#❅ VERSE ❅ // && rise of the inquisition

[hoboblaidd]

Uthenera Verse Tags, timeline, and headcanons

timeline:

Immediately upon creating the Veil, Solas is completely incapacitated. Were he mortal, it would've killed him.

For nearly all of Tevinter/Chantry recorded history, Solas "lay in dark and dreamless sleep while countless wars and ages passed."

At the start of the Dragon Age, Solas begins to dream again. He is weak, even in the Fade, but can be encountered as a spectral wolf.

In or around 9:31 Dragon, Solas begins to regain his power in the Fade.

In or around 9:39 Dragon, Felassan fails to take control of part of the eluvian network.

In 9:40 Dragon, the Dread Wolf wakes in Thedas.

tag:

UTHENERA | Roamer of the Beyond: Solas is completely out of commission after he puts the Veil up. It took all his power to imprison the gods and he’s incredibly weak. All interactions are in the Dragon Age, and only in the Fade. This verse lasts for millennia, through every recorded Age until 9:39-9:40 Dragon.

UTHENERA | the Dread Wolf Rises: Solas wakes in modern Thedas a year before the Breach. Weak in both body and power, Solas rediscovers the world he ruined, and sets his plan for Corypheus to unlock the Orb of Destruction and create the Anchor.

important headcanons:

"I lay in dark and dreamless sleep" - slight canon divergence. Solas becomes conscious in the Fade only at the start of the Dragon Age.

Solas can occasionally be found roaming the Fade in the Dread Wolf form. This is more common in the Dragon Age.

"I woke still weak a year before I met you" - Solas rediscovers the world he ruined.

The Agents of Fen'harel allow Corypheus to locate the orb.

[dreadbornesaint]

tag dump - verses

[dieverged]

nima who probably didn't plan to be visiting thedas again and ending up trapped there for 2+ years having to deal with the inquisitions politics. they are mad as FUUUUUUUUUCK

edit: thinking about them stuck in thedas for 10 years dude. in the event that it's relatively canon compliant & they don't get help from, like, anyone so ... kind of a worst case scenario for them basically? on a personal level. because them getting help would require plotting

edit 2: okay i'm mad as FUCK i forgot tumblr puts a bullshit limit on tags. i had an entire section dedicated to dorian & varric & the inquisition, how it all culminates into an eventual home for them & how they would go back n forth between tevinter & kirkwall with varric taking her under his wing (and the outlier in that nima would end up telling varric about their circumstances eventually if they were close enough but hey! varric dgaf about that, he sensed the bs, he knew they were hiding something, as long as it doesnt directly harm him/his people/the fucking world whatever man it doesn't change who nima is potentially) & also nima's complicated struggles & relationship WITH hiding this information because she isn't thedosian. she is a complete outsider, a mimic, an imposter wearing the skin of those around her. while she doesn't lie, she also doesn't speak the truth of it either. & as a traveler, you'd think oh why does this bother her so much? it bothers her bc she can typically escape in other circumstances but here, she can't, she is trapped for the forseeable future and/or permanently, she can't return home. & the FURTHER struggles of what that means for her identity & also of her relationship to people within the inquisition

I'M SO MAAAAAD I'M SO MAD THOSE WERE SUCH GOOD ANALYSIS' fuck off tumblr i can't believe i forgot. okay well reminder that i need to write some relationship metas. specifically with solas, varric, dorian & then the inquisition at large.

also the conversations between these four would be funny as fuck is all im saying. discussing theoretical magic & the fade & like varric is just There dude it's too early for this shit. he was dragged out

also augh cole was another element in this as well but cole is... difficult because nima just avoids him straight up a lot of the time, but i think she would really like his insights :') i really do. i think they would have such engaging conversations

but anyways yeah there was so much haha.... gripping my desk so hard it splinters & shatters can you tell im mad as fuck. im also tired, writing essays with no sleep lets gooooo

(though honestly, maybe their character arc is centered Around never actually finding out how to return in inquisition & making peace with that too; at least not until Trespasser. i.e, they are entirely vague about everything, researching all sorts of old forbidden magic & the history of it, & part of their character arc's resolution is that they aren't alone in this yknow? they aren't alone, they have to come to terms with their placement here, and hey people do give a shit or something to that effect anyways. because them going at it alone, e.g you didn't do their companion quest, is going to result in them just leaving once they have what they need information wise whereas doing their companion quest results in them staying & begins the gradual process of relying on the people around them, relinquishing that iron grip independence but also trying to learn not to have this... fixation on home and what that means for them. which is an objectively important concept throughout their entire narrative, it drives them, BUT yknow in this it's finding a way to be healthy--- they don't let go of it obviously, although that would be an element brought up (and also if that was a choice you picked, basically telling them to give up, it would result in them leaving too), but it's more so .... that they aren't losing parts of themselves by not finding the answers that they need like home isn't one place & it definitely isn't lost. basically just easing their grip on it, like they're not losing who they are. i had something more profound to say here but i forgot where i was going originally lol so this'll just have to do--- it's just coming to terms with a lot of things about themselves basically)

referring back though to the best case scenario, it would probably be like. plotting territory & the baseline is always going to be a mage, spirit, a... god? if they interact with one? or an ancient? basically someone with profound arcane knowledge. & the plotting would come from like, hey, can we actually find a way around this in all its forms (im talking fade travel, im talking dabbling with old, forbidden magics, going on long adventures, uncovering mysteries, hell. possession would be awesome dude, spirit or fragment, or literally whatever the hell else)

& the consequences of that bc fucking around with ancient magic that counteracts your own innate magic AND with nima already having a god's mark on her by virtue of being revived. all of that...... it would be very much hey, let's see where canon can take us, let's do the implausible, let's keep making ideas etc.

because while i do just default on, even in a plotted situation, nima being unable to find their way back home by virtue of not being able to use their specific abilities to unlock that access (which, haha, im just saying wouldn't it be awesome if someone helped nima only to use her powers for their own gain. like it would be awesome) it would be very fun and very tragic for them to finally find their way home. maybe them gaining access to their own powers again causes fucky shit to happen! maybe they are blocked from ever returning to thedas! many things can happen.

& also side plot but equally as important in this ^ is them being able to recover some or all of their memories via fade shenanigans which would be peak but made worse by A. what if by doing so, they've made it so their own spirit is bound to thedas & they can't leave so they have these memories but at what COST or B. idk maybe they just die dude straight up. maybe there's some crazy ass consequences that follow. there has to be some kind of tragedy i can't let nima be happy. ever. or even some crazy shit happening to Ur muse in all of this bc who doesnt like seeing their muse suffer (& which would hurt nima in the process yippie)

but yeah ultimately their worst case scenario is arguably the best case scenario and the definitive canon bc anything else, like actually helping nima, requires nima to A. tell you they aren't from this world (& by virtue of that their memory loss maybe bc hey all hands are on the table now, but tbh they would've probably mentioned the memory loss casually Anyways so its not a big deal) B. probably a fair bit of plotting but it'd be really fun devil emoji

[moineauz]

may i request a ticket for mosaic the memento with boothill?

𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋ THE HOUSE OF MUSICA PRESENTS... 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐓 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆ノ𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐂 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐎 — boothill !

synopsis: lovers that collect each other, piece by piece and display it in peculiar ways.

side comments: tysm for requesting!! I definitely had fun with this and boothill in general. I took the concept quite literally hehe.

extra: gn reader, angst & fluff, mentions of marriage, established relationship word count: 1, 184

When eyesight failed, you turned to the wind's caress, the hum of incessant chatter, and the mechanical click of Boothill's shoes like a heartbeat made of flesh and bone.

Penacony thrived and bounced with promise and prose that night, as it has every night; brimming with the convivial spirit of a cocktail. While morphing desire into the tangible.

Nevertheless, Penacony is a pest: a jewel sowing songs of seduction, Time spent in Penacony rots the living flesh.

"You're thinkin' too much again."

Languidly, you turn your head towards the man leaning against the door frame. His limbs slacken as a tender grin pressed onto his face. It was as beckoning as a blast of dust and powder. A soothing grace found in jagged cliffs.

"It's Penacony," you begin scrupulously, "It's difficult not to think of-"

A small nail bolt hits the ground, a ring reverberating throughout your hotel room: a sour psalm. Your eyes observe the nail as it spins toward the tip of your boot; halting it in its path.

Boothill scrutinizes your eyebrows and how they crease, your placid countenance replaced by blunt displeasure. You cast a faint sigh, rolling your wrists until you discerned a click. A practice Boothill has inscribed into your skin it seemed. To Boothill, your faint, pervasive sighs are like wisps of smoke billowing in feeble puffs. It is the kind that Boothill could keep within the biting palms of his hands like a cloud of mist rolling over a slumbering horizon.

"Boothill," you chide askance, the nail now tightly wrapped under the guileful length of your fingers, "You're falling apart, again."

Boothill emits a delicate laugh; carrying through the thick atmosphere of your hotel room like fog being pushed to the side. "Oh? It's Nothin' to worry bout'," he exclaims, his grin acute and unrelenting like a child.

You scoff, your face solemn. "You're a fool then."

Boohill raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms. "A fool?" he begins with a tone of toying inquisition, "And what kind of fool would I be then?"

"The kind that never listens," you seethed as you turned your back and rummaged through your satchel. The click and ring of colliding components rebound from the disquieting walls. "Tell me, is it that difficult to keep your gun down?"

Instead, Boothill's legs carry him to the side of your bed; hoisting himself up before lying down on his back, his right hand gingerly tapping against the plating of his chest. One beat after another, one rise of your chest like sundown, one click before the drop.

The room grows reticent as does Boothill's incessant chatter. You considered him like a fly; one swat never ceased his lingering. His buzz and wagers compelled you to an ineffable cusp of undoing. He tugged at your hair, sauntered over your plans and tenderly pressed his treasured gun against your skull like a prayer of undying fidelity: the kind that reaches from the mounds of soil, dust and dirt. A skeleton crawling on the face of the Earth.

However, you kept the bones of that same serrated skeleton in your coat pockets. When the night yielded its youth, you traced your glided hands over its ridges like one recites verses in a destitute, ceaseless pursuit for solace. You hauled the bones of your dead on your back, straggling through sand dunes and sun. Thus, you ensured the bones would never corrode or break. For safekeeping, you thought.

"It always surprises me," professed Boothill, his body still limp on your bed, "That you carry every part of me in that damn satchel of yours."

He then scoffs, amused, "It's ridiculous."

A subtle, witty smile unwinds on your lips before you exasperate, "Well, I find it more ridiculous that a full-grown man needs his spouse to cover his boo-boos."

"Ha!" exclaims Boothill, a smirk unveiling itself, "And what's so wrong bout' that?"

You simply hum at this question, still absorbed by the sensations of various metal pieces grazing against your skin. "Boothill," you betokened "Which wire is thinner? The one on the right or the one on the left?"

Boothill promptly glances at the side table, "The one on the right."

You reach for the wire on the right, no inkling of doubt smearing the page of your chest.

Boothill never pressed his knee down or slipped a circular piece of metal on your finger.

On the contrary, you professed your devotion while uncoiling the vast forests of his wires found in his spinal cord and replacing the plating of his shins. Like a doll being unwinded: its button eyes stitched concurrently to become whole.

Boothill pondered the concept of marriage and discerned it to be ludicrous. However, there was a peculiar charm found in the title "My spouse" like windchimes that crash and sway, casting their dreams into an afternoon breeze.

He reminisced how you ripped his chest open and raised his metal heart in the plane of your hands like an offering. He entrusted you.

You dismantled him with each screw and wire; rerouting and disconnecting nerve after nerve, daring not to draw a breath in fear of failure. His entire being rested upon the pull and press of your fingers and the thrust of your arms. Boothill observed beads of sweat trickling down your forehead and the tentative purses of your lips. He could recount the strands of hair that brushed against your cheek and the bitter pit of envy and spite that grew in him like a weed. The wind could stroke your cheek and the Earth could wrap you fold upon fold until you became the foundations of life itself. Nevertheless, Boothill comprehended how insatiable he was. He envied how the folds of death seemed to embrace you closer than he could ever offer you.

The vibrations of your proposal still ring in his head and run up his spine with the zeal of electricity and the parting words of tenderness. Thus, how could he ever say no?

"I'm almost done with your leg," you muse, your eyes bouncing from Boothill's reposed face and the length of his leg.

"Why'd you ask to become my spouse, ( Name )?"

You blink, the movements of your hands paused while the clock continues to cast its familiar tick-tok. "Don't call me that," you remarked indifferently, your hands promptly resuming their work.

"Then what do I call you?" drawls Boothill, his eyes fixated on the tenacious shifts of your expression.

You emit a half-amused scoff before avowing, "Don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

"Alright then," teases Boothill, "We can play it that way." He pauses, then prompts, "Why'd you ask to become my spouse, doll?"

With that simple phrase, you gingerly place your tools down and lean forward. The poignant warmth of your breath skimming over Boothill's smooth cheek. A blinding smile tugs at the corners of your lips and the placid facade carved in your face broke with brilliance like the yolk of an egg. The corners of Boothill's eyes pooled with awe.

"Because I was tired of carrying pieces of you in my pockets."

general masterlist. request page for event.

[tagedeszorns]

Y'know I actually really like this (Cuz WH40K lore, at times it does feel kinda silly, are still fun to read)

Back in the day, they got INCEST OLD MAN YAOI? Well at least I think it's incest cuz weren't they bros?

Sometimes I forgot this fandom is older than me and I'm technically a kid in this fandom, I'm 20 years old and only recently did I join this fandom cuz I saw a really good indie animation series based on this franchise

Hi I'm your new fan

Well hello there!

Happy to have you - and especially happy you are wanting to dive into the lore!

Warhammer is such a lovely 'verse, because there's something for everyone. No matter if you like the little guys (Imperial Guard, Arbites ...), the medium guys (Sororitas, Inquisition ...), the big guys in all flavours of the rainbow (Astartes, Chaos Space Marines, Custodes ...), the strange ones (Genestealers, Cultists ...), the really big guys (Primarchs, Demon Primarchs, the Chaos Gods, the Emperor ...), the kinky guys (Drukhari), the desperate guys (Aeldari), the metallic guys (Mechanicum, Dark Mechanicum), the even more metallic guys with so many issues (Necrons), the hungry things (Tyranids) or the fungi (Orks). (Or anybody else I forgot)

Let's get the incest-thing out of the way right in front: Nope, they are not really brothers. It's said by Fulgrim that they aren't. They are experiments basing on similar parameters, nothing more, nothing less. (This wasn't defined back in '99 when that Codex you mentioned was released. But they were just Generals back then) The adressing as "Brother" is strictly the military brotherhood thing. But some love to go overboard with this, so they are calling Astartes from other Legions "Nephew" or "Cousin".

If you like Old Men Yaoi - I would recommend "The Infinite and the Divine" as your first book to dive into. Those two are so very divorced and so very old! It's a truly fun read.

Or, more subtle, The Fabius-Trilogy. Because in the third his ex Hexachires is so very annoying. But maybe it's not the easiest read for beginners, because it profits immensly from the reader knowing the Heresy and the history of the Emperor's Children.

In general, I would advise starting with Horus Rising, because the Heresy is a closed chapter. There are tons of books, but if you start at the first, you will be lead to all the crucial points mostly talked about in fandom. Because Warhammer-Tumblr is heavily centred around the Heresy-stuff in general and the Primarchs particularly. I'm very sad about this, because most people forget about the Astartes, who have the most glorious, tragic, fun and emotionally moving stories, too!

So - again, welcome! Please don't believe anything you see on Youtube, Reddit, TikTok or whatever. It's mostly just dudebros regurging memes and confusing their opinion with facts. Take your time, read stuff for yourself - that's the best way! Ask people for reading recommendations - you get those best from the source of someone obsessing over that particular aspect of Warhammer.

Remember to have fun and to always enjoy the absolutely hilarious way Warhammer pokes fun at fascists!

[devilishdanse]

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 — 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐞 (Imp OC)

Basic info found in document is below the cut for ease of access! By liking or replying to this post, you are letting me know that you are interested in interacting with Calliope on some level and are accepting of inbox shenanigans sent your way! If you happen to be curious about shipping, please reach out to me or reply with a heart so I understand that might be on the table.

Age: 30+

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Pansexual 

Species: Imp

Occupation / Status: Maidservant Romantic Connections: N/A; Verse dependent

Family Connections: Julian (Twin Brother)

Physical Description: Being an imp, Calliope stands at approximately 4’8” (142.24 cm). She has long, dark, wavy hair that is typically held back using an old, fraying ribbon. Across her cheeks, shoulders, and along her tail is a light spattering of freckles, and her horns are medium/short in height; they are slim and rise vertically through her hair, and are predominantly black with thin horizontal, white pinstripes. Her frame is of medium build while still holding the  lithe skill and movements of a dancer’s. Her legs are mostly straight with a slight bow near the calves with split hooved feet. 

Personality & Traits: Calliope is best described as a lover and a fighter both. She is filled with compassion, curiosity, respect, and a seemingly unstoppable amount of willpower (or maybe it’s dumb luck. . . who knows?). Though she does not wish to bear children of her own, Calliope adores children and will happily tend to their needs. She is a romantic at heart and believes in the strength and possibility of love, even if she has yet to meet or find it herself. Additionally, she will greet most people with open arms and a smile until proven necessary to do otherwise. Calliope loves physical affection and forms bonds quickly, even if they tend to be one-sided. It takes very little time for her to become attached to and or care for someone. Her and her brother, Julian, are fiercely protective of each other.

POSITIVE TRAITS: Inquisitive - Compassionate - Loyal - Enthusiastic - Determined - Resilient

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Impulsive - Overly Competitive - Impatient - Opinionated - Superstitious - Boisterous

Abilities / Powers:  N/A; She’s fantastic at cleaning and bringing a smile to your face! 

Notes Regarding Shipping: N/A. Though, if you’re interested in shipping with her, please let me know! I’d love to chat about it and see if we can strike something up to get interactions going first!

Established / Primary Ships: N/A.

Specific Tags: ★ // MUSE — CALLIOPE.

★ // PLAYLIST — CALLIOPE.

★ // CALLIOPE — VISAGE.

★ // CALLIOPE — MUSINGS.

★ // CALLIOPE — AESTHETICS.★ // CALLIOPE — CANONS.

[zibahyi]

⊹ VERSE POST. spanning through pre origins, origins, inquisition and veilguard. in this verse, the warden / player character is @greyswarden's ariel surana as this verse is heavily affiliated with him. while i am willing to tweak a few things for any other player characters, ariel remains an important part of this verse.

centuries prior to the existence of shams, in -3200 ancient, people fled from thedas to the eastern deserts and fertile river valleys of a different continent. in the harsh environment, several tribes formed alliances to survive against the darkspawn, roaming bandits and harsh natural conditions. shah - eshandar, the future king of the nation, united them and received the ability to purify corrupted lands and bring forth water from barren deserts. esmandar declared the newly unified territory zarnesha, meaning "land of the golden light." the monarchy was established with him as the first ruler, claiming divine mandate from one of the gods herself. zarnesha survived quietly, unknown to most of thedas for a long time.

it is said that the land was a chaotic and untamed wilderness, fractured by forces and ruled by warring spirits. according to legend, the world was shaped by the struggle between two primordial beings: zurvasha, the spirit of boundless time and varghat, the spirit of endless chaos. to bring balance to this war - ravaged land, zurvasha created the avahran, six divine stewards, each governing a natural element. these stewards forged the foundation of the land. however, varghat's remnants seeped into the earth, creating places of corruption and spawning creatures of darkness that sought to undo the stewards' work. the avahran, unable to deal with varghat's lingering power, imbued their essence into a mortal champion, a visionary leader who would come to be eshandar, whom they tasked with uniting the warring tribes and protecting the land from chaos.

and thus, the area got divided into three main districts:

the golden plains (dasht-e - zar), which were expansive deserts with golden sand dunes. oases dotted throughout serve as hubs for trade and agriculture.

the riverlands (abshahr), which were fertile lands fed by the twin rivers, believed to be gifts from ahryvaun.

the azure mountains (kuh - e - lazvard), which were towering peaks rich in precious gems like lapis lazuli, believed to house spirits and dragons.

one of the most important locations in zarnesha is the temple of the sixfold flame, an ancient site where the rivers met. it is said that this is where eshandar made a sacred pact with the avahran and received what would now be two of the infamous royal objects given to each new generation. the first is the shamshir - e - borhan (the sword of clarity), a blade imbued with mehrathar's light, capable of dispelling corruption. then comes the farvanaar mantle, a shimmering cloak woven with the winds of vayoran, granting eshandar the voice to unite people. it was through eshandar that future warriors were able to fight the darkspawn.

the nation thrives on trade, exporting silk, spices, gems and intricately designed weapons to distant lands, including thedas. the rivers varan and mazand allow for advanced irrigation systems that support agriculture. the caravan serai, an ancient trade route connecting them to other continents, ensures a steady influx of wealth and culture.

IMPORTANT HISTOICAL EVENTS.

zarnesha is founded around -3200 ancient by eshandar the first shahanshah, chosen by the avahran spirits.

early zarnesha thrives, rivers varan and mazand bring life and the people develop a magical system rooted in balance, not domination.

the fade is thin here too, so spirits often cross into the mortal world but are carefully bound and honored through the six pillars of balance.

as tevinter rises and arlathan falls, zarnesha remains distant and self - contained.

early explorers from tevinter vanish mysteriously trying to reach zarnesha, leaving behind myths of a "golden river kingdom" untouched by blood magic.

when the darkspawn rise in thedas, zarnesha feels a ripple in the fade, like a sickness infecting the spirit realm.

darkspawn emerge in zarnesha too, but differently. instead of pouring from the deep roads, they manifest in the mortal world through corrupted spirits. spirit wells become tainted pools. infected spirits, called "varzhan" (meaning "twisted echoes") fuse with beasts, dead things and even rocks, forming grotesque but semi - sentient horrors.

unlike thedas, zarnesha’s darkspawn are not endless armies. they are isolated outbreaks, tied to specific corrupted spirit wells. most of the country remains untouched, but wherever a well falls, the land becomes barren, cursed and dangerous.

the shahanshah at the time creates the order of the verdant spear, warrior - mystics trained to purify wells and destroy varzhan before they spread.

chantry envoys arrive much later, around 1 divine to 5:00 exalted.

zarnesha accepts their traders but bans chantry missionaries.

inquisition agents once tried to make contact during the chaos of corypheus’ uprising, but found a closed, heavily - guarded empire.

around 9:30 dragon, news of the fifth blight reaches zarnesha.

their scholars quickly note the difference: in thedas, darkspawn corrupt and conquer physically. in zarnesha, they corrupt spiritually, poisoning fade touchpoints.

some suspect that if zarnesha’s spirit - wells all fall, the nation would collapse from within, not through invasion, but through spiritual death.

as the veil weakens everywhere in 9:52 dragon, the number of corrupted spirit wells is rising alarmingly.

even strongholds once protected by the verdant spears are now faltering.

civil war is brewing between:

the order of the verdant spear (traditionalists who want to strengthen old spirit pacts) and the glass lotus circle (reformers who seek new magic, even blood magic, to fight the spreading corruption).

now, shahanshah ali rules a land on the brink. his court is split between advisors who believe they must awaken old powers and those who believe they must renew their pact with the avahran. in secret, ali sends a group of people to thedas, hoping to learn about the grey wardens and their knowledge of darkspawn taint before it's too late. this is where shams, a mage here, comes in. two years before the events of origins, at the border of zarnesha, a secretive cult from thedas known as the crimson altar found a hidden passage by shipwreck along the coast. this cult had forsaken the maker, worshiping the ancient dragons and believed that consuming dragon's blood granted them "ascension". during a ceremonial march between two holy cities, they abducted shams under the cover of a sandstorm, spiriting her to a hidden cavern. she is, then, forcefully fed a dragon's blood and is innately transformed.

her magic mutates overnight. upon her return, the zarneshan court was horrified. blood magic was strictly forbidden as it was seen as a violation of natural balance, a path to demonic possession. shams voluntarily submitted herself to isolation in the sacred shrines of avanisha, ancient places used for healing and spiritual testing. there, over months, she mastered her blood magic, reshaping it into something defensive, self - sacrificial and non - corrupting. instead of sacrificing others for power, she sacrificed her own blood to shield soldiers, cleanse wounds or ward off darkspawn taint. she invented spells like blood ward (sacrificing health to create protective barriers) and sanguine bond (linking to allies to absorb their pain). at the age of twenty, she is being trained to rise as the next commander in chief and one final task awaits her: uniting the forces between thedas and her own continent.

ORIGINS. shams arrives in ferelden before the events of the battle of ostagar and can be found in the camp when the player character first meets the wardens. she is there beside duncan, gently encouraging the recruits who are having second thoughts about the joining. she is surprised by ariel's appearance, as they have been friends since a young age, there and after she finds out how he is no longer in the circle, she is found conversing with him about it. in her specific tent, one can meet the forces she brought with her. they entail the verdant spears, the sapphire host (swift scouts and outriders), the azure shields (frontline defenders), the glass lotus circle (spirit healers) and the oathbearers (shams' personal guards). before the joining shams can optionally talk to the player character, giving them the chance to ask questions about zarnesha or get encouragement before facing the joining. regarding her quest, it can be divided into a few categories.

after ostagar’s fall, shams is among the few who survive, but she is wounded and separated from her army. the warden has to find her and reunite the scattered forces, bringing them together to rebuild strength against the blight. this quest will also determine whether shams and her soldiers will fight alongside the warden later or not. after ostagar’s destruction, the player character is traveling with morrigan and alistair. at night, around their second or third campfire, a dream - vision comes. the character sees shams surrounded by a broken battlefield, clutching a bloodstained standard and calling their name. this could be interpreted as a “pull of fate”, suggesting shams might still be alive.

THE FIELDS OF RUIN:

the characters will return to the outskirts of ostagar (now a haunted ruin overrun with darkspawn) and search for markers left by the surviving zarneshan soldiers: sunburst carvings etched into trees and rocks.

eventually, they find a small collapsed shrine, where shams has been hiding and tending to the wounded, injured but alive, her armor battered. when she is found, she is kneeling over a dying soldier, quietly praying.

she insists on standing and fighting, despite her wounds and explains what had happened. many of her forces scattered during the chaos. others tried to protect civilians fleeing the battlefield. a few are trapped or held prisoner by darkspawn or sheltering in abandoned villages nearby.

and as thus, a new objective is formed: track down the five scattered divisions of the zarneshan army.

each division is its own mini - mission: the verdant spears are trapped in a ruined tower south of ostagar, besieged by darkspawn and blood mages. the sapphire host are caught in a swamp where the fade leaks into reality, suffering hallucinations. the azure shields are fortifying a collapsed bridge and one must defend their position in a desperate siege event. the glass lotus circle are hiding in a desecrated chantry, so the pc must cleanse the area of corrupted spirits before they can move. lastly, the oathbearers were tasked with defending the retreat routes but were betrayed by a local bann seeking to curry favor with loghain. the player must track them to a small, fortified estate where the bann has imprisoned the surviving oathbearers as leverage.

once all divisions are found, shams calls a final gathering at her camp. in return for their help, shams and her forces promise to aid the warden at key battles, including redcliffe, denerim and even the landsmeet if they survive that long. a few special side options can be unlocked:

summoning zarneshan healers during sieges

calling zarneshan honor guards as temporary party members for certain large battles

AWAKENING. after the events of origins, shams kept her oath to remain loyal to ferelden until its lands were stable. now working with the warden - commander, ariel, she is elevated to commander in chief of zarnesha's military and has created the lion guard, elite warriors with lion emblems representing courage and the immortal warriors, a separate regiment, hand - picked from childhood by her generals and trained in the arts of combat, magic and diplomacy. while she remains with her current forces in thedas, she has put trust in her soldiers to train those two new factions until they are needed, whether that is in thedas or zarnesha. shams establishes a fortified outpost at the ruins of an ancient tevinter watchtower near amaranthine, now called sarn thaen. her forces back roaming darkspawn hordes outside of warden control and protect local villages.

while they were offered lands by the surviving ferelden nobles, she refused any official lordship, choosing to live as protectors and friends to the people instead. she can be easily found due to her connection to ariel. if allied with, zarnesha becomes a critical support force for the grey wardens, especially defending amaranthine or vigil’s keep. if virgil's keep survives, she builds a small permanent settlement, a blend of ferelden and zarneshan culture, teaching new grey wardens desert tactics. she returns to zarnesha, but remains in contact with the grey wardens through ariel as they exchange letters throughout the years.

INQUISITION. by 9:41 dragon, shams has officially become sardar - ahura (supreme commander in ancient zarneshan tongue), head of zarnesha's military and a powerful figure in the royal court. her experience with blood magic and darkspawn in thedas caused her to advocate for opening limited diplomacy between zarnesha and distant nations, quite a controversial stance. when the breach tears open the sky, zarnesha already suspects something darker is stirring. the council of twelve (zarnesha's ruling court) sends a formal delegation to the inquisition once it stabilizes at skyhold and shams is among them, this time as ambassador - general and military attaché. her official purpose is to offer assistance against the rifts and tevinter incursions in the south, observe the inquisiton's strength and judge whether a formal alliance would benefit her homeland and seek knowledge about red lyrium and ancient blood magic artifacts.

she can usually be found overlooking the training grounds where soldiers spar, often advising trainers and helping mages in the undercroft research how to better contain or close rifts without relying on raw destruction. during her time in thedas, there are two side quests relating to her. the first is where she asks the inquisitor to help her destroy an ancient artifact tied to forbidden dragon blood rituals hidden in orlais. the second one is a simpler quest: she proposes a joint training mission where inquisition forces and zarneshan soldiers working together to close minor rifts. during her time with the inquisition, she struggles with the use of red lyrium, as it only reminds her of what happened years ago. she does questions, quietly, whether there is truly any safe blood magic or if she is just living on borrowed time.

if the inquisition leans toward diplomacy and healing, she might suggest forming a permanent alliance between zarnesha and the rebuilt southern kingdoms.

if the inquisition abuses magic, she quietly withdraws, taking her forces with her to protect her homeland from a world spiraling into madness.

VEILGUARD. during the events of the game, shams is more of an npc than an actual companion. she returns immediately to her homeland after trespasser because the fractures in the veil are affecting her homeland too. zarnesha is at a crossroads: do they remain isolationist or finally engage fully with the world beyond? she leads a new diplomatic mission called the sapphire concord, a council of zarneshan generals, mages and scholars who now try to build relationships beyond their borders, starting with tevinter, nevarra and orlais. she helps train new blood mages, but under strict codes of discipline, drawing on both zarneshan traditions and modern magical theory from the college of enchanters.

around act two the party will learn that she voluntarily entered a massive unstable rift in the anderfels to seal a growing veil tear. she's trapped inside a part of the fade, a mirrored image of her home, where spirits recreate her memories, fears and ideals, trying to convince her to stay forever. the quest will involve getting her out of said fade pocket, where the party will meet mirrored versions of her generals, parents and even a twisted version of herself that represents her blood magic corruption. they will have to face a high demon of regret that has bound shams' mind in chains of illusion. her own blood magic is used against the player unless they can invoke her humanity through dialogue. in the end, she offers to either return to her homeland for recovery reasons or stays with the veilguard as a blood warden of some sorts.

my preferred playthrough is the tragic end, in which shams will sacrifice herself as the fade corruption worsens, so she anchors the veil around zarnesha permanently, becoming a living spirit tied to her homeland. if a happy ending is preferred, however, she will then she founds a new school for blood and spirit mages called the sedaresh academy.

[chantlight]

VERSE / THE VEILGUARD.

This will be Cassandra's default involvement in DA:TV. It hinges on a scenario where the Inquisition was disbanded after Trespasser and the Inquisitor in question would not be involved in the way canon presents. (Default Inquisitor is Alanari.) Cassandra as High Seeker is instead the one to unite the South. That having been said, I'm very open to compromise / alternatives where applicable!

THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.

*The canonical gap between Trespasser and DA:TV is ten years, but I extend DA:I through Trespasser to five years total. This brings the gap down to seven years.

Cassandra did assume the mantle of High Seeker after Lucius Corin's death during DA:I. However, shortly after Trespasser, she resigned her place on the Exalted Council and formally left the service of Divine Victoria / the Chantry of Andraste. This was followed by a journey to investigate the roots of the Seekers of Truth and decide the sort of order into which they'd be rebuilt. Were they rotten from the start or had there once been a purer purpose to which they could be returned? What exactly happened is a story of its own, but she returned with a prophet to champion and a new direction for her order.

This caused a rift within the Seekers. A few of those who'd survived Corin's purge chose to remain with the Chantry of Andraste or quit the life entirely. The rest followed Cassandra into Nevarra to build anew. They likewise accepted the same prophet, whose revelation to Nevarra created increasing tension with the Chantry of Andraste. Her popularity would only grow over the next seven years.

When tensions began to rise, Divine Victoria (Leliana, by default) approached Cassandra in secret. She asked that Cassandra turn her Seekers toward the hunt for Solas. In exchange, the Divine would do all in her power to avert an Exalted March or other reprisal. Cassandra agreed. Publicly, she and the Divine are in poor standing with one another. Privately, they coordinate to keep Thedas together and prevent an apocalypse.

To be clear, Cassandra and her Seekers remain independent. She does not reenter the Divine's or Chanty of Andraste's service. Rather she communicates with her and with the leaders of other cells also hunting Solas.

THE VEILGUARD.

Between the Antaam moving south and then unrest in Nevarra beginning in 9:49, Cassandra finds herself distracted from the hunt to take care of matters closer to home. This factors into why she doesn't come into contact with Rook sooner after Solas' failed ritual. That having been said, I do default to Rook finding out about the Sixth Blight's affect on the South much sooner. At least by the time they reach Nevarra / the Grand Necropolis.

Despite some recent controversies, Cassandra is the greatest hero Thedas has produced in the Dragon Age. She is easily one of the most famous people living with her legend being strongest in the South. She is an excellent choice to unite them in this crisis. (I would actually argue she was Divine Justinia's first choice for Inquisitor, but Cassandra herself is resistant to such roles.) She does choose to operate from Skyhold for its symbolic importance and strategic position, yet she retains the title of High Seeker and it is the Seekers of Truth stationed there, not a reformed Inquisition. She also coordinates with the North, especially Nevarra, to bring Thedas as a whole together in this fight.

A few default options for Rook to encounter her:

I will retain Rook's meetings in the Cobbled Swan, except they're meeting Cassandra and not the Inquisitor

In Nevarra / the Grand Necropolis coordinating with the Mourn Watch

In Skyhold as I don't see why Rook couldn't visit to coordinate with her people

In the Lighthouse but only if Rook invites her

Realistically, she's going to be too busy to join Rook on any quests. The South is just getting hammered by darkspawn, and she is put in the position of linchpin holding various groups together. However, I will retain the Inquisitor's involvement in the final battle — except, again, Cassandra is the one present. She will have brought a force, largely but not exclusively comprised of Seekers, with her.

[berthindeath]

INQUISITION  COMPANION  →  VEILGUARD  COMPANION  VERSE:

This  will  be  replacing  my  original  companion  verse

9:41  DRAGON:  The  Inquisition

Gwendolyn  Ingellvar  a  plucky  mid  twenties  historian,  a  glorified  librarian,  was  tasked  with  leaving  the  Necropolis  in  order  to  be  present  for  the  historic  Divine  Conclave  being  held  by  seated  divine,  Justinia  V.  Requested  by  King  Markus  Pentaghast,  the  Mourn  Watch  was  asked  to  send  an  envoy,  one  of  their  best  in  order  to  document  the  rising  tensions  in  the  South  and  bring  them  back  to  the  Watch,  to  keep  the  North  informed,  but  mainly,  himself.  Having  shown  her  passion  for  the  conservation  and  documentation  of  history,  she  was  selected  to  make  the  journey.

One  that  would  go  horrifically  and  fascinatingly  wrong.

Gwendolyn  never  made  it  to  the  conclave,  which  would  turn  out  to  be  a  fateful  mercy  as  it  may  have  been  what  ultimately,  saved  her  life.  Traveling  alone  for  the  first  time  outside  of  the  safety  of  the  Mourn  Watch  proved  to  be  harrowing.  Unlike  her  home,  she  understood  that  mages  were  kept  in  rigid  circles,  abusive  and  horrible  if  her  opinion  was  ever  sought,  her  travels  meant  to  be  a  straight  forward  path  straight  to  Haven.

She  had  never  anticipated  that  she  would  get  so  frightfully  turned  around.  And  when  she  had  attempted  to  correct  her  course,  the  locals  had  proven  to  be  far  less  helpful  than  she'd  imagined.

She,  with  a  thick  Nevarran  accent,  her  clothing  denoting  of  her  ranking  (a  decision  made  so  that  templars  would  not  be  quick  to  intercept  someone  of  dignitary  status)  but  that  meant  little  to  the  village  folk  that  looked  upon  this  darkly  dressed,  witch  of  a  woman.  She  was  either  turned  around  or  given  misleading  information.  Days  off  track,  it  became  apparent  to  her  that  she  may  very  well  not  make  it  to  the  conclave  at  all,  shaming  herself  and  the  Watch  for  her  ineptitude.

And  then,  she  heard  word  of  a  plague,  of  the  undead  that  have  overtaken  a  southern  marsh  that  was  overtaken  by  an  aggressive  Avvar  tribe.  Driven  by  her  innate  need  to  help,  she  found  herself  traveling  to  the  Fallow  Mire  when  reaching  Haven  in  time  became  impossible.  While  she  knew  she  would  be  reprimanded  upon  her  eventual  return,  the  plight  had  compelled  her  forward.

It  is  here  the  Inquisitor  will  find  Gwendolyn.  She  had  been  the  lead  that  gave  Scout  Harding  the  intelligence  of  the  inquisition  soldiers'  capture  when  she'd  been  here  to  assist  with  plague  research  and  aiding  those  afflicted.  She  also  insists  on  coming  along  with  the  search  for  the  wayward  apostate,  Widris,  imploring  that  she  could  appeal  to  her  and  assist  with  the  safe  handling  of  the  demons  and  spirits  she's  summoned  in  the  marsh.  This  in  turn,  makes  Widris  an  agent  for  the  Inquisition  when  Gwendolyn  communicates  with  her  as  a  mage  herself  and  it  will  be  safer  with  the  Inquisition.

Through  her  combat  prowess,  incredible  understanding  of  the  Fade  and  spirits,  and  her  keen  medical  training,  Gwendolyn  proves  to  be  an  asset  to  the  Inquisition  and  she  can  be  recruited.

While  at  Haven,  she  will  stay  with  Adan,  acting  as  his  assistant  until  the  siege  forces  them  to  relocate  to  Skyhold.  It  is  from  there  that  Adan  relinquishes  his  clinic  in  favor  of  Gwendolyn  taking  over  when  the  stress  of  the  role  became  too  much.  Gwendolyn  can  be  found  in  the  infirmary  tending  to  the  sick,  injured,  or  dying.  Acting  as  a  mortician  in  the  case  of  death,  she  attends  to  funerary  arrangements  for  their  dead.  Even  if  Fereldan  customs  disturbed  her.

Gwendolyn  is  granted  permission  to  remain  with  the  Inquisition  under  the  conditions  that  she  document  the  entirety  of  the  Inquisition's  life  span.  As  she  was  present  for  its  inception,  they  requested  she  remain  until  it's  inevitable  disbandment.  Gwendolyn  will  stay  with  an  Inquisitor,  regardless  of  approval  level  and  choices,  in  the  effort  of  preserving  history.  However,  regardless  of  the  decision  at  the  Exalted  Council,  Gwendolyn  must  return  to  Nevarra  and  to  her  post  with  the  Mourn  Watch.

9:53  DRAGON:  Veilguard

In  the  years  after  her  two  years  with  the  Inquisition,  she  published  her  dissertation  about  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  Southern  Inquisition.  It  was  an  academic  achievement  that  catapulted  her  status  within  the  order,  rising  through  the  ranks.  While  she  returned  to  her  typical  standard  work,  her  battle  tested  skillset  was  not  something  her  superiors  were  willing  to  ignore.  As  she's  faced  countless  enemies  of  all  types,  she  was  requested  to  consult  with  new  initiates  that  would  be  tasked  with  combat  and  protection.  She  offered  her  experience  to  them,  to  impart  her  knowledge  so  that  it  might  empower  them  in  their  most  sacred  of  duties.  She  felt  as  thought  she  had  finally  hit  her  stride,  she  had  a  purpose  that  she  adored.  Friends  made,  relationships  that  she  holds  incredibly  dear.  Life  was  good  back  in  Nevarra.

Until  the  War  of  the  Banners  began.

This  is  where  her  companion  role  intersects,  leading  a  pocket  of  reavers  and  mages  to  fend  off  an  attack  when  they  are  captured  by  undead  loyal  to  the  long  dead  king,  Tylus  Van  Markham.  It  pans  out  exactly  the  same  way  it  does  in  her  main  verse,  right  up  to  the  exile.

But  she  is  not  left  adrift  and  is  scooped  up  by  Varric  as  a  fresh  face  to  help  find  Solas,  but  is  folded  in  as  an  old  friend.  She  follows  them  across  Thedas  in  their  pursuit,  splitting  her  time  between  aiding  Varric  and  the  Inquisitor  until  the  leads  on  Solas  begin  to  prove  fruitful.  She  arrived  in  Minrathous,  but  the  team  never  made  it  to  the  rendezvous  point.  It  wasn't  until  later  that  she  had  realized  something  happened  to  them.

You  can  recruit  Gwendolyn  officially  when  you  unlock  the  eluvian  to  return  to  Minrathous.  She  will  have  found  the  Shadow  Dragons  and  assisted  them  until  Harding  is  able  to  send  word  and  come  find  her  with  them.  She  can  be  recruited  at  the  Shadow  Dragons  hideout.

I  will  get  into  her  quests  and  things  of  that  nature  later,  I  just  wanted  to  get  this  down  so  that  it  makes  sense  for  any  Inquisition  characters  I  might  get  to  interact  with!

If  you  made  it  this  far,  you  are  my  best  friend.

[illusivesoul]

A new chapter of my Femslash February 2022 fics, a year later lol. Morrigan/Leliana angsty smut.

Words: 2076 Read it on AO3

The flame engulfed the tip of the incense rod. Waiting a moment for the fire to warm it, Leliana blew into it to put it out, and the red hot tip of the rod emanated a powerful scent that began filling the rookery.

The spymaster sat against the stone wall, eyes closed as she let herself be enveloped by the smell of the incense and the warmth of the candles, though the comforting gaze of the statue of Andraste gave her all the warmth she needed.

She had come to value these moments in the dying hours of the day. All the crows were away, and they would begin arriving as soon as the sun started to crest over the horizon. Her agents were resting or away on missions.

.

For a couple hours, she would have the comforting silence she had come to enjoy, with only the moonlight that crept through the clouds and the window to keep her company.

She would have the silence and shadows that had become her home.

Closing her eyes as she kneeled in front of Andraste, she let the words fill her mind.

"The army of the faithful gathered before the gates of the city

Wept openly. And from among them voices raised

In threnody for Andraste wreathed in flame.

Though the fire enveloped her like a shroud, and the heat from the blaze

Reached across the field, Andraste was silent and did not cry out.

And the legionnaires who stood guard nearby

Were shaken, and began to whisper among themselves:

"Is she truly the servant of a god?"

The loud caw that rang across the rookery made the verses of the Chant vanish from her mind, and she instinctively found herself holding her dagger in front of her, her mind and body honed to confront threats at any moment should they arise.

Yet her eyes found nothing but the emptiness that had been her comfort just moments before.

A loud swooping sound was heard, and darkness enveloped the room as the candles were snuffed out, with only a few rays of moonlight preventing the darkness from completely overtaking the rookery.

Another caw, and when the brief noise of a spell vanished, a familiar presence made itself felt.

“I can smell you, witch”

“But can you see me, nightingale?” The voice whispered by her ear as a cold hand placed itself softly on top of her eyes, blocking her vision as another softly wrapped itself around her neck, the unnatural cold creeping into her skin making it clear that there was magic at work.

Leliana felt her resolve waiver, her grip on the dagger loosening as her hands fell to her side as Morrigan’s mouth found her neck, making a desperate gasp leave the spymaster’s lips as a deep kiss that would surely leave a mark was etched into her skin.

And the sensations stopped.

Opening her eyes and swiftly turning around, she was met by a smirking Morrigan , a large black robe covering all of her body and a half smile set on the witch’s face, enjoying the anger she saw rising on the redhead’s face.

“So predictable. You always did have that weak spot on your neck”

“Why are you here, Morrigan?”

“Must we play this game every time, Leliana? We both know I’m not here to join you in your praying to a statue and your silent maker” 

Leliana’s gaze followed Morrigan as she started to pace around the rookery, her long fingers tracing the shape of the now darkened Andraste.

"Shouldn't you have already run back to Celene's side? She must miss you greatly. I know she's found quite a lot of uses for your tongue, most of which go far beyond advice on the magical and the arcane"

Morrigan let out a brief but loud laugh "The Inquisition's dreaded spymaster jealous of the empress of Orlais? My, my. Jealousy is such an unbecoming trait, Leliana. I do understand your frustration though. I imagine being the left hand of the Divine and a woman of faith doesn't let you use your tongue in the ways that you so much enjoy" 

Morrigan's eyes drifted to the dagger in Leliana's hand, seeing the fingers tighten around its handle before she sheathed it.

"Would you have preferred that I'd be advising the Inquisitor instead? So we could gaze angrily at each other and exchange barbs during the strategy meetings? Getting you all worked up so that you can then push me into the many dark corners of this castle and…"

“Get out”

“The Inquisitor told me how you described me. ‘She's ruthless. Capable of anything’. Surprised you didn’t tell him that I ate children and set towns on fire for fun. Though you’re not one to tell stories anymore, from what I’ve heard”

“As if I would need to exaggerate to describe your… wickedness. I merely made the inquisitor aware that he should not let his guard down around you. The rotten apple doesn’t fall from the tree, after all” Leliana replied as she stepped closer to the witch.

Morrigan huffed, but Leliana noticed the way the witch’s fists clenched “Looks like your tongue hasn’t dulled. Shame you hardly put it to use other than to pray to the nothingness”

“You’d do well to leave now”

Morrigan leaned into the statue, and with a subtle movement, the robe partly opened, letting Leliana see enough to make whatever resolve she had left vanish.

“Make me, spymaster”

Those who oppose thee

Shall know the wrath of heaven.

Field and forest shall burn,

The spymaster's gauntlets hit the ground as Leliana pushed Morrigan against the wall, their mouths locked into a fiery kiss that made them both gasp loudly for air. This was the part that the witch always enjoyed the most, seeing Leliana's barely contained anger transform into unbridled passion. She pushed the woman's head downwards, Leliana gasping in pleasure as her lips moved from Morrigan's neck to the space between her breasts. Her head lingered there. Morrigan softly kneaded the red hair, and they didn't move for a moment. Too soft, too intimate, too vulnerable for her liking.

She nudged Leliana's head to the side, and the woman wasted no time in capturing a hardened nipple in her mouth, her hands softly grabbing the breast and massaging it. Morrigan closed her eyes and gasped as she listened to the pleasured sounds coming from Leliana as her lips and hands did wonders on her tits.

She knew how much the redhead enjoyed this, and she in turn took her pleasure out of hers.

The seas shall rise and devour them

The witch raised her hips to make them meet Leliana’s hungry mouth as the spymaster kneeled in front of her. The mouth that by now knew every fold, mark and line spot of her skin. The redhead placed one leg over her shoulder, placing some quick kisses on the stretch marks that adorned her stomach before burying herself in Morrigan’s core.

Morrigan moaned, letting out loud groans that filled the rookery as Leliana's fingers toyed with her soaked folds, her face buried in the black mound of hair between her legs, taking every scent and drop that came from the woman.

Morrigan buried her hand in the woman's red hair and pulled her back, Leliana's needy and wanton filled groan as her mouth parted from Morrigan’s fold making the witch’s knees feel weak. The sheer look of despair and want in the redhead's blue eyes as she met Morrigan’s along with the glow of wetness that covered the lower half of her face made a shiver go up and down the witch's spine.

Leliana tried to move forward, but Morrigan pulled her back, drawing out another groan in frustration from her before letting her finally plunge in once more.

The wind shall tear their nations

Leliana gasped against the cold stone as Morrigan held her closely from behind, her armour coming undone with the swiftness that only familiarity could bring.

Her legs spread, and the cold air coming through the roof brushed against her skin, but the feeling was soon drowned by Morrigan's fingers slipping inside her, curling upwards and reaching that spot that made the spymaster's knees weak at the same time as the woman’s other hand reached around her and began softly rubbing her engorged clit.

The redhead pushed against Morrigan, their bodies being as close as they could be, their moans uniting and turning into the symphony that they had grown accustomed over the years, a music that was only meant for their ears.

“Say it” Leliana demanded amidst her moans.

“Make me say it”

Leliana grabbed the back of Morrigan’s head and turned hers to meet her eyes “Say it, Morrigan”

“I… I love you” The witch answered, follow immediately by a curling of her fingers inside Leliana and another brushing of the woman’s clit, making the spymaster dissolve into a trembling mess only held upright by Morrigan’s grip.

They laid down on top of the black robe on the ground as Leliana’s climax passed, Morrigan enveloping the two of them in a comforting magical warmth that made the cold mountain wind vanish from her minds.

Morrigan moved her hand from Leliana, only for the spymaster to grab it and press it firmly around herself, not before planting a soft kiss on the palm of the witch’s hand. Morrigan placed a soft kiss on her neck as she held her tightly from behind, feeling the rhythm of their breaths moving in tandem as her eyes got lost in the full moons that shone their light over the two of them. 

“Are you still awake?” Morrigan asked after some time.

“Yes”

“Aren’t you going to ask about Kieran?”

“I want to, and at the same time I don’t.  You’ve made it clear that you don’t want me to be part of his life”

“I never said that”

“You did not have to. Your actions said it for you. He is already old enough to remember things, Morrigan. I’d rather he not think of me at all than be the woman he’ll see once every couple of years or once every decade when her mom decides to stop by. Because her mother is an egotistical, selfish…”

Morrigan felt her stomach sinking as she heard the pained hush Leliana let out, and she could tell without seeing that there were tears running down her face “Maker, you break my heart, Morrigan. Every time”.

Morrigan waited until enough time had passed, until Leliana’s breathing told her she was lost in the world of dreams before uttering words that only the 2 moons in the sky would listen “I am sorry, my love… for everything”

From the face of the earth,

Lightning shall rain down from the sky,

The loud caw that reached her ears made her eyes snap open as she stood, her heartbeat raising at the swiftness of her movement. As her vision cleared from the tiredness of sleep, Leliana saw several crows standing on the railing and near their cages, filling the air with their noises and with the small rolls of papers containing important information tied to their legs. 

"Morrigan?" Leliana asked as she stood, wrapping her arms around herself as the cold morning wind that entered through the open window brushed against her bare skin as the first rays of sunlight appeared over the horizon. 

She stood and took a few steps before noticing the large black robe on the ground. Wrapping it around herself, her eyes closed for a moment as the lingering traces of the perfume reached her nose.  The witch was gone. Leliana knew she wouldn't stay. She never did.

As her sight moved to the other side of the room, where the sunlight had started to shower the statue of Andraste. Yet this time, the statue's gaze gave no warmth, no comfort. Just an emotionless, cold, judging stare that Leliana felt it pierced the depths of her soul, so much that she had to turn her eyes away from it.

Once again she felt the sinking feeling in her stomach, the want to feel anger but only being able to feel regret, the constant longing that perhaps this time it would have been different, that perhaps this time… she would have stayed.

She knew better, yet she kept hoping.

"Morrigan?... Morrigan…"

They shall cry out to their false gods,

And find only silence.

[hoboblaidd]

Verses Full verse details are linked in each heading. The subheadings are the tags themselves.

Elvhenan

PRIMORDIAL | : Before the Firstborn elves took bodies, they were spirits. Sabahn is a spirit of Wisdom who is entwined with Mythal, a spirit of Benevolence. ELVHENAN | Titan Wars: the Firstborn elves' use of lyrium and earth to make themselves bodies angers/pains the Titans, and they are all thrust into a terrible war. Mythal and Solas eventually end the war by creating the lyrium dagger and severing the Titans’ dreams, and their pain creates the Blight. The Blight is sealed in the Deep Roads. The events of the war - and what he did - corrupt Wisdom into Pride. ELVHENAN | Second to Mythal: Elvhenan is built into a real empire, with faction wars and disputes following. Solas is the Left Hand of Mythal, operating much more clandestinely to keep Mythal in a strong position of power. Lot of infighting, courtly intrigue, etc. He earns the derogatory nickname of Mythal’s lapdog, which is where his eventual ‘Wolf’ title comes from. Ends with his rebellion.

Rebellion

REBELLION | General: This tag is a catchall for most rebellion threads. Solas' rebellion begins at the gods' apotheosis and ends with the creation of the Veil. He burns off his vallaslin, frees slaves, safeguards spirits, and builds an army under the banner of the Dread Wolf. The rebellion grows from subterfuge to guerilla warfare to finally a force capable of besieging the fortresses of the gods. Solas creates the Lighthouse, gains control of the Crossroads and backdoors into all eluvians. He places "Fen'harel altars" around the world for runaways and agents to safely communicate with the Lighthouse and to receive aid (e.g. skill points). REBELLION | the Forgotten One: In the early days of his rebellion, Solas infiltrates the Forgotten Ones to stop Anaris' coup. Among the gods of terror, malice, and death, Fen'harel is trickery (and lies). He honeypots Anaris, all while gaslighting him with the "I made people laugh at him" story. Solas lures them to the Deep Roads with the promise of power that can stop the Evanuris - the Blight. Once there, Solas traps and seals them in the "Void." REBELLION | the Veil: Solas' rebellion is destabilizing the empire enough that the gods turn to the Blight. Solas beseeches Mythal to intervene, and when she confronts the Evanuris, she is murdered. Solas' rebellion turns into a ruthless instrument of vengeance. He retrieves the lyrium dagger during the Disruption memory. At Skyhold, he tricks the gods into the center of Arlathan ("the Golden City"), and casts them and the Blight into the Fade. He binds their lifeforce to their prison, and is wholly incapacitated because of the magnitude of that spell.

Uthenera

UTHENERA | Roamer of the Beyond: Solas is completely out of commission after he puts the Veil up. It took all his power to imprison the gods and he’s incredibly weak. All interactions are in the Fade. This verse lasts for millennia, through every recorded Age until 9:39-9:40 Dragon. UTHENERA | the Dread Wolf Rises: Solas wakes in modern Thedas a year before the Breach. Weak in both body and power, Solas rediscovers the world he ruined, and sets his plan for Corypheus to unlock the Orb of Destruction and create the Anchor.

Inquisition

INQUISITION | : The events of the game. No one knows he's the Dread Wolf, and he plays his role as a quasi-advisor and expert on all things related to the Fade. Unless I’m interacting with an Inquisitor or we've talked about it before, I will default to my Lavellan/world state.

Trespasser and the Interim Years

INTERIM | Inquisition: 9:42-9:44. The two years between the defeat of Corypheus and the Exalted Council. Solas is not known as the Dread Wolf, but his powers are considerable. He's nominally "on the run" from the Inquisition, but in truth he's purposefully laying low. He's building up a considerable roster of agents and spies, and taking control of the eluvians. TRESPASSER | : 9:44. What it says on the tin. Two years after the defeat of Corypheus, the events at the Exalted Council take place and Solas is revealed as the Dread Wolf. INTERIM | Veilguard: 9:44-9:52. The eight years between Trespasser and Veilguard. Solas is crafting his plans and recruiting/utilizing his agents. This period is all about putting pieces into place. His network of agents is huge, the eluvians are all his, and he returns to the Lighthouse. Includes Tevinter Nights, the Missing, and Vows and Vengeance.

Veilguard

VEILGUARD | : The events of the game, which Solas spends primarily trapped in the regret prison. He is connected by blood magic to Rook, but other characters can talk with him in places where the Veil is thin, at Fen'harel altars, and if they're sensitive to spirits, ala Emmrich and Spite.

Post-Veilguard dependent on world state

VEILGUARD | Atonement: Solas is working to help with the Blight and the Titan problem. He spends the first few years in the regret prison before finally figuring out how to escape it. He can be spoken to in places where the Veil is thin, at Fen’harel altars, and if they're sensitive to spirits. Once Solas breaks out of Fade jail, he's still committed to his atonement and, if bound to the Veil, continues to protect it, but he's out and mostly in the Fade/Lighthouse. He said he'd safeguard the Veil while breathing - he never said where that breathing had to be done. VEILGUARD | Retribution: All other endings. Solas is unwillingly bound to the Veil. He's vengeful, and he's not going to give up after he's been imprisoned. The Dread Wolf has famously never been in a trap he couldn't get out of. Whether it takes him a year or a hundred, he's figuring a way out and how to break his binding to the Veil. He just has to heal first. VEILGUARD | Reckoning: Any post-Veilguard AU in which the Veil comes down.

[walkdreams]

❛❛ humanity will do its best to forget how much they need you.  and that's good. we need to stand apart from them.

in the world of thedas, the darkspawn are orc-like creatures who dwell in an underground network of tunnels known as the deep roads. every few centuries, they rise to the surface in a hive-mind attack led by an archdemon. these apocalyptic scourges are known as the blight. out of the darkspawn's tainted essence, enhanced warriors known as the grey wardens were created to kill the archdemon and put a stop to the blight no matter the cost. it has been over 400 years since the last blight, but the fifth blight finally takes root in the country of ferelden.

asteria amell once belonged to a noble house, but as a child, the templar order discovered she was a mage and sent her to the circle tower of ferelden ( a school for mages -- or a prison, depending on who you ask ). after helping a friend escape, she was forcefully drafted into the grey warden order. political treachery lost them the first attack against the blight in ostagar, killed the king of ferelden, wiped out nearly all the grey wardens -- only asteria and alistair survived. with ferelden's borders closed and political ambitions still taking precedence, two warden rookies and their motley crew of unlikely companions are thedas' last hope of stopping the blight before it spreads beyond control.

✧ headcanons ✧ visuals ✧ threads

☁️ . . . MAIN VERSES

✧ origins : the events of the first game unfold and ultimately end with asteria being the warden who kills the archdemon. she survives the ordeal albeit changed, having incidentally absorbed the archdemon's soul unto her own, a fact that is evident to anyone who sees her violet eyes (further explained here). [ alt. companion verse ] asteria can be picked up (or snuck out) during the circle tower crisis and join the warden's party. afterwards, she'd either live as an apostate mage or request to join the wardens as a new recruit during awakening. ✧ awakening / da: 2 : asteria becomes the new warden commander of ferelden tasked with rebuilding the order. however, tensions are high as her survival and rumors of her absorbing the archdemon's soul brew unease among the ranks. after she vanquishes the darkspawn threat in amaranthine, tensions begin to smooth over. she establishes the silver order and becomes the new arlessa of amaranthine ( although actively seeking a means to separate the two roles ). when the mage-templar war starts, asteria receives an influx of mage and templar refugees seeking to join the order. she sets out looking for a cure for the taint so that those who chose this path in desperation could someday reverse it. ( high potential for a crossover verse since asta's search can take her to all sorts of places even outside of thedas ) ✧ inquisition : my default is that asteria gave up her search for the cure and went straight to skyhold upon learning of the breach from a wisp in the fade. this happens sometime after warden commander clarel and the wardens of orlais are killed. after adamant, she becomes the temporary warden commander for the surviving orlesians and leads them in tandem with ferelden's warden forces against corypheus assuming the inquisitor accepts their aid. ✧ trespasser / veilguard : by this time asteria has died, likely in self-sacrifice after losing herself from the calling. mhairi has taken her place as the warden commander of ferelden. however, in death she's ascended / returned to being a spirit of command in the fade. it's very possible that she might be seen again, especially by those whom she took a particular affinity for. she might appear to help them in battle where the veil is thin or if they consent to a temporary possession.

☁️ . . . AU VERSES

✧ greek myth : asteria is the titan goddess of fallen stars and nocturnal oracles. she was a commander leading her father's northern celestial forces during the titanomachy, but was spared from being locked away in tartarus by her daughter hekate's appeal. after being pursued by zeus, asteria fled to the underworld, and has been nyx's ward ever since. [ full bio ] ✧ dnd / critical role : [ affiliated with duskildan ] asteria is the matron of ravens who presides over fate, winter, memories, and death. she was a mortal mage during the age of arcana, but ascended into her position after killing the previous death god. her name and her story has been wiped from historical memory. any remaining legends about her are varied and conflicting, but the one thing that is certain is that she has a disdain for orcus, the demon prince of undeath ( or koschei if we decide to integrate his au here too ). she actively seeks champions to defeat his undead forces and cult followers. ✧ fae verse : asteria is a faerie from the unseelie court and/or winter court. lots of flexibility here, but my default is affiliated with maeinade's unseelie queen, whom asteria assisted in usurping the previous monarch. [ alt. acotar verse ] also flexible. default is that asteria is illyrian, secretly a witch, and was one of the girls who joined the ranks in book 3. she fights in the battle against hybern, and uses her magic to save some but not all of the illyrians who were caught in the cauldron blast.

☁️ . . . DOSSIER

name. asteria amell diminutives. asta pronouns. she/her titles. champion of redcliffe, hero of ferelden, warden-commander of ferelden, arlessa of amaranthine (verse dependent) age. 19 ( during origins ), 31 ( during da:i ); 42 ( age of death, just before veilguard ) origin. free marcher (w/avvar roots), identifies as ferelden etymology. human mage, spirit medium (spirit of command incarnate)* sexuality. bisexual alignment. chaotic good / neutral relations. ethan amell ( father, deceased ) , revka amell ( mother, presumed dead ), leticia "leto" amell ( half-sister, alive ), aerick ( biological father, deceased ) height. 5'7" build. athletic & mesomorph hair. black & smooth as a river stone, usually kept back in a long braid. eyes. originally blue; now an unnatural violet scars. multiple faint scars, but the most prominent one is from the arrow she took at the tower of ishal. it sits right on her left shoulder, just below her collarbone, about the size of a coin and shaped like a gnarled silver star. there's an identical one on her left shoulder blade where the arrow pierced through. scents. rosemary, deathroot blossoms, bergamot. 

☁️ . . . ABILITIES / SKILLSET

* entropy & necromancy specialization.  the school of entropy deals with spells that attack the life force of an enemy and includes: creating death clouds to drain life energy (which can be absorbed to heal herself & companions), drawing residual spirit energy from the surrounding dead to replenish mana, paralyzing, disorienting, spirit bombing etc. necromancy allows her to call on and bind spirits from the fade to dead corpses and command them to attack on her behalf. * spirit medium . not a specialization that can be learned, but one she was born with. mages can interact with spirits and demons in the fade in their dreams, by physically summoning them with spells, or through their possessed vehicles, but spirit mediums are mages who have one foot in each of the two worlds. they can see through the veil and communicate with the beings on the other side at any given moment.  * grey warden abilities . wardens undergo a ritual (the joining) where they infuse darkspawn blood (the taint) with their own. this grants them: enhanced strength, durability, immunity to blighted illness, ability to sense when darkspawn are near, a connection to the darkspawn hivemind controlled by archdemons during a blight. typically, the archdemon can be seen & heard through dreams * archdemon soul absorption . after absorbing the archdemon's soul in the final boss battle, asteria essentially became an archmage, with an increased capacity for mana storage. she refuses to tap into that extra powerbank for a variety of reasons

☁️ . . . RESTRICTIONS

* other schools of magic . asteria was one of the top students of her class in the circle, and had to learn all the schools of magic at some capacity, but in the years since she's become a warden, she's been out of practice, and relies almost exclusively on entropy & necromancy if not her weapons. * high risk of possession. as a spirit medium, she can see through the veil in the waking word, but likewise those entities can see her. demons are often drawn to mediums like magnets and chisel away at their peace until their will is weak enough for a possession. * the calling . while the joining grants wardens increased abilities, it does not come without consequence. the taint is a poison which corrupts and overtime her mind will become more darkspawn than warden. this process is known as the calling. eventually through delusions it draws a warden to the deeproads where they are sure to meet their death or worse. it usually takes up to 30 years after a joining to hear the calling, but wardens, like asteria, who are active during a blight have this process accelerated, bringing it closer to 10 years. * archdemon soul absorption: although asteria has an increased mana powerbank to draw from, she still has a human body and to tap into that powerbank will take a massive toll on her physically. to draw on it completely might actually kill her.

☁️ . . . ADDITIONAL NOTES

house amell : previously one of the most influential noble families in kirkwall. the family's patriarch, lord aristide ( asteria's grand-uncle ), was favored to become viscount of the city after the chantry ( church of andraste ) called for the arrest the previous one. house amell was well regarded for hosting extravagant balls at lord aristide's estate, but also seen as devout andrastians. however, a slew of scandals tarnished the family name, including asteria's exposure as a mage, ultimately leading to their loss of the viscountship and all their wealth. you can read more about it here.

early childhood : asteria was six when her abilities manifested. as was customary among the elite class, her family did not report this to the chantry and instead hired a tutor to help asteria learn to control and conceal her magic. she was also kept isolated and indoors to mitigate the risk of exposure, but after sneaking out of the estate with her little sister and finding themselves in a heap of trouble, asteria used her powers and was immediately detained by the templars.

kinloch hold , the circle tower of ferelden : although asteria was born and raised in a different country, she was ultimately taken to the circle of ferelden. the kirkwall circle was notoriously known for mistreating mages, so the amells offered a hefty bribe to the chantry to ensure they sent her to a circle run under more humane conditions -- relatively speaking. as a foreigner coming from a place of such privilege, it was hard to make friends, and near impossible once the enchanters classified her as a spirit medium. jowan was the only friend she had.

the harrowing : young mages like asteria are brought into the circle of magi as apprentices who are taught how to wield their magic "to serve man, never to rule over them". the harrowing is a rite of passage every apprentice must undergo to be fully initiated as a member of the circle. an apprentice can be called in for their harrowing at any point during their studies, but usually after the age of 18. the harrowing seeks to test the strength of a mage's will and capability, but the nature of the test is kept secret. regardless, all apprentices know that failing means death. asteria completes her harrowing at age 19, but finds out jowan was refused the chance shortly after.

rite of tranquility : for apprentices who do not want to risk failing a harrowing or who the enchanters and templars deem unlikely to pass from the outset, the rite of tranquility becomes their only other option. it's a procedure that essentially lobatomizes a mage. it severs their tie to the fade, making it impossible for them to dream and thus impossible for a demon to possess them. however, without the ability to dream, they also lose the ability to feel. jowan was denied his harrowing and sought asteria's help to escape the tower to avoid being made tranquil.

perses : at ostagar, asteria cured a sick and unruly mabari hound. the mabari are beloved in ferelden culture, but asteria being a free marcher never really had any particular affinity for the beasts. nonetheless the hound stepped in during an ambush to save her, after which she allowed him to join her camp, naming him perses, the ravager. by the end of her origins campaign perses has grown on her and becomes an invaluable companion until the very end of her life. there's rarely anywhere she goes where he doesn't follow.

deal with the desire demon : you can find most of her canon path choices here, but the most relevant and important to note is that she makes a deal with the desire demon that was possessing connor. it allowed the demon to leave the boy alone for ten years, giving the impression that asteria had vanquished it, and in exchange the demon would cure her sister leto of the blight. she's deeply ashamed by this, and it's the main reason why she avoids any chance at reconnecting with her sister, although she'll use her new rank as warden commander as the excuse. during inquisition, the demon returns to possess connor and she will ask the inquisitor for help in making things right without risking the well being of her sister.

aerick : asteria's biological father. he was an exiled avvar tribesman ( a bloodline known for begetting spirit mediums ) who was then hired as personal guard to revka amell. his affair with revka wasn't suspected until asteria's spirit medium abilities manifested, at which point he was dismissed. he went on to serve the cousland house in ferelden, but died during howe's attack on the cousland family.

[bluepeachstudios]

What's one thing about GITS that nobody has noticed/asked about that you really want to talk about?

There's a whole meta thing going on with Ghost in the Shell that people have pointed out before, but Ghost is very much not part of that dimension. This shows in his more desaturated colors, in the way he acts, in the way he gets startled about stuff that logically in his universe makes no sense but in Riseverse it does.

Rat flu. He crops it up to everyone being dramatic about being sick. He's like "this cannot honestly be a real sickness". But in Rise, it is! So he's confused af.

The boys' disguises barely hide them. Ghost and his bros had to wrap themselves up so no part of them was showing, and RAPH can go out in some basketball shorts and a jersey and cap and no one questions him. This wilds Ghost out.

The kids can get really hard! LIKE RIDICULOUSLY SO!! Even the mutants can get hit by stuff that should have killed them, and they're fine!

The action figure stuck in the tea kettle.

It's very much a Rise-verse trait for people to not notice something that obvious. "Convenient Plot Device".

Ghost is from another universe where that logic wouldn't make sense. He's paranoid, and observant, and inquisitive.

So why did Ghost never notice the action figure in the tea kettle?

[mablikethequeen]

How Auguste Gave Laurent ‘The Talk'

The best thing about an Augustelives!verse where the Regent never existed is that young Laurent gets to learn about sex in a normal way

CW: 'the talk', discussion of consensual sex, coming out? kinda, mention of Hennike's repeated pregnancy loss. The whole thing is just Auguste being a good brother

Read on AO3 (rated T, 2k words)

“What’s a consummation?”

Startled, Auguste looked up from his work, the endless papers scattered in piles on the table before him.

Laurent stood at the other end of the table, reading from one of the pages. It was a drafted schedule for Auguste’s wedding celebration, one of the countless items he had worked on with the council to prepare for the days ahead.

“It’s part of the wedding ceremony,” Auguste said, trying to keep the response light and easy, hoping Laurent didn’t pry further. He continued his letter writing, his pen scratching across the page.

Laurent didn’t let him off easy. “I’m not invited to it.” It was not a question.

Auguste paused his writing mid-sentence. His brother was young still, and sweetly innocent. Auguste would not initiate a conversation he was not ready for. “It's for the adult guests only.”

Laurent’s brow furrowed. Auguste could sense an internal debate being endured— there was something else.

“Is that because there will be fucking?” asked Laurent.

"What?" He nearly dropped his pen. “Where did you hear that?”

Laurent stood straighter, flush rising in his cheeks. “The councilors told me.”

Auguste raised his eyebrows.

Laurent quickly caved: “I overheard them talking about it," he said, which meant that he had been sitting outside of the council room door for the entire meeting. Again.

"Laurent--" Auguste sighed, pressing the pads of his fingertips to his eyes. It wasn't the first time Laurent had overheard something he was not supposed to hear, especially during meetings of state. The council members tended to use colorful vocabulary amongst each other, resulting in occasional slips that were overheard by his brother's innocent ears. With Auguste's impending wedding, the topics of conversation at this week's council meeting had strayed into the business of the marriage bed. He should have expected Laurent to overhear, should have prepared something to say.

"It's not--" Auguste started, but he stopped and tried again. “‘Fucking' isn't a polite term to use.” It came out sterner than he intended.

The tips of Laurent's ears flushed pink, the color slowly spreading across his cheeks. "Sorry," he said, dipping his chin.

Auguste sighed, softening. "Do you know what it means?"

Laurent's flush deepened, as it always did when he was asked something he did not know. It didn’t happen often.

Auguste surveyed his little brother across the far end of the table, really seeing him, as was so easy to overlook in everyday life. Laurent was almost a young man now.  He was sharp, inquisitive. He studied whatever texts and maps and treaties he could get his hands on. But, like all scholars, he was limited to the contents of the library in which he dwelled, in this case, the royal library in Arles. Someone needed to tell him about the ways of the world, the things that he could not research in books. Both of their parents were gone now, and with startling realization, he recognized that the responsibility fell to him.

Auguste pushed out the chair adjacent to him, where his most trusted advisor would sit if this was a council meeting.

Laurent had joined him at this table countless times before, the act comfortable to them both, but today he approached tentatively, his posture rigid. He sat.

Auguste peered at Laurent’s downcast face. Was he—shy? Perhaps he had already been too harsh. Pity welled within him, deep in his stomach. “You're not in trouble," Auguste said.

Laurent sat very still, avoiding his gaze. They sat for a moment in tense silence.

Finally, Auguste said, "Tell me what you’ve heard.” He knew Laurent would be honest with him. Even if his cheeks colored and he stumbled to find the words, he would tell the truth.

“They said you would…” Laurent paused. “That the marriage,” he continued, “would be consummated after the ceremony. And that the council would witness it.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Auguste said.

Laurent held his gaze. “I looked up consummation in the dictionary.”  His expression changed, his brow furrowing. "It doesn't-- I don't get it."

Auguste pursed his lips; his tongue felt like sand in his mouth. “Have you read about sex before?”

Laurent gave the slightest shake of his head. His cheeks darkened further.

“It’s hard to… It isn’t…” Auguste felt the heat start to spread across his own face. He might actually catch fire any second now.

Laurent sat very still and straight on the edge of his chair. He waited.

Auguste rubbed his weary forehead. It was during moments like these that he missed their parents the most. “I wasn’t expecting to have this conversation with you tonight,” he admitted, releasing a half-formed laugh.

Laurent didn't waver.

Auguste felt sweat beginning to prickle the back of his neck. He hoped no one was around to hear this, for both his and Laurent’s sake. “When two people love each other very much,” he started, but that made him cringe. He cleared his throat. “When people,” he started again, “wish to be physically intimate, and it’s what they both want, they can choose to have sex. Erm, with each other,” he finished awkwardly. He actually wanted to catch fire now.

Laurent was still looking at him inquisitively.

“Those people can use their genitals, and, uh, put them together,” Auguste swallowed thickly. He could tell Laurent was trying to compose a neutral expression, trying and failing to hide his disgust. “During a consummation, that’s what the council needs to witness.” Auguste scratched at his sweat-dampened temple.

“Do you really have to?” Laurent asked.

“In front of the council?” Auguste asked. Consummations were voyeuristic in nature, yes, but it was tradition. He didn’t think about it too much.

“No,” said Laurent quickly, shaking his head. “Do you have to do.. uh.. it.”

Auguste examined his brother’s face carefully. “You mean if I have to have sex?”

Laurent paused, but slowly he nodded, his eyes round and blue. 

Auguste knew his brother was a very green innocent, as he had intentionally kept him so, especially after their parents were gone. The burden of raising Laurent himself was a heavy weight to bear, but it was one he bore with great sincerity. As far as he knew, Laurent was still unaware of the functional purpose of pets, what happened at late-night arena shows, and the business of the brothels in town. Even now, the young man sitting before him may not understand the full implications of what he was asking, but Auguste wouldn’t lie to him.

“Yes,” he said, carefully. "I do."

Laurent’s face scrunched in his distaste. “But do you want to have sex?”

“Well, um, yes,” Auguste replied, stumbling, unable to contain his blush. “But that’s okay. I want to have sex with her, as she does with me.”

Now Laurent just looked alarmed.

Auguste’s mind reeled as he tried to explain this in a way that made sense to a naïve mind. “It’s, uh, generally thought of as a pleasant thing to do.”

“Oh,” said Laurent. This was news to him. His brow was still furrowed, his eyes cast to the table in thought.

Auguste softened, wishing he had prepared for this moment. His own feelings of inadequacy as a stand-in parent loomed over his head. “A lot of people have sex regularly. It’s normal. And fun, even. For a wedding, the council observes the first time to make sure the marriage is properly consummated.”

“Why?”

“It validates the union. And in this case, to make sure the heirs are the king’s.” Auguste had carefully avoided an extra-marital pregnancy for years, which was especially forbidden for the Crown Prince of Vere. He had not yet adjusted to the idea of pregnancy being desirable. It was strange for him to think about, even now, days away from the wedding.

Laurent’s expression opened up at the mention of heirs, as if he hadn’t connected babies with sex until just now. More questions formed. Auguste prepared himself.

“You're going to make an heir in front of the council?” he asked.

“Perhaps,” said Auguste.  “I'd like to, but it may take a while."

"How, exactly? Why does it take a long time? Could it take all night?"

Auguste wondered if he looked as sweaty as he felt. "No, I mean..." he waited for the words to come. They didn't.

Laurent waited patiently.

Auguste cleared his throat. “When a penis is put in a vagina during sex, and at the end there’s…” he didn’t finish that sentence. Too much for today, perhaps. Thankfully, Laurent didn’t ask, so he didn’t elaborate. “Sometimes, a few weeks later, a pregnancy will take, and eventually a baby is born.”

"Sometimes," Laurent echoed.

“The right, uh, parts have to be present during sex for a pregnancy to happen. And even then, it doesn't always happen right away. Sometimes you have to have sex many times over many months to conceive a baby. You took years for Mom and Dad—” he stopped abruptly.

Perhaps this was too far. 

But Laurent perked up at the mention of their parents. “Mom and Dad?”

Auguste remembered his mother, the pregnancies, the life that drained from her with each passing loss. The joy when, finally, a second son was born. He remembered, even though he was only a boy at the time. Carefully, he said: “You were very wanted.”

Laurent seemed somewhat satisfied with this answer. He mulled it over, deep in thought. Auguste saw another question coming before Laurent spoke.

“What if,” Laurent started to ask, but he lost his confidence halfway through, and went silent again.

“Go on.”

Laurent spoke slowly, each word carefully selected. “What if the sex doesn't have the right parts for pregnancy? What if two men...?”

Auguste felt a knot in his chest. They had danced around the conversation of Laurent’s tastes for months, but it never quite came about. He wanted Laurent to realize for himself what he wanted, and to trust him with the information, knowing either of those could take a long time. They had come close to speaking of it only once, when Auguste caught Laurent lingering around the soldiers’ training arena, nervously saying he was there to study, the book in front of him unopened. At the time, Auguste hadn’t pried.

“That’s okay too, although there would be no heirs. But many people prefer to have sex that way.”

Laurent thought about this.

“Does everyone have a consummation when they get married?” Laurent asked.

“It's traditional in noble families,” said Auguste.

"Will I?"

“Only if you want one. You get the final say.”

Laurent pressed a crumb into the table with his index finger. It crackled against the wood. “I think I’d like to marry a man, one day.”

Auguste's heart bloomed with warmth, bursting outwards with brotherly affection, watching his brother grow up. It sparked the flame of protectiveness within him, the same that had been burning ever since Laurent was left within his care. He would do anything for his little brother, to make sure he got the life that he wanted, to provide for him in all the ways their parents would now never be able to.

“Then you shall,” Auguste said, more of a promise than anything else.

Laurent smiled at him like he was his entire world. The tips of his ears were still pink, but his shoulders began to relax. “I’m glad I don’t have to go to your consummation.”

Auguste laughed, genuinely. “I’m glad you don’t either.” The pressure eased a bit from his broad shoulders.

Auguste felt like Laurent was growing up too fast, that they were running out of time. His baby brother wasn’t a baby anymore. “One day, when you’re ready, you can decide to have sex with someone, if you’d like.”

Laurent scrunched his nose, a half-hearted expression that Auguste saw right through. The day would come, was coming, when someone would catch Laurent’s eye. No matter how long it took, Auguste would never be ready for it. He felt a knot rise in his throat, and with it the impulse to beg Laurent to stay little forever.

Instead, he said: “You should love him, whoever he is. I have no doubt you will choose someone worthy of you.”

Laurent nodded sincerely. “I will.” And he would, for no other reason than to honor his brother’s advice.

Auguste knew his words would not be wasted. He paused for a moment, allowing Laurent to ask additional questions if he had them, but none came. Auguste sat forward in his chair again, picking up his pen.

“I have a few more letters to get through, if you want to stay,” he offered. He knew Laurent's favorite way to spend an evening was at his side, answering letters, trying to run their country, together.

Laurent nodded eagerly, sitting forward as well. He picked up the next letter in the stack, broke the seal, and began to read.

[crosaidi]

Dragon Age verse notes:

Grey Warden, originally from the Free Marches. Half-elven ( dalish on his father's side ), but was raised by his mother alone. He knows his heritage, but isn't particularly open about it and since in Thedas the human traits run stronger than the elvish ones, he doesn't look it outwardly. But he is more empathetic than most to the treatment of elves and doesn't tolerate mistreatment.

Joined the Wardens during the rise of the fifth Blight. He was not at Ostagar — he was traveling there when word was raised — but was at the Battle of Denerim. Not against the archdemon, but on the streets and with the rest of the soldiers and fighters.

Was not involved in the dealings with Kirkwall, but of course knew of them. He spent a good amount of time in the wilds purging whatever darkspawn he could find.

The false Calling came with the rip in the sky. He felt it too, because how could he not? He stuck by the word of those he trusted ( Stroud or Alistair, depending ) and didn't follow the rest to the Western Approach and Adamant.

He can join the Inquisition through a mission where a farmland has had a rift open on top of it and he's holding off the demons to get the survivors clear.

[abracadabruhs]

josh dallas, gay, trans male + he/him → isn’t that arthur asmodeus caliburn? i’ve seen them hanging out with the counselors. i hear they’re 33, but they’ve been been coming to camp for 13 years. they seem to be studious & inquisitive, but also aloof & dismissive. it’s cool that they’re capable of astral projection, divination, healing, & telekinesis! their aesthetics are also spell books lifting off the ground, cycles of magic in a circle, gilded iron mirror used for scrying. | written by ian 

name: arthur asmodeus caliburn nicknames: arty, ass (affectionate) date of birth: February 14, 1994 age: thirty-three face claim: josh dallas height: 6ft 1 dominant hand: ambidextrous occupation: camp counselor.

basic powers: spellcasting, potion making, scrying, mediumship, advanced powers: astral projection, divination, healing, & telekinesis

parents: unknown mother (deceased), unknown father (deceased)

astrological sign: aquarius sun sign, aries moon sign, sag rising sign positive traits: Attentive, Curious, Focused. Studious. Inquisitive. negative traits: Aloof, Dismissive, Closed Off, Mysterious, Focused. quirks: Enjoys when a spell requires a glass of wine. (might have been added to the spell by him in the first place.) pet peeves: people who interrupt others, impulsivity, callousness.

sexual orientation: gay, but you never know~ 😉 sexual position: verse

clothing style: A lot of casual wear for a camp conselour, slacks, ties, and long sleeve dress shirts. prominent features: fan fiction blue eyes, can occasionally have facial hair, assinspirations: john henry moore (ahs), magnus (shadow hunters), ambrose (caos), zoe (ahs).

biography, if you'd like: s o o n .

Was taken from his coven at a young age.

Lived life not knowing he had these abilities until he had a mysterious accident.

Ran away and has been hiding from people for years, only researching tiny tidbits of magic he could get his hands on.

Attempts to find the camp and maybe finds something more??

Finally locates Caldron Bubble and decides to stay and help cultivate others talents and make lasting bonds with both the counselors and campers.

extras: