#it's like listening to Solas talk about the Blight

[corseque]

(shakes Flemeth) TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW

[rederiswrites]

Okay so I'm giving @corseque 's super-important audio of all Solas' comments about the Blight a second (or fifteenth, whatever) listen and taking notes as I go.

Solas doesn't think for a second that once the archdemons are gone the Blight will be gone. Which really makes sense because it's the Blight that makes them an archdemon, not the other way around. Supposedly, they're blighted when the darkspawn reach and corrupt them. But of course that begs the question of why it's only darkspawn (and uh, honorary darkspawn like the Wardens) that hear their call. Anyway, the way he says it, it sounds more like the archdemons are a limiting factor than a driving factor.

Varric: "What's so confusing about endless darkspawn?" Solas: "A great deal!" So yeah, whatever the plan was, he didn't foresee darkspawn as a consequence. So did he not foresee them existing at all, or not foresee them being free to cause problems? Worth noting that it's really clear both in general and in Descent that dwarves as a whole were a huge blind spot for him.

He is really really surprised that the Western Approach ever recovered from the Blight. Pretty clear he didn't think that was possible.

He thinks that everything the Wardens have done up til now is a deeply misguided effort that's served (mostly accidentally) as a delaying tactic. Gotta say, with the information we have at hand, this point pairs about as well with the last as a nice dry red with spicy pickles. If the Wardens shouldn't have done what they've done, but he didn't think recovery from the Blight was possible, I'd love to hear what he thought the alternative was.

Same dialogue as above, but when Solas talks about stopping the Blight and when Blackwall and Varric talk about it, one gets the distinct impression that they're talking at cross purposes, because Varric and Blackwall are talking about the experience of Blights, as in, periodic events, whereas I think Solas is talking about THE Blight, that is, its true nature, which is yet untouched.

He thinks Erimond is dumb as shit, which is fair and valid. "That's madness! For all we know, killing the Old Gods could make things even worse!" he says. Well, he knows a lot more than "we" know, but it's entirely possible that he doesn't for sure know this. Increasingly clear that he thinks it, though.

I'd forgotten just how pissed off he was about the Grey Warden plan to kill the Old Gods before they were corrupted. It really doesn't give "hey you're killing my relatives" energy. It really gives "wow that would fuck us all" vibes.

Of course, with a side of my remembering that Solas' besetting flaw was always thinking people should know better even though they don't have access to the knowledge he has. That flaw I WILL grant. He displays it repeatedly--you could even say the writers went out of their way to make the point.

"The Blight is the real problem"

"The fools who first unleashed the Blight on this world thought they were unlocking ultimate power." Anyway yeah those are the absolute core of everything here. The Blight is the real problem and the Blight was deliberate. Deliberately made or deliberately freed.

Even during the events of Inquisition, Solas obviously sees Corypheus as secondary to the Blight as a danger.

Cassandra suggests that the archdemons were really just dragons--"Pets to those who no longer exist", by which she probably means the Old Gods, not specifically the gods of Elvhen, just because of her cultural background. Solas finds this suggestion amusingly wrong--a quiet snort, and "I would not go so far as that."

Last notes: he doesn't sound like he thinks the Blight can be stopped, and he's adamant that it can't be controlled. Which is presumably why he broke the world in an attempt to contain it, assuming I'm right that that was the underlying reason for the Veil. That it didn't quite work the way he'd hoped is also pretty evident, though I wanna be clear that I assume he was working from a place of desperation, and that not knowing every possible outcome of an action is not a condemnation of having taken it.

[felassan]

From Game Informer:

Solas plays an important role in the game as a central figure and significant character, but the game is not about Solas, hence the title change

Rather than focusing on a specific individual, the focus and centerpiece of the game is Rook's team, stopping the end of the world with this group of specialists

"I think you could argue [these companions] are the best the franchise has ever seen". We will have the opportunity to interact with them in a way that both shapes their story and also influences the main story, including having the opportunity to impact their fate

"Arguably, this game has kind of, in a way, been called Dreadwolf to some degree since its earlier days"

Excerpt:

"When I ask about Solas' role in the story after I learn his namesake is no longer in the game title, Darrah says Veilguard is still taking the Elven God's narrative in a good direction. He adds, "It allows us to, hopefully, give a good conclusion to all the varied attitudes toward Solas that are going to be coming from people who love Solas, who agree with Solas, who hate Solas, people who want to kick Solas off of a building – I think that we give you the opportunity to bring that to a close, but then tell a greater story about The Veilguard and about the world as a whole." Talking to Epler, I learn more about how Solas isn't exactly the big bad I expected before seeing the opening hours of Veilguard. There's a lot more nuance to everyone's favorite bald elf.  "The most interesting villains to myself, and honestly most people, are not just straight up, 'I want to end the world.' To them, they are the heroes of the story, and Solas is no exception," Epler tells me. "Solas always feels that he is a tragic hero but a hero nonetheless, so he's coming into this believing firmly that what he did, that which you stopped him from doing, was the right thing – that you made a mistake. But now he's trapped and can't reach out and actively affect [Thedas], so he needs to work with you. "That allows us to provide a lot of nuance to that relationship," Epler says."

Solas is literally trapped in the Fade after the game's prologue. Rook and co stop his attempt to destroy the Veil. Rook passes out and wakes up in a dream-like landscape to Solas' voice. He explains that he was trying to move Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain to a new prison because the old one wasn't containing them properly anymore. The two blighted gods are now free and roaming Thedas. Rook has to stop them, but it seems that they will have to work with Solas ("or at least listen to his guidance and advice") to do so

Excerpt:

""So one of the principles we took to when we were building the story of The Veilguard early on was we wanted the beginning of the game to feel like the final chapter of an earlier story and you're coming in right at the end, you're coming in as if you've been chasing Solas – the [Solas at the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition's Trespasser DLC] who said he was going to end the world and tear down the Veil," Epler adds.  Epler says players will see early on (and as the narrative develops across Veilguard) that Solas sees much of himself in you, the player-controlled Rook, especially "the parts that maybe he doesn't like to face." As a result, there's an interesting push and pull between Solas and Rook. He says players can define the relationship between these two characters with their choices in dialogue.  "You can continue to be suspicious and hostile towards him, or you can start to see him and find that common ground, that connection between the two of you, and really develop a different relationship over the course of the story," Epler says."

[source]

[weavewithshadow]

Veilguard Theorycrafting Thursdays: The Evanuris & Their Lyrium War

Welcome, one and all! While I count down to Veilguard's Halloween release, I'm going to dissect one tinfoil hat theory I have per week.

This week: I think the Evanuris were waging war over lyrium, and I think that in their desire to Blight the world, they killed the only one standing in their way - Mythal.

Elaboration, brainstorming, and sources below the cut! Be warned: this post is LONG.

SPOILERS for the Trespasser DLC, Tevinter Nights, and all Dragon Age games so far, INCLUDING VEILGUARD PROMOTIONAL CONTENT.

"The First of My People:" from Earth and Sky

Before I talk about what the Evanuris became, it's important to lay out my theories about how they came to be. So, to start, let's talk about Elgar'nan, first of the gods, and what the wiki says about his origins:

He was the first of the elven gods, born of the sun and the earth.

Now, to understand the deeper meaning I glean from that sentence alone, I want to talk about how the ancient elves view "the sun" and "the earth," and how neither of these things are as simple as they sound.

First, we can talk about Skyhold: literally the place where the sky was held back, where Solas first created the Veil. With this translation, we can understand that to the ancient elves, the sky and the Fade are interchangeable terms.

From what we can glean from the wiki, we can assume that the elven word 'elgar' means 'spirit.' The word for 'sun' is incredibly similar: 'elgara.'

Therefore, I conclude that the sun and the Fade are the same. One part of Elgar'nan comes from the Fade, in my interpretation. As do all elvhen: I interpret it to mean spirit-essence or spirit-people, suggesting the elvhen are spirits given shape (versus the elven, ostensibly their descendants).

In the Vir Dirthara, you find this codex:

The pages of this book—memory?—show a solemn group of elves in an ampitheater of living wood, entire trees grown into seats and stairs for the listeners to recline on. Two other elves and a spirit of learning are speaking in turn on ways to bend the properties of the material world when casting spells. At the end, the spirit, with the air of a senior lecturer, floats forward and booms in a surprisingly deep voice. "The unchanging world is delicate: spells of power invite disaster and annihilation. The unchanging world is stubborn: the pull of the earth fiercely resists making fire run like water or stone rise like mist. The unchanging world rings with its own harmony. Listen with fearless hearts, and great works will unfold."

Note how these words are being used. The unchanging world is a reference to the waking world, what would become our side of the Veil. But in that world, there is a pull of the earth. This references the deep earth, and its own magic: the magic of the Titans.

Therefore, Elgar'nan is one part "earth" and one part "sun" or "sky." One part Fade, one part Titan magic. In my interpretation? One part lyrium.

I believe Elgar'nan and Mythal, first of the Evanuris, are spirits who became corporeal, somehow involving the magic of Titans. Even though Mythal is said to have risen from the sea, I believe Elgar'nan and Mythal both began their existence spontaneously. They made themselves corporeal, and would go on to create more together. (More on that in a different post!)

From lyrium they came; to lyrium they all would fall.

Mythal and the Titans

Before we go into the Evanuris waging war on one another, we must understand their relationship to lyrium in the first place. How did they go from their own domain to underground, and what laid the groundwork for this infighting?

In the light of the veilfire, the runes seem to shift, coiling and uncoiling like snakes. A thunderous voice shatters the stillness, shouting: "Hail Mythal, adjudicator and savior! She has struck down the pillars of the earth and rendered their demesne unto the People! Praise her name forever!"

If you've done the Descent DLC, the Inquisitor will go on to say, "The runes say the Evanuris fought the Titans. They mined their bodies for lyrium and... something else. It's not clear."

Personally, I'm not sure when Mythal and the Evanuris first began slaying titans. Maybe this precipitated their own corporeal origins. Maybe she and Elgar'nan became corporeal using the bodies of the slain.

What is clear is this: their demesne was given to the People. What is the Titans' property? All we know is that lyrium is their lifeblood. Other than territory underground, this is all that could be given to the People. (More on my thoughts on this and the origin of the other Evanuris in a later week, I promise.)

The Evanuris and Lyrium

For now, one theory I have is that the Evanuris then created unliving servants from lyrium. We see this in another Vir Dirthara codex.

The pages of this book—memory?—show a narrow plateau on top of a mountain, Two armored figures—one in gold, one in black—are fighting in the snow. Steel flickers so fast the air hums. Blood dots the ground. They do not stop for breath. The one in black makes no sound as a blade parts his throat. "Mythal, in her wisdom, interceded in an argument between Elgar'nan and Falon'Din. With clever words, she convinced them to settle their grievance through a battle of their champions. Elgar'nan and Falon'Din agreed, and set their champions against each other rather than declare war among the gods. May those knights long be remembered, and Mythal's wisdom be praised."

These things aren't human! They bleed, but don't breathe. They never stop fighting. This duel lasts 100 years.

But we know that the Evanuris' handling of the Titans and lyrium did not end there.

For a moment, the scent of blood fills the air, and there is a vivid image of green vines growing and enveloping a sphere of fire. The vision grows dark. An aeon seems to pass. Then the runes crackle, as if filled with an angry energy. A new vision appears: elves collapsing caverns, sealing the Deep Roads with stone and magic. Terror, heart-pounding, ice-cold, as the last of the spells is cast. A voice whispers: "What the Evanuris in their greed could unleash would end us all. Let this place be forgotten. Let no one wake its anger. The People must rise before their false gods destroy them all."

The Hubris of Andruil and the Origin of the Blight

Let me be clear. I think there is so much more to Mythal's murder than "Andruil and Falon'din were greedy and upset." But I do know that Andruil and Falon'din are both cited in Inquisition, from various sources, as being greedy and willing to push boundaries in order to further their own gain.

First, we have Andruil: goddess not of the hunt, as the Dalish believe, but of sacrifice, according to Solas in the Temple of Mythal.

One day Andruil grew tired of hunting mortal men and beasts. She began stalking the Forgotten Ones, wicked things that thrive in the abyss. Yet even a god should not linger there, and each time she entered the Void, Andruil suffered longer and longer periods of madness after returning. Andruil put on armor made of the Void, and all forgot her true face. She made weapons of darkness, and plague ate her lands. She howled things meant to be forgotten, and the other gods became fearful Andruil would hunt them in turn.

We know that blight disease is sometimes referred to as a "plague." We also know that prolonged lyrium use causes mutations in mages. We also know that red lyrium is Blighted lyrium - the blood of a Blighted Titan.

We also know that regular lyrium can, at the very least, empower a templar's anti-magic abilities. And we know what Mythal did to Andruil for her frequent trips to the Void.

[Andruil] howled things meant to be forgotten, and the other gods became fearful Andruil would hunt them in turn. So Mythal spread rumors of a monstrous creature and took the form of a great serpent, waiting for Andruil at the base of a mountain. When Andruil came, Mythal sprang on the hunter. They fought for three day and nights, Andruil slashing deep gouges in the serpent's hide. But Mythal's magic sapped Andruil's strength, and stole her knowledge of how to find the Void. After this, the great hunter could never make her way back to the abyss, and peace returned.

The moment I found out that memories are stored in lyrium, I had strong feelings about this codex. Especially since Solas, once absorbing Mythal's power at the end of Inquisition, gains the ability to use dwarven magic (turning people to stone with a thought). My interpretation is that Mythal has always been able to use this magic, for whatever reason, and was able to take Andruil's memories from her, storing those memories somewhere else. (There's a whole other theory branching from that, but it is not for this post.)

Point being: Mythal actively worked to prevent the other Evanuris from delving too deep into lyrium/Stone magic/the Void.

And it would be her downfall.

The Lone Voice of Reason, Doomed

Given the Evanuris' relationship to lyrium and the Titans, it would only be a matter of time before their desire to amass power would bring them too far, past the point of no return.

This would drive them to murdering Mythal, but not right away.

First, we can see countless examples of Evanuris greed leading up to Mythal's murder. Ghilan'nain created monsters of all shapes and sizes before the Evanuris raised her to godhood in fear. In Horror of Hormak, we gain a little insight into this process: a laboratory in the Deep Roads, an awful briny fluid, and a yellow-green lyrium crystal powering everything, which is then used to collapse the strange mountain above the laboratory, destroying it.

Later, Ghilan'nain encourages one of Dirthamen's followers to take a winged shape reserved for the gods, presumably a dragon. This sends Mythal into such quick anger that she turns this person to Elgar'nan for judgement, knowing his judgement is violent and cannot be trusted.

Second, Solas talking about Falon'Din in the Temple of Mythal makes me think that Falon'Din attempted a very similar rebellion, only to meet a similar failure.

INQUISITOR: Do you know any legends? SOLAS: It is said Falon’Din’s appetite for adulation was so great, he began wars to amass more worshippers. The blood of those who wouldn’t bow low filled lakes as wide as oceans. Mythal rallied the gods, once the shadow of Falon’Din’s hunger stretched across her own people. It was almost too late. Falon’Din only surrendered when his brethren bloodied him in his own temple. INQUISITOR: Did ancient elves believe all their gods so terrifying? SOLAS: Yes. I believe they did.

For a time, the Evanuris were on Mythal's side - at least when others were watching. I think, more likely, no one wanted to be publicly associated with failed rebellions.

Taken together, I conclude that the elven gods were quietly trying to rebel against Mythal for a long time, and would only succeed when they all worked together.

We know from the Veilguard trailer that the elven gods are all Blighted. This suggests to me that they all united on their desire to exploit lyrium and spread the Blight.

What Does This Mean for Veilguard?

Well! I'm a bit late in writing this all down, so the Veilguard Release Trailer has already hit a lot of my talking points. BUT. Tinfoil hat on, this is what I could see:

Ghilan'nain and Elgar'nan are both Blighted. I'm guessing Elgar'nan's dragon form is also Blighted, and this will have implications for Solas/the Dread Wolf form.

I think the original valasslin used by the Evanuris were inked in lyrium, and since Solas' spell to remove them still works on a present-day Inquisitor, I wonder if some lyrium component is still involved -- and if it is, I imagine some of the Dalish might be puppetted by the Evanuris in DA:tV.

We know at least one Titan is Blighted, because of the existence and spread of red lyrium in DA:I. I'm thinking we see this not only spread, but mutate, due to the differently-appearing darkspawn in DA:tV and the existence of altered darkspawn in the short story Horror of Hormak.

We know Weisshaupt is supposedly dealing with its own "problems," and can also be seen with red lyrium in that one map trailer for DA:tV.

I think something is going to happen to everyone presently affected by lyrium. Vivienne and Solas both say that even regular lyrium permanently affects a mage who consumes it.

I think Mythal/Flemeth/Morrigan is going to tell us the intricacies of the lyrium war, as well as reveal secrets about lyrium's uses.

So... YEAH! If you got this far, thank you for reading this much. Let me know if you agree, or if I've missed anything important!

Happy 70 days 'til Veilguard, my dudes.

[micheldechevin]

I know I talk about Solas a lot on here but I wanted to listen several other tings I'm excited for outside of him in DA:TV

SPOILERS

If there is a turbo blight fueled by the escape of blighted gods.

I wanna know the backgrounds on the characters we haven't met yet like Bellara.

I wanna know about Rook's dynamics with other people, like how the personalities play out.

I'm excited to go to places we haven't gone yet that look super cool.

I'm excited to see what cameos there are.

I wanna see the crafting system, I love playing dress up.

I'm interested in the CC in general, it sounds really good.

I'm excited for the abundance of new codex entries.

I'm excited to see what the gods get up to, like what are their plans now that they're out.

I'm excited to see how the backstories effect the game.

I want more lore like so bad, I had theories and they're changing based on what we've seen so far and thats really exciting for me.

I'm interested in seeing how other inquisitors interact with the story

etc etc etc

[dreadfutures]

For the director's commentary ask game thing: I'd *love* a director's commentary on your inspiration for/ thoughts on the academic texts in your amazing Dorian & Solas fic "strike a match (whisper my name)." Particularly Memories of Callistus, Magister and Scholar that shows up in chapter 3. Your descriptions of it and the passage you wrote for it were just *so* cool!!

Oh, thank you so much!

FIC: [strike a match (whisper my name)]

Rating: T | Pairing: Dorian & Solas | Multichap: 7/7

Dorian and Solas go back and forth during Inquisition, arguing over whether Corypheus' magic is powered by blood, red lyrium, the Blight itself, or some unholy combination of the two. An academic rivalry that leads to friendship - even in the face of the end of the world.

One thing Dorian expresses canonically in DAI, especially if you take him to the Fade in HLTA, is that he does not find it a beautiful place at all. Despite his disagreements with Vivienne on most things, he does align with her on the idea that everything beautiful in the Fade is a lie, a danger, and that underneath there is something that cannot be trusted and may very well be repulsive. In this fic, Solas offers Dorian a bit of an olive branch between their Blight-vs-Blood-vs-Red Lyrium tete-a-tete, and he lends Dorian a book that he hopes will show Dorian that there is beauty in the Fade, that can be trusted.

This book is a diary of Magister Callistus.

And... Callistus, the book, and the passage Dorian reads is from a Codex: Walking the Fade - Frozen Moments.

Only when I let go of my desires and humbled myself was the Fade opened to me. The spirits came and took it upon themselves to be my guides, my lanterns in the darkness. At their command, the paths grew still, and I could walk them again and again. I was shown vast oceans, containing not water, but memories, drawn from the minds of dreamers. I drifted through frozen moments, like paintings, perfect in each detail. As I explored this impossible realm, the spirits kept darker things at bay. I came to trust them, even love them, and I saw my own love reflected in them.

To know the Fade, one cannot seek to master it. The Fade is the master, the teacher. We are merely apprentices.

—Writings of Magister Callistus of Taraevyn, known to some as "Callistus the Fade-Touched"

I've been really touched that more than one person has so enjoyed the book exchange Solas and Dorian engage in! But this one isn't mine.

I go lore-hunting quite often and stumble across these codices, and then I dream up ways to include them in fics. Most often, these are notes and letters to discover, if I am trying to include them specifically, OR, they point me in directions of ideas and concepts that are known and discussed IN UNIVERSE between characters, and thus give me an idea of what people generally might know and talk about.

In this fic specifically, I knew I wanted Solas and Dorian to engage in a book exchange. Now, there aren't a lot of texts on the subject they're actually debating (blood magic, blight magic, and red lyrium). However, they are both surprisingly stuffy academics...each with a softer side that challenges and entertains the status quo. That's why Dorian was such a prodigy, a thaumaturge, becoming an Enchanter so young. He's a researcher, entertaining whimsical ideas others might write off. Solas, as both a Dreamer and an ancient elf who literally created the Veil, has a breadth of knowledge and experience beyond most - and because he values intellectual discovery, dangles that knowledge like a lure, hoping that someone else will appreciate the shiny things he has gathered.

And I needed them to be friends, after establishing them as barely tenuous, and quite contentious, allies.

So I thought: what's an event that might trigger Dorian to express an opinion that Solas can challenge? and how can Solas challenge it as an academic, rather than relying on the ol' "i dreamed about it" deal? How about a book! I listened to a bunch of Dorian's dialogue, latched on to this idea of a) Tevinter Magisters *know* about Dreamers, and have records of them! b) How do they truly view the Fade, and Demons? What do their *academics* think, versus Dorian's somewhat traumatized post-HLTA reaction? c) Are there any codices or books that relate to Dreamers, their experiences in the Fade, and beautiful experiences?

And with just a little bit of googling and wiki-walking, I found Callistus.

Now the other "text" in the fic is an unnamed tome written in both Elven and Tevene:

Dorian knows what the book is the moment he sees that the pages are mirrored — on the left hand side there is the unfamiliar and thought to be lost elven script, and on the right there is ancient Tevene.

And the pages are soaked in blood.

It is an ancient academic text, written by two collaborators studying the newly erected Veil! He has no idea where it has been hiding his whole life — or for the past several centuries — but it is the find of a lifetime, to be sure.

I knew pretty early on (because my brain is hung up on my own AUs) that this would take place in Ixchel's young!lifetime. Solas does not want to win. Solas sees modern people as people. He knows what will happen to them if he wins. And he is desperate for someone to stop him. Young!Ixchel gave up. But Dorian? Dorian, presented with a clue? Would he ever give up the search? No!

So I thought about what kind of thing might be the key to unraveling this mystery of the nature of magic and its subtypes, and the nature of time. They are all connected in DA, that's pretty clear to me. The question of how and why and when it all became that way is another mystery.

And I like to think about the peoples of Thedas as...people. Ancient elves survived the Fall of Arlathan/the Creation of the Veil. They interacted with the nascent Tevinter Imperium, exchanging ideas, religions, practices, beliefs, and skills. Surely--surely!--there were people studying the Veil, which had not been there before. What if they worked together?

People are people!

And how useful would it be, to have information from someone who knew what it was like before the Veil, and who could analyze and describe this new phenomenon in detail, and perform tests and such with lifetimes of experience and wisdom guiding them? Surely that would save Dorian a lot of time. And that would certainly be something that Solas could get his hands on, I'm sure.

This was roughly the same time as the DA Comic, The Missing, was coming out, which seems to be a game of cat-and-mouse and leaving clues behind between Solas and Varric, so it really felt in-character for Solas to leave this book where Dorian could find it.

I initially envisioned the fic to have Solas in the audience at one of Dorian's lectures, ask an impertinent question, and argue with Dorian briefly before Dorian realizes--this is Solas! but Solas would get away before Dorian could end his seminar and give chase. That didn't happen (boy, I did not want to write that seminar and question session!!! LOL just #thesis hell getting too real), so instead I implied that Solas was in the audience, had listened to Dorian's theories, and knew exactly what to give Dorian to push him to the next realization, and left it in Dorian's house.

Anyway, thanks for letting me ramble about how I find obscure codices lol. DA has so many! of them!

[corvidkusnos]

What I would personally do to improve Dragon Age Inquisition

Playable Origin

You create your character and you start off at the conclave in the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Mages, Templars, Chantry representatives, diplomats, all gathering together to discuss the possibility for peace.

Before the talks begin, you're able to explore the area. You can interact with the attendees to gain insight into the conflict, differing views, and even interact and/or listen to with NPCs of other origins. You're able to talk with the people you came with, perhaps give them gossip in what other people are thinking, maybe even imply a romantic relationship with a lucky origin NPC if you so desire.

You can find codexes/letters giving context to the whole thing for new players or as a refresher, perhaps you may even find evidence of the Warden's endeavour during the blight as a little Easter egg. Once you reach a certain area, however, it progresses to a cutscene showing the explosion and fading to black with no explanation. You wake up in the jail cell awaiting Interrogation.

This way, what happened at the Temple and your envolvement with the explosion is still a mystery to be uncovered later on, but you get to know your character's background more, have an emotional investment, and introduce the Mage-Templar conflict and the importance of the conclave, especially to new players to Dragon Age.

Dalish Sympathetic Character

We may have two elven characters, Sera and Solas, but they very much fall into the "not like other elves" category. Inquisition felt very much like it was trying to make the Dalish sound stupid and wrong for their culture and beliefs, and I think the player would've benefited from having a Dalish presence that could give their perspective and stand up for their culture and traditions.

This character could have been a companion and/or an advisor type character. It could be a new character entirely or a returning character.

I would personally have Merrill return in the hybrid companion-advisor role. I believe she would have had some great banter opportunities with a lot of the characters, bit also I think having another eluvian expert alongside Morrigan could've been interesting.

I wouldn't have Merrill replace Morrigan because Morrigan was set up for this role since the Witch Hunt DLC, however I think having, again, an alternate perspective on eluvians and the Well of Sorrows would have been brilliant. There could be the back and forth between Merrill and Morrigan, but also Merrill's story sort of coming full circle in finding out Mythal's identity - even more so if she drinks from the well.

Hawke Stays to Fight

If Hawke doesn't leap as they plummet into the abyss, Hawke Stays with the Inquisition to have a rematch with Corypheus and help end him once and for all.

Hawke is the reason Corypheus was freed in the first place, having broken the seals their father put in place to imprison Corypheus so they could kill the threat instead, unknowing that Corypheus possessed the ability to bind his soul to blighted creatures to keep himself alive. It only makes sense that should they survive the Fade, that they finish what they started and conclude their story.

And besides, Hawke could've easily reported back to Weisshaupt in the form of a letter.

Less Centrism

This one specifically is about Mages vs Templars, but can be applied in other areas, too.

The game very much pushes the "both sides bad" mentality on the conflict despite it being inappropriate. Veteran Dragon Age fans would know about the inequality and abuses mages in Thedas face, but a new player starting from Inquisition wouldn't know that and thus could formulate opinions and choices they may not otherwise take had they known all the context.

That's not to say grey morality can't exist or that other options besides the good or neutral options aren't allowed, but don't try to make situations that aren't equal in weight seem like both sides are just as bad as each other.

You can show people who are in support of both sides and you can give the player the choice to support either side (because it is a roleplaying game and the choices of a character isn't necessarily indicative of the player's opinions, it's roleplay), but don't pretend that the argument is equal.

Linear Progression

While exploration can be fun, the maps are pretty empty and full of shallow side quests.

I would either cut them down entirely and have a bigger focus on story progression, or go down the Dragon Age 2 route where the side quests are few but meaty and end up weaving into bigger stories as the main story progresses.

That way there is less of having to mind numbingly grind boring side quests just to level up enough to continue with the main plot, and more of a payoff for completing the side quests you do play.

A Complete Character Creator Overhaul

...Need I say more?

Improved hair, including more inclusive hair textures. Improved makeup, preferably done by people who actually know makeup theory. Improves facial hair options and textures. Body sliders. A choice between she/her, he/him and they/them pronouns (I know they/them isn't a one-size-fits-all but in the context of realistically having all the dialogue trees voiced, they/them is the most accessible).

Oh, and improving the posture of the models. Their shoulders are way too far forward and it bothers me.

Ditch Frostbite Engine

This one would be an unrealistic change but a change I would want nonetheless, but I would have Inquisition imported into Unreal Engine 5.

UE5 is so much more versatile and it just looks so much better than Frostbite.

Improved textures, lighting effects, polygon usage, and most importantly, more suited to the genre of RPGs than Frostbite ever was.

I mostly just want the game textures to look less like plastic though, in all honesty.

-

There are probably more improvements to make, but these are the main ones I can think of off the top of my head.

[shift-shaping]

Solas/Surana Party Banter round whatever

hello. here it is again, but different this time! SIGNIFICANTLY. there's way more and it's a little bit ~angst-y~. anyway, here's the previous version, and here's a preface to this post.

-

In case you aren't aware of what my girl's Whole Deal is, she was in love with Alistair during the Blight and he sacrificed himself, which Sucked Balls for her. She wandered around in the mountains for most of the past ten years, and now she's in the Inquisition because she doesn't know what else to do with her life.

content warnings: brief mention of colorism

Lots of banter under the cut

Solas: Surana. Now that you have joined the Inquisition, what title do you prefer to use?

Surana: What title do you use?

Solas: None. But you have earned many.

Surana: 'Warden,' I guess. I don't really care.

Solas: Not 'Hero of Ferelden?'

Surana: No. Surana is fine.

.

Solas: You dislike your title?

Surana: It is inaccurate. Alistair was the real hero, and he died fighting the archdemon --I only ever did what I had to do.

Solas: Hm.

.

Solas: You do not think yourself a hero?

Eirwen: *sighs* If a man is ordered to save a child from a burning building or else be killed himself, is he really a hero? No, he is not.

Eirwen: Had I not been made a Warden, I would have been killed or made Tranquil. I did not choose to do the right thing. I was forced to.

.

Surana: Why do you keep asking me so many questions, Solas?

Solas: You are an historical anomaly. An elven mage elevated to the status of legendary hero.

(If the Inquisitor is an elf, a mage, or both:

Eirwen: Well apparently it’s not that anomalous.

Solas: Even still.)

Solas: I have seen echoes of your victories in the Fade alongside reflections of your losses. You have overcome a great deal. Do not be so quick to dismiss your own story.

Surana: Your dreams are lying to you. That legacy is not mine to claim.

Solas: I will not try to convince you otherwise, but know this: whatever bitterness you feel towards your legacy, you will gain far more accepting it than you ever would fighting its tide.

Surana: This isn't really about me, is it?

Solas: It never is.

.

[After All New, Faded for Her]

Eirwen: I’m sorry about Wisdom, Solas.

Solas: I appreciate that. Thank you.

Eirwen: It must have had a wealth of knowledge. It is a shame to lose so much for so little.

Solas: There is a difference between wisdom and knowledge.

Eirwen: Right, yes. I remember a joke about that. Would you like to hear it?

Solas: Not particularly.

Eirwen: *clears her throat* Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing it does not belong in a fruit salad.

Solas: ...

Eirwen: Too soon, I suppose. Sorry.

.

Solas: Thank you, Surana.

Eirwen: I told you, Dorian and I aren’t fond of that particular vintage. And we thought you’d appreciate the earthy tones.

Solas: Thank you for that as well, I think, but that is not what I as referring to.

Eirwen: Oh?

Solas: Your joke. You… it was unexpected. But not bad at all.

Eirwen: Oh. Well, that’s about the least dirty joke I know. Want to hear one a drunken dwarf told me in the Deep Roads?

Solas: Another time, perhaps.

Eirwen: Ah, you wouldn’t like it anyway.

.

Solas: Surana. You said before that a man ordered to save a child from a burning building under threat of death would not be a hero.

Solas: I disagree.

Surana: Oh?

Solas: The man threatened with death may not see himself as particularly noble, but the child will always see him as their savior. Regardless of his motivations, he will always be a hero to the child he saved.

Surana: So no matter who or what made him do it, he is still a good person because another thinks him such?

Solas: I did not say that. 'Heroic' and 'good' are not necessarily the same.

.

Surana: So what is your point, then? That I should make people call me 'Hero' at Skyhold?

Solas: My point is that you should not feel guilty if they believe you to be someone you are not. You cannot control them, and attempts to the contrary will only serve to make you miserable.

Surana: Why do you care so much? Why does it matter to you how I feel about being called 'the Hero of Ferelden'?

Solas: It --doesn't. You are right, of course. And I meant no offense.

Surana: That's not-- I'm not offended, I'm curious. I want to know why it matters to you, a random wandering apostate, whether I call myself a hero or a bastard or a drunkard or nothing at all.

Solas: It is as I said: elven mages are rarely given the level of respect and admiration that you are. It is a shame you see no benefit in that.

Surana: Benefit? Like what, seeing my ears cut off in statues? My staff turned into a sword? My skin lightened in paintings and my relationships reduced to spectacle or seduction?

Surana: Maybe I am offended. I would love to be an anonymous apostate. I was, for a while, but I couldn't stop trying to live up to a version of me that doesn't exist, never has, and never will. The real hero is dead, and you have me instead.

Solas: You must let that be enough, Surana.

Surana: It isn't.

.

Surana: Solas, you have dreamt in all sorts of places, right?

Solas: Yes.

Surana: Have you ever --well, did you ever see the Battle of Denerim, in your dreams?

Solas: Not as you would remember it.

Surana: Of course not. But... I mean-- did you--

Solas: It is done, Surana. You cannot linger there.

Surana: How do I do that? How do I stop seeing it?

Solas: You do not. But instead of letting it weigh you down, let that pain be what pushes you forward. Focus on where you must be, and what you must do. You are needed here, now, exactly as you are, not as the person you were in Denerim. Whoever others think you are, you must go forward as who you know you are. If you lose sight of that, you are lost.

.

Surana: Solas, thank you.

Solas: For what?

Surana: You know full well what.

Solas: I try to help, when I can. The pain you carry is... familiar.

Surana: Familiar?

Solas: You feel guilt simply for being alive, as though self-flagellation will make you worthy of existence.

Surana: Self-flagellation? *dryly* You have a way with words, you know.

Solas: *just as dryly* You flatter me.

[If neither Solas nor Surana are romanced]

Surana: You deserve the flattery.

Solas: Is that a compliment, from the Hero of Ferelden herself?

Surana: I take it back. You're an ass and I hate you.

Solas: *chuckles*

.

[After Here Lies the Abyss]

Surana: I didn’t know you disliked the Wardens so much, Solas.

Solas: It was not worth mentioning.

Surana: Not until it became acceptable to criticize us, you mean.

Solas: What have the Wardens actually accomplished in terms of understanding the Blight? Do you honestly feel you understand it any better than you did before you became one?

Surana: Is that a serious question? Do I understand it better after witnessing its ravages than I did when I’d merely read about them in a book?

Solas: What did the Wardens teach you? What did you learn from them, about the Blight?

Surana: More than I will ever tell you.

Solas: *bitterly* Ah. Of course.

.

Surana: You have always been an apostate, have you not?

Solas: By your Chantry’s definition, I suppose.

Surana: My chantry? Am I the Divine now, too? *scoffs* Anyway, you have never spent time in a Circle.

Solas: No.

Surana: Then one thing I will tell you about the Wardens is this: there is no other path to freedom for many mages than to join them. You were not dragged from your home in chains because of what you are. You were not barred from dreaming, nor threatened with Tranquility when you failed to perform a difficult spell.

Solas: You should not have had to make that choice, Surana.

Surana: Yet I did, because it was the only one I had. And the Wardens are all the world has to counter the Blight. You can disagree from your tower in Skyhold or your hut in the woods or whatever, but we are working with what is available to us. Come up with a real solution and I will listen. But I’m uninterested in ignorant complaints from someone who was not there.

.

Surana: It’s not my Chantry.

Solas: Poor wording, on my part.

Surana: I don’t even like the Chantry.

Solas: Abelas. I meant no offense.

Surana: Yes, you did. Or you just don't care.

Solas: What would you have me say, Warden?

Surana: Nothing. Just be quiet.

.

Solas: Where was home to you, Surana? Before the Circle?

Surana: *sighs* An orphanage in Denerim’s alienage.

Solas: Really? Huh. In that case, I would have expected you to sound more like Sera.

(Sera, if present: What? You think all city elves sound the same?

Solas: You are from the same section of the same city. Why would you not have the same accent?)

Surana: I don’t sound like Sera because I was beaten in the Circle until I spoke 'properly.’ No offense to Sera, of course.

(Sera, if present: More reasons to be glad I’m not like you two.)

.

Solas: I am sorry, Surana. Living in the Circle must have been difficult, and I imagine being a Warden during the Blight was no easier.

Surana: *sighs* It’s alright. You couldn’t have known.

Solas: I should have tried. I have done you a disservice, and I hope you can forgive me.

Surana: Maybe. Possibly. Did you bring any of that wine with you?

Solas: Unfortunately not.

Surana: *playfully* Then, no.

Surana: …But please, call me Eirwen.

Solas: Eirwen. Ma nuvenin.

.

[After Surana hears Cole and Solas banter for the first time]

Surana: Oh! I think I got that one, it's --oh, wait. No, that can't be it.

Cole: You were close, though.

Solas: Nearly had it.

.

[If Eirwen is romanced by an elven Inquisitor]

Solas: *playfully* For all your talk of wanting anonymity, Eirwen, you seem incapable of avoiding spectacle.

Surana: Is this about the drunken bear? I already apologized for that.

Solas: No. You and the Inquisitor. Two of the most powerful elves in Thedas, together?

Surana: Jealous?

Solas: Not for the reason you think.

Inquisitor: How could we resist?

Surana: We are both very pretty.

OR

Inquisitor: One day we will be free of all of this. Together.

Solas: For your sakes, I hope you are right.

.

[If Solas is romanced and Eirwen's personal quest is completed]

Solas: You no longer consider yourself a Grey Warden, Eirwen?

Surana: Did the Inquisitor tell you that?

Solas: Yes. You threw your badge into the Abyss.

Surana: Bit dramatic, I suppose. I was having a moment.

Solas: Evidently.

.

Surana: It almost felt traitorous, honestly.

Solas: Why? You were forced to join the Grey Wardens, were you not?

Surana: They still saved my life.

Solas: And condemned you to an early death. They bought you time, nothing more.

Surana: But time is all any of us have, isn't it?

Solas: No. You have a name, and experience, and the influence to pull the strings behind the world.

Surana: Careful. You'll make the Inquisitor jealous.

Solas: I am not attempting to flatter you. I am only telling you what you must already know: that you are more than a Warden, and always have been.

.

Surana: Where will the two of you go, once this is over?

Inquisitor: (Somewhere quiet) A place where we can be left alone.

OR (Somewhere fun) Someplace with good wine.

OR (Home) North. Where my people are.

Solas: An appealing prospect, vhenan.

Inquisitor: What about you, Eirwen?

Surana, based on the Inquisitor's answer to the previous question: (Somewhere quiet) Somewhere without so many damn demons.

OR (Somewhere fun) I was thinking Rivain. I've heard the food is excellent.

OR (Home) The Deep Roads. Where my people are.

.

[If neither Solas nor Eirwen are romanced]

Solas: Have you ever learned any elven, Eirwen?

Surana: Unfortunately not. A few words here and there, a long time ago. It wasn’t exactly taught in the Circle.

Solas: Would you like to?

Surana: I –oh. I hadn’t –um.

Solas: *chuckles* You do not have to learn.

Surana: No! I would love to. From you, I assume?

Solas: I cannot imagine you were going to learn it from Sera.

Sera, if present: I prefer real words, thanks.

.

Solas: What elven words do you recall, from your alienage?

Surana: Ah… okay. Hahren, that’s like… elder, or leader. The tree in the middle was called the vhenadahl. Lethallan is like friend, or ally, or maybe even sister?

Solas: Do you know what vhenadahl means?

Surana: It must be something about a tree.

Solas: And where is it, in the alienage?

Surana: A central place, somewhere everyone could see it.

Solas: And what is another word for the middle of something that lovers might call each other?

Surana: …Heart?

Solas: So what do you think 'vhena’ means, if 'dahl' is tree?

Surana: Uh... heart?

Solas: Yes. But also 'home.' The vhenadahl was both the home of your people, and the heart of the alienage.

Sera, if present: Just call it what it is --a big stupid tree.

.

Surana, in elven: *haltingly, mumbling* [Her early leaf’s a flower… but] –shoot.

Solas, in elven: [But only so…?]

Surana: M- it starts with an ’m’…

Solas: Take your time.

Surana: Meh- malath?

Solas: *laughs*

Surana: Is that wrong? Shit, that must be wrong.

Solas: Not wrong, per say, but perhaps premature.

Surana: What? What did I say?

Solas: Do not concern yourself with it, lethallan.

Surana: …was it dirty?

Solas: No.

Surana: …then what was it?

Solas: Patience, Eirwen.

.

Surana: I found out what ‘ma lath’ means.

Solas: I would expect nothing less from such a gifted student.

Surana: Mhm. It’s –well. I’m glad I said it, but you were right. It was premature.

Solas: I agree. Though...

Surana: Though?

Solas: *chuckles* I think this is neither the time nor place.

Surana: What is, then?

Solas: When I have you alone, Eirwen.

Surana: *laughs awkwardly* Maker's breath...

.

Sera + Surana

(If Solas has begun "teaching Eirwen elven")

Sera: So… you and Droopy ears.

Surana: Why do you call him that?

Sera: Cause he’s all –I don’t know, sad or wha'ever.

Sera: Anyway. Teaching you 'the ways of the elves,’ is he?

Surana: It’s just not a very good nickname, frankly.

Sera: Well I don’t want to know what you call him.

Surana: Certainly not droopy.

Solas, if present: *snorts*

Sera: *laughs* Ew! Keep it to yourselves, then!

.

Solas: Eirwen, I–

Solas: I am sorry we had to cut our lessons short.

Surana: It’s… I understand. We… no, you were right.

Solas: Please, Eirwen.

Surana: Perhaps, in another life, another time, we could have–

Solas: You are a bright light in a dark world. You will always be important to me, for whatever that is worth.

.

Surana: Can I ask you a question, Solas?

Solas: Of course.

Surana: It's not about me, is it?

Solas: I--

Surana: It's about trying to fight the tide.

Solas: Eirwen...

Solas: I am so, so sorry.

Surana: Telanadas, hahren.

Solas: Ma nuvenin, vhenan.

[siennadraws]

OC interview: Terys Lavellan

Thank you @thatssolavellan for the tag!!!

INTRODUCTION

1. Can you introduce yourself?

I am Terys, a hunter of Clan Lavellan, I go by she, and I'm Mythal's Chosen.

2. What is your gender identity, orientation and relationship status?

Gender identity is something different from elves to shem, but I feel comfortable being called a woman. I'm attracted to all kinds of people and single.

3. Where and when were you born?

I was born on the 7th day of the second month of Spring. The calendar we Elvhen use is different from the shem's Chantry's, but I think the month would be Cloudreach. I was born in my clan's camp, in Ferelden. We used to live there before the Blight.

4. What is your weapon of choice and fighting style?

I use daggers and I prefer finishing the fight before it starts. I try to kill as many of my enemies as I can before they notice me.

5. Lastly, are you happy?

That's a difficult question. I am and am not. There's a moment for every emotion. Just because my life is hard doesn't mean I don't find happiness. But my life has been hard.

The rest of the questions under cut because it gets long.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

1. What’s your family like? What is your relationship with them?

My family is wonderful, and I love them.

My mother is a very wise woman, she's the more quiet one, listening in on everything before speaking. As the Keeper, she's also a very powerful mage. My mom is wise as well, of course, but she's more adventurous and loud, my uncle still tells stories of all the trouble they got into as children.

My sister is a sweetheart. She loves finding things and learning, a bit like me, but she's more of a open book, despite her shyness. She also loves all kinds of dogs, especially the wolves our clan travels with, especially Arla, the pack's leader.

2. Have you ever ran away from home?

Never, and I've never thought about it or found the need, to be honest.

3. Would you consider marriage or having children?

I'd consider marriage, but having children isn't something I want. I'd rather just help my fellow clan mates with their kids when they need and I can.

4. Do you secretly hate one of your friends?

No. Not at all. But I have hated some of them, and they hated me back. But we have moved on from it. Cass and I only started getting along after Corypheus was defeated. I had that weight off my shoulders and she had started realizing her biases. Awkward talks ensued but we're friends now.

Viv and I started getting along after Haven fell. I realized that she truly cared for her fellow mages and everyone else, just has a different way of thought on how to protect them, and I spoke to her about Dalish mages, and how we didn't actually abandoned them in the wilds. I think my sister joining the Inquisition was also a great help.

5. Which friend knows everything about you?

The one friend whose goals would find him using that knowledge against me. Solas.

ASKED BY FANS

1. Are you literate? Have you been to school?

I can read and write both Elvhen and Trade, my Trade was a bit rusty before joining the Inquisition. I was taught alongside my clan mates my age many different things, trades and history, survival and the ways of nature, religion. And I tried to learn more, and learned much more as life went on.

2. The eeriest prediction you made that later came true?

I may have made a few jokes about Solas being the mastermind behind the Breach.

3. What is something you were embarrassingly late to realize?

That the rumors Mother Giselle warned me about weren't that Dorian was manipulating me, or that we were working together for nefarious ends, but that we were in a relationship. I only realized it when Dorian made a joke about it, when he was saying his goodbyes.

4. Do you have mental health or physical issues?

I obviously have one physical issue, my missing arm. Thankfully I have a prothesis, but it causes problems of its own. And my mental health is... Probably shaky. I'm more paranoid and anxious than I used to be.

5. What is your current main goal?

My current goal is to stop Solas from ending this world. Hopefully finding a way to return it to it's natural state in a peaceful way.

CHOICES

1. Drink or food?

Food.

2. Cats or dogs?  

My sister would kill me for this, but cats. I still love dogs.

3. Optimist or pessimist?

A balance of both. It depends on what I'm thinking about.

4. Sassy or sarcastic?

Sassy.

HAVE YOU EVER

1. Been caught sneaking out?  

Yes. My sister and I used to sneak out to explore ancient Elvhen ruins, after they were cleared by the hunters. We told our mothers we were going to gather blueberries, but they caught on the lie. I suspect they sent some hunters to watch over us without being caught.

Once we got older my sister and I still went to explore the ruins, but this time with authorization, and a couple of my hunter friends as backup.

2. Broken a bone?

A couple, it happens when you're a hunter, or a reckless kid, or when you're trying to repair a big hole in the sky made by a Magister.

3. Received flowers?

Yes. Romantically and platonically. Dalish kids love making flower crowns, it's something that keeps their hands busy and that they can brag about.

4. Ghosted someone?

No. When you're Dalish there aren't many ways to ghost someone, even if it's during an Arlathvenn, so you don't really find the need later in life, even outside the clan.

5. Pretended to laugh at a joke you didn’t get?

Never. This may be the cause of a couple of Josephine's grey hairs.

I'm tagging @dreadfutures @little-lightning-lavellan @vakarians-girl @vvakarians @tireddemigod @vronism (no pressure) and whoever wants to do this (pls tag me!)

[5lazarus]

Masterlist of My Stories

My Writing

Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, I post a snippet of what I'm currently working on.

On Mondays, I post the last lines of the stories I'm finishing up, as well as lessons learned from the previous week. I post this under the tag #last line monday and #lessons from the week.

On Wednesdays, I throw up a snippet of fanfiction. I post this under the tag #wip wednesday.

On Fridays, I write at least seven lines of my own stories, either poetry, essays, or fiction. I post this under the tag #seven line friday.

On Sundays, I post at least six lines of fanfic. I post this under the tag #six sentence sunday.

For more information about me, check out my About Me page. I don't answer personal questions unless I share an asklist, I don't take prompts unless I share a promptlist, and I don't keep anonymous asks on. I've also made two promptlists--one a writing challenge, the other a list of poetry prompts! Find my work archived and updated under hes5thlazarus on Archive of Our Own.

Below is a catalogue of my stories, broken down by fandom (Dragon Age, Harry Potter, Star Trek):

My Dragon Age Stories

There Is No Ithaca Three moments where Solas loses his home: Solas wrecks his revolution on the altar of Mythal. Solas returns from war to find Ghilan’nain incubating the Blight within their own home. Fen'Harel negotiates the end of the world with the Thaig of the Bastion of the Pure. Answers to various asks from brightoncemore's wonderful promptlist.

Ultramarine Sylaise attempts to trademark the color blue, initiating a civil war. Fen'Harel disapproves. Felassan, at this point, is just along for the ride. Highlights include: Andruil attempts to create biological weapons out of the conquered children of the stone and sell them to absolutely everyone, Mythal may or may not involve, Solas greatly disapproves, and everyone wants to kill Fen'Harel for disapproving. Also an explanation as to why Solas has to think before answering Sera on whether he has ever pissed magic by accident. Sorta a love story, sorta a comedy, sorta a story about political intrigue--but hey, Solas said Arlathan was even worse than Orlais! A big thank you to potatowitch and isomede for talking me through this and getting me to finish it--and for giving me the best ideas for it.

Overheard at the Hanged Man Thirty-one stories written in Nightmare-mode for Beyond the Veil's 2020 Artober Challenge, ranging through the entire series, from Arlathan before the Blight to the Chargers in Serault.

Alistair the Accidental Heretic Alistair gets bored during morning prayer and starts changing the words of the Chant as he sings. Mother Prudence and Knight-Commander Greagoir are less than pleased, and soon he finds himself tripping up over accidental heresy even within the kitchens of Kinloch Hold. It's not easy, being a half-elf templar with a conscience, because even having a sense of humor is heresy.

The Starkhaven Crier A portrait of two future apostates at ten-year-olds: Jowan and Surana are bored, get dragged to the Chantry for the good of their souls, and accidentally make the new girl from Starkhaven cry. Featuring Surana determined to be the one Dalish against letting the Maker come back, the self-hating mage in the Surana/Amell origin as the Starkhaven Crier, and the same Mother Prudence who sent Alistair to bed without supper. From the six Florence & the Machine prompts that ellie-effie sent me.

Morrigan at the Crossroads Morrigan reaches her breaking point, confronted with the one person she cannot flee: her six-week-old son, who cannot be soothed back to sleep, struggling in the Crossroads. From a prompt musettta3 sent me.

Shartan's Riddle Surana talks Mahariel through writing Leliana, after Leliana leaves to work for the Divine. Shartan promised them a home, and Mahariel worries Leliana, devout as she is, cannot give it to her. From the six Florence & the Machine prompts that ellie-effie sent me.

Winter in Amaranthine The Wardens' companions decide to leave, and Warden-Commander Arana Mahariel cannot find a reason good enough to tell them no. Meanwhile, letters between the Warden and Leliana get lost in translation, and Arana makes it worse. From the six Florence & the Machine prompts that ellie-effie sent me.

Palimpsest Velanna and Sigrun fight some darkspawn, talk around the past, and write some letters. Written as a gift for hellbell, for the Sapphic Solstice 2021 Gift Exchange.

Phosphorescence A Despair demon in the Foundry district is clogging up the whole city with a miasma of misery. Justice runs into an old friend of his, during Anders' first few weeks in Kirkwall, and the three set to work. Heavy-handed allegory abounds, but, Justine opines, that’s the Dreamers’ fault. From the six Florence & the Machine prompts that ellie-effie sent me.

Labyrinth "Anders made no attempt at escape during the years they were together." This story is meant to explore everything absolutely horrible about that statement. If the core part of Anders' identity is his refusal to submit to imprisonment, then perhaps listening to Karl was a violation of his sense of self. Things get better, and then things get worse.

Kirkwall Thunderstorm Family squabbling as the storm sets in, Hawke flees to face the thunderstorm head on, and laughs, because what's more to life than this, chasing a storm all the way down to the harbor? From the six Florence & the Machine prompts that ellie-effie sent me. One of my favorite things I've written in 2020.

Debutante Leandra manages Hawke's debut ball, and surprises herself by having a lot of fun. From an OC ask I decided to turn into a prompt.

Dregs Anders baits Varric, or Varric baits Anders, both drunk at the Hanged Man. There's no resolution to an argument when they're both just angry, thinking about dead mages. From the six Florence & the Machine prompts that ellie-effie sent me. One of my favorite things I've written in 2020.

The Scent of Pomegranates Merrill brings a pomegranate to the Hanged Man, to try and capture some of the way her clan celebrated the new year. Fenris is oddly moved. Written for the DA Den's 2020 Holiday Gift Exchange.

Anders in Autumn Anders and Fenris, over the course of one gorgeous autumn in Kirkwall, find common ground, a common goal, and even tenderness, as the city grows cool and vibrant in the changing of the year. Justice returns to the streets of Kirkwall, one way or another, and it is as transformative and loving as justice truly is. An answer to an Artober challenge from cozy-autumn-prompts

Warp & Weft Anders wakes Fenris up in the middle of the night talking, and then not wanting to talk, about weaving. What they remember and what they have forgot climb into the bed with them. A gift for potatowitch.

Landlocked Merrill goes looking for Isabela after a night of drinking at the Hanged Man, and finds her considering the sun rising over the horizon at the docks. They're landlocked and the salt's drained them both dry, but maybe it's not all been a waste. They're shipless, not shipwrecked. Part of a personal challenge to write more femslash, after realizing how little there is in Dragon Age fandom.

Love and Red Ink Varric tries his hand at a more literary Bildungsroman about his youth as a Kirkwall bohemian. Bianca tears it apart, editing for his own good. Sometimes love is in the margins, your almost ex-girlfriend telling you--I wasn't that pretty, when I was that young.

The Most Boring Sex Party in All Orlais Josephine and Leliana both admit the night they met ended with someone's smallclothes pinned to the Chanter's Board--but what happened right before? Josephine says, “I have played the Game before, and understand its cutthroat stakes. But I must admit, I never thought I would witness the opening salvo of a coup at the most boring sex party of all Orlais.”

Catabasis Kirkwall's in ashes and Hawke and their friends are on the run. Varric might have ended the story at the docks, but the conflict continues. The question persists: should they separate? And what brought them together in the first place? From a series of prompts ellie-effie and musetta3 sent me.

The Domestics Alistair runs into an older elven woman on the battlements, watching the children play in the Skyhold courtyard below. They get to talking: isn't it nice that the mages get to keep their children now? Then, in the course of the conversation, Alistair figures it out. Alistair says, “I always wondered. What my life would’ve been like, if she could’ve kept me. I always kinda knew she didn’t have a choice. King’s bastards are the king’s, not whoever carried them. If she were a servant and if I’d end up in the kitchens or, better yet, the dairy. I really like cheese. But if she were a mage, I guess we never had any of that. Unless she ran away.”

The Bane of Red Crossing In the astrarium cave in the Storm Coast with Inquisitor Lavellan, Cole, and Solas, Sera opens a chest and finds a beautiful bow, named the Bane of Red Crossing. But what is the Bane of Red Crossing? According to the codex: "Ser Yves de Chevac used this bow in the Exalted March against the Dales – specifically, in the liberation of Val Royeaux, where the chevalier famously struck down the elven forces' commander with a shot to the throat at two hundred feet." Lavellan is not pleased, but does not know how to communicate effectively with Sera. Cole and Solas make it worse. Sometimes there is no adequate resolution, when you are faced with the instrument of your great-grandparents' destruction. Sometimes there is nothing that disinterested compassion can say.

To the Victor the Spoils In the Skyhold gardens, in Adamant's wake, Solas meets Loghain. A character study of two trickster-kings, speaking a little too honestly. As Loghain himself says, "The past is always with us. It’s in our bones and our blood and we wear it on our skin. You can think otherwise, but you’ll never get far without it."

Dead Man Hiking Solas broods over what has been lost. Dorian interrupts, and Solas dangles hidden knowledge in front of him like a carrot. They both take the bait, because, as irritable and sad Solas can get, "he wants to give wisdom, not orders," and Dorian loves to learn. Written for Beyond the Veil's 2020 Satinalia Gift Exchange.

So Much Lore! So Much Information! Dorian has a wonderful conversation with the Skyhold Librarian about improvements to the library's filing system and the innovations coming out of Minrathous when Vivienne comes by and points out he's just talking to himself. He's been waxing rhapsodic about the Tevinter equivalent of the Dewey decimal system to a spirit--or maybe a demon. So clearly they must investigate.

Dirthara Ma! May You Learn After the Exalted Council, Solas stops for a drink and a sulk in a quiet tavern in Ostwick. He is convinced no one will ever recognize him with a full head of hair and a beard. Then the Inquisitor walks in. The first in a canon-compliant post-Trespasser Solavellan series.

White Nights A year after Trespasser, Lavellan takes a new lover to a quiet inn in Val Royeaux. She steps out to the balcony for a quick smoke under the stars, looks over to the balcony adjacent to hers--and who is there but the Dread Wolf himself, slightly disguised, with a glass of wine? Despite themselves they talk, and do not stop talking. “Entertain me,” Solas says. “What ending will Master Tethras write for us? Because I do not know how to leave this gracefully. Though I suppose any ending is better than the last one, when I left with your arm.” The second and most comprehensive in a canon-compliant post-Trespasser Solavellan series. From the six Florence & the Machine prompts that ellie-effie sent me. One of my favorite things I've written in 2020.

Ligaments Briala has loaded her dice when playing the Game. Gaspard throws her in prison, but her message goes out to both the Dread Wolf, keen to better his reputation for catastrophe amongst the elves of Orlais, and the Dalish Inquisitor, who is still reeling from the loss of her arm. “We do not necessarily know he is the enemy,” Leliana says. “And it is exciting, no? To have that rush of danger and destruction between every kiss.” The third in a canon-compliant post-Trespasser Solavellan series. From the six Florence & the Machine prompts that ellie-effie sent me. One of my favorite things I've written in 2020.

Out From Under the Dread Wolf's Eye Briala and Merrill try and steal an eluvian out from under the Dread Wolf's eye. It doesn't quite work, but that doesn't mean the day's a failure, not when there's dinner to be had and a connection to explore. Written as a gift for hellbell, for a prompt they gave for the Sapphic Solstice 2021 Gift Exchange, but not submitted to the collection.

The Domesticities Solas adjust to a new, gentle love that has gripped his heart and will not let him go: a Lavellan who heralds a world he did dream of, and learns how to survive grief and his own betrayal, learns how to surrender the high moral ground and focus on the domesticities. A series of Solas-POV ficlets from my story, Fen'Harel's Teeth, where Lavellan is a mother and leader in her own right, and barely keeping her head above the water of her own deep grief. Not in chronological order!

He Who Hunts Alone Solas will restore the Elvhen People as he knew them, even if this world must die. It is his only purpose as he understands it. But a magical accident leaves him in another world, where a version of himself has made a very different choice. Solas is forced to reckon with a desire he has never let himself explore. Inquisitor Tara Trevelyan, both his friend and adversary, is dragged with him, as they move from their world, to a world where Solas seems to have won it all, to another that seems both their worst nightmare. Inquisitor Tara Trevelyan: the rebel apostate mage, romanced Josephine Inquisitor Imladris Lavellan: the Dalish First, romanced Solas, featured in Fen'Harel's Teeth Inquisitor Brigid Trevelyan: the faithful Andrastian prophet, rogue and noble, Tara's sister, romanced Blackwall and then Cullen Written in tandem with my partner, batsy22-me, and likewise abandoned when we got bored of it.

Fen'Harel's Teeth First Lavellan, Imladris Ashallin, thought that her audience with the Divine against templars' harassment of Dalish mages would be a token protest, and that her people would use it to draw the city elves closer to the Vir Tanadahl. She didn't think her Keeper's calculations would catapult her to the top of the Chantry's leadership, manipulating the powers of Thedas to leave her people be. Meanwhile, Briala foments revolution in Halamshiral, using the eluvian network to sabotage the armies of Orlais. A new movement erupts in the Dales, and elves across Thedas look at this so-called "Herald of Andraste" and see Mythal's vallaslin. Fiona breaks the chains of mages across Thedas, and Fenris starts whispers of a new age in Tevinter--one where the slaves throw down their masters. A new age is coming, and all of Thedas look to Lavellan to usher it in. My baby, my never-ending story, my current work-in-progress.

My Harry Potter Stories

Harry Potter Daydreams Archiving my old Harry Potter headcanons from Tumblr onto AO3. These are not necessarily nice to the characters from canon, and focus what I find interesting--their flaws, and how that could create conflict in their lives.

General Snape Headcanons Archiving my old Harry Potter headcanons from Tumblr onto AO3.

Augury Gang Eileen's mother curses her, and she dies not too long after giving birth to Severus. Tobias, a millworker and a proud union man, does his best.

Snape in the City Instead of dying, Snape moves to New York. A Severus Snape/Narcissa Malfoy and Severus Snape/Regulus Black story.

An Incident at the Mill the millrat AU A series of vignettes on what could’ve happened if Tobias Snape had been badly injured in an accident at the mill, forcing Severus to drop out of Hogwarts before the Prank. Predominantly Lilycentric. Snily shippers, rejoice: most of the vignettes are from Lily’s point of view, featuring her as flawed, passionate, bullheaded, comfortable in her sexuality, quick to curse and quicker to laugh at herself–and with a complicated relationship to alcohol and the Wizarding World. A big thank you to eleniaz and deathdaydungeon for sparking the initial headcanons that became this series.

Saplings 1980 Albus asks Minerva to tend to the "tender new sapling" of a Potions Master. Minerva looks at the manic-triggered recovered Death Eater and thinks they're doomed for failure. Snape thinks she's right. A couple of friendship & mentorship & not-quite hurt/comfort ficlets, where Severus oozes despair and McGonagall fails, completely, utterly, to be of service. There are two pieces of fanart floating around Snapedom, one of Snape oozing, the other a comic eleniaz did years ago. Unfortunately I've lost the links.

Harry Potter and the Summer of the Stepfather In an alternate world where Neville Longbottom is the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter's parents divorce relatively amicably. Eventually, Lily starts dating again, and Harry finds himself actually enjoying the summer Snape stays over.

Last Round at the Hog's Head Thirty-one ficlets written for the 2020 Snapetober challenge.

Your Body's a Revolution Eight stories written for the 2020 Trans Snape Week challenge.

July 1977 Snape stews in teenage melodrama, eating lunch at a cheap fish-and-chips shop in Upper Cokeworth, beset by memories of a wasted ex-girlfriend, who couldn't be Lily Evans--what Bertha Jorkins saw behind the greenhouses, and what came after. Revised from an earlier account, cross-posted from fanfiction.net.

Maleficari's Mutinous Munitions Sprout grew the wrong kind of mandrakes--mandragora, rather than English mandrakes, and no one knew that there actually was an infinitesimal difference--so Severus needs to save the day before Lockhart can. A little of Slytherin cunning, a willingness to embezzle, and a sense of spite wins the day. Prompted by masaotheheckindog.

Honeydukes Horror Remus Lupin genially humiliates Severus Snape as he attempts to order chocolates. Some schoolboy grudges never get better, and nothing Severus can say will let him seem the better man. Prompted by snapescapades.

Weavers Bored before the start of sixth year, Harry goes through Petunia's old family photo albums. He demands some answers, and Dumbledore sends Snape. "He finds a photo of her laughing with a boy who is not his father, who’s got his long black hair and a hand thrown up, too, covering his face. She’s about his age in this photo, or a bit older. Carefully he slides it out of the plastic. There’s writing on the back: 'Weavers, Sev & Lily, 1976. to Baba O’Riley and the rest of our lives!!' The writing is familiar, spidery, almost indecipherable, and he squints because it reminds him of someone, it’s strangely familiar, and then he drops the photo in shock. Because he knows: that’s Severus Snape."

They Call This Closure? Severus comes to consciousness into a dream of Potter reenacting his worst memory-and then Lily Evans comes tearing in at age sixteen, rather than as the more mature adult his subconscious normally designs her. They call this closure? Officially dead, officially incomplete: and I call this closure?

Harry Potter and the Cursed Mark Triple-cross! Mitarashi Anko of the Village Hidden in the Leaves joins Severus Snape as one of Dumbledore's agents, seeking to train the Boy-Who-Lived to understand his mental connection to Lord Voldemort. Snape thinks that they really didn't need to hire a goddamn technicolor ninja to fill the DADA position, but at least it's not one of Fudge's underlings taking charge--wait, he has to put up with her anyway? More seriously, Anko and Severus discover a connection between their cursed marks and the Potter boy's scar, Dumbledore expedites the plot, and Voldemort weaves an insidious plot, inspired by Lord Orochimaru, to take over the Resistance--from the inside. Incomplete and officially dead.

My Star Trek Stories

Raktajino Kira Nerys stews over the history of Terok Nor and the Occupation over a cup of raktajino, soon after she meets Marritza, and Garak just does not know when to leave a bleeding wound alone. Written as a gift for batsy22-me.

Open Mic at Quark's Thirty-one stories written for Trektober 2020, ranging from TOS, the movies, to Lower Decks and Discovery. Includes Keiko joining the Maquis, Spock introducing Amanda to Saavik, Mariner and crew getting lost on a road trip, and more!

Splash Quark takes a dip in a hot spring. Odo follows. It is not, Odo insists, sexy. Regardless, Quark is going to enjoy tormenting him with mutual nudity, since he was the one who interrupted his bath, after all. Prompted by saathiray.

Lore and the Prophets Lore thinks he can sneak off Deep Space Nine and get through the wormhole without anyone noticing. The Prophets have other ideas. Written for the Star Trek 2020 Gift Exchange, for electricsunrise.

Jambalaya Before Worf's wedding plans take over the station, Benjamin Sisko tries to find out what happened during the Founders' occupation of Deep Space Nine, and why Odo won't look him in the eye. Of course he investigates in the guise of inviting everyone to dinner.

Tear of the Prophets Was prompted by saathiray to write about Kira Nerys repatriating an artifact sacred to Bajor from Cardassia, and this is what we got! The Shakaar cell leads a procession after Cardassia returns the Orb of Contemplation to Bajor, to collective joy. Kai Opaka says, "So I say to you my people, the survivors of atrocity and keepers of the wormhole—the Prophets cried for you millennia before you were made. They sent their Tears from their temple as a safeguard as to what was to come. And now that it is safe, now that we have won—their Tears are for all." Featuring Latha having an Orb experience, explaining why he became a vedek.

Jane Austen Book Club Dukat reads Pride and Prejudice to help him understand human relations (and fuck the Sisko). He thinks he’s being Darcy but really, he’s just Mr. Collins…and evil. Garak lends him a copy of Jane Austen and a horrific cravat, and really, it's all downhill from there.

Miscellaneous Stories

Fireworks, a feminist deconstruction of Naruto Sarada takes one look at the Uchiha legacy and decides she wants no part of it. Sakura, who has built herself a life independent of the husband who abandoned them, tries to reckon with how her daughter cannot actually decide the path her life takes. And Hanabi is happy to offer advice and consolation, as Sakura tries to talk her best friends into letting Sarada be a civilian. A feminist deconstruction of Naruto, where everyone is taken seriously and treated with the same love Sakura offers to all her friends. No character-bashing, just contemplating what could have happened if, when Sasuke left Sakura and their baby the second time, Sakura decided to file for divorce rather than wait for him to come back. Of course they still love each other. Of course it's not simple.

Same Time Next Week?, a Babylon 5 fanfic Vir and Lennier meet for their usual drink. A pre-relationship, lightest of touches, beginning of it all story.

Sunrise, Parabellum, a Disco Elysium fanfic Early Wednesday morning, before Harry's woken up and before they've closed the water lock and headed to the fishing village, Kim Kitsuragi gets up and wants a cigarette. He has a cup of coffee instead and contemplates his partner's newfound sobriety. Sunrise, parabellum: he gets up and prepares for war.

Dragon Eyes, an Avatar: the Last Airbender fanfic On a diplomatic mission to the Fire Nation, Katara leaves the children with Aang to have tea with Zuko and Mai. But the two of them have something they want to talk about. They've lived enough of fathers neglecting one child for the other, and they have seen enough. Katara wishes they had propositioned her, rather than bring this up.

Cages, an Avatar: the Last Airbender fanfic Mai visits Azula. It is not easy.

[fairfaxleasee]

So @rangeredacted (the mind behind my Evergiven fic) requested something with killer garden gnomes for @dadrunkwriting so... Here it is. (Or here is Part 1 at least, I don't think I have the energy to do the whole thing tonight...)

"Inquisitor what are you doing?" The answer should be fairly obvious to Cullen - Ayala Trevelyan was kneeling in Skyhold's garden digging a hole. But Cullen knew enough about Ayala (and the woman's hatred of getting dirt, plants, or bugs anywhere near her hands or clothes) to know that if she was digging a hole in the garden, then answer was anything but obvious.

Ayala ignored him entirely and stuck something in the hole.

"Inquisitor..."

Cullen had no idea what she had stuck in the hole, other than he both didn't want to know and that it should greatly concern him. Ayala had an annoying habit of picking up every piece of useless junk on Thedas that caught her attention for any reason and Cassandra and Solas had decided it was Cullen's job to sort through it all just in case some of it was dangerous (some of it was inevitably dangerous, but given the amount of stuff the woman dragged back to Skyhold, it would be far more suspicious if it wasn't occasionally dangerous.)

"I asked you a question, Inquisitor..." Cullen hoped the 'angry Templar' tone would get her attention. He doubted it would, she was one of the few Circle mages he'd met that didn't inherently mistrust Templars, but if the tone didn't work he'd have to try and touch her and he wasn't in the mood to be flung halfway across the courtyard by a barrier spell she'd send up whenever someone tried to touch her and she wasn't expecting it (although if she spent more time in this world and less in her own, she might be surprised about it less often).

Ayala hummed to herself and adjusted whatever it was that she stuck in the hole that Cullen was becoming more and more convinced he never wanted to look closely enough at to properly identify. She made one last adjustment and turned to face Cullen (who had made sure to have his arms crossed and a disapproving glare on his face in preparation for it).

"Inquisitor, you know you're supposed to bring anything you find to me before you do anything else with it, right?"

Ayala's eyes darted up and to the right, "Uh... I don't know what you're talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." He stepped around her, finally resigned to seeing just what she'd gotten herself into this time.

"But look! He's all happy there! You wouldn't want to make him mad by taking him out of his new home!"

Cullen clawed his fingers in rage at the interloper sitting in the garden. The blighted gnome was, by far, the ugliest thing Cullen could recall seeing (and that was saying something given the things Cullen had seen). Its sculptor had (for some Maker-forsaken reason) carved its wrinkled face into a snarl and given the thing almost avian talons that were reaching up towards whoever was looking at it. And the ridiculously oversized hat that obscured its eyes was just a mockery of everything.

He reached out and snatched the thing out of the ground, provoking a disbelieving interjection from Ayala. "Hey! Put him back! He liked it there!"

"NO! Inquisitor, you know the rule - anything you find on your travels has to come directly to me for inspection! Now, I'm going to put this blighted thing in the ever-growing pile of things you've picked up. Once I manage to examine it, assuming it's not possessed by something, you can have it back and then you can stick it in the garden if that's what you want to do!"

"But he wants to live in the garden now!"

"It is a statue!"

Cullen turned and stalked off, but not quickly enough to avoid Ayala's grumbled retort, "Don't see why you're so grumpy about everything all the time..."

He (barely) resisted the urge to turn around and hit her over the head with the stupid hunk of rock and stomped the rest of the way back to his office.

He set the thing down on his desk and buried his head in his hands, hoping the thing would decide to be gone when he opened them (this could all be a bad dream, couldn't it?). Unfortunately, when he was interrupted a few minutes later by Jim, not only was the scout lurking around in his office for what he was positive was an inherently illegitimate reason, the blighted garden gnome was still there and appeared to be sticking its tongue out at him (he wished he could recall whether the thing always had its tongue out like that).

"What's this?" Jim lifted up the statue and turned it over in his hands.

"Nothing!" Cullen snatched it back. Jim winced as he did so, but Cullen didn't care. "Something the Inquisitor picked up and was trying to sneak into the garden." He slammed the thing down on his desk.

"Oh, so you know the Inquisitor was doing something in the garden then?"

Cullen widened his eyes and pressed his lips hard enough for it to hurt him at the man. Fortunately it worked as Jim ran from the office faster than Cullen had ever seen him move before. He turned down to his desk so he could take out his anger at the damn gnome only to find it gone.

That's... odd. I could have sworn I just put it down here.

He started looking around the desk for the thing.

Maybe I just slammed it down hard enough to crush the blighted thing. No, I'm not that lucky...

He snapped his head up when he heard the door open, "What now, Jim? Some other problem I've already solved?"

"I highly doubt that, Commander. I can think of few problems you've actually solved."

Cullen narrowed his eyes at the one interruption he liked less than the scouts. "...Solas."

"Well, I see your eyesight is working. However, I came in to test your memory. Ayala came to tell me that you confiscated her gnome."

"I don't care how upset your girlfriend was about it! She knows she's supposed to bring things like that to me first! And why'd you let her bring the blighted thing back with her anyway?"

Solas shook his head slightly in a gesture Cullen recognized to mean the apostate had no intention of listening to a word he was saying.

Where is that damn gnome now that it could have a use. I might not be able to hit the Inquisitor with it, but I could absolutely throw it at him...

"Finished, Commander?"

Cullen glared in response.

"Good. While I care little, for the record, I did not 'let' Ayala bring anything back here. She was with Sera, Blackwall, and the Enchanter at the time, and my understanding is they were too busy antagonizing each other to notice that Ayala had gone off into a secret passage on her own. However how the gnome got to Skyhold is unimportant. Where the artefact is now is."

"I don't know. I must have tossed it in one of the piles of junk," Cullen threw his arm around his office to indicate all the random items Ayala had dragged back to Skyhold, while Solas had been 'supervising' her, "Your girlfriend whose name you're afraid to say to her face dragged back here."

Cullen thought one of Solas' eyebrows may have twitched at that.

Good. At least he's getting just as annoyed about this as I am!

"Let us keep any interaction between us to a minimum, Commander. Where is the gnome now."

"I don't know, I can't find it, but I also can't be expected to keep track-"

Solas sighed, looked at the ceiling (or at least as much of the ceiling that existed in Cullen's office), and cut him off, "Very well, Commander. However, as you cannot locate it, can you tell me this - had Ayala put the gnome in the garden before you confiscated it?"

"I -" Cullen thought back for a second. "Yes."

Solas pursed his lips. "Unfortunate. And these blood drops by your desk, they were not caused by the gnome by any chance, were they?"

"I - what?" Cullen leaned over to where Solas was pointing. There wasn't a lot of blood, but it was fresh, and Cullen didn't think it had been there before Jim started playing with the stupid gnome.

Cullen didn't answer Solas, but the man saw through his silence. "That is even more unfortunate, Commander."

"Why? Just what do you know about this Solas?"

"Well, I know nothing, I never saw the statue myself if you recall, however in my travels in the Fade I have heard rumors of-"

"GARRG BAR-RARGH!!" A gutteral cry interrupted whatever Solas was going to say.

They both snapped their gazes to Cullen's desk in time to see the gnome reach into the inkwell and smear paint on is face in a pattern that was reminiscent of Bull's vitaar.

"BA-RAR-RAR!!!" the gnome called as it picked up one of Cullen's quills and stabbed at his hand.

Fortunately, his armor was more than a match for his quill and the makeshift weapon snapped in half. The gnome seemed to be far less pleased than Cullen at the development and reacted by trying to bite his finger. He snatched gnome and threw it at the nearest wall (the fact that Solas' head was in a direct path to the nearest wall was just a random fringe benefit of the action). Unfortunately, Solas ducked out of the way and the gnome was launched outside Cullen's office without taking any of the apostate with it.

"GAR-Rah-argggh!!!!" it called as it landed and turned to scurry away.

"Let me guess - the statue is cursed and will come to life if its removed from its garden and exposed to blood?"

"Not exactly, Commander. The statue is cursed, however it does not need blood to come to life. That happens if it is forcibly removed from a garden in which it has been placed if the proper precautions are not taken. The blood allows it to increase its numbers. The more blood it finds, the more of these we will have to deal with. And the more bleeding injuries they could cause. I'm sure you can understand the vicious circle that represents."

"If we survive this, Solas - your girlfriend is in quite a LOT of trouble."

"Technically, Commander, she didn't cause any of this. You were, after all, the one who removed the gnome from the garden."

"Have I mentioned lately how much I don't like you?"

[melisusthewee]

WIP Wednesday - Let’s Talk Music

Thank you to @cleverblackcat @kittynomsdeplume @noire-pandora and @morganlefaye79 for tagging me!

I don’t have any writing to really offer today.  I’ve been trying to work on that Haven fic but unfortunately Aloysius hasn’t been co-operating with me despite all my best efforts to make him speak.  I may take a break from writing and pivot towards completing some art memes, but Wednesday just sort of crept up on me and here we are.  So instead, I’m sharing something that both is but also isn’t a work in progress?

It’s “in progress” because while I’m happy with where it currently is, I’ve said that about playlists and soundtracks before and later changed them.  I’ve worked hard on this and talked several friends’ ears off about songs I’ve heard or artists that seemed to work and thanks to their feedback I think this is a really good one.  It’s gone through several edits as well, and may potentially even go through more down the road.  So I’m saying this counts for today.

If you give it a listen (and I hope you do because I’m very proud of it so far), I hope you enjoy it and maybe discover an artist you didn’t know before.  It clocks in at around 51 minutes and features 13 tracks which span Quinn Trevelyan’s story and important events of the main game through to Trespasser.

If you are interested, below the cut is a list of tracks and a brief blurb or description about who or what they’re meant to represent.  I was going to go into things in more depth and talk about how I built it, why I picked the songs I did, and the B-Sides that were left on the cutting room floor, but after realizing I had written nearly 4 pages about just as many songs, I realized it was too much for anyone to read.  So below is just a very brief summary and I think that most of the music would speak for itself, but I’m happy to expand more on anything that anyone finds either interesting… or confusing.  (There is also Solas content because I knew a few of you love that.)

You have to click on this sentence to go to the playlist because Tumblr’s coding for “Read More” seems to be conflicting with the HTML code to embed a functional playlist.  Because of course it is.

Quinn’s tarot card is the Wheel of Fortune as his story is a series of unpredictable highs and lows.  What the Maker giveth, He also taketh away.  The playlist follows that trend of highs and lows with upbeat songs followed by darker or more mellow ones.  Whenever I create a playlist, I try to think of a general tone or sound that I want to be carried through the soundtrack.  I want the overall genre or sound to tell the story as much as the individual songs.  Because of that, you’ll see artists repeat a couple of times, and when they do it’s always intentional.  You’ll also notice that most of the vocalists are male.  This was again intentional because this is Quinn’s story, and he’s a man.  They are his songs and I wanted the vocals to reflect that.

The Cult of Dionysus - pre-Conclave Quinn

Quinn at his most basic and stereotypical before any character development happens whatsoever - poppish, upbeat, and maybe just a little obnoxious.  He smokes, he drinks, he fucks, and nothing else matters.

The Sound of Silence - Aloysius’ Theme

I like Aloysius as a more practical view and examination of Quinn and the cult that grows around him.  He affords an opportunity to look at Quinn both as the Herald but also as just a person.  He is stoic and mild-mannered, a dutiful soldier, and an excellent foil for Quinn.  This is also absolutely a reference to an Arrested Development joke.

Isle of Dogs - Quinn’s true theme

Quinn is a walking disaster constantly falling victim to his own hubris.  There’s a morose sort of resentment to the lyrics, of someone who is constantly struggling against the tide.  In a lot of ways, this is basically a reaction or push back to all the crap I have put him through.

Providence - “In Hushed Whispers”

There are no Templars here.  The first few lines relate a lot to the dismissal the fledgling Inquisition receives from what remains of the Chantry, but the rest of the lyrics are very much about the mages and Fiona’s dealings with the Venatori.

Seven Devils - “In Your Heart Shall Burn

No male vocals in this one to symbolize the change in perspective.  This is both a bit of an easy and obvious choice for this story beat.  Female vocals for Corypheus might seem strange, but when I created my Warden’s soundtrack I tended to use powerful choruses and female vocals for anything related to Blight, Archdemons, or the darkspawn.  I carried that idea over to this as Corypheus is one of the seven Magisters.

Caesar - becoming the Inquisitor

This is a softer and quiet interlude in the wake of the loss of Haven and struggle through the snow.  If the previous song marks the end of the first act, this song marks the beginning of the second.

King - “Here Lies the Abyss”

In my written world state, Alistair is both the king and the Grey Warden contact (this goes back to that longform fic I am working on).  I suppose it’s a bit unfair because in the end that has a major impact on why Quinn makes the decision he does at Adamant (a rather threatening letter from the Warden helps too).  Think of this as a duet between Quinn and Hawke.

My Type - the love interest

“Here Lies the Abyss” was completed first, then a romance triggered, then “Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts”.  This is that sort of inbetween interlude and is very much inspired by how I may have flirted with multiple characters a little too much and basically triggered several romances at once.  I also went into Quinn’s playthrough having no idea who I was going to romance and just let him shop around.  And it came down to a coin flip in the end, so “you have a pulse and you are breathing” is pretty much the only standards he has.

Boheme Supreme - party at Halamshiral

All I have to say is that I love techno swing, every single lyric in this song is perfect, and I want you all to picture Quinn Trevelyan walking into the Winter Palace with his Inner Circle entourage around him, dressed up in that outfit I drew with that peacock feathered cap and having a drink in his hand throughout the entire night’s affair.

Hell’s Coming With Me - “Doom Upon All the World”

This is the climax of the main game, the rematch between Quinn and Corypheus which I have to imagine is more impressive in concept than it was in game.  I chose the dialogue option when Corypheus calls Quinn an imposter, “I am the Maker’s chosen” as his final challenge.  Sometimes it’s easy to forget that this main is actually very Andrastian.  But he is, and the lyrics, “I am the righteous hand of God/And I am the Devil that you forgot/And I told you one day will see/I’ll be back I guarantee/And that Hell’s coming with me” are the perfect declaration.

Paradise - Jaws of Hakkon & The Descent

Another interlude song.  If the previous one is triumphant than this one is the beginning of a bad turn.  In the interim between the events of the main game and the Exalted Council, things begin to go wrong in little ways.  His relationship with Cassandra begins to break down, eventually ending in the two of them having frequent spats and going their separate ways after returning from the Frostback Basin.  This song is deceptively sarcastic about how good things are.

I Still Love You, Judas - Solas’ Betrayal

Solas… oh, Solas.  Does this song indicate a very complicated and layered relationship between Quinn and Solas?  Yes! Have I attempted to unpack any of this?  Nope!  Have fun with this one!

Tagging for this week: @kita-lavellan @silvanils @nivenor-krosis @drag-on-age @rosella-writes @inquisitoracorn

Battle Cries - Quinn and Cassandra

I saved this one for the very end because it is a story within a story.  It is sad and bittersweet, but also not.  This entire thing feels to me like a duet between Quinn and Cass on what was good, what could never last, and that it’s all over now but that’s okay.  Because “this isn’t a breakup, dear heart, it’s a season finale.”  Does this mean that Quinn sounds like Joey Batey when he sings?  Sure, why not.

[siennamain]

Ok ok ok so, this is gonna be a mess of a post but here are the reasons Terys wants to redeem Solas:

First off, she isn't willing to waste lives, in the battlefield you gotta do what you gotta do, she learned that young, but every person she judged was given a second chance to do something good with their lives. Even if she thinks someone objectively doesn't deserve to live, she just won't put their abilities to waste, when they could better the world.

But with that in mind, she wants to spare him for sentimental reasons, she knows it, probably won't admit to people she isn't close to but otherwise her friends and family know.

1. So, he did kinda fuck up saving the world from the Evanuris, but she trusts him when he said it was the best option, and he freed her people, he fought for that. That counts for something and that is one proof for her that he is a good person, deep down. And he did help her save the world, even if it was his fault it needed saving. Part of her feels like she owes him saving him.

2. She saw the hidden room with the mural in the deep roads, Solas was with Terys during the Descent, she knows he isn't telling her the full plan and truth, otherwise he'd mention something about the Titans, or clarify his issue with the Blight. While her allies are looking for clues on how to stop Solas, she is trying to find out exactly what happened with the Evanuris. She'll make more moral judgements when she knows exactly what's on his head.

3. He was her friend, her closest friend in the Inquisition, and that counts for something. She promised she'd protect him at all costs at the beginning, and she'll still protect him now. Even if that protection involves shaking some sense into him.

She saw him change, (in my canon she made sure he talked to people from all kinds of backgrounds in the inquisition, to make him realize that the things he thought he knew about them weren't right, or at least the full truth), in Trespasser he seemed willing to change his course, if there was a way, she saw him being a person, helping her when he didn't need to, bicker with her when he could have just let her walk all over him to get in her good side. She saw him be a stubborn mule, and being rude, but she also saw him go help refugees, celebrate Briala being in power. She saw him make faces while drinking tea, ask for a gigantic list of books, read Varric's books, paint.

He reassured her about her faith (I hc that the Evanuris were just posing as the creators) and helped her through her nightmares (she had a lot of them from Hushed Whispers and the destruction of Haven, so they often just travelled the world together while sleeping so she didn't have to have nightmares).

Terys knows she know Solas, sure she didn't know what he was, or what his plans are, but she knows his spirit, he couldn't hide that.

4. She's under no illusion that there is probably no one that could safely face Solas in battle, and if there is, they probably would be on his side, or against her.

If y'all wanna talk about why your inquisitor wants to spare him I'm listening 👀

[felassan]

Thoughts/wonderings on Dragon Age: The Missing #1, under a cut due to spoilers for The Missing:

Thoughts on the first few pages can already be found here (spoiler warning for subsequent issues of The Missing at link), as they came out via preview beforehand. I'm glad Evka and Antoine made it out alive =)

"It's up to us, and only us, to find Solas" idk that was just a raw metal line. I'm ready to try (ง'̀-'́)ง

flashback scene! love a good flashback scene. that's the Hanged Man, right? I like the choice of different lightings and different color palettes for the flashback scenes vs the present, it helps distinguish them from one another and convey they take place at different times.

Charter has a new hairstyle, I guess indicating time has passed since the end of Trespasser. I like it but I'm not sure about the design choice for the way her ears have been depicted. I wonder, does this scene take place before or after her encounter with Solas in TN? I feel like we'll meet Charter again in DA:D.

Varric literally looks like '(╥﹏╥)' lmao he's so done.

tfw "The Inquisitor"

"there's no one I or the Inquisitor trust more than you" that's present tense, right? 👁️ so they're still called that old title, even now

lmao Varric keep it down man. random drunk people can hear you, never mind Solas spies and Solas agents. I feel like in two different panels the same background bar patron is listening in

Harding's scouting skills must be super amazing

In the "You know that's a terrible idea"/"But Harding sees the best in people" panels Varric is basically doing a grumpy 'but she is too good and pure for this world, precious cinnamon roll'. and he's really not pulling punches when talking about Solas is he (he's voicing things my Inquisitor would think incidentally..) like my wondering from the earlier pages (link above), this dialogue again makes me feel like Varric is kinda a reflection of the Stop Solas choice in contrast to Harding as a reflection of the Redeem Solas choice

"The Dread Wolf, who broke the world" is another metal line. "broke the world" is interesting, like.. the world healed, but into a fucked up state (e.g. Blight, elven oppression, all the stuff Solas woke up to). some people think he's doing to destroy the world to bring back the old one, but in some ways it's more like how there are procedures where to realign things and allow them to heal properly, healthily, medical professionals will re-break bones.

I wonder again if the Inquisition remnants have tried to come up with a countermeasure to the turning people to stone power? it seems like a big obstacle, yknow?

this sounds like it'll be Varric's role in DA:D, right? The person who puts together the new Team. Varnick Fury? he recruits us? maybe the various characters Varric and Harding meet in this comic series (Evka and Antoine, Teia and Viago [?], The 2 Veil Jumpers etc) are part of the wider team in DA:D, contacts, folks we meet?

"We both know what's at stake if you don't" find a way. aaaaa

oh I like Harding's cloak thing with the.. cloak-tassel-belt things. reminds me of Morrigan's belt-skirt

Evka is badass

"there's no one I or the Inquisitor trust more than you" that's present tense, right? 👁️ so they're still called that old title, even now

lmao Varric keep it down man. random drunk people can hear you, never mind Solas spies and Solas agents. I feel like in two different panels the same background bar patron is listening in

Harding's scouting skills must be super amazing

In the "You know that's a terrible idea"/"But Harding sees the best in people" panels Varric is basically doing a grumpy 'but she is too good and pure for this world, precious cinnamon roll'. and he's really not pulling punches when talking about Solas is he (he's voicing things my Inquisitor would think incidentally..) like my wondering from the earlier pages (link above), this dialogue again makes me feel like Varric is kinda a reflection of the Stop Solas choice in contrast to Harding as a reflection of the Redeem Solas choice

"The Dread Wolf, who broke the world" is another metal line. "broke the world" is interesting, like.. the world healed, but into a fucked up state (e.g. Blight, elven oppression, all the stuff Solas woke up to). we wonder about Solas going to destroy the world in order to bring back the old one, but in some ways it's maybe more like how there are medical procedures where to realign things and allow them to heal properly, healthily, medical professionals will re-break bones. like that has to be done to allow it to heal right.

I wonder again if the Inquisition remnants have tried to come up with a countermeasure to the turning people to stone power? it seems like a big obstacle, yknow?

this sounds like it'll be Varric's role in DA:D, right? The person who puts together the new Team, but not a companion per se. so... Varnick Fury? he recruits us? maybe the various characters Varric and Harding meet in this comic series (Evka and Antoine, Teia and Viago [?], The 2 Veil Jumpers etc) are part of the wider team in DA:D, contacts, folks we meet?

"We both know what's at stake if you don't" find a way. aaaaa

oh I like Harding's cloak thing with the.. cloak-tassel-belt things. reminds me of Morrigan's belt-skirt

Evka is badass

Is the Varric&Harding meeting flashback taking place in Skyhold or Kirkwall? the town around it in later panels makes me think Kirkwall. Varric looks kinda soft seeing Harding. that's nice, their dynamic there is nice. and I'm glad to hear Varric is being such a good Viscount and continuing to rebuild Kirkwall :')

Varric is going gray dfesfesffe. Solas Stress has kicked off his ascent (or descent, from his portrayal in this comic lmao) into silver fox territory. that and 'heavy is the head that wears the crown' I guess

Harding is so good :')

hm hm I think the bright sun in the sky, prominent and looming, harshly bright, in this panel, is interesting.. there's all the stuff about spheres, an eclipse, two worlds.. the sun/sphere motif is here on both pages as well in this comic alone for example

with Harding on the cover of the next issue, and the mention of her mother here, I wonder if we'll get to learn a bit more about Harding's backstory. maybe her mom is ailing? (Varric and Harding almost seem to be touching in this panel.) does "you've got more to lose" mean 'your mom would be really sad if you didn't come back from this mission, think twice about it' or 'something would mysteriously befall your mom if you went on this mission, think twice about it'? 🤔 either way its nice that he's trying to look out for her.

Varric taking off the Viscount crown is his equivalent of Ash Ketchum turning his baseball cap backwards

the Inquisition remnants are genuinely worried that Solas' plans will result in mass death

how credible is Harding's lead? how did she find it? I wonder if it's a false lead Solas or the Venatori planted?

eyeball

hmm is it really just the Deep Stalkers and/or the ogre that have been taking people tho?

Wardens Evka and Antoine didn't sense the ogre coming? is the ogre holding a severed limb as a sort of club? the ogre splash page is cool. also lmaooo... varric's face. Harding grim, Antoine in pain, Evka fierce, Varric simply dying a little more inside

a Let Varric Retire / 'Not This Shit Again' moodboard

lmao the ogre literally just yeets him across the room like a sack of fucking potatoes . hasn't he suffered enough . hes just sailing depressedly thru the air like

the ogre's red eyes.. seem kinda glowy almost.. a stylistic choice in the comic because Scary Threat/Monster, or a hint at the red lyrium darkspawn stuff..?

Antoine.. pls

poor Harding

"What I wouldn't give for someone to look out for me like that" Varric you wound me, Hawke would/does (ಥ◡ಥ) I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that and console myself by reminding myself that it's a default kinda worldstate/not my canon etc

aah, the thing's choice of weapon. so it was indeed a severed limb of some description

so they just come upon a possible former hideout of Solas' just like that, and a note advising where he's going next is the main thing left out in the open in plain view on the table? seems sus. more like he let them find the hideout and left the invitation there for them to see right? and how do they know it was Solas who was here recently? are the papers on the walls some kind of protective enchantments to keep darkspawn away (an ogre could break down a wooden door easily) or part of the research whoever was using this room was conducting? protective enchantments mayhaps, and that's what Varric means with "magical crap" in one of the next panels?

hiding close to darkspawn is smart at least, people wouldn't expect someone to do it and it would help keep wandering or prying eyes away. between them in these panels Varric and Harding hammer home the "oh how weird and surprising" that Solas is staying close to darkspawn almost four times, its almost lampshadey.. maybe he was researching the Blight (more specifically about its origins/how to stop it probably or something).

I kinda feel that it's a kind of a big deal that someone knows how to keep darkspawn and Blight away to this extent using magic

how do they know he left recently and in a hurry? hh, of course solas is up to something. the invitation is all they took? they didnt ransack the drawers, books on the desk, books in the bookcase? or take a closer look at the papers on the wall? I feel like potentially these could have contained a few more clues on whatever magic or other thing the occupant of the room has recently been studying or researching. I'd wanna bring everything that I could carry personally.

I know it's so we the readers can read the note, but seeing written English in Thedas gave me minor whiplash

also I know he probably didnt but the mental image of Solas living in that tiny room in the Deep Roads in hiding for weeks/months/[?]years is kinda funny

Antoine is simply... Evka's babygirl. overall Antoine and Evka didn't do much in the issue, which is a shame.

Harding's dialogue and framing randomly seems sus in the "What? Oh yes. Of course panel" hh

So the person trailing them is revealed to be Venatori. I guess they killed the deepstalker to keep it off Varric and Harding's backs so they would lead them to the hideout, or so they could hear what they were talking about without interruption. I wonder what is their interest in finding out more about Solas/the search for Solas? curious. also at this point I'm definitely feeling that Harding will be a companion in DA:D.

overall not a lot happened in this issue which isn't a big surprise as a] only a few pages in length and b] it's catching us up on what's been happening between Trespasser and now at the same time as explaining about the quest Varric and Harding are on, showing that quest unfolding in the present and generally setting everything up for going forward. I feel like more of note will happen in the next issues, especially issue 3. this was a prologue :)

what will happen in Vyrantium? find out next time on Dragon Ball Z :D

[enasallavellan]

Chapter 112

Solas and Enasal discuss corruption, Annason aires her grievances concerning Retter, and the results of their march on Verchiel arrive.

When you see an indented link, that’s what I was listening to as I wrote.  Feel free to click them and jam out while you read!

.

Enasal hugged Cullen’s neck tight as he lifted her off her horse, tears already returning.

“I’m sorry it turned out so badly.”   He said, “We’re doing everything we can to assist Hawke and Warden Stroud in finding Adamant.”

She nodded, but said little else.  During the debrief, Bull did most of the talking, with only a few interjections coming from the others.  Even Solas, with his obvious distaste for the Grey Wardens, was strangely quiet. 

“Why do you hate them so much?”  Enasal asked him after the meeting.  “In the last Arlathvhen I met someone who met the Hero of Ferelden and King Alistar - both are Grey Wardens.  She said that they saved the clan from a werewolf curse, they even managed to cure the ones who had already been turned - how can you think so lowly of them?”

He seemed irritated by the question, “Enasal, while I can agree that there are Grey Wardens who uphold the original oaths of the organization, the problem lies in what they have become. They have strayed from their original purpose - to stop Blights and destroy archdemons. Now we see them involved in politics, swaying nobles and making bargains and threats with their Rite of Conscription.  If you recall, the king you speak of was placed on the throne by the Hero of Ferelden - something she had no business doing.  Grey Wardens stay out of politics?  Hardly.”

Enasal frowned, “What about the Inquisition, then?”

Solas shook his head, “A large organization only has so much time until corruption sets in if it remains unchecked - after all, the Wardens remained true to their cause for some time.”

That gave her pause, “So… how do we stop that from happening?”

Solas laughed, “By changing the nature of man, ma asha’len.”

“You said ‘if it remains unchecked’.”  She argued, “How can we do that?”

“I suppose appointing a council or something of the sort to watch for evidence of corruption - but those appointed would need to be,”  He chuckled, “Incorruptible.”

“You make it sound impossible.”

“It’s implausible.”

She shook her head, “Well, the Inquisition won’t fall to that, not while I’m around.”

“Precisely.”  He said, “Not while you are around.”

It wasn’t a very pretty thought to have in her head. 

Her sleep that night was troubled with images of Grey Wardens tied to throwns with heavy chains and begging for their lives as she ordered their execution.  She had awoken in a cold sweat, trying to go back to sleep only for her mind to conjure the same images over and over again.  Finally, she gave up on sleep and walked the battlements until dawn, stumbling down to the tavern for breakfast in a half-asleep stupor.

Annason was waiting there, her face cracking at the sight of Enasal, “Oh, my friend, it is true!”  She kissed Enasal’s cheeks in her usual greeting and clasped her hands, “I heard some of the guards talking, they said you were up wandering the battlements well before dawn.”  Her smile was warm, reassuring, “I am sure the burden of your decision weighs heavy - I can only imagine how much your tender heart breaks!”  She drew her into a tight hug, “But, my friend, you did what must be done!  Do not think of it as killing them - you released them!  They were imprisoned in their own minds - but now they are free!”  She squeezed her hands,  “They are with the Maker now, Andraste be praised!” 

“That…”  Enasal managed to find a smile, “Actually helps.  Thank you, Annason.” 

“Of course!  I was going to speak with you yesterday, but you held onto your beloved so fiercely I couldn't bear to interrupt.”  She sighed, leaning her cheek against her hand, “How I do love watching you two - it is like a storybook romance!”

This time, Enasal laughed, “Oh, hush you.”

“You are blushing, my friend.”

“Hush!”  She laughed again.

【Deep Sea Girl 】【深海少女】- Guitar

“There, you are.”  Shiral crossed her arm over her chest, shaking her head, “I tried to talk to you yesterday, but you were tied to that shem most of the day.  Then you attached yourself to that teacher of yours.”  She sat down beside her, “Would it really kill you to swing by and say hello to your sister?”

Enasal shifted in her chair, “Sorry… things went… bad.  Really bad. He’s been in situations where bad decisions have had to be made.  He knows what it’s like.”

Annason clapped her hands together, “Oh, Shiral, your sister is in love and so very often people in love wish nothing more than to be with-”

“Annason.”  Enasal said underneath her hands, beet red.

“Oh mon dieu, Enasal, the two of you are absolutely in love, no need to be shy-”

“You know.”  Shiral said, “The shem was business as usual while you were gone.  Poor Retter on the other hand.”  She smiled, “He was beside himself with worry.  Asked me every day if I had heard from you.  You really should write to him.”

“I’m not writing to Retter!”  Enasal objected, “I don’t even like him!”

Shiral let out a laugh of disbelief, “What’s not to like?  He’s a handsome boy, he’s smart,  and he’s so smitten by you.”

“Oh,”  Annason huffed, “I do not like him very much.  Continuing to pursue Enasal despite knowing about her and the Commander - now that’s a man devoted to your sister.”  She nudged her friend, “He might seem business as usual, but these eyes see all, my friend. The second he isn't focused on a task he’s eyes go so sad and worry etches his brow.”  Annason smiled at Shiral, hoping her words would plead Cullen’s case, “Lady Montilyet says he writes to her every day, the poor dear.”

Enasal didn’t seem to hear her friend, “If you like Retter so much, why don’t you bond with him?”

“Ugh.”  Shiral wrinkled her nose, “You know how I feel about all that business.”

Enasal sighed, “I’m not getting into this with you today, I don’t like Retter-”

“Give me one good reason.”

Annason was the one who answered, “He is rude.”

“I didn’t ask… Emerson?”

“Annason.”  Enasal corrected, “You really can’t take time to learn my friends' names?”

Shiral rolled her eyes.  

It was infuriating.  She didn’t seem to know anyone’s names, save for Blackwall and Retter, apparently. Everyone else was simply ignored or given new names.  But unlike Varric’s nicknames, there was no love or good nature in them.  Varric was simply “the dwarf” and Bull “the qunari”.  “The uppity mage” could be either Dorian or Vivienne, while Josephine and Liliana were “Your advisors.”  Cole and Krem seemed to have someone positive monikers, being “your da’isha” and “the good shemlen” respectfully.  Finally, Solas was simply, “your teacher” said with an air of distrust and Sera was, “the other elf”.  

“I just wish you’d even consider Retter.”

Enasal pushed away most of her breakfast and got up, “I have to go meet Cullen-”

“Of course.”  Shiral spat.  

“About a letter.”  Enasal finished. “It’s Inquisition business.”

“Oh!”  Annason leaned forward, excited to hear the tale, “Is it about the ball?”

Enasal laughed, “No, Annason, I promise I will tell you as soon as I hear something about it.”  After taking a few seconds to make plans for lunch with Annason, Enasal said a curt goodbye to her sister, positively steaming over their conversation.

What was going on with her?   Ever since Retter’s arrival she’d really lost her mind about everything. More judgmental and even more unkind to her friends.

But even on Inquisition business, she was happy for an excuse to see Cullen.

Past the Stargazing Season Piano

Unfortunately, Lieutenant Voldin was in the office as well, so that meant no warm, drawn-out kisses.  Instead he smiled at her and took her hand, kissing her fingers.  Voldin chuckled and he responded by cutting his eyes to her.  “We’ve received a letter about Sera’s concerns in Verchiel.”  He said, “It would seem she was correct - people are being forced off their lands.”  He frowned, “But Enasal, we can’t know for sure how this will impact the area or the nobility in the region.”

“It’s just a march.”  Enasal said, “And only a few dozen - just enough to let them know we’re watching for… what is it called?  Ty-ranny?”

He chuckled, “Tyranny.” 

She laughed, “I’ve read it more than I heard it.”

His smile was warm, “In that case I’ll ready our troops.”

“Really?”  Voldin asked, “You’ve been arguing with me about it for twenty minutes!”

He gestured to her, “She’s the Inquisitor!  She has the final say.”

“Oh, that’s why?”  She laughed, saluting before she departed to pick soldiers for the job. 

He wasted no time pulling her in, smiling into her hair, “They’re unfortunately right, aren't they?”

She stood on her toes and kissed his nose, “About what?”

“You have too much power over me.”

“That’s your fault.”  She argued, “I don’t do anything on purpose - usually.”

“Key word.” 

She laughed, heaving a regretful sigh, “I should probably go tell Sera - she’ll want to know.”

“A moment- '' He said, pulling her back in, “Sera might have been… right about traveling down there yourself.  She’s gotten word of someone willing to meet with you and…” He laughed, taking her face in his hands and saying, “Do not tell Sera I said so.” 

“My terasyl’nin.”  She laughed, putting her arms around his neck,  “I won’t tell her you said it outright.”

After a quick glance to make sure nobody had slipped into his office, he tilted her chin up and kissed her, hands in her hair and a smile on his face.  

Enasal finally pulled away, flushed and laughing as she waved goodbye.

Hopefully, her complexion would return to normal by the time she reached the Herald’s Rest.

.

If you’re willing an able, feel free to my ko-fi here to help me keep the lights on!

Read the full fic at my A03 here!

[mydrug-is-dragonage]

Dar Atishan, A Talk with Cole

“Wind and whispers, dreams and demons, ‘why don’t they ever want me enough to want me?’” My ears perked up and I saw Cole walking towards me on the battlements. I glanced at him and returned, hunched over and brooding, watching the snow blow of the tops of mountains. “You’re hurt and hurting, all three of you wounded, worried, ‘was it the right decision?’”

I turn around and face him, smirking. “Do they have love in the Fade?”

“‘Hahren Morriel warned me, the shemlen are fickle, but the elf too?’ Wanting, wondering, ‘what else could I do?’” I sighed and patted the battlements. I pushed myself up with my hands and he joined me, legs dangling over the edge. “You’re sad.”

“I am.”

“They think it was the right decision.”

“I know.”

“But they’re sad, too. Brooding, breaking, ‘Bull said it’d help me with the ladies, but it’d break her.’” He looked towards the barn. I sighed and looked up towards the sky, clear and full of stars. “Dust, danger, delightful, distraction, ‘if she’s real, what if they’re all real, too?’”

I shake my head. “Cole, stop.”

“I want to help,” he says. He looks up, his shaggy hair nearly hiding his big eyes. I put a hand on his knee.

“I don’t think you get to help,” I said.

“Why?” He asks, his voice full of genuine curiosity.

“Can I tell you a story?”

“Sixteen, sweating, ‘Will we make it?’”

“Yes, that story. Stay out of my head, let me tell you, not show you.” He nods and puts his hand in his lap. “When I was sixteen, my vallaslin fresh, my sword sharpened, I went on a hunt with a boy.”

“Tallen.”

“Yes, Tallen. Tallen was a few years older than me, an accomplished hunter. We’d been out in the forest for a few days. He was certain he’d found some clues that would lead to some ancient artifact, something Keeper Istimaethoriel could make use of. Remind of us of the old ways.” I looked towards Cole, his gaze stuck on the lines arching across my face. “So we looked. We looked and looked and looked. Days passed, and we couldn’t seem to find whatever his sources had led him to.”

“Boredom, bothered, ‘This is worse than when the aravel breaks,’” he said. “Sorry. I’ll try to stay outside.”

“Thank you, Cole. Yes, I was bored and angry. I’d only agreed to come along because of Tallen. None of the other hunters thought it was worth our time. The Keeper wasn’t especially keen. But Tallen,” I said. I trailed off, taken back to the forest, a girl with fresh ink, so sure of what I’d chosen, Elgarnan’s markings across my face.

“But Tallen?”

“Right, but Tallen wanted to go, and I wanted to help, and I wanted to spend time with him, alone,” I said. I looked at Cole and raised an eyebrow. His face stayed as placid as ever. “So we wandered. We looked. We found nothing. One night, deep in the forest, we found a cave to sleep in. We’d build a small fire, roasted a bird we’d killed. We sat, quietly listening to the forest.” I looked up at the sky again, constellations dancing around. I heard the Hahren speaking about the legends, the Elven gods, the Dread Wolf.

“As we finished dinner, I heard stirring from the back of the cave. I didn’t have time to fully put on my armor, but I grabbed my chest plate and my blade, I got Tallen’s attention and pointed towards the darkness beyond us. He grabbed his bow, and started to draw an arrow. Before he could get a good shot lined up, darkspawn came running towards us,” I said. Cole closed his eyes. “I’d never seen one up close. I’d heard stories growing up, of course. We’d avoided the Blight, but everyone knew of them, their corruption. I got a few good swings, killed one right away. Tallen had time to back up, start taking shots at different ones as they approached me.”

“You were afraid,” he said.

“I was. I was so young, this was my first real mission.”

“You lived.”

“Or maybe I’m a spirit, too, drawn to the dying elf.”

“Jokes and jaunting, ‘laughter makes it easier,’” he said.

“Does it bother you?”

“No, you still like me. You see me all the time,” he said.

“I thought that was your decision.”

“I did, too. Go on. I like the way your voice carries the past,” he said.

“The darkspawn kept coming and coming. Soon enough I realized they were too many to fight, the two of us. Tallen called out to me,  I gave him a clear shot and we ran from the cave. We ran and ran and ran until our legs were going to give out. The darkspawn never let up.. We reached a cliff. The darkspawn were maybe four hundred feet away, running towards us as they had, corrupting everything in their path. Tallen looked over the edge, then back at me. He grabbed my face and kissed me.”

“First, frolicking, filthy, ‘I’d hoped I’d be clean.’ You’d wanted to kiss him?”

I laughed. “For a long time. Tallen was so handsome, so strong and brave. He’d be a good partner, he was a good man. I’d only come along so he’d be forced to see me as a woman instead of the child I’d been.”

“Did it work?”

“You don’t kiss children like that,” I said. “When we pulled apart, he said, ‘trust me’ and put out a hand. I put mine in his, and we jumped over the edge.”

“Maybe you are a spirit,” he said.

“I was lucky,” I laughed. “We landed in a lake, deep enough that we didn’t break any bones. The water helped wash away the darkspawn blood. When I came up for air, I looked around, gasping. I saw Tallen, swam over towards him, put my arms around him, and kissed him again, how I’d wanted to.”

“He tasted like fire and lake water,” he said.

I nodded. “We stood in the water for a time, embracing. Then we found our way to the shore. The darkspawn didn’t follow, so we made another small fire and slept for the night. The next morning, when I woke up he was gone. I panicked, put on my chest plate and went searching for him. I saw him on a far hill, picking flowers. Cole, in that moment I could have died.”

“But you wanted the flowers?”

“Good die, not bad die.”

“There’s different kinds of dying?” Cole asked.

“I settled back into camp, and he returned. Together we made our way back to the clan. When we arrived, Keeper Istimaethoriel came up and gave us a hug. The Keeper’s daughter, Asharell came up too and put her arms around Tallen. He reached in his pack and gave her the flowers.”

“You wanted to die then, too. Good die?”

“Bad die,” I said. “My heart broke into a thousand little pieces. We’d kissed, we’d survived darkspawn, and he picked flowers for the pretty girl back home instead of me.” I stopped and swallowed. The night air on the battlements had begun to chill, and goose bumps rose on my arms. “After we’d had a proper bath and a proper meal, I wandered near the halla. Tallen came up to me.”

“Kissing, killing, crying, chilling ‘No hard feelings?’ Oh. He was an ass.” I laughed and patted him on the back.

“Yes, he was. Apparently he’d long been sweet on Asharell and wanted to go on this expedition to impress the Keeper so he could marry his daughter. Our daring tale and the flowers had certainly done their part,” I said. “He came up to me and said, ‘I hope we can keep it a secret. It was the moment, fear of death and all that.’ I nodded, said it was fine. He was afraid he’d die. I was there. People have made worse choices under fear.”

“You carry this hurt like a scar,” he said. “But now, it cracks upon, and it’s hurting all the same.”

“When Solas and I kissed in the Fade, I was so excited. I hadn’t done anything like that in a long time,” I said. “But when we woke up, he said it was a bad decision, a mistake. So I let him go.” I put my hands on my knees and took a deep breath. “Then Blackwall and I, traveling, laughing. It came so suddenly, I thought the Creators had given me a second chance. We went and found his badge, we sat by the fire light.”            “But he also said it was wrong,” Cole said.

“After Tallen and Asharell married,  I spoke to the Hahren. I needed some advice. He told me, his years of wisdom, ‘You cannot beg anyone to love you.’”

“So when they said no, you believed them.”

“I’m not going to convince them otherwise. If they don’t want me enough to want me honestly, I won’t fight for it,” I said. My eyes welled up and Cole put his hand on mine.

“They could have been convinced,” he said, “but that wouldn’t have been right. It would have hurt you more than losing them.”

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. “I think maybe love just isn’t for me. Before I wasn’t anyone, now I’m so much more than myself.”

“Willfull, wanting, given, gotten, ‘I’ve given up so much, maybe she could be for me, maybe this woman I could keep,’” he said.

“That’s not how I feel.”

“That isn’t you,” he said. I sat up straighter and looked at him. His eyes glanced down, Cullen leaning over the battlements, his own late night stroll.

“Josephine?” I asked. He shook his head. “Cassandra?” He shook his head again.

“Lost and longing, lyrium-sick, ‘She’s so powerful, so strong, how could she ever want anyone like me?’” Cole looked back at me.

I swallow and look at him, his hands running through his hair. “I never thought, I mean, I’d flirted, but he seemed so closed off. I assumed,” I trailed off.

“‘What if the lyrium takes me? What if I’m not strong enough? She deserves someone strong enough to carry her burdens. She deserves someone without the weight I carry.’”

“Thank you, Cole. This helped.” We hopped off the edge and I gave him another pat on the shoulder.

“Thank you. I’m happy I helped.”