#about solona

[therearecookiesdraws]

Part 17: Dreams

[longer-than-i-should-admit]

Don’t mind me I’m just getting emotional thinking about mage wardens

I’m thinking about Duncan asking for the warden’s phylactery from Gregoir and him balking at the thought bc even though the warden is being taken from the Circle there’s always ‘what if? what if? what if?’ Irving trying not to show the tremble in his hand when the Knight-Commander finally relents, passing it carefully into Duncan’s palm and watching the apprehension passing over the warden’s face all the while.

I’m thinking about Duncan not mentioning it once until they reach Ostagar, not until after the warden becomes a warden officially, not until that very night as they’re preparing for bed and he stops by and hands the phylactery to them.

“I’m not meant to—to have this!” stutters the warden, face blanching at the thought of touching the very thing that had bound them to the Circle.

“I understand,” Duncan says evenly, not unkindly, “but I will be very busy as we prepare for battle and I do not want to chance misplacing it. Just hold on to it for me temporarily, will you?”

“I…yes, ser,” the warden murmurs, only daring to touch the vial long enough to tuck it securely into their pack, wrapped in fabric to cushion it.

Duncan never asks for it back. They and Alistair wake in the Wilds, and it’s still buried in their meager belongings. The warden clings to it like a life preserver, wondering if Duncan had somehow known that he would be unable to keep it.

They do not have the heart to do away with or break it, even though the promise of being well and truly free is right within arm’s reach, despite Morrigan’s critical urging to ensure every chance of their survival outside of the Chantry’s clutches.

I’m thinking about the warden slowly growing comfortable with the wide open world around them, and trusting the people that they keep close, admitting that they don’t know everything and apologizing when they make mistakes, watching the pity in the others’ eyes slowly morph into respect and understanding and empathy and care.

I’m thinking about the warden wordlessly pressing their phylactery into Alistair’s hands, gaze unwavering as he flounders.

“I can’t—I don’t want this,” he protests, face wan.

“I want you to have it,” the warden says resolutely, because their greatest battle yet is looming at dawn and they do not want to be lost in the tide of corpses that would surely pile the countryside. “Please.”

I’m thinking about Alistair finding the warden in the aftermath, unconscious but alive thanks to their mutual sacrifice (giving his eternal thanks for Morrigan all the while as he bundles the warden up into his arms), the phylactery pulsing against the hollow of his throat in time with the warden’s pulse.

I’m thinking about Alistair a decade later, curled up where he struggles to sleep, clutching that same vial against his heart with his eyes squeezed shut to concentrate on the fact that despite the time and distance separating him from his warden, their love is still right there in the palm of his hand—alive and well.

[lavellenchanted]

today is a day to love the internet - some kind, blessed soul on nexus left a step by step guide to fixing the lathander armour mod I wanted to use for lilia and I am thrilled because look how good she looks

[vilnan]

i'm being so brave about my whump worldstate

rambles below:

ok so

• my warden for this one is solona amell, who is a blood mage and kind of evil. :/ she kills the dalish clan with the werewolves, preserves the anvil, kills connor, poisons the urn, and does all sorts of other war crimes </3 she romances alistair, who dies killing the archdemon, which naturally makes her even more unhinged. her current whereabouts and status are unknown as she is on the run for being a wanted maleficar during the events of inquisition

• bernadette "birdy" hawke is the champion on this verse. she's also a blood mage lol but she's the fartherst thing from evil. very sweet, attentive and helpful. but by the end of act 2 her whole family is dead and this makes her personality shift from blue -> red. she romances anders during the events of da2, but their relationship is very dysfunctional and toxic, because she is in love with varric the whole time and anders's devotion makes her feel trapped, so they clash constantly. she kills him in act 3 and then later gets together with varric and they get married. she's unknowingly pregnant with their kid when she dies in the fade. </3

• inquisitor is imogen trevelyan. she's the only who gets to be happy in this verse for now, lol, but she has an extremely traumatic past in the circle (which is where the angst comes from) and she has low self-esteem and worth, when she becomes the inquisitor. she romances blackwall who is redeemed and they get married and have a little girl, and nobody dies. for now. i was also originally bouncing with the idea of blackwall joining the wardens and them being separated but they've both been through enough tbh

• rook: ????????

[milesmentis]

Whichever oc is eating your brain the mostest:

Name one thing their parents taught them.

What recurring dreams do they have?

Thank you for asking and waiting so patiently for me to open my inbox again. Although I don't talk about her much at all, I've been thinking again about Solona Amell and since I never include her on OC lists for these it only seems fair. From this list here:

13) Name one thing their parents taught them.

Poise is everything. The way you are perceived by others dictates your own treatment so you must always present yourself to your best advantage. Never give anything away - not your respect, not your disdain, certainly never your opinion - and you will never find yourself in another's debt.

29) What recurring dreams do they have?

No surprise, but Solona is frequently beset by demons. She is like catnip to them: proud, ravenous, bitter, jealous ... and so very afraid. She frequently has lucid dreams which often (though not always) have a demon at the center of them. Most of them revolve around her aspirations: becoming Grand Enchanter and then breaking from the Chantry is a big one. And then of course, there are the Archdemon nightmares. But of her normal dreams, the most common one is "waking up" in a field of wild flowers. Sometimes she's alone, sometimes she's lying next to Heulwen or her mother. That one becomes less common during/after the Blight, but when it does come back the person she's lying next to is always Alistair (or one time that woke her in a cold sweat - Jowan).

[savingthrcw]

under request: Solona Amell

she's meant to be a Joke but I also love her so here she is (Joke because overpowered but still will allow you to explore your character's emotions as much as you'd like, and different dynamics)

"human" mage (yeah, right) / Eldritch Horror / Hero of Ferelden & Warden Commander / doesn't have a dark side any more than Barbie does / meant to be generally seen as beautiful, real life fc is Margot Robbie. This gives her privileges which is why I made a point of mentioning it. (your muse is allowed not to find her attractive, obviously).

Wanted interactions: Dragon Age characters because I cannot imagine more people wanting to given that she's all-powerful, but if you request her I'll write her with your other ones too. Solona can easily be played as follower (and a bonus one at that, who is basically more powerful than Sandal, she's not to be taken too seriously as a character, I'll write more about it soon). Open to romantic interactions with: potentially all. Demiromantic, Pansexual. Has tried a bit of everything because curious. It's unclear to her what is socially acceptable to say.

Hair color is like in the first pic (which is her by the time of DAI), not the third which is blonder, but the third shows Margot at 22 which is closer to Solona's age (somewhere near 20)

So, what about Solona? Why is she not to be taken too seriously?

Because she has the KILL-ALL console command and mods. Normally she uses other spells because she thinks it's fun to make battles last but she is overpowered.

She's found in the Deep Roads by a group of dwarves, surrounded by dead Darkspawn and chilling. Has no memories except for the fact that her name is Solona. It seems they were trying to make her into a BroodMother and died for it. She's in her late teens and has never seen a spellbook, all her magic is purely elemental. She picks the last name Amell.

She's VERY gifted which could make her a problem, but because she's so happy to follow Circle rules, is friendly, kind, and has such a pretty face, they let her be; the general idea is that she's too 'simple' to be dangerous. When it takes less than ten minutes to go through the Harrowing they all freak out and decide to find an excuse to make her Tranquil, because that can't be right. Also maybe they should study her. She helps Jowan because he asks her to, and even if she warns Irving, if only for their own safety, they use that as the Excuse. Duncan "saves her" as much as she 'needs' to be saved (meaning she can walk away without bloodshed) so she thanks them all for the opportunity and leaves. She knows NOTHING of the world besides the few things she was taught at the Circle, she finds everyone very amusing and everything is just so great. She will learn more about humanity as the story goes by and feel more things (there is a reason if her icons come from the Barbie movie)

The rest is history, as in DAO really starts.

Notes for other players: -if you play another HoF, Hawke or Inquisitor or someone in the position of being 'scary/in charge', only ask me to use her if you are okay with the fact that she cannot feel threatened by them and if they are very dark/serious/dominant she'd just be like 'okay lol' and not take them seriously. If that bothers you because you feel it's challenging their credibility or any other reason DO NOT interact with her. If she's a follower she could either be found at the Circle during the mission to recruit the mages or have been recruited by Duncan as a Warden not long before your muse was, depending on who you play, and was found on the way to Lothering.

-If you play a Solas and you want her to be able to tell that he's more than just an elf let me know, it'd be funny if she knew and didn't say anything because nobody asked?? -if you play an Anders and want him to have safe passage after DA2 tell me and she'll take care of him. -if you want to use her to retrieve an Alistair/Hawke from the Fade, you can -if you play anyone else and you want to change some fundamental part of your muse's life tell me, she probably can do it. Found an undefeatable enemy and snap her fingers to have it die? Done. Remove a demon/spell like it's nothing? Done.

[below what happens in game / her personality and relationships]

Beginning She travels with a constant smile, she doesn't pass out at the Joining, she doesn't need time to recharge when using spells in Ostagar, just keeps burning/freezing/electrocuting at will. She has a great time! Until Duncan is betrayed. She only needs saving (via Flemeth) because she is hit over the head from behind and passes out after freezing because she felt Duncan's death. Flemeth can probably feel there is something Different about her. Same for Solona but she says nothing because nobody asks. She knows near nothing about life, the Circle doesn't encourage close relationships, so she'll ask her companions about it.

Kill-all mod and other spells. One day the rest of the team sees her not smiling after her Mabari Juliette is hurt in battle, and she immediately kills the entire group army of Darkspawn around her with one move of her hand, then go do the same to the ones who were left behind. This is how they find out that everyone she wants dead and is within thirty feet from her will die on the spot.

It takes her about five seconds to recharge after every hit of the Death spell. So the only reason she doesn't just go up to the Archdemon and kills it on the spot is that she thinks all the different races should fight together to make them remember they are meant to be friends. That and there is enough Darkspawn to tire her, plus she can't be everywhere at the same time. Her nature and other skills: Her origins are unclear but it becomes clear she must be some sort of benevolent creature that looks human, and maybe partly is. She ages and is mortal now but who knows what she was. She cannot heal people nor can morph. She can do extra spells like levitate things. She still uses normal elemental spells because they are fun, the Death Spell is boring. She can feel things that other people can (see Flemeth being More). Can go back to the Fade with some effort. She's very caring and very excited to meet everyone, finds them all very funny. She really doesn't care about killing en masse, she'll just say "they are the enemy :D", but mostly follows Alistair for moral guidance (which makes them all very lucky). Gullible, easily persuaded to do things if she's not already set on a specific choice. So Very Ready to Help.

Some game choices: Loghain dies by Alistair's hand - Anora is queen (alone). Elves and Werewolves are at peace. Bhelen wins the throne. The Circle get rescued. She tries to take care of Cullen after, doesn't hold a grudge against anyone there. Doesn't harden companions, completes all their missions. Kills the Archdemon immediately once she sees it. Either convinced Alistair to perform the ritual because worried about him or she just Could Do That. Kills the Architect.

[aztarion]

Give me some fun facts about Soledad rn or I’ll do something…dunno what yet…

im sorry i took so long getting to this T_T thank you for asking!!! this went off-road many times with me overthinking it i just couldn't save it but hopefully it's still readable, i tried to do a mix of character and meta while not repeating anything from prev asks and then it kind of morphed into a weird bio lmao

her full name is Solona ‘Sol’ ‘Soledad’ Castillo; born 1/11/72 and raised in soledad, california, until her parents moved to sierra vista, arizona. died embraced 1/11/98, so forever 26 (and chronologically a fresh 48 during the events of Night Road).

by that time in 2020 her mom and dad have both passed and her older brother is 52; he runs their dad’s mechanical repair workshop there. she absolutely still does the sad little drive-by late at night every couple of months if she's in the area on a job (surgical mask on and hood up of course). i hc that julian, while keeping an occasional spying eye on her during the 10 yr absence, also looks out for her brother and sends business his way unbeknown to her lol

she ended up 3/3 fully blood bonded to julian in the beginning while they worked for the cam, and julian was 2/3 bonded to her. his “wasn't it romantic?” comment -- yeah literally too romantic, get back to work and feed the big underground nosferatu both of you 😤 i like that headcanon personally as another reason why he would cut contact so suddenly with sol when they were in a relationship — to break the bond on both sides; he could obsess strictly over 2100X and her desires would be completely her own again

another headcanon i'm sorry... after the diablerie of aila and the intense guilt that came with the act, plus julian (her sire) abandoning her and essentially straining and forcing their bond to fade, she gains the bulimia derangement. i paired that with the siren predator type lmfao. so very um dramatic all around when shes having a bad night. she restricts to bagged blood for like ten years working as a courier and just resigns herself to being perpetually dour and unsatisfied. i like to write her easygoing and much more lively when she's with julian during their work for the local camarilla, like the reality of her new condition hasn’t really sank in because omg julian's sooo fun and woah this world is crazy but at least julian's here he's gonna change everything or something (she believed in his vision and ideals even if she didn't fully grasp the scope at that time -- like she was on board at least. bless her she had 2 intelligence). she then becomes very muted pre-night road while the bond fades and the uglier, lonelier facets of being a vampire surface; having to pull together an independent undead existence for herself, trying to control her beast while feeding exclusively on bagged blood as job payment, then a little more tearing at the seams upon arriving in tucson during night road (resentment, guilt, anger, desire, longing, hunger for something that won't have a plastic aftertaste, all rushing back and blurring together at once; not so good a grasp on those when she’s been keeping herself numb and isolated and constantly on the move for a decade). behind everything she is desperate for connection

she has a good control on her beast thanks to that (monastic? lmao) decade (and high willpower/composure/resolve), until returning to tucson and stirring aila’s presence; the strange link to lettow, julian showing up, old memories and feelings that aren't even always her own now gathering on this very carefully crafted veneer like plaque. also suddenly having a ghoul and her own assets to worry about kind of freaks her out due to her own existential uncertainty and not really trusting herself. not even really knowing who she is. and she really likes elena right off the bat; she usually puts herself in more danger as to not risk her ghoul in the exact situations one would find themselves needing a damn ghoul in — she is literally the worst kindred ever in terms of priorities and self-preservation

speaking of her beast, it's very much that of a scorpion or snake… yes blunt-object-to-the-back-of-the-head-symbolism with some of her tattoos 😭 she stays lowkey, tries not to put herself under circumstances that would provoke or overly strain it, can keep it in check relatively well due to avid practice being a loner control freak, but when it snaps it's like an inland taipan. actually one of my fav moments playing with her in night road: so she chooses to continue feeding on blood bags in tucson, but when she finally had the opportunity to indulge with her predator type and a live target in dallas, she fucking got a critical success and killed them T_T this was after impulsively kissing julian back at the apartment d'espine allows you to stay at while in the area too. real in-character off-the-rails moment rip

i mentioned before but under the composed exterior she tries to present, she intensely seeks connection to something or someone. unfortunately the way she sees it: lettow is drawn to her because of the remnants of aila lingering within her -- also she literally ate his girlfriend, she's still not ok with that even if he forgives her because of course i gave my vampire oc morals and a guilty conscience (meanwhile cobie is eating people whole like twice a day); julian has no issue using her for whatever despite his affections, and elena is literally blood bonded to her, which sol is constantly thinking about elena's feelings and best interests — its a little bit of a sore spot for past reasons...

she gets on well with dove and begrudgingly really likes carlos (they absolutely cuss eachother out in very aggressive spanish one minute but he will pass her the roach the next) and she simped so bad for invidia caul — i think sol’s type is just a combo of super intelligence + willingness to engage in unethical experimentation lmfao. she's like omg noooo i don't understand wtf you're saying and that's sexy to me also your actions make me feel bad and are very ‘end-justifies-the-kind-of-morally-bankrupt-means’ but i cannot deny if they work out the ‘end’ would be really beneficial to kine and kindred... woe… hashtag conflicted and a little turned on. but she's very drawn to people who are idealistic or driven in an inherent ‘i want to help then i'll have purpose’ way. also the thrill. omg im just psychoanalysing her at this point sorry. this bitch would easily be indoctrinated into a cult is what it all boils down to + the extreme loyalty means she'd probably end up the cult leader's right-hand arm man his everything his confidant his best friend his silly rabbit 🤦‍♀️

also a follower in the streets but more of a leader in the sheets who said that

ok random stuff... she has those brown eyes that when she was human would glare almost red-orange when caught in straight sunlight; super deep chestnut, it only comes through under certain fluorescents these nights

very thick long hair; naturally has a kink/wave to it, quickly prone to returning to that state even when straightened, esp in the southwest's heat. usually loose when in tucson or dressing up, or braided ponytail on the road/job which i am so afraid to draw

nails are sharp like mini claws unless she’s specifically clipped them after rousing. they extend obscenely when she pops protean. i need to draw her fangs but they’re feline/kittenish: weirdly long and thin like staple punches, and again when she pops protean they extend like a snakes

her character color scheme runs warm-dark: black, brown, ochre, sienna, umber, burnt orange, deep shades of red, and maybe some random olive. style-wise it’s a mixed bag of practical minimalist and sleek; street and active wear, the occasional gold-ruby-emerald or leopard print dolce & gabbana-esque gaudy accent. very feminine on top; skin tight, low cut, corseted or cropped, paired with something oversized; men’s beaten-soft leather jackets, vintage driving jackets, or blazers. pants go either way: form fitting or baggy and belted depending on whatever silhouette she wants to cut. think of like the swaggiest 70s cuban drug lord/80s gangster restyled on 90s supermodel Naomi Campbell or something. with formal-wear i really like her in off-shoulder stuff. i try to draw her tattoos more in art bc it makes her more fun to look at but as a courier she wears driving gloves and long pants/boots to cover them up, and baseball caps or large sunglasses (yes at night. loser) to keep herself mostly unidentifiable

THANK YOU FOR ASKING ABOUT MY BLORBO!!!! :'3

prev info/asks jic: 0 , 1 , 2

[trippinsorrows]

imagine solona did a suprise birthday party for roman! he would lose his shit😭

i---

this would be something 😭

i feel like on one hand, he'd play 'nice' i.e. however 'nice' roman can get, that is, because he doesn't want to hurt her feelings and can see she put a lot of work into it.

however, he'd be a fucking menace if they asked him to say something, talking about, 'i hate half of you, don't know the rest or want to know the rest of you, but solana wanted me to say something, so there's that' 😭😭😭😭

and don't let jimmy and jey ass get drunk 😭😭😭

[anakliro]

Name: Garrett Hawke

Title(s): Champion of Kirkwall Class/Specialization: Mage/Force magic, Elemental Magic, Telekinesis Traits: communicative, charismatic, willful Virtue(s): valor, justice, liberality Vice(s): intemperance, wrath, Martin Eden syndrome Jungian archetype: Rebel Tarot arcana: Tower

Favorite location(s): Kirkwall outskirts, Western approach, Lothering Chantry Soundrack: "LUSI", Offer Nissim & Nasrin Kadri

Habit(s): skin picking, singing out loud, reciting poetry whenever alone Fear(s): being replaced, fighting in vain, loss of loved ones and self Closest circle: Varric, Aveline, Solona, Carver, Alistair, Isabela Romance: ???

Misc:

Really likes romantic poetry. Ballads, short poems imbued with deep passion, yearning and desire. Has a preference for a succinct, striking manner of writing, rather than the one that builds up over time.

Tried his hand at writing, wasn’t exactly good at it until he actually was, but he keeps his poems locked up in a drawer. His poetry is not everyone’s cup of tea, but someone with a taste for sharp and straightforward word-weaving would certainly find it to their liking. Hawke doesn’t take his hobby and himself as a poet seriously, though.

He isn’t the reader type, his curiosity is rare and selective, but he’s the one to swallow and obsess over a topic of interest, whenever he finds one.

Likes gentle people. Likes being taken care of. It’s not easy for him to feel safe and calm, so he overcompensates it by assuming this fierce stance and providing safety and ultimate protection to others. Is the type of person who people assume don’t need comforting. And he usually doesn’t, but still.

Despite his temperament, has quite a lot of patience. Has an insane capacity for love.

Likes the smell of vetiver and blood lotus.

Walks fast.

Has a big nose, and whenever Hawke is about to sneeze, Carver would say “just don’t blow me away, now”.

[blackbirdffxiv]

Hello. I'm new to modding my WoL and is Xiv archive the only place where I can find outfits for my WoL? I've been looking but most are paid on patron or Kofi and I can't afford to spare money :(

Unfortunately at the moment, besides XMA and heliosphere, there's no real obvious source for mods besides modders who put their content in discord or trello (mostly because they don't want to use XMA). I have my opinions on the state of modding these days but with how volatile the topic can get, I'm choosing not to comment on it.

I can, however, recommend some creators who do frequently release free mods. Bear in mind, I main a fem-based character, so my mods are aimed to models that use a fem-based body model (such as bibo, YAB, muse, etc)

These are some of my go-to for modders who, while do paid work, also release their work for free at some point, or even release free mods right out of the gate.

Also a note: if a creator uses YAB/YaRue/Lavabod/LaRue, they are obligated to release paid mods after a max period of 3 months, so always expect YAB-based mods to be free at some point (Aleks HAS been very clear about this and does not play around)

Liability - More for gothic attire, but caters to MULTIPLE body morphs for both bibo AND TBSE; their mods are usually only paywalled for 2-3 months before going free.

Solona - Solona mods mainly for bibo-based bodies, and at one point did paid mods exclusively for charity; after retiring and then returning, they now only do "paid" early access a la boosting their discord server. Their "paid" mods are usually locked behind nitro for at most a week before being put out for free. They primarily upload to heliosphere. Solona has also been updating their popular older works for Dawntrail.

Miette - Miette is a paid modder but she ALWAYS releases at least 3 free mods from her patreon a month for free (basically every month she puts three mods on her patreon, and then puts three out for free). Every month you're guaranteed at least one hair mod and two outfits for YAB, but she also allows ports to other bodies so expect some creator to possibly pick it up. Miette has been slowly going back as well to update their older works to work with Dawntrail, some even having dual-dyability after the update.

Alee - Like the creators above, Alee is a paid modder, BUT uses YAB-based bodies, so they always put at least 1-2 outfits out per month. They not only cater to fem-presenting bodies, but also use MUSE with AFAB/AMAB options for further customization. They've also been updating their older mods to work with Dawntrail.

Reiry - Reiry does the occasional port but does a lot of vanilla mashups, meaning they are free right out of the gate. While I don't use many vanilla mashups, I personally like a lot of their works for the aesthetics and think they do amazing work.

Cammy - Another vanilla mashup modder; I honestly fell in love with Cammy's work after they created their "Constellation" dress; they primarily mod for tall fems, but I like how they create such unique outfits with vanilla models.

Thornguts - Thornguts primarily works on masc-based models but some of their vanilla mashups as of late has honestly been making me want to get into modding a male character; also I cannot deny I am an absolute simp for the aesthetics they're putting out.

Chaosgremlin - Chaosgremlin has been absolutely killing it recently with cosmetic mods; they frequently put out not only makeup mods but eyebrow/eyelash retextures, eye textures, port hair, etc. And all of it for free; the only payment they take are for commissions and tips/donations. And to top it all off; their cosmetic mods are also made with POC/dark-skinned characters in mind

Khloris - Khloris is a vanilla-mashup creator I've recently been getting into; they make a lot of fem-based mods that are your typical cutesy/pastel lolita-doll aesthetic, but no less impressive to look at.

There's FAR more creators out there who do release mods for free, or who freely mod entirely, but these are just some of the ones I use and go to; I highly encourage other folks to tag in other creators who mod for free/do free releases as well if you know of any.

[inquisimer]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO For dadwc, Can I get Amell/Alistair "He is half of my soul, as the poets say"?????????

thank you ed!! this ended up more Amell & Anora, with Amell/Alistair mentioned, though not insignificantly. It just felt like Solona would do better expressing that feeling to literally anyone other than Alistair, lmfao.

wc: 625

for @dadrunkwriting

-

“So your prince will stay a Warden.” Anora’s face was unreadable, hands clasped at the small of her back as she looked out over the smoldering rubble of Denerim. Every muscle in Solona’s body ached, her skin and bones battle weary, but she forced herself to stand tall at the queen’s side.

“He was never a prince to me,” she said with a soft smile. “Not in the sense that you mean it, at least.”

Anora snorted. “He was never really a prince in the sense that I mean it, either.”

“No, I suppose not. But I would have thought the decision would please you.”

“Oh, it does.” Anora’s canny gaze fixed on Solona from the corner of her eye. “I was simply surprised. It would have afforded you far more leverage had you placed Alistair on the throne in any capacity. Not to mention you risk the ire of Arl Eamon—a powerful man.”

“Bit of a prat though,” Solona muttered, not quite low enough as the corners of Anora’s eyes crinkled with mirth. She cleared her throat and swallowed a sigh.

“Perhaps if I were as power-hungry as they say, that would have been the course to chart. But I never wanted any slice of your throne. I didn’t even want the power afforded by the circumstances at Ostagar; I simply had no choice.”

“And yet you would not cede it now.”

Solona scowled. “That’s complicated. If I could implicitly trust the person on the receiving end? In a heartbeat. But I’ve given blood and sweat and soul to see peace restored. There are precious few I trust implicitly anymore.”

“Of which Alistair is one.”

“Yes.” The fringe of Solona’s bangs fluttered as she huffed. “But, and this may be hard for you to conceptualize, surrounded by power-hungry men as you are: Alistair does not want the power you wield. More than that, he actively abhors the thought of it.”

She wrapped her fingers around the grimy marble banister and sighed. “After everything we’ve given, after all we’ve survived…I could not do that to him, even if I wanted to. Not only would it crush him, it would be the end of us. How could he stay with someone who looked his wishes dead in the eye and said ‘that matters less than what I want’?”

“I thought Wardens were meant to put the world ahead of themselves.”

“Wardens are also meant to stay out of politics,” Solona retorted. “And it’s defeating the Blight, not the entire world.”

“So it is.” A smile cracked through Anora’s impassive mask and she relaxed, turning to face Solona properly. “Have you reconsidered my offer? Whether you enjoy the Game or not, you know the steps. Implicitly, perhaps, but you would go far at my side in court.”

Risking offense, Solona let her displeasure wrinkle across her nose. “I do not have to be unskilled at a thing to know that I would not enjoy it.”

“The Game is not about enjoyment. It is a means to an end.”

“I am not interested in the ends,” Solona shrugged. “And unless you have reconsidered my counter, we remain at an impasse.”

“You would not be parted from your lover? However brief a time, however fruitful an advantage?”

“There is no advantage that compares to his presence,” Solona answered simply. “And the time we have left is brief enough without spending it parted.”

“Then I shall see you when business dictates, Grey Warden.” Anora held out a hand and Solona clasped her by the wrist, the firm grip of equals and a mutual understanding between the two most powerful women in the country. They stood together, even as they parted ways.

“That you will, Your Majesty. That you will.”

[thebookworm0001]

There’s an au somewhere in which solona was never taken to the circle and was taught magic by some kind of hedge witch and in that au she’s fucking terrifying

[daisymeade]

Introduce your Hero of Ferelden

31 Days of DA : Day 1

Heulwen Surana

Pictures after the cut at the end

Born 22 Wintermarch 9:11 in the Highever Alienage to Dimas Surana, the son of Rivaini immigrants, and Braith Vethavin, daughter of a Fereldan father and Antivan mother.

Her love of the stars came from her mother, who died from recurrent respiratory infections when Heulwen was five.

Nana Nerys, her maternal great-grandmother, would tell her stories as a child of elven heroes like the Hero of Fourth Blight, Garahel, and the Night Elves of the Rebellion. The latter, along with him already being a national hero, caused Heulwen to hero-worship the Teryn of Gwaren.

Knows sign language. Telor, her maternal grandfather, was made mute by an Orlesian before the rebellion.

Braith was a storyteller, Dimas loved to paint, Nerys was a poet, and Telor was once a singer. Heulwen is insecure about the fact that she was never any good at artistic pursuits. (Jokes on her. She loves maps and can draw one well but considers that practical not artistic).

Her magic manifested when she was eight years old, near the alienage's vhenadahl. An outburst of anger called down lightning on other children bullying her friends, injuring several of them...including her closest friend who ran screaming in terror.

Dimas made it in time to say goodbye and give his necklace to his daughter before the Templars arrived. He pays a neighbor to help write to her until his death when Heulwen is 13.

Before the Circle, she was much like her mother: bright and sociable. At Kinloch, she became shy and throws herself into studying, determined that if she couldn't leave then the Templars would never find fault with her as a mage. Knowledge and competence was safety.

She was in love with Solona Amell (the feeling was mutual) but was too nervous to pursue anything and was devastated upon learning that Amell, Uldred's apprentice, was a blood mage.

Ser Carroll attacked her when she was sixteen, leaving scars between her shoulder blades from his mace. Her crime was putting her hand on his arm when she thought he was being unnecessarily rough with another apprentice. He was moved upstairs with the plan to move him back down to the apprentice floor once Heulwen passed her Harrowing and moved upstairs herself. He was only punished because she was Irving's apprentice; the older mages told her that she should have known better.

Jowan, a year older than her, was assigned to be her guide when she first came to the Circle. It was common to see the two young apprentices walking around holding hands as Heulwen got nervous easily and would run off to hide otherwise (something that she would get in trouble for. One time a Templar had to pull her out from under a bed by an ankle as she wailed).

She immediately bonds with Duncan, a fellow Highevrian of Rivaini descent. He was little older than Dimas would have been and she knows logically that this will be her commander, but she feels an intense kinship and when he tells her, "I believe you will become the best of us," Heulwen holds that in her heart for the rest of her life.

In my canon, Heulwen recruits Jowan to the Wardens and Riordan puts him through the Joining alongside Loghain after the Landsmeet. Jowan really is the linchpin of this story because my girl would never have accepted Morrigan's ritual, but my favorite wet malewife malefirat would.

Heulwen and Loghain never learn why he survives killing the Archdemon (she's very happy about the fact; Loghain insists she take the credit), Jowan leaves with Morrigan through the Eluvian, and I get several fun little side stories my brain will never let me actually write.

Heulwen is a devout Andrastian. While Leliana is one of her closest friends and trusts that she'll do the best she can, Heulwen still doesn't have faith in the Chantry.

She's always felt like an outsider among her own people.* As a city elf because she was a mage. As a mage because she hated the Circle and wasn't "grateful" to not be in the alienage. Among the Dalish because she was deeply Andrastian. But she butts heads with no one more than elven Qunverts who say that the Qun is the solution. That as elves it's a better and safer place because for Heulwen, as a mage, it's not.

The only place that has never summoned her sense of alienation was the Grey Wardens, no matter how Weisshaupt pushed, because it was her sense of duty that filled her with belonging.

Also Zevran. Her husband Zevran is the sun that waits at the end of the end of the long, deep road that is her duty. Cause who doesn't like some cheese for their angst bread?

The languages she knows are Old Tevene, Elvhen, Antivan, CSL (Common Sign Language), Orlesian, and passable Dwarvish and Anderisch

Her favorite past times are cartography, astronomy, herbology, entomology, and research.

Her mabari's full name is Mithrahn'dahr or "dog with teeth like saws" as attested by Eyas and Talfryn Mahariel.

A Very Autistic Elf. Has a very Elle Woods attitude of, "What, like it's hard?"

Her specialization is a lightning elementalist, Arcane Warrior, and spirit healer. The healing doesn't come easily easily to her and is mainly a supplement to her traditional healing.

She still carries her longsword Spellweaver by 9:52.

Loves soup, coffee, and licorice

Sexuality is biromantic greysexual. She enjoys kissing and cuddling and her love language is acts of service.

Her closest friends are Leliana, Loghain, Anora, Oghren, and Nate

Not Fun Facts: Young Heulwen was merciful to a fault. Her entire thing during Origins was that, "I'm a Warden. I'm meant to kill darkspawn, not people." That said, had she been given the chance, knowing what he'd done, she would have conscripted Rendon Howe. Also, after forcing him to leave the captives and documents, Heulwen let Caladrius escape with his life, something she regrets deeply down the line.

Her game decisions:

Saves Connor with Circle mages. Finding out that the possessed don't need to be killed pushed Heulwen even further from the Chantry.

Peace with Dalish and werewolves

Anvil destroyed, Bhelen made king

Avernus conducts ethical research. Heulwen is very interested in all of his research and even brings him the Architect's things after Awakening.

Alistair rules with Anora

Saves Amaranthine City and Vigil's Keep. Nothing better than a good dwarven-built wall! The Hero of Orzammar doesn't skimp on her fortifications or craftsfolk.

Kills the Architect. She allowed Garevel to let The Messenger go but allying with the Architect would have been a step too far in her eyes.

*her feelings of alienation come from my own. those ocs do be reflections haha

art by @/ayumeart, @/themaybug, and @/birdcrow

[do-mkokoro]

[ IkeVil OCs p1]

Some Ikemen Villains OCs that I drew for my friends! I had fun with intepreting their vibes from what was described and picking the palette for the girls in accordance to their mamas’ designs~ Also some of them have curses and special abilities of their own.

(Artist note is the info I got from reading their stories, not actual word for word description from their mamas!)

More brief info about them below.

1. Stacy Matthews (mama: Miko)

-LI: Alfons Sylvatica

-Curse: The little mermaid - The little mermaid

-Artist note: She is a playful gal who likes cute things and is on a journey of healing after traumatic experiences, while being an occasional castle caretaker at Crown. I hope for the best in her story bc she’s been through a lot of emotional negligence and physical abuse from the past… She deserves all the love and care in the world. 🥲

2. Emily Morris (mama: Anna)

-LI: Harrison Gray

-Curse: none (actually the rare attribute here 🤣)

-Artist note: A police officer who’s also the childhood friend of Harrison, seeking to pursue justice for her dear friend’s sake. She used to be timid and shy, but the pain of having to see the one she loves suffer had encouraged her to become braver, so she can finally be capable of protecting him. Also the one who inspired me to step into the ikevil OC hole haha!

3. Sona Sibera (mama: Solona)

-LI: William Rex

-Curse: The pied piper of Hamelin - The pied piper

-Artist note: On the outside, Sona is the reserved and composed musician (hehe) at the same theatre as Liam. But she can also carry out Crown’s missions in the most efficient manner possible without unnecessary losses. However, as composed as Sona is, if one strucked a nerve, she can become merciless and cruel as a person can be.

4. Maya Syn (mama: Sy)

-LI: Liam Evans

-Curse: The snow queen - The snow queen

-Artist note: She is very adept at combat, and the curse of freezing her surroundings definitely maximizes the effectiveness of taking down opponents, even the guys at Crown aren’t a match. Despite the brute force and sheer power she has, Maya is fairly friendly and easy to make acquaintance with. That aspect made it hard to believe that she’s quite detached from almost all of her interpersonal connections.

[savingthrcw]

may be used as a test muse page / 'only writing them if requested' muses page because I'm not making them a set of links like for the others but I'd love to write them: Lily Tabris, Ellana Lavellan and Solona Amell

okay but also I just want to say that I have a few other Dragon Age ladies that I love with all my heart, one of them being the city elf warrior Lily Tabris whom I'd love to write again, who was ferocious and too blunt and considered letting Denerim's human side burn (okay Alistair can stay close to her but he's on thin ice) (absolutely jumped on Zevran but also didn't know wtf to do when he got romantic first) (keeps the ring of the elf she was supposed to marry who died trying to uselessly save her when she was easily slaying the entire palace, it's a reminder that human nobles who are in charge of alienages should all be ripped to pieces). Her entire backstory is filled with things that are common triggers in rp so yeah. Complicated because she doesn't skirt away from the topics, she literally told the King she had just met that she had murdered a noble who had all intentions of r*ping her and her friends (see the triggering part) and left him speechless, that's the kind of person she is. Also a bit racist against humans, given the situation, but if one proves himself to be kind, like Alistair, she will not extend that to him, so maybe racist isn't the right word, maybe it's... prejudiced against a race that enslaves hers, but open to the fact that some humans have nothing to do with it? Difficult to get along with if you don't like people who are that blunt, and also won't keep to herself her disagreement. DESPITE EVERYTHING she still tries to help people, tries to save Connor (sends Morrigan after asking her if she can do it), saves the mages in the Circle, pushes Alistair to be king so he can make a change, kills Loghain herself. Later she'd be fighting for Elves rights all over Thedas. Very quiet and pissed off Warden Commander because Zevran apparently was busy elsewhere and when left by herself she reverts to grumpy as hell. Got the entire team to help. Will show up in DA2 to check on Anders despite him not being an elf because she's loyal to people who have fought with her. Will show up in DAI because she was contacted by Alistair who told her about weird Callings for all Wardens and wanted to look into it. There since Haven. LILY HEADCANONS.

Ellana Lavellan, Inquisitor, would write her if I could remember ALL the specific events of Inquisition and if I had gotten to know all characters in other gameplays but she's my one and only inquisitor. If I ever do this will be her only introduction: absolutely made me think of Buffy when telling Corypheus to f*ck off and basically making a mountain of snow fall on them, flirted with Dorian so hard before finding out the truth and deciding he was her best friend (they can flirt anyway) so he gets privileges, doesn't mention for one second her clan and her grief when it gets wiped out so people are Concerned about what's up, romanced Cullen (step away from the Lyrium, buddy), all cute with him which goes from awkward flirting to jumping his bones, made Varric best friend number two, Solan was best friend number three and she wants to save him but if she can't she's going to kill him and also god does she feel betrayed, took Cole under her wing, sided with mages because she's a Dalish elf mage okay, she's still trying to figure out if Cassandra likes her,

Blackwall's betrayal also hurt her but... eh. Could've been worse. She feels they all did sh*t in their pasts. Which blatantly means she did sh*t she told no one about. She still doesn't know if Cassandra likes her (she does). Gets a little too along with Iron Bull. She absolutely did sh*t in her past. She hasn't told anyone about that yet. Was kept in a Dalish-version of prison for being a tremendous assh*le who stole and started fights and a problem child, got kicked out, was given another chance with the conclave because an aunt who has a soft spot for her punk niece decides to bring her and show her she can be more than a little criminal, but then what happens next changes her, and all the responsibilities put on her made her attitude shift very quickly into responsible leader. Basically your typical 'trying to be heroic and do the right thing with mild sarcasm and complaints' hero who turns out to have a crazy past they hardly ever mention. She couldn't bond with Vivienne because there really wasn't much time. She didn't bond with Sera because she's not very prank-y and she's an elf who takes offense to anyone who has anything to say about elves. She accidentally hardened Leliana??? she thought Leliana was already like that?? ELLANA HEADCANONS.

Solona Amell, babe, human mage, she was having the time of her life even in the circle, didn't listen to a word they said about not wanting mages to have strong bonds with each other, is basically a puppy in human form, loves everything. Impossibly strong for no reason except that I used mods to play with her so she's like the angel of death or something, shakes a hand and all the enemies go down. she's basically Sandal in that aspect, all innocence and death. I may actually write her as a bonus character if someone wants some ridiculousness /unrealistic death power. Only wasn't killed during the Harrowing (quickest Harrowing ever) because she had no reason to use her full power before so the Circle doesn't know. She is 10000% creepy, because you know someone who can extend a hand and knock out/kill all enemies around her (and not lose a wink of sleep over murder in general) should not be acting all cute and sweet. Doesn't judge anyone, finds them all so curious and funny. human may be a stretch. Can also be used as occasional companion if we have threads with one of my other Wardens. To avoid ending the war and plots immediately, she can't constantly use her kill-all power but only once every 12 hours. SOLONA HEADCANONS.

My baby Neria from this blog in her official outfit

Elyssa Cousland, not writing her because there is not enough writing material: doesn't want to be anybody's hero, spends nearly the entire time covered in blood, she's just trying to avenge her entire family, she doesn't hardens the characters but real talk, Alistair is the one who un-hardens her (she marries him and makes them king and queen). May have flirted with Leliana to keep herself from thinking of Alistair and then things got awkward. Very close to Morrigan for no reason whatsoever. Way too pretty.

[ruiningsalads]

Happy Friday! How about: Rainy day for Amell and Cullen?

I have been wanting to play around with this pairing for a while :)

additional thanks to @carnalapples for the prompt. for @dadrunkwriting

this was a very nice fluffy drabble to write.

Solona leaned against the windowsill, her nose very nearly pressed against the glass as she watched the cascade of rain outside. None of the windows opened, a fact which especially bothered her now. The Tower felt more and more like a tightening noose with each passing month. What she wouldn't give to feel the rain on her face, to smell the damp earth, to feel the mud between her toes...

Vague memories drifted at the edge of her mind, blurry recollections from her brief life before the Circle. As a small child, she danced in the rain while her blossoming magic swelled around her. Pockets of rain coalesced into watery duplicates of herself, all dancing with the same carefree wonder as their creator.

The memory faded, leaving her aching with longing. What she wouldn't do to feel the rain on her skin again.

A gauntleted hand entered her field of view, offering her a handkerchief. The templar's presence wasn't a surprise -- such was life at the Circle, after all -- but when had she started crying? She accepted the cloth with a watery smile and dabbed at her eyes. Out of anyone who could have seen her cry, she was glad it was Cullen. He was always kind to her.

"I don't think the plants need any more watering," he joked with a tentative smile.

She chuckled despite herself. "No, I suppose not." Her gaze returned to the window and her smile faded. "I was just... I miss being in the rain."

"Really?" He frowned out at the inclement weather. "It's not terribly pleasant."

"I haven't been outside in many years. I would welcome the unpleasant weather if it meant feeling the wind on my face again."

When she offered his handkerchief back to him, he waved her off. "Keep it. For now, at least. I, ah... I have duties elsewhere. You'll be alright?"

His concern -- genuine, from the soft expression he wore -- touched her. She nodded and turned her gaze back outside as he retreated.

Some time later, she wasn't sure if it was minutes or hours, he returned. He cleared his throat nervously before speaking. "Mistress Amell. I am to escort you on an urgent errand for the Circle."

A tired sigh gusted out of her. More than likely, one of her seniors wanted her to carry a note from one library to another. But when she stood and faced Cullen, she noticed how he fidgeted nervously. "Are you alright, ser?"

He cleared his throat again. "Me? Yes. I just don't look forward to going into the rain in this armor."

Several heartbeats passed before his words registered in her mind. "Into the rain?" Hope surged within her, hot and bright. "Truly?"

A tiny smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Yes. As it turns out, there is a rare flower that only blooms in the rain. Or, at least that's what Greagoir believes."

More tears welled in her eyes, but this time, they were out of gratitude. She would get to go outside! It took all of her self-control not to skip through the halls on their way to the main door, but Cullen's chuckle told her that perhaps she wasn't hiding her excitement quite as well as she thought.

And when those massive doors swung open, and she was allowed to step outside at long last... She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting the rain wash over her as the doors clanged shut behind them. It was cold and made her sodden robes cling uncomfortably to her skin, but it was also wonderful. The smell of wet earth and growing things and life filled her nose, bringing more flashes of memory from a time long past.

Someone in her family -- her mother, perhaps? -- loved to garden. She remembered being held by someone warm and loving who smelled like earth and plants. A half-remembered song about herbs drifted through her mind, sung by a beautiful voice she hadn't heard in years.

If she wept, the rain didn't tell. It simply cascaded down her body to pool in the mud at her feet.

The song crescendoed from the depths of her memory -- savory, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Her body moved with the phantom melody, dancing to the song only she could hear. Her magic, as if reacting to her undiluted joy, surged from her. Suddenly, there were figures made of rain dancing around her, all similar to her in appearance save for their clothes. Instead of sodden robes, they wore elegant gowns that rippled as they danced around her in a circle.

As she moved, Solona recalled more of the song. It spoke of impossible tasks, like creating a shirt without sewing and then washing it in a well that had run dry, all to prove their love to the singer. Suddenly, she paused and looked over at Cullen, who watched with an expression of sheer wonder.

The rain had already soaked him through. His sodden curls were plastered to his head, his face pink from the cold. But instead of looking uncomfortable, his face was filled with a different emotion, one that made her heart flutter.

Getting a mage out of the Tower was, in a way, an impossible task. He had lied to his superiors just so that she could feel the rain. He risked so much, just for her.

The watery dancers dissipated as her magic released its grip. Feeling as though fate itself pulled her along, she approached Cullen. He didn't move, but his eyes remained locked on her as she drew nearer.

"You're beautiful." His words were hoarse, as though he had gone a very long while without speaking.

Solona wasn't sure who moved first. She might have leaned up onto her tiptoes, or he might have dipped his head, or perhaps they moved at the same time; but their lips crashed together in a storm wrought from years of quiet companionship, gentle flirting, and something else -- something that wrapped around her heart and wouldn't ever let go.

The rain carried away the burden of a mage loving a templar. For a moment, they were just two people answering the music of their hearts.