#[nalindri ; codex]

[nxtherold]

𝐂𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐗  :  𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐂  𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

A compilation of what the Nightmare says to each muse in the Fade, what their tombstones say, and what their Fears appear as.

𝐀𝐕𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐊𝐄

What her fears appear as:           Her fears appear as the people she cares for, both alive and dead, corrupted by red lyrium. Templars and Mages from her time in Kirkwall are among these faces as well.

What her tombstone says:           Not Being Good Enough

What Nightmare says to her in the Fade:           “Nothing you did mattered, Hawke. All you ever did was make things worse. Carver and your mother both died because you were too weak to save them, you foolish girl. Bethany, (Fenris / other love interest), and whoever else you have left will all die. Knowing your history, it will certainly be your fault when the time comes, and you’ll have to watch the life leave their eyes. A familiar view, isn’t it, Hawke? So familiar that I imagine you’re seeing it in your head at this very moment. Ah, yes, what an accurate depiction of the fate awaiting anyone who dares care for a girl as cursed as you."

𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐈 𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐒

What her fears appear as:           Vaughan and his henchmen as well as slavers from Tevinter

What her tombstone says:           Oppression

What Nightmare says to her in the Fade:          "Why are you even here, elf? All your efforts to elevate your people have been for nought. When will you grow tired of being an accessory to heroes far greater than you could ever pretend to be? You were born from nothing, just like your mother, and you will die just as she did: as nothing. No title, no status could change that.”

𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐀

What her fears appear as:           Herself, given wholly to the qun. Also the Arishok, Rasaan, her mother, and Luis. Quite frankly, there’s a lot of faces from her past that Nightmare can use against her.

What her tombstone says:          Losing Herself

What Nightmare says to her in the Fade:         "You think I could ignore your presence, pirate? A most curious return to the Fade indeed. I’m just waiting to see when you’ll plunge your dagger into the Inquisitor’s back, just like you did to Hawke years ago. But she didn’t tell anyone about that, did she? What a good friend. Too good for you. And even after all the times you betrayed her you still had the nerve to cling to her coattails and leech off of whatever glory might fall your way. You see yourself as the captain of the ship, Isabela, but you belong on the bottom of the boat, not in the captain’s cabin. You are truly, and irredeemably, scum. The day will come when all of your so-called friends wipe you from their boots as they should have rightfully done years ago.”

𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃

What her fears appear as:          Various people she killed during the Blight.

What her tombstone says:         Despair

What Nightmare says to her in the Fade:        "The great Hero of Ferelden. Ah, look at you now, little Cousland. Bryce’s darling pup. You never had a choice, did you? They shoved that rot down your throat, clad you in silver, and told you to be a hero. And you’ve hated what you are every day since then. You can still feel it, the taint, as hot and fresh in your veins as the first day. How long till you become a shell? How long until the voices call to you, before dark hands drag you down into the abyss? Oh, my dear, what a pitiful existence. You saved the world, yet your life is unfulfilled, and it will never be. No amount of glory can make you content, because you’re too empty to ever feel whole again. But such is the tale of many heroes. I wonder, will you find your end at your Calling? Or will you become like Loghain first, too blind to see that you’ve torn down your own house. You are ruined either way. You will always, even after your last breath, be ruined.”

𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐀 𝐃𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐓

What her fears appear as:           a ghostly apparition of the Shame of Serault

What her tombstone says:         Inability

What Nightmare says to her in the Fade:         "Yet another noble lady playing the part of a caged bird. But you're not caged, and you haven't been for a while. You know you could have done something about your brother before he got himself in such a sorry state. Instead you chose to smile and pretend everything was okay and then retreat into the woods whenever his anger turned in your direction. You stopped the people from overthrowing him. You let him continue down his dark path because you were either too incapable or too unwilling to confront him. Caspien may be cruel, Octavia, but you're effete, and Serault will be in far worse hands when you are eventually forced to step up and do what you should have done long ago. I truly pity the mortals who have so long been at the mercy of your family and will continue to suffer at your cursed hands for one more generation: the worst generation, surpassing even the horrors of the Shame's reign."

𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐄𝐑𝐄

What her fears appear as:          Herself.

What her tombstone says:         Weakness

What Nightmare says to her in the Fade:         "Ah, the Bane of the Wicked. That is what you were once called, yes? How ironic it is that you are the most wicked of all. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were one of us."

𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐀

What her fears appear as:          A vanguard of Tevinter slaves, turned against her by their masters.

What her tombstone says:         Silence

What Nightmare says to her in the Fade:        "You were never free, Calpernia, and you never will be. You simply keep hopping from one master to the next. It won’t be long before there is no one willing to take your side. No one to stand for you. We all know that you cannot make it on your own. You’re a girl playing a revolutionary, but make no mistake that it is make-believe. You’re merely a puppet, and your existence only matters when there is someone to pull your strings."

𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐃𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐄

What her fears appear as:         Tevinter slave-hunters.

What her tombstone says:         Loss of Identity

What Nightmare says to her in the Fade:        "How does it feel to be a pet, Arsine? Spending your days dancing away for the nobles in their plays? Sure, you get to come to court and play the Game, but you'll never be more than a useful tool at best. You're a novelty. A pretty face with strange ears to tickle the exotic tastes of the bored nobility. You'll never be one of them, but you're barely even an elf anymore, either. You're so tainted that the Dalish wouldn't even welcome you back at this point. The moment the nobles grow tired of you, you'll go back to being a nobody with an existance so inconsequential that neither the humans nor the elves will care that they've lost you."

𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐀 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐍

What her fears appear as:        Smaller versions of Nightmare himself.

What her tombstone says:        Loss

What Nightmare says to her in the Fade:       "Ah, Honora, you look well for someone who dabbles in all manners of filthy magic. I bet your heart has remained the same since our last meeting as well; cold and stagnant, like the dead husband who rarely shared your bed. The man you're always compared to. You once thought yourself a stronger mage than him. A better chief, too. But your people question that assertion, and now you have started to question it as well. I am the one who took Angof's life, by the way, not those agents of the king. And if you insist on crossing me, dear Honora, I'll take yours too."

𝐊𝐀𝐄𝐑𝐈 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐄

What her fears appear as:          Herself, possessed by demons.

What her tombstone says:          Corruption

What Nightmare says to her in the Fade:          "You have such faith in your precious Maker, little snake. So much that you cannot seem to accept the fact that you are nothing but a heretic. The Maker doesn't speak to you. Auriel wasn't written out of Chantry history because she was a threat to their control; she was written out of Chantry history because she was a cowardly, self-important witch who became the same zealous monster that you yourself have become. The only justice you will ever bring forth is your own death in pursuit of your worthless cause. And just like Auriel, history will forget you, too."