#Post-Fifth Blight

[titanbabyeams]

I am, once again, plagued by thoughts of Dragon Age AU for FMA. (Not the crossover version, unfortunately.)

Roy Mustang, who’s given to the Chantry before they even bother to find any living relatives. Who’s raised a Templar and, when he awakens to his magic, is given to the Seekers. Roy, who’s spoon-fed a certain worldview—who’s ignorant of the issues that other mages go through.

Edward Elric, born a mage half-elf, who’s kicked out of his clan the second his (human) mother dies. Who does his best to keep him and his brother alive without support, but is eventually arrested by Templars. Who later escapes the tower to search for a cure to tranquility, after his brother is punished for something Edward did.

It’s the thought of them crossing paths and traveling together. Of them butting heads and arguing over their respective worldviews, but with every argument comes a growing understanding. And eventually, butting heads turns into teasing and arguments into debates…

They’re very dear to me.

#fma #fanfic #edward elric #royed #dragon age #roy mustang #daau #Seeker Mustang #Apostate Edward #Tranquil Alphonse #Post-Fifth Blight #Pre-Inquisition

[quantummindclassicalheart]

There is an old folk song that is sung in Exandria.  It goes by a lot of titles--In Marquet it’s commonly known as The Liar’s Love, while natives of Xhorhas would know it as The Fey Groom, and the elves of Syngorn’s version has a title that translates to “The Sacrifice of Truth for Love.”

This is one bard’s rendition of the song in Common, as accompanied by ukulele.

(Best with headphones! With credit for the original idea to @ihaveatypeanditstrickstergods and the original characters to @quiddie and Sam Riegel. Album art generated by Craiyon.)

Lyrics below the cut.

Refrain: This sordid scene, my love, we're in, oh, We're in for a scar And yet tonight by morning light I'll fall for you once more.

Verse 1: There once was a fey who chanced one day From lands so wild and strange For stories told worth more than gold Exandria's face would change.

Among the clouds a city bright And there its beating heart Did kindle love within his own For her he'd craft his art.

Verse 2: A vision clear did guide his dear With this its one refrain Her city’d rise beyond the skies And loose its mortal chain

Beneath the streets his love did seek Her dream at any cost, But fortune claimed its pound of flesh, A friend too soon was lost.

Verse 3: The fey saw true that if they knew, Her legacy’d be blight And so he lied to deftly hide Her deeds from public sight.

And though his heart was ever hers, Her work, for now, meant more She’d fix them soon when she was done So he walked out the door.

Verse 4: And soon an hour of arcane pow’r Was finally at hand For on that night, with her Leywright She’d make them understand

But one thing more stood in her way Her masterpiece abjured She struck it down, and with that spell Calamity ensured.

Verse 5: And with her sin the fiends poured in With death and fire and hate, But one last spell at ruin’s knell Might change Exandria’s fate.

His healing words would keep her hale, Her spellwork holding fast, And at the heart they’d both go down Her work complete at last.

Refrain: This sordid scene, my love, we're in, oh, We're in for a scar And yet tonight by morning light I'll fall with you once more.

#critical role #exandria unlimited #exandria unlimited calamity #exu calamity #loquatius seelie #laerryn coramar seelie #laerryn coramar-seelie #laerryn x loquatius #loquaerryn #quantum sings #my voice #the whole tune is heavily influenced by songs like poet soldier king and far side of the world #my version is called ‘the lovers’ lie’ because i misremembered one of the titles from the original post #and i liked the idea that this lie belonged to both of them #and there are many easter eggs in these lyrics #a reference to the shattered teeth in the first verse #laerryn and the apparatus arcane being the ‘heart of avalir’ and her legacy being ‘blight’ #‘fire’ and ‘ruin’ in the fifth verse #loquatius’s ‘healing words’ #and a very sneaky implied rhyme in the lines that bookend the song– ‘we’re in for a scar’ is a five-syllable rhyme for ‘laerryn coramar’ #and that bookending refrain changes slightly between the first and last times (i’ll fall *for* you vs. i’ll fall *with* you once more)

[5mcsinatrenchcoat]

Also Alistair I see your ass not appearing in Awakening

#da posting #I know he's allegedly assigned to cleaning out other remaining darkspawn but come on #with how urgent the lack of Wardens ia portrayed in DAA #seems like a waste of a whole ass other fifth blight veteran warden is what I'm saying

[thedragonagelesbian]

vidreu does not actually want the world to end, they just apocalypses are fascinating. scientifically speaking.

#dru posting #'the architect started the fifth blight' okay it was a learning experience for everybody #'clarel is forcing all the wardens to become demons' kind of hot actually

[justcallmecappy]

One of the criticisms I've seen DA players have in response to Anders' actions at the Kirkwall Chantry is some degree of, 'his actions forced innocent mages into a war they had no choice whether or not they wanted to be involved in'.

What a lot of these players seem to miss is this: The mages were already involved. They have been involved since childhood, when their magic manifested.

If you are born a mage in Southern Thedas, you are marked. The Templars will find you, or your neighbors who were conditioned by the Chantry to fear magic will turn you in, and you are brought to the Circle where you are at risk of Tranquility, or Annulment, and subjected to a Harrowing. Your children born to you in the Circle will be taken from you to be raised in a Chantry orphanage (like Wynne's child was). You are not allowed to get married, or start a family, or own land. You are not allowed to leave your Circle ever, unless conscripted to fight in the army (like in the Fifth Blight) or fulfilling some whim or need of those in power (like Malcolm Hawke being made to entertain nobles at a party). You might be thrown into the dungeon and left to starve to death, like the mage child Cole (and other mage apprentices of the White Spire) did. You are at risk of physical and sexual abuse, like the mages of the Gallows were.

Innocent mages were already involved. They were already being killed, they were already fighting for their lives for centuries since the inception of Circles, long before Anders' actions.

Also, in the case of the Gallows specifically, Knight-Commander Meredith had already called for the Annulment as early as the beginning/mid of Act 3. The mages' lives were already in danger, even before the Chantry was destroyed.

Anders tried for six years to make people listen and show how magic is not meant to be feared and can be used for good -- by publishing a manifesto, by providing free magical healthcare in Darktown -- to bring people's attention to the plight of mages and change things for the better. It took the imminent threat of his people being slaughtered wholesale for him to resort to what is aptly titled 'The Last Straw'.

If players want to blame anyone for subjecting mages to a conflict they did not want, look no further than the Chantry and their system of exploitation and oppression over the mages. Put blame on the Chantry for forcing mages into lives they did not choose, and asserting methods of culling and control over them, simply for how they were born. It was the Chantry that gave them no choice whether or not they had a say in staying alive or dying.

And if DA players would still say that the mages could have tried for a more "peaceful route" to alleviate their circumstances (despite seeing how Anders' manifesto, his Darktown clinic, and years of trying to negotiate with Elthina failed and Meredith was calling for Annulment anyway): very rarely do the oppressed win change by pandering to the morals of their oppressors.

Innocent mages were already suffering and being murdered in droves, for centuries. Innocent mages were already involved in this struggle, whether they wanted to be or not. And Anders' actions at the Chantry was like a rallying cry: If we're going to die anyway, then I'd rather die trying to take them down than giving them what they want.

(Also, I have not yet gone into detail on what actually started the mage-templar war, which was the Seekers hiding the cure for Tranquility, and Lord Seeker Lambert's decision to dissolve the Nevarran accord and take the Templars hunting for the free mages across the countryside because he decided dead mages were better than free mages -- because that's a whole separate post.)

#da fandom critical #bioware critical #anders defense squad #da meta #in defense of anders dragon age #anders #dragon age 2 #chantry critical #templar critical #elthina critical #anders was right #mage rights #plight of mages #mage-templar war #sometimes the da fandom makes me want to flip tables #my meta

[v-arbellanaris]

rereading my justinia pt 3 meta to check for spelling errors, collecting quotes for my asunder meta and thinking about @villainanders Joke Post Become Meta that is basically The Chantry Thinks The Mage Rebellion Is A Grey Warden Conspiracy and i am. THINKING. about how leliana says justinia is choosing to think of the kirkwall uprising as a single isolated incident, but this is BEFORE cassandra gets sent to interrogate varric. THINKING about fiona - who, on becoming grand enchanter, IMMEDIATELY proposes secession from the chantry - thinking abt fiona being a former grey warden who was "cured" bc. how the fuck could the chantry verify that. they CANNOT. they can only trust that The Wardens Said This One Is Not Blighted Anymore. the chantry, who planted templars in the amaranthine grey wardens. they ABSOLUTELY would believe that fiona was a grey warden plant. and then it's WYNNE, a companion of the warden during the fifth blight, who leaks the cure for tranquility to all the circles, TO JUSTINIA'S DISPLEASURE. THINKING about the new orlesian warden-commander, clarel, explicitly refusing to play politics with the empress, presumably UNLIKE her predecessor, who waits at ferelden's border with celene's chevaliers. thinking abt clarel being a mage specifically.

#the more i think abt it the more im like. fucking HELL.

[felassan]

BioWare describe the new cinematic as an "in-game cinematic" ("not actual gameplay"), a "work in progress cinematic" and a "key cinematic". In the blog post they say "we wanted to close out this year with [showing the new cinematic]" - I wonder if this is communicating that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will not be present at The Game Awards 2022?

The blog post repeats the 2020 teaser trailer tagline, "The Dread Wolf Rises", and the motif of waiting for Solas to make his move recalls an earlier blog post where they said "Rest assured, Solas is placing his pieces on the board as we speak." This language always reminds of Solas' chess match with The Iron Bull. And of rooks (the chess piece) & therefore of his Tower tarot card, and of the Red Book with wolf & tower in its emblem.

Stylistically and with Varric's voiceover, the new cinematic is reminiscent of the Varric-narrated cinematics in the Dragon Age Keep and in DAII when he tells Cassandra the story of the Fifth Blight in relation to the Champion in the opening, and the cinematics he narrates in DAII that bridge the Acts. Could this be the introduction cinematic to DA:D? Returning players know who Solas is, but new players need that grounding.

"Elven god of lies or heroic rebel against tyranny? Depends on who you ask" is reminiscent of Codex entry: The Rebel God.

The Dalish use "Harellan" to mean "traitor to one's kin," but the word does not appear in any elven text before the Towers Age. The ancient root-word is related to "harillen," or opposition, and "hellathen," or noble struggle. The Dalish call Fen'Harel a god of deception, but I posit a far more accurate translation would be "god of rebellion."

What he rebelled against is a story lost to time. In Dalish legends, Fen'Harel seals away the other deities out of love of trickery. If we understood more ancient elven, we might find earlier versions of the Dread Wolf's story give him a more nuanced motivation beyond spite.

—From A Treaty on the Pagan and Heretical Customs of the Elven, by Senallen Tavernier of the University of Orlais, commissioned by Empress Celene.

God of deception, or god of rebellion? God of lies or heroic rebel? Which version of the story is the truth? The truth is probably somewhere in-between.

The title of the video on YouTube, "Who is The Dread Wolf?" reminds of Rasaan in Genitivi Dies in the End, in search of his "true name".

Regarding the cinematic itself:

The first painting recalls Solas both as Hermit and Hierophant. He's in the same position as he is in the Hermit, carrying the same staff and enhaloed by concentric circles, sun-like. Meanwhile the rolling hills on which he stands, golden leaves and lighting are more like the Hierophant. Then the screen darkens and the sun becomes a (full) moon. Interesting to see that here the Dread Wolf's eyes are Red like the Tower card again, not blue as here.

The howl at this point reminded me of the howling wolves in the background when the Inquisitor is lost in the snow, and the overcoat and pin here are similar to this outfit.

The golden geometric patterns remind of the 2020 trailer where the "Dragon Age" logo was gold in color, over a black background and sun-like background. It also reminds me of sacred geometry (which "is associated with the belief that a god is the creator of the universal geometer"; "the belief that a god created the universe according to a geometric plan"). Anyways, here is where it gets really interesting. We are no strangers to the concentric circles motifs and these patterns: the Golden/Black City in the center of the Fade, surrounded by a hemisphere barrier which represents the Veil. The Golden City turns Black right as Varric says "Solas imprisoned them". Is Solas doing this what caused the Golden City to turn Black, corrupted and Blighted? Recall Duncan in the opening of DA:O:

"The Chantry teaches us that is the hubris of men that brought darkspawn into our world. The mages had sought to usurp Heaven, but instead, they destroyed it. They were cast out, twisted and cursed by their own corruption. They returned as monsters, the first of the darkspawn. They became a Blight upon the lands."

Hubris is defined as excessive pride, and when that cinematic shows the Magisters returning to the world Tainted, there's a peacock feather shown (a symbol of pride). pride, or Pride himself? If the Golden City turned Black when Solas imprisoned the Evanuris, then this seems to imply a connection between Solas locking the Evanuris away (or more specifically, between Solas creating the Veil in order to do so) and the origin of the Blight. Creating the Veil, an unnatural construct, is connected to the Blight beginning. A fan theory which existed prior to this cinematic to be sure, but still cool to see here.

And so is the Golden City blackened With each step you take in my Hall. Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting. You have brought Sin to Heaven And doom upon all the world.

-Threnodies 8:13

According to Corypheus, the Golden City was already Black when they reached it, and the throne was empty. Was it the hubris of human men, or the hubris of one man, Solas, that brought doom upon all the world in the form of the Blights? The world he woke up to in DAI was a nightmare world, to him.

Also of note are the seven symbols arranged around the outside of the ring. It's been speculated based on previous versions of the 'hemisphere with some spheres lit and some not lit' image that the lit/unlit hemispheres represent the Old Gods, two still sleeping. And while they may still be connected (Old Gods-Evanuris), we have seen these symbols before, in Trespasser atop elven mirrors and statues, and in mosaics. They're elven, and so the symbols, and therefore the lit/unlit hemispheres, actually represent the Evanuris, minus Mythal ('dead' at the time) and Solas himself. Two specifically are immediately recognizable:

which... 😬 oooh we in danger

As for here

it's hard to tell, but maybe he's holding the red lyrium idol here? And does this show the past, Solas creating the Veil atop the mountains in the Frostbacks where Skyhold now stands ("the place where the sky is held up/back"), or is this future him destroying and taking it back down? Maybe both.

Q: Why does Varric say "he wanted", not "he wants"? And what's the golden disc in the center of the circle? It's more central than the Golden/Black City. Is the City perhaps not the center of the Fade after all?

#dragon age: dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #solas #bioware #cassandra pentaghast #my lady paladin #mj meta #long post #longpost #video games

[finelyageddragons]

Currently in love with the relationship between the Grey Wardens and being doomed by the narrative, especially with how the HOF subverts that relationship so here's a 3am rant about it. Enjoy! The wardens are ghosts. They are born by letting go of everything you had before and drinking poison to bind your fate to the darkspawn and promise that your life and perhaps more importantly, your death belongs to them. The whole joining is a terrifying experience, you're drinking the blood of monsters and seeing a corrupt god in your mind and waking up to see those who died around you and being told you'll meet the same fate soon enough you've just been given more time to get there because to sacrifice, to die is a warden's purpose. Even if you survive becoming a warden, your best case scenario is sacrificing yourself to end the blight but it's far more likely you'll die fighting darkspawn or even more likely lose your mind and have to go to the deep roads to be lost and have your death be your last act of defiance in the face of this overwhelming wave of evil waiting to rise again. The best thing that can happen to a warden is to die in a meaningful way because you gave away your life the moment you drank that blood. All you are now is a soldier waiting to die in war and hopefully take the enemy down with you. It is tragic and haunting and noble and so full of grief. Grief for the live you gave behind and for the one you'll never have. Every warden spends every day of their life hoping not for a future or any life for themselves but simply to make their death mean something which is an incredibly interesting mental state and I could go on about how that effects individuals and messes with their values so that corruption is rife but what started this whole thing is Fereldan.

A wonderful post by @sapphim (which I don't know how to cite but I wanna give credit so if there's a way please tell me) discussed how beneficial it was for the wardens that the fifth blight occured in Fereldan and how much they lost by it being solved so soon. To put it simply, they wanted to sacrifice Fereldan as a lost cause and use it as an example of why they wardens shouldn't be neglected. They wanted it to be known of how much of a sacrifice they make an how important their duty by letting the country of Fereldan be an example of what happens when no one is there to do it and that the narrative has doomed everyone, that the world's crimes will be paid for unless someone is willing to be selfless and bear the burden to give the world another chance. Andraste would have been a great warden I'm sure. In the eyes of the warden, Fereldan is tainted just like their blood, it is promised to the darkspawn just like they are, willingly or not it bears the duty that all wardens do and must make the sacrifice they do too. For the greater good. To stop the darkspawn. It's better you having a death that matters than a life that lasts. This is the psychology of the wardens and they are applying those same beliefs to all of Fereldan. Why must they be the only ones doomed by the narrative? There is no surviving this story and there is saving the world there is only killing the darkspawn before it kills you. Thedas is at war with the archdemons and until they're all dead, there is no peace, there is only preparing for the next battle. There is no building a life, no building a country, there is nothing to protect because it is all doomed.

The way duty and sacrifice and the promise of the Grey Wardens must alter their values and perspective on life is fascinating and there is so much to explore here but what's important for this post is that the foundation of their entire order is that they are already dead.

This then brings us to the HOF and cheating death. Duncan is like the grim reaper in Origins the way he comes and snatches your soul at the end of each origin which I honestly love and it ties in so well to the idea that wardens are ghosts given you die in every other version of the story without him but that's the story of all wardens. They all die a symbolic death at the joining so that's okay but then Ostogar happens. Flemeth happens. You should have died. Fereldan should have been lost. Remember, the duty of the wardens is dying not surviving but you did survive, snatched away by a god. Every other warden has died thinking their paying the price for an absent god yet this goddess not only favours you, she changed fate for you. Every other warden throughout history has paid the price but not you. Not Fereldan. You get to cheat the fate while it dooms everyone else. Can you imagine how that must have felt for the other wardens? How much they must hate the hero for stealing the martyr Fereldan was set to be and making all their losses naught but a tragedy when it could have been so much more? Not only did you escape your own death but you stole the value of theirs. You survived which goes against everything the wardens are made for.

Going even further than that, you have the dark ritual where you can actively choose to cheat death again. When every other warden has had to give their life, had to sacrifice and lose and grieve and poison their humanity as they did their bodies, you get to escape it all. Wardens have struggled for decades to have a foothold in Fereldan but you'll go so far as to choose their ruler for them without any consultation. You have been a warden less than a year, ended a battle that they prepared for over hundreds of years and sacrificed more hundreds of years fighting in the past and not only have you defied everything they defined themselves by, you have made them look like fools and decided their fate for them. You have stolen the meaning of the death of every warden, you have stolen their martyrs and the justifications for their actions and by keeping your own life and humanity, by resisting their poison you have made them all look like monsters.

The hero was doomed by the narrative as all wardens are but they rewrote fate, they stole their life back so many times and by surviving, they created a whole new narrative that ruined everything the wardens were built upon. The wardens were made to be ghosts, not heroes. They're meant to die and be remembered nobly so they can be redeemed for they had to do to get there but not you hero. You get to shame us all, don't you?

#I have work in like 5 hours but it is my duty to share my madness with you all #UGH I need to make more warden OCs #I can't fix him but I can become equally corrupt by his side #There are so many ideas in here I can't wait to elaborate on over the next few days/weeks/lifetime #Anyway good night y'all #Also hi Saph it was me thank you for encouraging this #Got a good grade in anon something both normal to want and possible to achieve #GOODNIGHT #dragon age origins #dragon age #ramblings #grey wardens #doomed by the narrative #idk how to tag things but I hope people see this I want to hear ideas #Rubbing my hands together and giggling like a goblin thinking of all the potential warden content #I'M GOING TO BED NOW BYE BYE

[space-cowboy-101]

✨ATEEZ as Dragon Age aesthetics pt.2✨

Yeosang, Mingi and San’s have got to be my favorite out of all of them because they’re just so them in this story. Especially Yeosang’s, solely for the picture I used and how it relates to Orlesian culture.

Anyway, onto the backstories!

Even with the giant stone walls, Starkhaven couldn’t hold the great Choi San within its containment. He’s seen everything the Free Marches has to offer; Minanter river, Grand Tourneys, the mysterious gremlins skulking around the outskirts! Out of his father’s promising grasp with the help of a revered mother, he wandered around the Marches without abandon and enjoyed the new freedom to the fullest, and did it taste sweet. Until he met his match just after his departure from a quaint village, someone who’d become a mentor he didn’t think he’d ever have and teach him all the skills of a Kirkwall rat. Someone who’d eventually bring him to the Inquisition’s doorstep.

Song Mingi’s seen many things in his short life. He’s experienced the influx of refugees during the Fifth Blight, he’s watched the Champion of Kirkwall rise to infamy and even got to meet him, and he got to be a first hand witness to the boiling tensions and subsequent destruction between the Kirkwall Templar Order and the Circle of Magic. Nothing more than a stranger to him, the effects of the Champion’s manufacturer-consumer relationship with his father hit him hard once he left Kirkwall. The government viewed his father as a criminal—and he by association—and it was the tipping point of his decision to leave the dying city, what with the mages in the Gallows and the Templar’s strict control of them. So, with the two he met in the tavern in Lowtown, he followed them on their mission to find the next Inquisitor of an Inquisition soon to be brought to fruition.

Life’s never been very kind to Jung Wooyoung, or at least that’s what he’d say if you asked him. Growing up as a prodigy should’ve assured him a life of luxury and ease, for he’d have a place as a Tevinter Magister as soon as he completed his schooling, but no. Life had other plans for him. Hopping from Circle to Circle, the mage never knew home and got into more shit than a deepstalker, until he was confronted by the man who’d help him realize his potential. Before he too fell to his curse, his family destroyed and his mentorship failing when Wooyoung was asked to do the impossible. Tumultuous and bitter, his life spiraled before his father made the choice that any sane person would be scandalized by and forced him to run. And run he did, right into the arms of someone that understood his problems better than himself.

Everyone knew that the Anderfels is a cesspool of depression, even Choi Jongho despite calling the nation his home. Home of the Grey Wardens and their nemesis, the Darkspawn, Jongho heard lots of the stories about fierce warriors that rode into battle on griffins but never did he see that when the Wardens defended their village from the darkspawn that wandered too close. It wasn’t until he was old enough to hold a sword did he realize how shattered and desolate Anderfels was, when he’d fled his village and found himself at the Nevarran border and seen for the first time what a yellow sun at high noon looked like. Nevarra was part desert yet it was nothing like the jagged rocks and bloodied sand that the Anderfels had, and Jongho’s eyes were opened to the beauty of the world, alongside the man who saved him that day.

rip the other guys, i kinda got into their stories without realizing 💀 but at the same time, i’ve tried not to spoil too much because they come into play later on 🫣

poor jongho…going from hot ass desert to icy permanent winter mountains. 💪🏻 you got this guy, i believe in you.

Thanks for checking out my post if you’ve read this far 🥹 and i hope you enjoy my story if you decide to give it a read! the third chapter just got posted yesterday and the next one will be up in a few days. 🫶🏻

#ateez aesthetic #ateez fic #ateez fanfic #ateez #yungi #jeong yunho #song mingi #jongsang #choi jongho #kang yeosang #woosan #jung wooyoung #park seonghwa #choi san #seongjoong #kim hongjoong #iwtbwtswts seongjoong fic

[bumblewarden]

I recently played Jaws of Hakkon and am still fuming at the DLC’s burning intent to justify the March on the Dales. Obviously, there’s nothing that could justify Orlais’s invasion of the Dales and the subsequent genocide and that i could be massively missing the point by so much as constructing an argument to refute it as though it is something that could in some universe be justified, but i’m doing it anyway. 

Just from a logistical standpoint, how long can they (the writers) carry the excuse that elves don’t deserve sovereignty because they didn’t do enough against the Blight?

This is a lot of the distilled essence of the nothing ramblings of an old man, so i’m putting it under a readmore out of the common dignity i can afford. This probably qualifies as discourse or critical, so read ahead at your own risk, but as i’m half asleep writing this, i will not be taking criticism. These ramblings are posted only so as to not be left entirely alone to fester with my thoughts. Expect incoherence.

The origins of the Joining, just like everything else around it, are not exactly widely held knowledge, but surprise! Elven slaves contributed what they remembered of their ancient magical knowledge in exchange for the promise that after the Blight, the Grey Wardens would turn their attention to liberating the elves from slavery in Tevinter. Guess what didn’t happen. At least they kept the other half of their promise of letting elves join the Order as equals. I’m sure they kept their word on that half purely for altruistic purposes.

But as a quick aside that you may or may not deem relevant: Why should the elves of the Dales be expected to keep their end of the oath to combat future Blights when the Wardens did not keep their end of the oath to free them from slavery after the First Blight?

Now let’s go through a quick list of the Wardens who ended the Blight.

The Second Blight was ended by a Warden named Corin, and the Third Blight was ended by an unnamed Warden (DA2 Codex: Vestments of Sacrifice; DAO Codex: Thorn of the Dead Gods). Neither Warden’s race is specified to the audience. The Fourth Blight was ended by Garahel, who is famously an elf, and while forgotten by history but hopefully not the writing team, his sister Isseya was also hugely important to the effort. The Fifth Blight is of variable status, but because this ramble was sparked by a post relevant to my canon worldstate which boasts a Warden Tabris, i’m marking it as an elven Warden.

Skimming through Last Flight, because of the emphasis on Garahel as the one hero all elves across Thedas can look up to, we can assume the Wardens who ended the First and Second Blights were not elves. What’s not said is just as important as what is said. 

The Chantry is obviously not above erasing elves in their histories (ie. Ameridan and Shartan), but it’s simpler for this exercise to operate under the assumption that these Wardens were human, especially since their remains are at Weisshaupt. Whether or not their bodies decayed (heavily Blighted areas are known to halt the process of decay), the size and form of their armor would give some indication of the likelihood of them being elven or not.

The First Blight is a bit more of an asterisk. According to tertiary-level canon lore, nobody knows who slayed Dumat. The exact quote:

“The Order’s histories do not record which Warden gave up their soul to destroy the Archdemon, for many Wardens struggled against Dumat, and the dragon’s very death throes slew seven or more of the Order’s warriors.” (Dragon Age Roleplaying Game Rulebook, p. 253)

<Tangent> Personally, i think this is because the First Blight was ended with the same ritual Morrigan offers to end the Fifth which here produced the old god baby Andraste, whom i also headcanon to be an elf. She’s very invested in the welfare of her contemporary elves, the Tevinter slave caste of which she was a part was almost entirely comprised of elves in this period, and most damningly, it’s a suggested name for elves in the 5E PHB. Look me in the eye and say Dungeons & Dragons had absolutely zero influence on the development of Dragon Age. Is this not by the same company that developed the original Baldur’s Gate trilogy? But none of that is actually relevant at the moment! I just wanted to get that out there </Tangent>

And while she’s not a Warden herself, because she was in the post that sparked this, i do have to bring up Wenna di Ladia. She proved that elves will take an active role against the Blight in the first one after the Fall of the Dales. In the Third Blight, she played an important role in rallying Thedosian forces against the darkspawn because it’s okay when humans sit on their hands against a Blight. Or does she not count because elves would eventually use her name as a rallying cry themselves as they defended themselves from injustices granted to them by humans? (DAI Codex: Tenasarin)

Let’s revisit our abbreviated tally on major elven contributions against the Blight.

First Blight: Contributed as much as anyone and helped developed the Joining to create the Grey Warden Order. It is unknown if an elf, human, or dwarf slayed the archdemon.

Second Blight: Minimal contribution.

Third Blight: Wenna di Ladia inspired Thedas to arms.

Fourth Blight: Garahel killed Andoral, and Isseya fought by his side as a fellow Warden the entire time.

Fifth Blight: Tabris killed Urthemiel.

So: We have 2 out of 4 confirmed Blight-enders were elves themselves, and elves are mentioned at points to be vastly outnumbered in population by humans across the totality of Thedas. On top of that, they have even less access than humans to the martial training necessary to make an effective Warden. In many places, it’s forbidden by law for elves to wield weapons, and all Orlesian Chantry Circle mages are being suppressed in their combat abilities regardless of species. Yes, there are the Dalish, but they are a small percentage of the already-minority elven population of Thedas. Even if they produce skilled combatants at the same rate as humans, the total number is going to be tiny in comparison.

It’s of huge statistical significance that 40%, of Blights are confirmed to have been ended by elves. Yes, yes, small sample sizes and all, but these are the numbers we are dealt. Do we need another hundred Blights before this statistic can matter? The elven Hero of Ferelden, especially, is the one who coordinated the entire response east of the Frostbacks to the Fifth Blight after the massacre at Ostagar despite the active bounty on his head. 

If the elves lost their second homeland “because they didn’t do enough against the Blight”, have they not done enough to make up for that? 

Despite their presentation in Inquisition, the Dales are about the only major location in modern Thedas that has a majority elven population. It is true there are small human populations there that would have to either accept elven rule or leave for other parts of Orlais, but it’s not like there are massive swathes of people that will be forcibly displaced if the sovereignty of this hostilely occupied territory is restored.

Or was it never more than the chosen propaganda of a bloodhungry imperialist nation to excuse conquering and enslaving the nation of the oppressed Other refusing to involve themselves in the war outside their borders? 

The answer may (not) surprise you!

#dragon age #novhen tabris #ranting about 1s and 0s

[scribbledquillz]

A little something that struck me over the head and wouldn't leave me be until I did something with it after seeing this post, more specifically @shivunin 's apt tags on it. So please enjoy a soft little introspective moment with our favorite assassin set shortly after the end of the Blight during some well deserved rest. 😊

The absence of heavy leathers and clinking iron does not sit right with him. He feels naked without the weight, bare and vulnerable to an infinite threat of brigands and blight-mad creatures his mind can imagine lurking just beyond his senses' reach. Too many times he has felt his fingers twitch at the slightest sound or glimpse of movement, choler rankling bitter in his chest when the source of his dread inevitably proves to be nothing more than Revka's tired, sleeping sigh or the flutter of curtains in the breeze. Zevran Arainai. Antivan Crow, veteran of the Fifth Blight, sent jumping by snores and drapery. If he could see himself as he is now not a year ago-

The thought snares unexpectedly. Catching in a raw wound struggling to heal through its festering. A year ago this scene would have been thought an illusion of the Fade, or worse some ruse laid out in the most cruelly intricate fashion. A quiet night of stars and ocean air wrapped in a lover's arms. The sweet echo of fine liquor and sex. Safety behind walls real and metaphoric, well beyond the reach of any who might seek their sundering. It would have seemed unreal. Unreachable.

And yet here he was, heart and belly full, Revka's head nestled into the hollow of his shoulder as she breathed soft and even in sleep for the first time in weeks. Content. At peace. Safe.

It would take some time for the absence of heavy leathers and clinking iron to sit right with him. But, he thinks as he turns deeper into Revka's warmth, it will be a challenge worth savoring.

#dragon age #dragon age origins #zevran arainai #revka tabris #zevka #your fire burns in my veins #lilou writes

[amatres]

I have a lot of OCs, so I'm making a list of all of them to keep track of their tags, especially if my special interest ever moves to something else for a while.

All under the cut. For art of any of them, or to just see my art in general, go to my art tag ama doodles, or you can follow my side blog @amasdoodles!

Dragon Age:

-Surana : My main warden for dragon age origins, a young elven woman taken to the circle so young she couldn't even remember her name, and had to be named by one of her friends. Was recruited by Duncan into the Grey Wardens in 9:30 Dragon, leading into a domino effect of her and her senior Grey Warden, Alistair Therrin, to be the sole surviving Ferelden Wardens during the Fifth Blight. Died committing the Ultimate Sacrifice.

-Allyn Hawke : My main hawke, a mage and eldest child of the runaway noble Leandra Amell and her apostate lover and eventual husband, Malcolm Hawke. A very depressed woman due to the events of her life, and currently living on the run with her lover Fenris after the destruction of the Kirkwall Chantry.

Evie Trevelyan : The elf blooded child born from an affair, and sent away to the Circle by her mother's noble family as quickly as possible, happy to be rid of her. Becoming the Inquisitor causes her identity issues to increase to a horrific degree, and she drinks from the Well of Sorrows out of desperation to both have a connection to her and her father's people, and feel like she made her own choice for once.

Katla Brosca : My other Grey Warden, the younger child of Kalah Brosca. In the au she is recruited instead of, or with, Surana, she helps bring end the Fifth Blight, and does the Dark Ritual with Morrigan herself. Her efforts have her declared a living paragon of Orzammar, a title she happily uses to take in other casteless into her House.

Leann Amell : The eldest of five, Leann was the first child of Revka Amell's children to be taken away by the Chantry. She was friends with Surana and Jowan when they were young, all arriving in the Circle around the same time, and even named Surana when the child revealed she could not remember her name. Leann committed suicide in 9:25 Dragon, and her death had a deeply profound effect on the friends she left behind. Surana wears her hairpins as a memento.

Pathfinder:

Layla : A dhampir bard who fled to the worldwound in a desperate attempt to shake off the people sent by her cousin to capture her, only to end up being fucked over by that decision as well. Struggles between giving into her growing embitterment, and with holding onto her optimism the world seems keen to take from her. Azata Path to Legend. -Her pintrest board -Her spotify -Her fake TV Tropes page

Sigrid: A emphyral sorcerer born in the time before the Worldwound was opened, and childhood friends with Areelu's child. After their death, she aided Areelu in opening the Worldwound in grief of her friend's death and anger at the culture that would both prosecuted her for her magic and would kill her friend over it.

Eventually she committed to using herself as the vessel to bring back her friend, but the process fails, leaving her falling onto an aeon as a guiding figure and undoing everything she and Areelu did, unable to host her friend's soul and regretful for what they had done. True Aeon path.

Dungeons and Dragons:

Aurora : A fey creature called a snow maiden, cursed by the Hag Mother to turn into a hag herself if she were to ever to kiss someone, but also to be consumed by loneliness regardless.

Gwynnever Calear : Seemingly a sea elven young woman who is the niece to the ruling King of Azuri. She made friends with people in very dark places, but carries more secrets than one would assume. If you would like to know her whole deal, here's a very long post I made about it.

Balaerra : A half elven drow who grew up on the streets. Desperate never to feel so powerless again, she studied magic feverously, but her desperation may very well lead her to her own ruin. - Spotify -Info

Dawn: An aasimar with no memory of who she is, a muddled mind, and a lot of unexplained bloodlust. My other Baldur's Gate 3 ocs, made for a dark urge run. - Spotify

Giselle: A young woman who was on her way to meet her fiancee when she ended up being taken by the mist. My second Curse of Strahd player character, she is a shadow sorcerer.

Adelaide Oftedahl : From a now dead dnd campaign, she was a noble woman of a country called Agdar, forced to join the Queen's special task force. Came from an abusive home and was not well adjusted because of it, but did manage to romance and change one of the first villains in the campaign, so good for her.

#ama mumbles #amas ocs #for my own categorization #will add others if i remember to or i make one that sticks in my head #i refuse to make seperate blogs bc once the fixation dies down the blog will too so i doesnt feel fair to ppl who might follow it ya know

[thedragonagelesbian]

@hexblooddruid replied to your post “i truly don't know which of these responses i like...”:

Oooh interesting dichotomy in the responses! How experienced in relationships is this Cyrus? Has he been burned before?

​He hasn't been burned romantically before-- but Cyrus' conception of love is very broad, so in that moment, he'd be thinking not only of the romantic/sexual love that forms the context of the scene but of the familial love for which he's gladly sacrificed & suffered.

He's also (like Daeran) much more experienced in emotionally shallow sexual relationships than committed romantic ones, despite the immensity of love that he has to give. I'm envisioning WOTR!Cyrus' backstory as a pretty straightforward adaptation of DA2!Cyrus' backstory. The Hawkes struggled to find a place to put down roots (I'm thinking Malcolm had some kind of demonic curse that Bethany inherited, to approximate the status of mages in Thedas), this early turmoil left an indelible impression on Cyrus' sense of self and role as his family's protector, and so while he was the heartthrob of the sleepy village the family eventually settled in, he never pursued deep emotional intimacy because his first duty was always to his family.

WOTR is also a setting where like... their equivalent of the Fifth Blight wasn't stopped in a year, and has in fact been going on for a century. In a world where the threat to his family is omnipresent, especially after it claims Carver's life, I could see Cyrus being able to make the painfully hard decision to leave Leandra and Bethany to try to stem the tide of demons, as impossible a quest as it may be.

And I think Leandra took it very hard. Talking about love as a shipwreck, I think that's the relationship that comes to Cyrus' mind.

#hexblooddruid #cyrus wotr #and now he's knight commander of the crusade! yay!!

[rma1031]

Hermit Age: Impulse

This is a post in regards to an AU that I am trying to make that combines Hermitcraft (and any HC-adjacent series) with the universe of Dragon Age. If you haven't seen my plans for this AU, check this out!

This post will start off with my interpretations for of course... the blorbo himself... Impulse!

Appearance

As with the current season of Hermitcraft, Impulse would obviously work well as a dwarf warrior already. Average dwarf height, strong and stout like one as well. Colors of yellow and black apply immediately. Just think of his Minecraft skin and then we make some few alterations to make him fit in with the world of Thedas. He has gold jewelry and piercings as well!

He also has a branding tattoo on his face in the colors of gold and yellow. These tattoos are to represent him as a casteless dwarf.

Origins and History

His origin is going to be a surface dwarf that came from Orzammar. He wasn't a part of the noble caste but he had history with both the warrior and mining castes. He started as a miner and worked well with it until he proved his efficiency with combat to the point he got put there with the warriors. Skilled with mining and proficient with melee combat, he was doing well... Up until the point he felt like Orzammar was chafing under the rule of the Assembly and the King. He got fed up with the royal politics and left for the surface. Though he has become a surface dwarf, he still misses Orzammar though, but he may never see the thaig again.

At this point he is a travelling mercenary, wandering here and there around Thedas, looking for companionship of which he would find eventually with Gem, Pearl, Skizz, and more of their friends.

I'll say though that he was in Orzammar since just after the Fifth Blight but left for the surface a few years later. Has been a surface dwarf for nearly a decade (by the point of Dragon Age Inquisition) and enjoys the mercenary life.

Name

How he got the name Impulse is due to the fact that his parents always called him "impulsive" for his quick actions as well as stubborn attitude. He would never actually reveal his true name to anyone though but he stuck around to be called Impulse by the other dwarves (as well as his companions and party members).

Personality

Impulse is a man of humor and enjoys a good laugh. During fights, he has a certain bloodlust that can intimidate people and oh boy, he will fight. When outside of a fight, he's passive and more docile, becoming a mediating presence. When threatened, he typically isn't aggressive but he will keep caution. He is competitive and loves a good challenge and he can and will challenge other people with what challenges he can make up. Generally a friendly and outgoing man and loves and trusts his companions a lot.

Headstrong and stubborn at certain moments and can act on instinct without thinking about it. If given more time or opportunity, he can think deeper and become more strategic and tactical about any situation.

Equipment and Combat

As for equipment and combat, he wears heavy armor and he definitely has a battle axe. He loves to try and tank for the party but he fails spectacularly (leave it to Skizz, Impy). He is simultaneously strategic and headstrong and he will cleave his way through what enemies are in front of him, be it darkspawn or bandits or creatures. He's there to deal damage but he tends to get a little reckless to the point that Pearl may have to do something to help him out.

Like other dwarves, he has resistance against magic and that can help a lot when he and his companions are fighting a mage or any enemy that can cast spells.

That's it for now! I'll probably do my interpretations of Gem next or Skizz or Pearl and then I'll eventually make some history of their mercenary band or party and probably even a fic!

If you need to know more about the Dragon Age universe, the wiki for it is a big boon.

#rma posts #mcyt #hermitcraft #traffic smp #life series #dragon age #hermit age au #impulsesv

[108garys]

House of Ashes/Thedas AU: "orders"

So this has been sitting here since I posted the last part partially because I wanted to write the next part(I wrote, just not that part 💀) and partially because I feel like this isn't as strong as the earlier parts(the first scene was originally from Jason's pov but it wasn't working for me so I rewrote it), just been feeling like I want to throw this one out there already

I think out of all the characters joey is the one I've taken most creative licence with and I do hope my attempt to make Rachel come across as intimidating wasn't too cringe lol(part 1 part 2 part3)

tag list: @kassiekolchek22 @leevila-today @disabledbears @ultrabananapudding @seraphjewel @delurkr

(9:34/Dragon-Orlais)

The Rivaini made his way through the bustling streets of Val Royeaux, he felt at home despite never  visiting the city prior; passers-by payed him no mind. He and three of his fellow grey wardens had received orders to come here and await further instructions and as he chatted with a delightful redhead he got what they were waiting for. 'Meet me at the Grand cathedral at noon' _Seeker King; other than that the note was light on details but it meant their down time over.

“Jason, we got orders!” The Ferelden turned with about a dozen children. “I’m watching this!” He gestured at a puppet show depicting the final battle of the fifth blight. Nick tried to withhold his judgement as he continued, poorly if Jason’s face was anything to go off. “We’ve been assigned to work with a Seeker.” He added holding up the note, at that Jason got up from his seat with a concerned look on his face. “Maker’s balls Nicky! Do you even know what Seekers do?”

“My Gran said a lady Seeker saved the old Divine from a hoard of dragons.” A small girl answered for him beaming at his side, Jason smiled and thanked the child before following the battle mage. Taking the note and reading over it he explained, “Seekers are to Templars what Templars are to mages.” Coming from a former Templar, Nick knew he should take it seriously but instead he rolled his eyes. “No wonder you’re scared, worried the big bad Seeker is coming to lock you in a tower?” As playful as his tone was the, Nick had spent his entire life evading that very fate and of the two of them Jason was the only one who had seen the inside of the circle of Magi and that didn’t end well… “This is serious Nick,” Jason lowered his voice as they passed a group of masked women, “Seekers only show up when something is very wrong and you’d be smart to be cautious too; heard they’d light up the lyrium in folks to get their way, set your fucking blood on fire!”

“Bull shit.” Nick refused to believe that, fortunately Jason’s attempts to argue were cut short as the other two wardens came into view. Merwin was haggling over parts for his traps and Joey was sitting on the ground petting the smallest most pathetic dog he’d ever seen. “I swear to the Maker Joey, if that’s someone’s pet I will uninvoke the right of conscription!”

“You can’t do that, besides it’s not stealing if he likes me better than the Shemlen.” The Dalish elf loved animals and didn’t care for human authority, Joey had been conscripted six months ago after a fight broke out over this very thing and he hadn’t regretted his actions in the slightest. “Don’t mind our former Templar, he’s got his small clothes in a twist over the Seeker.” Nick informed the others. “Seeker? What’s that?” The elf looked up as the Dwarf finally joined the conversation. “They’re the Chantry’s secret army, answerable only to the Divine,” he handed a pair of spectacles to Joey, "Here, these are nicer than your old ones.”

“Ma serannas, Merwin,” the two weren’t officially together but Nick thought Joey made the old man better, softened his edges, “I thought the Templars were the Chantry’s army?”

“See the thing is Templars do their work out in the open, Seeker’s disappear problems, only show up to investigate when things go really wrong, they call themselves the Seekers of Truth ironically.” Nick didn’t like the sound of that and neither did Joey; the elf looked concerned that the human faith had double the military arms he’d thought it had. “So like followers of Dirthamen, keeper of secrets?” he tapped his cheek thoughtfully, Nick supposed his tattoos were related to that elf deity, but his mind was elsewhere. Jason gave a small nod, “Yeah, something like that…”

“Do you think we're in trouble for…?” He could see the homestead burn when he shut his eyes, Maker could Seekers over rule the right of conscription!?- Jason’s hand landed on his shoulder as he spoke. “Nah, Seekers are above that sort of shit but that don’t mean we can relax,” the Ferelden looked each of them in the eye before continuing, “We’re meeting a Seeker within the hour and what do I got? An illicit tourney champion, a Dwarf who’s bared from the harbour without a full accompaniment of guards to keep an eye on him and Joey if you don’t put that thing back where it came from-“

“I thought a Ferelden would be happy with a hound.” the elf defended scooping the little dog in his arms as he stood up. “That’s no Mabari, it’s closer to a cat,” The Ferelden’s face broke into a mischievous grin, “…Unless you wanna keep it as bait.” The former Templar snickered as Joey immediately set the dog down and watched as it scampered away…

“Right, now that that’s sorted time to go meet the Seeker.”

--

“Is this normal?” Joey felt out of place in the large ornate room with its history portrayed in glass murals, tapestries, the gilded face of a woman who reshaped the world staring solemnly down from her pyre; he’d never been inside a chantry before and the quiet was wrong. A human priestess exchanged a few words with Jason before ushering them into a side room, he’d never thought about how the Ferelden was technically part of the Andrastian chantry before joining the order.

“Not once in my decade of service have I ever been set up to meet a Seeker.” Merwin answered already headed to a table with small assorted treats laid out. The small room had altogether too many thick velveteen curtains for the elf’s liking, even areas that couldn’t have contained any windows were draped in the gaudy red fabric. Jason left his shield on one of the chairs and started giving one of his ‘Keeper talks’ as joey called them, the elf was reminded of the paternal lectures his clan would endure on a regular basis. “Now we don’t know anything about this person or what their agenda is so I want yous boys on your best behaviour and pray to the Maker they’re not insane,” joey began to protest but the former Templar cut him off, “No not you Joey, just keep a lid on the dalish stuff until we figure out what they’re after.”    

“Oh man we’re gonna be killed aren’t we!” Nick, the only mage in their group was beginning to understand Jason’s fear. “That depends…” A woman spoke, drawing a dividing curtain; she had a large white eye on the breastplate of her pitch black armour, her blonde hair braided into a neat bun, she continued coolly as she walked among the spooked wardens, “If you cooperate and everything goes smoothly, you just might live.” The Orliesan woman picked up Jason’s shield tracing a finger over the symbol, “An upturned flaming sword, the heraldry of Ferelden’s Templar order…” She returned it asking, “Kolchek, that’s an unusual name for a Ferelden, relatives in the free marches?”

“Yes ma’am.” He stood to attention as the woman got in his personal space, Seekers were already frightening Joey more than expected. “And if I’m not mistaken you served in Kinloch hold?” her black eyes seemed to pierce the man’s soul. “For eight years.” She stepped back from him. “My condolences.” The elf was terrified to ask what she was referring to…

“Nicholas Kay, an apostate,” the woman really seemed to enjoy making grown men squirm, keeping her gaze fixed on Nick she addressed Jason, “Tell me Templar, do your Grey Warden vows take priority over open apostasy?”

“There are no apostates in the wardens, whatever he was before he’s affiliated with our order now ma’am.” She turned as Merwin spoke up before his turn to get chewed out. “Merwin, Surface Dwarf and more specifically of Antiva city,” he held out his hand to her, “I got conscripted about a decade ago when I set fire to three separate Orliesan port authority vessels back in my lyrium smuggling days.” She ignored his hand nodding to him and now it was Joey’s turn. She spoke his true name and the name of his clan, how could she even know that? “I don’t see how a simple pet thief ended up with this crowd and so young.” The elf wanted to argue that it wasn’t a fair assessment of what happened, that the Dalish didn’t really own animals the same way and he wasn’t aware human’s considered them as possessions; he thought it would be more accurate to say his 'crime' was self-defence... “Joey, it’s easier for the shem- for humans to pronounce. I’m good with a bow, Miss Seeker?”

“Rachel King, but you may call me Seeker King, or just Rachel if you prefer but never miss, madam or lady Seeker,” she glanced at Jason, “Ma’am is acceptable if you really can’t help yourself.” The Ferelden averted his eyes, “Getting to the point, I’m tasked with investigating the trail of the Hodgson expedition that vanished into the deep roads at the turning of the age. Recently there’s been other disappearances along their last known route.”

“My task is to find out why and solve the problem if possible, for that I need your particular skills,” She looked at each of them as she spoke, “Our entrance is in Nevarra, we’ll first travel to a fort on the far side of the boarder and there further solidify plans with my associates. We leave in three days, I expect you at the main gate by dawn. Dismissed."

And as abruptly as she’d appeared, the Seeker was gone. “I’m sorry I doubted you, Jason.” Nick looked as if he’d seen a demon and Joey wasn’t sure he hadn’t…

#house of ashes #dark pictures house of ashes #the dark pictures anthology #jason kolchek #joey gomez #nathan merwin #nick kay #rachel king #thedas au #house of ashes au #jalim #hoa fanfic #fanfic

[mxanigel]

Where do I start with this fic? Born as a one-shot inspired by my first-ever Awakening run (which has since spawned an entire worldstate), I wanted to explore a Warden who survived the Battle of Denerim but didn't romance any of the DAO companions. I used my first-ever Warden as the initial inspiration, but Neri Surana is ultimately quite different from that character.

My beloved demiromantic pansexual agender arcane warrior, ice mage extraordinare and Arlen of Amaranthine. They carry the weight of their Circle past and the burden of having battled through the Fifth Blight. Neri rejected Alistair's advances but also forced him to be king alongside Anora as queen. They were wholly unprepared to fall for Anders, and they refuse to name their feelings… until it's too late.

This story has been challenging for me to write from Neri's gender dysphoria to their imposter syndrome (too much like me) to their eagerness for sex but discomfort with romance (not at all like me). But I adore them. I love their journey and their growth. And I promise I'll post another chapter in the not-too-distant future.

An emotion I won't name

Rating: M Word count: 47,493 [ongoing] Relationship: Anders/Warden (also Felsi/Oghren and Sigrun/Velanna) Tags: Agender Character, Banter, Companionable Snark, Angst, intimate medical attention, Explicit Consent, LGBTQ Themes, Smut, Self-Doubt, Politics, Blood and Violence, Anders Positive, Found Family, Gender Dysphoria

Neri Surana: former Circle mage. Hero of Ferelden. Warden-Commander. Never been in love (probably), never sought it out (definitely). But after an unexpected kiss from Anders, Neri can't stop thinking about him, and they aren't ready for what those thoughts imply.

If I never enter the Fade again, it’ll be too soon. First my Harrowing, then that blighted sloth demon’s domain in the Circle Tower, then saving Connor. All of which happened before facing a bloody Archdemon. Then again, given my luck in life, perhaps I should’ve expected that investigating darkspawn activity in Amaranthine would somehow send me back into the Fade.

A trip preceded by finding tears in the Veil. I’m not anywhere near ready to wrap my mind around that. Our subsequent journey through the Fade closed those tears. I think. They were gone by the time we returned to reality, and that outcome has to be good enough for now.

Exhausted and wounded, I trudge through the muddy courtyard of Vigil’s Keep, Anders and Sigrun and not-Kristoff-but-Justice in tow. With the rush of battle long faded from my system, I’m all too aware of my fellow mage’s presence. Shit.

Then I spot a slender figure standing next to the well. Maker, not Aura, not now, not before I have time to consider the ramifications of a Fade spirit taking over a Grey Warden’s corpse—

Of course Aura sees us, of course she confronts us, of course she runs away heavy with grief, of course Justice wants to do something for her. Later. After rest, healing, washing up. Later.

At the Keep’s front steps, the private has nothing to report. Thank everything still good in this world that there are no new errands or favors or crises for me to handle.

“Neri, are you all right?” Anders murmurs near my ear as our small group slowly climbs the stairs toward the throne room.

He’s too close. My heart pounds, and I glance at the wall. “Tired. Been a long few days.”

“Fair. Exploring the picturesque scenery of the Blackmarsh would exhaust anyone.” He rests a hand on my shoulder; I fight not to grimace. “Want me to take a look at you?”

Fuck, yes. I’m shocked by the intensity of my own thought. One I can’t admit aloud, definitely not in front of others—especially not Anders himself. I try to shrug off his touch. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m just tired. I promise.”

[Read the full fic on AO3]

#da fanfic #dragon age fanfic #anders #anders x warden #neri surana #da awakening #OTP: what's unnamed still connects us #first person POV #somehow this fic gets steamy at times #my writing #noctilucent cloud creations