#'Varric who's about to be viscount of Kirkwall would you like to be friends and unite the Free Marches in democracy :)'

[varyathevillain]

Sebastian Vael would've been such a better character for the Dragon Age fandom to enjoy if in act 3 instead of the shitty "here, have a Leliana cameo and another proof there's Blood Magic Everywhere in Kirkwall, go fetch!" quest, we had a different one.

Let's say... Hawke has an option of investigating a weird deal between a chantry sister and a Starkhaven diplomat, and during it you uncover that the chantry has been embezzling from Starkhaven's treasury, as well as putting "former chantry members" (read: malleable or outright Chantry puppets) in the ruling circle which is currently holding Starkhaven afloat in absence of Sebastian as their Prince.

If Sebastian is not in the party as you uncover this, you have an option to either tell him about it, or investigate the questline further. If he is, however, in the party as you find the first notice of something being wrong between Chantry and Starkhaven relations, Sebastian will exclaim that this is a mistake, someone posing outside (or within) a Chantry to implicate either Starkhaven royalty, or Grand Cleric Elthina, and reference Sister Petrice. The moment you involve him in the questline, however, he'll be locked in for the investigation missions, and start getting special points in the code, one for each encounter (including the very first one starting the questline), for the final confrontation of the questline. The same happens if you start involving Sebastian at any other point of the questline, but with less and less points available.

As you progress, there would be three more quests to go through, one of which even takes you to either the outskirts of Starkhaven, or to the busy streets of it, allowing 1) to show another city state of Free Marches, 2) where Sebastian comes from, 3) actually be worth your money for the DLC, if ideal DA2 still had him as a DLC companion. Which I still hate with burning passion a decision, same with Javik being DLC in ME3.

The questline has chantry sisters and nobles implicated, Flora Harriman reaching out to Hawke about weird decisions made in Starkhaven politics, resembling what her mother did, and at a second quest there's even a possibility of you uncovering a chantry brother in a contract with a Desire demon. It seems like it all leads up to corruption in the political sphere and stragglers in the Chantry circles, right?

Except. On the final quest. It is revealed that Elthina, in her own handwriting, no forgery as confirmed by any rogue in the party, has forced Grand Cleric of Starkhaven to resign, installed her own puppet (one of the chantry sisters you might see in Act 1) as a new Grand Cleric, all for a bid of "uniting the Free Marches under the Chantry banner". It also implies that Sister Petrice was telling the truth, and that Elthina was, in fact, more involved with the unrest against Qunari than one would believe in the base game (I believe she was involved, but it's not majorly pertaining to this post in particular). There's a letter that implies Lady Harimann was allowed to do what she did, because Elthina believed she'd be able to manipulate Sebastian in favour of the Chantry. It also unveils how many people of Starkhaven were hurt by this. Turns out, a lot.

Then, you can go about this questline ending several ways.

This is where the points counting in the background come into play.

If you did not bring Sebastian alongside you on any of the missions, or if there aren't enough points for you to sway him... Sebastian will claim the evidence as plot against his support of the Chantry and Elthina specifically, and burn the letters in particular, calling them a "bad replica of what sister Petrice tried to do". Elthina, on prodding, feigns innocence, or if you have not talked to Sebastian yet, calls him in to discuss "this silly accusation", which gives +15 rivalry if you're not in a locked relationship with him. He still burns the letters, and accuses you of believing the conspirators, or even being one of them. There are some undertones in Elthina's dialogue to imply she's ready to blackmail you back if you press the matter, and Hawke has no choice but to back off.

If you bring Sebastian along and your relationship with him at this point is so-so, neither a full friendship or a rivalry, you'd need at least 3 points with favourable dialogue, this makes Sebastian question the Chantry, even Elthina. You'd need all 4 points (bringing him from the get go in your party when they rock up to the start of the questline) without going further into discussion for him to buckle. With friendship, you'd need to bring him on at least 2 missions, or 3 with favourable dialogue. With rivalry, however, you need for him to be brought only on one mission with favourable dialogue, the final one, after which he'll even say that "You (Hawke) were right about me needing to step up and rule Starkhaven". On two missions if you want to bicker with him throughout the quests instead.

If you would manage to sway Sebastian by the end, you'd have one final choice: support him in standing up and demanding answers from Elthina, or asking him to forgive her involvement.

Supporting him on Friendship is the simplest, but supporting him on Rivalry ends up in Sebastian switching to Friendship, like with Merrill reversing her Friendship in Mirror Image if you don't give her the Arulin'Holm. This ends up in a calmly voiced, but very angry Sebastian Vael, pure venom in his words, listing how Elthina has abused his trust and his people by using faith in the Chantry, and manipulating a Prince of a sovereign nation for her own means. If you supported him on Rivalry, he'll have additional lines on how you've challenged him to see problems with Chantry and Templar order, as well as to come back to Starkhaven, and outright thank you right in front of Elthina, whose eyes will throw daggers in your direction. At the end of the speech, Sebastian will actually start removing pieces of his armour, them clattering to the floor at Elthina's feet, and walk out alongside you out of the Kirkwall chantry.

However, if you ask him to forgive Elthina, he'll have the biggest rivalry (+30) jump in the game if you aren't in a Friendship, and will briefly lash out at you, saying that complacency with his devotion to the Chantry is what got him and his people into this mess. On Rivalry, it's worse. Instead of a calm but angry and vicious reprimand of Elthina's actions, Sebastian will SCREAM at her, throw evidence in her face, and then scream at you on Rivalry for good measure, about how you can't simply forgive someone who would seek ruin his city, and is actively ruining Kirkwall. How he was blind to Elthina's actions, but sees now that blood magic isn't the rot at the city's heart that is dividing the Circle and Templar order, it's Chantry politicians like Elthina. And instead of armour pieces clattering to the ground, they're thrown at the feet of the Andraste statue, while Sebastian outright declares that if Elthina doesn't cease machinations in Starkhaven, he'll rage war against her, specifically, and everyone who would support her. Then, he storms out, alone.

You can insert either a "there's nothing to talk about" with Elthina afterwards in both endings of this form, or promises of Hawke "never holding a position in this city aside from carrying the Amell name".

After that, you can find Sebastian, clad in a new armour (simple, reminiscent of what Alistair wears in his introduction scene in DAO, only with the Starkhaven symbol emblazoned on an archer chest piece), with a box in his arms, on the steps out of Hightown into Lowtown. He jokes about how his whole life in Kirkwall can, at the same time, be put into a small box like this one, and be something world encompassing. After a dialogue, where he tells you he is going to live in a small hovel in Lowtown, since he doesn't want to even see the chantry building, or talk with nobles who'd gladly eat him and people of Starkhaven alive, until the moment Kirkwall unrest is over, since he wants stability for you and your city as well. Also, he'd rather spend money on his people and those in need, not himself.

If romanced, or with certain persuasion options, you can invite him to live with you. You can still try to invite him with a couple of options, but he'll deny them for various reasons. After that, he'd live near the market; or, if you managed to convince him, in Hawke's mansion.

If in a romance, there's a hot makeout scene in the library which fades to black implying a proper sex scene. If not, he'll have amusing additional scenes with other companions, especially other love interests, with a bit of hostility from Isabela and Anders, and a lot of genuine fun from Fenris and Merrill.

When you talk with him alone (at either Lowtown hovel or at home in the Library), Sebastian discusses, on Friendship, how he is still Andrastian, even if Chantry failed him and his, or on Rivalry how he feels that blind devotion blinded him to Chantry mistakes.

Banter between party members also changes, with one dialogue from Merrill implying that Sebastian is now helping refugees and the poor, Fenris talking about his efforts in making an organisation for former templars/chantry members expelled for one reason or another, Anders being surprised at a late night visit where Sebastian covered in blood (not his) brought him herbs and potion flasks as a peace offering, et cetera. There's still tension over Sebastian belief in the Chant and Andraste, but it's not anymore about him having to perform for the Chantry and his public image.

If you don't complete the quest with this ending, Sebastian Vael still demands Anders to be executed, or he'll wage war. But if you do... he confesses that Anders has asked him to warn as many people in Lowtown and Darktown not to come to the Hightown and chantry, but assumed this would be because of Meredith and Orsino outright fighting in front of Elthina, not this... murder.

He will, however, draw his bow and point an arrow at Anders, saying that this was not the answer to help his cause, and Anders needs to pay now. Hawke can allow him to do that, or step in.

In a so-so relationship, if you choose anything else but "I will execute him myself" or relent to Sebastian's demand and let him shoot Anders? Vael will spit at your feet and leave your party and the conflict, resulting in a very similar ending to his character as in the original DA2, just less anti-mage and pro-Chantry.

However, in a Friendship or Rivalry, it's very easy to convince him to still stay at your side and see it through. With his unknowing help, many innocents of Kirkwall were saved, and now he has to stick around to help as well, and to either see Anders pay for his crimes with work and healing, not redemption through martyr-like murder, or to understand that this, inadvertently, would be every city across Southern Thedas, including Starkhaven, if Chantry dogma supported by Templars will continue murder, physical and emotional, of mages. He'll have additional dialogue depending on whether you're a mage Hawke, or if Bethany died/is in Circle.

In Romance, Sebastian will lower his bow immediately as Hawke steps between. You'll have to mess up really badly in dialogue for him to storm out.

[vigilskeep]

Considering DA protags are referred to by either title or surname, got any headcanons about that?

i’m going to be real with you i’m not sure i understand what this ask means or if it’s in reference to something i’ve forgotten but i’m going to give it my best shot anyway? and simply proceed to ramble. it’s late so i’m going to be very rambley

i’ve always taken particular notice of duncan’s codex entry saying it’s commonplace for wardens to drop their family names as a sign of abandoning their ties outside the wardens. so the warden being known by their family name is an act of defiance against warden tradition. it’s a good representation of how many warden codes they had to break to do the job, and what firm ties they tend to still have to their respective origins. reminds you that the warden is very often the ultimate anomaly. it can be something of a rallying cry for those whose names arent the type to ordinarily be heard across thedas

as for the ‘hero of ferelden’ title, there’s a couple great things about that one. firstly, it directly mimics loghain’s title, the hero of river dane, which is delicious. who knows how long yours will outlive the death of his, when the wheel of history turns once more! otherwise, i’m super interested in it tying the warden to ferelden especially if the warden is not from ferelden. if you’re dalish, how do you feel about nationhood being applied to you? if you’re a dwarf, are you paragon or hero first? if you’re a city elf or a circle mage, how do you feel about this being the moment they finally suddenly want to decide you’re ‘of’ the same people, rather than pushing you aside? etc

‘hawke’ is so great. love how it depersonifies them. love how they’re the one who doesn’t rlly get a nickname from varric; hawke is the nickname, the false persona carrying the story. love that malcolm probably went by ‘hawke’ too and they stepped right into his shoes. love the genderlessness. love the flavour it gives to the names carver hawke and bethany hawke, the twins who can never be the hawke and struggle to get out from under that shadow, but also are in some ways freer in getting to have their own unique names appended, not made into a lifeless symbol

i’m very fond of ‘champion of kirkwall’. there’s a great beautiful confusing dead tradition of referring to nobles simply as their place name, which would be like for example referring to sebastian himself as starkhaven or anora herself as ferelden, and i would love that to apply to hawke in this case. it’s more relevant if they go dark and become viscount but i think all champions should get it as a treat. you don’t even get to be hawke; you are kirkwall. you clawed your way up it and now it’s a part of you, caked under your fingernails. i like how kirkwall claims them as its champion no matter if they were just fighting for their friend. in da2 everything is narrative, decided after the fact

i wish we could get more into herald of andraste because to me it screams end-of-days cult. a herald arrives ahead of someone, a herald announces them. the implication of a herald of andraste is that they have been sent to cry that she is coming

[songofamazon]

Quizquisition: Journey to Veilguard

Hey you! Yes, you. I have some questions about your Inquisitor from Dragon Age. Because I love learning about people's Inquisitors and sharing about mine too. I'm going to ask open questions about your (yes, yours too!) Inquisitor(s) taking them from their background to possible interactions in Veilguard.

This is putting all of the prompts that I have been gradually posting over the last two months in one place, in case you'd like to answer them all at once.

Questions are under the cut as the last few include minor spoilers for the beginning of Veilguard.

Who is your Inquisitor? Give us a basic bio of who they were before they became Inquisitor and any key choices they made during the inquisition.

What does your Inquisitor look like? How has their appearance changed between Inquisition and Veilguard?

What does your inquisitor believe? Has that changed over time?

Tell us about your Inquisitor’s family. What does family mean to them?

Who are your inquisitor’s closest friends (before, during, and/or after DA:I)? Romantic relationships? What draws them together? What do they do together?

What characters from other Dragon Age games (or other DA media) do you think your Inquisitor would get along with? Does the Inquisitor ever get a chance to meet them?

What are/were their favorite parts about being Inquisitor?

What is/was their least favorite part of being Inquisitor?

How did becoming Inquisitor and their subsequent adventures and relationships affect their worldview?

How did/does your Inquisitor react to people treating them as a celebrity, hero, or saint as the Inquisitor and “Herald of Andraste”?

Immediately after Trespasser, what are your Inquisitor’s goals?

Did your Inquisitor maintain or disband the Inquisition after Trespasser? What does the Inquisition (or its remnants) look like going forward? What does the Inquisitor see as their role?

How did your Inquisitor react to losing their hand, and the Anchor? How do they feel about their disability? How have people around them responded to the amputation, and how does the Inquisitor react?

After Trespasser, did the Inquisitor visit or go home? If not, why not? If so, what was homecoming like? What felt most comfortable? What parts of reverse culture shock were the most difficult?

At some point after Tresspasser, Skyhold was closed to the Inquisition and turned into a historical preserve under a Chantry caretaker. How did the Inquisitor react to this news? Where did they go when the Inquisition was told to leave? (Or were they already elsewhere?)

As the new Viscount of Kirkwall, Varric Tethras grants the Inquisitor a title and estate in Kirkwall. What does the Inquisitor do with that estate?

After Tresspasser, which places or specific character's homes did the Inquisitor want to visit? Did they go? How was it?

Aside from stopping Solas, does the Inquisitor have any other "causes" they are working on in the years leading up to the Veilguard?

What questions are keeping your Inquisitor up at night?

What is the Inquisitor's romantic status immediately before Veilguard?

The Inquisitor has been through a lot of traumatic events. What kind of self-care do they perform to help heal from that trauma?

What are the Inquisitor's hopes and dreams for the future? How have they changed over time?

What does the Inquisitor regret?

Of the new Veilguard characters, who is the Inquisitor most and least likely to get along with?

What do you think the Inquisitor's reaction will be to Rook? What will their relationship look like?

What is the first thing the Inquisitor would do upon arriving in the Lighthouse?

If the Inquisitor gets their own room in the Lighthouse, what would it look like?

What do you think will be the Inquisitor's reaction to seeing Lace Harding again?

What do you think will be the Inquisitor's reaction to seeing Solas again?

When Solas begins his ritual at the beginning of Veilguard, fade rifts split open in the sky all over the place. How does the Inquisitor react to seeing this?

Answer however you want: in fact bullets, fanfic snippets, interviews, art, comics, audio, video, interpretive dance, etc.

Answer as many or few of the prompts as you feel like.

Answer with one or many of your Inquisitors.

Let's hype each other's characters on the way to Veilguard!

If you want to tag it with something searchable, how about #Quizquisition ? Please do tag any spoilers or put them under a cut so no one gets caught unawares.

[daitranscripts]

Trespasser Conversation

Cassandra

Trespasser Masterpost Cassandra Masterpost

If the PC gets married Cassandra: I hear congratulations are in order, Inquisitor.

If not married before her cutscene Cassandra: Were you inspired by our chat earlier? (Chuckles.) Don’t answer that. I prefer to pretend that was the case.

Married Cullen Cassandra: I am certain you and the commander will be very happy. He is… quite a catch.

Married Sera Cassandra: I am certain you and Sera will be… well, it will be enjoyable. To watch, even.

PC: Is that so?

Cassandra: Oh, yes. The Orlesian court is in absolute pandemonium over this, even by their standards.

—

If PC talked with Varric Cassandra: How did Varric, of all people, become the Viscount of Kirkwall? A mystery for the ages.

Cassandra (romanced): What would you like, my love? Cassandra (high approval): It is good to see you, my friend. Cassandra (neutral/low approval): Inquisitor.

Dialogue options:

Investigate (Divine): How have you been? [3]

Investigate (not Divine): The Chantry has changed. [2]

Investigate (rebuilding the Seekers): How are the Seekers? [4]

Investigate: About the Exalted Council… [5]

General: Farewell. [6]

2 - Investigate: How have you been? PC: So you’ve been quite busy. Cassandra: (Disgusted noise.) PC: That bad? Cassandra: Being Divine is like trying to herd a field of cats into a lake for a much-needed bath. Even so, I would be pleased with my progress, were it not for all the attendants picking over me constantly. And the hat. Needless to say, I’m more than happy for this diversion. [back to 1]

3 - Investigate: The Chantry has changed. PC: So what do you think of the Chantry? Cassandra: You ask me just to poke at me and see if I react, don’t you? It is what it is.

Leliana Divine Cassandra: Most Holy’s reforms are… interesting, to say the least. I hope they last once Leliana is gone.

Vivienne Divine Cassandra: Most Holy is a tyrant. Some would say she is what the Chantry needed, but I will never agree.

Cassandra: Regardless of what I think, it could have been far worse. You and I both remember the dark times we faced. Sadly, others have far shorter memories. [back to 1]

4 - Investigate: How are the Seekers? PC: I hear you’ve been rebuilding the Seekers. Cassandra: Slowly, but yes. I managed to find a few of my former comrades who’d scattered to the winds. Some of them were unsuitable, and I did not ask them to return. Others felt as I did, once they read the Lord Seeker’s tome. We’ve since recruited a few candidates who are going through training now—with full disclosure. What comes after this, I cannot be certain. I am making it up as I go along.

Dialogue options:

General: You’ll be fine. [7]

General: Don’t we all? [8]

General: Seekers are okay with that? [9]

7 - General: You’ll be fine. PC: I’m sure you’ll be fine, Cassandra. ㅤㅤ ㅤ Divine Cassandra: It’s much to handle on top of my duties as Divine. We shall see. [back to 1] ㅤㅤ ㅤ Not Divine Cassandra: I need to be better than “fine.” I want to build something that is worthy of lasting. [back to 1] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 8 - General: Don’t we all? PC: Sounds familiar. Cassandra: I thought you’d appreciate that. [back to 1] ㅤㅤ ㅤ 9 - General: Seekers are okay with that? PC: Your Seekers don’t mind you “making it up”? ㅤㅤ ㅤ Divine Cassandra: Not so far. I am the Divine, after all. [back to 1] ㅤㅤ ㅤ Not Divine Cassandra: If they ever do, I expect them to speak up about it. [back to 1]

5 - Investigate: About the Exalted Council… PC: What do you think of the Exalted Council? Cassandra: They are frightened of your power, and there is no longer a hole in the sky to remind them that it was needed.

Dialogue options:

General: Perhaps they’re right. [10]

General: They don’t have actual power. [11]

General: I could remind them. [12]

10 - General: Perhaps they’re right. PC: They might be right. Cassandra: Do not say that near them unless you want to give them the scent of blood. ㅤㅤ ㅤ 11 - General: They don’t have actual power. PC: It’s just talk, isn’t it? What could they actually do? Cassandra: Individually? Very little. As a united front? You do not have that much power, Inquisitor. ㅤㅤ ㅤ 12 - General: I could remind them. PC: Maybe what they need is a quick reminder of that power. Cassandra: Only if you want to stiffen their resolve. ㅤㅤ ㅤ 13 - Scene continues. ㅤㅤ ㅤ Cassandra: Even so, I would wait and see where this leads. Calmer heads may yet prevail. ㅤㅤ ㅤ PC: When has that ever been the case? ㅤㅤ ㅤ Cassandra: I’m an optimist. Just ask Varric. [back to 1]

6 - General: Farewell. PC: I’ll see you later. Cassandra: Farewell.

[blighted-elf]

your gif of varric talking to hawke about isabela makes me curious: what's your headcanon around how much varric stays in contact with the da2 companions after the game ends? :D like we know he'll send letters to the romanced companion in inquisition, but i'm curious on if you think he tries to maintain a friendship with them after or not

Ooh interesting question. Thank you for asking!

Purely just basing this on my own worldstate. Like you mentioned, he sends letters to the romanced companion (Izzy in my case) but I like to think he keeps in contact with all of them to varying degrees. As much as he complains about Sebastian and Anders, it's my headcanon that he still keeps in contact with them. The Kirkwall crew are a dysfunctional found family who fight and disagree to no end, but there will always be an underlying level of love there. A fundamental part of Varric is that he doesn't give up on people he cares about, even when he's mad at them or even when he probably should for his own sake. As for the others - I imagine he'd be in contact with Aveline a lot during his brief position as Kirkwall's Viscount. Fenris during and post Inquisition due to him helping the order. Isabela is one of his closest friends and so they'd keep in frequent touch even if she weren't an agent of the Inquisition. He's always checking in on Merrill and especially Bethany now that my Hawke has convinced herself that she needs to keep a distance from her loved ones or they'll get hurt.

On the contrary now that I think about it, my Hawke probably wouldn't stay in touch with any of them except Bethany, Isabela, Varric and Merrill. Not because she doesn't care for the others (because she does and always will) but because either the tense way things ended with them or just the differences in personality. She feels like it's better left alone. Guarantee that if you put her in a room with any of them again though, it would be like no time had passed between nights at the Hanged Man, shit talking over a game of Wicked Grace and the rather grim now.

What about you? Do you have any headcanons regarding it?

[immobiliter]

"So, it turns out, if you fund enough reconstruction efforts in a city-state, the nobles give you the worst job they can think of." "They want shit fixed, and I can do that."

so the amount of canon information we actually have on viscount varric is pretty small honestly ( i am hoping we might get some insight in veilguard, even if it's just to know who is in charge of kirkwall now, nearly 10 years on ), but what is made obvious by his scene with the inquisitor in trespasser is that varric didn't want to be viscount, but was voted in because he was one of the most effective individuals involved in reconstruction following the events of da2 and because he could actually make stuff happen rather than adhering to regulations and getting caught up in the red tape that would naturally accompany something on that scale.

this makes a huge amount of sense: varric is incredibly well connected and has a longstanding history of being the one to get things done. for years, he worked behind bartrand as a "professional younger brother" and he very much does the same for hawke during the game. as he says to carver in their da2 banter:

"You've got people who warm thrones, and people nobody sees who do the real work."

the position of viscount, the highest authority in the city, is arguably what varric would least want to be lmao. BUT he knows the state that kirkwall is in after everything that happened, he cares deeply about all of the ordinary people who live there, and has seen the abuse of power that has gone on in the city for years, so i do think this is a sacrifice he makes willingly because there's nobody else qualified or trustworthy enough for the role ( nor anyone else who wants it clearly lmao and, i mean, who would ), and he has the popularity among the nobles to actually win the vote — not only is he a famous author throughout a lot of southern thedas by this point ( i can't wait to find out if his books have made it to northern thedas in veilguard but i digress ), but he's also well known for being friends with the champion of kirkwall.

however, even though he's accompanied to the exalted council by the former "provisional" viscount bran cavin ( who presumably took over in the immediate aftermath of meredith and is a very by the book kind of guy ), i do think that varric only ever intends his tenure as viscount to be temporary. there is no way that he wants this to be his job for the rest of his life — evident seeing as he is currently in tevinter with harding seeking leads on solas's whereabouts. he's either majorly shirking his duties rn or he's handed over to a successor, and i want to say the latter is likely seeing as my working theory is that varric does not expect to return to kirkwall alive. also, as far as we know, he has no living heirs so upon his retirement or death the title would need to be given to somebody else. and, like bianca, kirkwall is one of the true loves of varric's life, so there is no way that he wouldn't ensure that the city is in a safe pair of hands before he left — unless, of course, he was forced to leave at short notice based on intelligence as to solas's whereabouts and i'm hoping veilguard will clarify this a little for us.

the position of viscount would also limit varric quite a bit. we know he has contacts in the carta, his editor runs a significant portion of the coterie and he has his fingers in a number of other morally questionable pies i'm sure lmao. being an elected head of state and therefore accountable to the people he serves would certainly force him to officially cut ties with some of these groups, though i also like to think that maybe varric enacts some kind of systematic reform to governance in kirkwall as a whole? complete change is needed to ensure that it's not just the nobles who elect one guy to serve as viscount, but that the city's needs are met by a group of individuals, perhaps, who all represent the different factions and groups in the city ( templars, mages, the coterie, the city guard ,the alienage, the nobles ) so that everyone is represented. he'd meet resistance, i'm sure, and i don't know whether varric would be able to push things so far that the citizens of kirkwall could actually vote for their leaders in a democratic society, given the feudal/medieval nature of thedas and the fact that this doesn't seem to be a system in place anywhere in the world ( that we know of ), but i think leaving kirkwall in the hands of a collective union of leaders would bring much more reassurance than leaving power unchecked in the hands of one person.

[deusexlachina]

Wannabe Warden Part 10: Everyone comes to me for help simultaneously because Kirkwall is not a functioning city

In which I stop people from killing the Qunari because they're afraid the Qunari will kill people so they try and make the Qunari kill people to prove their point.

I'm still reeling from losing Bethany, raging that my dream became her curse. I need to become a Grey Warden, not just for glory, but to reunite with my sister.

Unfortunately that will have to wait, because literally all of Kirkwall comes to me for help with everything at once. Merrill needs help fixing a mirror, Anders needs help icing a lobotomy-happy templar, Fenris is pursued by slavers, and Isabela needs to have sex with me Right Now.

Unfortunately for my friends, none of their needs are as urgent as the Viscount, who asks me to make peace with the Qunari before they attack. In fact, the Qunari are one of the most restrained factions in all of Kirkwall, where the most common form of social interaction is murder. Despite this, everyone is more afraid of them than the random assassins lurking around every corner who kill Anders in ONE HIT SERIOUSLY WHAT A FAT LOAD OF SHIT

The Qunari are led by the Arishok, the head of their military wing. The Qunari are a society ruled by the Qun, which gives everyone Assigned Roles and frowns on deviation. The Arishok now reveals that they're here to recover something precious that was stolen from them, but even then he doesn't explain what, what it's needed for, what it looks like or who might have stolen it, despite the fact that all of these have clear answers that the Arishok knows (book, religion, fancy, and definitely Isabela, respectively).

Tragically, if his role was as a diplomat or even a spy, he could easily solve this situation, but because of his rigidity, he knows nothing but the direct approach and will thus keep seeing everything as either a nail for that hammer or an unsolvable problem. The latest of these nails is an attempt to steal their gunpowder formula. I say attempt because they accidentally stole a poison gas formula disguised as a gunpowder formula, a substitution that could only be deceive a thief clever enough to recognize a weapons formula in a foreign language but not clever enough to recognize what sort of weapon it is.

With this warning, I rush to save Kirkwall from the poison gas. There's no time to explain to him the potential strategic flaws in withholding gunpowder but teaching your enemies how to make a powerful nerve agent that can massacre an entire block. Fortunately, Other Aveline is here to help. She gets a report from her guardsman, and, because I bluntly talk about the dangers, she reassures me that we missed the initial cloud. I'm glad she tells me this, because it's only true if she does.

Anders doesn't use his healing powers to neutralize the poison. Varric doesn't use his own poison gas skills to make an antidote. Instead, Other Aveline just decrees that the death mist is Over and it's perfectly safe to breathe without any kind of respiratory protection, like governments did with COVID except this is actually true, which I can only attribute to either the placebo effect or her guardsman's report taking so long that most of the gas has already been breathed up by the residents. Fortunately, I learned that there's a haze that smells like throw-up. Your tax dollars at work, Kirkwall.

This quest isn't too hard, as long as you don't do it in the sensible way. You see steel latches on the ground, helpfully highlit to indicate they're important, and, once Hawke picks one up, she says they could close the poison gas barrels. The sensible thing to do at this point is to immediately close gas barrels as quickly as possible, since that is your entire reason for being here. But if you do that, you'll die horribly, because each barrel you close triggers reinforcements.

The smart way to do this is to slay everybody in the deadly gas, which you wouldn't think would be difficult, but they're apparently immune to it, taking no damage even if you didn't "miss the initial cloud." So they're immune to poison? No, no. They're vulnerable to poison. But apparently not the one poison that would make my life easiest. It turns out this was all a setup by elves angry at the Qunari converting their fellow elves.

They wanted to steal gunpowder to make an explosion and pin it on the Qunari so the people of Kirkwall would hate and fear them which they already do. They didn't know they stole a nerve agent, but they caused a massacre with a Qunari weapon, so it all works out. I mean they all died and took numerous innocents with them, but it's farther than most plans get in Kirkwall.

I report back to the Arishok, who is furious that he is saddled with cleaning up our mess. But the Arishok is very restrained - he keeps composed even as he boils with rage. He's a terrific character, one of my inspirations for the Ogre Queen. He thanks me, says goodbye and gives me some gold. After this interaction which could have just as easily happened over a spot of tea and biccies, Varric is understandably terrified and says we should rush to warn the Viscount of the Arishok's anger. To appease Varric, I pop over to the Viscount, just in time for him to have another crisis not a literal day later, where the Qunari sent a delegation to him and they just disappeared. Other Aveline uses her investigation skills and social graces to discreetly look into this.

In the least shocking twist conceivable, the one behind this was the same person who was behind the last plot against the Qunari - Sister Petrice, the Priestess of Meanness! She recognizes me from last time, although she thinks my name is Serah. (She must be thinking of that girl in Denerim).

To deflect blame, she sells out Ser Varnell, a templar who is obviously working for her and pretends he isn't. I left Kirkwall just long enough to fail in my life's ambition and had to part ways with my sister and closest friend, and already there's a new conspiracy by people who should've learned their lesson years ago. And - The Last Straw - people keep getting my name wrong. I go Berserk. This makes me convert stamina to extra damage and also get an attack speed buff. More importantly, it gives me glowing red eyes because I have a mod that gives you red eyes if you're Berserk.

I find the delegates imprisoned and tortured, and tell Ser Varnell to fight someone who isn't bound. He misinterprets this and slits the last Qunari's throat. We massacre them and explain it to the Arishok. Because I do not try to hide this from him, I earn the Arishok's respect, something with next to no practical use but which I can't help but go for.

Unfortunately, he thinks my name is Panahedan.

[theluckywizard]

In the Shattering of Things, Ch. 45: An Irredeemable Flirt

Chapter Summary: Rose gets to know the Champion a little better at the Rest and bungles her way through a lesson in swordplay she wishes she was getting from Cullen.

Fic Summary: Lady Rose Trevelyan's idle, aristocratic life blinks out in a haze of irrelevance when the breach destroys the Conclave. She may be soft and coddled when she joins the Inquisition, but there's a fierceness inside her she's yet to fully recognize. Armed with only a few relevant skills and the mark that makes her a legend, she is thrust onto a path delivering hope where it’s long been scorched away and finds comfort in the grumpy, handsome stick in the mud charged with her protection and training. As she stumbles her way across southern Thedas, she begins to realize she's tangled at the center of machinations she barely understands, and she's not alone in that. Enter Hawke.

Excerpt:

At the Rest, Hawke sits like a man who is used to taking up space in whatever way he pleases. He leans comfortably in his chair with one long leg stretched out across the aisle, pulling it in for passersby whenever they come through. We drink dry ciders and I bite my nail while I scan and sign reports on scouting expeditions into Orlais and diplomatic summaries while we chat.

“And that is why I declined to be Kirkwall’s Viscount,” he says, watching me.

“Someone has to do this. It’s fallen to me,” I say simply. “I don’t mind the politics so far. Or the wrangling.”

“You wouldn’t rather be out slinging demon ichor?” he asks me with a smile like he knows it’s a ridiculous question. I imagine that would be his preference, legendary warrior that he is.

“I like being in the field but I’m not built for the kind of battles I find myself in– I don’t have nearly enough training and my instincts are all wrong considering. Trouble always seems to find me.”

“What a coincidence! Trouble finds me too.”

“Maybe if I’d gotten an earlier start as a fighter I’d like it more. But I’m better off here managing things than out there closing rifts with my bare hands.”

“Well, I’m glad it suits you, even if you didn’t ask for it. Better here though? I’ll be the judge.”

“Somebody has to make the difficult decisions around here.”

“True. You just don’t strike me as the offices and paperwork type.”

“I don’t?”

“You look like you’d rather be sitting up in a tree at any given moment,” he says with astonishing perception, a smile creeping up into one of his cheeks.

“You’re not wrong. But everyone’s looking to me to fix everything now. The trees will have to wait.”

He looks at me with an openness that has me in a permanent flush.

“Oof. That’s familiar. My friends understand on some level– but you– you’re living it. It’s novel to meet someone who shares that,” he says, choosing his words carefully. I quietly read a report, partially concealing the red in my cheeks behind it.

“Are you– hiding from me?” he asks after a moment, greatly amused.

“No,” I say, lowering the report enough to prove him wrong.

“You are ,” he says, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. I scrunch my face in embarrassment and summon an assertive response. I can’t hide from him forever.

“If I seem a little– out of sorts, it’s because I’m not used to sitting beside actual celebrities, even as the Herald of Andraste. ” He seems perfectly put out by this, furrowing his brow and rubbing the scruff all over his jaw before leaning back looking at me again.

“I’m just one man.”

“ Yes. One man that everyone knows about. There are books written about you. Statues of you!”

“Say what you will, but I never had a tavern named after me,” he says with a laugh. I shake my head at him. 

“Give it time.”

“Oh my legend has peaked already. I’m in the comfortable downswing where people stop expecting things from you,” he says. “Varric told me I can come off as intimidating. I’m not trying to be. But I suppose with all the rubbish I’ve dealt with over the years I’ve put on a sort of cover for it all.”

“A cover? That’s a shame,” I remark. “Then what are you actually like?”

“Bit of a goof, really,” he owns, taking a drink.

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” I reply, meeting his persistent eyes. “Besides, I’d like there to be some hope I’m spit out the other side of this still me somehow. No cover, just me.”

“It’s all in that self-care,” he says. “If I’d been better about it, maybe–” He scans the room and notices Krem a few tables over, playing cards with Rocky and Dalish, a winning grin splayed sideways across his face.

“He’s a good looking specimen,” Hawke says, pointing. “What about him?”

“We are not doing this,” I say, taking a draw on my cider and hiding behind my tankard. He looks mischievous, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, searching about. 

“There’s always someone,” he insists. “Seemingly out of reach perhaps, but there’s someone. I find it hard to believe anyone would be out of your reach, though.” His blue gaze threatens me again over a cheeky smile and I roll my eyes in exasperation, again recalling Varric’s description of him as an irredeemable flirt.

Read the rest here

DAFF CREW

@warpedlegacy | @rakshadow | @rosella-writes | @effelants | @bluewren | @breninarthur | @ar-lath-ma-cully | @dreadfutures | @ir0n-angel | @inquisimer | @crackinglamb | @nirikeehan | @oxygenforthewicked | @mogwaei | @exalted-dawn-drabbles | @melisusthewee | @blarrghe | @agentkatie

[lavender-laudanum]

Lord Inquisitor Geth Trevelyan's Inner Circle: In His Own Words (File 4/12)

*After Geth Trevelyan's death in 9:45 Dragon in Minrathous, the former mighty Lord Inquisitor's journals were found amongst his possessions left behind at his home in Skyhold, deep within the Frostback Mountains. These journals, unedited, were brought into circulation with the help of the Viscount of Kirkwall, Varric Tethras, and by Trevelyan's husband, Dorian Pavus. Along with entries detailing his time leading the Inquisition and much of his life beforehand, which had been shrouded in near-complete secrecy until these documents' release, there were files on each of the members of his so-called "Inner Circle." These dossiers were put together as a standing testimony to Trevelyan's extremely candid personality and radical approach to leadership.*

VARRIC – The Storyteller

*The writing on the pages that describe Varric are, in particular, littered with notes in a multitude of hands, some in Trevelyan’s neat script, but most are not – they are the writings of Sera, The Iron Bull, even Cassandra’s and Solas’. It looks like a hodgepodge of notes, comments and even drawings, rather than the Lord Inquisitor’s personal journal. In its place in Tevinter, the document that holds Varric Tethras’ file is also riddled in much the same way; note after note after note, most in a hand of everyone’s – except Varric himself.*

I know what Varric would like me to write. The dramatic tale of the renowned storyteller himself; always quick to start a hand of Wicked Grace as he is to offer a drink and a quiet talk in a corner of Skyhold's main hall, and the first to offer an offhand comment or a laugh in the face of insanity. That is the Varric that he would like to be remembered as – but as a man who was forced to perform for others, once upon a time, Varric and I quickly came to a mutual understanding: We didn't have to pretend for each other. And so, respecting that, I will remember Varric as he was, as he is; not by the story he would write later.

It was Varric who showed me kindness first, in those earliest days of my time with the Inquisition. He would meet me at dusk and ensured I could sleep, and distracted people so I could eat, both without being watched. He also spoke to me, about anything and everything – I talked more to him in those first few days than I did to anyone else in the full year before. I was never comfortable with total silence myself, and Varric is the same; silence just doesn’t sit right, not when it can be filled.

Varric is also the one who brought a sense of realism to the sometimes-fantastical adventures of the Inquisition – on one memorable occasion he called Erimond a “tool,” in response to his evil machinations. But, beyond his quips, he often had a better grasp of things than he let on. For instance, one of the very first things he asked me at Haven, once we were alone, was if I thought of running. I hadn’t, of course, but he acknowledged something no one else had; that it was unlikely that whatever happened, it would be a miracle if I lived through it.

Looking back, that was an omen, though of what sort, to this very moment I don’t know.

Above all, there was a sadness in Varric, through the time I knew him. A lot of it had to do with Hawke, who is and remains his best friend. Of course, you can’t talk about either man without mentioning the other at least once – the two so desperately tied together that it was impossible to even think about them on their own. Varric had chosen to protect the one man who seemed to be unprotectable, somehow, to the point where his loyalty to the Inquisition, and thus to me, was called into question – though I did not allow it for long.

It's ironic, that the storyteller is one of the most difficult to write about – he eludes description, eludes stories of his own involvement, though without him the Inquisition surely wouldn’t have been what it ultimately became. It’s even more ironic that it was the Dwarf, above everyone else, who brought us our most human moments; moments that gave us some relief in the most damning of times. I will always remember those nights of Wicked Grace, those nights in front of a flickering fire surrounded by laughter, far longer than I’ll remember those cold ones I spent alone at a few of the Inquisition camps across Southern Thedas; a mercy of the kind I had never been freely given before.

That is how I choose to remember Varric. He may be flawed, but we are all flawed, we have all made our fair share of mistakes; we all, through either our own failures or through failure by complicity or ignorance, have regrets. But those aren’t what define us, and I hope our resident storyteller will believe that for himself one day.

Thanks, Varric.

[mrs-gauche]

So, I had planned to write a comment on the three published synopses of the upcoming comic series "The Missing" (first volume to release on January 25th btw!), but since @felassan​​ kinda beat me to it and already wrote amazingly detailed posts summing up everything and elaborating further on what I fail to put into words lol, I'm just gonna add my pointless ramblings poor two cents to it now, I guess. 😶

(Beware also of spoilers for Tevinter Nights, Absolution and the comics under the cut!)

(Thanks Dark Horse btw, for already giving away half the plot with these, jeez 😂)

First off, when I first read the second synopsis, not gonna lie, I was genuinely surprised that Solas turned out to be the "former friend" in question. 😂 I know, it was kinda the obvious answer, but maybe that's why I wasn't really expecting it? I think the title also lead me a little astray here? Assuming that the title is actually referring to Solas.. Given the circumstances, referring to Solas as "missing" would be.. pretty funny and also more than a litte strange to me, actually? lol It would definitely raise a few questions here...

So, let us assume that the theory about the eight year timeskip since Trespasser turns out to be true. Have they (the Inquisition) been searching for Solas this entire time? And if that's the case, why is that so funny to me? 😂 (Especially considering the whole ending of Tevinter Nights, even though we can't really tell when exactly that last chaper took place.. Imagine they've been searching for him for the better part of a decade, and then he just pops up with a silly wig and a fake french accent at some tea house one day. lmaoo)

Furthermore, why is it *only* Varric and Harding that seem to be conducting this search? You would think that for something as crucial as finding the person that announced to destroy the world, there would be a few more people on this search than that? lol So, what's the rest of the remains of the Inquisition doing then? Are there several teams searching in different places maybe? To expand this search as far as possible? Maybe they're trying to keep a low profile by searching in teams of two, since it would reduce the risk of Solas finding out about what they're up to? I mean, wasn't that the whole reason for why they even said they needed to "find someone Solas doesn't know"/never sees coming at the end of Trespasser, to try and keep him in the dark about any efforts against him?

Also, speaking of Varric. Assuming that this story takes place after Absolution now, the ending of the series could explain why Varric left Kirkwall and his position as Viscount? Maybe, aside from trying to stop the obvious threat/end of the world, they are now desperate to seek help/information/any answers from Solas on what to do against the corruption of the Blight and the red lyrium spread? (Because if there's *anyone* who would know something, it's him right?) What does the state of the world look like in regards to the Blight and red lyrium in general after a potential eight year timeskip?

Okay, so why would they be searching for Solas in the Deep Roads beneath Marnas Pell then? Honestly, when I read this the first time, my mind (as always lol) immediately went back to the red lyrium idol again. And no, I still don't believe that a single thing about the Bard's tale in Tevinter Nights actually happened (but that's just me). lol So, assuming this happens after the end of TN (and Solas isn’t already in possession of the idol like he claimed), he would still be searching for that flippin thing now, wherever it may be. (How could the idol end up in the Deep Roads beneath Tevinter you ask? No idea. 😂) But I also can't forget about the ominous "Hunt of the Fell Wolf" poem from the Jaws of Hakkon DLC that talks of a demon wolf (Solas?) in a "labyrinth of winding cave" (Deep Roads?) where there's an "idol that could prove the monster’s doom"(!! Coincidence?? I think NOT! lmao).

Btw, wouldn’t it be kinda funny though if Solas was searching for the idol now, while Varric who found the idol with Hawke in the first place, is now searching for Solas? lol

So, what's the plan here exactly? Assuming they would be successful, in which case Varric and Harding find Solas and then.... what? You're telling me Varric and Harding are gonna tie him up and talk him out of his endeavors? 😂 Single-handedly kill him? Torture him with tea? Spy on him? Reminisce about the Inquisition days? lol I honestly think it's more likely that they would try to talk to him, being former friends and all, unless they have some type of super secret weapon against him that we don't know about yet.

So what *would* Solas be doing in the Deep Roads beneath Marnas Pell? (Besides, you know, painting yet another teaser trailer thumbnail for YouTube. lol)

(Our man has been procrastinating hard for the past eight years, painting as many Deep Roads cave walls as possible to avoid going through with his plans. lmao)

It's also worth to remember that a lot of Tevinter was actually build on the ruins of old Elvhenan, which could explain why there are still places with names like "Solas" to be found on the map. (And btw, what is it about this place that lead to it getting this name, anyway? I mean, that name practically guarantees for this place to become relevant in some form down the line in DA4, right? Especially since Solas' line about how he supposedly came from a "small village to the north" won't ever leave my mind and we all know that this man is always telling at least half the truth, so.. could he have been referring to the place literally called Solas, if that's his place of origin or would that be too much on the nose? 😂) Anyway, it definitely raises the question on how old some of these Deep Roads beneath Tevinter actually are and if there could be structures found beneath it that even precede them (like what we saw in The Descent)? And maybe that's part of the reason why Solas would go there..?

Anyway, since none of this actually seems to matter now, because as it turns out in synopsis two, apparently Solas wasn't there after all. 😂 Next stop is Vyrantium and an encounter with "deadly Antivan Crow assassins", which is interesting, since the last we heard of Vyrantium and crows, it was in the "The Wigmaker Job" in TN. Additionally, the cover of volume two features two characters that kinda look like the crows Teia and Viago!

I'll be honest, I had completely forgotten that Teia and Viago even made an appearance in Deception. lol But the look does kinda match? So the question is, what lead Varric and Harding to go from the Deep Roads to Vyrantium and then to the Arlathan Forest?

So, the Arlathan Forest. Again, please check out felassan’s post for more information, they’ve done a fantastic job to write down every important bit to know here. Much like Teia and Viago, it was also featured in both TN and one of the short stories “Ruins of Reality”. As were the characters Strife and Irelin! Could they be the mysterious “Veil Jumpers”? What even is a Veil Jumper, anyway (felassan gave some pretty cool speculations on this!)?

Former DA4 Creative Director Matthew Goldman made an interesting comment on a fanart once, that lead people to speculate that the group of people we've seen in a lot of concept art are called “Veilfire archer”?

..Which does sound to be in the same vein as Veil Jumper, so could they all be part of the same group of people/an entirely new faction even?

(Notice also the recurring background with the golden/autumn leaves. Reminds me of the leaves and branches seen on the (now removed) vinyl cover (showing the Black City *cough* Arlathan *cough*??).)

And lastly, what is this "crucious stone" and how does it relate to literally anything? lol While felassan did speculate about a potential link to Latin/Tevene, someone else pointed out that "crucious" is literally Greek for "crucial". So.. plot crucial stone? lol As in, literally another MacGuffin? (Red lyrium idol, you're getting competition lol) The fact that it's Greek is interesting to me, given that we've been speculating for a while now that BioWare seems to take a lot of inspiration from Greek mythology for anything regarding the ancient elves. 👀 And since we *are* in the *Arlathan* forest here after all, maybe that's where the connection lies..?

People have also pointed out that, based on the track Varric and Harding have been taking so far, first Marnas Pell, then Vyrantium and now the Arlathan Forest...

...assuming that, if they were to go further east, they would end up at the White Spire, which is why some people assume that this is where Solas has to be now. lol

I mean, anything is possible! We know next to nothing about the White Spire (not to be confused with the White Spire in Orlais btw lol), other than it's an Antivan mountain north of the city of Brynnlaw, so there is really nothing else to go on as to why Solas would even be there.. But considering how they are marketing this comic as a direct tie-in for DA4 and there’s still one volume to go (I think?).. Maybe we do end up knowing where Solas is at the end of this comic and this will segue directly into the beginning of DA4 somehow?

(I also want to mention that Rivain is also right next to the White Spire when going even further east. Rivain being also where the main base of a certain guild of treasure hunters is located. Lord of Fortune has been a very popular candidate for the potential next protagonist for a while now. Just saying... 👀)

[shivunin]

Late to the party, but here I am for the Codex Prompts! ✨

What about, for Emma...

10. a letter to your OC from a companion they haven’t seen in a while

Maybe late, but I am delighted to have you, as always! There is cake and popcorn and we're going to rewatch the extended edition of Fellowship after this. You haven't missed a thing c:

(and if you still aren't feeling well there is fresh bread and soup and some nice hot tea. I hope you feel better soon!)

(Codex Prompts)

10. A letter to your OC from a companion they haven’t seen in a while (for Emmaera Lavellan)

A letter hand-delivered to the Dalish encampment outside Wycome. 

15 Bloomingtide, 9:44 Dragon

Inquisitor, 

I’ve shooed everyone out of the Viscount’s office for a few moments, so I’ve got to keep this brief. 

I said there was space for you here and now I’ve made sure of it. The manor in Hightown is well stocked with books recommended by Dorian, furnishings chosen by the Ambassador or Hawke, and a small garden that Merrill has agreed to take care of until you make your way here. Say the word and it will be fully staffed within a week. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking. 

I’m not saying that this thing with your clan isn’t going to work out. Of course not. 

What I’m saying is, you have options, so don’t do anything rash like…I don’t know, run off into the forests alone to hunt our old friend yourself. I know it’s been hard, but you’ve got another family here the moment you need it. I have it on good authority that the trip from Wycome to Kirkwall is under a few weeks when the weather is good, and now’s the time for it. 

You don’t have to make a decision right now, Lavellan. If it were me, I would want to know my options. That’s all. Don’t count us out yet. 

Anyway—I don’t have much more to report. Hawke made me the godfather after all, if you can believe it. I’d complain about having to share, but how could I with such fine company as a Prince and a Warden? He’s a cute kid, Inquisitor. You should come down here if you can, even if just to meet him. That invitation is hers, by the way, though I’d be glad to see you either way. 

Take care, Inquisitor. There are people who care about you here. 

Now, I can hear Bran breathing down the keyhole, so I’ll end things here. Let me know as soon as you’re thinking about visiting and I’ll show you the very best of the city. It’s a short list, but a good one. 

As always, I remain

Your friend,

Varric Tethras 

Titles and roles etc. etc. You remember all the ones that matter.

[highwayphantoms]

JAY JAY FRIDAY JAY - ❝ sometimes i feel i’m being crushed under the weight of everything i’ll never be. ❞ for Briar Hawke and a character of your choice plsssss and thank!!

TY TY here is some Briar & Varric for you! :D @dadrunkwriting

Words: 1125 Rating: T Warnings: Alcohol consumption

-

She brushed it off at first. In the beginning, it was easy: nobility or not, she wasn’t expected to visit or entertain guests while recovering from significant injuries. If Briar maybe exaggerated the length of her recovery, no one but her handful of household staff and her friends would ever know.

But she couldn’t hide in her home forever. A month and a half after she killed the Arishok in single combat, the polite invitations from her neighbors had started to become much more pointed. Gone were the messages of sympathy for her “grievous injuries” (Anders had been far more concerned than she had, but she wasn’t dead, now was she?). In their place were requests and wheedling and subtext.

She may not have been raised in a noble household, but Briar had not lived in Kirkwall for four years without picking up on some of the subtleties of the upper classes: the hidden daggers and poisoned barbs of language. Nor was she unaware of the… expectations of these invitations. Fine fabrics, knowledge of the current trends in Orlais and the Free Marches, spending hours with Orana to tame her hair into a “more appropriate” style.

Any event that Briar could not show up to in full armor was not an event she had any interest in attending. She felt too exposed in dresses and fine shoes—exposed not to weapons but to attention. And she hated attention.

Which was how she ended up in the Hanged Man nursing the worst ale she’d seen in months. Though the place was busy, it felt deserted; Isabela wasn’t in Kirkwall, Varric was nowhere to be seen, and the only familiar faces were that of the staff. By now, most of the Hanged Man’s regulars knew to leave her alone, but there was always one idiot made brave by alcohol who would try to proposition her or some equally irritating nonsense. Still, it was preferable to what seemed like the equivalent of walking on broken glass in bare feet with a full audience.

She wasn’t so drunk that she didn’t react immediately to someone tapping her on the shoulder. On instinct, she was prepared to grab and potentially break a wrist—but she let her hand drop the moment she turned and realized it was only Varric. “Where have you been?” she said, though she didn’t really need or expect an answer.

The dwarf fixed her with an amused look. “I thought you had plans tonight. Plans of the Hightown variety?”

Briar groaned. “That was before some noble asswipe started making noise about putting my name up for Viscount.” Then she gestured loosely at the fine dress she still wore under a travel-worn cloak and added, “As you can see, I left fashionably early.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works, Hawke.” Varric smiled wryly and tipped his head towards the stairs at the back of the room. “Come on, I’ll get them to crack open something better than whatever watered down shit they’re serving down here.”

She got to her feet wavering only slightly, which was definitely the fault of the ankle she’d twisted earlier in the evening and not the ale she’d been drinking for… she wasn’t entirely sure how long. The stairs were a manageable prospect, so long as she kept a hand on the wall to steady herself, but she was glad to sink into one of the chairs at Varric’s table. When he joined her a minute or two later, Varric shut the door behind him. “Here,” he said, and a heavy glass bottle clinked where he set it in front of her. “Antivan whiskey. Not the best you can get in this city, but you wouldn’t be drinking here if you cared, would you?”

Briar snorted. “Nope,” she replied, and snatched the bottle. Whiskey wasn’t her drink of choice—given an option she preferred wine—but she really, truly, did not care. Not tonight.

“So,” Varric said eventually, after settling into a seat of his own, “is this a drinking in mutual silence kind of night?”

She shrugged and swallowed the last of her ale, freeing her mug to be filled with whiskey instead. “It’s absurd. I mean, look at me. I’m Fereldan, for one, and all I’m actually good at is making people dead. Viscount? It would never happen.”

“It might,” Varric countered. “So long as there’s no Viscount in the Keep, the Knight-Commander rules every inch of this city.”

While she refilled her mug, she said, “Right, because I want more opportunities to be reminded of the fact that my sister is locked in the Gallows and there’s nothing I can do to change it.” Briar shook her head with an irritated sound and grumbled, “It’s just… Sometimes I feel like I’m being crushed under the weight of things I’ll never be. Most of Hightown expects me to be just like the rest of them, to want what they want, and that’s igoing to happen.”

“Shouldn’t have saved them from the qunari,” Varric said wryly. “If they were all dead, you wouldn’t have to deal with them.”

She groaned. “What else was I supposed to do, turn my back and let dozens of innocent lives be slaughtered.” Briar paused, then amended, “Allegedly innocent lives. Maker only knows what shit they get up to behind closed doors.”

“I have a few ideas.”

“You would,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t know. I almost want to start bringing Merrill with me to these things, give them something to talk about that isn’t me, but I couldn’t do that to her. She deserves better than Orlesians making snippy comments behind her back.”

Varric quirked an eyebrow and said, “Something tells me Fenris would go with you if you asked him.”

“I don’t know,” she replied, desperately reaching for some excuse to cover the fact that the thought of Fenris made her heart ache. “I don’t exactly need a bodyguard,” she said lamely.

“Uh huh.” There was no fooling Varric. She could see it in his face, that he’d just confirmed any suspicions he might have had.

Four and a half months, and she still couldn’t shake the feeling that it was her fault. It wasn’t, Fenris had said so, but knowing and feeling were two very separate things. Briar sighed and took a long drink of whiskey, half hoping the burn down the back of her throat might cancel out the pain in her heart. “I should head home,” she said after a few moments. “Thanks for the drink and the company, Varric.”

“Anytime, Hawke.”

When she staggered out the front door, Briar took three steps in the direction of Hightown before she reconsidered and turned to head for Darktown instead.

[vigilskeep]

sorry if you've gotten an ask like this before, but imagine your hawke and warden (any of your choice) got flipped, how do you think they would get along w the companions from the other game? and in general how would they do and feel in the position of the hof/champion, hypothetically?

i just love hearing about your characters ngl i really want to put them in situations

LOVE asks like this pls put my guys in situations

keir as the hero of ferelden... i guess not totally unreasonable, he did fight at ostagar, duncan could’ve picked him up (read: pried him away from his family with the right of conscription.) he’d get along with alistair well enough, though it might take him a minute to warm up to him for near-templar reasons. wouldn’t get along too well with leliana or wynne, and wynne would leave the party after he defiled the sacred ashes, leliana only staying via an intimidation check which is a thing you can do if she’s hardened iirc. fuck the chantry he’s gotta get them reaver powers. not much patience for oghren. would do well with sten, shale, zevran. would kill loghain, no doubt abt that. and honestly, i’ve said before that they maybe had a thing in lothering, keir would romance morrigan and do the dark ritual with her (suddenly just realised the hilarious implication that kieran’s name is loosely inspired by keir possibly in the normal worldstate as well). keir would be fairly bitter about the whole thing and abt the wardens, and his priority would still be finding his family and (if only by virtue of stopping the blight) keeping them safe. he would put alistair on the throne alone, not hardened

it’s harder to see how minerva would become the champion, but if she wasn’t the hero i guess she could end up as an apostate and maybe wind up in kirkwall fleeing the blight like everyone else. if she had the relationship hawke has w varric they’d get along like a house on fire, i’m trying to find a normal way to say she loves when people are obsessed with her AGHASJSKSKK. i cannot imagine her talking to sebastian. minerva and aveline in a room would not go well. she would rival fenris but like still a close important relationship but that means even more tension. friendship with anders but she wouldn’t distract the grand cleric for him even if she would support him in the end; she doesn’t act if she doesn’t know what’s going on and she doesn’t appreciate being asked to let alone what she sees as the attempted emotional blackmail. easily friends with isabela and definitely sleeps with her regardless of romance choice, that happens in dao anyway lmao. friends with merrill, would be such an interesting way to explore minerva’s growing confidence in blood magic. i’m honestly undecided on romance—isabela hits a lot of the same beats as zev’s and thus makes sense for her to go for, merrill would be incredible for her as dalish love interest for minerva makes me insane conceptually let alone a fellow blood mage, fenris would be kind of an unhinged choice for, you know, noted blood mage, but also it’s a different flavour on fen rivalmance because of the shared heritage and i know she’d be into him and like... the drama of it all... anyway minerva would love gaining power in kirkwall as the champion and would lean ambitious, maybe even try for viscount even if it was impossible because of who she is. and in the last straw would be mad at anders for going behind her back—significantly more mad than she is in the canon situation where she is generally highly supportive, actually, because she was right here anders we could have fucking talked abt this and planned ahead—but she’ll support him when it comes to it and she’d never let anyone lay a hand on him

[nelkenbabe]

Ivy & Twine WIP: Shacking Up

After the Inquisition is disbanded, Amaryll makes a pit stop in Kirkwall on her way to Clan Lavellan. To her dismay, the Viscount seems to already be filled in on everything that happened since Halamshiral.

"So... you and Curly?"

Amaryll almost spit the whole cherry back out.

"What? You thought me leaving Skyhold meant I wouldn't keep tabs on what's happening down there? Ha!"

"I would have thought you're busy, Viscount Tethras," she replied pointedly after chewing with deliberation and moving the pit to her cheek.

"Never too busy for gossip. Especially when it comes to my friends." His eyes gleamed. "I gotta say, I knew you were gonna do something crazy after the Winter Palace. Didn't see you shacking up with with Curly, though."

She was about to give a retort, something between scathing and defensive, but as Amaryll stopped for a second and took in Varric's relaxed smile, her shoulders dropped. The last few days in Skyhold, Cullen and her hadn't been embarrassed about being together. Had flaunted it, in fact. So why did she feel like she had to explain herself to Varric? Because he hadn't been there to see it develop? Because it was still fresh?

Something crazy, alright. That's what it had to look like, for someone who didn't know what had happened.

Amaryll took the small bowl to unceremoniously spit the cherry pit inside. And with it, all pretense.

"I'm going back to Ferelden after visiting my clan," she then said in a much calmer tone. "I'll meet Cullen in Highever and then we'll travel to Therinfal Redoubt to see how the College of Enchanters is settling in. You probably know that he petitioned Queen Anora to let the College use it as a base. Shouldn't be long until they can start producing potions and earn their keep. Cullen used his military connections to facilitate the agreement."

As Amaryll recounted this, eyes still on the bowl of fruit, Varric's face gradually lost the spark of mischief and settled into something else. He folded his broad hands over the dark, heavy table top, leaning his head back a little. After a bit of silence, Amaryll met his eyes.

"Never thought I'd live to see the day," Varric said somewhere between solemness and jest, "Curly helping mages. By using diplomacy, no less.Your doing?"

"No," Amaryll replied without hesitation, "his own. He felt he had some things to make up for. All I did was be there."

Varric sat on that for a while.

"So there is no shacking, is what you're telling me," he finally said, only to earn himself a quick, brutal smack on the arm. "OW!"

[daitranscripts]

Cullen Conversation: Investigate

Tell Me About Yourself

Cullen Masterpost

First time asking PC: I should get to know you better. We’re working together, after all. Cullen: What would you like to know? PC: All right… Where are you from? Cullen: I grew up in Ferelden, near Honnleath. I was transferred to Kirkwall shortly after the Blight.

Cullen (in Haven): This is the first I’ve returned in almost ten years. Cullen (In Skyhold): Traveling to Haven was the first I’d returned in almost ten years.

If the PC asks again PC: There’s something I wanted to ask you. Cullen: Oh?

1 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: You were away a long time. [2]

Investigate: Tell me about the Blight. [3]

Investigate: Tell me about Kirkwall. [4]

Investigate: Varric’s from Kirkwall. [5]

General: That was all. [6]

2 - Investigate: You were away a long time. In Haven PC: You haven’t seen Ferelden in ten years. Are you glad to be back? Cullen: I was not sorry to leave at the time. I did not expect to return. Now—between the Divine’s murder and the Breach—I’ve arrived to find nothing but chaos. [back to 1]

At Skyhold PC: You were away from Ferelden for ten years, Was it strange being back there again? Cullen: Strange? No. If anything, the opposite. I was not sorry to leave Ferelden when I did. I had no desire to return. But leaving Haven was more difficult than I would have imagined—not just because Corypheus forced it upon us. It felt like I was abandoning my home. I never thought I’d feel that way again. [back to 1]

3 - Investigate: Tell me about the Blight. PC: You were in Ferelden during the Blight. Did you fight darkspawn? Cullen: No. I was stationed at Ferelden’s Circle Tower. The Circle had troubles of its own. I… remained there during the Blight.

Dialogue options:

Special: What happened at the Circle? [7]

[Back to 1]

7 - Special: What happened at the Circle? PC: What happened at the Circle Tower? Cullen: Few who survived the Blight have fond memories of that time. I would prefer not to speak of it. [back to 1]

4 - Investigate: Tell me about Kirkwall. PC: What was Kirkwall like? Cullen: While I was there, Qunari occupied and then attacked the city, the viscount’s murder caused political unrest… Relations between mages and templars fell apart, an apostate blew up the Chantry, and the knight-commander went mad. Other than that, it was fine.

Dialogue options:

Special: Tell me about the rebellion. [8]

[Back to 1]

8 - Special: Tell me about the rebellion. PC: What happened between Kirkwall’s mages and templars? Cullen: You were at the Conclave. You must have heard people speak of it. PC: Yes, but you were there. Cullen: (Sighs.) There was tension between mages and templars long before I arrived. Eventually, it reached a breaking point. There was fighting in the streets. Abominations began killing both sides. It was a nightmare.

Dialogue options:

Special: How did it end? [9]

[Back to 1]

9 - Special: How did it end? PC: What happened then? Cullen: The templars should have restored order, but red lyrium had driven Knight-Commander Meredith mad. She threatened to kill Kirkwall’s Champion, turned on her own men. I’m not sure how far she would have gone. Too far. PC: So you opposed her? Cullen: I stood with the Champion against her. In the end. But I should have seen through Meredith sooner. [back to 1]

5 - Investigate: Varric’s from Kirkwall. PC: Varric’s from Kirkwall. Did you two know each other? Cullen: I knew he was friends with the Champion of Kirkwall, but little else. We’ve spoken more since I joined the Inquisition. Largely at Varric’s insistence. Apparently I spend too much time with a serious expression on my face, and it’s bad for my health. [back to 1]

6 - General: That was all. PC: I’ll let you return to your work.

Cullen: Another time then. Cullen: I’m sure you have other matters to attend. Cullen: Should you require anything, I’ll be here.

[pupkinpumpkin]

https://www.tumblr.com/thievinghippo/763052703781879808/31-days-of-dragon-age?source=share

October 13th: Introduce your Hawke

Oh hell ya

Tara Hawke, my sarcastic rogue, mother of Barkspawn.

Despite being a rogue, she's 5'10 and incredibly intimidating when she wants to be

A very flirty and social person, Hawke is unwaveringly Ferelden and usually the life of the party. Over the course of DA2, she gains an insane amount of scars, all of which Varric has made up bonkers tales about, but the whole Kirkwall crew knows that about half of the scars on her arms are made by her once her family starts falling apart

I like to think that jacket she wears in the picture is Malcolm's, and Carver's once Malcolm dies. Then it passes to Hawke once Carver dies since it doesn't fit Bethany well, but she gets his staff.

She and Varric get together, with Isabela and Merrill being her best friends, though she would defend Anders with her life. He reminds her a lot of Malcolm with his kindness and care for the refugees and citizens in Darktown

Fun facts include:

- She is the most pro mage person you're ever gonna find

- You can't see it well in the picture, but she also starts wearing the same type of earrings as Varric a bit into their relationship

- She can play a variety of instruments, but for some reason cannot understand how to play a lute

- She dressed as Sexy Meredith for Dragon Age's equivalent of Halloween and spent the whole day pissing off Templars and Meredith

- As per the famous headcanon, she's the one who gave Cullen that scar when he mentioned how mages are just monsters waiting to happen because she's still feeling emotionally unstable from Bethany almost dying in the Deep Roads

- I don't know when it is, but it's after Leandra dies and Anders and Fenris are arguing again over magic, and Fenris says something akin to "Look at what happened to Hawke's mom" and I honestly think Hawke throws a dagger at Fenris and yells at him and Anders to not bring her mom's death up to further an argument in their politics, which shuts them up real quick

- Not really a fun fact, I think a lot of Hawkes think this, but Hawke 100% blames herself for every bad thing that's happened to her family. She'd be a 5 course meal for a Regret demon

Since she supported Anders, after Act 3 of DA2, she and Anders go off and liberate Circles together, but she writes to Varric all the time

Varric lies to Cassandra saying that Hawke and Anders are together to protect her

Hawke and Varric decide not to make their relationship public in Inquisition, but anyone who looks at them for 5 seconds can tell, except Cassandra of course

She also makes fun of Cullen heavily for being with the Inquisitor as a mage and teases him by asking if she uses magic in bed, and he hates it

I leave Stroud behind, so I like to think Hawke, after Inquisition ends and Varric is decreed Viscount, she takes back the Hawke Estate and lives there with him for awhile, along with visiting some of her friends and getting them all together one more time at The Hanged Man, except for Sebastian, who isn't invited because he tried to annex Kirkwall