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anneapocalypse · 1 year

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Ostagar was planned.

The thing is, it had to be.

Note: I am saying all this as someone who likes Loghain a lot as a character. I find him really interesting and a lot of his motivations compelling, even if I do not agree with or defend all of his actions. He’s one of my favorite Dragon Age antagonists, and I see him as someone who truly does see himself as the hero. So this is all coming from a place, not of wanting to condemn Loghain, but of wanting to understand him.

Loghain, understandably, never really comes out and says this, even when he’s acknowledging what he did; his statements about “a fool’s death and a hard choice” leave open the possibility that the retreat was a decision made in the moment. But when we look at the circumstances beyond Ostagar, there’s just no way that could be true.

Here’s why I think so, and why I don't think it actually changes that much about Loghain's motives.

Alistair and the Tower of Ishal

I'll start with the circumstantial, and therefore weakeast, pieces of evidence.

First: Loghain objects to the plan of sending two Grey Wardens to the Tower of Ishal to light the beacon.

It is genuinely sort of a strange decision. One would assume you’d want the darkspawn fighters on the ground fighting darkspawn, not standing in a tower holding a torch. It has been theorized that Cailan makes this choice deliberately because he knows Alistair is his half-brother, and means to protect him as the heir to the throne should he fall in battle. (It would maybe have been good if he had discussed this with Alistair first—but that is neither here nor there.) I think it’s a plausible theory but I’m not here to argue for or against it today.

Loghain does not object to this plan on the grounds that it’s a poor use of the Grey Wardens’ skills, however; on the contrary, he argues, “You rely on these Grey Wardens too much, Cailan. Is that truly wise?”

His distrust of the Wardens generally is well-documented, so by itself, this statement could be entirely sincere. But in hindsight, it’s hard not to see this as possibly Loghain wanting all the Wardens together on the battlefield—where they can fall together.

Furthermore, it is explicitly stated that it was Loghain’s soldiers in charge of securing the tower. Loghain did not know at the time that it would be Grey Wardens lighting the beacon, but his dialogue with Cailan makes it clear that their general plans for the battle were already in place, and the beacon was a vital part of that plan. The beacon going unlit, or being delayed, would give him an excuse for withdrawing his troops from the battle. I don’t think it’s an accident that the lower levels of the tower are not properly secured, or that no one notices until the battle is already underway.

The evidence surrounding the Tower of Ishal is circumstantial. But there are other events taking place during and after Ostagar that suggest Loghain had a plan before the battle.

Jowan and Redcliffe

The Warden and Alistair wake up in Flemeth’s hut following the failed battle; we don’t know how long the Warden was out, but it doesn’t seem to have been that long. From here, they can proceed to Lothering and then pretty much immediately to Redcliffe, where they find the village has been under seige by undead, for days already. So the timeline looks something like this:

During the Prologue:

Jowan escapes from the Circle at Lake Calenhad.

Sometime between the Prologue and the Warden’s arrival at Redcliffe:

Templars hunt down and apprehend Jowan.

Loghain’s men intercept the templars and offer to fix things for Jowan if he does the Teyrn’s bidding: infiltrate Redcliffe Castle and poison the arl.

Jowan is hired by Isolde to tutor Connor.

Jowan poisons Arl Eamon, who falls ill.

Connor, desperate to save his father, accepts a deal from a desire demon and becomes possessed.

Most of the servants in the castle are killed, becoming walking corpses which themselves attack others.

The undead then begin attacking the village nightly.

Bann Teagan arrives to find the village in chaos, and tries to help the people defend themselves until he can get inside the castle.

The Warden arrives in Redcliffe.

That’s a lot to happen in the brief window between Ostagar and how soon the Warden can leave Lothering. Teagan is also seen in Denerim in the cutscene immediately following following Ostagar, so it’s unclear when, precisely, he arrives at Redcliffe, but it’s likely after that. This is also a video game, so we probably shouldn’t take travel times too seriously. Nevertheless, it’s already a lot to happen in a very short period of time, even more so if we cut the time between Prologue and Ostagar out of the picture.

Furthermore, I think Loghain has to know about Connor, to deliberately choose an apostate mage as his infiltrator. This does not suggest a last-minute panic move, but a man who has spent time gathering intelligence on the man most likely to oppose him.

Uldred and the Circle

Uldred and Loghain have a deal.

We don't see it first hand, but we learn that in a meeting back at the Circle Tower after Ostagar, Uldred tells the other mages that if the Circle supports Loghain, he will ensure that they are given greater freedom. Wynne, however, shoots this down, calling Loghain a traitor. Tensions escalate until fighting breaks out, Uldred becomes possessed, and the rest is history.

Ostagar is in chaos after the battle. Uldred would be with the mages in the main force, and Loghain's contingent is retreating. It is very unlikely that Uldred and Loghain have any opportunity to speak after the battle. It makes far more sense that they speak before.

This may even be why Uldred personally makes the suggestion that a mage should light the beacon rather than the Grey Wardens, before his idea is shot down by a Revered Mother.

Howe and Highever

The attack on Castle Cousland is probably the strongest piece of evidence that Loghain's plans were in motion before Ostagar.

The timing of Howe’s coup in Highever cannot be a coincidence. Howe is an opportunist. He has resented Bryce Cousland for years, a resentment that the teyrn has no doubt tried to mitigate by offering Howe favor and friendship. But underneath all their supposed camaraderie, Howe still holds a lesser title, and feels he deserves what Bryce has.

But he has never acted on that resentment before now.

Howe would never have attacked the Couslands if he didn’t think he could get away with it. And why would he think that under King Cailan? The King’s response to a Cousland warden’s news is shock at Howe’s actions and a promise to bring him to justice after the battle—a promise that Cailan does not live to keep.

Howe knows that Cailan will be out of the way soon. He has to. And his support of Loghain is likely being rewarded with a promise to let him keep Highever.

It is also made explicitly clear in the Cousland prologue that Bryce is a very loyal supporter of King Cailan, and he is one of the most powerful men in Ferelden, the only one of a rank equal to Loghain—which gives Loghain a whole lot of incentive to have him out of the way, just like Eamon, if he’s planning a regime change.

Loghain’s Motives

So, if we accept that Loghain’s betrayal of Cailan was premeditated, what does that change about his motives?

Maybe less than you’d think. The truth is, everything about Cailan that might cause Loghain to make an on-the-spot decision at Ostagar, he already knows well before the battle. He knows that Cailan is a romantic, obsessed with heroic stories but with little experience actually leading an army. He knows that his daughter the queen handles most of the actual ruling of Ferelden. Though he does not seem to know about Cailan’s personal correspondences with Empress Celene (judging by his reactions if you take him along for Ostagar), he probably knows about Cailan’s affairs (because Anora knows), and he definitely knows that Cailan is getting a bit too friendly with Orlais for his comfort. The Wardens coming to Ferelden from Orlais has already raised his hackles well before the battle at Ostagar. The fact that Cailan has called upon Orlais for military aid is probably a bridge too far.

All this is to say that if Loghain is truly as unimpressed with Cailan’s rule and as concerned for Ferelden’s freedom as he seems to be… none of these concerns begin at Ostagar. This is not about one battle poorly handled. This has been building for quite some time, probably since Cailan's coronation if we're being honest. And as a seasoned military officer, I don’t believe that Loghain would wait until the last minute to make that decision. He would be looking at the potential outcomes (or what he fears would be the outcomes), not just of Ostagar, but of Cailan’s decisions and policies generally.

And when it all reached a tipping point, he would begin making a plan.

Whether he's wrong or right, whether Ferelden is in the kind of danger he believes, that I’m not here to argue today. I do think it’s possible to see it multiple ways. I think that given what we now know of Empress Celene from The Masked Empire, it’s safe to say she had no intention of trying to reconquer Ferelden through military force. I also think it’s safe to say that Loghain does not have the knowledge that we now have, and has no reason to trust her intentions. There is plenty that Loghain does later that I will not defend. But I do find his motives with regard to Ferelden’s independence, and his long personal stake in it, at the very least sympathetic, and certainly compelling with regard to his character arc overall.

We tend to be more lenient toward crimes of passion, actions taken in the heat of the moment, largely because the underlying assumption is that the person might not have acted rationally, perhaps would not have acted so had they not been so provoked, and might regret their actions immediately after. I do not think this describes Loghain; I also don’t think that changes a whole lot in his case, because he was always going to act when he felt that Ferelden was threatened, whether it was in the moment or through weeks or months of careful planning. He has invested too much, lost too much, for the sake of this nation. If he believes it is under threat, he is going to act.

And I think that all the evidence, as well as all that we know of Loghain himself, points to him acting with a plan.

#loghain mac tir #dragon age meta #dragon age origins #blunders of thedas

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storybookhawke · 4 months

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Canon-ish AU where Hawke is a vampire (sexy handers edition)

Hawke, a vampire but not a mage, doesn’t approach Anders for maps before Anders sets off to the chantry to rescue Karl. Instead, Hawke tracks the elusive warden down just as he starts fighting the waves of templars. He intervenes just in time, but Anders is gravely injured so he bites him to start the turning process to save his life (since lbr even with justice he wasn’t winning that fight against all those templars).

Anders wakes up in the early morning back at the clinic, with a strange man staring him down from across the room. The man introduces himself simply as Hawke, and explains that he rescued him from the templars who almost certainly would have killed him. Anders asks about the other man there, the tranquil man, and Hawke says it was too late to save him. He was only able to save Anders. It's devastating news to Anders, though in the back of his mind he knew he wasn't going to win, but at least he would have died beside Karl.

Now intertwined by fate, Anders learns exactly how Hawke saved him. He could have sworn he was on death's door! Hawke explains more of what it's like to be a vampire. Sunlight directly touching him will severely burn him, even killing them with prolonged exposure. But the clinic is in Darktown, and most of his life can still be conducted at night. Not to mention, Hawke has invited him on a trip to the Deep Roads, where sunlight never touches so their entire trip would be safe. He owes it to Hawke for saving his life, and he'll hopefully get some funds out of it too.

As vampires, they must drink blood. Hawke finds willing people easily in Kirkwall, but sometimes it's from unwilling victims too. He explains that some people will sell or trade their blood to him, but drinking too much too often will kill his sources. Vampire venom has a aphrodisiac effect on others, so they're so consumed by lust that they don't even notice they're being drained. The unwilling are at least consenting to the rest of it and have a good time. Hawke finds his meals where he can--though the older the vampire, the less they need to drink.

Anders doesn't love the idea of hurting innocents as a healer, so Hawke offers to look around for more people who would willingly sell him their blood. But in the meantime, Hawke says Anders can drink from him directly. Vampires drinking from other vampires doesn't taste as good nor satisfy as long, but it works. As previously warned, Hawke gets the aphrodisiac effect from Anders--flushed red, chest heaving, hard beneath the belt. Their eyes connect, and Anders feels it too, like it's contagious. He offers to help Hawke finish with his mouth, it's only polite, not that it's any chore since Anders finds him super attractive.

Now being available during the same hours, Anders accompanies Hawke about on his business. He learns that Hawke is over a hundred years old, lived all across Ferelden but most recently in Lothering, and escaped the Blight just as many others have. Anders learns about vampire culture, which of course varies depending on the region that the vampire is from, and how vampires don't tend to turn many because of territorial issues. Too many vampires gallivanting around Thedas would eventually spiral out of control, especially with the blood ecosystem, so the remaining vampires tend to only turn their lovers if necessary.

#vampire au #hawke #handers #anders #mhawke #m!handers #da2 #sbh #sbh writes #sorta not really but kinda

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squirrelwithatophat · 2 years

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Did you know that there are whipping posts in the Kirkwall Gallows?

They’re rather easy for players to miss. You can see them in the background during The Last Straw (Act 3), and as early as Act 1 (and continuing into Act 2), Circle mages can be heard complaining, “Don’t talk to me. The templars will give me thirty lashes if they see me speaking to a civilian.” During the quest A Noble Agenda (Act 3), a woman reports seeing a mage cousin “whipped, half-starving” while pleading for mercy from a literal “death squad.”

In-universe, however, the whippings in the Gallows appear to be common knowledge. During Repentance (Act 2), we can see a whipping post (the exact same model observed in the Gallows later on) being used for sexual roleplay in the Harimann Estate in Hightown.

Lord Harimann: Now, you be the naughty apprentice, and I’ll be the Templar torturer.

It’s Played For Laughs here of course, but it really says something that citizens of Kirkwall know about Templar abuses in the Gallows and just how awful conditions are there — including the use of whipping posts. This isn’t even the only instance in the game of random NPCs referring to the severity of the repression and the rampant cruelty.

For example…

During The Destruction of Lothering (Prologue):

Hawke: I heard someone call this fortress the Gallows. Is it a prison?

Guardsman Wright: Used to be, back in the Imperial days. They kept slaves here until the rebellion. Now the templars run it and use it to lock up their mages. Guess not much has changed.

Outside Lirene’s shop, during Tranquility (Act 1):

Refugee: Hey! We heard you in there. Asking about the healer. We know what happens to mages in this town. And it ain't gonna happen to him.

Speaking to the sister of a Templar during Enemies Among Us (Act 1):

Macha: Keran was always so devout, so idealistic. He was so proud when the templars accepted him. I pleaded with him not to join the Order, but he wouldn't listen. You hear dark rumors about the templars and Knight-Commander Meredith. And now my brother is gone.

Hawke: (“Are templars so bad here?”) In Lothering, some templars died protecting villagers. I never heard any dark rumors.

Macha: And those are the stories my Keran adored. But it is not like that here, serah. There is a growing darkness in the order. They prowl the streets in packs. Hunting. And now, they say their duties put them above us, that they have the right to... take people from their homes. It is frightening.

Hawke: (“Tell me about Meredith”) What do people say about Knight-Commander Meredith?

Macha: Oh, she has many admirers. They laud the service she does in keeping the mages in check. But others say she is terribly fierce and utterly without pity. That she sees demons everywhere. It is dangerous even to whisper such things.

During Wayward Son (Act 1):

Feynriel: Look, I know it's different in other kingdoms, but here... no one helps Circle mages. Anything the templars don't like, you get the brand.

During Underground Railroad (Act 2):

Hawke: Helping apostates is dangerous. If the templars caught you...

Mistress Selby: One of my sisters is a mage. A gentle child, so generous. She was made Tranquil last year. Templars claimed she was a danger. Now... it's like she's not there. That shouldn't be forced on anyone.

In Sundermount (Act 3), if Feynriel escapes to Tevinter:

Arianni: I hear the templars have grown more abusive of the mages in Kirkwall. I'm glad Feynriel is no longer subject to their whims.

By the Docks, any Act:

Unnamed Woman: I feel sorry for the mages sometimes, you know? What a terrible thing, to be used by everyone.

Knight-Captain Cullen even admits that the common folk suspect them and have become hostile towards the Templars. There’s this exchange in Act 1:

Hawke: The templars defend us all.

Cullen: That's a surprisingly unpopular viewpoint. It used to be that templars were welcomed wherever they went—for defending people from dark magics. Now the townsfolk are as likely to slam their doors as offer us a bed. The image of the poor, chained apprentice is a powerful one. And one the mages are more than willing to exploit.

Then there’s the codex for the Mage Underground (available in Dissent, Act 2), written by Cullen:

Every Circle in Thedas suffers from individual mages who rebel and attempt to flee… Until now, I have never served anywhere that the populace does not fully cooperate in hunting these rebels. Here in Kirkwall, citizens actually help rebel mages escape.

In World of Thedas vol. 2 (p. 173), from a note dated 9:25 (set between Acts 2-3) from a mage of the Hossberg Circle in the far away Anderfels:

I have heard that in the Kirkwall Gallows, mages are locked in their cells with barely room to stretch, let alone exercise. I can promise you that any mage of the Anderfels would be stark raving mad after a week of such treatment... No wonder Kirkwall has such trouble with blood mages.

Even relative newcomers recognize the situation right away. For example, when speaking to Grand Cleric Elthina in the Chantry (Act 1):

Hawke: Why are Circle mages here kept in a Tevinter prison?

Elthina: Ah. So soon you take an interest in our problems. The short answer is, it was a building. A large one. Should it have sat empty? The Chantry found a use for what was once a horror. It is the nature of men to move on and forget the past. Even your Blight will be a distant memory in our lifetimes.

Isabela: “Once a horror?” Yes, I'm sure it's filled with flowers and sunshine and happiness now.

Even Fenris, who supports Meredith’s policies, immediately notices (first entry into the Gallows, Act 1 or 2):

Fenris: I've... heard about the Circle of Magi outside of the Imperium, but I've never been in one. This seems more like a prison. I wonder if it's more effective than the Circle I know.

Given all this, it’s hard to believe that the people in power in Kirkwall don’t know (or at the very least suspect) what’s going on — more likely, they simply just don’t care.

Or perhaps they think it’s acceptable. As Cassandra says of the Seekers of Truth in Inquisition, “We knew what was happening at Kirkwall, where the mage rebellion began. We looked into reports of Knight-Commander Meredith’s harsh treatment of her charges years earlier. But we found so many shocking cases of magical corruption, it was decided her actions were justified.”

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heroofshield · 5 months

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Whumpcember Day 10- Freezing (Dragon Age 2 FemHawke & Varric)

Takes place during Act 1 before the mission in the Deep Roads.

@whumpcember

Growing up in Ferelden, Marian Hawke had experienced her share of cold; especially in Lothering where during the winters the snow could pile up almost to the roof. Escaping to Kirkwall, she'd thought that the winters would be somewhat milder since the city was by the Waking Sea.

She was wrong.

"Maker, this wind is brutal." Marian groused as a gust of wind whistled through the streets, drawing the shawl she had closer around her. "How do you deal with it?"

"Layers. Lots of layer and furs if you can afford it." Varric replied, dodging a pile of near frozen horse droppings. "This isn't even the coldest it's gotten. I remember ten years ago when the harbor froze nearly two miles out. Ice was so thick that you could walk on it no worries. Another time there was a blizzard so bad that it took the city the rest of the winter to dig out."

Marian let out a groan, "Don't say such things, Varric. You're just going to jinx it."

Turning the corner and seeing the entrance to The Hanged Man, Varric just smiled, "It's your second winter in the city, you should be used to it by now."

Marian sighed as they walked into the tavern and the warmth surrounded her like a welcome embrace. Flexing her near frozen fingers, she threaded her way through the crowd towards the stairs and Varric's suite of rooms. Standing in front of the fireplace, she felt her muscles start to warm up and relax. "I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

They needed money for firewood.

The winter had been usually cold, at least that was according to those who'd grown up in the city, and they'd had to spend more than usual to keep Gamlen's house heated. So if Marian wouldn't have to dip into the funds she'd been setting aside for Varric's expedition, she needed to take a few jobs. Her reputation working for the smugglers meant that those that knew were approaching her with 'job opportunities' since she knew the best routes in and out of the city to avoid detection. And while Marian knew those guaranteed a payout, she was trying to find more legitimate jobs.

"But those are few and far between. Not everyone wants to work with a Ferelden still." Marian thought as she stared at the household accounts. She'd promised Bethany that she'd take care of Leandra and Carver, and over the past few years she'd realized that that meant she'd have to do things that her younger sister might not have approved of.

"Guess that it's the smuggling jobs until something else comes along." Marian thought as she memorized the details of the job that would get them the coin they needed to get them the firewood that they needed plus some in case the winter decided to stretch itself out.

Hawke was missing.

She'd asked Varric if he was up for a quick smuggling job, but he'd replied that he was knees deep in his latest novel and didn't want to stop mid-stream; if he did then who knows if he'd ever finish the draft before his editor started sending daily letters asking where it was.

Hawke had just let out a laugh and said she better get to read it first before he sent it off before bounding down the stairs towards the main floor of the tavern, calling over her shoulder that she'd be back the next day.

"That was yesterday and normally she'd at least stop by to see if she could get a few free drinks from me in exchange for telling me about it for my next serial." Varric thought as he idly tapped the end of his quill against the paper. "She could just be resting at Gamlen's, it snowed pretty awful last night; had to make the mountain pass difficult to get through."

But the feeling in his gut told Varric that something wasn't right.

So he cleaned up his drafts and hightailed it to see Carver, and somewhat discreetly see if Hawke wasn't just sleeping it off, but she wasn't at home so her brother agreed to help look for her. Then it was to the City Centre and the guard's quarters to ask Aveline if she'd seen the quick witted warrior. She hadn't either and reluctantly agreed to join their small party to go hunt down the woman. One last stop in Darktown for Blondie just in case they needed a healer and they were on their way.

In the interest of time, and hoping that Aveline would ignore the fact that they were traveling through smuggling tunnels, Varric decided to use the Merchant's Guild route he knew would get the to the highlands the quickest. Stepping out into the snow covered pass, the cold air slapped Varric's face and he wished he'd brought his fur lined jacket. "Or at the least my shirt that closes all the way up." he thought, trying to suppress a shiver.

Glad for the snowshoes so he wasn't head deep in the snow, Varric called out Hawke's name as loud as he dared without causing an avalanche, "Hawke!"

"If she's unconscious she won't hear us." Aveline said, drawing her cloak tighter around her.

Varric chose to ignore the statement and continued trudging forwards, "Hawke, you out here!?"

"Marian!" Carver called out, narrowing his eyes against the brightness of the snow.

"Hawke! You still owe for those fines last month!" Aveline called out, knowing that if the woman could hear her then she'd protest. But silence greeted them.

"Search the ground for any signs of footprints, there would not be many traveling through here this time of year." Fenris said, starting to scout ahead of the small party.

They fell silent after that, spread out and focused on the ground-hoping for some sign that Hawke was still alive.

After what felt like an eternity, Carver let out a whistle to draw everyone's attention and they made their way towards him. "Look, footprints." He pointed to the ground where an indentation could just be seen. "Looks like they go off in this direction."

Varric looked in the direction that Carver indicated and in the fading sun could just make out the outline of a cave. "Even if it's not her, we need to find shelter soon. Otherwise we'll be icicles when they find us."

"Maybe who ever made the footprints is still in there and can tell us what happened." Aveline said, unslinging her shield from her back and making sure that her sword wasn't hindered by her cloak.

Anders nodded in agreement and readied his staff while Varric got Biance out and Carver made sure that his sword was ready as well.

Inside the cave it was a touch warmer than outside, but not by much. Their breath still created white clouds in the air and Anders created some mage lights so they could see.

What Varric wasn't expecting was for Marian Hawke to be illuminated by said lights; propped up against the cave wall, eyes closed and slumped over herself.

"Maker's kickers." he cursed as Carver sheathed his sword and made a beeline towards his sister. "Blondie, you're up."

Anders nodded, setting his staff against the wall and kneeling opposite of Carver.

Marian was freezing. The snow had been heavier than she'd expected it to be and that had caused all sorts of problems until she'd realized that she'd be stuck in the mountains without any supplies to get her through the cold night. It had been luck that she'd found the cave and had hoped that Carver or someone would miss her enough to come looking.

Feeling warm for the first time since setting out, she opened her eyes expecting to be greeted to the damp of the cave-not the whitewashed walls of a room in Ander's clinic. Confused, she tried to sit up and discovered that she was nearly being held down by multiple blankets.

"You gave us quite a scare."

Marian looked over to see Varric in the doorway, a bowl of something in his hands. "Oh?" she asked in a rough voice. Clearing it, she tried again, "Did I get bitten by wolves and almost turn into a warewolf?"

"Not as dramatic. Nearly became a human icicle though." Varric carefully set the bowl of hot soup on the small nightstand by the cot. "Good thing we brought Blondie along, he said that a few more hours and it would have been off to see the Maker for you."

Marian carefully pushed back the blankets so she could sit up and brushed the stray hairs out of her vision, "At least you missed me enough to go looking for me."

"Y'know Chuckles, if you needed the coin I would've let you borrow it. Didn't have to be so dramatic and nearly freeze to death."

Marian huffed in amusement, "You know me, I have to make a statement. Besides, we'd just gotten out of the smuggling guild-what makes you think I wanted to go into debt right after that?"

"Could've called it an advance on our delving findings." Varric shrugged, knowing that the casual way they were talking was the way they communicated; through jokes and playing it off like it was no big deal. "Unlike the Merchant's Guild I have reasonable terms. At least you wouldn't lose a limb if you couldn't pay it back."

At that Marian let out a laugh and knew the words that they weren't saying. "At that, how can I say no?"

"Just promise next time you decided on a 'quick job' you at least take two other people."

"I promise to cut other people next time."

"Good. Now drink your soup so I can go back to my writing."

#whumpcember2023 #dragon age #da2 #marian hawke #varric tethras #fanfic #my writing

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lavenderstobins · 13 days

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who's who in the dragon age au?????

Bear with, this might get long, so I’ll try and break it down by game.

Dragon Age: Origins

Chrissy is the Warden / the Hero of Ferelden, recruited by senior Grey Warden Ser Robert Buckley. I haven’t yet decided her class. Jason had been one of the recruits too but he either didn’t survive the Joining or was killed when trying to back out of it.

Jeff is the other Grey Warden, essentially filling Alistair’s role. Haven’t yet decided whether to incorporate more of Alistair’s plot for him yet! He’s a warrior.

Eddie and Wayne live in the Wilds. Eddie fills Morrigan’s role initially, with Wayne able to save Chrissy and Jeff at Ostagar—not as Flemeth, but as a passerby. Eddie’s a mage!

Nancy fills Leliana’s role. She’s a former chantry sister and a bard. She and Mike are fleeing from Lothering when they meet the trio. Nancy’s a rogue, Mike is a warrior.

Freak joins them at Redcliffe, where Jeff was raised. I’m thinking Freak is a warrior.

Gareth is a Crow (assassin) sent by Brenner to take out Chrissy. Nancy takes him out with ease and he offers to join them on their journey. He’s a rogue.

Barb also lived in Lothering, but she died in the darkspawn attack. She’d been a chantry sister same as Nancy.

Chrissy makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to end the Blight, leaving Jeff as the only Ferelden Grey Warden. He’s the one who goes to find the cure. The group separate after Chrissy’s death, which brings us to:

Dragon Age 2

Steve and Robin are both simultaneously Varric and Hawke. Steve finds his passion in storytelling and writes about their adventures and Robin ends up with the title Champion of Kirkwall. Steve’s the one with the family estate, Robin’s the one with the blood connection to seal away Henry Creel.

Vickie fills the role of the surviving twin, having escaped Lothering with Robin back when the Blight broke out. She contracts the Taint during the Deep Roads expedition and is saved by Jeff and recruited to be a Grey Warden.

Tommy and Carol fill Bartrand’s role, being behind the Deep Roads expedition. Tommy finds the lyrium idol and it eventually drives him mad, which prompts Carol to seek Steve and Robin out years later (after she and Tommy had abandoned them in the Deep Roads prior).

The Byers run the Darktown clinic. Will’s the apostate healer, with Jonathan and Joyce running the clinic with him and keeping him secret.

Max stole a Qunari relic and is trapped in Kirkwall, just like Isabela.

Lucas and Erica are two rogues who live in Kirkwall, friends with the Byers. Dustin’s also friends with them and has far too much of an interest in runes and magic despite not being a mage.

El’s a former circle mage, now apostate, who escaped the circle with the help of a Templar named Benny. Lucas, Erica, Dustin and El imprint on Steve and Robin like ducklings; I think they’d be getting into trouble in the city and Steve & Robin would intervene once and they’d immediately latch on.

Billy would be Meredith I think, I haven’t thought too much about it. I also don’t have anyone specifically behind the chantry incident at the end of the game yet.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Nancy’s a nightingale now, still filling Leliana’s role.

Eddie’s the Inquisitor rather than Morrigan, having been at the wrong place at the wrong time. He has the rift anchor in his hand.

Steve, Dustin, Lucas, Erica, Max, El, Jonathan and Joyce come to Skyhold once Skyhold is established. Steve claims to have no clue of Robin’s whereabouts, intending to keep her safe.

Hopper I think would have Cullen’s role, being a templar and an advisor. The other advisors are Mr Clarke, Nancy and Murray.

Briefly mentioned prior, I’ve got Henry Creel/Vecna as Corypheus. Robin’s father (Ser Robert Buckley) sealed him away years ago and Steve & Robin accidentally unleashed him while ironically trying to prevent his release.

Argyle is the potions master. I think Jonathan would become the stable master.

Vickie reappears as the Grey Warden contact for Here Lies the Abyss.

They don’t all fit the characters 1:1, more their roles in the plot, and as you can tell there’s a lot of overall changes! It’s SO fun though I’m having a blast

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audacityinblack · 5 months

Text

Day 4: Bodies and Minds

All Your Imperfections, Part 2 - Albine

Summary: Zevran explores Albine's scars, and Albine explores some interesting parts of Zevran.

🔞(NSFW)🔞

Content warning: Light and fluffy smut, impact play

----

"This one," she pointed at a slightly diamond-shaped scar on her left breast, "came from an arrow I took to the chest at Ostagar. Thank the Maker it missed my vitals." Zevran examined the scar with interest, sucking his teeth softly. "That must have hurt." He exhaled heavily on the H, pressing it out of his throat as if for emphasis, though truly more just to remind himself to voice it fully. "But yes, I am quite glad you made it out alive." As promised, he lowered his head to press his lips against the scar.

Albine's blush flooded all the way down to her chest as she stroked her elven lover's hair. "Didn't hurt too much, actually. I went unconscious right after and woke up two days later in Morrigan's hut."

He chuckled softly as he pulled his mouth from her skin, searching over the rest of her body for more scars. "And this one?" he pointed to a long, raised scar running down from the root of her neck across her collarbone, toward her right shoulder.

"Bandit in Lothering. Bastard showed up out of nowhere and got right up in my blood circle with his knife. Was trying to slit my throat but I moved just right, made him hit my collar instead." Her eyes fell halfway shut as her hand moved onto his back.

"Mmm." Zevran gently traced the line of the scar with his tongue. "Did you kill him?" He moved back to the start of the scar and stamped kisses along its length, feathering his lips against her skin between each one.

Albine nodded as little pinpricks of warmth sprang up from where his lips and tongue had touched. "Yeah. Gave him the chance to escape with his life, he decided to use it to try to stab me in the back. Wasn't going to give him another chance, so I iced him." She pressed her lips against the top of Zevran's head, laced with a gentle breath of cold.

He shivered in her arms with a soft "brr" sound, as if he was the one being frozen. "Ah, my fearsomely beautiful ice queen," he growled into her neck, before slipping into a silky purr. "Who could have guessed that you would be so warm?" He planted another kiss right at the top of her breastbone as he wrapped himself around her generous form. "And soft..." He nestled his cheek between her breasts and drew in a deep breath of her scent, sighing softly. "I have not mentioned how much I adore your body lately, have I?" He slid his hands around the sides of her breasts and pressed them against his face, nuzzling them.

"Not since about five minutes ago," said Albine, closing her eyes and lazily rubbing the assassin's back as she basked in his tender attentions.

Zevran tsked with disappointment. "I have been slacking. How shameful of me! You are due so much more than I have given." Subtly, he shifted a knee under him to raise his backside. "I think I may need to be reminded of my place."

Having already guessed her cue, Albine pulled back her hand and smacked his firm, toned ass. She didn't quite understand the purpose of it, but she did like the way every muscle in his body tensed up when she delivered the blow, and the little hissing gasp of pleasure he let out. That slap quickly turned into an affectionate rub along the curve of his stinging buttock, with a bit of cool air to soothe it. "N-no, no, please," Zevran protested, gently swaying his hips. "Let it linger. Do it again, in fact. I--Aii!" The sound that came out of him could only be described as a squeal.

Her next blow was delivered slightly harder, and this time allowed to burn with no relief. "Like that?" she asked, only half-curiously. She already knew what his answer would be.

He caught his breath as the stars left his eyes, and buried another moan in her breasts. "S-si, querida..." he answered shakily. "Please do not be afraid to cause me a bit of pain. It makes the pleasure all the sweeter--Aaahaha, yes!" His gasp of shock broke into a heady laugh of pure euphoria, and his arousal brushed against Albine's inner thigh as he buried tears of exhilaration in her neck. "Oh, bellissima, you are a delight to all my senses." He pulled her into an embrace and rode out the wave of laughter.

Albine chuckled fondly and held her lover close, taking in the smell of his sweat from his hair. "I like the noises you make when I do it." She planted a kiss on his brow between sentences. "And when you jump, and when that band of muscle right under your thigh tightens up..."

"Creator..." he murmured under hot breath. "You truly have a way with words..." He gripped the handle of her waist and shifted his posture so his thighs were splayed around hers and his cock rested between them. "We all have our quirks," said Albine, with the low, sultry tone she'd been practicing for him. She reached for his backside again, but only to stroke the inside of his thigh. "Like you having a sweet spot just inside here."

Despite all his years of learning to master his own urges, Zevran struggled to maintain what composure he had left. But his querida liked his noises, and he did very much enjoy making them. There were twitches of desire everywhere - his cock, his toes, his fingertips, his tongue, his lips.

"And you being a wonderfully quick learner..." he sighed between heavy breaths. "If your goal is to turn me into a quivering mass of adoration, you are well on the way."

"Zevrán," said Albine, carefully adding the proper accent as she stroked his hair. "Shhh."

His name in her voice, that soft shushing from her lips, her fingers in his hair - he could not help but bury his face in her belly and moan.

"Si, querida..."

#zevwarden week 2023 #zevran #zevran x f!warden #zevwarden

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ltleflrt · 4 months

Text

Ltleflrt's Writing Year In Review

Not a lot of writing got done this year, but considering the level of burnout I've been experiencing in the last 3-5 years, I'm very happy with what I've gotten done :)

Total 2023 Wordcount: 67,799

Total 2023 Kudos: 247

Total 2023 Hits: 2,734

My 2023 Fics:

Peace: 18,643 (WIP)

Fenris didn't have much reason to smile and laugh in his life, until he came to Kirkwall and Hawke gives him a reason to. Fenris doesn't want to disrupt the fragile sense of peace he's found by putting his heart in the hands of another mage, but Hawke's flirting and kindness are difficult to resist.

This is a rewrite of my very first fic Peace Begins With A Smile, and technically most of the wordcount is from there. But I've got many more chapters written than posted, and I know for a fact that I added AT LEAST 10k words to the original story, so I'm keeping that posted wordcount for this year's stats :D

Peace began as a writing exercise, just to keep my creative muscles from atrophying. I had replayed DA2 early in the year, and fell down the Fenhawke rabbit hole again, and it made me want to re-read my own story. I hadn't read it in like 10 years, so it was very eye opening to see just how much I've improved and how much my writing style has developed in that time. I wanted to rewrite it with my new skills, and wow it's a BIG difference.

Reaching Out: 22,825 (WIP)

Everyone knew Malcolm Hawke was a good man. A hero in the eyes of his wife and children, and a respected pillar of the community. At least until rumors of magic started to circulate, and he had to move his family in order to protect them. He'd do anything to keep his family safe, a responsibility he passes on to his eldest son when illness takes him away. Mal Hawke not only bears his father's name, but also the weight of his father's legacy. Everyone, including himself, expects him to step into his father's role, to pick up those responsibilities and carry them with the same steadfast strength. An expectation that is tested when the Blight hits Lothering, and is strained to a breaking point by the lawless and chaotic City of Kirkwall.

This is my biggest 2023 project, all original words. Once again, DA2 infested my brain, and I got an idea for a new version of Hawke that has me really excited. Plus, I have always wanted to write a Fenhanders fic, so this is going to be it! I got stuck, and have been distracted by BG3, but I still have big plans for this fic. (SO big, omg this story is going to be so long lol)

Something to Hold: 14,733

He did not hear the telltale clank of Templar armor behind him. It was probably a local. All Anders needed to do was act as if he were a simple traveler passing through. Nothing remarkable. Nothing worth mentioning to any searching Templars who might follow. Don’t run, act natural, don’t run, act natural, he thought firmly as he forced himself to keep an even pace. The only sign he gave that he recognized he was no longer alone on the road was to move to the edge to give the approaching stranger space to pass him. His heart beat like bird wings against the cage of his ribs as the sound of horse hooves and cart wheels grew closer. His fingers began to tingle with magic, and he curled them inward to hide any wayward sparks. Anders tried to keep his shoulders loose instead of tucked up tense around his ears. When the wagon drew up alongside him, Anders kept his eyes forward and prayed to the Maker that the stranger would ignore him. As was the case with most of his prayers, the Maker didn’t listen. On one of his many escape attempts Anders meets the Hawke family. And forms a special connection with the eldest son.

This was an excuse to write porn lol

I love "what if they met before canon" fics, and I decided to write one of my own. It turned out longer than I thought it would (shock!), and planted the seed for Reaching Out. It can stand alone, but I'm treating it as a prequel :D

Bathed in Starlight: 3,336

“You should have brought a torch,” Gethin scolds lightly as he comes to a stop next to Astarion’s discarded armor and clothing. It’s folded neatly, the armor stacked methodically. Astarion affects an air of carelessness, but he keeps his few belongings tidy and organized. Gethin suspects it’s his way of exerting a modicum of control over his life. “Or stayed closer to camp.” Astarion flashes a fanged smile at Gethin over his shoulder, seemingly unsurprised at his presence. “You know how much I enjoy a nip of danger, darling.” When Gethin’s lips tighten with disapproval, Astarion’s smile droops into a pout and he sighs dramatically. “There was nothing to worry about, was there? Here you are, with enough light for both of us.”

OMG a new fandom! *excited bounce*

I picked up Baldur's Gate 3 on launch day because the bear sex scene in the trailer hooked my interest (yes, I'm a closet furry), and the game has taken over my life. I did not expect to fall in love so hard, with the characters, the story, the gameplay, with my OCs, and one particular elf. But here we are, and I'm gonna fic about it.

This is just a canon conversation that I needed to write from the POV of my Dark Urge OC. Nothing special about it. And of course it had to include bathing. If I never wrote anything else for BG3, I needed to make sure I added my signature to the fandom :D

The Sun, The Moon, and The Night: 8,262 (WIP)

Caelnir and Kestrel are half brothers who were swept up by the mindflayer nautiloid at the same time. When they crash back to Faerun, they meet a pale elf who manages to snare both of them with his charms.

This is the bastard that has distracted me from my other WIPs. Yeah, yeah, I'm mad about it too, but I'm also gonna keep writing it lol

I don't normally create OCs. Like, there's Gabe Hawke and JM Shepard, but they've got more of a canon framework than most RPG playable characters. I have no emotional connections to any of my Dragon Age wardens, and the one inquisitor I care about has just the baaaarest hint of backstory. I can't even think of OCs I've created for other RPGs, because I don't care.

But oh boy, I care about Kestrel and Caelnir. A lot. Mostly because I created them with the same face shape, and I thought it would be funny if I somehow made them brothers even though one is a high elf, and the other is a drow. But they're half elves. What if their mom was just a slutty slutty human who traveled a lot? BOOM. The boys came to life, and now I'm writing fic. And since they both romanced the same character in the game, it's a poly fic. I love the challenge of poly fics, and I also hate the challenge, WHY AM I DOING THIS TO MYSELF??

Oh yeah, because Astarion is my blorbo, my boys are precious and special, and I'm the self insert slutty slutty human mom ;D

My writing in 2023 has been nothing like previous years. The fics I've written have gotten very little attention compared to what I'm used to, even going back to my very early days of posting, but I'm having fun and I've got a few friends who are intensely interested in the stuff I'm creating. I'm just happy to be writing!

My plans for 2024 are to keep plunking away at the WIPs in this post. I don't see myself going back to any of my Destiel WIPs, posted or otherwise, any time soon. I think my brain needs a break from the Winchesters for now.

(Of course, there's a shitload of Winchester Inspiration in some of my new OCs, but like...they don't have American accents, so they're TOTALLY DIFFERENT PEOPLE LOL)

Anyway, Happy New Year! Here's to many more fics, both written and read, in our future! 🍾🎆🥂

Previous Years

#ltleramblings #year in review #2023 year in review #oops i ficced #long post

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shivunin · 1 year

Note

more kissing prompts?! fenhawke - an abrupt kiss that you melt into after a moment of hesitation 😌

Always kissing prompts!! It's my favorite prompt list to date c: Thank you, by the way! And here you are:

Poppy Red

(Maria Hawke/Fenris | 1,273 Words | No warnings) Hawke and Fenris's first date

It should not be odd to see Fenris on her doorstep.

He’d stood right there a hundred times—or perhaps a thousand was more accurate—and the paint on the door bore marks from his gauntlet. She was fairly certain at least some of the graffiti on the kitchen table had been carved by the same gauntlet on some drunken night with all her friends in attendance, and he’d certainly spent the night in her bedroom.

So—yes, he’d been to the manor before. But he’d never come for the express purpose of wooing her before, and that made it all feel new again.

“Hello,” Hawke said, a little breathless, and Fenris stared at her through his hair.

“Ah,” she said after a moment, stepping to the side to swing the door open, “Come in. I’ve sent the others away for the evening so we could have some…well. Dinner should be simple enough to serve, as long as you don’t mind the humility of the offering. It’s been some time since I’ve had to cook.”

She was babbling. Stupid old habit. Maria closed her mouth tight, pursing her lips while he went on looking at her.

“Should I…” she began, but Fenris shook himself at last and stepped inside, carefully wiping his feet on the mat and producing a fistful of flowers from behind his back.

They were red; he’d brought her flowers in her favorite color.

“Oh,” Hawke said, clasping her hands to her chest and rocking up onto the balls of her feet, “Are those…did you bring me flowers, Fenris?”

“I—yes,” he said, his voice rough, and thrust the posy in her direction.

The tips of his ears were...positively red, nearly as red as the flowers in his hands. Hawke felt a sweet little thrill in her heart and took a step closer.

“They’re beautiful,” she said emphatically, taking them from him and burying her face in broad, flat-petaled flowers, “But—poppies? Wherever did you get poppies in Kirkwall?”

“There is a garden behind the manor,” he said, shifting his feet back and forth uneasily, “I…do not visit it often, and it is overgrown. I had thought—but do you like them?”

“I love them!” she said, clasping the stems in both hands, “I didn’t think that you—but they’re lovely; of course I adore them. Thank you, Fenris. Truly.”

“It seemed…fitting,” he said, smiling faintly before ducking his head, “Ah—you mentioned a dinner?”

“Oh!” Hawke said, turning on her heel and heading for the kitchen, “Yes. I made a stew—I’m afraid anything much more complicated is beyond me. Is that alright?”

“It is more than I would have had at the manor,” he said, following her on near-silent feet.

The kitchen was her second-favorite room in the manor after the library. Something about its dark rafters and its broad fireplace reminded her of the kitchen in Lothering all those years ago. The smells of the herb bundles hanging from the ceiling added to the feeling and she took a deep breath of them now, the bittersweet notes of poppy mixing with the sharper smells of rosemary and dill. Fenris hovered in the doorway while she retrieved a jar, filled it with water, and arranged the flowers inside.

He’d brought her flowers.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Hawke asked, and glanced up to find that his eyes were fixed on her in that intense way he sometimes had.

“What?” she asked, hands stilling on the stems, “Is something wrong?”

“No!” Fenris barked, and when he shook his head a lock of pale hair drifted over it, “No, I—you…you look…lovely this evening.”

Hawke looked down at herself. She’d worn a dress just in case, but stew had been more difficult than she’d recalled. There were streaks of flour about her waist, and she’d run out of time to do her hair. It was gathered loosely in a leather cord now, several shorter pieces in the front escaping the queue along her back.

Well, she’d thought despairingly when he’d knocked on the door, he’s seen me with brains in my hair and my intestines on the floor, surely a bit of flour can’t scare him off now.

It appeared that she’d been correct.

“Thank you,” she said, “And…you as well. You look...nice.”

Fenris was wearing the same thing he always wore, but he, too, looked down at it as if he’d never seen his clothing before. Not…not her best work, she had to admit; surely there’d been something else to compliment him on.

It was just—well. He was always so handsome; she really didn’t think other clothes would have made a significant difference. It still would have been Fenris wearing them, so he would have looked lovely regardless.

Rats—maybe she should have said that to him.

“...Thank you,” he said after a moment.

“Can you get the bowls?” Hawke asked brightly, still shaking her head at herself inwardly.

Why was this suddenly so hard? There were few people she knew better than Fenris, and she thought the same might be true of him. They’d known each other for six years now, had been through just about every horror known to Thedas together, and they certainly didn’t run short on passion if the night before last had been any indication.

What if that’s all this is? She wondered as she stirred the pot of stew, What if it will be too awkward to try for more than lovemaking? What if he doesn’t want more? She’d thought—but maybe she’d been wrong.

Hawke knew a lot about being wrong.

Before she could wander further down this unfortunate path of thought, a pair of hands caught her shoulders and spun her around. She barely had a moment to take in Fenris’s faintly desperate expression before he was kissing her, his lips hard on hers, his hands gripping her shoulders.

It wasn’t a great kiss. If she was being honest, it wasn’t even a good kiss. But after the initial shock, Hawke melted into it as if it was the best one she’d ever had. Fenris matched her, his shoulders loosening slightly, his lips softening as they moved over hers. The kiss had been hard to begin with, but it sweetened now, as Hawke angled her head and deepened the contact softly.

At last, Fenris pulled back with a sigh, his hands stroking over her shoulders once more before falling away.

“There,” he said quietly, “I thought I’d forgotten something. Is that…better?”

“Worlds better,” Maria said, beaming at him, and leaned forward to kiss him again. It was even easier this time, and he caught her hip when she would have stepped away again.

“Thank you,” Fenris said solemnly; for a moment, she thought he might be thanking her for the kiss, but he went on, “For welcoming me into your home.”

There was a weight to the words that she couldn’t quite place; some double meaning she would need to puzzle over later. For now, though, Maria shrugged and reached past him to take the bowls from the table.

“You’re welcome anytime you please,” she said, and handed him a full bowl, “Though I can’t say I’m especially gregarious in the mornings.”

“Yes,” Fenris said dryly, handing her the second bowl, “I noticed.”

They smiled at each other for a moment before he let go, both caught in memories of yesterday morning, but at last Hawke turned away again to serve herself dinner.

No—this wasn’t so bad after all. They would figure it out.

We are, she thought as he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped an arm around her waist, figuring things out quite nicely.

#fenris #fenris dragon age #maria hawke #fenhawke #fenris x hawke #da2 #da fanfic #my writing #finished halfway and then i had to go make dinner! but here it is #thank you so much for the prompt <3 I love writing these two #I feel like they have so much history and so many layers of thoughts and feelings for each other #it would be such an difficult shift to build a relationship on all that after everything #difficult but lovely of course c:#shivunin scrivening

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mxanigel · 5 months

Text

Gloria 'Ria' Hawke exists thanks to a gift exchange last winter which gave me glorious (pun intended) Hawke/Loghain brainrot. I fell so hard for this Hawke that I started a Dragon Age 2 playthrough to get to know her better.

But I wouldn't have been able to embark on this journey without @judithmactir's incredible prompts as inspiration. <3 The resulting fic depicts highlights across a decade of Ria's life from before Dragon Age 2 to during Inquisition.

Like a fire in my blood

Rating: T Word count: 2,358 [complete] Relationship: Female Hawke/Loghain Mac Tir Tags: POV Hawke, Blue Hawke, though she becomes less blue post-DA2, First Kiss, Implied/Referenced Grief, Romance, Age Difference

Warrior Gloria 'Ria' Hawke never asked for a lot of things thrown at her in this life. She doesn't like most of them. But meeting Loghain Mac Tir is one of the few for which she's grateful. And for the kinship with him that eventually becomes something more.

Lothering, 9:30 Dragon

Gloria. What were her parents thinking when they chose that for her? It was too fanciful compared to perfectly serviceable names like Bethany or even Carver. ‘Ria’ fit much better.

So of course Carver called her ‘Gloria’ anytime he found himself losing one of their sparring matches. It wasn’t her fault she could shield bash better than him.

But something felt different this time. More than bitterness laced his tone as he lashed out at her. Perhaps the rumors of a threat to their south—one unrelated to Orlais—had him on edge. Worse than usual, that is.

Thanks to an afternoon downpour preventing escape to the woods, Ria ends up seeking solace among the bookshelves in the Chantry. But not in the boring section where the sisters lurked, with their constant murmurings of Chant of Light this and Andraste that. No, in the realm of stories, stories that actually happened, stories of past Ages and battles and dragons.

Something about her argument with her brother drives her to a well-worn tome, the page edges wrinkled by the passage of time and touch of many fingers. Mostly her own. This book covers the tale of Loghain Mac Tir’s rise from humble birth as a farmer’s son to the Hero of River Dane, a trajectory that drove her swordplay, a trajectory she occasionally wishes she could follow—

“Ria. Knew I’d find you here.”

She glances up. Mud from their own battle still smears Carver’s left cheek despite the rain. “Why did you bother looking?” she snarls, her tone harsher than intended.

“I…” He visibly swallows. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For yelling at you. When I was mad at myself.”

She blinks. “You don’t usually apologize this quickly.”

“Well, I needed to say that before I shared the news.”

“News? What news?”

“The threat to the south is worse than we realized. King Cailan is mustering an army. I’m joining. I figured you’d be interested too.”

A chance to do something. Something that matters. Of course she’ll take it.

[Read the rest on AO3]

#warrior hawke #loghain mac tir #hawke x loghain #da fanfic #dragon age fanfic #romance #sibling dynamics #my writing #noctilucent cloud creations

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dragonageconfessions · 2 months

Text

CONFESSION:

re: Carver not smashing chest. It would’ve been so funny if he would automatically smash chests that Hawke can’t open. He would be so smug about it. <3

#Dragon Age Confessions #Dragon Age 2 #BioWare #Carver Hawke #garrett hawke

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vigilskeep · 3 months

Note

Hiya, do u have a carrd or anything with info on your ocs? I love reading about ocs n all that crap but the tumblr search function is like actually evil. Keir seems super interesting but it’s like killing me trying to find posts to recap his lore 😭

i don’t i’m afraid!! it’s just his enormous mess of a tag as the lore built up... i might make something sometime??? i hadnt thought abt it tbh. in the meantime feel free to ask me any and all questions even if it’s something i’ve probably already said, i love going over this stuff and will do so forever if even slightly prompted. on that note, if it helps, here is a briefly condensed version:

keir is a red personality (aggressive/direct) non-mage hawke. i did his full playthrough as a warrior, i sometimes talk about switching him to rogue, but the only really important thing is that he’s a reaver and will bite you for real

he’s a man of few words, extremely blunt and threatening to the point of being absurdly over-the-top with pretty much all strangers, and much softer but still bluntly earnest with the small group of people he considers his own. he considers himself first and foremost a protector and would do anything to keep those people safe. his father malcolm was a strict man who raised him to do this and he accepted that wholeheartedly. consider him a guard dog. killed his first templar in defence of the family aged 15

he adores and idolises magic and fiercely supports mage freedom, though ultimately he would absolutely sacrifice a wider “cause” if doing so would keep his mages safe. fortunately or unfortunately, he can’t do that because the two are inextricable

he’s a proud fereldan and cares very little for kirkwall (hates kirkwall. hates kirkwall. someone please get him out of here) and its nobility, which tends to show in his appearance and behaviour. long braided hair, the streak across his nose is kaddis, and takes his mabari, silla, absolutely everywhere

he’s elf-blooded via his father, who was the bastard son of a fereldan elven servant girl and an orlesian chevalier who was with the occupation

his playthrough has circle mage bethany. he adores her and he would do anything for her but her acceptance of her fate and disillusionment with his overprotectiveness meant they had an increasingly strained relationship. it was because she was trapped that he couldn’t leave the city. once he was champion, meredith essentially had a knife to his sister’s throat whenever she wanted his compliance, not to mention the looming threat to anders and merrill, making those three years the worst and most terrifying in his life

he romances anders! friendmance and they escape kirkwall together in the end. not always easy but he really loves him, justice half included. there’s a lot of lore here ummm if i mention the “and they were housemates” timeline, that’s my silly mutual pining alternate version of events where anders moves into the amell estate for safekeeping before he and keir actually get together. if i mention aura hawke, that’s the potential daughter i occasionally hc for them

he had previous relationships with morrigan (in lothering as young 20-somethings) and merrill (during act 1). you cannot keep him away from those romanceable mages

he’s still close friends with merrill. isabela is his best friend. he has a complicated, semi-antagonistic friendship with varric, who was really closer with anders but now after the fact doesn’t want to remember that. he deeply respects and is friends with fenris. he did rivalry with sebastian, but in an agree-to-disagree way where they considered each other friends nonetheless until All That happened. he had a more genuine rivalry with aveline though still coloured by their trauma bonding

i THINK those are the main beats of his lore but he’s my most discussed and developed dragon age character so i’m sure i’ve missed some of the assorted junkyard of thoughts

#keir hawke

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thornfield13713 · 1 year

Note

AU where Hawke and Anders meet and fall in love pre-Kirkwall?

Okay, then! This is the bare-bones events versions - thinking about how the actual relationships involved shift and differ is going to have to be for later.

It starts in 9:25 Dragon. Marian is twenty years old, a farmhand on her parents' farm in Lothering. Anders is twenty-six, fresh out of the Circle on yet another escape attempt. They meet...more-or-less by chance. The last winter was a lean one, and to bring in some extra money Marian volunteered to accompany a cattle drive heading north for the cattle-market in Denerim (she's technically a shepherd herself, but she's done all kinds of farm-work growing up, and the rest of the family can look after the sheep while she's away). On the way back from Denerim, however, cattle sold and Marian having collected her pay for the droving, she runs into Anders just as the Templars have caught up with him, and...well. They're still in the Dragon's Peak Bannorn, so it won't bring down a search on the village where her family lives, and if none of the Templars live to report on this, none of them can give her description to their superiors. For Anders, it seemed like he was about to get dragged back to the tower right up until the Templars who were in the middle of chaining him up all sprouted arrows through their eye-slits. He can't quite believe there isn't a price - especially as his tall, lanky, redheaded rescuer knows enough to ask if they had his phylactery and, when the answer is yes, break it - and Marian...normally, she'd just reassure him there was no price and be on her way. But Malcolm Hawke is already ailing, and the Mages' Collective can't send them a healer, rare as the gift is. And Anders is a spirit healer. So she asks if he can come south with her and heal her father, if he really wants to repay her. If he can't do it, no hard feelings and she's not about to hand him back to the Templars even if he won't come south, but...

Anders agrees, and over the course of the journey south, he and Marian become friends. Finding out that her father and sister are apostates is...not nearly as much of a surprise to Anders as it might've been. Marian isn't going to say it outright, but she knows a lot more about magic, and is a lot more sympathetic to mages, than is usual for non-mages in Chantry-ruled countries. And...well. She's let slip a few comments that suggest that she trained to be able to take out Templars, which is how she mastered the through-the-eye-slit shot in the first place. Only so many reasons for a person to do that. He is able to heal Malcolm, as it turns out - at least now, in the early stages of the disease that would have killed him - and when the Hawkes invite him to stay on, Anders accepts, in part just out of sheer fascination at this family of mages living free and out of sight of the Chantry. Officially, he's a new farmhand Marian found for them on the road from Denerim, though Anders isn't particularly good with the sheep. Unofficially, he quickly starts offering a sideline as a herbalist, and if his patients tend to pull through far more often than average...well, he's just that good with herbs.

Marian and Anders are drawn to each other very early on, though for different reasons to those that bring them together in Kirkwall. Those are still there, but...less prominent, without either Justice or the pressure of living in a Templar-controlled city to bring them to the forefront. Instead, they're drawn together by a similar sense of humour, by the natural magnetism of being a pair of disaster bis, and being able to be open with each other as neither of them has ever really been able to. Marian has only ever been able to express herself freely around her family, Anders only with Karl. They're both angry, too, though both of them are still trying to avoid that rage at this point in their lives rather than look it in the face. Without Anders' concerns about being an abomination, it only takes them a year and a half to start a relationship here, even if Anders can't quite believe he's allowed to do this - to fall in love, and express it openly, and maybe even get married if they want to - and Leandra at the very least is heavily hinting that they should.

They're separated during the Blight. Marian still volunteers to follow Carver into the army for the Ostagar Campaign, because she can't let her little brother go and fight darkspawn alone. And Anders volunteers to go with her because- well, because he can't let Marian go and deal with that alone. Okay, he volunteers his services as herbalist and medic, so he'll be staying back behind the lines, since he isn't good at any sort of fighting that doesn't involve magic and isn't going to let anyone know he's an apostate, but...there it is. Carver is doubly grumpy at having his style cramped by both his sister and her apostate husband (seriously, Marian, are you trying to bring the Templars down on us?) tagging along on campaign, but...there it is. Unfortunately, in the rout at Ostagar, they're separated, and Anders ends up being swept up north in the retreat with Loghain's men while Marian is forced to head back to Lothering without him. Each is desperately hoping the other is alive, but with Lothering destroyed they have no idea where to go to look for one another, and both know the odds are against not being widowed. Anders makes for Amaranthine, in the hope that the Hawkes were able to flee there, and the Hawkes head for Kirkwall, despite Malcolm's misgivings. I suspect either Carver still dies on the road or Malcolm does, or even possibly both if I want to streamline things. Unfortunately, while making for Amaranthine, Anders gets a little careless in his desperation, gets spotted as an apostate, and one of the older Templars in the group that catches him is able to identify him as a Circle escapee from five years back. They make a stop at the Vigil on the way back...and the rest is history.

I will be honest, I'm mostly writing this for their reunion in Kirkwall. The way that Marian just lights up when Lirene mentions the name 'Anders' and starts asking for a description, does he look like this? Is he a great cat-lover with golden eyes and a warm, tired smile who laughs at his own terrible jokes? It hurts, a little, to hear Lirene say she's never seen him smile, or laugh, that it seems like he must have lost more than everyone else, but- she doesn't quite believe it until she's at the clinic, and Anders 'I have made this place a sanctum of healing and salvation' cuts off in the middle the moment he gets a good look at who it is who just came in. He has his reservations - he agreed to host Justice in part because he had already lost the family he found in Lothering and so it didn't matter if he was an abomination, there was nothing left but the cause, and has no idea how Marian will respond to his being possessed, or the way that has changed him. But then, Marian has changed too since Lothering, and in many of the same ways. She knows what Karl meant to him, and of course, of course she's going to help him get his friend and once-lover free. Learning about Justice is...it's strange, certainly. But she's willing to trust Anders' judgement, and he isn't acting like an abomination. From there...probably a few things change, though nothing that's going to majorly reshape the main plot of the game.

#dragon age #marian hawke #handers

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illusivesoul · 10 months

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Six Sentence Sunday.

Was tagged by @marythegizka Thank you, friend :)

I'll tag @wardenrainwall @jellydishes @mclavellan and @quietborderline Only if you feel like doing this, of course.

Bethany stared at her reflection, absent-mindedly brushing her hair during the rare moment of quiet she was enjoying.

Her mind raced back to Lothering, back to when sister Leliana had told her how pretty her hair was. It had been only a few months since they last saw each other, but it felt like a lifetime. She wondered if she had managed to escape from Lothering before the darkspawn seized the town. She hoped, she prayed that she had.

Her hand moved to the small bracelet Leliana had gifted her, her fingers tracing the small Andraste figurine that had been carved in the wood.

#tag meme #illusivesoulwriting

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my-dumb-obsessions · 2 years

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So according to some of the party camp dialog in DAO, the blight in Ferelden lasts about a year, with awakening taking place 6 months after the end of DAO.

The Hawke family fled Lothering at the beginning of the blight and wound up in Kirkwall where Hawke and Carvethany worked as smugglercenaries for a year to pay off the bribes needed to move to Kirkwall.

By the timeline, awakening should be happening concurrently with Act 1 of DA2, so why is Anders in Kirkwall when he should be in Amaranthine according to the timeline?

Ha! Because they totally screwed the pooch on that timeline and basically forgot Awakening existed! So the short answer is, he isn't in Kirkwall when he should be in Amaranthine. It's hard to figure out from gameplay because there's no sense of a passage of time or seasons in Origins. Do we just assume it started on the first day of the year 9:30, and ended on the last day of the year? Who knows, it's all very hand-wavy. The problem is the Blight needs to be over for Anders to join the Wardens, but it has to still be going on for the Hawkes to leave Ferelden. You have to make up your own timeline to make sense of it. Here's my own rough, hand-wavy timeline:

In my canon, the Hawke family doesn't go to Kirkwall (via Gwaren) from Lothering. When you get to Kirkwall, the guards tell you they've been taking refugees for months, but it takes less than a month to sail from Gwaren and people in northern Ferelden didn't even believe it was a true Blight at first, where are the refugees coming from? So the initial flight gets pushed back. I have Flemeth taking the Hawkes to Denerim because (as Bethany tells you) there are a lot of Templars in Kirkwall and it's not safe. So the Hawkes spend the entirety of Origins living near Denerim, and only flee across the sea when the Blight makes its way north (say, after the Landsmeet, late 9:30). Because you don't just walk onto a boat when there's a refugee crisis, it takes them 1-2 months to actually get passage once they start trying. They leave shortly before the battle of Denerim.

So, Blight ends at the end of 9:30, Anders makes his last escape slightly before Broken Circle (let's give it half a year). He's attempting to get from Denerim (working at the Pearl) to Kirkwall for Karl and thinks he can blend in with the refugees. Chooses to sail from Amaranthine because of the rumor about his phylactery. Let's move Awakening up 3 months, so early 9:31, because whoever's ruling wants to discredit the Howes right away. Awakening is one campaign, so I give it about 2 months for the events of the DLC, (spring/summer 9:31; Hawkes are starting their year of service).

Here's where it gets super hand-wavy: how long does Anders stay with the Wardens after the Mother/Architect are defeated? How long before Kristoff's body is too decayed to function? Knowing that my Warden would never make Anders give up Ser Pounce, I can only assume someone else was in charge. How long does it take for Weisshaupt or Orlais to send someone to replace the HoF at Vigil's Keep? And why? I say just under a year before HoF is called to Weisshaupt (early 9:32, taking Nathaniel - the most likely Warden Constable - with them), and the acting Commander is a Chantry man who recruits Templars and is horrible to Anders, leading him to flee shortly after. This is much easier if he can shapeshift into a bird ;-).

So he meets Hawke after he's been in Kirkwall only a month or so, summer 9:32, when her year of service is up. Act 1 takes about 6 months (50 sovereigns is a lot for a refugee), Deep Roads expedition happens end of 9:32/early 9:33 and then I cut the time jump to a year so Act 2 begins in 9:34 as usual. I'm sure this has as many holes as the canon timeline, but it's mine and I like it.

#anders #dragon age anders #dragon age origins #dragon age awakening #dragon age 2 #hawke #ask #bioware's funky timelines #mdo answers

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