#elvhen glory

[hawkeshep]

What a fine day to listen to one of my very specific Solavellan playlists

[bloomingdead]

as annoying as it is Solas’ villain arc (so far) actually makes sense. he helped the inquisition save the world but secretly only for the sake of elvhen restoration. and if you romanced him he literally just fell in love w Lavellan by accident. it makes sense that he is conflicted because he is in love with someone that exposes him to human, dwarven, elven, and qunari people of incredibly different backgrounds who he ends up warming to. Or if you didn’t romance him, he’s still close friends with someone who exposes him to all that. not to mention the inquisitor saving the ENTIRE world of Thedas regardless of anyone’s race. and in the case of Lavellan (or really any inquisitor that doesn’t believe in the chantry) unifying these people under a banner she doesn’t even believe in just for this cause that she sees as bigger than herself. he feels for the people he plans to disregard who exist in this world, but he believes they simply never should have existed in this state to begin with.

he truly believes that the world is simply broken, and that he is the only one aware of how to save it. he believes all disagreements/wars/slavery in this world ultimately reach back to the fall of Elvhenan and the creation of the veil (“his” world). Solas does not see this place, this “Thedas,” as the same world he chose to enter his slumber in. he feels so detached from the world around him that he cannot let the fault be on him, he is not the one who is in the wrong place, but instead it’s EVERYTHING around him that is wrong.

i think people tend to forget (since his ultimate goal is restoring the elvhen people) that regardless of how righteous his rebellion may seem, his plan is extremist in nature. he plans to expose EVERYONE to magic in a world that is overwhelmingly fearful and hateful towards mages. imagine how scared those people will be receiving or witnessing magic like they’ve never seen before. think of how MUCH worse things could get before they get better. he’s trying to force a hundred year plan into (less than..?) a decade.

Solas is kind of fuckin crazy, let’s be real. he’s not going to make perfect sense in the game where he was hiding half of himself the whole time. let’s have a little hope since we have only got the beginning of this arc so far. DA:D is going to be his full arc, we can’t pretend like inquisition was supposed to give us the full story when they literally left Trespasser on a cliffhanger for a reason. this fandom always goes through a haterade phase before new content is released but we gotta chill

[dragonagecompanions]

Could you write Solas' reaction to the Inqusitor killing him after the betrayal, but they stay by his side because they know he fears dying alone, and refuses to leave his side before he has passes away, and telling him that he's forgiven, and the Inky apologizes for not begin able to help him.

Obvious content warning.

It can't end like this, not now. Everything is falling into place, his power is finally returned to him. Everything is in his grasp to restore the world to what it once was, to the glory of Arlathan and the Elvhen. He gave up so much for this chance, for his people, for...

For nothing. Solas can feel the terrible, implacable burn of magebane in his veins, even as the blood weeps from the wound in his back. Fitting, really, after his own proverbial knife, and yet the architect of the Evanuris' downfall never saw this betrayal coming. In his arrogance he heard the request to reopen the eluvians to Val Royeaux as an admission of defeat. Had thought that the removal of both arm and anchor would render his friend helpless in the fight to come.

But too many have underestimated the Inquisitor in the last years. Solas was had no excuse, and yet he turned his back to them. Their cries of pain had masked the running foot steps, the drawing of the blade. It is cold comfort to see that pain in their face still, even as that struggle with one hand to keep his head cushioned on their knees.

"I just...wanted to fix my mistake."

"I know." The sorrowful compassion in their face should be infuriating, something he should spit on and refuse, but somehow the Dread Wolf does not have the strength for it. He is grateful for their warmth and company now, as darkness rims their vision.

"I know, Solas. But you can rest now. I won't leave you alone, not now."

Does his tombstone still stand in the fade, green light making mockery of his greatest fear? He'd thought it would be to stand alone at the end of all things, the world beyond his saving. He had not considered that it would be...like this. Gasping for air that cannot help him now, shivering for the warmth that somehow he cannot grasp. Can he blame them, for rendering onto him what he had planned, inevitably for them?

It hurts less now. They must know, for his friend simply holds him closer. The tears make eyes that have stared unfazed at every challenge somehow more and less shadowed, but knowing that his death is one more burden for them is not the vindication he might have hoped for. This was not what Solas wanted, not what Fen'Harel needed. He is failing his people, abandoning them this one last terrible time and he cannot even...cannot...

"'M s'rr'y..."

"I know. Wisdom is waiting for you, Solas. Go and join her now. Stop running, Dread Wolf, and be at peace."

When he is looking at a world they hope not to see for many years, when the blade finds its place in a still heart (even for a friend, the inquisitor has learned to be cautious), only then does the Herald of Andraste signal for their compatriots. They will bring their friend home, style him as a hero who returned to defeat the Qunari and save the Inquisition.

Ironically, this saves the Inquisition. A united south prepares to face the Qunari, but without the distraction of the Dread Wolf's plans Thedas as it is has a fighting chance. The Inquisition will champion the plight of elves in their martyred friend's name, so that perhaps where the Dread Wolf could not bring superiority Solas might usher in a new era of equality. The agents of Fen' Harel will mourn his loss, curse the Inquisition, but may ultimately join this effort--to surprising success

And perhaps, somewhere far from time and space and sorrow, a young dreamer and the spirit of wisdom who long was his companion, are reunited at last.

-Mod Fereldone

[aldruiel-scribbles]

I can't stop thinking about it.

You know how when you romance Solas there's a power imbalance (that at first we don't know of) since our edgy puppy is immortal and so ridiculously powerful that I don't know how DA:D protagonist is going to survive, and because of that most fanfiction (especially those set after Trespasser) depicts Lavellan struggling because she fell in love with an almost god who's about to commit a genocide to fix a previous accidental genocide.

So what if there was a character that from the beginning could level down that power imbalance gap and slap the fuck out of that elvhen glory bald head? I was already thinking of a crossover with the poll I made, but now another idea has formed. Solas x Dovahkiin.

I know there's already a few fanfics about this pair, but I haven't yet found one which truly delves into how things and people would truly be affected by the dragonborn's presence and decisions (whether they're inquisitors or not). And most of the time the LDB is seriously scaled down in power. Nothing compared to canon lore. So I have an emotional itch that hasn't been scratched by the gods of fanfiction.

Also when I talk about power, I'm not necessarily talking about them fighting, flexing on their magic, or any sort of display like that. But in the sense of how every single interaction would be changed because now, Solas is facing someone that could possibly stop him. Maybe Solas would be the one to win. He doesn't know. He just knows that in some way they're equals and this means a whole new dynamic is unlocked, and THAT, I would die to read.

Because I think, that despite Solas feelings for Lavellan are very much real and intense, there's still a tiny little part of him that still sees her as a Da'len. Not necessarily disrespectfully, but still kinda patronizing. After all he's Fen'Harel, thousands of years old and he's a prideful man that doesn't believe Lavellan have the power to stop him.

So, introducing a character that not only changes the rules but the game itself would be delicious.

P.S: After everything that egg made me go through, I want to make him suffer. A Dragonborn would certainly achieve that, in the most diabolical 'rivals to lovers' kind of way.

[daisymeade]

I posted this on the bird app some time ago and I'm overdue to post it here too!

According to the Shaperate elves made contact with dwarves 1,500 years before humans arrived.

Elves hunted and killed Titans.

Dalish have a song which they believe is about elves driving dwarves underground.

The Evanuris had their lyrium mine closed and collapsed with stone and MAGIC.

The Blight? Started in the Deep Roads.

All this says to me that the dwarves started as surface dwellers. Then the Elvhen drove them underground, murdered their gods, stole their magic, and caused the Blight.

The "return of Elvhen glory" is so sus to me because Thedas is also the dwarven people's homeland and they seem to get the shaft (no pun intended) no matter what.

I hope even a fraction of this is true/comes up in DA4 because it'll make playing a dwarven MC that much more fun.

[thekingofwinterblog]

Dragon Age Imperium - Chapter 1.

Summary:

All the Origins PC's join the quest at once. 3 survive the blight. and it all spirals from there...

An alternate timeline set in a world where Hawke becomes Viscount directly after Act 2, amongst other different turns of fate.

A new Arlathan is founded in the bracilian forest after the blight, The Dwarven Empire is on the rebound, both the young Hawke siblings lived, Hawke Killed Talis for the list of Qunari Spies, and so on.

The Dragon Age is an era of blood and chaos, of Empires falling and rising. Waning Orlais, Rising Ferelden, Resurgent Orzammar, a new Arlathan, and at the southern end of the Free Marches, the City of Kirkwall, gets a new Monarch, who is forced to play the game of internation politics, to lead her nation to glory... Or fall into the dustbins of history.

The year was 37 Dragon.

It was a bloody year, as 3 different wars burst into life across southern and middle Thedas.

Kirkwall, and all its neighboring enemies in the Free Marches, Orlais, and the Triple Alliance between Ferelden, Orzammar, and new Arlathan, and the war between Mages and Templars.

All 3 would have enormous consequences, up there with Andraste's march on the Tevinter Imperium, the Qunari invasions, or the destruction of the Dales.

All 3 had also been bubbling under the surface for a good while by the time the monstrous apostle Anders lit the fuse in Kirkwall.

The Templars and the mages had been a boiling pot for centuries only waiting for something to rip the lid off it and expose everything to the world.

The more recent developments outside of the Circles and Templar conflict, could however be traced back to the end of the Fifth Blight, and the Developments created by the four Grey Wardens of Ferelden who survived the Blight.

A number of Grey Wardens survived the battle for Ostagar. 3 Humans, one which was the second in Line to Highever, one a King's bastard, and the third a Mage of the circle Tower.

2 Dwarves, one a casteless Thug, and the other a Princess.

3 Elves there were, one Dalish from the wilds, one elf from Denerim's Alienage, and the third a boy forced at a young age into the Circle Tower.

All of these had been recruited by the Grey Warfen Duncan, in the time period leading up to the Fifth Blight.

Of these lot, only 4 survived the decisive battle for Denerim.

King Alistair of Ferelden. His Queen, Daemona Cousland more commonly known as the Hero of Ferelden, Galenhad Surana, the first Elvhen monarch in centuries, and Princess and Paragon Moria Aeducan of Orzammar, also the new Teyrn of Gwaren.

Of the three nations who emerged from the Blight, bloodied and bruised, Ferelden was the lynchpin for what would come afterwards.

The kingdom had suffered a catastrophic loss of people in the war, with a tenth of it's entire population lost, either to death at the Darkspawn Horde, starvation from the ensuing Famine, and having fled abroad to escape the Blight.

Still, stubborn and fierce as a mabari, Ferelden bounced back, in large part due to it's new monarchs.

Alistair Theirin, first of his name was a charming man, who despite his ability with the sword, and strange form of humor had a remarkable ability to make men like him... But it is acknowledged by most that the true driving force of his government was his wife, the Lady Daemona of house Cousland, known far and wide as the Hero of Ferelden.

It was Daemona who was the leading driving force behind Ferelden's recovery and reformation period after the Blight, both militarily, politically, and economically.

She reformed the military, by remaking the common footsoldier into the famed Ferelden Longbowman, which would in time be remade into the Ferelden Bolter, but for it's era would become known one of the most feared soldiers in the known world. She also defeated the minor invasion of Darkapawn of Amaranthine, and founded the city of Vigil's Keep.

She also reformed the political structure of the Kingdom, by turning the Landsmeet into a permanently sitting body, rather than just something called when the King needed something, or the years taxes would be called. This made taxation of the lands, despite their devastated state at the time, much, much more efficient.

And finally, she drastically overhauled the economy at the time by introducing what for the era was modern technology in as many ways as she could, encouraging the widespread implementation of things such as water mills, repairing the Imperial Highway, and making plenty of newer mills and roads, as well as rebuilding the capital. The only thing she failed in in this regard was the woefull failure of Ferelden naval technology to catch up with the rest of the world.

Alistair was a well liked figurehead and symbol to rally around, while his wife was the true power behind the throne, an arrangement both seemed perfectly content with.

The second part of the triumvirate was also the youngest.

New Arlathan was the newest state in Thedas by quite the wide margin, it's lands having been granted as a boon to Galenhad Surana, former Elf Mage of Ferelden's Circle. It's population at it's inception was comprised of the Dalish Clans of Ferelden, along with the Kingdom's city elves, and the majority of the Elven tower Mages who fought in the Blight, and jumped at the chance to escape having to go back to the tower once the war was over.

Needless to say, this state was highly, highly controversial from it's very inception. A state for Elves, harboring Mages, led by a Mage king? In the long term, there was no way this was going to stand withoth some massive opposition, and fallout.

Orlais had been a staunch opposition to the formation of the new Elvhen state in the Brecilian forest following the Fifth Blight but had not been in a position for a military invasion until the Chantry officially opposed Ferelden's relationship with this new state, and called for its destruction, as well as giving them an excuse, as well as Chantry approved blessing to invade Ferelden once again.

The third part was, by contrast, far and away the oldest one.

Orzammar had no quarrels with Orlais, or the Chantry… But was dragged into the war as a result of the Triple Alliance between the resurging Dwarven Empire, Ferelden, and New Arlathan, which had been so instrumental in their quest to retake the Deep Roads and Thaigs under Ferelden.

The Alliance had been formed behind the scenes in the aftermath of the Fifth Blight, thanks to the Work between King Galenhad, King Alistair, his Queen Daemona, and Teyrna Aeducan(Former princess of Orzammar) of Gwaren, who served as go between between surface Kingdoms and her brother Bhelen.

It started as better trade deals between Orzammar and it's neighbors. Then became military support to fight Darkspawn underground. And finally, as Bhelen became more and more controversial amongst his own nobility, it became a full-blown military alliance on which effectiveness he banked his entire offensives against the Darkspawns, and by extention his political career.

Hence why the continued wellbeing of Ferelden and New Arlathan was extremely important to Bhelen and his dreams of one day restoring the Dwarven Empire to it's old glory.

And so, the official signing of the Triple Alliance came about.

Both of these conflicts were in many ways, inevitable. The only question was when and how the spark for war for war would be lit.

The great battle that would lead to the unification of the Free Marches from a loosely connected confederacy of city-states, into a unified political entity was not.

It was a conflict that had only taken root a few years earlier, after the death of the previous Viscount during the Qunari invasion, and the rise of the next one.

The year was 34 Dragon…

---

34 Dragon.

Knight Commander Meredith was annoyed.

That part wasn't unusual. Meredith had never been famous for her ability to remain calm and level-headed under pressure.

Her mood as she stomped through the Gallows on the way back to her room however, was blacker than it had been in a long, long while.

The Qunari was finally gone... But it their place had come other worries that had replaced them.

Dumar was dead, and so the throne of the Country was now empty.

Not a problem, if she could Trust the nobility to elect a new Viscount who understood the duties of his office, and the devotion it required to the Maker and his Servants.

She could not. Kirkwall's nobility was a decadent flock of sheep that could barely know where they were supposed to go withouth falling off a cliff. And that was on a good day.

This was not a good day. In fact, she doubted it would be a good year.

There was no way she could trust Kirkwall's future to these lot.

All it would take was a wrong choice for the Throne, and they would be right back to the old days, when the Viscount got it into their head of acting above their station.

The first election was to be held in a few days. Those might take a day or months, depending on how unified the nobility was regarding their choices.

Not that there would be a question of how long.

Meredith would shut down the election before it could begin. There was sinply no way she could allow it, as the city was now. Mayhaps later, when the situation had calmed down...

But the Throne and the Question of who would sit in it was but one of her problems.

The other problem was the newly chosen Champion of Kirkwall.

Daemona Hawke, scion of the Amel family was anything but what a proper Champion should have been. Openly supportive of the Mages, having the audacity to have sheltered an apostate since she came to the city. Her very first action as Champion had been to add to that, as she put both a heathen Elvhen Blood Mage, AND a Grey Warden ABOMINATION under her official protection putting them above the law of God and Men!

The woman, thinking her new title made her above any sense of decency, had even had the audacity to request her sister be transferred out of the Circle and into her care!

There Meredith had put her foot down. Bethany Hawke would not leave the Gallows so long as she lived.

Unfortunately, that was where her ability to do anything about the damned Rogue ended.

The title DID put her above the Law unfortunately. So long as Kirkwall adored her, Daemona Hawke was untouchable.

There wasn't much she could do about it right now, but someday... Someday there would be a straw that broke the back.

As Meredith finally reached the door to her office, she entered, the klanking of angry steel clad feet loud and obvious as she opened, then shortly after, closed the door behind her.

She glanced over to the side of the wall, where on a rack, her new weapon was lying. A massive red sword, looking like someone had taken a giant red ruby and chiseled it down to a triangular sword.

In the brief moment after she closed the door behind her, Meredith's thoughts went to the beauty of the Blade, so wonderous it was almost like it sang to her...

Then a sharp, excruciating pang of pain bloomed in her neck.

Her eyes immediatly widened, and she tried to react, but her mody wouldn't move, whatsoever.

Nothing except her eyes, which went down to where a long, narrow blade puked out from her mouth, like a blood coated, grey tongue.

"Should have let Bethany out of the circle Beredith~"

The low voice in her ear made a tsk, tsk sound.

Then the blade was wrenched back, and existence ended.

The figure was clad in black and dark blue from toes to head, with the only exception beong the white symbol of the Qun on the chest and Back .

Just as precationtion in case she was seen after all.

No one in Kirkwall would doubt the Qun ordered her death.

As it happened, she wasn't.

She came in just as easily through the tunnel system form Kirkwall through the Gallows, as she had coming in, getting rid of the clothing in the darkness of the sewers, as she made her way through the tunnels, beneath the River, and then up into her own mansion in Hightown, where a warm bath awaited her.

---

Hawke laid back in her bath, taking deep breaths, smelling the incense of roses.

After a while, she began scrubbing the sweat and other odors and fluids off her skin.

Ah… How wonderful it was to be filthy, filthy rich.

You could do a lot of things as rich folk.

More as a Free Marches Champion.

Champion of Kirkwall… It had a nice ring to it. Power too.

Her companions got to walk freely around, and display their talents and abilities as they saw fit… Even Anders and his crazy spirit friend.

What it had not done, however, was free Bethany from the Gallows.

That had infuriated her… But Lord Commander Meredith had been hard on the subject.

Champions had a lot of freedom in the world… But she was not willing to bend far enough to have a mage released from her precious Gallows.

Meredith was a real, bloody hardliner. The worst kind of Templar. The ones who believed they were truly, completely in the right.

She would never let Bethany be released into her care…

Which was why earlier that night, Meredith had gotten a knife across the throat.

It had taken a while to set up and create an alibi for herself, but when Meredith was found in the morning, no one would be able to trace the murder back to her.

Hawke suspected the next Knight Commander would be less obstinate on the matter.

---

Though she did not know it then, by killing Meredith when she did, Hawke had unintentionally drastically changed the political trajectory of Kirkwall forever.

Had she lived just two days longer, Meredith in her quest to turn Kirkwall into a templar-ruled police state, would have shut down the Kirkwall nobility's election for the next Viscount.

It was their custom, that if the royal dynasty died out(As it just had) there would be an election amongst the rich lords of the White City of chains, to choose the next monarch, and by extension the next dynasty from amongst their own ranks.

Meredith would have rather rudely interrupted this custom, and denied the election of a new leader, and as she saw it, a political rival for power in the city-state.

But with her gone… Well, even if she had left written orders(which she had not) there were none amongst the temporary leadership that followed her, who had the guts to so blatantly challenge the nobility of the city.

And so, as the Templars were scrambling in the wake of the Knight Commander's assassination, the election for the next Viscount was held 2 days after Meredith's death.

As for the choice of the next monarch, a various number of lesser nobles stepped forth to cast their names as candidates.

None gained traction though. No one had the support, the abilities, charisma or the clout to get the rest to follow.

It was very much the same as the last time a Viscount had been elected.

Then one name was tossed forth... More to ask why she hadn't been named before that as a candidate, rather than to suggest she was the obvious choice.

That was all it took.

Several nobles enthusiastically vouched for her her, having had personal dealings with her, where she had left quite an impression.

Those who did not know her personally, also vouched for her. She had quite the reputation... But truthfully, killing the Arishock and saving them all had left far, far more of an impression than any rumors and tales.

And so it was decided.

Lady Hawke would be the next Viscount of Kirkwall.

---

Varric Tethras in his early years had never expected to live through interesting times. Oh sure, the usual backstabbing feuds and developments that came with being part of a merchant city-state and a Dwarven Merchant guild, was to be expected.

But actual, real, lasting changes in the world at large?

That was generally something he'd not thought he'd see in his lifetime.

The Dragon Age might be full of… Well, Dragons, but the world he'd be born into would still be the same as the one he'd been born into.

The words on the page beneath him told a different story.

The pages told of how the Triple Alliance had retaken Bownammar, as the latest Thaig under Ferelden to be reclaimed from the Darkspawn.

It was the latest in a series of spectacular victories beneath Ferelden's soil.

Cadash, Kal'Hirol, Aeducan, and more, all had been retaken from the Darkspawn in less than 10 years.

The victories would have been surprising enough on their own, but it was the source of those victories that was the bigger surprise.

Orzammar, the beacon for dwarven pride, and nobility with a collective stick up its collective backside about everything, was starting to change.

A lot. The new King Bhelen might be the same kind of bastard all power-hungry Dwarven nobles were, but the man had vision, ability, and a love for practicallity that genuinely surprised Varric.

Casteless being armed, surface dwarves being allowed to resettle underground in the retaken Thaigs to bolster their numbers, and actual coordination with their surface allies becoming the new norm.

Hey, it only took nearly a 1000 years... Give them another one, maybe they'd remove the distinction between surface Dwarf and "Regular" ones entirely.

The changes were simple really. So simple Orzammar could probably have used the tactics they were currently using, to do this ages ago.

The Deep Roads, once the Dwarves' biggest marvel, had become their greatest weakness after the appearance of the Darkspawn. They had swarmed through the tunnels, cutting each Thaig off from all the rest, killing and slaughtering as they went until only 2 kingdoms were left, both surviving by cutting themselves off from the network as a whole.

The Dwarves had been utterly dependent on the Deep Roads to thrive. Take that away, and they had no way to help one another, as each thaig fell one by one.

And of course, because of the countless labyrinthian network of tunnels, it had been a nightmare to try and retake lost Thaigs.

You would have to fight your way through every single road, all the way to your destination, and if at any point the way back got cut off, you were dead.

That was the way it had been for centuries and centuries… But things changed.

Now they were using the cramp, narrow corridors and tunnels in an offensive manner, to deny the Darkspawn the ability to use their greater numbers to full use.

The strategy was simple.

Cut off and fortify every single path you found, except for one, then kill everything single thing you found through that pathway until you found other paths through the roads.

Then cut off all the roads except one, and go through that one, and kill everything you found until you found another entrance. Rinse and repeat.

Only once you found no other paths on your way, did you go back to open one of the other pathways, and begin the process there.

It was a stupidly simple tactic, but it wasn't the only innovation they had now.

They'd also invented some new tactic called Halberds and Bolts.

He wasn't entirely sure how it worked, but there was a pike wall, and crossbows involved.

And of course, the most logical innovation was coordination with the surface.

This tactic worked a lot better when Ferelden and New Arlathan would simply supply them from above through reconquered Thaigs, rather than have to rely on some stupidly long supply train all the way back to Orzammar.

Even if the Darkspawn broke through the fortified doors at some point in the Deep Roads, this wouldn't be the automatic death sentence it had once been.

It would take a long, long while, but unless something changed, this strategy might actually see the Dwarven Empire triumph over the Darkspawn at long last.

And hey, if they were really lucky, maybe it would happen before the next Blights.

The new King Bhelen had taken a bad, bad situation, and turned it around.

As he was reading, he heard through the wall a familiar whistling, grinned, and sat up, quickly jumping out of bed and getting dressed, before opening his door for one of the more lovely women in Kirkwall… And by far the deadliest.

"Morning Varric."

"Hello, Hawke. Come on in."

They quickly seated themselves in their usual chairs, with a familiarity that spoke of total casualness.

"So Hawke what brings you here today?"

"Can't I just want to see my favorite dwarf?"

"Oh, you can… But the four last times you came by you wanted to hear about news from home, and not much else."

Hawke grinned sheepishly.

"Alright. Guilty as charged. Though I must say Varric, you're not in a position to judge… I know how much you read up on Bhelen's side of the Triple Alliance."

"Bhelen's side? I'm not Bartrand Hawke, why would I be interested in stuffy old Dwarven crap, like Orzammar's campaigns?"

Hawke narrowed her eyes, and without a word went over all the various Dwarven crap that Varric had chosen to decorate his home away from home with.

"I could not begin to tell you where I got that notion… But whatever, any news from the south?"

He shrugged.

"Not much… Or at least not much I think you'd be interested in… More mines opening, new trade routes… Oh, wait, there was one thing."

From his stack of papers, he fished out about 9, before handing them to Hawke.

"Newest Ferelden fashion developments… Or what you guys call fashion anyway."

"Oh!"

Hawke quickly snapped them up and began looking them over.

"Hmmm… So Redcliffe is moving back towards traditional clothing… Interesting. I guess Teagan wants to distance himself from Orleasian fashion as much as possible."

"Is… That a bad thing? Don't you guys hate Orlais?"

"Oh, we do! But going back to the past for fashion isn't exactly… Well, you've seen Ostwick fashion right?"

"The ones that have men running around in those checkered skirts?"

"Kilts, yeah. Those guys still think it's Calenhad's time…"

She shook her head and began flipping through the pages.

"Oh, but here! Here is real fashion! Highever and Denerim are switching over from casual plate armor to Brigandine coats!"

Varric looked down as she put them on the table. Neither of the two examples was a particularly stylish example of Brigandine armor… Well except for different helmets at least.

"You know, sometimes I forget that and Aveline are both from the same stock."

"Heh… Maybe I should show this to Aveline! I'm sure she'd appreciate-"

From downstairs, someone called out her name in a very loud, and frantic manner.

"Ah, Carver… Wonder what my little brother wants now."

"Maybe the little Hawke finally wants to make a move on Daisy, and wants your advice."

As they heard Carver make his way up the steps of the Hanged man, Hawke chuckled.

"The Maker will return before that happens."

Sure enough, Carver burst into the now unlocked room, panting, and looking absolutely frantic.

"Sister!"

"What is it little Hawke? Do you need some help wooing Daisy?"

"What? Wait-NO!"

"History would suggest otherwise brother, or have you already gotten some Advice from Isabella?"

"Can you two PLEASE not talk about this right now!? This is serious!"

"...Fine, Carver… What is it then… An-Damn, you are drenched… Did you run all the way here?"

"Yes! An hour after you left we got a message from the Viscount's palace!"

"What do they want now?"

"They elected you Viscount!"

"What." Two voices said in unison.

"They held a vote earlier today over who would be the next Viscount after Dumar… And you won. In a landslide they said. You're the next Viscount of Kirkwall!"

"Well… Shit."

Hawke, for once in her life, looked absolutely stunned… Then a missive grin appeared on her face.

"But that means… That means I can just appoint Bethany as my Court Mage. Rulers have the right that that right? I remember old Willhelm got to live free as one right!"

"Wh-THAT'S what you're focusing on?"

"Eh, it's the most obvious benefit. Oh, and I get a shiny crown too… Varric is that crown the Viscount had the official regalia, or can get something personalized made?"

Varric smiled.

Still the same old Hawke.

"Eh, I think you can. What did you have in mind? A band with a ferocious Hawk at the front?"

"Oh, that's good! But I was thinking more that old design in Gold, or Silver… I mean did you see that crown? Great design, but in dark Iron? Who makes a crown in Iron?"

"I don't know, it's better than a Throne of the stuff, I mean imagine how uncomfortable that would be."

"Can you two PLEASE take this seriously? This is big news."

"Oh we are, we're just having some fun along the way Carver. Well, let's get the band together and have a pint before I head back to Hightown. This is gonna be great. All the problems the city had with the Qunari are gone now! Which I get to swoop in, and not only take all the credit and glory for fixing it, but I get to come in and rule without any huge issues breathing down my neck."

She grinned. Then suddenly had an epiphany.

"Oh and Varric? Congrats."

"On what?"

"On becoming the new Viscount's right-hand man of course! Is there a title for that? Or just… Royal advisor?"

Carver rolled his eyes.

"If you want to give him a fancy title, you should just marry him… Then you could call him the Count Regnant."

It took a moment before both of them realized it was a joke.

"Well look at that, the Little Hawke finally started to grow a sense of humor."

The younger sibling, and new heir to the throne of Kirkwall, groaned.

Chapter 2

[thequeendomhq]

THE HISTORIAN ~

NAME. UTP AGE & BIRTH DATE. 300+ SPECIES. High Elvhen FACTION. Nightingale OCCUPATION. Historian of the Elvhen

Your people lost so much when the Cataclysm sundered Avalon, breaking your home like a mirror and fracturing the light of the Laurelin from Taravell. The elvhen had histories upon histories, stories upon stories, and as the noble child in the Dalathor family you were raised on these tales. The grand library that once held the great histories of the elvhen, the gods, and the races of humanity. Lessons of magic and innovation were lost to time and all that remained were whispers of former glories. An age of darkness saw the world brought to its knees, the elvhen scattered in strands of silver and gold. You could see them dance in the memories that were offered to you, but even memory was imperfect and changed from person to person, from place to place. The past was lost and the present was misunderstood, so you’ve decided to piece it together: the history of the world since the Sundering. Lost ruins, old stories, faded relics of an age shrouded in mystery, heroes, and romanticism. Origins of the Blight, the fall of the elvhen, and the absence of the druids. If the old was broken, then it was time to press forward, this age needed authors and historians, and through ancient ruins and word of mouth you’d scribe together was long thought lost.

CONNECTS

N/A

NOTES

FAMILY: Dalathor. ABILITY: Memory Projection: The ability to share memories with someone else within any given space, allowing others to add their personal memories of an account as they choose.

this skeleton is currently open.

[yes-these-obsessions-are-healthy]

Good news. Dragon Age 4 is coming out!

Bad news: My autistic brain, which has committed my fan theories for Solas, his plans, and Tevinter in general to memory for the past 5+ years, are soon going to be overwritten by canon and I am not prepared for that sort of dramatic change to my imagined reality.

I’m seriously not ready. It’s going to be like pulling teeth, like wearing a shirt that is too tight, like talking to my dad. Worse than that is that our stories about Solas and Dorian and everyone else might be proven laughably inaccurate in retrospect.

And honestly, my biggest fear is that DA4 is going to take away the narrative that Solas is a man out of time who can’t let go of the past nor accept the fall of his empire, and is trying to bring back something that should simply stay dead. That’s a damn great story wrapped up in regret and philosophical what-ifs about legacy, “glorious empires”, and the nature of culture over time. I hope nothing undermines that. I hope they don’t go all “Actually Solas is super right and we should totally reset the clock and if you don’t support him then you’re just being self-righteous because people might die in the process.” 

But really I’m worried they’re going to do something that makes me hate Solas, or undermines his character to the point that I end up feeling nothing for him in the end. 

And if I play DA4 and it turns out to suck, that’s gonna taint everything I write about him from then on out. What is learned can’t be unlearned, and all that. Christ. THIS IS VERY STRESSFUL, FAM.

Edit: Solas still loves the empire as a testament to what his race was capable of achieving, he just didn’t want it all slave-y. He wants the glory and splendor of what the Elvhen used to be but without the power-hungriness and exploitation. @darethshirl

[ladyofc]

This post is inspired by @corseque a bit but, Solas is this really deep mortally grey antagonist that we have alot of details about and don’t at the same time. 

He is a spirit of wisdom turned pride from Mythal’s arrogance and need for conquest for the glory of the Elvhen people. Solas talks with rose colored glasses when it comes to her because he trust her so god damn much, because he was her general at one point in time against either 1. Titans or 2. The Forbidden Ones or 3. Both. 

“She was the best of them”

Except she let her nobles own slaves too and started all these wars, had a spark of her go into a non-elvhen woman who abused her daughters for the sake of “Revenge”  against the gods THAT SHE RAISED BTW that killed her. 

If Mythal truly was “The best of them” she wouldn’t have done anything of the things listed fucking above. And I think honestly for Solas’ redemption to start in DA4 someone is going to have to knock off those glasses for him to see the truth. That if Solas was truly important in Mythal’s chess game against her children he wouldn’t be the Mage, a piece you can sacrifice but instead the King. 

And back to the wisdom spirit thing, you can truly see him being that in a lot of his interactions with Cole and when he’s in the rotunda. He is only truly himself when he is giving advice to the inquisitor or to anyone else. I always find it interesting that Solas ever in cutscenes only takes us into his version of the fade once to talk. Which yeah I can understand for his whole identity, but like in a romance with him, wouldn’t be probably best for him to take Lavellan into the Fade to show her who he really is? If things are truly easier for him in it and he was serious about telling her the truth. Why take her where the veil is only thin? 

i don’t know but he drives me up a wall.

[dreadfutures]

So in the Elvhenan AU I promised I wouldn't post it on AO3 until I have a whole story plotted out and I'd make sure to edit things a lot and make it more polished

and since that will probably never happen

here's what I got so far for a plot. for funsies.

1. Appearance and discovery

Dirth POV

Ixchel appears in destruction. She's found at the epicenter of a blast that levels one of Falon'Dins temples.

Falon'Din accuses Dirth of being the cause bc Ixchel has Dirths vallaslin. Andruil wants to kill her, out of genuine desire to protect the empire the only way she knows how.

But Dirth and Pride (Solas) argue they need to figure out who sent her with this destruction.

Dirth takes Ixchel in.

He that night learns that she does not dream lucidly but she does dream; she is not a child of the stone. She is an elf or something else, and she has been Tampered with. (perhaps it is the anchor in her hand, tho he doesn't know what it is)

Dirthamen decides that teaching her elvhen and gaining her trust will tell him about her.

He becomes enraptured with her mysteries, while also needing to play the Game with his siblings and mother to keep them from coming and executing ixchel.

She's curious and intelligent.

She becomes close to Deceit, one of his two closest servants.

Dirthamen realizes that she has a crush on him.

She slowly gains more freedom around the mansion and given that freedom she becomes more of Herself, going with that trust, feeling safer… And he realizes he has a crush on her too.

They spend some time in the orchards and we learn Dirth is a big plant nerd.

First kiss in the library and confessing feelings, as per The Inexorable Tide by Kitty.

She improves quickly with language and learning but they get no closer to unlocking her true memories.

She helps him out with things around the estate, like when Sylaise sends too many spices. It's her Heart that guides her and it's a big one.

But their dream has to end sometime.

((maybe they realize that Something in particular triggers a memory of her past, and so he wants to expose her to more of that. But what is it?))

((either way, after they recover because whatever it was, it was traumatizing—he promises to take her to vir dirthara to begin showing her other memory magic in the books there))

2. Vir Dirthara, and Learning

Ixchel POV

Starts w a *secret* excursion to vir dirthara. very cute sneaking around in the archives.

Dirth gets to show her Elvhenan and wondrous things, but seeing things through her eyes he begins to realize it's not all good…

Ixchel sees slavery and tyranny and poverty.

Ixchel pushes him on slavery and the Evanuris being tyrants

Glory Andruil's Champion catches her sneaking around Vir Dirthara and they butt heads until Dirth intervenes.

Walking on thin ice with the other Evanuris about whether she's a threat.

Dirth gets cajoled into hosting parties or something idk and Ixchel gets ogled as an oddity.

Dirth and Ixchel's first time.

Somehow even tho they're both actually starting to settle into their relationship, the seriousness of it and how dangerous it might be scares both of them.

Meanwhile

Ixchel begins to realize someone is leading a rebellion

She does her OWN investigating when she has the time and freedom to do so. Maybe she deliberately puts herself in danger because she suspects Solas is watching her. (he is.) in order to get some time alone with him when he rescues her.

Maybe Dirth even gets jealous of her inquiries into Pride's past and his ascension (does she care for Pride? Does she wants to be an Evanuris? Is she an agent sent to hurt Pride? Dirth is conflicted).

Eventually ixchel gets herself in a position to secretly confront Pride about his rebellion. He does not reveal to her that he's the reason she's here. But he's secretly super impressed she figured it out (is it her memories returning? Or did she piece it all together genuinely in her investigating? Turns out it's a genuine knack for snooping). But he refuses to let her join.

Instead he encourages her to sway Dirthamen with her kindness, because for too long Dirth has been under the sway of his family.

Ixchel returns to Dirth's side feeling like her relationship has been weaponized somehow and it feels icky 😦

Instead of getting closer, she wants to put up her walls and put distance between them. She doesn't want to use him. But she cares for him and wants him to change, too.

Dirth is preoccupied, so it takes a while for him to notice.

Ixchel asks Deceit to train her as a warrior in Elvhenan styles, and throws herself into that training.

3. Threats

Dirth POV

Dirth has to reflect on the corruption he sees

He begins his own serious investigation into what might be plaguing his empire

He is still trying to figure out why Ixchel can't control her dreams or use magic

In doing so, he goes to investigate the Titans they once felled, because he knows they are resistant to magic too. and there discovers red lyrium—and that Andruil has been "protecting" it while ghilannain investigates what it does.

Andruil accuses him of not doing enough for their people's defense and to focus on his pet project

But the red lyrium freaks him tf out and he can't stop thinking about it (DIRTH IS A NATURE NERD. WITH HIS PLANTS.)

There's some sort of infection that affects his orange (truth) grove. A BLIGHT perhaps, though not THE blight. but it starts turning his brain to the right track.

Andruil calls for a hunt w all the Evanuris, including Dirth and Pride. It's probably a trap.

Ixchel is kidnapped by Glory in secret, for Andruil.

He begins to confide in Pride that he has doubts about the Evanuris' goodness

Dirth shows up at Andruil's estate and she's wearing modified Sha Brytol armor that glows RED

dun dun dunnnnn

end arc

4. ???

Ixchel POV

Dirth rescues her from Andruil's castle and they fuck

Dirth is very wary of the red lyrium armor Andruil wears but she seems fine in it, if stronger, and it negates magic used against her by their quarry. he has nothing to prove that she's dangerous yet.

Dirth and Pride get Ixchel out safely and in secret. No one (except Glory and Andruil) know what happened. Dirth and Andruil just glare at each other a ton.

Ixchel meets Felassan (Hope) at a party. Felassan has an idea about who and what she is.

Hope and Ixchel put their heads together.

Mythal and Dirth talk in private about life and his worries about the empire and other threats.

He's actually honest with her about things.

But when it comes down to slavery, the vallaslin, etc., she shuts him down.

Dirth is upset and shares all this with Ixchel

<need more plot>

then

A supermonster (made by Ghilan'nain) begins a rampage. Andruil wtih her Void armor is prepared to defeat it, but she can't alone (this was a set up to make Andruil look good but it backfires).

Ixchel, without magic, is able to kill it. She earns both heroic acclaim—and Andruil's eternal enmity for showing her up.

Ixchel is cleared and proclaimed to be a friend of the Empire.

Ixchel thinks this is a good thing. But…

5. ???

Dirthamen POV

BUT she has not achieved so much honor that she would be uplifted to Evanuris. So she cannot be "free." And she cannot be a Lord.

She must still fall under someone's purview. Elgar'nan as a god of war, for a warrior? Falon'Din, to replace his old Champion Valor? Andruil, who is so willing to cast aside Glory if it would allow her to torture Ixchel?

Dirthamen begs Pride to take her as a Champion. Those who serve beneath him wear no chains.

Solas challenges him about his motivations and whether he genuinely wants to break chains or if it's just Ixchel

Satisfied with Dirth's answers, Solas loops Dirth into the rebellion.

And Ixchel becomes Solas's champion. She thinks she'll never see Dirth again, but is happy to serve in the rebellion.

Instead Solas reintroduces them and now they're of equal enough status that they can COURT

Their courtship still needs Mythal's approval though so it's still secret for now

stuff rebellion political spy stuff plot

trying to gain enough evidence that Andruil's red lyrium is dangerous, to prove to mythal

????

eventually ixchel and dirth end up bonded and happy

Blight is cured

and the future is saved

[hawkeshep]

Me: mom can we stop and get Solas?

Mom: we have Solas at home

Solas at home:

[lairofdragonagelore]

DAI: Nation Art: Elvhen

These paintings appear in old elvhen temples or on walls in the Dales. It’s not clear from what time they are, but considering they can be found in the Temple of Myhtal and in the Elven Ruins [Tresspasser] it seems fair to assume they are as ancient as the Evanuris. If new interpretations arise, this post will be updated.

[This is part of the series “Playing DA like an archaeologist”]

The row of slaved elves

This one displays elves in white, like blank canvas. On their shoulders and faces, lines of red colour spread, over their shoulders it makes a swirl. This could be interpreted as Vallaslin, a ritualistic tattoo made of blood that is done on the face by the Dalish. Maybe originally it reached the shoulders.

These elves have  their faces and chest erased, as if these red marks remove them from their personality and their heart. With the context we have about the Evanuris, it seems plausible to interpret this as a row of elves who were marked with Vallaslin and turned into slaves. So far, nothing new under the sun. However, the important detail for me here is the symbol above them. The circle over them, painted in yellow/gold clearly represents these curious rings we have seen in many places and, sometimes, in the talons of the elven owl statue.

Through the murals and the codices it’s possible to interpret this ring as a source of power and control. In this particular painting, this meaning looks more evident. A power that allows control on the people.  

Due to the objects used in the murals of Solas, it’s also fair to understand this ring as the representation of the Veil, but I disagree a bit with this interpretation since this icon belongs to temples which predate the creation of the Veil. In any case, it could be considered as the power that would allow its creation a posteriori.

In the Shattered Library, the owl statue appears with this ring in its talons and inside it, an orb.  This ring also appears in the red lyrium idol.

The Dragon

Next painting: this is a black dragon with the same kind of red stain on its body as the hallas below. It has a red Vallaslin, which seems to be done in one stroke. Its design is similar to the one being worn by the halla several pantings bellow.

The Battle

This one looks like a squad of white elves riding hallas and heading into battle. These hallas have a normal amount of legs but “weird” horns. In a light green colour, we can see some lines that end in small circles on the background, forming a barricade against which one of the hallas breaks its horns. The elf riding this halla falls.

Another elf lies dead  on the ground in the middle of the painting. Most of them have spears or swords [depending on the length of the white line they hold ] except the one in the middle [who is carrying a bow] and the last one [who only has a shield]. The shield depicts thorny vines. Probably for mere contrast, the shape of the hallas is outlined in red, preventing the blending of the scene. 

As an interpretation, I can’t avoid bringing the concept of The Horror of Hormak: The strange horns in the hallas suggest that they may have been creations of the Evanuris. In an act of poetic justice, the rebel elves, free of vallaslin, ride the creations of the Evanuris to attack. The shield with thorny vines may imply Elgar’nain, but I’m not sure about it. If these elves are rebels, they would not like to wear a symbol of one of them. 

The Armoured Figure

This is one of the strangest ones. Its design is done to makes us suspect this is a templar. But that makes absolute no sense: the Templars were created as an Order around the time of the Second Blight. During the time of Elvhenan Glory there were no Templars, no humans even.

The other option that comes to my mind if restricted to the visual alone is a Grey Warden, but that makes as much sense as the Templar for exactly the same reasons. However, it’s interesting to see that helm similar to the Grey Warden’s.

From a visual point of view, I feel we don’t have many tools to understand this image. Now, if we consider the codex of Andruil found in the Temple of Mythal,  she put on an armour made of the Void, and all forgot her true face. That the Void can be represented with black colour seems reasonable. Around the shoulders and neck of the main creature, there is an intense red, but also weak white lines that make it look similar to the single pauldron that the mosaic of Andruil shows. The white elves covering their faces and not looking at the central creature may be understood that they can’t see the main creature in this painting, maybe even forgetting it. It could also be understood that the elves are covering their faces from the dark lines we see around them, as if they were attacked by bullets. 

Another interpretation is that this black figure is the head of a black wolf: Fen’Harel. The figure stands up in front of the cowering elves, which seem to be kneeling. The six main white lines on the center would represent the six eyes of the wolf, while the white lines barely noticeable over the “shoulders” would be the ears.  The “helm part” makes little sense in this interpretation. 

This painting is incredibly mysterious.

The creatures

These four are explained and interpreted in detail in the post of Tevinter Nights: The Horror of Hormak [personal speculation]. Summarising it, the first elf has white legs, and his torso, marked with patterns, begins to shift into the second elf.

The drawing of the golden ring in the background of the second one may suggest something similar to the painting of the slaved elves: there is a process on the elf thanks so which his legs change of colour and develop patterns, and his torso changes its colour in comparison with the first one.

The lizardman and the halla both share the same colour palette and texture on them. Which is the same palette and texture used for the lower body of the second elf. I think this fact could have more meaning than mere aesthetics: there is a physical process affecting all these creatures in similar fashion. 

The lizardman has circles on its background, while the winged-insectoid-halla shows several squares. If we add the context of The Horror of Hormak to these four figures, we can suspect that the elves were subjected to a “shifting”, or a fusion of souls and bodies guided by Evanuris who enjoyed the creation of animals [Gilhan’nain] to offer to Andruil as creatures to hunt, or in order to create an army that would unbalance the on-going war between the Evanuris.

Hallas

This halla has many limbs and strange horns.  Its horns almost look like thin dragon’s horns. What stands out is its colour: yellow. If we see the other paintings, only the one I called “the row of slaved elves” use this colour. A colour of gold, related to power and control, related to the rings. The lines that we see along its neck and body have a resemblance to the vallaslin lines that we will see in the next halla.

There is also an ingame and unreliable concept of the Golden halla: the Dalish consider that a golden halla visits a clan in times of great need. Which means nothing in this context, specially knowing it comes from Dalish. But thinking in how wrongly the Dalish may have “recovered” this concept is a good, interesting lead. What seems clear is that golden halla was something important enough to get a painting. 

Vallaslin shifting halla

It’s hard to know what we are seeing here. On the foreground, it looks like a young halla with a vallaslin. The white lines around its eye seem to be done in one stroke [I’ve tried to trace them to see the pattern, but the quality of the image prevents me to do a decent job].  It seems to be  crying? There is this translucent long whitish tear coming out from its eye. On it’s nape we see the vibrant red with swirly lines=veins or vines. This red colour has been used for the vallaslin in the painting of  “The row of slaved elves”, and to mark the back of many animals [The dragon and the hallas below]. In this one, however, we see  swirls.  The halla on the background seems to share the same ear than the first one. I don’t know if we are seeing a double-headed halla, or this is related to the “shifting” process I spoke about in my interpretation of the Horror of Hormak.  This second halla grows horns, its valaslin is removed, and below there are triangular black lines below its eye, as if it were withering.

My personal [but not super convinced] interpretation is that this painting represents the shifting process, explained in the post Tevinter Nights: The Horror of Hormak [personal speculation]: there is a disease [black lines on the face as a consequence of the presence of red swirls]. It produces a shifting, a change in the shape of the original creature [in this case, the snout changes a bit and horns grow] The Vallaslin on the foreground halla keeps the disease and the transformation at bay. The whole process, on creatures with free form such as the elvhen, ends up turning into a form of control and slavery.

This halla has an extra limb, and there is a red stain on its back. It looks contaminated with it. Her horns are insectoid-like or tree-branches-like.  

On its body there is a set of lines and circles that look like a line-up of elements. As it can be seen, these kind of diagrams with double circles and dots and triangles tend to be used in game to represent magic in general. There is a fragment of another diagram in these ancient rocks that can be found in the ancient elven temples such as the Elven Ruins [Trespasser] as well as in the ancient surface thaig in the Hissing Wastes. 

The next halla looks like a progression of the above. The red colour spread on its body, its head now it’s low, and its horns are less deformed or branched-out. On its body [belly?], slave elves walk in a row. Their faces display different Vallaslin, but the same two vertical lines across their chin. 

[Index page of Dragon Age Lore ]

[elvhenfaer]

Here he is in all of his flat color low quality costume design glory with no nipples, a tiny backstory related scar I’ll probably never remember to draw, and an ancient Elvhen sword that is 100% canon for him. Amheotil, why are you my forever brain worm child?

I may revisit old sketches and add his tattoo, we’ll see.

[rosella-writes]

Happy Friday!! From the hozier prompts, 'the purest expression of grief' for your arlathan au

oOP thank you!! So I always knew the Arlathan AU would end sadly, but with Valor as Falon'Din's champion, I didn't realise just how sadly. It wasn't until I reread the Duel of a Hundred Years between Elgar'nan and Falon'Din's champions (in order to divert full out war) that I knew Valor wasn't going to live.

for @dadrunkwriting

Pairing: Valor x Pride (basically Virelan x f!Solas)

Words: 607

Warnings: blood, stabbing, grief, dissociation

~~~

When Valor fell, Pride felt as she'd felt when the last heartbeat of the Titan had rung in her ears. She sat at Mythal's side, her nails clawing into her knees, spine ramrod straight, her soul screaming behind the cold, bland shield of her face. And as Valor was struck down at the center of that arena — Wisdom's lance of light driven straight through her breast — she fell without a sound.

No matter how shrilly rage and grief and rebellion boiled in the cage of her ribs, Pride too remained silent. She could not so much as allow her heartbeat to hasten, for fear of being singled out and labelled traitor, betrayer, harellan.

As Pride stared at the broken body below her — blood pooling in the grooves of her obsidian armour, soaking the soft coils of her hair — all she could hear was Mythal's past assurances in her ear.

This is wisdom. This is kindness. This is mercy.

But as Wisdom betrayed herself in this moment, glancing up to meet Pride's eyes with naked guilt and grief written in her own, Pride felt no wisdom in the air between them. There was no kindness, nor mercy. There thrummed only the stuff Pride was made of, like rivulets of blood running down the steps, soaking the sand, filling the air with its droplets. It was the same stuff that had taken up arms against the very earth, that had raised crystal spires and strung them up like beads in the necklace of the sky, that had taken a mere Elvhen and raised her to glory.

No, Pride knew this for what it was. It was arrogance. Hubris. Pride of the grossest kind, and it coated her throat like poisoned honey.

The world grew thin around her, hollow and empty but for the faintest of sounds. All there was was the vivid scarlet of Valor, bleeding towards the Beyond and into the ground.

Pride could dimly hear Falon'Din's roar of rage, Elgar'nan's cry of victory, and the People clamouring on the fringes and in the stadium. Bodied elves began to press past Pride, jostling her as they made their way to Elgar'nan's side to be the first to pledge themselves once again. Pride did not move away — she was too numb, her glassy eyes fixed on the immobile form that was so far away and so still.

Part of her waited for Valor to move, as she always had before. Any moment now she'd clutch at her punctured breastplate, cough, and rise up on her elbow. She'd scrub at her face and wince up at the sun, searching the seating until her gaze landed on Pride's face. She'd smile, bright and white and dangerous, and chance a wink.

But Valor was still.

A familiar touch on her shoulder jolted Pride from where she had become lost. She abruptly loosened her clawed grip on her knees and glanced up — face impassive and neutral — at Mythal.

The Allmother stroked Pride's arm. She cocked her horned head, her mouth pulling down in a frown, and clicked her tongue.

"Oh my Champion," she said, "you may grieve your friend. She was important to you. But know that her sacrifice has saved endless lives this day."

Her angled expression hardened, the gold of her eyes flashing sharp and intense for the briefest moment. "To be a Champion of Falon'Din is to walk the path of death. She knew this. May her dinan'shiral bring her peace."

Pride's lips were dry, her voice hoarse, when she repeated the traditional reply. It echoed hollowly in the chambers of her heart.

"May her dinan'shiral bring her peace."

[alondradina]

Day 7 of AUgust!

Prompt: Science Fantasy

Fandom: Dragon Age

Pairing: Solavallen, Solas/Lavellan

Rating: G

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40875837

-

Ellana wasn't sure what she had expected the cryogenically frozen elf's reaction to being freed would be, but it certainly hadn't been this.

They had discovered him in an ancient, long forgotten keep deep in the Frostback Mountains. There was a lot of pressure on the scientists to release him. A lot of hopes rode on this elf being revived with his memories and sanity intact. None of the others had.

There was so much history and technology lost when the ancient ones fell. They had scraped their way back into a facsimile of that time, but always they hungered for the glory of the past. Especially the elves.

Ellana sighed and watched the proceedings with a jaundiced eye. This was her third, and she wasn't looking forward to the inevitable confusion and rage. She was glad to not be one of the scientists, though. They got the blame for the botched revivals. As one of the few people who could understand ancient Elvhen, she was there to attempt to communicate.

His eyes opened, and she waited for the panic. It didn't come. Instead he sat up, face locked in a disgusted frown, and said, in barely accented common, "Put me back."

And all hell broke loose.

[bardicjustice]

Solas: this guy corypheus sucks, he wants to destroy the world in order to bring back the glory days of tevinter. What an idiot. Anyway I'm going to destroy the world in order to bring back the glory days of the elvhen empire