#Crow!Emmrich

[theskee]

"Let me handle it..."

[vonspe]

is this your card 😉

[thismission]

these two gossiping about their love lives is so fucking cute

bonus lucanis confirmed canonically having had a crush on viago!!!

[timethehobo]

If there were stealth segments… Cue the mgs exclamation sound whenever an enemy spots them. ❗️😂

[ladylentejita]

Orphan crow Rook had a peculiar habit. Upon returning from a mission—or in the early morning before preparing for one—they would curl up in a ball with a blanket by the hearth in the common room.

The team had always found this quirk both surprising and endearing, but no one had ever asked about it. That is, until Emmrich joined. One morning, over breakfast, he broke the silence with his ever-polite and gentlemanly demeanor.

“Rook, if it’s not too intrusive to ask,” Emmrich began, setting down his tea with a thoughtful expression. “I’ve noticed you have this peculiar routine to start or end your day. May I ask how long you’ve been doing it?”

Rook chuckled lightly at the question. The rest of the team fell quiet, their curiosity evident.

“I’ve done it since I lived in the orphanage, actually,” Rook replied casually, taking a sip of coffee while still fully wrapped in their blanket. “I used to do it whenever I felt lonely or scared. I thought… this must be what it feels like to be held by someone that cares for you.”

The words were delivered with such natural ease, such simple honesty, that they starkly contrasted with the horrified, heartbroken expressions of their teammates.

“Rook!” Harding shot out of her chair so quickly it scraped loudly against the floor. Her eyes were glistening as she threw herself at the blanket bundle, wrapping Rook in a firm, protective hug.

Bellara and Tash followed immediately, equally distraught, piling into the embrace with their leader.

Rook laughed softly, trying to brush off the reaction, but they didn’t push anyone away. Instead, they accepted the affection with quiet gratitude, letting themselves be held.

Bonus 1:

From that moment on, Spite became relentless. Every time Rook was within view, Spite would shout in Lucanis’s mind, “Hurry. Go. HUG HER!”

Lucanis never quite mustered the courage to act on it. But something shifted. Rook’s favorite dishes and desserts started appearing more frequently on the menu, prepared with meticulous care. The cushions on the couch by the hearth—where Rook always curled up—were now kept clean and freshly fluffed.

Bonus 2:

Manfred began joining Rook for their hearth ritual. Every afternoon without fail.

[ibahibut]

💀🐦‍⬛💤

Rest after long days of hard work 😴. Of course, Emmrich's humming helped Lucanis/Spite to calm down.

[deimcs]

DRAGON AGE: THE VEILGUARD / releasing october '24

[ammyramblings]

As much as Lucanis Dellamorte will always have my crow Rook’s heart I do love to imagine her bringing home Emmrich to meet Viago.

Viago would just be so so baffled. Here is this little assassin he trained who kills people for money and she shacks up with a dude old enough to be her Dad who literally undoes their hard work for fun. Viago would just be vexed af.

[thesummerstorms]

You know that conversation you can have with Emmrich where he asks what your plans are for your body when you die?

I think Arsinoë accidentally horrified him. Not by clinging to non-Nevarran ideals about cremation, but by telling him she never thought anyone would care that much one way or the other.

She would be dead, so she wouldn't care. And honestly, a majority of compradi die as Fledglings without graduating; she thinks their bodies were probably burned (since you have to do something with bodies) but they certainly don't have funerals, so it certainly wasn't worth worrying about then.

Emmrich interjects, trying to wrangle his own shock long enough to point out that she's not a Fledgling now, so surely...?

Well if she dies now, Arsinoë all but shrugs, it would depend on the circumstances, wouldn't it? She isn't someone important like a Talon or the scion of an established Crow family. She certainly isn't Caterina Dellamorte, who warrants something verging on a State Funeral.

If she died, there is still a non-zero chance it would be at another Crow's hands, in which case it's anyone's guess what happens after.

If she dies honorably fulfilling a contract, then Viago might feel obligated to do something if he isn't pissed off at her failure and she's isn't still in Exile. He's her mentor, so probably he would manage at least a small pyre. Maybe even a flower or two for the flames if he's letting himself feel sentimental. Teia would probably be there because Viago was.

But just as often, when a contract goes wrong, there's no time to go back for the body. The mark get ahold of it, or whoever's left on the contract has to focus on survival rather than the dignity of a corpse that can't feel any of it.

But really, none of that would matter to Arsinoë, would it? She'd be off wherever dead souls end up going, or maybe in oblivion, who knows. She doesn't have any family to be horrified by her corpse unless you count Viago, who is Fifth Talon, has bigger things to worry about, and will get over it.

But anyway, why do you ask, Emmrich?

Emmrich is too aghast to answer clearly at that point because every single point of Arsinoë's answer goes so deeply against everything that is ingrained in him as part of the Mourn Watch, from the belief that a corpse just doesn't matter to her sincere belief that no one would care enough about her for any particular mourning rights.

And the thing is Emmrich does care. It's his professional duty to care, but he's also become fond of his young friend and he cannot handle imagining that she could die on this mission or the next and potentially receive no rites at all.

Cue Emmrich starting to plan how he's going to have Rook interred in the Grand Necropolis when the time comes. It may involve some string pulling, especially if (hopefully) she dies not on this mission but in the distant future, and even more so if he precedes her and has to leave the job in one of his colleague's hands. But Maker help him, there will be a plan and her death will be respected.

When it comes to light, Neve is uncertain and a little weirded out, but also a little offended by all this. She's fallen in love with Rook, but even before that, the respect between them would have warranted a pyre and Arsinoë's name on the Wall of Light if there was no one else to arrange things. Is this why she's never asked about what happened after Varric-

Lucanis is horrified by the idea of Arsinoë as one of the spirit-possessed skeletons in the Necropolis or one of the jewel-eyed skulls in its many niches; he snaps at Emmrich about Nevarran obsession and respecting Rook as Antivan.

Emmrich refuses to budge. She expected the Crows to do nothing for her. She deserves better, deserves to be remembered, even if she isn't Nevarran.

Lucanis seems fully stunned by the idea that Rook believed this in the first place, given Viago's attachment. Given Lucanis's own growing feelings. Emmrich does soften a little bit when he sees that Lucanis truly didn't realize, but he also doesn't fully divert his plans.

Gathering a grave-dowry is normally left to a lover or family member if the deceased was themselves unable, and Emmrich is neither. But needs must, and though his friend now seems attached to Neve and Lucanis, hearts can be fickle. A plan is better. So he puts away small things here or there, eyes which of Rook's enchanted rings and amulets she seems to favor just in case.

It almost helps him live with the knowledge that Arsinoë believed she would die unmourned. Almost.

[vaguely-concerned]

having seen at least the rough outlines of all the romances now I have to say that I think emmrich's is probably objectively the best in terms of coherence and completeness of story arc (with the understanding that ultimately the 'best' romance is whichever one makes YOUR heart sing anyway so objectivity is a silly thing to claim that way, it just felt like it's the arc with the most well-paced focused content and the least dangling threads)... but lucanis' is my favourite haha. just. the whole kneeling before your beloved full of reverence but without any of the distance that usually implies??? his complete undramatic certainty and calm in every scene with rook after this, having spent the whole game caught between fear and longing???? mr. lives in a pantry but it says nothing about my psyche don't worry about it it's purely for tactical reasons that I keep myself contained in a small dark room not entirely unlike a cell, love among the parsnips -- finally coming to rook in their room and it's so comfortable and comforting???? after all the times rook supports and comforts him through the game he's finally able to return the same to them when they need it while being so calm and steady and it's so fucking sweet and feels so effortless and with no price attached?????? he basically assigns himself the role of your bodyguard and he WILL stab a god over it??????????????? the turn to protector (which was in his heart all along longing to get out and find a place) of it all????? he sounds like he's found himself unexpectedly stumbling into such a soul-lightening state of revelatory existential relief, full on 'you only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves' mary oliver style, and he goes and he shares that with rook and protectively envelops them in it when they're hurting??????????????????????????? hello for the maker's sake hello can anyone hear me?????

[mitzimagines]

Ok not to go feral posting about Dragon Age but it just occurred to me that for a Crow!Rook, Teia would completely understand why they are interested in Emmrich. Like 'Oh the man who constantly talks about his interests and is very erudite and focused yeah I get that'

Rook absolutely hates the comparison because Emmrich is NOTHING like Viago except those two have been talking about poisons and their effect on the body for 20 minutes.

Poor Rook having that uncomfortable 'Oh shit I'm dating someone like this parental figure in my life'. Having to live with that.

Bonus, though, Viago goes through a similar crisis when Teia points this out to him.

[darklinggalleg0s]

What Dragon Age: The Veilguard Feels Like When You Romance Lucanis

[vonspe]

doodling to get emmrook out of my system(its not working)

[drysia]

Thinking about after the game, Viago finally realizing that Rook's dalliance with Emmrich is something more than that. It irritates him. There's no good reason he should be upset at Rook being with Emmrich. Teia teases, he was mad when he thought Rook was giving those halla eyes at Lucanis, isn't this better? It's not just that he's older, or a Death Mage, but it does seem to offend him extra because he had been developing a rapport with the man. (Plus Viago de Riva is allergic to being happy on someone's behalf.)

To prove he holds no negative emotions about his little cousin, his protege, Rook de Riva's romantic life, Emmrich is invited to House de Riva in Salle by Viago once he accepts its really serious. Viago can't help acting a little pissy about it, which means there's going to be some poisoning afoot. Nothing lethal, of course. Just enough to prove to Rook that she shouldn't marry an academic necromancer.

The master poisoner did not expect this to be a challenge, especially not in his own House. Rook trying to thwart his attempts was expected, dare he say almost fun to combat. (He would never say it.) What he didn't expect? Utterly loyal, unpoisonable, ever so curious, never sleeping Manfred.

Thinking about Manfred grabbing the cup of tea that's not quite the right color and bringing it up to his jeweled eye, tipping off Emmrich. Viago clearly needs lessons on tea brewing. "Tea bad. Manfred help next!" Manfred learning to be sneaky, popping up unexpectedly as Viago attempts to brush the silverware with slick sickening oil, "Hiss! What's that?" Manfred being just the thing to keep Viago on edge enough to make mistakes, unnerved by the magic wielding skeleton in Emmrich's employ.

Between Rook and Manfred (Wait, that's his son?? No one told Viago that.) there will be no poisoning. Of Emmrich at least; Rook took the hit at least twice that she'll admit. Viago finds Manfred to be an acceptable body guard. He's still not happy about this, but at least he's pretty sure Emmrich isn't that likely to be killed by a Crow from a rival house any time soon.

That's something at least.

[heylavellan]

So, there's a line of banter between Lucanis and Emmrich where he mentions there are 'a few dozen. Only 5 I'd recommend.' so then I got interested in seeing which named Crow houses I could track down.

First, starting with named ones in the game:

House Dellamorte

House Cantori

House de Riva

House Gegar Mercantile

House de Acutis

House Velardo*

House Egrativi**

*Mentioned as the house that killed Lucanis' parents. Likely no longer exists.

**Created during the game based on Jacobus' training.

Then, looking at Tevinter Nights to find other houses.

House Nero

House Balazar

House Valisti

House Kortez*

House Arainai

House Gaspari*

*Dead, killed by the Dellamortes.

It's worth noting that after the events of Eight Little Talons, House Kortez is set to be eliminated for killing four of the Talons.

Lastly, there are a few people listed on the DA Wiki, but I'm not confident in the sourcing on some of them. Allegedly Nuncio's last name is Lanos, implying the existence of a House Lanos. There are also a few codices in Inquisition with writing attributed to an alleged Crow, Vierre Lazar. Lazar might be a house or this could be a fake name.

So, of these Houses listed when Lucanis says this line, there are 10, maybe 12 if you count Lazar and Lanos. Of the five he respects, I'd guess:

Dellamorte

de Acutis (took part in the mission detailed in the short story As We Fly and they actively work with Viago)

de Riva

Cantori

The fifth one stumped me, so on the sole basis that you can get their banner by completing A Slow Poison, I'd propose House Gegar Mercantile.

EDIT:

More notes.

House Arainai is referenced in VG. Missed that dialogue.

Chance Candide as a character in VG suggests that there is a House Candide.

House Borgiani is mentioned in the Vows and Vengeance podcast, ep 7.

Instead of House Gegar, House Borgiani might be the fifth reliable house.

[floralhellscapedatv]

i know i'm not alone in having the headcanon that Emmrich has a comfy little bedroom area in a secret nook behind one of the bookshelves in his room in the Lighthouse. it is also my personal headcanon that my Rook de Riva, being a Crow and thus good at ferreting out hidey-holes and targets' bedrooms, clocked this in about .5 seconds and used it to leave bouquets of flowers on Emmrich's pillow before belatedly realizing that it was maybe slightly more creepy than romantic to be doing that. possibly he only realized this after talking to another companion who commented as much.

as it turns out, however, this realization was unnecessary actually bc Professor Emmrich "Hopeless Romantic Goth" Volkarin has been absolutely swooning about it the whole time. oougghhh the beautiful assassin knows where he sleeps and is using this knowledge to woo him rather than harm him <3! old man is also Down Horrendous.

Rook, awkwardly: "Heyyyy, Emmrich, so about the flowers I've been leaving on your bed-"

Emmrich, dreamily: "I have pressed each one carefully in a favored volume of poetry, I couldn't bear to lose so much as a single petal of such a wonderful gesture."

Rook, who had been about to apologize and offer to stop, brain now having to do a soft reset: "A-ah? Oh, that's - that's good, I'm. Glad you liked them."