinloch Hold turned to each other and made a world of their own.

(Amell/Surana/Jowan, 56k, ongoing)

“Everything from the characters to the writing is so good. I genuinely couldn't put my phone down and just binge read it. I especially love the whole poly aspect, I haven't really seen fics that explore that. Also wanted to add, the dynamic among all three of them is just so amazing, I want to put them in my pocket and run, they don't deserve this circle life. This story is amazing 😊”

[dragon-age-sideblog]

4, 6, 27, 28 for the Rook ask!

Answering for Lorenze Thorne again! 4) If your Rook was a companion, where would they be found? Ok I'll be honest first time I read this question I thought it meant like, where would they be found in the Lighthouse lol but then I read your answer SO without further ado: Since her recent "leave" from the wardens, she would have left Weisshaupt. TBH if there was the option to go ANYWHERE in Thedas, I believe she would have went to Kirkwall. Specifically because Carver told her what a shithole the place was. She would go there, hang out at the Hanged Man, meet Varric, and he would have extreme deja-vu because "really? Another runaway warden? in my city?" which would keep her on his radar because you never know when you need another warden to deal with darkspawn shit. (Plus i think it would have been fun if veilguard had let us revisit the Free Marches. technically it's on the northern half of the continent. why is it considered part of the south. And i wanna see the semi-rebuilt kirkwall). Her introduction to the party would have been a very chaotic barfight at the Hanged Man (much like Isabela's intro in DAII) and Varric narrating something like "here's a disgraced warden in all their glory" 6) What companion are you platonically close with? She is absolute besties with Emmrich and Davrin! It's easy for her to get along with Davrin since they're both wardens, and he's just relatively chill and easy-going. His presence settles her and it's nice having someone nearby that Knows what the wardens are like. Emmrich kinda surprised her (and me!) because at first she was unsure how their relationship would work out; she hadn't been around a lot of senior mages who were also professors/experts in their fields (IIRC most grey warden mages end up as healers or battle-mages). But she loves listening to him talk and learning new things. She was honored that he asked her to be there when he became a lich. 27) What was their life like before the events of Veilguard? She had spent the last several years at Weisshaupt and occasionally traveling outside of the Anderfels to deal with darkspawn threats. She's been to the Deep Roads exactly twice before, hated how enclosed the space felt. Went to Ferelden once on a trip with Carver, it was very somber when they passed Lothering. Went to Ferelden a second time and was so excited to meet Warden Brosca; was very disappointed when they got to Amaranthine and Brosca wasn't there because she had went on some other mission. Typically though she stayed north and spent most of her time in the Anderfels. She enjoyed being out in the open with the starry sky stretching for miles. She (before she was given a "leave" from the wardens) spent a lot of time in the tavern, playing cards and drinking; doing push up contests and arm-wrestling. When she wanted quiet alone time she would end up in the library for hours, reading whatever she could get her hands on. She's kind of a nerd but she likes to present as a buff jock ok 28) Is your character the de facto leader of the party? Or do they consider someone else to be the leader? Honestly at first she considered Varric to still be the leader and was very confused when everyone was asking for her opinion on how to proceed all the time. At the very least she thought maybe Harding should be the one they're asking? She's worked with Varric a lot longer it would make more sense for her to be the second in command. For most the game she actually still thought she was the "second-in-command" and was only taking up Varric's space as leader since he was "injured."

[alongtidesoflight]

my thoughts so far:

-he's a city elf who grew up in an alienage (rivain doesn't follow chantry law, but i vaguely remember there being one (?) city that does, so if there's an alienage to be found it's likely there, otherwise i'll have to plan around it)

- he joined up with the lords of fortune (not like the tattoo didn't give it away) to get away from the misery there, and has never stayed at one place for too long since, nowadays he's mostly adventuring, at sea, or kicking back at a different harbor every other fortnight or so

- if there's one dragon age oc of mine who's really not interested in the whole saving the world deal it's him, but once he's pushed into it he's also the best at it from a pragmatic pov, my HOF was only in it for the throne, his "second-in-command" (a canon-divergent brosca oc) to prove to herself that she can do good, my hawke's a disaster who only wanted a stable city for her friends and herself, and my inquisitor is truly enjoying gathering an army of her own so no one can touch her anymore. they're all more or less ruled by their emotions. but while my rook is wearing his emotions on his sleeve, he also knows how to make the straightest "we do this because it makes sense to do this" decisions, and hardly ever slips up

- his past is an absolute mess however and that's his achilles' heel, considering he only ever moves on from people and places he has a lot of loose ends sitting around and they can really get into his head (and he really doesn't have the strength to stand up to them, if rook ever ends up reaching some kind of fame he's got a big storm coming)

- i do have a couple of connections between him and the others in mind (mainly zevran and isabela), but i'm also not too sure if that can be pulled off

- why no blood magic???? rude????

- please bioware let me see the cc pls let me know if i can create his 5ft malnourished non-op but home-made hrt trans ass or if i gotta mod the shit outta him again

- he's got legs like a spring foal (95% limbs & lankiness), can i pull it off... without.mods....

- so maybe i'll go for that magic/melee hybrid class i read about

- this is why i need to know more!!

i need more veilguard news that aren't just news articles telling us the same thing in different words

[lavared]

⚔️ BRÆNRYN BROSCA ⚔️

-

Race: Commoner Dwarf, Casteless

Class: Rogue (Dual Weapon)

Specialization: Duelist

Affiliations: the Carta, Grey Wardens, Orzammar Royal Family, Ferelden Royal Court

Titles: Brænryn the Duster, The Warden, Hero of Ferelden, Paragon Brænryn

Personality: Wary, Brusque, Quick-Witted, Protective, Non-judgemental

Memorable Quotes: “Can I get you a ladder, so you can get off my back?!”

(Details under the cut)

⚔️ ⚔️⚔️

Three styles, three different life stages. 

First one: The Warrior Traveller’s ‘Fit 

Key Words: practical, medium weight, no-fuss, dark tones 

This is what I imagine Brosca looking like after the Joining ritual and for a good part of the game. The beginning of her journey is all slashing, crippling, and traveling on foot, so I needed to get her a look that is functional (allegedly) and with no frills. I needed to make a mishmash of in-game armor parts to get something I could picture her wearing for real. 

It could have been worse, 3/5 stars.

-

Second one: The Fereldian Court Jester 

Key Words: cheap elegance, military influences, brighter colors, poofy

The special occasions look. You can see her wearing this on a diplomatic encounter with the Arl or during a war council with her allies on a cold winter day in Ferelden. I needed to elevate a basic tunic + pants + boots combo by adding more details and faking a more refined fabric for the blouse. I wanted to play on the contrast between modest and expensive, but it was my greatest goal to make her look a bit on the gaudy and tacky side. Being classy is not her forte. 

2/5 stars, but bonus points for trying to look the part. A generous 3/5 stars score.

-

Third one: The Seasoned Veteran 

Key Words: subtle patterns, better fit, souvenirs, mismatched armor

She’s a grown-up now. She’s a Commander, she’s a Paragon, she’s an Icon, she’s a Legend, she’s the Moment (not really, but still). Instead of letting her go full-blown diva, I let her crawl back to her roots. The tunic + pants + boots combo is her uniform, and you won’t catch her wearing anything else, but this time you can find new and old elements added to it. I picture her collecting and looting trinkets, materials, fabrics, and pieces of armor around Thedas, and combining them with what she already owns. She doesn’t fight that much at this point compared to her Blight days, so she skips on the medium armor. 

It’s nice, it’s cute, but it could have been better. 3/5 stars.

⚔️ ⚔️⚔️

I wrote a post narrating in detail why I chose to dress her like this, but it’s so long it’s basically an essay. I’m not bothering you with that, you have a life to care about lol All you need to know is that I needed to recreate the Grey Warden Armour/Uniform color scheme to be consistent with the lore and display her unhealthy obsession for the color blue