#Ashalle Lavellan

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

If your HOF/Hawke/Inky couldn't romance their usual partners, who would they choose instead?

Oof, this is a hard one.

Tabris/Alistair, Hawke/Anders, and Lavellan/Cullen are such an integral part of my canon run that I can't imagine them romancing anyone else. Like, it feels wrong to imagine them not ending up with their respective partners.

But, for the sake of discussion, I'll do my best to answer.

Rose is probably the hardest one because she and Alistair, and their romance, are so intertwined with everything that happens in DAO that I feel like she'd remain single if he wasn't an option, y'know? Her other options are Leliana and Zevran, and I can't see her going with either of them.

Leliana's sweet and Rose likes her a lot, but she's a little too into the Chantry. That's something I see Rose having a problem with; she's not exactly shy about telling off the mothers, sisters, and templars, or pointing out how they mistreat elves and mages.

Rose and Zevran are friends but I've never viewed him as an option for her; after everything Rose goes through in her origin, his openly sexual nature is just a major turn off for her. He calls her a sex goddess in their first conversation and that's just not it. They don't even start to become friends until after she tells him to stop looking at her that way and he respects her wishes.

Plus, Leliana and Zevran lack the shared experiences of being a warden, Ostagar, having to deal with the blight from the very beginning. That's something only Rose and Alistair have and that's what separates him from the others as a love interest... so yeah, Rose would be single, me thinks.

As for my Hawke, Ed's gay so if he can't be with Anders, his only other option is Fenris. I've romanced him before and enjoyed it, so I think he and Ed could work out... though again, it's a similar problem I have where Ed's relationship with Anders is so crucial because Anders saved Carver's life in the deep roads... y'know, Ed's brother who he cherishes above all else. Kind of a big deal. A huge factor in bringing them together.

Ed and Fenris always worked better as friends but out of everyone, Ed's the one I could actually imagine with someone else.

Finally, there's my Lavellan... once again, Ash ending up with Cullen is a huge deal for the narrative of DAI. I've talked about this before, but how I play DAI is my Lavellan is actually Surana from DAO. She and Cullen knew each other and maaaaaybe had a thing... but because Duncan didn't show up, she escaped the circle with Jowan. After he died, Ash joined the dalish, changed her name, and ended up at the conclave... where she and Cullen reunited and proceeded to have hardcore ex vibes the entire time they're at Haven.

If they decided that they're never getting back together, I think Ash might've ended up with either Josephine or Solas. She views Sera as more of a little sister and a friend. She likes Blackwall but he's not her type. The Iron Bull romance progression doesn't suit her even though she admires his intelligence and strength, she's just not up for a friends with benefits turned romantic relationship.

Ash always craved knowledge, and when she was in the circle, she knew the game that she needed to play in order to survive and come out on top... her pride and inability to see when she's wrong led to her downfall with Jowan. She needs someone who she can challenge and who challenges her, both without backing down, on a variety of topics; she needs an academic, I guess?? But she also needs someone who isn't afraid to humble her. Cullen, Josephine, and Solas all fit this in different ways.

I'm more inclined to push her toward Josephine though... I don't think she would've handled the Solas break up well at all.

[nicanyaaaaaa]

Ashalle Andrale Lavellan

"Dear friend,

Her past is a riddle to anyone and yet when the Inquisitor looks at her, anyone would see sorrow and admiration. She supposedly trusts no one but goes to Commander Cullen for her needs. Somehow, this is normal, even the companions will nod to her direction and confide in her the same way they do to the Inquisitor. Do you not see how she quickly rose to the ranks in just a few months?

My friend, she's a succubus, I tell you this now in the case that she might seduce me as well! Do not let her scarred face and blind eyes fool you. She'll look through you and her voice weighs heavy in the minds of those who play the game."

- Intercepted letters from an Orlesian noble

[timeforelfnonsense]

Restarting was totally worth it 🥹

Ash did have Solas take her vallaslin but after a few years I think she would have gotten new vallaslin, maybe of a different or original design rather then her full elgar’nan vallaslin.

She was so young during inquisition and I think as she got older she’d realize that no matter what they meant before the vallaslin belong to the Dalish now. Her feelings would be more complex on it by the time she’s in veilguard.

Being Dalish is such a big part of her identity and after the stuff with Ameridan, I think being perceived and remembered as a dalish elf would become kind of a sticking point for her. 

[ruushes]

#14 for warden/hawke/inquisitor: who are they closest to from their family?

hawke answered here!

ailill - being a nervous and not very social kid he spent a lot of time growing up with ashalle, fully considering her his mother moreso than a caretaker. i feel like she'd be the type to not only happily listen to aimless childish ramblings about imaginary stories or what bugs he saw that day but also remember the characters' names and ask questions. he felt she took him seriously in a way other adults didn't, considered him just as capable as the rest of his cohort, which made her finally relating his parents' story feel like another betrayal, like she never actually thought he could handle it. otoh he does manage to fully forgive her emotionally as well as logically which he can never bring himself to do for most of the rest of the clan

also extremely close with tamlen and merrill but less in a familial way than friend/peer/messy young adult emotions way lol

annan - they were closest to their spouse, cyrus, who was the first to clan lavellan before his death. annan wasn’t born to the dalish but joined after the clan helped them escape exploitation, and cyrus was the one to whom they largely credited their survival. partly due to traumatic events in their upbringing they’re very reticent to share with anyone any sort of vulnerability, including everything from their true emotions and opinions to objective biographical facts about their life, but by virtue of having witnessed and helped them through some of their worst moments cy was an exception. annan was well-liked and had many close relationships within the clan but he was the one they shared everything with and trusted implicitly, and the two had a deep ‘been in a life or death situation together and saved each others’ lives’ type of bond. they were married for about ten years. after his death annan was semi-possessed by a spirit of vengeance and became closed off emotionally to pretty much everyone, isolating themself by keeping their grief very private and close

[niofo]

i never had a dalish warden i went far with, but now i want a dalish-themed worldstate for dav (mahariel, merrillmancing hawke, lavellan), so i'm having a third go on it: introducing ghilassan mahariel.

he's a retiring dalish hunter in his 60s, married to ashalle and having adopted tamlen with her. he wanted to pass all his knowledge about hunting to his son, and that trip when they ended up discovering the eluvian was meant to be first for tamlen to act as a leader and decide on the course of action, ghilassan only interjecting as needed, bcos he trusted in his son's skills and reason. he never expected to be the only one to come out of it alive.

his vallaslin is of ghilan'nain and he promised ashalle that as halla guide the landhsips through the forests and always find the right way, he will find ashalle after the blight is finally over and he can go home.

ghilassan is very laid back and constantly in a state of mild surprise over shems ongoing bullshit. he feels responsible of the whole blight thing, bcos everyone else is just kiddos.

[saintlethanavir]

for the dragon age worldstate asks: #19 and #20??

Thank you so much Rhia!!

19. Are they afraid of death?

Tzvi Mahariel: Not really. He used to be, I think, but now that he's a warden he's had to come to terms with it and he also knows there are things worse than death.

Ophelia Hawke: Ohhhh yes, absolutely. Ophelia is incredibly afraid of death, so much so that they lay awake at night worrying if they'll die suddenly in their sleep. Fenris soothes them to sleep a lot and vice versa, it got worse after Leandra dies for obvious reasons.

Calliope Lavellan: Yes. For very specific reasons, mostly because of how connected they are to Falon'Din. I don't think they're afraid of DYING but things associated with death, which isn't resolved until they study under Dorian for magic purposes. They're not afraid of actually dying until Trespasser when they very nearly die from the Mark and they lose their mind with panic.

20. Where would they like to be buried?

Tzvi Mahariel: He wants to be buried alongside Ashalle with Alistair's ashes with him whether he goes first or they go together or vice versa.

Ophelia Hawke: Haha they're not gonna die, what do you mean? Ophelia doesn't think about this but they would want their ashes to be scattered in Lothering where their father was buried OR they want to be buried next to Fenris.

Calliope Lavellan: Dorian and Calliope have gone back and forth a LOT on this. Obviously it's hard to reconcile their two cultures at first but they want to be placed next to each other however it goes. There will be an oak branch placed on a grave in the Emerald Graves for Calliope at the very least.

Ask me about my canon Dragon Age World State!

[ghostwise]

back for more....so sorry....11, 14, and 18 for all of them? 👁💐

what are their religious beliefs, if any?

Hamal is very devout to the Creators, with special attention to Ghilan'nain, who guides him. When he feels lost he appeals to her. He wasn't always like this, mind you; he got a touch spiritual after his failed attempts on his own life, you know, he reached for some anchor. He loves feeling close to his culture. A shared history a shared belief. It's comfort.

Renata is Andrastian, and in addition was named for a past Divine! She was raised religious and is religious herself.

Neluayo…

Neluayo cannot be the Herald of Andraste while genuinely and truly believing that the Creators have any hand in the world. The whole experience was like a tearing at her soul. She was not too staunchly religious to begin with, but winds up full of doubts in every direction, and it hurts her. She sits and learns about Andrastianism because her every action and word will be interpreted in that lens. How does the world see her? How will she be misunderstood? It's like researching an illness you've contracted. What's the prognosis?

who are they closest to from their family?

Despite everything, Hamal is still very close to Ashalle. Patience of a saint that woman! He's shit at keeping in touch, though he and Zevran do visit from time to time.

I don't think Renata can choose, she loves both her siblings. She puts them above even her parents. They left them in her charge enough that she was much like a parent to them herself.

Neluayo is also closest to her siblings, she has two :) Vero Lavellan and Centino Lavellan.

[wardencommanderrodimiss]

And while we're thinking about Ena and Avrian, I've added to their intersecting lore.

To recap: Ena Lavellan and Avrian Mahariel meet at the Arlathvhen two or three years before the Blight. They hit it off immediately and get along very well. But the Arlathvhen only lasts a short time - my headcanon is probably a week, ten days, that range - and clans Lavellan and Sabrae head separate ways, as to Ena and Avrian. They are each other’s first real loves and first heartbreaks.

Addition to the lore: they discuss staying together, after the Arlathvhen. You come with me to my clan. I’ll go to yours. They’re young enough to consider the impulse - like, 19 or 20 - but also old enough to seriously think it through.

And ultimately, to stay together, one of them would have to leave their clan, and neither of them are willing to do that.

Avrian has too many people he loves too dearly. Ashalle, who raised him after his parents passed. Merrill, his dear friend. Tamlen, his brother-not-by-blood. Avrian bears the vallaslin of Mythal, and he is very serious about what it represents to him: being a protector of his people. His people are all Dalish, all elves, but especially his clan. He can’t bring himself to walk away from them, no matter how much he likes Ena.

And Ena has too many people she loves too dearly. Arassan, her fellow hunter and mentor. Esti, her sister-not-by-blood. Deshanna, her mother, though their relationship is often complicated. Ena bears the vallaslin of Andruil, and she is very serious about what it represents to her: to be a hunter is to be a provider for her clan, and yes, a protector of her people as well. Her people are all Dalish, all elves, but especially her clan. She can’t bring herself to walk away from them, no matter how much she likes Avrian.

And both of them realize, respect, and love this about the other. They may not have clicked as well as they did if one or both of them was the type of person who would leave their clan for someone they have known for ten days. They are kept apart by what draws them together. They can't begrudge each other for that.

In one worldstate - in my canon worldstate - they part ways after the Arlathvhen, and carry on. Years later, Ena finds out that the boy she’d loved when she was young died in the blight, and she thinks that he could have lived if he’d come to Clan Lavellan, and she thinks that she could have died if she’d gone to Clan Sabrae, and she knows neither of those things could ever truly have happened. That is not who she is. That is not who he was.

In another worldstate, however. They are both wrenched away from their clans - Avrian only a few years after the Arlathvhen, Ena more than a decade later. Their duty and responsibility to their clans are supplanted by a duty and responsibility to the world. They can’t go home again. They are too changed by what they’ve been through, what they’ve endured and lost, what they’ve learned.

Avrian chose duty and responsibility to his clan over Ena; years later, he allows himself to chose Morrigan and Kieran over duty and responsibility to the wardens. (In part. He still leaves to search for a cure for the calling. This is for himself, to see Kieran grow up. This is for Alistair, his human-brother-not-by-blood. This is for Velanna and all the rest. Avrian can never fully set duty aside.)

—Ena catches a glimpse of this. She meets Morrigan and Kieran. She thinks for a moment of what could have been - and she knows it never would have been, and she asks Morrigan if she and her love are happy together. Ena drinks from the Well of Sorrows, inadvertently sparing Morrigan from being bound to Flemeth - paying the price herself, but sparing Avrian and his little family. A strange circumstance, to somehow have done one last favor to someone she loved more than a decade ago.—

And Ena chose duty and responsibility to her clan over Avrian; many years later, she chose to disband the Inquisition and lay down her duty and responsibility as the Inquisitor. But she has a different duty now, to stop Solas, to change his mind if she can, and if she can’t? - well, we’ll find out how her story ends and what she chooses.

[noire-pandora]

Happy Wednesday, everyone. I hope you're having an easy week. Here's a bit from my "coming back to writing" fic, set after Haven's destruction. Death is a subject Solas can't quite make peace with.

In the Fade, Solas had always tasted of the river of life. On the ever-changing paths of the dream realm, he found the long lost joy of being alive.

The sweet taste of times long past could not wash away the bitter aftertaste of Haven's destruction. As much as he loathed the present world and the doom his clumsy magic had brought upon those who lived there, what that abomination - a so-called god - had done to the Inquisition enraged him. And if he listened to his unruly heart, beating with a newfound rage, he also despised what Corypheus had done to the Herald.

His steps quickened as the memory of Lavellan's delirious mutterings slipped into his mind. Delirium brought on by winter's cold kiss staining her lips with the purple colour of death. Weak in his arms, with pale freckles and eyelashes as white as the snow crunching beneath her feet, Lavellan struggled with an enemy he could not defeat: death.

No matter how gifted he was as a healer, in the new, cursed world, death refused to bow to his hands, which wielded a magic long forgotten. No matter how much mana and life force he allowed to flow through his fingertips, as exhaustion throbbed against his throbbing temples, Lavellan still slept a dangerous sleep, one that threatened to snatch her from his clutching hands.

Frustration and rage pooled in his chest like lava threatening to erupt from the bowels of an awakened volcano. Solas stomped on the ever-changing paths of the Fade, blind and deaf to the wonders unfolding before him. Even there, the image of Lavellan, half dead and barely breathing, flooded every part of his mind.

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[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

I may be laying on the floor staring into the void, merely vibrating as my brain rots about Veilguard, Rook, the companions, and Solas.

...this is the perfect excuse to replay my canon route.

Apologies in advance: I'm about to make my brainrot replay a problem for everyone and everything in my vicinity.

[ashalle-art]

[nicanyaaaaaa]

Solas Portrait

I bet you can all fill the blanks about him in the comments with all the Solas hidden lore.

In terms of romance, he loved Inquisitor Eris Lavellan with all his heart. He's talkative about history and theories but never talks about himself. Nothing is known and even the spymaster could not foresee what chaos he had planned in the game.

[greypetrel]

Hey!! 11 and 13 for all of them, 14 for Aisling 💗

Hey there! ✨

Ok, these were a lot, but thank you! I remembered some artists that I haven't listened to in... A lot. (and I didn't expect that deciding two of them are poly would have lead to "Spend a very long time deciding ship songs, but it's been lovely!)

Tis the prompt list

11. a song that reminds my muse of their family

Alyra: And your Bird Can Sing, the Beatles. She didn't have the best of relationships with her clan. Thought them too closed. When the Keeper told her that looking for Tamlen was a loss of time, she decided that was it. When Tamlen actually came around? Let's say that if Merethari showed up at the celebrations after the last battle, instead of Ashalle, she would have headbutted her on the spot. Hard.

Raina: Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen. Bismillah no, we will not let you go - Never never never let me go.

Aisling: No Roots, Alice Merton. She doesn't share blood with her family. Never has, she decided she didn't want to know anything of the family she was born with. But, Home was never on the ground, she's extremely grateful to the Lavellan, even if she looks nothing like any of them. And, it taught her that anyone can become family, doesn't matter where you were born.

13. a song dedicated to on of my muse’s ships (specify ship) (this made me regret the "Let's go poly!" choices, argh.)

Alyra + Alistair: Siúil a Rúin, Clannad I'll sell my rock, I'll sell my reel, / I'll sell my only spinning wheel, / To buy my love a sword of steel Alyra + Morrigan: Kamikaze, Susanne Sundfør Did you ever feel your heart broken? / Did you ever feel it's the end of the world? / The bells are ringing, but the blood stopped pumping / As I feel the weight of the fall

Raina + Merrill: Too Late to Turn Back Now, Cornelius Brothers and Sisters I'll tell you, I can't sleep at night / For wanting to hold her tight / I've tried so hard to convince myself / This feeling just can't be right

Raina + Isabela: Wetsuit, The Vaccines Does holy water make you pure? / Submerged, your vision's just obscured / You're a lot like me / In up to our knees / In over your chest is way too deep

Aisling + Cullen: Jackie and Wilson, Hozier She blows outta nowhere, roman candle of the wild / Laughing away through my feeble disguise / No other version of me I would rather be tonight. / And, Lord, she found me just in time

14. a song that my muse would sing to their children

Aisling: ... This could be its own playlist because I can picture her singing non stop about all kind of things. Here's some in canon.

- Damhsa na gCoiníní- Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola (A lullaby) - The Golden Afternoon - Alice in Wonderland OST (i don't like Alice in Wonderland in any form, nor the book nor the movie, but this is something Aisling could make up out of thin air just because. Also "Tiger lily loves the dandeLION", come on.) - And of course the VERY necessary Bean Phaidin to tell the little bean of Doris the Rage Demon.

In modern times it's a lot of classic rock, lots of Beatles and those poor children would be annoyied to the death with Magic Dance from the Labyrinth soundtrack, when they'll stop laughing at random Aisling starting with "You remind me of the babe!" to which Cullen has the moral obligation to reply "What babe?" so they can go on. Every time someone cries they start. Every. Time.

[saintlethanavir]

7, 17, 21!

Thank you so much for the asks bb!!

7. If they had to choose one person most important to them, who would that be?

Tzvi Mahariel: Alistair or Merrill, honestly. A lot of their friends and clan sort of fell to the wayside after they became a Grey Warden and there was the loss of Tamlen. He's very introverted as well and prefers the company of very few. Alistair and Merrill are his best friends in the whole world.

Ophelia Hawke: They've got a top 3 I'll be honest but if they had to choose it would be a painstakingly rough decision between Fenris and Varric. Their top three includes Carver as part of that. They all know Ophelia incredibly well and they've stuck by them through the worst possible moments.

Calliope Lavellan: Aurelius would be the obvious answer but it would actually be their father, Hanin. He taught them everything and he kept them strong through every terrible thing to happen to their family. If anything would happen to his father Calliope would be devastated.

17. What were they like as a child?

Tzvi Mahariel: So depressed lmao his dad ran off and his parents died early on after that so it's a rough time for him. Ashalle did everything she could but the only thing that brought out his sunshine were Tamlen and Merrill. And being with the halla. He just felt better around them.

Ophelia Hawke: Absolutely insane, chaotic child. Their magic came early and they were the type to just be so impulsive. Definitely jumped off the roof more than once pretending they could fly and almost or did break something. They've always been very protective of their family members as well, and would beat up any bully, even the ones bigger than them at the time.

Calliope Lavellan: Very reserved and quiet, they loved to ramble on about their special interests to their brother and father though. He struggled to make friends outside of the two or three that he grew up with, and never really broke out of their shell until Inquisition forced them to do so. Calliope ran off with their twin Aurelius to play in the Temple to Falon'Din that the clan would often camp out by , it was their favourite place in the Graves!

21. What's their biggest regret?

Tzvi Mahariel: That he couldn't save Tamlen. He has huge survivors guilt about it and feels it should have been Tamlen who became the Warden and not him.

Ophelia Hawke: Both that they didn't push Aveline to go after the man who eventually killed Leandra, and that they didn't save Bethany from that ogre. It haunts them every waking moment.

Calliope Lavellan: That they never learned to control their magic as a child, it led to a lot of problems in Inquisition and may have saved their mother in the end as well.

Ask me about my Dragon Age World State!

[notkirstinetheartist]

Throwback to this piece I had worked on waaaaaaaay way back in November: 🔥 The Holy Council of Redheads 🔥 ft. (from left to right) @elbenherzart‘s Nare, @ashalle-art‘s Ashalle, & my own Mellan. 🧡

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