#who is the hero of Fereldan

[nanowatzophina]

So many doodles for my little Dragon Age AU thingy.

[crows-of-buckets]

Its the middle of the night and instead of sleeping I keep thinking about Aviae and Anders's dynamic ougaggga

[sluttyquarantinetheory]

There is something really funny about how adjacent to the Hero of Fereldan Hawke is. Isabella banged the warden. Anders was recruited by the warden. Bodhan and Sandal traveled with the warden. The warden passed through Lothering like a week before Hawke's family fled. The warden is close friends/lovers with a random sister from the chantry in Hawke's hometown. Merril possibly knows the Hero of Fereldan. Random people who were aided by the warden show up everywhere. Hawke and the Hero of Fereldan are like a running bit about how Spider-man and Flash Thompson are never in the same room at the same time.

[thedreadfulwolf]

Codex Entry: The Grey Queen

amazing art by @artist-rat

As the youngest child of the Teryn and Teryna of Highever, Elthea Cousland had an upbringing befitting any child of noble stature. While her tutors were impressed with her quick wit and grasp of diplomacy, the Hero of Fereldan also excelled with the sword and shield. Although the Teryna didn't want her daughter learning such things, the girl begged and pleaded with her older brother to teach her what he'd learnt in his lessons, and was insistent enough that the Teryn relented and allowed her to be tutored alongside Ser Gilmore. The two became quick friends and close confidants, a friendship that carried on into adulthood.

In 9:30 Dragon, Arl Rendorn Howe's men attacked Castle Cousland while the troops were marching to Ostagar with her older brother. With the rest of her family murdered, Elthea promised her father she'd flee with Warden Commander Duncan and ensure the Cousland name lived on. However, her new place of belonging was short lived, as the Grey Wardens and King Cailan were betrayed at Ostagar and all but wiped out.

In her efforts to gather allies to fight back the Blight, Elthea was known for her persuasiveness and compassion when dealing with others, always willing to give in return for their assistance despite the treaties compelling them to help anyway.

Despite her misgivings, Thea agreed to Morrigan's ritual in order to protect Fereldan's king if she and Riordan were to fall before reaching the Archdemon.

After the coronation of her beloved, Elthea's worries about their future were finally put to rest as King Alistair proposed, and they were wed six months later. Though there were some murmurings about two grey wardens on the throne of Fereldan, no one could deny how in love the couple appeared to be. They ruled together with fairness and thought for the people of their country until Queen Elthea disappeared in the night, leaving her husband to rule alone. Rumors amongst the palace servants say that wherever she is, the Queen still writes to her beloved frequently, and he is the only one who knows of her whereabouts and what took her away from the palace to begin with.

[felassan]

Letters from Lovers

Transcriptions of the letters from the various gear store items. under cut for length.

Isabela:

“My dear Hawke, Do you know anyone with a flock of parrots? I'm trying to cheat on a bet with Varric and the stakes are exceedingly high. If you help me, I shall take you to that breathtaking beach you so crave. Free of ancient horrors, too. I think. I'd hate to take respite from all my adventures, but there are other ways to make the heart flutter. In fact I'm already imagining a few. Aren't you? Sailing there can be fatal, but Admiral Isabela will keep you safe. Are you interested? I would love to see you again. Yours, Isabela”

Morrigan:

“My love, Now before that grin reaches your ears, perish the thought that this letter was my idea. 'Tis Kieran who would not give me peace until I wrote to ask how you are faring. Regale us, if you please, with another of your tales that I might read to him in bed. He is particularly fond of those wherein you spur mischief whilst you save the day. Thank you for your most delightful gifts. I shall make certain to wear them the next time you come home. Dream of me until then, my Hero of Ferelden, and have a care. Morrigan”

Dorian:

“My dearest Amatus, Home is ever as it was: a glittering whirl of dancing, politics, and murder. I'm used to people staring daggers at me - I quite relish it, actually - but the glares seem to possess a new intensity since my return to Tevinter. Do they disapprove of House Pavus freeing its slaves while I work in the Magisterium to end slavery across Tevinter? Perhaps they simply covet my cheekbones, and who could blame them? Real reform will take time, but we're making inroads. I miss you terribly, Amatus, perhaps almost as much as you miss me. I treasure you and your belief in my work here. Yours always, Dorian P.S. I wouldn't take it amiss if you might send me another barrel of that dreadful Fereldan beer?”

Alistair:

“My love, How are you? Is it true that you recently killed darkspawn with only a mean glare and a pointy stick? Ferelden is ablaze with this rumor! You do give people so much hope. Tales of your heroism never fail to astonish me and almost ease the pain of going to sleep without you by my side. Almost. I can't wait to be with you again. I'd bring you some roses, you could give me a tour of the keep, we'd drink with the new recruits and then cuddle in a tent. Without the new recruits! Tent time is just for the two of us. I want to make that clear. Now excuse me while I practice my death glare and rummage through the dog's stash of sticks. I love you. Yours forever, Alistair.”

The Iron Bull:

“Kadan, You won’t believe what I did today. I got a guy to flip! Twice! So yes, all is well. Except for all the demons. And this whole thing in which I’m far away from the love of my life. Really keeps me up at night. Anyway, you hearing these rumors of a dragon on the loose? Yeah! The boys and I are on its trail. Last I heard, it was flying toward the Frostback Mountains. Can you join us? I hope you’re not uh… all tied up. Don’t worry, I’m fairly certain it’s not a Ben-Hassrath trap. And if it is, you know I’m prepared. Ataash varin kata! I love you, Kadan. See you soon. The Iron Bull.”

Tali:

“By the way, I left something for you up in your cabin. Go have a look.” - Tali’Zorah  --- “Dear Shepard,   As you may remember, I presented this picture frame to you as a gift on the Normandy. It was my way of expressing my admiration for you and our bond as comrades-in-arms. On the back of the metal frame, I've emblazoned a promise that will never fade - 'Shepard, wherever you go, I'm with you.'  I know it's not much, but...this is what I look like under the mask. I'm sorry if it's not what you were expecting. I know Quarian faces can be a bit...different. Every time you look at my picture, I hope you will be reminded of our adventures on the Normandy, from our battles against the Reapers to our intimate conversations in the privacy of our quarters.    I am not one to express my emotions openly, but thank you for being my friend, my confidante, and my inspiration. I look forward to many more adventures together.  Keelah se’lai,   Tali’Zorah”

Bonus:

Shepard's N7 acceptance letter, from Anderson:

“N7 Congratulations on your graduation From Captain David Anderson Shepard, When I graduated from the N7 program I had the honor of meeting Admiral Grissom, the man who inspired me to pursue a career in the service, and I never thought I’d feel prouder in my life. I was mistaken. Don’t get me wrong, it was a big day. An important day. But there’s something about welcoming driven young people like yourself into the ranks that’s also pretty damn satisfying. Your distinguished service record may have gotten you into this program - but it was your courage, integrity, and tenacity that’s enabled you to join an elite few. You represent the best of humanity, and I feel certain you’ll make the galaxy a better place. And I’m not the only one who feels this way. Becoming an N7 means the entire Systems Alliance is telling you one thing - we believe in you. Let me end by saying this. Welcome to the team Shepard. We know you won’t let us down. David Anderson Systems Alliance Interplanetary Combatives Academy N7 N7 Acceptance Letter”

[kcwriter-blog]

Thanks for Thinking of Solavellan

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts directed at Solavellans by kind, caring people who want to make sure we temper our expectations. After 10 years of being treated like dirt by the fandom, it’s so nice to have so many people take an interest in us, to the point of compassionately telling us that we aren’t going to get much content, as sad as that may be. I can’t speak for all Solavellans but I wanted to let everyone know why they don’t have to worry about me at least:

We are grown ups

We are adults, well versed in managing our expectations. In fact, most of us hold down jobs, take care of our families and live our lives. Are we excited that our Inquisitors will be in the game? Of course. Do we expect them to be the central character? Of course not. We understand that Rook is the star of the show. We are busy planning our Rooks and deciding which romances to pursue. We are trying to decide what class and faction to play just like everyone else. Are we excited about what we know about Solas so far? Yes. If Dorian is announced to be in the game, as seems likely, I’m sure people will be equally excited and talking about what they hope to see.

We know Solavellan content will not be the focus

See above but also, we are used to having less content. We have the least amount of romance content in DAI. In Trespasser everyone got to talk to their Lis throughout the game. We had a 15-minute conversation at the end. Most players got a resolution to their romances. Like all Inquisitors, our Lavellans are kind of in limbo where Solas is concerned. The fact that we are making Inquisitors in the character creator tells me that all Inquisitors will have at least one confrontation with Solas and Rook will probably be part of that. Those will differ depending on whether you want to stop him at all costs, redeem him or want to redeem him and romanced him. This was done in Trespasser. If they can find the time and money to put three paths of 15-minute conversation in a ten-hour game, they can do the same for a 70-hour game. That’s not a lot of content but it is sure to be impactful and we will be happy with it.

We are no different in voicing our hopes than anyone else

I have seen plenty of posts where people that romanced Dorian want to have a tender moment between their Inquisitors and him. I fully support their hopes. I want that to happen for them. Other hopes expressed are the return of Cullen, the return of the Hero of Fereldan, Fenris and Merril cameos, etc. All are expressed in terms of “I hope” or “I will riot if it doesn’t happen.” To be honest, I feel sad for those poor souls because no one is telling them to temper their expectations. Does the fandom not care about their health and well-being? We are expressing our hopes and wishes. Do we think we will get all of it? Of course not. We are, as I said before, adults.

We Think We Will Rescue Solas

Honestly? We hope we can be a part of that, but it is just hope. It is more likely that Rook will break him out of prison. Maybe the Inquisitor will get to help – the way Hawk and the Warden Companion did in DAI – but if not, there will probably be some sort of confrontation. Rook may ask the Inquisitor’s opinion about Solas and the answer will depend on the Inquisitor’s relationship with Solas but that may be all.

We have too many unrealistic expectation

Please don’t think that we expect everything we want to happen to be in the game. We are aware that a lot of our hopes are not going to be realized. To be honest, we are already surprised that some of those hopes are figuring in the game. Keep in mind that for 10 years we thought our only interaction with him would be to make sure he didn’t die alone. We recognize we are a small group and so does BioWare. Yes, we have indulged our brain rot and obsession with art and fiction but that’s just us. We don’t expect it to show up in the game. If it does, we will be excited. If it doesn’t, we will shrug our shoulders and go back to drawing and writing.

We are talking amongst ourselves

We are talking to other Solavellans. Solavellan has become a tight-knit community over the years because of what we’ve had to put up with. Anders fans can probably relate. We are not talking to the DA community at large. Most of us don’t interact with the larger DA community because of everything that has been said over the years. We talk to and support each other. If you aren’t a Solavellan, feel free to scroll past our posts or even block us if you think we are too loud or annoying. You won’t hurt our feelings.

I’m sure other Solavellans can add to this or mention things I’ve forgotten. Again, don’t worry about us. We will be fine.

[eastern-lights]

After rereading The Stolen Throne and The Calling, I can't help but see paralells between Loghain and the Inquisitor of all people.

The unpersonification of the Inquisitor that you see in DAI as they become nothing but a cause and a symbol for all intents and purposes? Loghain went through the same thing during the rebellion. Just like the Inquisitor, he was conscripted into a cause he did not necessarily initially believe in. Over the years, the rebel army and Maric in particular shaped him into the ideal commander, the perfect Fereldan hero, until there was nothing else left. At one point, Maric and Rowan arguably emotionally blackmailed him into staying with the army instead of returning to his old home so he could bury his father and find out if the woman who basically raised him still lives. By the end of the war, he cared about nothing but Ferelden because that was the only thing that was not taken away from him.

Until it was taken from him at the Landsmeet, just like the Inquisitor lost the Anchor and the Inquisition, the only things that made them what they were in the end.

If Loghain lives and becomes a Warden, he does eventually find himself again. He has a cause, but it does not define him. He disobeys Clarel because it's the right thing to do. It really does seem like for the first time since the first chapter of TST, we see Loghain as himself, not as the Hero of River Dane or the Traitor Teyrn.

I'm really hoping for the Inquisitor to achieve the same. To be allowed to... not return, because that is impossible, but reclaim some pieces of themselves before the end.

[dragonagepolls]

Ok I’ve been reading some of the tags on this poll from meg-does-art and it has made me wonder

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

So I went searching for special dialogue for a romanced Alistair, who stayed with the wardens, about a HoF who made the ultimate sacrifice. Specifically for what he says in DAI. For reasons.

I know what he says about her when she's alive in DAI, so I was curious if he'd saying anything about her if she's dead, like Leliana and Morrigan do. After reading through all sorts of forms and reddit posts where most of the answers were "huh I dunno what he says in DAI, I've never done that route," I eventually found out what he says.

Nothing.

Romanced Alistair says nothing about a dead HoF in DAI. At first I thought this was odd? Surely there's something referencing the fact that he and the warden were in love? even if just for fanservice like in DA2? Some of the comments on these posts blame it on Bioware doing bad writing again but it's hard to tell if they actually mean that, or if they're conflating "I don't like this" with bad writing because honestly? I disagree.

Intentionally or not, Alistair not saying anything about his dead lover is completely in character for him. He doesn't know the Inquisitor. Why should he tell them anything about the love of his life that he lost ten years ago? He's not as open about that stuff like Leliana or Morrigan.

You know what's actually out of character? Alistair giving a random stranger he met for two seconds an item that belonged to his dead lover because "she doesn't need it anymore."

Wasn't it enough to ruin his face, DA2? Did you really need to throw in some botched fanservice as well?

Wait a minute, Varric's telling this story...

Alright, new headcanon: Varric is, as per usual, full of shit. Alistair did give Hawke an item because he felt bad that he couldn't help them with the qunari except it wasn't anything special. But that's not interesting enough, so Varric lied and said Alistair gave Hawke an item that belongs to THE Hero of Fereldan for the sake of showing how super special Hawke is.

[exhausted-archivist]

So new theory for Taash

There is a war table mission in Inquisition called Investigate the Hunter Fell.

(Following emphaisis is mine)

Based on the revelation at Haven that Venatori operatives report to a darkspawn believed to be the magister Corypheus, threat assessment of possible Venatori has been prioritized as vital. Duke Tythas Pentaghast rules the Nevarran city of Hunter Fell. A former military hero who prided himself on his open-minded attitude, Duke Tythas rules with the help of a secret network of old adventuring companions—and possible lovers, as they are all rumored to be beautiful women. Information on the "Five Belles of Hunter Fell" is limited, but they are known to include humans from both Orlais and Ferelden, an elf, a dwarf, and even a Tal-Vashoth. Known or suspected backgrounds range from respected Mortalitasi or dragon hunter to bard, smuggler, or even apostate. We believe one of the Five Belles of Hunter Fell is a Venatori agent working to advance the agenda of Corypheus.

Josephine's response and results:

Dragon-hunting is a noble's sport, usually. I should be able to find out about this hunter.

A letter to Josephine with information on the dragon hunter: Although dragons were rare until quite recently, she had slain four. Those who have seen her fight say that seldom does one see anyone so tall as she move so quickly, for she stands head and shoulders above both the elven member of the Belles and the smuggler, yet moves with a grace neither can match.

The next part of the quest line is Continue Investigation

An excerpt from a Ben-Hassrath information report: We still have neither race nor background information on the Venatori agent in Hunter Fell. The Belles are effectively nobility in the city; any information about them is protected. We have confirmed that the Tal-Vashoth, whatever else she may be, is not a mage. Whether she is or was one of Duke Tythas’s lovers, she now appears to be in a relationship with the smuggler.

Josephine's response and results:

A Tal-Vashoth cannot hide her reputation easily, no matter how protective she is. Let my ladies ask about her.

A letter to Josephine about the Tal-Vashoth: She is said to disagree strongly with the bard on matters of trade; she is a bitter enemy of the Orlesian after blood was shed between them early in their adventuring days, due to the Orlesian binding corpses with magic.

The final part of the quest line Identify Venatori Agent

An excerpt from a Ben-Hassrath information report: All information about the Five Belles of Hunter Fell has come back negative. The Tal-Vashoth is not the bard, the elf is not the Mortalitasi, and the dwarf is not the smuggler. And an addendum: We have learned that the Fereldan is the Venatori agent, but unless we can link her to a specific background quickly, we will lose this lead. We must remove the target immediately to stop Duke Tythas from falling prey to Venatori interests.

(no results to this is relevant to the Tal-Vashoth)

Summary/TLDR:

Things that line up between the two (considering what we know of Taash these are very vague and really easy boxes to check haha):

She is not of the Qun

She is not a mage

She moves fast

She stands head and shoulder above her elven companions

If Taash is from the Belles of the Hunter Fell then this is what we might know of her:

She is specifically a Tal-Vashoth *note below

A seasoned dragon hunter who has killed 4 dragons as of 9:41-9:42

She used to have a human Fereldan smuggler lover

She has an issue with mages binding spirits to corpses (suggesting she might have a problem with Emmrich)

*note:

Whether her being deemed is because the rest of Thedas ignores the third label for the horned race outside the Qun isn't clear. They tend to use Tal-Vashoth as a blanket term despite Vashoth telling them the distinction.

See Adaar, a vashoth being called Tal-Vashoth, and the vashoth Nevarran goat hearder fighting Genetivi over the terminology.

[mumms-the-word]

Love Letters

Alistair and Lucy Amell

These letters were written as a collaboration between @callmethebrightness and myself for the lovely @elspethdekarios's birthday. callmethebrightness wrote the AMAZING letter from Alistair (and I'm obsessed with it, she nailed his voice so well) while I wrote Lucy Amell's reply letter <3 This was so much fun to work on and I am in awe of the talent my friends have in this little corner of tumblr. Thank you @elspethdekarios for trusting us with your OC! I hope you have the happiest of birthdays and that you adore these love letters!

Full text under the cut!

Alistair's Letter by @callmethebrightness

To Warden-Commander Lucy Amell, Hero of Ferelden: Lucy, I love you. I know, bad form to start a letter like that; without even a hello and how are you, but it's literally the only thing that comes to mind when I think of you, so I had to write it down first. I love you. There. Now to the rest. We're making strides looking into the Wardens and Corypheus, this "false Calling" he's managed, though it's not the sort of progress I'm particularly excited about. Every time I think I've figured out the worst of it, more bad news rears its ugly head. I'm a bit less skeptical now that we have some proper allies: not only the Champion of Kirkwall, but Inquisitor Sulah Lavellan, who has all her people putting their heads together to do something about all this. We should consider having an army at our disposal for all our problems, it's really marvelously convenient. Skyhold is an amazing place. Not just the fortress itself, where I've gotten into all sorts of places I shouldn't be ("Oh, I haven't seen this door before" -- surprise, it's a dungeon. No, thank you.) but the people and the activity here. It feels like everyone from the servants to the Inquisitor herself is committed to working together. I've met Fereldans, Orlesians, city elves, surface dwarves, ex-Templars, mages, farmers, nobles, Chantry sisters, Dalish spies, qunari, Tevinters...I could go on. If anything might be able to actually unite all of Thedas, the way the Chantry says it does, it's this thing. It's this place. Maker, I wish you could see it. Every time I see something incredible in my travels, I think that, you know. "Lucy would love this, I wish she could see it." And every time I see something horrible I think, "Maker, I wish Lucy was with me." You get the idea, don't you? You, with me, all the time, no matter what. Sometimes you're all I think about. But you knew that already. We're going to figure this thing out, Lucy. I'm going to make sure the Wardens have nothing more to fear from this Elder One, even if I have to fight him myself. And when you return, whether you've found what you're looking for or not, and I see you again -- I'm going to take you in my arms and never let you go. I mean it. That's not an exaggeration. I never want to be apart from you again, Lucy. Nothing is more important to me than that. What else? I love you. I miss you. Leliana is scarier than ever, but in a good way. I've eaten Orlesian cheese and do not care for it. I miss you. I told the Inquisition's ambassador I would include a small note in their missive to the Hero of Ferelden but my letter is now longer than the official one. I hope those creepy ravens of Leliana's can carry a little extra weight. When you see it, write her back and tell her it's creepy; she won't listen to me. There are less terrible birds, Leliana. Maker, I miss you so much I don't want to stop writing to you. Is that odd? Probably. But you wouldn't say odd. "Alistair, you're too sweet." That's what you always say when I'm being a fool, especially a lovestruck fool. Can't say I don't appreciate it, though. I'll write you again soon. There's talk of the fortress at Adamant, a potential siege. All sorts of military talk I do not care for. Whatever happens, you'll hear from me soon. I never can stand to wait long. Yours forever, Alistair

Lucy Amell's Letter (by me)

To Warden Alistair: [In a smaller script] Leliana, don’t be nosy! You’ve got your own letter! My darling, I love you. I don’t care if it’s bad form, just seeing those words at the start of your letter gave me so much joy and comfort that I couldn’t even read the rest of letter at first. I just wanted to linger there on those words and imagine them in your voice. I love you. I love you. I love you. And, Maker’s breath, I miss you, too. As my journey out west bring me farther and farther away from recognizable society, I find myself traveling alone more often than not. There are good people out here, and plenty of interesting distractions, and more than enough danger to keep my mind occupied, but again and again I wish you were at my side. I know taking down the Elder One is important, but these days I wish I had been more selfish and brought you along. But what’s done is done, and it’s good that you’re there, trying to shake some sense into our fellow Wardens. Someone has to.  What you’ve told me about the situation, and what little Inquisitor Lavellan has included in her letter, troubles me. It sounds like Corypheus is more dangerous than we thought…but if the Inquisition has the army and the resources that you say it does, then I trust them to succeed. And I trust you to survive whatever comes your way. We’ve gotten out of worse scrapes, the two of us, haven’t we? Regardless, I’ve asked Inquisitor Lavellan to look after you. I know, I know, you would say I’m fussing over you too much (but I know you love it). But if she’s your ally, then she’s my ally too, and I feel no shame in asking this much of her. I want you in one piece when we meet again, my love. Be good for me. Don’t wander into dungeons that you can’t wander out of. Avoid the Orlesian cheese if you hate it so much. Remind Leliana to eat every now and again. I know her work keeps her busy, and I can only imagine that the death of the Divine has shaken her more than she’s letting on. And take care of yourself, too.  Oh, and I’m not telling Leliana that her birds are creepy. Just be glad she’s not sending missives via nug, or we’d never get letters to one another. I’ll write soon, my darling. I love you. I miss you. Yours always, Lucy [below, in a messier scrawl, as if added to the end of the page in haste] Alistair, I’m glad I didn’t send this letter right away! I’ve got big news. I think I’ve found something, and if I’m right, it means the end of this journey is in sight. I don’t want to say what it is just yet, but…I have a really good feeling about this. This might be the cure we’ve been hoping for.  But if not, I don’t care. If it’s not this, then I’ve got nothing else to investigate out here. If this isn’t our cure, then the silver lining is this—I’m coming home, and nothing is going to stop me. Meet me in Redcliffe when all of this is said and done. Whether I’ve found the cure for our Callings or not, I will be there, in the place we first started to fall in love, at the start of the next summer. And once we are together again, my love, I swear that nothing will ever separate us again. With all my love, Lucy

[dreadfutures]

The Devil.

The vallaslin were chains, once, after all.

Halevune Mahariel | Hero of Ferelden

Details and process gif (x). Full version (x). Symbolism below.

The Devil. (x)

When the Devil card appears in a reading it usually shows that you are not in control of your life, sometimes as a result of your own actions, but more often as a byproduct of inaction. This loss of control often leads to loss of hope, and a lack of faith in your own abilities.

Your own mindset is a critical factor when the Devil card appears. If you think darkness has won, it has. If you are willing to let others exploit and restrain you, then they can and they will. But no one has power over you unless you give it away. If you are willing to release yourself from the chains of ignorance, you can do so, and you can step into the light. See how much you can accomplish when you believe you can.

UPRIGHT: shadow self, attachment, addiction, restriction, sexuality

REVERSED: releasing limiting beliefs, exploring dark thoughts, detachmen

Halevune Mahariel is not dead, but sometimes he thinks the world wants him to be.

From granting self-governance to the Denerim alienage to giving the Dalish their own land in Fereldan to becoming Teyrn of Gwaren himself, you'd think Halevune Mahariel's legacy would be unforgettable--the changes he's made, irrevocable.

And yet they are being forgotten, and undone, even a mere year after the Blight. His friend, now-King Alistair, made promises about protecting the fledgling alienage, about making reparations for Loghain selling them into slavery...and yet they seem to be empty promises.

As the world grinds its heel into elves across Ferelden, and then mages everywhere, Despair eats at Halevune just as the Taint in his blood eats at him. All Hal can see are his failures, the evils of the world. All he can feel is the weight of his losses: his clan, his youth, his legacy...and soon, his family. He can hear the Calling coming for him in his dreams, and all he wants to do is spend time with his young son and his bond mate, Morrigan.

Halevune can no longer see the light. He is being held back by the chains of his past, by the fear of death, and by a Despair of his own making.

For Hal must remember... The world will never change if he stops trying.

The Vallaslin - Falon'Din is the God of Death in Hal's culture, and Hal is now keenly aware of his mortality as a Warden who underwent the Joining after already being infected for a while. His time is limited on this plane, and he is haunted by the marks that he wears on his face for that reason. But one day he will also learn the truth of Falon'Din and the Evanuris, and Despair for another reason.

The Raven Feather - Represents Morrigan and Kieran, the only lights in his life. They are the torch, temptation, for him to abandon his duties and responsibilities. All he wants is to go to them, and spend his limited time with them.

But...

The Cobwebs - Hal is already dead, dying, decaying, forgotten. Ferelden would relegate him to a historical figure if they could. The common folk are tired of his empty promises and his failures to secure change for them or protect them, now that the Blight is over. And the nobles are tired of him trying.

The Hands - Hal's clan is dead, and many others are dead, since he became a Warden. He has no one to rely on, no one to go back to. Only ghosts. Hal feels like he is alone in the world besides Morrigan and Kieran, though he does have friends. He just can't see them through his anger and despair.

[sapphic-scarlet-dynast]

I've recently been thinking about what kind of Exalts the Dragon Age Origins companions would be, so I decided to make a post about it. (And yes, this is inspired by the recent Dungeon Meshi/Exalted posts)

Alistair was hard for me to pin down, but he kind of gives me Fire Aspect Dragon Blooded vibes. Obviously a Lost Egg/Outcaste because of his backstory, but also because his ass is absolutely not built for Dynast high society.

Morrigan is absolutely a No Moon Lunar. She's a shapeshifting sorcerer who grew up outside of "civilized" society and is into magic deemed forbidden; very strong Lunar vibes.

Leliana is definitely a Night Caste Solar, girl was/is a spy and is an idealist who is absolutely dedicated to trying to make the world a better place. Classic Night Caste material.

Zevran is a Wood Aspect Dragon Blood. He's an assassin who enjoys the thrill of the kill, sex, and the other pleasures of life. Also an Outcaste like Alistair.

Sten gave me a bit of trouble at first, but then I realized that he's absolutely an Earth Aspect Dragon Blooded. A mostly stoic warrior who clings to the traditions of his people and believes those ways are the best.

Wynne, with all her tales and attempts at guidance, gives me Adamant Caste Alchemical Vibes.

Oghren is gross, and I hate him, so he doesn't get to be an Exalt.

Shale was impossible for me to pin down tbh, so I'm gonna be lazy and say that she would be an Exigent of some sort. Probably chosen by the God of Pigeon Killing.

Loghain is 100% an Azimuth Caste Infernal. He's a victim of war, suffering atrocities at the hands of the Orlesians occupying his homeland, who later helped free Fereldan from Orlais, and then later let his understandable hatred of Orlais blind him and ended up becoming a tyrant himself. (Though he would also make a good Dawn Caste Solar.)

Honestly, Loghain is a pretty good example of how an Infernal can be a hero and later a villain imo.

Hopefully, this post finds anyone else who is both a fan of Exalted and Dragon Age.

[coolbeanstrees]

I love making sure Leliana becomes the Divine. Not just because she deserves it, but because I love to imagine her wife, my Hero of Fereldan. Gets the letter, drops everything and becomes her trophy wife. Like girlie is exhausted of all the Grey Wardening, let her be just a little girlie who stays around all day looking after Nugs and being the slayest little stay at home wife/mother in the future. (I’m still so mad that the only two characters you can marry are Sera and Cullen???). Like I imagine Leliana comes home after a long hard day of definitely not ending the lives of all who speak against her and searching for the bald egg man. And my Warden is just finishing up dinner for her, her wife and their daughter (my inky) and her friends. Like she’s been through a lot the best I can do for my sweet sweet warden was let her be a housewife.

[thatyellowfinch]

"The Warden Commander Will See You Now."

Art by: @hellcifrogs

More info on these three assholes below.

So my friend and I have something we call the VAP au (Valek, Alara, and Peiter) where two of my wardens (the two on the right named Alara and Valek) and my friend's warden, Peiter, all exist inside the same timeline. Valek and Peiter are the Tabris Twins.

Peiter got the final blow on the Archdemon, earning him the title of Hero of Fereldan, but Alara was the one promoted to Warden Commander making her Arlessa of Amaranthine. Meanwhile Valek is more than happy to fade into obscurity as Alara's left hand and spymaster.

Titles and bynames below (both canon and noncanon)

Peiter Tabris, Hero of Fereldan.

Alara Surana, Warden Commander and Arlessa of Amaranthine. AKA Alara The Red, Alara The Bloody, Alara The Merciful.

Valek Tabris, The Warden Commander's Left Hand. The Demon of Denerim.

Obv Valek and Peiter are rogues, though Peiter is more of a whirling dervish of blades and Valek is more the silent killer type.

Alara is a mage, worse she's a blood mage. Worse she's a blood mage who gets real cold and cruel after Jowan is sent back to the Circle.

[cutelibrariangf]

It's me ya boi

Anyway can we talk about how many parallels there are towards death and the strong themes of cheating death present in the DA games?

DAO: Cousland cheats death the first time by escaping their castle or whatever. Don't remember the other back stories but I know they also evade consequences or death. THEN you evade death AGAIN when you become a Warden. Then once more at the betrayal, when you get saved by Morgan and Flemeth. Then if you complete the dark ritual you manage to slay and survive the Archdemon. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS the entire point of being a Warden is to die. To slay dark spawns until you get killed or go insane -in which case you die anyway- Your whole premise is to be an honorable sacrifice, to die and take as many dark spawn as you can with you so that no one else has to. By surviving over and over again you're not only forsaking your purpose but spiting the wardens that came before you. How dare YOU be the one to survive? How dare you cheat your death over and over and over again? What about you makes you so special? More important than the other wardens? How fucking dare you?

Da2: So first Hawke survives the hordes of dark spawn in Fereldan, they survive the ogre attack in place of their sibling, then the trip to Kirkwall and then the entry into Kirkwall. How many died during those events, how many different times did Hawke cheat death in those instances? Hundreds of times, definitely. One wrong move and Hawke would've been killed, but they weren't. How lucky. Then in the deep roads, Hawke can lose their OTHER sibling to the taint. Then they lose their mother. What was all that surviving for if they were just going to lose all of their family, be left in this world without the people Hawke had worked so hard to save and to care for? Champion of Kirkwall, what a heavy title to bear with all the deaths of people Hawke couldn't save. They cheat death once more at the end, against Meredith.

DAI: Inky is sent to the chantry, and it blows up. You should've died but you didn't, instead you're given a key to close the rift and a woman saves you. Then you are found, imprisoned for terrorism. You should've been executed, good thing you have that key. Good thing you were the one to try and save Justinia, right? Good thing it was you who survived and not the thousands of others. Then comes the reinstitution of the Inquisition, a portion of the chantry long since dead -for good reason- that rises up from the ashes with you. Then in that one mission you get sent forward in time, in which everyone dies for you to get you to fix the disastrous consequences of you NOT defeating Corypheus. There are more moments but fast forwarding to the dragon secret and defeating Corypheus. You should not have been able to get that secret, but you did, the same way that key imbedded in your hand/arm. By all means, you were always meant to be dead. There was nothing special about Inky, there was no reason they should have survived any of what happened to them but they did. And that can be viewed as either happy, bittersweet, or outright tragic. Then, at the very end, the one thing that made you special, the key, has to be CUT OFF because it is killing you. You should have died but good thing Solas is there to take your arm, to help you cheat death again -which is a great parallel to how he helped you in the very beginning-

I stand by the idea that Dragon Age is a tragedy. The MC, whether that's Warden, or Hawke, or Inky has to give up EVERYTHING, their families, their lives, everything, to be forced into positions of power and save the world. And whether their willing or not, it doesn't matter because they will be forced into that position. Forced to be Hero of Fereldan, Champion of Kirkwall, or Inquisitor. You will be robbed of everything and forged into what people need you to be. That's the consequence of cheating death and being at the right place at the right time. But it's a good thing youre special, huh?

And you know the thing about being a Main Character is that you will cheat death over and over and over again, and the only consequence is that someone is going to be there to take your place, someone is going to die for you, eventually. There's nothing you can do about it except watch your life be taken away from you and watch all the people you love and care for die.