#DAtober

[nurabelmax]

Day 6 - Loneliness

[lyanachaan]

THE STAR

datober day 3 - faith

@elfroot-and-laurels

I hope I didn't railroad the prompt too much (I did forget the overarching theme of the week) but the inspiration for it was the tarot card the star which is supposed to signify faith I think(?) and yelena as the herald of andraste, taking on the mantle of Andraste herself. (andraste sure looks a lot like a certain elf in cullens dreams)

[vividlyvariable]

the uncontrollable dragon age brainrot this month made me make Skyhold in Tiny Glade!

it's not 100% accurate, and in some points I referenced the concept art a bit, but I'm pretty proud of it!

[elfroot-and-laurels-moved]

Seen a few of these prompt lists and I wanted to give it a go myself! Aimed for a range of prompts that will work for both artists and writers, and for all sorts of OCs as well as the Warden, Hawke, and the Inquisitor.

If you use, give me a tag! I'd love to see what you create.

Prompts listed under the cut 💚

Week 1: Origins

1. Family 2. Allegiances 3. Faith 4. Memories 5. Home

Week 2: Legacies

6. Inquisitor 7. Champion 8. Hero 9. Agent 10. Friendship 11. Beloved 12. Youth

Week 3: Travels

13. Fade 14. Sea 15. Palace 16. Blight 17. Mountains 18. Crossroads 19. Deep Roads

Week 4: Endings

20. Epilogue 21. Archdemon 22. Remains 23. Loss 24. Griffon 25. Battle 26. Remembrance

Week 5: Ghosts

27. Well 28. Abyss 29. Ostagar 30. Eluvian 31. Veil

[dirthenera]

DAtober day 6: loneliness

I don't love it, but I don't hate it.

[librivore42]

Another fun piece for @dacreateathon, it's an illustration for my Anders/ex-Templar fic which I am quite proud of and you COULD read here if you were so inclined:

To my delight this also aligned perfectly with @elfroot-and-laurels and @nurabelmax 's day 3 prompts 'Faith' and 'Broken Tool' from their datober prompt lists and I lost my mind when I saw the prompts line up exactly with what I wanted to draw.

[liaragaming]

DA October Prompts

I have gathered all of the 2024 DA prompts I could find. So if one doesn't strike your fancy, try another.

Credit to (and original posts):

@alexchawke - Dragon Age October

@nurabelmax - DAtober

@harkonnin - Veiltober

@pavus - Veilguard30

@pavus - Rook Development Prompts

@thievinghippo - 31 Days of Dragon Age

@elfroot-and-laurels - OC-tober Dragon Age Edition

[ruiningsalads]

DAtober: shadow

another Solavellan drabble.

Everywhere Lavellan went, she could no longer be a regular person. She wasn't even just the Inquisitor – no, she was the elf who fell in love with Fen’Harel. Though Solas wasn't with her, she felt the ghost of his presence looming over her. She felt it in the market when trying to buy bread, in polite conversations with dignitaries, and even at night when she tried to forget. Her days felt darker now, in the aftermath of the Inquisition. Solas said once he felt the whole world change, but she didn't fully appreciate his meaning until now — until after him.

[tobythewise]

It's time for another DAtober fill! This time it's Fire and Ice featuring fenders!

Fire races through his veins and Fenris grits his teeth against the pain. A constant reminder of what was done to him in order to make him into the weapon he is today. The lyrium under his skin has its uses, but the cost is great. 

Fenris flexes his fingers, hissing through clenched teeth. All day he was on the coast, chasing a group of slavers to their cave before taking care of them all. He overdid it, but despite the pain, he can’t find it in himself to regret it. 

Each and every one of the slavers died at his hands. 

He tries to adjust himself in his bed but just the sheets brushing against his skin is too much. His nerves are completely shot, frayed and burned until Fenris can do nothing but close his eyes and exist, hoping the pain will pass. 

This is the first time this has happened. He’ll spend the entire night miserable in bed, unable to move without feeling pain and in the morning, he’ll get himself out of bed and into a cool path to soak in until he’s feeling good enough to walk again. 

It’s going to be a long, tortuous night. 

Fenris closes his eyes, breathing through his nose, trying to keep as still as possible. It still hurts despite his best efforts. 

“Fenris?”

A groan leaves his throat as his body tenses in surprise. It hurts. It hurts so much. 

“Fenris? Where are you? I know you used your markings a lot today and I just wanted to check in and make sure you’re okay.”

Fenris closes his eyes, tracking Anders’ progress by the sound of his footsteps. After a moment, Anders steps into his room. He turns his head, glaring at the mage but that’s as much of a fight as he has. 

“Fenris?” Anders steps inside, his brows furrowed. He hurries over to him, staring down at him. His hands hover over Fenris’ body but he doesn’t touch. “I can see you’re not okay. Can I help? Please?”

Fenris thinks about trying to speak but he’s out of energy, too drained from the pain. He manages a nod that turns into a pained whimper. 

Anders’ hands light up with blue magic. There’s a moment of panic when past instinct takes over, but the feel of Anders’ magic sinking into his skin quickly chases the panic away. 

If Fenris’ veins are fire, then Anders’ magic is ice. Everything rapidly cools. Anders starts at his center and slowly moves his magic out to his extremities. His muscles all unclench and the pain slowly fades. 

The relief is so sweet that tears gather behind his lids. He was expecting to be in pain for so long and with a gentle thought, Anders has soothed the pain away. 

“Thank you,” he gasps out, grabbing Anders’ wrist in his hand. Their eyes lock and something precarious passes between them. Fenris feels the walls around his heart crumbling along with the pain. “Amatus.”

[docblank]

Day 11: Fire and Ice

[lagunapoint]

MAOW

summary: Solas is once again dreaming of the Fade, and Lavellan is comforting him, naked. This takes place during or after the events of Veilguard.

pairing: lavellan x solas

genre: experimental

rating: 18+

word count: 0.8k

a/n: I’ve finally decided to take part in at least one day of DAtober. Of course, I missed the deadline, so here’s my little experiment on the theme of Edge (Day 21). If you want to join too, consider yourself tagged <3

warning/includes: I haven’t experimented like this in a while, so I totally understand if something goes wrong <3

Edge.

A flash blinds. Forces the eyes shut. Wild vibrations pound the ears. A hum. Fear. Emptiness. Someone is watching. Asking to turn around. Pulse felt at the fingertips. Lips freezing. Loneliness. The burning fear of eternity. In the dark. Alone. Madness spins within a confined world. The edge. Was this always the only true reality? Icy hands reach for the throat. Thin fingers. A familiar scent pulls away the obsessive thought. Movements in the shadows. A hungry gaze. Ragged breath. Hot lips gleam from the poison of a kiss. I know your face. I kissed your lips. Your neck. Your chest. Your body. Is it possible to keep breathing?  Am I breathing anymore? 

Space falls. There is no beginning. No end. Demons in the shadows devour fears. Create images from consciousness. Desired. Tortured. I cannot breathe. The whirlwind of the Fade’s energy devours reason again. There are no sounds, except for the pulse in my head. The beats grow louder, swallowing the world around me. I reach out. Nothing there. No one. Only Fade. Endless. Consuming me whole.

Darkness. Everywhere. Always. Only darkness remains in my heart. I surrender to it. I want to surrender to it. To not see. Not remember. Not feel. There is no air here. There is nothing. Bitterness. Regret. A shiver runs through the skin. Icy. Intoxicating. Lyrium. Pure energy. Forget you. Forget everything. Fall into the abyss. Disappear. Let the darkness erase everything within me, but spare the memories of you. Forever. In blissful ignorance. Hands covered in blood. Your blood. The air is gone from my lungs. My heart pounds in my ears, in my temples. Hot blood cools in veins, arteries, capillaries, bursting like a billion explosions across my body.

"Solas" 

She brushes away the remnants of his nightmare with a soft kiss. He opens his eyes. Breathes. He can still breathe. Looks into the void. She touches him. Warmth. First gently, like a whisper. Pulls him from the void. Is it real? His heart pounds in his ears. Nightmare. Edge. Fade. 

"It was just a bad dream."

Her voice. Real? Is it really her? Her scent. Familiar. Real. The Fade recedes. Her touch grounds him. Pulls him back. To reality. To the sweet fog. To the softness of the bed. The darkness is still there, but muted by the heat of her body beside him. Fear dissolves. Another touch. She’s real. A flash. He grabs her wrist. Pulls her to his chest. An embrace. One. Strong. Hungry. Needed. Salvation. His arms hold her naked body tightly against his. She hears his heart pounding wildly. Strokes his shoulder, his neck, caresses his cheek, calming him. 

"I’ll never leave you alone again," she whispers into his chest. Kisses him. Softly. Lightly. Tenderly. His hands are cold. Burning her warm back. They slide down her waist. Over her chest. Over every inch of her skin. He needs to know she’s real. Forever. Right now.

"Never," he repeats after her. Catches her gaze. A second. A breath. The sweet warmth of her mouth and tongue warming his lips. Desperately sliding lower. To her neck. To her nipples. To her core. To feel every second. Every lost chance. His hand cups her jaw. Lowers to her neck. Shoulders. He nibbles her sharp ear, leaning in. The smell of home. Reality. Here. Now. Sweet movement inside. Whispering. Breathing. Touches deeper. Insistent. Pressure. Passion. Desire. Life. Her soft moan stops time. 

The edge of madness. Of love. Her passion hotter than fear. Her breath sweeter than poison. I’m ready to die from this poison. She writhes. Moans. Trembles. Her shuddering under my hands. Under my fingers. My lips. She leaves wet traces from her bitten lips on my face. She breathes against my neck. Presses her lips to mine. Forces me to not be gentle. Power. Persistence. Conquest. She shifts the roles. Rises above. Takes initiative. The honey taste. Her lips. Mouth. Tongue. Despair still glimmers in the reflection of her desire. In her tight embrace. In the closeness. In the depth. In her grace. Tremors. Rocking. Love. She takes me. I surrender to her. Forces me to close my eyes. A flash blinds. Ar lath ma, vhenan. Nothing else matters anymore.

[nurabelmax]

Day 22 - Silence

[lyanachaan]

THE LOVERS

datober day 11 - beloved

@elfroot-and-laurels

A few years after the Inquisitions disbands, the renowned writer Tethras releases a new romance novel about two seemingly star-crossed lovers, a mage and knight. The books cover looks suspiciously like the Inquisititor and Commander who recently retired to the Free Marches countryside.

[elfroot-and-laurels-moved]

DAtober Day 1: Family

Birsingh Singh of House Cousland first encountered Eleanor Mac Eanraig at an illicit meeting of King Cailan's supporters in 8:98 Blessed when the two were seventeen years of age. While he shortly became infatuated with her, the two would not meet again until Cailan's coronation ball in Denerim in 9:03 Dragon. It is said by those present that Birsingh would dance with none other all night, and that Eleanor hardly looked at any of the other attendees. They were engaged within the week and married by the end of the summer, and welcomed their first child, Fergus Singh of House Cousland, near the end of 9:06 Dragon.

DAtober Prompt List

[ruiningsalads]

DAtober: fallen I'm late, but here's a tethraghast drabble

Love was a funny thing. Varric never considered himself to be someone who would fall victim to its grasping claws, but that was before the Inquisition — before Cassandra.

With Bianca, it was never love, not really. Sure, there was passion, but that only went so far — especially with her married to someone else now.

But then the Seeker arrived, stabbed her blade into his book, and glared at him with those intense, beautiful eyes. Immediately, he was a goner.

She was fierce in battle, yet soft where it counted; and when he got her to smile, nothing else felt important.

[tobythewise]

Another DAtober fill! This one mysteries. I took some liberties with this word but when inspiration hit, I ran with it! XD This is post DA2 with the Kirkwall Gang.

Varric smiles as he shuffles the cards, he’s on a hot streak and there’s no end in sight. Sure, there was one game he almost lost to Fenris but one little extra card coming from his sleeve made all the difference and no one but Isabela seemed to notice. She gives him a look but doesn’t say anything. 

He’s glad that despite everything that’s happened, they can still get together like this. They’re allowed to just be friends, just be people, despite the entire world going to shit. The only one missing from the table is Hawke. 

“Speak of the devil,” he murmurs under his breath as Hawke walks into the suite. He’s holding a huge box on his shoulder. “Hawke! Pull up a seat!”

“You’ve got some explaining to do,” Hawke says in response, tossing the box onto the table and tipping it over. An obscene amount of books spills all over the table, completely shutting down their game. 

“Hey! I was going to win this round!” Isabela says with a pout. 

“Dream on, Riviani,” Varric says in response before freezing, finally getting a glance at the books. 

“What are all these, Hawke?” Anders asks, picking up one of the books and flipping through it. 

“By the Maker,” someone says but Varric isn’t paying attention, too busy watching Hawke’s expression. Is he mad? Is he upset? Did Varric totally fuck up?

“Varric,” Hawke says softly, his eyes meeting Varric’s. “Explain what’s going on.”

“You inspired my next novel,” he says slowly. “And as always, it’s embellished so it can’t be tracked back to you.”

“Right,” Hawke says, grabbing the book from Anders’ hands. “This one says Anders and I were romantically involved but then when the Chanty blew sky high, I fucking murdered him! What the hell?”

“Wow, that sucks,” Anders says, grabbing the book back. 

“That one,” he says, pointing at a different one, “says I’m a woman and that I’m straight with Sebastian!” Then he picks up another. “This one says I’m a blood mage and dating Merril! And that one says I’m in an enemies to lovers romance with Fenris? Some of them have me supporting the mages, others I’m a warrior, another I’m a Templar lover!”

Bethany gasps. “This one says I died?”

Varric looks around at his friends. Yes, he lied. He lied through his teeth to keep them all safe. Could he really go around telling anyone who read his books that the Hawke twins lived? That Riviani and Daisy are a couple? Or the real enemies to lovers was the renegade apostate and the escaped slave? People can’t know this, damn it!

“Why are you actually mad?”

Hawke deflates. “None of them have our real love story,” he says softly with a pout. 

“Oh, come here,” Varric breathes, holding out his arms for Hawke. Hawke slides onto Varric’s lap and steals a kiss. The rest of the night is filled with them all reading a version of the book and comparing notes.