#I would have written such a good Fen’Harel twist. I could have given the world. it wouldn’t have been 2 minutes of almost 0 answered Qs

[ziracona]

Tumblr user TabrisFam you were right…I should have taken the wisdom of another Tabris and run back to DA2 immediately…

[thesswrites]

Dragon Age: The Black City

Recently, I’ve been playing through Dragon Age: Inquisition again. While a review will not be forthcoming except by inference, I can say that countless hours of fetch quests are good for one thing - providing time for contemplation of various plot elements that, perhaps unfortunately, tend to get lost in a narrative being forced to spread itself thin against an open world landscape. Some of this does touch on the Trespasser DLC, and is yet another reason why said DLC should have been core content, given how integral it is to the story as a whole.

Summary (keeping in mind that my personal statute of limitations on spoilers is ‘when the DVD comes out’ for movies, three months for TV shows, books and video games) - we discover at the end of Trespasser that the Fade, previously considered the seat of the Maker among other things, is actually a whole section of world locked away by Fen’harel in order to stop his fellow evanuris (worshipped as gods, but not technically gods) from being asshats. This destroyed his world and basically made a whole mess of everything. Trespasser is probably considered DLC because it appears to set up the next game, despite the fact that it’s integral for comprehension of the plot of this one, because the entire plot of Inquisition involves one of the early magisters trying to go meet the Maker in His Golden City and, according to history, starting the Blights. History tells us that the Blights began because the Maker was punishing those early magisters for their hubris, which among other things turned the Golden City into the Black City.

But Corypheus - albeit not the most reliable narrator in the world - claims that the Golden City was never golden to begin with; that it was black and dark and empty.

There are a few things to note here:

Tevinter has seven Old Gods.

Tevinter Old Gods are ‘sleeping beneath the earth’, getting tainted or already so, before being dug up by darkspawn to become archdemons.

In the Dalish pantheon, the last remaining bastion of worship for those ancient Dalish mages who styled themselves gods, there were nine.

Mythal was already in the material plane, in one form or another, as was Fen’harel.

That leaves seven.

If you start Inquisition with a timeline that includes your Warden participating in or agreeing to the Dark Ritual, Flemeth / Mythal does a similar sort of thing to Kieran as Solas did to her after the end credits, just without the disintegration that we see in his wisdom-spirit friend.

The Dark Ritual, recall, was ostensibly to cleanse the Old God’s soul of the taint without destroying it. What Solas did to his wisdom-spirit friend was to free its essence to return in some other form, that hadn’t seen demonic corruption

Fen’harel basically hated each and every one of his fellow evanuris with the exception of Mythal. He hated most of them because they killed Mythal.

Mythal is a dead evanuris, which arguably makes Flemeth / Mythal a spirit having taken a human shape, like Cole. (Certainly explains the phylactery thing, and why she was never planning to possess Morrigan, and why she could apparently body-swap; it’s possible that she is the actual answer to Dorian’s question to Cole about “Could you change what you look like, if you wanted to?”. Also explains why Flemeth looks human, when you’d think she should look elven. Humans blend in better, after all. Also explains...)

Mythal / Flemeth can turn into a fucking dragon. What is the standard form of an archdemon / Old God?

Fen’harel is a vindictive asshole. Possibly not without reason, but a vindictive asshole all the same, with a very single-minded view of what is right and how to avenge perceived wrongs.

So here’s the theory:

Solas didn’t only orchestrate the opening of the Breach in order to try to return the world to what he thinks it should be. Solas as Fen’harel started the Blight in the first place.

Consider: locking away the evanuris and his entire world was a pretty drastic move, but he keeps talking about it like he had to, but when he says it, he sounds like he did when he was discussing his reasons for seeing the Breach sealed in the first place. It’s the vocal tone that says "This is my problem and while I’ll be damned if I admit to having done it, I’ll handle the consequences”.

Also consider his reaction if you don’t exile the Wardens after Adamant. Sure, they were enslaving ‘spirits’, but that was down to Erimond, and with the fear demon dead, no more false Calling to give them problems. There has got to be another reason that he’s not really big on Wardens. They end Blights, the Wardens. They do it by killing Old Gods. Fen’harel is a man who believes that people should suffer for all eternity for their wrongs, if his policy of “locking them all away from the world forever” is any indication. Not to mention the fact that, as well as ending Blights, Wardens also research them. If, say, there was evidence linking Solas to Fen’harel to the Old Gods to the Blights, it’d be a Warden who’d find it. He’d want those nosy bastards as far away from the Inquisition as possible at that point.

In addition to that, there’s the fact that Corypheus found the so-called Golden City black and tainted already. There were legends, probably put together from old fragments of story and documents left behind by the evanuris, talking about what their world used to look like before Fen’harel brought up the Veil. Solas did say when the Anchor is brought up that Tevinter built a lot of itself on very ancient elven magics, the same way that Orlais built a lot of itself upon ancient elven land. So they hear about this Golden City and they go looking for it. Now, if the Blight kicked in immediately upon the raising of the Veil, whether as a separate curse or a direct result of the Veil, there wouldn’t be any record of that left behind because everyone who would have written about it is far on the other side of the Veil. And dreams don’t necessarily show you the truth, as Solas has proved on a couple of occasions - it’s all about perception, the Fade in dreams. It’s only when you go through physically that you see the truth of it, so while Tevinter Somniari might dream of the Golden City, it’s still only their perceptions, or those of the people whose dreams they’re sharing. But if they didn’t know that, Somniari reports of a Golden City as seen in the dreams of those who expected one ... well. That would just make the experiment to physically cross the Veil more appealing.

So when Corypheus and his ilk cross the Veil, they see the tainted Black City and, unwittingly and probably unknowingly, unleash their own Old Gods into the material plane. They bring the Blight with them but, because they’re tired and sick and have been locked away so much, they find nice cozy places to rest in the Deep Roads and beneath until their ‘new worshippers’ dig them up to wreak havoc.

This also, in a sense, explains red lyrium. You go down deep enough, you encounter the hearts of Titans. Those hearts seem to beat lyrium, and may be the source of the entire world’s lyrium supply (and before you say anything, consider how much blood a human being can lose before falling unconscious, then consider a largely immobile creature the approximate size of a country. Blood is self-regenerating, and there’s plenty to go around). You bring a Blighted evanuris in a really big dragon shape down deep enough ... well, the Blight sings, and so does lyrium. Sometimes when you add one song to another, dissonant unpleasantness is the result. Either way, proximity can equal taint. Hence, red lyrium.

Side note: this may also explain why the dwarves severed themselves from ‘the song of the Stone’ - as a defense mechanism. Obviously doesn’t work with prolonged proximity - Bartrand was proof of that - but if the dwarves just stopped hearing the song of lyrium altogether, that would include at least part of the red lyrium song, and combine that with the distancing of themselves from it by, say, abandoning thaigs that were crawling with darkspawn ... no proximity, no sensitivity to lyrium, not being able to be affected by lyrium easily... It’s the only way you could live down there with a Blight percolating like good coffee and not very quickly become the kind of first wave of harbinger that would destroy the world all on your own.

This doesn’t entirely explain what Solas has to gain from tearing the Veil down again. Maybe he’s entirely fixated on restoring his world to what it should be, but he also might be trying to cover up the massive balls-up caused by the magisters who physically crossed the Veil. The Blights may be almost done owing to five evanuris / Old Gods / whatever, but red lyrium is still a problem. Just tearing the Veil down may not solve the problem entirely, but if there was going to be any indication of how to un-Blight things, it would probably be in the place where the Blight originated, rather than where it just turned up. Maybe he wants to put the status quo back together so that he can rebuild the libraries and all the wisdom, and maybe cleanse the Blight for good. Because, you know ... directly or indirectly his fault it happened in the first place.

This is just one theory, mind, and while I have my reasons for believing that Bioware might not survive to make Dragon Age 4, I accept that this may not be ... shocking twist enough to be the actual answer (because unfortunately, shock value trumps Holmesian deduction way too often these days). Still, this is my logically considered headcanon for why the fuck this bullshit is happening in the first place.

[pandamothium]

“Steel yourself Solas, have no mercy for you will receive none”

Disclaimer: So yeah, this isn’t in anyway a well written fic with perspectives and dialogues etc.. this is just basically a word vomit that I put together just to get the idea across (its full of errors and is poorly edited so yeah commas…commas everywhere). I guess its just like a description of what happened with a few pieces of dialogue and explanation but all in all this is some sloppy writing *shrugs* Also I kind of suck with some DA lore so yeah. At one point I was going to actually write a decent fic for this scene and story line but alas I just couldn’t get it done so here’s whatever this is…

After the disbandment of the Inquisition, many remained to form a smaller sect under protection of Divine Victoria tasked with stopping Fen’Harel at all cost.

Era’len, desperately wanting to redeem Solas is coming to realization that such a notion maybe be impossible. The Inquisition has not relented against Fen’Harel’s forces and there are constant clashes as they chase the Dread Wolf and his agents from ancient temples to forgotten vales trying to be the first to claim the ancient Eluvians. But the Great Betrayer stands at an advantage, he knows where they are for the most part.

It has been nearly year since the Exalted Council concluded and despite losing the Anchor, its effects remain and are slowly killing the former Inquisitor. The anchor had granted her the power to bend and manipulate the Veil yet such power was not intended for mortals. It was a parasite, leeching off of her body in the time it was a part of it. Such effects were unknown to Solas and the Inquisitor but in the months after losing it, they began to surface. She was dying, growing weaker, losing her connection with the Fade more and more as time passed.

Healers from across Thedas were summoned by order of the Divine but to no avail, the anchor had become a part of her and in losing it, her body could not make up what it had lost. It was a sickness and as she grew weaker, Era’len began to fear that she would fail in stopping her past-lover’s grim plans.

Yet there remained one hope, one that Era’len had been avoiding, a name chanted by the whispers. She could feel her, she was a part of her, much like the anchor, like a parasite. Era’len could feel the ancient being clinging to existence tethered* to the world by the Well of Sorrows, Mythal. Like a memory lying just beyond her mind’s reach, Era’len knew she was there. And it would take nothing more than for Era’len to speak her name to draw her forth.

But Era’len waited, patient to see if the evanuris would grow tired of waiting and take claim, but she never did. Mythal remained silent until one day when Era’len steeled her resolve to strike a bargain.

…….

Solas had miscalculated, he was dumbfounded to find the Eluvian of the Brecillian Forest was gone. He paced the empty chamber in anger at the wasted effort and danger he had place both he and his agents in to claim the Eluvian that should have been here.

Of course he had heard of the Dalish warriors whom had fallen to the Eluvian’s blight. He was confident in his abilities to cleanse the mirror, but he could have never known that it had been taken (by our lovely little daisy, Merrill) and in frustration he withdrew his forces.

Yet as they exited the overgrown temple, they discovered that they were surrounded. From all directions Inquisition soldiers poured out from the trees and undergrowth yet they did not attack. 

Among the soldiers Solas noted several familiar faces: Cassandra, the Iron bull, the Chargers and Blackwall. Their gazes bore into him. Betrayal and anger reflected on their faces and they stood prepared for what was to come.

Solas braced himself for battle and his agents did the same only to be halted when the enemy forces parted to allow a figure to step out into the clearing between them.

Solas’s breath hitched at the sight before him and the air teemed with a familiar magic that made his legs weak.

Era’len stood in the clearing, sharp gaze boring into his as he stared in horror at what was to unfold.

“Vhenan…” he choked

“No” she interrupts, but her voice is not what he remembered. Not the voice that haunted his dreams. Its twisted and carries another behind it, one he knew well but he wasn’t given time to respond, “Your heart has already withered Solas.” (Here she says it to mean Pride and not really as his name)

……..

This was the final stand, there were no more chances, if she could not deter him here she would end it all. She had come to accept this, she had cut out her heart and bore her fangs. She had to, for everyone she knew and loved were in danger of his intentions.

Her body would not survive much longer, the power she had gained from Mythal came with a price, she knew that she had but one chance and she would not waste it.

“Grant me the power to stop him… help me Mythal… help me save him…help me save this world.”

……..

“Please, vhenan you must understand… this world… is wrong… it was never supposed to be this way. Let me fix my mistake… you don’t understand all that was lost.”

“No, it is you that doesn’t not understand. You are blind Solas (Pride). You are unable to see that you stand to make the same mistake. You would destroy this world, everything … just to make the world right…as you say it should be. You treat us like a nightmare as if we are just a wrong to be corrected. “

“But it is you who are wrong, the People have survived. The People have struggled, suffered and fought for ages, and yet you disregard us as idiot children who fail to know the truth. You see us and warped creatures from elves of Arthalan…. Tell me Solas when you tear down the Veil… how will you face your kind… the Evanuris… how will to stop them from enslaving the People once more?”

“The past is GONE, there is no turning back. There is no way to fix what you have done and still you refuse to believe that this is the reality you have created. Instead of fighting for our future, you want to take it away to reclaim the past and I….will not let that happen… I will not let you destroy us…. I will stop you… even if that mean the death of us both.”

“Both?” he barely managed to speak, taking a step back as Era’len stepped forward, “Yes, this body… is broken… dead… its only purpose now is to stand against you who would end this world. And once my purpose is fulfilled, we will perish and the Evanuris will be no more.”

“Now I say this again… Stop this Solas, abandon your dreams of Arlathan and fight to forge new ones… for the elves of today… for my people. It is too late for me but there is so much good in this world, there is so much you can do for them. Do not repeat your mistakes.”

But it was futile, his eyes burned with anger. “No vhenan, I can save you! I can save our people, I can make everything right! Please, please don’t do this…”

The air in the clearing seemed to grow thin as both his agents and Inquisition soldiers readied themselves for battle. The deep breath before the plunge. All eyes were trained on her figure, waiting for her to signal the attack.

From across the clearing Solas could see the faint glimmer as tears fell from her chin, and his eyes burned as he fought back his own.

“Vhenan… Era’len…pleas..” his breath cut short as she drew her staff, her stance stiffened and he felt his heart shatter as he drew his weapon.

“Steel yourself Solas, have no mercy for you will receive none” and with a snarl she lunged at the Great Betrayer.

….

The clearing erupted into chaos, Fen’Harel’s agents and Inquisition soldiers littered the forest floor as the two armies clashed. Yet the greatest spectacle was the beastly forms of the former Inquisitor and the Dread Wolf. 

They slashed and gouged with deadly claws and the sounds of snapping jaws cracked like thunder as they fought. Trees and boulders were crushed underfoot as the giant beasts tore at each other’s throats.

 …..

It seemed liked hours.

Hours of bloodshed and death and as the two armies began to dwindle, it seemed that Fen’Harel’s agents were outnumbering and overwhelming the Inquisitor’s soldiers by using the ancient trees and nature magic to their advantage.

When suddenly there was a grueling howl, unlike any beast or man could make, a gargled choking sound that halted with a sharp snap.

It was over.

The great wolf fell limp in Era’len’s jaws and crumpled to the ground with a heavy thud. The clearing echoed with screams of anguish and triumph but they were drowned out by the heart-wrenching wail of the Inquisitor. In a storm of smoke and flame her dragonesque form broke away like an illusion and she was left standing over his body.

She fell to her knees, her expression distant and pained, his blood stinging her tongue. It was done and she remained at his side as the stragglers from his army disappeared in retreat now that their leader had fallen.

But it was not over, a thick aura hung in the clearing, swirling round like the eye of a storm. It was time to uphold her bargain.

Inquisition solders searched desperately through the fog like substance calling for her. She could hear Cassandra and the Chargers yet they sounded distant as she stared blankly at the still form before her.

A familiar voice echoed from behind.

“I have kept my promise…”

Era’len nodded and leaned forward to press her lips softly to his which had already began to grow cold, “As have I.”

Moments later the aura dissipated revealing nothing but blood and ash.

* my headcanon is that the well is what kept Mythal alive, think HP horcrux but not really, her ‘essence” or spirit is bound or “tethered” to the well thus any who drink are bound to her in some way but she cant just commandeer the body/spirit of anyone who drank from the well. she must be welcomed/accepted/summoned by said person

@eveninglottie This is that idea I talked with you about a lllloooooonnngg time ago (like july 2016 lol) I swear I tried writing it but got sidetracked with school, life and creative blocks, but I actually managed to write a LITTLE of it gggaahhhhh even if it is MONTHS late T-T thank you talking it out with me back then ^^