#mabari also with the party

[across-stars]

Dragon Age cover page from my bujo, mainly based on da2 loading screen for chateau Haine

[dungeons-and-dragon-age]

While 'Renan is off finding the holy grail, slaying one and a half high dragons, burning the rotting corpse of the crucified king, and having a personal crisis, Noya is also having A Great Time in the Deep Roads! :) Including but not limited to fun activities such as: nug wrangling, being trapped miles under the earth for weeks on end, finding and killing two paragons, and encountering horrors beyond her imagination that will fuel nightmares for the rest of her life! <3

[danielnelsen]

omg that optional room with the locked door in leliana's song took so many tries on nightmare difficulty

[hawkepockets]

actually. 🫷😀🫸 THOUGHTS ON AVELINE

i think aveline is a CORE da2 character, and her relationship with hawke is super super interesting. she’s hawke’s oldest friend in the game & by act 3, maybe the only enduring connection to their homeland & childhood besides the mabari. her voice, her bearing, her stated values are all very noble & movingly fereldan—but her actions both as guard captain & as a party member should be so profoundly disappointing to hawke almost no matter how you play them, which generates a powerful tension. imo it’s really poignant and adds a lot to the game’s central tragedy.

because how can hawke cut her off! but look at how she behaves: ignoring the serial killing & sexual assault of isolated older women and elf girls, baiting the arishok, slut shaming isabela, condescending to merrill. but how can they cut her off? the question is a privilege and a torment!

in this way i think she strikingly complements gamlen. like no matter what gamlen does and says to you, your love interest, leandra, the surviving hawke twin—he’s family and the only way into kirkwall. hawke is not permitted to sever those ties. and no matter what aveline does and says to you and all the women in your party, she remains your oldest friend and the only way back to ferelden, emotionally.

both aveline & gamlen will maintain a warm relationship with hawke as long as hawke tolerates their picking on those in proximity to hawke—but if hawke pushes back with aggressive dialogue options, both will tone match and became sour and hostile. aveline can be really quite awful to a red hawke, and will throw them to the ground and beat them at 100% rivalry. so there’s kind of an underlying challenge in both of these characters: how much will hawke, as gang leader & player character, put up with when it’s not directed at them?

of course, for all the nostalgia that seems to occlude av’s wrongdoings in kirkwall, she’s not really a childhood friend of hawke’s. she was a grown woman when they met, lothering was lost, and the moment was pretty heated thanks to aveline’s hostile templar husband.

and yet hawke is no more reliable & objective in their treatment of the past than varric is. and aveline is what they have! she’s standing in for all of ferelden, all of the past before the blight!

and likewise hawke for her! hawke is the only one left in act 3 who remembers wesley! aveline is the only one who remembers the dead hawke twin!

and as reprehensible as some of her decisions are, aveline’s grief for wesley and her enmity toward the old corrupt guard captain are sympathetic and her voice is sexy and husky and beautiful enough that. well im sorry i just lost the plot for a minute. uh

there’s also the act 3 subplot of the templars trying to take over the city guard, which sets up aveline as the only thing standing between kirkwall’s mages & absolute templar authority in the city. it’s literally her or cullen at his most brainwashed & violent. (to cullen’s credit he also thought it was a bad idea. but i won’t give him so much credit that i believe he’d turn down the position if aveline was removed.) between a knight-commander and a hard place, a pro-mage hawke has to choose the hard place.

so both of my playthroughs i’ve felt like hawke’s friendship with her is at the very least strained, if not completely ruptured, but they have to back her. how much that feels like fucking sandpaper may vary from hawke to hawke.

ultimately i just think she brings a lot to the table. i don’t necessarily understand why she’d be anyone’s all time #1 favorite companion, but you know.

[thebookworm0001]

Spoilery things from today’s ign vid under the cut

BETRAYAL OF FELASSAN

SPITE

BLOODBOUND TO ELGAR’NAN

SOLAS TELLING YOU TO FIX THE MESS YOU MADE

HARDING BEING FUCKED UP FROM THAT BEGINNING CHOICE

OUTFITS ARE GORGEOUS

Sirin the twice-forged I am thinking ghil

As the gods’ champion passed freely, so will you - is this connected to that idea of an elf taking on the gods’ forms? did the gods have champions are we solas’?

Also the caretaker’s voice is cool as hell

Treviso is so fucking gorgeous

PET THE CATS AND DOGS

Was that a mabari???

Party banter pausinggggggggggg

Taash has a different hair color there what’s that about

VIAGO

damn combat looks cool

Present gods I’m afraiddddddddddsd

Elgar’nan being shitty directly tied to solas rebellion confirmedddddd

Oh my god we can play rock paper scissors with Manfred

MURAL MURAL MURAL MURAL MURAL WITH SOLAS MOHAWK HAIR ELGARNAN AND MHRHAL RISING TO BE GODS SOLAS YELLING AT THEM (WHY IS THIS A REGRET MY DARLING) also “WE” ARE NOT GODS ALSO ELGAR’NAN’S VOICE AND BROKEN EARTH WITH THOSE ORBY DEALIES TITIAN KILLING FOR ORBS

What the FUCK is the qamekmaster

[professorsparklepants]

welcome to fanfic I won't write fridays, where I talk about fanfic I won't write

happy dragon age 4 to those who celebrate it's time to put all my "pevensie siblings isekai'd into dragon age pcs" thoughts in one post

peter is the inquisitor; i considered lucy for this but she's more what the inquisition wants you to appear to be (a divine prophet protecting the people) rather than what you actually are (the head of a military organization with fingers in politics and heavy religious propaganda

edmund is the champion of kirkwall; the entire point of da2 is that everything is in shades of grey and there are no right answers, and edmund is painted as the most familiar with moral ambiguity and the most forgiving of it

lucy is the grey warden originally through process of elimitation but being dropped in a dying world, told there's a near futile mission to hold back the decay that's eating the continent, and not only facing it whole heartedly but succeeding so well you have time to run off and try to cure it yourself with no backup is EXTREMELY lucy behavior

susan is "sir not appearing in this film (until dragon age 4 comes out)"

all four of them land around the same time. lucy gets wrapped up in the origins plot immediately, and da2 happens mostly simultaneously iirc so so is edmund. peter is biding time doing the qunari mercenary backstory until da:i starts. susan is also biding her time but by clawing her way up the local social hierarchy.

DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS

lucy is a mage with the spirit healer specialization, but based on her canon weapon use i think also has traces of the arcane warrior.

duncan literally finds her by the side of the road and goes "hey kid you wanna fight darkspawn." lucy asks if they're evil and he says yes so she signs up immediately. a simple woman.

she absolutely makes the full party her bisexual polycule. yes even the unromancable ones. i have faith in her.

morrigan: i'm straight lucy: for now.

leliana is her favorite but don't tell anyone.

lucy adores mabari. absolutely nothing in thedas is more narnian than the mabari. when she meets her siblings again they are all going to be so fucking jealous that she has one.

lucy doesn't make alistair king because he seems like he's kind of bad at it and i think she can sniff that out. my sister is of the opinion that lucy would make him king and then marry him bc she knows she would do a good job. i think she only said this because she finds it funny.

however i do think lucy would convince alistair to do the ritual because she sees absolutely nothing wrong with him having sex with a woman he hates who turns into a giant spider sometimes.

lucy, has attended dozens of bacchanalia: who hasn't slept with someone they dislike while under the effects of magic? all her companions: where did you say you were from again?

she does absolutely kill loghain though because a. all the shit he did is deserving of an execution, b. edmund isn't here to stop her, and c. alistair threatens to quit if she doesn't and despite having a mabari he's her emotional support animal

DRAGON AGE 2

i couldn't decide if edmund was a mage or a warrior but i decided it would be funnier if he were both, because it has such hawke energy. you surpress his magic? he has a sword. you disarm him? he has a fireball!

i don't know what warrior specialization i would pick for him, but he's definitely a force mage

i think edmund literally falls out of a portal and saves bethany/carver's life so the hawkes just decide to adopt him. he's theirs now. leandra just full on lies and says he's her son. what the fuck is her brother gonna do about it.

edmund walks into the den of sin and darkness that is kirkwall, sighs, and rolls up his sleeves to get to work. he is going to make this city a better place one back alley brawl at a fucking time. try him.

edmund romances anders because he has "i only date disasters/i can fix him" vibes and i think it's funny for him to be a former sovereign whose boyfriend is a wanted terrorist.

but also the da2 polycule IS real edmund is just not dating everyone at once. he's busy and also i hc him as only into men. imagine what you want though this isn't a real fic.

sorry the image of edmund just pspspspspsps-ing all of his sad, angry, morally grey companions into being friends is so fucking funny to me. local man brainwashed by evil as a child is too full of love and the belief in second chances to say no to a blood mage, guy who is willingly possessed at all times, escaped slave who lives in a mansion full of rotting corpses, a cop, and a romance novelist who keeps stealing your life story.

DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION

peter has the qunari mercenary backstory, and is absolutely a warrior build. probably champion build?

also i think he romances cassandra. i considered josephine but that's more a susan romance. if peter were into men that way he'd be all over iron bull and he says as much after a couple drinks.

peter, cornering cullen after their first war meeting: you haven no military experience do you. cullen: please don't tell anyone. i need this job.

he takes one look at solas and goes "oh this guy is not normal. idk what his deal is but this is some kind of oak god at least."

varric doesn't know edmund and peter are siblings until edmund shows up and he is INCREDIBLY offended by it. what do you MEAN i've been calling you hawke for years and it's not even your fucking name. the BETRAYAL.

edmund: my ex-boyfriend blew up the chantry and started the mage/templar war peter: HEY DORIAN, MY HONORABLE GOOD FRIEND WHO IS GAY, HAVE YOU MET MY VERY GAY BROTHER

"well his family owns slaves that's enough of a project for Edmund"

you know the table mission where the warden send you a letter? instead of that i think lucy just turns around and immediately heads back to thedas. THAT'S HER FUCKIN BROTHER!!!!!!!! she shows up after edmund does obviously for maximum "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!!!!" drama

[scene: all three pevensies are roaring drunk in skyhold and casting members of the inquisition as Narnian creatures] Peter: I think Solas is a centaur. He's wise, respectful, and vaguely condescending. Lucy: [sniggering bc she clocked Solas] I think he's a wolf. Edmund: I think he's a marshwiggle. [Peter and Lucy absolutely lose it]

Lucy, halfway through stumbling back to her room: WAIT. DORIAN IS A PEACOCK. Peter, three floors up: [ugly donkey noise]

DRAGON AGE: VEILGUARD

obviously there's nothing 2 say about this yet

however i will say for certain that if there's a noble human background i'll be giving it to susan

idc that she literally got portal fantasy'd into this world. she's pretty and socially dangerous she wormed her way in there. she's got those diplomatic social climber stats.

she's also a rogue, no question.

[gardensystemtv]

Warden Saadia Brosca

Similarly to how I made a masterpost for Ellaine, I recently started a run with Saadia, because I want to play each of the other origins, and was the most curious about the Dwarf Commoner.

I will update this post as I play her playthrough, and include my choices for her! as always, asks and comments are always welcome! Basic Bio: Name: Saadia Brosca Gender: Woman Pronouns: She/Her Sexuality: Lesbian Origin: Dwarf Commoner Class: Rogue Weapon prefference: Dual wield (daggers) Specializations: none yet

Worldstate: Dwarven Resilience AUs?: None yet

Origin: [Companions] Leske [Choices] * Killed the Lyrium Smuggler * had Leske poison her proving opponent * Fought in the provings, and revealed her identity when confronted * Escaped the carta base, killing only the guard (used stealth for everyone else) * Talked to Duncan at the proving * Eagerly joined Duncan to become a warden [Headcanons] * Highly respects Duncan, he is one of the only people in the proving to not show her disrespect for being a casteless. * Sees becoming a warden as her chance to show what she truly can do, and prove her worth.

Ostagar [Choices] * Killed the Prisoner to steal his key * Helped muzzle the Mabari for treatment * Looted the contents of the lockbox

Lothering [Companions] Leliana & Alistair & Sten [choices] * Reluctant for Morrigan and Flemeth's help. but did not kick Morrigan out of party * Recruited the dog, named Barkagon. * Convinced the bandits a caravan is coming, to avoid paying the toll * Stole their money and killed them anyway * Drove off the chantry sister for the Merchant * Lockpicked Sten's cage to recruit him * Killed Loghain's men in the tavern * Begrudgingly recruited Leliana [Headcanons] * Saadia did not trust Flemeth or Morrigan at all, and wanted to leave the hut as quickly as possible * as I am going through conversation options, Alistair kinda hates Saadia already, mostly because she tends to dig through his attempts at deflection, and tries to force him to answer her questions. * Morrigan also has a low approval, since Saadia does not trust magic in any form * Leliana and Sten are doing well aproval wise, she appreciates Sten's directness. And Leliana seems to be trying to claw at her heart regardless of her cold exterior.

Redcliffe: Saadia's first destination was to swing south of Lake Calenhad to Orzammar, but Redcliffe was along the way, and Alistair insisted on stopping there. [Companions] Sten & Alistair & Leliana [Choices] * Saadia stayed to protect the town. While tempted to leave, she wanted to try and find the Arl. * Threatened Dwyn into staying to fight. * Threatened the kid into giving her his father's blade * Killed Berwick * Lots of people died during the defense, rip * KIlled Jowan in his cell (distrustful of mages, blood mages especially) * With Jowan being dead, Saadia did not know about the ritual to save Connor * Saadia decided to kill Connor to end the demonic possession. [Headcanons] * Going for this route is ROUGH but I wanted Saadia to have a strong "i don't trust magic" stance, so I got backed into a corner. I do not recommend going this route for any other character.

(this post will be expanded as I progress further in the playthrough)

[midmorninggrey]

Grey's Dragon Age OCs

I'd like a place to keep all of my OCs and their "expanded canon" backstories straight, so I wrote up some key points.

"Ferelden’s Finest Four" – Wardens Before the Fifth Blight

Magaleth the Mapmaker (aka “Mags”)

A Dalish-born apostate who earned a name for herself among the Grey Wardens as a daring and resourceful researcher. She could maintain her humor in the darkest of places.

When the Order was allowed back into Ferelden, she was assigned by Warden-Commander Duncan to lead an expedition to map the Deep Roads beneath the country.

She married her fellow Warden Loran.

With the jangle of all her equipment, Magaleth was usually heard before she was seen. However, a Dalish eye would recognize her unfinished vallaslin.

Tag #oc: Magaleth the Mapmaker

Loran the Lamenter (aka “Half Ears” or “Stoat”*)

A well-read elven revolutionary from Starkhaven. Following his part in a failed assassination attempt on the Vael family, Magaleth recruited him to the Wardens. They were married shortly afterward.

Loran was known for his missing right ear and a sour attitude that only Magaleth could sweeten. He also had a great knack for killing ogres.

*It was unwise to call him either of these to his face.

Tag #oc: Loran the Lamenter

Toni the Terror (aka “Antonia”)

One of the first recruits to survive the Joining when the order returned to Ferelden. Toni had a short but colorful stint in the Denerim city guard before she volunteered to join the Grey Wardens.

She was a brawler on battlefields and barroom floors, but Toni had a big heart under all her bluster. Mutton, her Mabari war hound, was more pampered than an Orlesian lap dog.

During her travels with Magaleth, Toni fell in love with Arden Trevelyan, and together they had an unlikely daughter named Celeste.

Tag oc: Toni the Terror

Cal the Canary (aka "The Wee Shem")

Former apprentice to Uldred.

Recruited by Duncan from Kinloch Hold at age sixteen due to pressing circumstances.

His innate abilities with force magic made him a powerful weapon against the unchecked Darkspawn in Ferelden, and Duncan trusted him to Magaleth’s command. Cal served the Order faithfully until he fled Ferelden following the Battle of Ostagar.

On a ship to Kirkwall, he allied himself with fellow Fereldens Gillian Hawke and her sister Bethany.

From the back of the Hanged Man, he built a reputation as a trustworthy source for untrustworthy information. He was a favorite of smugglers, nobles, actresses, and, if the rumors are true, a certain broody elf.

Bitter history with the healer Anders was a constant strain on his standing with Hawke.

After the destruction of the Kirkwall Chantry, Cal returned to the Grey Warden order.

Tag #oc: Cal the Canary

Kirkwall

Gillian Hawke

Hawke would like to be her mother's daughter. She throws a great party if her guests can stomach three hours of raucous social debate before the liquor truly starts flowing.

-Dual Wielding Rogue (Shadow & Assassin Specializations)

- Primarily Green with a healthy amount of Red.

- Paints in her spare time

- Bethany sent to the Circle

- Duels the Arishok (good times)

- Romanced Merrill

- Sided with the Mages

- Anders Spared

Tag #oc: Gillian Hawke

The Inquisition

Celeste Trevelyan (aka “The Herald”)

Due to her youth and limited magical talents, it is easy to underestimate Celeste. It is not a mistake one makes twice.

-Human Mage (Necromancer Specialization)

-Seventeen at the time of the Conclave explosion

- Mages Conscripted

- Drank from the Well of Sorrows (Were her motives any better than Morrigan's? Not really.)

- Warden (Marcus) left in the Fade

- Wardens Conscripted

- Briala Rules Through Gaspard

- Good friends with Cole and the Bog Unicorn

Tag #oc: Celeste Trevelyan

Arden Trevelyan (aka “Ostwick’s Dragon” or “The Regent”)

Celeste's Father.

After a troubled childhood, Trevelyan disappeared from Ostwick society as a teenager. Nearly a decade later, he returned with ink on his face and his child in his arms. His family sent him to oversee their expansive lyrium operation, and in the mines, he was feared by allies and enemies alike.

The existence of his daughter, Celeste, was largely kept secret until he brought her to live with his sister in 9:40 Dragon. Trevelyan went missing again that same year and was thought to have been killed by Cadash smugglers until he was found by Inquisition Scout Lace Harding.

In a contentious compromise, Trevelyan was appointed as Regent Inquisitor, serving as the highest-ranking advisor to the Inquisition as it worked to defeat Corypheus. The founding advisors did construct a contingency plan to remove Trevelyan, but it remained in Leliana's drawer.

[fllagellant]

What I really enjoy about the Estel Surana + Hivaris Brosca is like . Yes they end up together if you saw them during their joining you would have thought they would kill each other the Minute they got out of Duncan’ s sight .

Estel is so full of just . Unhappiness . First name Misery last name Rage . Like great they finally got out of the circle but lost their best friend in the process + that does not mean they feel Safe . He is so worried about how he’ ll be treated and how he’ ll end up as a warden he is just snapping at everyone he sees to feel like he’ s protecting himself . Since he couldn’ t do such a thing in the circle But it was done to him . Wrongly associating that anger = power and that if he can be cruel then he is On Top .

Hivaris is scared . But he is also not Fully come to terms with things ? It hasn’ t sunk in that he won’ t see his sister again and that he is Never Allowed to return to Orzammar and that he has completely been cut off from everything he knew . He also lacks knowledge about things on the surface and this includes ! Mages ! Like he knew Of them but keep in mind the first mage he has a one on one with is Estel . And when Estel snaps at him And Alistair ( Hivaris entered a pack bond with Alistair as soon as he saw him . Estel did ! Not ! ) it is like Oh . Okay ….

Like it really is Not . A good start . Estel also is extremely distant to Alistair too . Hivaris talking to Alistair like do you want to ditch this guy . Give me the signal I will send the Mabari after him and we will run . Alistair voice no we cant do that please give him a chance hes also a grey warden we cant ditch him he will be killed . And that is Bad , Hivaris .

In my head they go to Orzammar first … then the circle . Between this Estel apologizes for his behaviour when they first met and also accepts if they dont want him in the party anymore . Like I think that going to Orzammar was really like oh we are similar . Oh fuck me we’ re similar . He would have understood if I just talked to him . + Alistair being open about his background and what happened to him and Estel is like oh I was the . Oh I fucked up . Ohh I made a Massive error . Sorry grey wardens + everyone else I have snapped at without thinking …

+ Hivaris accepting the apology but seeing the circle drives everything home for him and it all clicks into place and afterward he’ s like . Hey . Can we talk about . That . Because I misunderstood what exactly happens at a Circle and why they are a thing . Hey that was fucked up . And he also has that moment of connection because of course this guy would understand how he feels to be casteless when he is also . A second class citizen . Who lives in a tower in the middle of a lake . Against his will . I think after that they both try and find gifts to give each other for peace keeping and everyone can Feel how the energy between them has permanently shifted . Sorry I just realized I started writing dragon age oc lore essay forgive me

[vigilskeep]

Does BG3 let you have a dog, per chance? Inq left me mabari-less, and I need to know if there's a dog.

i am so thrilled to tell you that there is a dog and you can pet it, play fetch with it, summon it to walk around wherever, and even talk to it if you or any member of your party has the speak with animals spell. and it’s very handsome and cute and the best boy. there are also lots of classes that let you summon other animal companions in ur adventure! :)

[nirikeehan]

Happy Friday Niri! For DADWC, how about #31 from Artifacts of Thedas, for Cullen and Dorian (heh heh): A Satinalia mask

HI DEMA thank you!! This deliciously fit right into my ongoing masquerade side quest fic set in Pravinquisition AU, previous installation here

Also I was an absolute maniac and managed (I hope) to shove five Cullen & Dorian prompts into one scene, so thank you @zenstrike, @rosella-writes, @kiastirling, and @liza011 for these additional prompts:

overdramatic arguments about non-important subjects

All I Do is Wear Cool Outfits, Tell Jokes and Hide My Depression

doing things in sync

'Rule one: Don’t get caught.'

Madness. But perfect for them and I think I got them all

For @dadrunkwriting

WC: 1350

---

Cullen stood sentry in the corner of a marble-pillared room, watching the revelry with distaste. A pair of inebriated Orlesians had taken it upon themselves to climb upon a makeshift stage and butcher the Fereldan tavern song Andraste’s Mabari. He was nominally glad the panther-shaped mask he wore hid his grimace, though the rest of him wanted to wrench the damn thing off his face. It made his forehead itch something awful. 

He was grateful to see Dorian stroll into the room and make eye contact. The Tevinter mage looked far more comfortable at this soiree than Cullen knew he would be in a million years. Dorian cut a sharp figure in blues and greens. He wore a black half-mask; it was adorned with feathers and sparkled even in the dim light.

“I hope you’re not grinding your teeth too hard in there, Commander,” Dorian said jovially, sidling up with a goblet of wine in one hand. “You’re like to give yourself a headache.”

Cullen opened his mouth to protest, only to realize how correct the mage was. He worked his jaw, trying to loosen it up. “I didn’t think I’d have to suffer attacks on my homeland when I agreed to come here, that’s all.”

Dorian tilted his head, caught wind of the lyrics, and took a stiff sip of his drink. “I see your point. Perhaps we ought to go somewhere a touch, ah, quieter?”

“Please.” 

They ducked down a hallway that spilled out onto a small courtyard. The chill night was a welcome respite from the stuffiness of the Comte de Valette’s estate. The place seemed deserted, so Cullen removed the mask to the feel the relief of open air on his face. Any moment an angry Orlesian noble would probably materialize and command he put it back on — the allure of secrecy and all that — but for the moment he could think unburdened. 

“Tut, tut, Commander,” Dorian chided, smirking at his clear hatred of the mask and all it signified, “do you also remove your helm mid-battle?” 

“This farce of a party is hardly the battlefield,” Cullen grumbled. “And perhaps if I hadn’t let Fidencio design my entire outfit I’d feel less like a made-up doll.” The whole ensemble had been the bard’s idea. Cullen stood all in black, with a paisley patterned in velvet on his jerkin, gold trim on the sleeves, and a black overcoat. He already felt like a mummer’s idea of a pirate, but then Fidencio had insisted upon the damn mask to complete the look. Because a lion — Cullen’s suggestion — was the official sigil of Orlais and would send the wrong message. “Did the bard pick out your costume as well?” 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Commander, but I’d never need a theatre man to dress me properly.” Dorian smirked into his wine goblet. “I happen to dress this sharply on the regular, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. Why, this was just my Satinalia mask from last year.” 

“I bet.” Cullen paid the boasting no mind. “Anything to report?”

“Sadly not. The Inquisitor and I spoke to all the premiere nobles of the Orlesian court — you think they’d want to hide their identities better, but I found them quite easy to identify. They had little and less to say. Nothing but praise for the Comte, but curiously no one can find the man.” 

“Strange, do you think?” Cullen asked. “That the Comte should be so aloof?” 

“Ah, who knows?” Dorian countered. “I’ve been to galas in Tevinter thrown while the host wasn’t even in the country. He’d do it just to remind everyone he still had more money than the Maker.” 

“And Lady Thalia?” Cullen asked, scanning the windows facing the courtyard. In the orange glow of the rooms, the revelers cut ghastly, demon-like shadows. Or maybe that was just how it seemed. The mind could play tricks, and Cullen hadn’t wanted Thalia to accept the Comte’s invitation even before he learned that de Valette was rumored to be some dark mage. 

“She was with Fidencio, last I checked. In that room with the enchanted butterflies.” 

“Maybe I should check on her. No offense to Fidencio, but I’ve seen him in the sparring ring. He’s more of a lover than a fighter.” 

Dorian snorted. “That he is, for certain.” 

Cullen waited for a snide remark about Fidencio’s swordplay in alternative arenas, but Dorian merely smirked. It seemed he was too polite to grasp for the low-hanging fruit. That was fine with Cullen, who had uncovered a strange sense of foreboding he couldn’t shake. He replaced the asinine mask on his face and headed back inside with Dorian matching his stride.

Dorian led the way to the butterfly room, which was full of the flitting insect lanterns and simpering party guests, but no Inquisitor or the headwear-loving bard. Cullen’s bad feeling worsened. 

“Well, they were just here,” Dorian added unhelpfully. 

Cullen walked brusquely from room to room, checking with his stationed soldiers along the way, but none had seen the Lady Thalia. Even Blackwall confessed they’d only crossed paths before she’d met up with Fidencio. 

Dorian kept pace, cracking bad jokes along the way, until Cullen finally snapped, “Are you incapable of taking anything seriously?” 

Dorian sobered. “Ah, yes, the humor is just my dominant coping mechanism, I’m afraid. I’m actually a bit nervous myself.” 

Cullen let out a slow breath. “Any idea where they could have gone?” 

“No, but I think we must employ process of elimination here, Commander.” He leaned against the wall in a small, winding corridor and crossed his arms. “Thus far the masquerade has been confined to the ground floor of the chateau and surrounding environs. As Inquisition soldiers have been stationed in both places, I think it’s safe to assume they’re not there.” 

“So that leaves, what, upstairs? In the guest chambers? ” Cullen did not like to think about what might be transpiring up there. One heard tell of what transpired at certain Orlesian parties. “I hope Fidencio would not be fool enough to let Thalia near any sort of—” Could he even say it?

“I think it’s unlikely Fidencio would have led her to an orgy,” Dorian said blithely. “Unless she asked to go— which is also unlikely,” he added before Cullen’s pulse could spike too much. “Goodness, you have met the girl, haven’t you? She can barely handle one man, let alone a whole gaggle.” 

Cullen chose not to dignify any of that with a response. “So then, where else?” 

A silent beat passed between the two men, and they spoke in unison: “The cellar.” 

“There must be one,” Dorian said. “This is a castle. What’s a castle without a wine cellar?” 

“And a dungeon,” Cullen said darkly. What if the Comte de Valette had made an appearance after all, and now Thalia was his captive? 

“Commander, your imagination is at times alarming,” Dorian said lightly. 

“I’m in charge of an army. I’m paid to think about the worst case scenario.”

“Be that as it may.” Dorian paced back and forth in the corridor, and raised a finger in the air. “I think I might know a way in.” 

“Oh?” Cullen asked. 

“A little staircase I came across when I took a wrong turn earlier in the evening. A pageboy assured me it was just the servant stairwell and steered me back to the party.” 

Cullen drew the mask from his face, wiping the perspiration from his brow. “Do you think you can find it again?”

Dorian stroked the end of his mustache. “I’m fairly certain, yes.” 

“Though I suppose we’ll have to think of a fine excuse, to allow ourselves entry,” Cullen mused. “Unless we want the entire chateau alerted to our movements.” 

“Spoken like someone who never snuck around much in his youth.” Dorian flashed him a mischievous grin.

Cullen sighed. “What do you want me to say? The Templar barracks were well-monitored.” 

“Oh, don’t misunderstand me; that was not meant to be a slight. I only mean, Commander, you’ve not yet learned rule number one in subterfuge: don’t get caught.”

[thedragonagelesbian]

Canon Worldstate Questions!

tytyty @omgkalyppso i did um. accidentally post this way too early & hastily delete it, sooo let's try again...

1. your Warden/Hawke/Inquisitor's opinion on Orlais?

vidreu aeducan: for a long time, dru understood orlais almost exclusively in terms of trade, with the chantry lyrium trade being orzammar's economic lifeblood. that made sense to her. orlesian politics do not. while conceptually familiar with the game from her noble upbringing, when she gets her first taste of it in-person after the end of the fifth blight, it is Wayyyy too much for her. orzammar's politics are also cutthroat and status-based, but there's at least (purportedly) this shared understanding and cultural investment in values that dru respects like family honor. the game is absurd to her. the fashion sensibilities are even worse. the overwrought extravagance of the nobility is appalling. the social scripts are opaque and convoluted,. the social pressure is overwhelming.

dru makes like one debut as the famed hero of ferelden then gets shitfaced with loghain to recover and never shows their face in orlesian high society again.

cyrus hawke: he wants to see the empire fall, but until then, at least the aesthetics are fun

yiseeril trevelyan: adores it. everything is ridiculous, and nothing matters at all and everything matters immensely. she wonders often what her life could've been like if she had stayed in ghislain

8. who do they hate the most, and do they have an arch-nemesis

vidreu aeducan: dru's baseline attitude toward everyone is indifference, and that + unhealthy dose of pragmatism makes it hard to hate even people she really should despise like uh. bhelen. or loghain. but they do want to kill flemeth. and i think they could've done it if they had been in the fade for her toying with kieran shit. powers of a goddess be damned.

cyrus hawke: he can't pick just one person. he hates meredith, cullen, aveline, loghain, sister petrice, grand cleric elthina, cassandra, celene, gaspard.................. no arch-nemesis, just a lot of terrible people with power

yiseeril trevelyan: yiseeril is kind of a fake hater asjdpofjf she can be quite casually mean but that's just because it's fun and even the people she should be angry at (the templar who made her tranquil, the first enchanter who lied about her not being harrowed, everyone who took advantage of her while she was tranquil, hell even the maker for permitting her to suffer like this) she. isn't. because she doesn't want to look her hurt directly in the eye and acknowledge it, she just wants to move past it (though she isn't above a little bloody vengeance against that templar when sera tracks him down to try to make her feel better)

10. are they good horse riders?

vidreu aeducan: they would be an excellent griffon rider, but they can't get most animals to trust them.

cyrus hawke: my heart says yes, because it fits into the knight aesthetic so perfectly, but he would get too stressed out about protecting it in battle... if it's just for transportation/to be DramaticTM, it's fine, but in combat, he prefers to be on his own two feet

yiseeril trevelyan: her family had her in a saddle before her magic manifested, and she finagled her way into a pastoral outing or two while in Ghislain. the skills came back to her quickly in inquisition.

11 & 13.

Answered here!

12. attitude toward Mabari?

vidreu aeducan: alistair is convinced for most of the game that dru likes gorim (yes that is what they named the ostagar mabari) more than anyone else in the party, and he's RIGHT. that's their emotional support tether to the past they've been severed from and whom they can show weakness around without fear of reproach, thank you very much!

i also just. like the idea of her mabari also being... a lil more blight haunted than what we get in-game. he did swallow darkspawn blood, after all. sometimes zevran swears he hears them chittering to one another at the edges of camp in the wee hours of the morning.

cyrus hawke: cyrus has a mild phobia of dogs, after a guard sicced one on him as a teen. not a fan.

yiseeril trevelyan: she thinks they're boring adfojpafwe like they're Fine but a real pet should be horse-adjacent and hilarious. like a dracolisk or nuggalope.

14. who are they closest to from their family?

vidreu aeducan: the aeducans were not a close family by any definition of the word, but she and bhelen come out the other side of origins inextricably and painfully bound to one another, genuinely close and strangely caring (the bit in halamshiral in inq about the king depleting orzammar's coffers trying to find the hero of ferelden always gets me...) but also always a few strong drinks away from some light-to-heavy attempted fratricide.

cyrus hawke: it was malcolm, once upon a time. his relationship with leandra has always been strained, and there's a certain distance between him and his siblings (bethany's magic, carver's independence), but cyrus deeply admired his father and has always tried to emulate him. more than that, cyrus felt that malcolm understood and supported him, treating him with gentleness and empathy when his protectiveness and earliest inclinations toward sacrifice got him hurt.

yiseeril trevelyan: no one; yiseeril's family was embarrassed by her magic, and while she was in ghislain, the only person she kept in contact with was her mother. when she was made tranquil, yiseeril presumed that the transfer to ostwick was arranged by her and spent years expecting her visit. it was only later that she discovered the transfer was made by a rival of the trevelyan family to humiliate them further.

24. what languages can they speak?

vidreu aeducan: King's Tongue and Dwarvish

cyrus hawke: the King's Tongue and bits and pieces of Elvish (in addition to prayers, Merrill has taught him a lot of swears, bc it's good for him to vent his anger)

yiseeril trevelyan: King's Tongue, conversational in Orlesian

[dungeons-and-dragon-age]

OC Approval Gifts

got tagged for this a while ago by @greypetrel!! <33 Couldn't choose who to do so i threw em i a randomiser and picked the first 4 xD

Neira - an embroidered herb pouch

Neira is. Not good with gifts and will feel terribly guilty if you were to spend a large amount of money on her, or if you were to give her something that she couldn't appreciate fully (read: would put away somewhere and not use). She's very practical and her old pouch is... usable. but it's got a good bit of wear and tear and so a new, pretty one is something she wouldn't buy herself (the old one still works, after all), it would appreciate greatly as a gift. She'll look at it and think of you every time and be all :) about it.

Liam Hawke - a painted wooden mabari figurine

He is a sentimental bitch who misses his home and his family dearly, so getting him something small that reminds him of both (and even looks a bit like Skippy!) is a sure hit with him. This one specifically will get him sentimental because of how when he was little he'd helped an older whittler with a bad back around his shop, and as a thank you he gave him a painted mabari figure similar to this one. And he'll go on an entire tangent how that one time he and Bethany got into a fight because she smeared kaddis all over it... You might have to endure a whole ass nostalgia ramble, but that's just proof that he is very grateful for the gift.

Lilian Hawke - one of those fancy orlesian custards

Ok first of all it is Orlesian so as a Fereldan admitting that she loves it feels like a federal crime. Secondly, even after moving to Hightown she is still very conscious about spending habits, and reluctant to spend much in the way of frivolous things like overpriced sweets on herself. However. She also has a big sweet tooth, and she cannot deny that those fancy vanilla custards with the orange blossom water and fresh fruits and garnish that they have at those awful high class parties sometimes are an absolute delight. So. If you happen to get her one (the means of getting it are unimportant)? Love, love for you for one thousand years

June Trevelyan - a tailored dracolisk bridle and saddle

I could say that if you got her a magic theory (or smut) book that is on the Chantry's blacklist or maybe a baby griffin that she would love you forever, which would be true but also hard to come by lol. So i am moving down one tier and saying dracolisk equipment. June is also not great with accepting sentimental gifts, but something that aligns with her interests and can be put to good use is a safe bet to win her approval. Sure she could get new equipment herself, but Poison is fussy and it's a pain to get new stuff for her, so if you were to do that work for her and possibly even get one that looks rad to boot? Amazing wonderful do you want to kiss

not sure who's done it already since i'm a bit late, but whoever sees this and wants to have a go, consider yourself tagged!! :]

[atonalginger]

I once shared the first half of this fic back in 2015 but did not leave it up because at the time I was very scared to share my work. But I was always proud of this one. It comes from a messy AU with multiple Heroes of Fereldan, Alistair going the Drunk route due to the human noble character's choices, It's the Hawke Twins, and the quizzie was an alienage born, Dalish raised rogue.

This is all that remains of that AU. Notes and other fragments were lost in a move. But I had this so yeah, here you go.

Alistair has left the Wardens, again, and has hunted Loghain down. But not for revenge this time, now he extends the olive branch in hopes they can stop Clarel and the wardens before more people get hurt.

I do remember where the AU was going to go, sort of, and will put that under the cut.

In terms of what happens with the Wardens, with Stroud, Alistair, Loghain, and several of the Heroes still around Ferelden they are a big help to the Inquisition. After Adamant, where Stroud stayed behind, Loghain, Alistair, and the Heroes of Fereldan get into a discussion about Ostagar (before the battle) and land on an old story about a sick Mabari that they collected a specific herb for to heal it after it got sick with the Blight. The Mages of the group realize that could be useful and take this information to the mages back at Skyhold.

At Skyhold Alistair and Fiona sit down and talk and he asks how any of this came to be and she didn't know. Just that once she had him she couldn't re-join (spike party blood didn't work) and so she took him to Maric and returned to the circles.

At some point the fact that Maric was a Reaver comes up. Suana then decides to brew up something using the herbs from the story and dragon blood, similar to the reaver initiation rights, and Alistair volunteers to test it out.

It works. They make more and every warden around who wishes to leave the order is given a chance to drink. There is concern Weisshuapt will retaliate but after what happened with Coryfi-shits they decide they'll take their chances.

Also Alistair and the quizzie get smoochie ;)

[vaguely-concerned]

Happy healing post-DA:I things for my Hawke and company

because if anyone ever deserved that soft epilogue it's these guys

Hawke giving Merrill a griffon feather from Weisshaupt

Hawke getting a new mabari puppy (maybe also kittens? can we work kittens into this as well?). Hawke and companions playing with and petting said puppy. said puppy falling asleep in people's laps. it dozes off on fenris' head once and he just lies there and lets it with great equanimity until it wakes again. varric and isabela try to teach it wicked grace. it's better at it than anders was.

Bethany can live at home now ;_______; the last of the Hawke family finally getting to actually live in their ancestral home together, after all their hopes and hard work in act one ;_________________________________; she could get married if she wanted to, she could have kids, she could have whatever part of a 'normal life' she feared she never would and her magic, not having to hide anymore ;__________________________________________; (a big thank u to leliana the murderpope my best homie <3)

Bethany bringing some of the apprentices she's taken under her wing and Merrill bringing some of the alienage kids who're in extra tricky circumstances, and the big empty house is not so empty anymore

Hawke training Bethany's apprentices and Merrill's wards in physical combat -- "My father always said that the real trick of magic is knowing when not to use it. Doesn't mean you can't throw a punch about it tho". the kids sometimes gang up on him when they're playfighting and bethany looks on like :') because he pretends to be vanquished & defeated, alas proud warriors your strength combined is too great, in exactly the same way he did with her and carver when they were little

Fenris and Hawke friendly sparring! Isabela watches while drinking rum.

Hawke hanging around the Viscount's office, pretending to be there just to make fun of Varric (and annoy Aveline let's not forget) but actually helping out unceasingly. don't tell anyone tho he has a reputation to uphold as a rich idiot with no day job even though he's been doing every fucking job in kirkwall for like a decade now, ssssh he has to feel like he's still fooling someone

First Wintersend party at the Hawke estate where most of the gang is together again. (My canon always has Hawke send Anders away at the end of DA2 and sometimes there's a romance involved for double heartbreak too so y'know. bittersweet there but at least the rest of the family gets to be together again.) Varric and Hawke mutually pretend they don't notice the other one getting teary-eyed during the dinner because sometimes that's what friendship is

kirkwall book club? kirkwall book club. fenris hasn't gotten to read a lot of books yet, so it sort of starts as people giving him recs, evolves to a covert war among the gang to get their fave books/series read first, and then it keeps escalating from there until they're all fully in it. isabela frequently derails it into friendfiction night.

what if merrill got to do some gardening. huh. what about that. I just think that would be nice.

varric writing some black fox stories just because he knows hawke likes them ;__; (you find the black fox codex entry in DA2 in Hawke's mansion and one of the DLC outfits you can get for them is said to have belonged to him as well, so I like to think Hawke has a weak spot for that Robin Hood/Zoro-esque thing deep down lol it would explain a lot about his life)

just varric and hawke hanging out honestly. varric writing while hawke lounges around in his room. every time he has to name a character or something and gets stuck he throws out the basic concept and hawke provides a name without missing a beat or indeed looking up from whatever he's doing. it's always brilliant or awful or brilliantly awful. varric does his shitty little he he he laugh and/or offers hawke his hand in marriage yet again and goes back to writing. all is right in the world, if only just for a while.

[shaken-veil]

It’s Dragon Age Day, so let’s talk about Dragon Age DND!

I always wanted to play DND. But all projects and parties that gathered have never really come to pass. And since I couldn’t find anyone who was willing to DM around that time, I decided I would maybe want to give it a shot.

The original DND content didn’t really appeal to me.. until a special someone provided me with the necessary kick.

So this journey starts in early 2021, when @roguescorner provided me with a sheet about Dragon Age DND. It contained some technical stuff, classes, transferred stuff from 5e to a homebrew setting. It was the foundation of what would become one of the , if not THE biggest, biggest things I have ever worked on.

I got to work. Wrote up a baseline, gathered friends to play, taught myself all the needed basics of being a DM, worked tirelessly through nights and days to make this happen. I offered 3 different scenarios to my players at the beginning, where they wanted to start. 

A trip into the Deep Roads into the Free Marches after an earthquake.

Stranding on the distant shores of the Amaranth.

Investigate the Tirashan Forest after farmsteads were burned down.

The Majority vote went to the Tirashan, so this is where our adventure starts. 

The 16th of April 2021 was our very first session.

We are now on Session 25. It’s been a ride... 

(Continue under the cut)

My players are:

Played by @dngrs-untld-hrshps-unnmbrd. A Dalish runaway Rogue (5e Class also Rogue), who had no intention of marrying the arrogant arse hunter Yeros, just because she had some fun times with a Qunari mercenary and her Clan was butthurt about it.

Played by @ianazavi. The young Keeper of Clan Sylmaris (5e baseclass Druid). Certified hyperactive sweetheart, history buff and nerd, was send out by the Clan Elders to find the runaway Ash as first act of her being the new Keeper. There is a lot of complicated history there that I can’t fit here...xD

Played by @seigephoenix. A human mercenary (5e class Fighter), warrior and voice of reason in the group. Accepted a job from Enzo to be his bodyguard as he went about his personal quest. Half Orlesian, half Fereldan. Now also known as ‘Marquis Montclair’ after her grandfather’s passing. Oh boy... Orlesian nobility. Oh and of course don’t forget Baron, Eli’s trusty Mabari hound. 

Played by @eatingbubbles. A human mage and necromancer from Tevinter. Searching Thedas with the help of his Nevarran master’s manuscript, he tries to unlock the secret that this ancient tome holds. He also let an eldritch parasite live in his head for a while and loves graveyards a lot.

Now that I introduced my party to you.. We can’t forget..ME! haha. I’m playing obviously all the NPCs in this campaign, but there is one that is very note worthy. Which is, of course, our Ancient Elvhen Forgotten One.

Played by yours truly. Time & Gravity Arcane Warrior. (This is also thanks to @roguescorner she gave me the idea about the time magic.) Daern’Thal was rescued by the party during their adventures in the Tirashan forest by the mad priest Fenar, who aimed to steal Daern’Thal’s power while he slumbered in the long sleep. He joined the party on their journey to learn more about this new and unfamiliar world he woke up to. 

Now that that’s out of the way, here are some of my favorite moments, so far.

The very first Boss battle. I’m a Fromsoftware fan, through and through. My party knows this. The bossfights look according to this. Several phases, unforgiving of slip ups, general madness and horror. The first real bossfight of the campaign was against Highpriest Fenar, who sought to raise an army to overrun Orlais to end the tyranny of the humans and rob Daern’Thal of his power to do so. It was a very special moment for me, first of all I was very drunk during that boss fight and somehow that made it even more epic. The party defeats Fenar without actually killing him, handing him over to his daughter Fioris to take care of him.

Yaz’tori.. Yaz is an ancient being who was locked away in a deep pond in the Tirashan forest. After an initial scare and against the words of our dear Eli, Enzo took it upon himself to host this eldritch being within his brain, taking her along with them to investigate the Forest and it’s secrets. Come as it must, Actions have consequences. Yaz’tori betrays the party after receiving her own body in an ancient laboratory of Ghilan’nain below Val Royeaux. She drains Daern’Thal of most of his power as he tries to protect the party and then runs away to gather more power for a goal unknown.

The Ball in Val Royeaux. After a few eventful days in the Orlesian Capital, the party attends a the ball of Lady Basseaut. Daern’thal wears clothes made out of pure magic, doing constant Wisdom checks to see if he drops them. (Sadly he did not). As it is Orlesian custom, the ball escalates really quickly. Ashryn is locked in a burning room for sneaking around, Eli tries to save her grandfather and Daern’Thal murders Lady Basseaut in a fit of rage, learning what she did to his friends.In the aftermath, Reginald Montclair passes and gives his title of Marquis to Eli.

The Vaterrals.. Ari and Enzo literally annoying Ash and Eli so long until they can purchase a small, juvenile Vaterral in the Elvhen city. Enzo names him Spido, how original. As thanks for their service to the city, Fioris grants the party another fully grown Vaterral, which Ari bonds to and names her Aranea. 

Meeting Era’len, Abelas and Curiosity. Early in the Campaign the party comes across a spirit of curiosity guarding a secret entrance to a clearing in the Tirashan. The party solves their riddles and they let them pass to meet Era’len, who will become the future mentor NPC for them, and her grumpy partner Abelas. It was all in all SO awkward. Wonderful. Loved that.

That’s just a few moments that really stood out to me. But the most recent bossfight was also very special.. With Eli attacking her own party. 

Tomorrow, Monday, we enter a new plotline. The party is currently at level 5, just survived a major traumatic battle where Ari actually died, but was brought back to life by Enzo with necromantic powers later on.

I am beyond excited to see how far we go with this campaign, the places we get to visit, the epic battles we are going to have, the tears we are going to shed and the joy that comes with a job well done. Without our shared love for Dragon Age this would have never been possible. 

Also without my dear friend GN/Cryptid a lot of these moments would have never have happened. He is my sounding board, offering me ideas, pointers and outside perspective all the way so far. Thank you, without you this campaign wouldn’t be the same. 

Playing DND with you guys has made my life richer in a lot of ways and I hope you feel the same.

ALSO love to the tinfoil club for constantly listening to my ideas and my rambling. Love you @hvitperle @TheWellOfForever (RACHEL WHERE IS YOUR TUMBLR) & @roguescorner​

SO Happy Dragon Age day to us. Cheers.

Love,

Jules - Your DM, The All-mother, Elvhen Slut God and Maker of Crabs