#The dalish life is hard you know

[chibichibisha]

Opps I think I never posted my Warden Commander Mahariel and her crew of adopted kids misfits . Anyway here she is!

[musingmycelium]

. noncoherent but also thoughts

[felassan]

Thoughts on the latest companion feature. (this post contains spoilers from the August 30th dev Q&A).

This feature/these blurbs were fun hh. I know these features were more like a fun and light-hearted thing rather than sth we should like overanalyze for character backstory info or read too much into for details and stuff, but I still cant help but kick my feet and think about the blorbos anyways 😊

Emmrich: I felt like art makes total sense :D Nevarra is renowned for its art, even its gardens, food and arrangements for the dead are pieces of art. this blurb combined with yesterday's Q&A had me wondering if any of the companions would like pieces of art like paintings as their personalized gifts. that reminded me of Sten and his paintings in DA:O, which was nostalgic. :') the IT bit of his blurb had me thinking about how Emmrich & Taash don't see eye-to-eye on necromancy. like obviously as a necromancer he doesn't have a problem with it. I wonder what Taash dislikes about it? is it its reputation (per Josie in DA:I)? Solas freed the weak spirit the Mortalitasi in Tevinter Nights had bound to stir her drink. maybe Taash doesn't like the binding part, the servants part?

Neve: I loved that leadership was the top vote for Neve ^^ finding the issues, testing and finding solutions, solving problems.. I wanna investigate a crime scene or case or something with Neve so bad. I also like the idea that Neve, Davrin and Harding could all lead teams of their own in their own right (with Rook as the Veilguard's leader, it reminds me a bit of the Shadow Broker's dossier on Garrus.)

Bellara: Bellara is a renaissance lady fr 🙏 a genius, good with her hands and at building things, magically talented, creative, and also apparently great at cooking! multi-skilled.

Lucanis: "mastermind at piecing things together", like Detective Neve! I'm really curious to hear their banter and see how they interact. with them both around you can't hide anything from the Veilguard!! "Assassination is an art form, and his work is beautiful" made me curious to hear Lucanis and Davrin discussing their respective artforms. Lucanis kills people, Davrin kills monsters. different targets and contexts, but for both of them it's like an artform and a very honed skillset. I think it could be cool if they talked about their varying approaches :) and this one "Lucanis lives off of coffee and hides in the dark" just sent me, like Lucanis pls 😭

Taash: for some reason I kept thinking about Taash sending all the bugs back not only with a grin but also by hitting them back over with a racket or something like it's some kind of ball game hh. I loved "bombastic yet subtle" coming up as a descriptor related to her ^^

Davrin: In a previous blurb we learned Davrin was raised in a Dalish clan, and craved excitement and adventure. reading this new one, I thought that leadership because you can count on him to step up when things get tough sounds like a great quality for a Warden to have. that made me wonder whether he set out from his clan specifically to join the Wardens, or whether it was more like he set out to go on adventures, then established himself as an adventurer, and then was recruited by the Wardens due to his reputation as an adventurer. like what the sequence of events there was like. and I wondered about Assan's in-game noises - like whether it's audio effects or sounds made by an actor. ^^

Harding: leadership here made me hark back to Harding's previous life as the Lead Scout of the Inquisition. "she works hard".. punny :D

[vigilskeep]

im rly enjoying hearing about bea, it’s always so impressive to me how you can make so many very different characters and yet they all feel complex and very grounded in the setting! do you have a process for coming up with them or do they just sort of fall into place?

ahh thank you!!!

i don’t know that i have a specific process exactly... i love making characters who are very grounded in their setting & origin so i kind of work up from that. for me everything is about backstory and how that feeds into motivation and big decisions

that can go in either order, so like: minerva’s basic character concept starts with me seeing the circle and saying ‘what if i make a character who really tried to fit in here and be everything this place wanted?’, in combination with the later-introduced addition once i knew more about the setting, ‘what would it be like to have tevinter elven heritage but end up in a southern circle?’ i only go from there—the backstory—to figuring out what this person’s goals might be as the grey warden, so minerva’s ambition and obsession with optics stem from that, and her decision to spare loghain, her choice of romance, etc. all from what i think someone with that background might do

keir’s basic character concept starts with my interest in some red hawke/anders dialogue i’d heard and the concept, ‘it’d be fun to play a hawke whose love is so clear and ruthless that the question of whether or not what anders finally does is morally acceptable is almost irrelevant because he’d stand by him even if it wasn’t. what kind of person would do that?’ so with him i’m doing it in the reverse order, i’m starting with the motivation and the big later decision and then “reverse engineering” the backstory, what his relationship with his family must be like, how the hawkes’ childhood affected him. and in funny ways that changed what i started with; technically the original concept is still true, but when i made keir so protective and dedicated and fierce to justify those depths of devotion, suddenly he was really angry and heartbroken after the chantry explosion regardless, because anders was willing to throw away the life that mattered so much to him, and because anders expected him to kill him, which is the antithesis of his entire character and suggests anders might not know him very well at all. that’s the best thing, when they start coming to life in ways i didn’t expect

coming up with inquisitors i can stick to is harder for me because they don’t have what the warden and hawke have, which is a clear backstory environment and cast of characters i get to work with for those building blocks. so the reason i find trevelyans so much easier than other inquisitors to make is that i know a little about medieval history and how christian(-coded) nobility works, so it’s very very easy for me to like... figure out the “cast” i might be working with and play barbies with the setting and decide how some people might turn out. i think the eagle-eyed can notice that when i come up with a new inquisitor, it’s usually an idea for backstory and how that makes a character, even if a simple one, like: “what if i play a very privileged member of the carta who’s never fought like this before in her life?” “what if i play an older dalish character who has leadership experience?” “what if i play a pious young noblewoman who’s not yet had any experiences that break that mold?”

for me i very much believe setting is closely closely intertwined with character. it’s why i find it really difficult to make one in a setting with less hard rules, like bg3. i believe that people, based on whatever circumstances they grew up in, learn a set of logic and behaviours and frames of reference for how they think they can best deal with situations. that’s defined by your “personal” backstory, your family and your life and so on, but also by your place in the world. what were you taught about who you are and who other, different types of people are in comparison? where do you come from? what’s your religion? how much money are you accustomed to having? who in this world do you look up to? i don’t believe in making characters in isolation from all that, i’m not sure how it can be possible. it’s why i’m so passionate about dragon age, because it gives me a world that is so full and varied with options of where to come from, but also has so much room with blank spaces for you to write into and characters who can have very nuanced individual experiences that still belong in thedas. i really love it jgshsksk

i hope any of that made sense 😭

[thedragonagelesbian]

say a little prayer for me

@antivan-surana & I were talking about Varric's sacrifice to save/stop Solas, particularly in light of a Hawke who stayed in the Fade, and I had so many feelings about it I just had to throw something together real quick...

Years later, and Varric Tethras still didn’t know how to start this. A lax Andrastian dwarf, only one generation removed from the Stone, praying for the soul of a city elf who had begun to worship the Dalish gods in the years before his passing, and it wasn’t like he had a ton of experience with praying in any religion anyway. Words like faith and conviction weren’t supposed to be for a man like him. Or so he’d been telling himself for a decade at least, but here he was all the same, knelt before his makeshift altar, a red wax candle, twigs of oak and cedar, and a portrait.

“Hey,” he said at last, as conversationally as he could manage. “Sorry it’s been so long since we last talked. You know how it is, this hero business takes up so much time, and since you’re not around to do it… which I don’t mind, by the way. I know you’re resting somewhere.” He sighed into the weight of that ‘somewhere,’ his theology too rusty to conjure up the specifics, but he always pictured a garden. Green and growing and vital. “At long last. But we’re getting close, Harding and I, that is, and maybe once that’s done, I’ll be able to rest too.”

He could enjoy a garden, if it meant seeing Cyrus Hawke again.

He taught himself how to paint just for this. There were plenty of portraits of the Champion out there, of course, but none of them were of Cyrus. They were of a legend, serious and severe, not a man with a toothy smile and eyes like the dawn. Varric had done the best he could to bring Cyrus back from his memories, with some embellishments here and there. Deeper smile lines. Greyer hair. So he might even imagine that they were growing old together.

“Join you, even,” Varric added, touching a hand to the frame and imagining the soft flesh he would’ve once felt beneath it. “But not until I deal with Solas, damnable arrogant asshole.” 

Whatever bite there might’ve been in his voice had worn away to weariness. He had spent so much time lately turning over his old conversations with the man (god). The one with the fisherman and the wine and the stars. The one where Solas had asked him How can you be happy surrendering, knowing it will all end with you? How can you not fight? At the time, Varric had been dismissive, so certain that living well was its own rebellion, but then, at the time, he had had someone to live well with.

Now, maybe he was the arrogant one, thinking he could change anything with the power of a liar’s friendship from a lifetime ago.

“Do you want to hear a story?” he asked suddenly. “Once upon a time, there was an elf, a dashing hero type as stubborn and prideful as they come. The world wasn’t kind to this elf; it weighed on his shoulders, wore him down, made him bitter and angry, but he kept carrying it all his life, because he was so sure he could fix it before it could break him. He never set that weight down. Never smelled the roses or sat in the sun, never slowed down long enough to…” Varric’s throat had clotted shut, and he had to swallow hard, shake his head, muster up his storyteller’s charm again. “And then he met a ravishing dwarf he just couldn’t resist who finally, finally got through that thick skull of his to the big heart underneath and convinced him to stop.”

If he said it with enough bluster, he could almost ignore the tears burning in his eyes.

“That’s the better ending, isn’t it? Better than what we got? I swear to you, Cyrus, I’ll get it right this time.”

Maker, please, he couldn’t pen another tragedy.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

I need to gush about Origins and discuss Duncan okay, listen- DAO is so good for a plethora of reasons but it’s the origins, the thing that it’s literally named after. Which origin you play is the important decision on the players part that has an impact on everything you do, especially if you go hard into the roleplaying of it all, it makes me want to scream. I adore it so much.

So Duncan, right? Great character, love that dude. I read The Calling and he's one of the best parts of that book. If you haven't read it, I recommend it just for Duncan alone.

I enjoy reading opinion pieces on Duncan, especially when the poster mentions which origin their warden is. I find it so interesting because your origin can change your entire perception of him.

Playing as Aeducan or Brosca? Duncan has great respect for dwarves just as the dwarves do for the wardens. Duncan’s your hero. He saved your life. You would’ve been executed or left to rot in the Deep Roads if not for him. And since the wardens are so respected, it’s honestly an honor to join them, no?

Playing a Cousland? You’ve lost everything. Duncan not only does what he can to keep your father alive long enough for you and your mother to find him, but he saves you and gives you a shot to avenge your family by becoming a warden.  

Playing as Amell or Surana? Your best friend lied to you about being a blood mage and chances are you tried to help him escape rather than turn him in, and now he’s gone and Greagoir demands you be punished. But here comes Duncan to conscript you, to take you away from the prison known as the Circle of Magi.

And I know this can vary depending on how you play or what kind of character you’ve created, but I believe you’re waaaay more likely to have a better opinion of Duncan in these origins… but if you play as Mahariel or Tabris?

Mahariel’s more obvious, here. You’re Dalish, and odds are, you and Tamlen are on the same page about humans. Duncan, a human, dragged your ass back to your clan after the eluvian gave you the blight, and sure, that was nice of him… except when you go looking for Tamlen and Duncan destroys the mirror, he’s so dismissive. He doesn’t care about Tamlen. There’s no point in going looking for him, he’s dead. Also you have the blight and Duncan’s taking you away from your family to make you a warden and no, you have no choice in the matter. He'll force his hand if he needs to. Say goodbye, forget about Tamlen, you’ll never see your family again, you’re a warden now. Hope you have fun involving yourself in all these human affairs while everyone points out how different you are!

First off, I think most Mahariel players would agree that they’re still not over Tamlen. How many of you had the thought, “If we look just a little longer, we could find Tamlen and make him a warden, too!” only for Duncan to ruin that? I don’t blame any Mahariel for throwing a fit when he and the Keeper agree you need to go, nor do I blame them for any ill feelings toward him.

And Tabris? This one is personal; my canon warden is a female Tabris, Rosalie, and Duncan really gets to me.

Rose's already being made to marry a man she's never met, some human nobles made their first attempt to crash the wedding, and now here’s this other human waltzing in. Duncan is such a little shit here, too. When you try asking him to leave, he actively tries to push your buttons just to see what you’ll do. But that’s nothing. When Rose and the other women are taken by Vaughan and his buddies, Soris and Nelaros go to Duncan who pulls his bullshit “wardens can’t get involved, they must remain neutral, best I can do is give you a sword and crossbow, good luck.”

Duncan KNOWS what will happen to those women but nope, can’t get involved. Wardens must remain neutral, can’t upset the nobles. I firmly believe that if Duncan had gone with them, Nelaros wouldn’t have been killed and maybe they could’ve made it to Shianni in time, and that infuriates me.

And yeah, in the end it’s Duncan who saves Rose from the guard, but you expect me to be okay with going with him? Alone? After everything that just happened?

It almost feels like Duncan was more interested in testing you, to see if you COULD get out of that situation or what you’d do when the guard showed up. That gives me a lot of complicated feelings about Duncan, and the way the Grey Wardens do things in general. Because let me tell you, Rose hurls that “Wardens must not involve themselves, they must remain neutral” out the fucking window, even post DAO after the blight is over and things return to “normal” for the wardens.  

Side note, I like to think that the wardens out at Weisshaupt or wherever contact Alistair at some point like "What the hell is Warden-Commander Tabris doing over there??? She's breaking every rule we have??" and Alistair's just shrugs like "My wife killed an archdemon to end the Blight and survived, she gets to do whatever she wants forever and honestly, I love that for her."

But anyway-- I get it, Duncan. The Grey Wardens were booted outta Fereldan once before and we don't want a repeat of that. Sure. Fine. Makes sense...but also Rose doesn't give a shit about that? She may come to understand it eventually but that doesn't mean she accepts or forgives it, or would ever be willing to adapt the same attitude.

And I'm not even going to get into everything with the Joining and Ser Jory, because oh my god.

Everything Duncan does influences Rose's views on the Grey Wardens and their duty, like if there was ever anything she and Alistair have straight up argued about, it's Duncan and the concept of "being a warden is an honor."

And I think that's neat. Duncan's a consistency in every origin and even though he dies so early on, his influence remains with the warden no matter who they are.

[dreadfutures]

Having FEELINGS about inquisitor Ixchel and Rook Terinelan so can I get either "to the ends of the earth, would you follow me?" or "please don’t say i’m going alone" for dadwc?

This is noncanonical but it is based on vibes and certain things from the DA4 gameplay we saw, so if you’re wary of that, stay out! :)

for @dadrunkwriting

Pairings: Ixchel Lavellan & Terinelan Lavellan AU: #shadows in the sun : First Lifetime!Ixchel survives her poison and continues to fight.

ixchel thinks Clan Lavellan is wiped out

Terinelan, the First, survived and has reached Arlathan Forest, joining the Veil Jumpers

After the events of The Missing, Ixchel comes back with Varric and Harding to find their Rook.

The meeting with Strife and Bellara ends on a dark note. The activity around Arlathan Forest is increasing, and it seems that after ten long years, Solas’s ritual is nearing completion.

Harding had given Ixchel a look of—it had to be pity, Ixchel thinks. She has spent years researching obscure lore and tracking down artifacts and ancient rituals to find any alternative to Solas’s plan, and she has come up with nothing. The Veil is fraying regardless of his actions; it was never meant to be eternal. The evil gods that Solas had trapped long ago will escape someday, and Ixchel has managed to convince her inner circle at least that Solas would not be trying to bring that about early without good reason.

But they don’t know the reasons.

They don’t know how to prepare. How to mitigate.

He has left them with no other option but to stop him.

Ixchel won’t lead the fight against Solas—while she can still hold her own in battle against a Venatori thug or a demon, she wouldn’t do well in battle against a god, and she simply wouldn’t fight Solas. Couldn’t. And everyone knows it.

Ixchel doesn’t know why they invite her to these meetings anymore.

Well, that’s not true. Varric, for all his charm, can’t manage anyone to save his life (or the world, as the case may be). After many turbulent years of experience, Ixchel has learned to command a room: war councils of bickering commanders, conferences of terrified Enchanters, the halls of Empresses and the field of battle—she can maneuver all of them with grace or force as the moment requires. And when faced with the end of the world, she has found that the arguments can spiral quickly if left unguided.

She is as exhausted by it now as she was when she was sixteen and had to get Cassandra, Leliana, and Cullen to stop arguing about Circles.

Today, she has navigated them to their grim conclusion, and the grim reality: they need someone strong enough, smart enough, pissed enough, to stand against Solas. Someone with the grit to withstand anything on the field but also the cunning to know when and how to disappear.

Varric knows he can’t pull the trigger. Harding, as pragmatic as she is, has to know that Solas is still Solas—and she can’t kill a friend. After her surprise meeting, Charter has said she never wants to meet Solas face to face again. Kieran has his own priorities.

Ixchel has run out of options.

Fortunately, Strife has someone in mind.

Varric, Harding, and Ixchel wait in grim silence for him to fetch this new person. Ixchel sits in an empty windowsill, eyes closed and head turned toward the sun. If the others really need her judgment, she’ll provide it, but since she really would rather be anywhere else, she hopes she can ignore the goings-on until someone calls her.

She feels no curiosity at all when Strife brings in his candidate. She knows already it is a Dalish mage who left their clan name behind to join the Veil Jumpers. The Dalish are difficult for Ixchel to work with, these days. She sees the ghosts of her dead clan in all of their faces, and she thinks she hears their suspicious thoughts: is she just a flat-ear they dressed up in vallaslin? Is she a traitor? They say she was a pupil of the Dread Wolf himself.

Ironically, Harding is far better at interacting with their Dalish recruits. Ixchel leaves it to her.

The tones of the conversation are hard, like an interrogation. Figuring out this person’s strengths and weaknesses, motivations. Ixchel hears not the words but the feelings instead and is satisfied that Harding and Varric have found their new recruit. Whether they will prove to be the field leader that they need will remain to be seen.

“Alright. Looks like we have our Rook,” Varric says with satisfaction.

“Is that my name?” the recruit asks dryly. Their voice is deep but not loud and has an almost wispy quality. The words dissipate into the air like smoke.

“Well, seeing as you didn’t offer one, I figured it’d serve as good as any,” says Varric. “Rookie, rook—like that game Dorian plays so much.”

“Chess, Varric,” Harding says, but they all know that Varric was trying to lighten the mood. “I can’t promise you Varric’ll ever use it, but I’d like to know your name, friend.”

“Terinelan,” their Rook says. “Terinelan Lavellan.”

Ixchel doesn’t know how she ends up standing in the center of the room, facing the young man she had thought dead for nearly a decade, but she’s there, and he’s there, and—

“Leave,” she says to Varric and Harding. “Now.”

The man claiming to be Terinelan Lavellan is not the boy she once knew. The last time she had seen Ter, his vallaslin was still raised and fresh over his eye. His voice had been strong, calm, and always full of cheer. Warmth. He was unblemished in every way and shone in her memory as the perfect First—the perfect son, the perfect friend.

In front of her is a mangled facsimile of that boy.

His vallaslin and half his face are marred by burns, and his ear on that side has been docked with a knife. His staff, the one his life-giver had made him when he was chosen as First, was gone. He wore the golden armor of the Veil Jumpers, and a helm was tucked under one arm. He looked ready for war.

The Terinelan she knew was not a warrior. He was a hearthkeeper, a peace-maker, a healer.

The Terinelan she knew was dead.

“Are you okay?” she asks. It’s the wrong question, but nothing is right in her mouth, just like nothing has been right since she heard of the clan’s demise in Wycome.

Terinelan smirks, tugging at scars all across his face. “With faces like ours, do you even need to ask?”

Like ours. She is not the girl who left the Clan for the Conclave so many years ago. Bare-faced. Unblemished. Her hair barely tamed into a braid for the first time. Whole. Now her face is a constellation of brutal scars, mapped by vallaslin like an astrarium; her left sleeve hangs in a knot, empty of an arm; her hair is styled pristinely, ready for battle. Her eyes are milky, washed over like the dead's. She is a ghost, a corpse.

She, too, had not been touched by war when last he saw her.

But she is more than a soldier. She is a commander. A Champion. She knows what she can inspire when she rallies her troops, but he is different. How could he come to her banner after all that has happened to him because of her? How could he not blame her, hate her?

Would it be a liability?

Would it be a blessing?

“After all that’s happened, you would still follow me?” she asks.

“To the ends of the earth,” he replies. “I don’t know everything you’ve been through, lethallan, but it’s written across your face. You’re a survivor, as am I. Who else would I follow to survive the end of the world?”

She trusts it, she trusts him.

But in that moment, she doesn’t trust herself. She doesn’t think she can survive the loss of her family—not again.

Ixchel lets out a breath and nods, and with that, the tension between them dissipates entirely. He crosses the remaining distance, tossing his helm aside carelessly, and they fall into a tight embrace.

“Is there time for you to tell me your story?” he asks into her hair.

“Only if there is time for you to tell me yours,” she says. “Fuck Solas—fuck everyone. Tell me everything.”

[angbands-last-hero]

Ilost Character Biography:

Father name: Unknown

Mother name: Unknown

Aliases: Ilost, Fjalar, Dregor, etc.

Stats:

First Age Elf

Birthplace: Brithombar 

Race: Sindar, Falathrim

Occupation: Thief, Assassin, Treasure-Hunter, Peddler and Con-Man 

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Gay

Looks:

Very tall for an ellon

Black choppy hair that falls past his shoulder, bangs are also long and usually obscures his features

Lean though muscled, his well-defined back and shoulders suggests that he is a climber

Sharp stone gray eyes that sometimes appear darker

Olive undertone skin, sometimes looks a little grey

High bridged nose with well-defined cheekbones 

A mysterious air clings over him, off putting to some 

Dressed in a strange assortment of clothes, seemingly of mortal make. He often wears earthy tones or dark colors suited for the shadows. On his narrow hips sit two daggers, as well as his skeleton keys (some new, others ancient), and hidden from sight are his burglar tools. 

 Artwork: Here and Here by myself (also just tagged on this blog w/ his name) and Here and Here by my friend (@loremastering ) (she's made so much beautiful art it's hard to only pick two :') )

Smell:

Smoky campfire scent mixed with nag champa and an underlying deep musk 

Sound:

Voice is on the deeper side, and typically he speaks in a low volume unless playing a gregarious character. His characters are typically louder than he normally presents himself

He responds with dry sarcasm to most situations

Hard to tell if he is lying or telling the truth, who knows!

Can speak a variety of languages, and is a master at mimicking accents

Playlist: Here and Metal version Here

General:

Is a wanderer with no real purpose in life; an exile from his homeland which lays in ruins beneath the sea

If you find a chest belonging to: Digum Baggins…it's his. (Especially if there is a jar with preserved figs. He loves his figs!)

Amoral, secretive and cunning. He can be charming if desired, and tends to be very sarcastic

He is very confident in his own skill, and it has mostly proved itself true over the many years he's lived 

Fears death and his fate (for a good reason). He envies the second born who are not tied to Arda

Has commitment issues and is suspicious of most people. He does not let people easily into his life, nor do most feel like they get to genuinely know him on a deeper level. He always wears an emotional mask, though sometimes that mask slips. 

Generally, very self-motivated and can lack empathy towards others in need

He is quick to flee rather than fight, though if caught in a duel he is well trained with his daggers and also knows how to wrestle 

He is also quick to leave his allies behind, always seeking to ensure his own safety before the safety of others

He lives in nature mostly or settles around non-elven settlements. He does not feel comfortable in the elven realms and seldom visits them

When staying in human settlements, he usually takes up a persona and parades around as one! His latest alias is a Dalish peddler named “Fjalar, The Tall”. He enjoys his role and plays out his fantasy of being a human

When not disguised as a mortal, it is typical to find a mask covering his face. It seems he likes to keep his identity hidden

He has had a string of different lovers throughout the ages, though they were all fleeting and always doomed to end.

He yearns for deeper emotional and romantic relationships but is also afraid of being vulnerable. 

Harbors quite a bit of self-hatred, though tends to not voice it. He can also be quite a loner, sometimes despising company.

Keeps a flask with usually watered down vodka or gin on his person

Currently occupied with a much younger ellon named Daerhovan. He finds him intriguing and sees him as a welcome distraction in his life. Though who knows for how long.

I stole the formatting off my friends @loremastering and @elgaladwen who have even better and more extensive biographies than myself (which includes character history and relationships! ) I envy the dedication and detail they put towards their characters <3

[merciawintersageposting]

More head canon: how Rook relates to death- and secrets🗡️☠️

The Magpie, Part 3

What is death to a Crow but a looking glass?

A shiny object glinting with life's secrets at its surface, limned with sharp edges and fractured memories. The pursuit of secrets comes at a high price- and life in Thedas is always below asking. Rook had learned this many times the hard way.

For them, there is something worse than dying. To watch the innocent suffer and die, sacrifices on the altar of some noble's great aspirations- or worse, their wounded pride. Lowborn lives fall as the leaves do, so many unnamed and easily crushed underfoot. Such is the life of the few children who survive long enough in the Guild to become Magpies- procurers of secrets and intelligence. For Dalish children sold to the Guild by starving or greedy or desperate caretakers this is learned over and over.

Once, there was a time Rook foolishly thought themselves inured to it. But the mirror of death makes all hidden truths plain.

The job was simple: retrieve a packet of letters from a minor noble's home in Redcliffe. Pose as a new servant, locate the letters on his estate, retrieve them and leave no mess behind. But the thing about blending in is that it sometimes requires you to be seen and known- a thing which they had never experienced without a feeling of terror, anticipating a blow.

Rook first appeared on their doorstep with a short-term contract, all the correct recommendations and due respect to the lord of the manor, a taciturn warhorse whose glory days had long since faded. He seemed good enough as any man, if a bit inattentive.

Though a skeleton crew, the chambermaids and footmen took a kindly concern for each other, and so Rook befriended them with shy smiles and offers to help with the laundry. The head steward Dereth was a challenge. With long and lanky hair, the old Dalish man bore Dirthamen's vallaslin, and the knowing looks of someone who sees too perceptively, who has lived longer than his seventy years. This contradictory mixture of savvy and softness perturbed Rook. Having few memories of their father that weren't laced with fear, they found it difficult to get their bearings. Then they learned Dereth had taken to teaching some of the young pages to read, hoping some could make a better life for themselves as he had.

Rook assured him they could read, which he laughed at- the gritty sound reminding them of sand on a cabin floor. As they both assisted the cook in making preparations for the week’s meals, Dereth taught them old poems, using the chopping sound of knives on vegetables to keep the rhythm.

"I had aspirations to it once y'know. But, you- you've a voice for it. Someday I think," Dereth pronounced, "you'll be a great poet."

It was nice. This was, Rook thought, what it must be like to be normal and have people who saw you as more than property or a pawn.

But a contract requires its due. And so one day, Rook disappeared.

Discretion is a Crow's greatest asset. But Rook was possessed of a strange curiosity, and allowed themselves one glance at the packet before handing it in. Flowing handwriting by a lettered and artful hand had spelled out part of a name Pr. Volka- and the rest dotted by a watermark.

The packet successfully delivered, they returned to their usual hiding place- a little hayloft rarely visited by anyone other than workaday farm hands. Horses are good company and even better night watchmen.

Crows and their flock are instructed never to seek out again that which was visited before. But Rook's thoughts of the people they left behind on the Radcliffe job frayed at the edges of their mind.

News travels fast. And so Rook learned from one of the newest "recruits" that a Ferelden noble had recently died in his sleep. His heir had returned to right his affairs, and immediately accused his father's aged steward of fomenting rebellion after finding him showing some of the younger servants how to write. When it was further discovered that important documents were unaccounted for, the steward met his end on the edge of a longsword and was left to molder in the sun- an example of what it means when you forget your place in the order of things.

Waiting for the right opportunity, the footmen wrapped his body in brown cloth, and under the cover of night carried him to a spot a league out from the house. He was buried in a modest pine grove, the spot marked by what few offerings the household servants could spare, flowers and painted rocks.

As time passed, the ground settled, and little trace of Dereth's grave remained. Save only for a piece of vellum tied to a stake in the ground.

Look closely and you will find the words almost etched into the vellum in a strong, clear hand:

If I should die and leave you here a while, Be not like others sore undone, Who keep long vigil by the silent dust. For my sake turn again to life and smile, Nerving thy heart and trembling hand to do Something to comfort other hearts than thine. Complete these dear unfinished tasks of mine And I perchance may therein comfort you.*

for fred.

*Turn Again to Life by Mary Lee Hall.

[eruscreaminginthedistance]

Okay so. I've been sitting on my full first impressions of the game until after the gameplay reveal, cos I know shit can get twisted in marketing.

I was NOT a fan of the trailer. The vibe was off; I cringed a lot; it gave a off very bog-standard hero team saves the day kind of vibe which I inherently dislike because it seems like Dragon Age has just given up on giving you the freedom to be a bastard, or any kind of character that isn't on rails to be everyone's favourite boy. It also failed to bring any dark fantasy to the table. BUT I know from experience, namely the DA2 trailer (not the CGI one. the other one), that marketing is intent on making Dragon Age look like the goofiest shit possible to appeal to the dregs of society (normies). I watched it. Hated it. Moved on to life stuff.

Now with the gameplay reveal out of the way, I have some more solid takes on everything we now know about the game overall.

Things I liked:

The companions all look pretty cool; I've been excited for Devrin for years now, and seeing that he's a Dalish Elf as well as a Warden is quite exciting to see; everyone else are also not only well designed but don't feel like rehashes of our previous companions (apart from Harding)

The return of multiple weapon sets. Thank fucking god. This may even make archer a viable build again. Also I noted that you only have a set number of arrows which the UI tracks, which I'm a huge fan of

The look and style of Minrathous. I like that Bioware is showing their hard work in coming up with a unique area based entirely around magic-tech and I think the result looks great; I am really intrigued by the dark panopticon vibes and hope that becomes a major theme going forward

Different demon designs. I hope there's a bit more variation as the game progresses, but I liked little details like the Pride demons having some kind of armour aesthetic

Dialogue wheel. No notes; she's here, still the same comforting presence as ever. Praying with fingers crossed that it doesn't turn into a super bland protagonist situation like Inquisition

Choosing a faction in character creation that isn't locked to one's race; this one is a really cool idea and if origins don't come back it can be a decent alternative if the reactivity to your choice is the same as in the prologue

Things I didn't like:

Action wheel. Like. I'm a PC person, so I have no idea what the final UI will actually look like for me. But Bioware hasn't elaborated on their UI style at all and if Inquisition is anything to go by, I'm stuck with shitty console-centred UI for the whole game. I would rather just have the ability bar back, for my sanity.

The two-person companion limit. It automatically restricts people into a specific party build depending on their class and I hate that

The Mass Effect-style gameplay. Party tactics was a HUGE draw to the DA series for me, and is what got me into retro RPGs in the first place. Seeing it replaced completely to the point where we can no longer manually manage our party is a huge disappointment. I am willing to keep an open mind, just because I love Mass Effect that much, but it hurts knowing for a certainty I'm never gonna engage with Veilguard like I did with Origins or 2 as a result

The voice acting. Was this an out of date take, or did everyone sound super flat to anyone else? Especially Neve, who didn't seem to know what she was reacting to, just really wooden. It was disappointing, cos I love her voice overall. Wasn't a fan of Rook's voice but I don't plan to play a man anyway

The breaking pots method of looting. This is gonna feel like such a nitpick but I immediately pulled a face seeing that cos I could TELL some suit somewhere asked the Bioware team to "make it more like breath of the wild" and now for some reason it's not dynamic enough to just click on a crate and choose what loot to take; now Tevinters are storing exactly one (1) random health potion in decorative clay jars around the city (more likely than you think!)

The aesthetic of the veil and spirit stuff so far; it's just all a bit bright and noisy, doesn't really grab me as something fun to explore or fight (again, I'm an Origins girly so I'm biased)

Harding coming back. I know she's cool and everyone likes her and I like her too. In Inquisition. This is just a preference, but if I'm gonna start a new game as a new person I don't want to be inheriting pre-bought friends from the last protagonist ://

Things I HATE:

Why does everyone look like play-doh; it's disconcerting.

Like guys I know DA2 is having a renaissance but I don't think anyone was getting nostalgic over everyone's pudding faces.

Everything put out so far has basically crushed any hope I had for this becoming Dwarf age :/ No new dwarf characters, no mention of Kal-Sharok, Harding being the only dwarf companion basically confirms that dwarves will be unromanceable AGAIN. not a fan

TLDR: This is still definitely not a day-one buy for me. The series has just strayed completely from the genre and format that I loved about the previous games into a full action RPG derivative of games from four years ago. Without the focus on party tactics and the low-tech, dark and gritty worldbuilding from the first two games it just fails to excite me. It looks too much like other games for me to really register it as a Dragon Age game.

I love the story and the world of Dragon Age though, so I do still intend to buy it when it goes on sale, but this is definitely a "wait and see the reviews" situation for me, which is a first when it comes to this series :/

[blarrghe]

Rating: M | Category: M/M | Words: 43 770 | Chapters 20/29

Read from the beginning

Summary: 

When Magister Dorian Pavus' expedition meets unexpectedly with a clan of unhappy Dalish elves, First Taren Lavellan may be the unhappiest among them. Unhappier still to be put to the task of helping to see his quest through. This is the tale of how a fortnight in the forests of the Free Marches can change everything.

Chapter 20: A Long Story

Snippet: 

“Really?” Dorian scrutinised him with a hard look. “All or nothing? Be honest, you never dally, never have trysts? In all that time since the love of your life broke your naive little heart, no one has tried to seduce the beautiful and powerful First of clan Lavellan?” 

There was a compliment, buried somewhere in there. He took it. “Beautiful, am I?” 

Taren felt himself blushing. No, love was not all, and there had been exceptions. He was all too susceptible to a flattering word, and Dorian was not now woozy with blood loss. 

“As though you do not know it,” Dorian scoffed, so casual and unconcerned. 

“I have had... 'trysts' ,” Taren admitted, “but I have more important things to focus on, most of the time.” 

“Well, should you care to have another while we're stuck in this place, I am handsome and offering.” 

Taren laughed aloud. “So you have been.” 

Their eyes flitted to meet, sitting side by side atop the cold stone and leaning close against the wall. The quiet dark pulled itself tight around them. 

“And you are apparently free of commitments and wanting,” Dorian added, low.  

“It would be dishonest to say you do not tempt me, Dorian. Strange as you are.” Taren’s own voice fell to a whisper. 

“Well, then?”

DAFF List: @warpedlegacy @rakshadow @rosella-writes @effelants @bluewren

@breninarthur @ar-lath-ma-cully @dreadfutures @ir0n-angel @inquisimer

@crackinglamb @theluckywizard @nirikeehan @oxygenforthewicked @exalted-dawn-drabbles

@melisusthewee @agentkatie @delicatefade @leggywillow @about2dance

@plisuu

[daitranscripts]

Vivienne Conversation: Low Approval

Why Oppose Mage Freedom?

Vivienne Masterpost

PC: How can you possibly oppose freedom for your own people?

Human mage PC Vivienne: I understand it can be hard to grasp, living sheltered within the tower and unaware of the outside world… Resenting the tower walls, the templars, the rules that keep us separate from everyone else. All mages live lives of limited possibilities. We are denied fairness due to an accident of birth. But no one said that life was fair.

Dalish PC Vivienne: Perhaps the Dalish are too isolated to grasp the realities of this world. All mages live lives of limited possibilities. We are denied fairness due to an accident of birth. But no one said that life was fair.

Dwarf/Qunari/Human non-mage PC Vivienne: You live in the world, Inquisitor. You have eyes and ears. The obvious cannot have completely escaped you.

Vivienne: The world is not made up of mages and templars or Circles and chantries. There is no “us” and no “them.” There are only people, people who must share a world which is not portioned equally among all. “My own people” want a larger share of the world, uncaring that they have already been granted great power.

Dialogue options:

General: They didn’t ask for power. [1]

General: That doesn’t add up. [2]

General: It should be made fair. [3]

1 - General: They didn’t ask for power. PC: That’s not their fault. They can’t help what they are. Vivienne: Wolves cannot live peacefully among sheep, no matter how much they regret being wolves. [4]

2 - General: That doesn’t add up. PC: Granting mages freedom doesn’t take freedom from anyone else. Vivienne: But that’s precisely what it does, my dear. [4]

3 - General: It should be made fair. PC: It doesn’t matter that the world isn’t fair. We should make it fair. Vivienne: Fair to whom? [4]

4 - Scene continues.

Vivienne: The wolves howl and claw at the fences that hold them back. Take pity, and you let them loose among the lambs. And what do the sheep do? Panic, and the scent of their fear drives the wolves to attack.

Dialogue options:

General: So teach them not to fear. [5] +Vivienne slightly approves

General: That’s kind of a stretch. [6]

General: They deserve what happens. [7] -Vivienne slightly disapproves

5 - General: So teach them not to fear. PC: It will take time, but people can learn not to fear magic. Vivienne: One cannot unlearn a primal fear. Like fire or heights, it is not about prejudice. It is about survival. [8]

6 - General: That’s kind of a stretch. PC: You’re taking the analogy a little far, don’t you think? Vivienne: No, the example doesn’t do the situation justice. Every creature knows a wolf. How do you recognize a mage? [8]

7 - General: They deserve what happens. PC: They destroy themselves then, and they deserve it. Vivienne: Then how curious that you care what my opinion might be. Let them fight it out and see who is right and who is dead. [8]

8 - Scene continues.

Vivienne: I care for the witch hunts that will come. I care for the angry mobs who string up mages on gibbets for the vultures. I care that my stupid brethren will kill and be killed by frightened people defending their families from monsters. I will stand in opposition to that, whatever you may do.

[chronurgy]

Okay since it looks like we're really actually genuinely going to (probably) get a new dragon age game soon, here's some (specifically story) stuff I'm hoping to see:

Kal Sharok - either a companion from there or a chance to go there, please please please I HAVE to learn what their deal is

Anderfels companion, especially a warden one - I'd love to get into messy warden politics in the country they rule but don't technically rule

Minrathous - I've needed this city injected into my veins ever since I saw that neon lit, floating building concept art and learned they host laser light shows there it looks sick as hell and I can't wait to see them contrast the barbaric south with the enlightened north and the horrible bloodshed that sustains it 🖤

Par vollen or any sort of permanent qunari settlement - more information about everyday life under the qun please! It's obviously hard to do that when the qunari don't make alliances as a rule and also they're actively at war with the imperium and the rest of thedas, but still

A religious schism within the qun - the qun is all about things following their proper nature, but who decides what the proper nature of things is? People, of course! And people will always disagree. It'd be interesting to meet an offshoot who claim that they're the ones following the "true" qun and it's actually the rest of qunari society that has failed to follow the correct path (I know this will never happen, no one else in the world would actually want to play religious schism simulator 4)

A foreign born mage who came to tevinter to avoid or escape the circle could be fascinating - I think there's a lot of conflict embedded in that character that could be used to great effect. What's their social class in tevinter? How do they justify the things they see? Do they even try?

Sick fucked up red lyrium magic - lyrium potions restore mana, what do red lyrium potions do? Hopefully let you do horrible and fucked up magic. Red lyrium was so cool in da2 and I'd be ecstatic if they'd return to those roots for it

Antiva - a plutocracy with a haunted marsh? Sign me the fuck up

The half destroyed ruins of a city decimated during a past blight - make the blight scary! Remind us of all that has been lost, and let us see some of that history firsthand

Just ANY followup on the lore from the descent dlc - can we get more about the titans please???

A diversity of opinions on Solas and his plan among the dalish - please let them be people with conflicting beliefs and desires and not just one monolithic group I'm begging

Related to the point above - a dalish companion would be excellent, especially if they could help bring that insight to the party

I wanted to get this out before we see the trailer and gameplay so I'm definitely forgetting some stuff. This is also just my personal list of things I'd like to see. I'll probably do another one focusing on more gameplay and mechanical things.

[plisuu]

happy friday Sterling! For Revalas, "honestly, i’m always there. in my head. the scars on my body might’ve healed but i never really walked away from it." from the for the damaged prompts?

Ehehehe thank you for the food! Here's Revalas and Bull having a chat about the Tal-Vashoth :)

wc: 650 @dadrunkwriting

Revalas lay on the cold stone of the ramparts, watching the moonlight filter through his fingers, the backs of his hands crisscrossed with scars and the branches of Mythal in delicate brown ink.

“It’s not easy.”

His voice was soft, quiet in the darkness. He felt the sharp gaze of The Iron Bull on him. The Iron Bull. Another name. Another title. Another role.

Kothaari. Ben-Hassrath. Hissrad. Tal-Vashoth.

Revalas.

It wasn’t so different, was it? To take a different name, a different role, and to make it your own.

“But… it’s not that bad either.” He chuckled dryly, rolling to his side. “How’s the wound? Saar-qamek, yeah? That’s rough.”

Bull grunted a reply, and Revalas raised an eyebrow. ‘A courtesy,’ The Iron Bull had called it.

What he wouldn’t have given for a simple courtesy, back in Seheron. Not that it mattered now, with the tattoos of the Dalish across his face. He recalled, vaguely, how once as a child he had tried to use vitaar, to try and be like the Qunari warriors, and mindlessly let his hand drift over the pitted scars it left across his cheek.

“Could be worse,” he continued, filling the space with idle chatter. What could be worst than being Tal-Va-fucking-shoth? “Could be stuck in Par Vollen or something. Even the swill Cabot serves is better than some of the crap there.”

Bull only stared at him, expression unreadable, and Revalas swore at himself internally. He used to be good at this—good at talking, good at smoothing over conflict and settling the minds of those who suffered Asala-taar, those that needed soothing and reassurance, and to be re-assigned within the Qun. Kothaari. One who brings peace. ‘Ben-Hassrath. Glorified re-educator,’ he reminded himself. He tried not to think about it too hard.

“Listen,” he started over, pushing himself onto his elbows as he laid on his stomach. “You’re still you, no matter what you call yourself. You aren’t any different than you were yesterday, or the day before that. No offense, but you were basically living as Tal-Vashoth anyways.”

Was this helping? He wasn’t sure. The corner of Bull’s mouth twitched. That was a no, then. This was different, a lot different than filling a role. This was his life now. Their lives, now. Creators, he hadn’t thought about the Qun this hard in years, but there it all was, all of the information, all of the knowledge and the language and the culture and laws, all still filed away neatly.

“It doesn’t matter to me, at any rate. I know, big talk coming from a fellow Tal-Vashoth, but there’s still life after the Qun, you know. It’s not all murder and banditry. Promise.” He winked, and Bull sighed, shaking his head.

“I killed hundreds of Tal-Vashoth in Seheron,” he finally said. Revalas shrugged.

“And I punched Skinner in the face last night, if we’re making confessions.”

“Probably deserved it too, the bastard.”

Silence settled over them again, as Revalas watched Bull carefully, and Bull watched him just as carefully back.

“You know what I think?” Revalas continued. “I think, Qun or not, Tal-Vashoth or not, you’re still a damn good spy, and captain of the Inquisition’s mercenaries. Sure, Seheron fucked us up pretty bad, but we’re here now, doing other things, being people. And for what it’s worth, I think you’re a good man.”

“Thanks,” Bull eventually replied. His eye crinkled, the signs of a small smile creeping into his expression. “You’re not so bad yourself. You know, for a Tal-Vashoth.”

Revalas laughed as he stood, brushing gravel off the front of his breeches, and turned back towards the door the Herald’s Rest.

“See? There you go. Now, lets head back inside and get something to drink. I don’t think I can listen to Rocky tell the same story for the tenth time this week while sober.”

[anneapocalypse]

1, 2, 4, 8, 19 for the dav meme!

Veilguard Hype Ask Meme!

What was the first Dragon Age game you played?

Origins! I've been here since the beginning. Alongside Fallout 3, it was one of the first RPG video games that absolutely ate my brain. I have fond memories of sitting on my futon playing DAO for like 16 hours straight, forgetting to eat and destroying my back.

2. Which Dragon Age game is your favorite so far?

This is always such a hard question for me to answer, because the three games are all so different, and I have deeply fond memories of all three of them, and I can also look at all three pretty frankly and see their flaws even as I still enjoy them. I think if I have to name a favorite though, it's still Dragon Age 2. Something about its structure and scale, the creative and unusual use of place and time, and its themes, really appeals to me. I've also come to really like the personality lock-in feature even though it does place some limitations on role-playing, and I love the friendship-rivalry system. I love it so much. I think it makes for much more interesting character relationships than simply "Does this character approve or disapprove of my actions?" Are there things about the other games that I prefer, of course. I want to be able to play as an elf or a dwarf or a qunari, for one. But even after all this time, DA2 still hits me a certain way. I love the other two games as well. There's just something about Kirkwall.

4. What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

So I have like five or six world states and I don't consider any one of them more canon than the others, but I will be going into Veilguard for the first time with Rogues Gallery, which is exactly what it sounds like (and which means the one thing I know about my Rook is they'll be a rogue), featuring Jolene Cousland, Mallory Hawke, and Calla Cadash.

Basic rundown:

The Circle was saved, Connor and Isolde both lived, Zathrian broke the curse, and Harrowmont is King of Orzammar.

Jo romanced Alistair and convinced him to do the Dark Ritual.

They stayed Grey Wardens and rode off into the sunset together.

Anora is Queen of Ferelden.

Nathaniel is alive.

The Architect was spared.

Vigil's Keep and Amaranthine were protected.

Jo went off alone to find a cure for the Calling, and Alistair was left in the Fade.

Carver is dead, Bethany is alive and a Grey Warden.

Mal romanced Isabela. (In my headcanon, they later become a polycule with Merrill but of course that's not in the game.)

She rivaled everyone except the rogues and Merrill.

Bartrand is dead. Varric kept a piece of the idol.

Aveline did not marry Donnic.

Feynriel went to the Dalish, and then to Tevinter.

Clan Sabrae was killed.

Merrill did not destroy the Eluvian.

Mal refused to take any kind of a stand until the very end of Act III where she heaved a big sigh and sided with the mages.

She disapproved of Anders' actions but spared his life.

Mal is still alive and kicking.

Calla romanced Josephine.

She conscripted the rebel mages and the Grey Wardens.

Alistair was left in the Fade.

I left off with her right before Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, so I am not sure of her decisions from her onward! But I do plan to finish this playthrough before Veilguard comes out. :)

8. What faction are you most excited to learn more about?

I'm pretty hype about all of them, but I'd say the Lords of Fortune and the Veil Jumpers the most since we know the least about them!

19. Are you planning to replay any of the previous games, watch Dragon Age: Absolution, or read any of the books/comics/short stories, or are there other games you want to play in the meantime?

I do plan to finish my current playthrough of Inquisition (Calla's playthrough) which is still incomplete. Beyond that, maybe I'll re-read some of my favorite Tevinter Nights stories. I spent about three years (2020-2023) playing the whole series on repeat like 5-6 times and reading and watching all the side content I could get my hands on, so... I'm probably good on that front. ;)

Final Fantasy XIV is getting a new expansion, Dawntrail, in just a couple weeks, so that should occupy a good chunk of my summer, and I expect I'll be ready to play some more Dragon Age in the fall in preparation for Veilguard! (Would love to get an actual release date, though.)

[spicywarl0ck]

hello and happy friday! maybe "it seems like the end of the world right now, I know," for solas/male lavellan if that picques your interest. 💖

Happy Friday! Thank you for this prompt, took me a while for inspiration to hit, but here we are <3 (Also I received this prompt multiple times, and I can only say to the others: I will do the others too x3 You just have to be a bit patient) I might have made myself cry a bit with this, anyway: @dadrunkwriting Pairing: Solas/mLavellan Length: 689 Rating: G The world was a whirl of green and grey, the air filled with pure electricity.

It was the stillness before the storm and the last night before the biggest battle he’d ever fought. He felt the quietness of the Keep as everyone kept talking in hushed whispers, each of them under suspense, holding the one hope that he might be able to save them all.

It made the pressure on his shoulders almost unbearable. 

Revassan had never been a leader before. He had been a capable hunter under the Dalish maybe, resourceful enough to be sent as a spy to the conclave. But he’d never been more than that before the fateful events at the temple of sacred ashes and he never wanted to be.

He hadn’t asked to become the Herald of Andraste or the Inquisitor, but here he was, preparing to lead them all to battle.

Revassan wasn’t ready for this and he probably never would be. He’d lived a quiet life with the Dalish; his sister had been the magical prodigy and his father’s pride. All that had been left for him was to make himself useful somehow.

It hadn’t been her fault and he never blamed her for it. Yet, he couldn’t help but wonder if their interactions would have been different if things had been different.

Well, it was too late for that now, he supposed as he took a deep breath. Even that was hard with the heaviness of the air that left a bitter taste on his tongue. He could just hope they succeeded; That he succeeded.

“Ah, there you are. I was searching for you.” Solas’s voice made his lips twitch into a half-smile. 

Revassan might have had a few regrets and saw some unpleasant things during his time in the Inquisition, but Solas had made it worthwhile. He wouldn’t miss the man in his life for anything, in the world.

“I just needed fresh air.” His forest green eyes looked tired as they looked at the mage approaching him, his grey eyes expressing sadness and compassion.

“It seems like the end of the world right now, I know.” His hand cupped Revassan’s cheek, making him feel the warmth of it pressing against his skin. He could have melted into the touch right away, the fear in his heart eased just for a few seconds.

“But, I have seen many endings, and the world is still there, as it will be for a while.” 

There was something unreadable in Solas’s expression when he said those words, his hand swiftly retreating so he could clasp them behind his back in thought. His gaze wandered to the Breach, watching the whirling and brewing storm with an almost unsettling calmness.

And all of a sudden, he seemed to be very far away until he pulled back.

“It’s so quiet.” Revassan pointed out as he kept one ear listening for any movement in Skyhold.

“Not all of them. Can you hear the Chargers drink and celebrate?” Solas asked, giving him a moment to listen to the distant chatter echoing from the Herald’s rest and reaching his balcony. 

“They have seen many battles and drink to the next. Determined to emerge victorious.” 

“Will they though?” The younger elf asked quietly. He sometimes felt there was something Solas wasn’t telling him but he also couldn’t say what. But ever since the Well of Sorrow, he felt Solas might have been older than he let on, just like the sentinels they met.

“Who knows.” Solas’s eyes were still focused on the distance before he looked away, the dimples showing when he smiled patiently. “I’m afraid that’s not for me or you to know,” he added quietly. “But, I am content that you will succeed. You might not see it yourself, but you have become a leader everyone looks up to. And quite a capable one.”

His hand moved to tilt his chin softly as he locked eyes with him before he continued in elven.

“Do not worry, Vhenan. You are a stronger force than you think. And no matter what will come. Don’t forget that I love you.”