#asha mahariel

[briarfox13]

Hunter, Hero and Warden-Commander

Feat. Asha Mahariel

[dalishious]

If the Dalish had a third gender what might it be called? I have a Mahariel warden I head canon as nonbinary and I was trying to think of a way for them to identify.

Some gender-related terms from my fanmade dictionary:

bell’ash: many genders; multi-gender

hanalen-ma: found true self; transgender

rev’ash: free gender; gender fluid

telash: agender; no gender

asha: woman

ashi: man

ashe: third-gender; person (neutral)

[ma-sulevin]

1-12 for your Rook! <3

1. How old is Rook?

Eira is 32! She was born in 9:20.

2. How did Rook get the nickname? What do they think of it?

Varric started calling her Rook because of the way she handled the darkspawn incursion situation. At first he thought she was the junior Warden until she started barking out orders and arguing with the orders she received - so at that point it was funny to start calling her Rook/ie. Not to her exactly, but you know how he is.

3. What was Rook’s life before their faction?

Excellent question, thank you for asking. Eira was born in Ferelden and was 10 when the fifth blight came through. Her town was overwhelmed by darkspawn and her family was saved when the Hero of Ferelden and Alistair came rocking through just in time (you know how they do). She ended up displaying magical talents shortly after the blight ended and was sent to Kinloch Hold, where she lived until the Circles disbanded... then she was happily enjoying her freedom until the Circles reformed and she was herded back into containment. She was so irate at being re-imprisoned after living on her own for three years that she wrote to the Wardens demanding to be allowed to join.

4. Which faction did they join, and why? How long has it been?

She's a Grey Warden! She joined in 9:45 as a way to escape being put back in Kinloch Hold, so it's been about 7 years.

5. What was life like for Rook before joining the Veilguard?

She was honestly having fun running around northern Thedas killing darkspawn. She became sort of morbidly fascinated with them after the fifth blight, so joining the Wardens gave her a lot of great resources to learn more about them AND fight back.

6. What was the reason that brought Rook to Minrathous?

She'd been there before as a Warden, but in this instance she was just following Varric.

7. Why does Rook agree to join the Veilguard?

At least partly because she needed something to do before going back to Weisshaupt, but partly because Varric convinced her that this was a great way to help more people and have more adventures. She hates feeling trapped anywhere, so it gave her a new goal to focus on.

8. What makes Rook a good leader?

She's smart and brave, even if at least some of that bravery is more her running away from other things she's scared of more. She also cares a lot about her team, but she's not afraid to make the hard decisions either.

9. What is Rook like on the battlefield?

These days, Rook likes to fight up close and personal. She did not fight like that when she joined the Wardens - she was Circle-mage soft and nervous about using her magic offensively, but she's gotten a lot more experience over the last seven years and she's learned to love the orb/mageknife combo.

10. Does Rook know their history? Do they know of the HoF, Hawke, the Inquisitor?

She does! She met the HoF once (Harea Mahariel) during the blight, and has since read everything she's ever been able to find about her. She knows of Hawke, and she knows of the Inquisitor (Asha Trevelyan) but they hadn't met during the whole Inquisition situation.

11. Does Rook keep up with current events? (How aware of the situation are they at the start of the game?)

She's vaguely aware of what's going on in Ferelden and she knows the Inquisition disbanded, but other than that she just knows what Varric has told her.

12. Does Rook have any family? Do they keep in touch?

She does - her parents survived the blight and are living in Denerim at the beginning of Veilguard. They write letters occasionally, but she hasn't really seen them in ten years and hadn't seen them for another ten years before that, so they're not close.

[dragons-and-ages]

Mostly just musing to myself here…

I don’t really have a “canon” worldstate, I have several with only minor variations. Even with different characters, I still gravitate to the same decisions in most of them. If I were to have a personal canon, it would be all mages and likely very elfy. I love dwarves, but I can’t be a mage as a dwarf. And, as much as I was excited for Qunari in DAI, I didn’t like the options in the cc and never really got into a Qunari!Quizzy.

However, the narrative seems to heavily favor humans and particularly Cousland in DAO, so I’m working on a “Lore” playthrough before the release of DATV. I was finding it hard to get into; I’ve had it sketched out for over a year, but as I read through The World of Thedas Vol 2, and knowing that The Stolen Throne is next up, I’m getting more excited about it. So, my top 3 worldstates, but by no means is this all of them:

The Lore State - Inspired by Andraste. All human women with “A” names, trying to cater to the often human-centric story and stay as close to BioWare’s canon as possible while still enjoying myself. (I haven’t actually even started this one yet lmao)

Amalthea Cousland > Ayesleigh Hawke > Augusta Trevelyan > Human!Mage!Rook (Likely named Asha or Artemisia, depending on which faction I go with)

Oops all mages! - Very magey and as elfy as I can get it. Best contender for my canon state.

Atisha Surana > Aya Hawke > Feanneth Lavellan > Elf!Mage!Rook

One of Each - Here we have all the races represented. I do love dwarves so much… if there’s ever a possibility of dwarves being able to be mages, I’m gonna lose my fuckin’ mind. Also, prayer circle for better Qunari options in the DATV cc.

Gemma Brosca > Grace Hawke > Asharen Lavellan > Qunari!Rook

Honorable mention to the Dalish worldstate (with Mahariel and Lavellan and a Hawke/Merrill romance) and the Oops All HUMAN Mages worldstate (that’s just self-insert nonsense).

[biamhac]

finally got the mods up and working

[lethendralis-paints]

Quick Sketch Commission - Asha Mahariel for @briarfox13

****************************************************************

I recorded the whole drawing process and will be posting it after some editing for my patrons!

https://www.patreon.com/lethendralis

*****************************************************************

[antivancorvo]

Asha and Blackie for the amazing @briarfox13! Thank you for the donation and for letting me draw your girls :3

ko-fi sketches

[blackanders]

my first and favorite warden

[a-shakespearean-in-paris]

Stargazers

@briarfox13 won a fic from my giveaway and requested a piece with her Asha Mahariel and Alistair. Had a lot of fun writing this, Alistair always deserves some love! Soft lemons.

Asha wears the rose he gave her, tucked behind her pointed ear. Alistair picked it in Lothering, not desiring to see so red and beautiful a bloom tainted by the oncoming darkness. Wynne enchanted it for her, she told him a day after he gave it to her, and now it is as permanent to her as her tattoos—worn to commemorate the gods, she says. The rose—if he is bold enough to think—commemorates the two of them. They are something good in this darkness.

He thinks the red is now a more vibrant scarlet, and it sticks out against the white-grey of her hair. She leans against him and he wraps an arm around her. She’s petite where he feels too broad, tall and awkward, and yet her body fits against his, careful. When they first met, he found her quiet and contemplative, and he a bumbling idiot that talked for both of them and then some. Despite this she would occasionally offer a contemplative, sweet smile that was both thrilling and assuring. Them, it happened more and more. When he kissed her she kissed back. It was the best assurance of all. When they made love for the first time in her tent, she laid her pointed ear against his beating heart, and they were blissfully quiet, further steady reassurances, and a bloom in the midst of the Blight. They bloomed together.  

Not too far from camp, but far enough to where they feel at least somewhat alone and unburdened, they watch the stars together. They both take comfort in the fact that though they have the weight of the world on their shoulders, there is something out there beyond far greater than they. They should be afraid perhaps of the great beyond that the stars above beckon, and yet the stars blanket their bodies as they blanket the entire world, and they remind of a vast expanse. They suggest perhaps that there is a world out there somewhere where the two are nothing more or less than lovers. Asha always loved the stars and taught Alistair to love them too, though he sees no greater stars than the ones in her eyes.

They’ve been careful and tentative romantics for months and lovers since he gave her the rose about one month ago, and now they’ve recently become lovers in the physical sense. He was complete before with what they had, and it wasn’t as though he thought he needed that aspect of their relationship for it to be fulfilling, but rather it’s a blooming of another sort. How they both bloom to be delighted and overjoyed. How all too eager he is to feel her thighs on either side of his waist as she rides him. It’s a new way to express himself, a new way to tell her he loves her without words.

He loves her, Maker.

“Kiss me,” she whispers.

He does so, loosing that gentle and blessed weight of her against him for something just as—if not more—enticing, the feel of her lips. He could spend hours painting and retracing the lines of her lips with his own, but he also does enjoy the look in her eyes after, with her pupils blown wide with want and her lips pink from his ministrations. His too big hand cups her cheek, his thumb tracing her jawline. Ardently his eyes pay tribute to the rose, his other hand running through her white-grey hair,   inadvertently undoing the small buns.  Maker but she is beautiful. Not a day passes where he doesn’t understand how lucky of a man he is.

“We should head back,” she mutters, even though she leans in for another kiss, her lips firm before she parts. “They’ll be looking for us.”

“They know we’re alright. We protect each other.”

“Yes. Always.”

Always is such a word. It’s both the now and far beyond, even far beyond their short lives that will be made shorter still because of their tainted blood. Maker, but the thought of her tainted or corrupted, and he too feels he could never be so with her. He kisses her again to feel as Alistair and not the Warden, and she answers by wrapping her arms around him. The stars watch them as it turns to more.

It’s not a seamless transition by any means. They are both buckled and armored and it takes entirely too long to spring free all the clasps, yet when finally they are finally without armor and only in their underclothes, Alistair lays himself on the grass, Asha positioning herself near him. She only wears her billowy white tunic and he his breeches, though they slide down easily enough after her nimble fingers undo the strings. They slide away, back to the ocean of stars. He shouldn’t be so bold as to have her here, but she is a woman born of the stars and the sky, traveling with her aravels. A nomadic lifestyle isn’t new to her. A moment with a lover outside isn’t so unseemly for her, and he makes it his normal. What a luxury a bed is, and he cares not for one, only to slide away to the stars. As she makes love to him, rides him, he holds and grips her hips and her hair falls behind her in soft waves, the rose remaining carefully tucked away behind her ear.

They are quiet after, holding each other and waiting a moment before they scramble and put their armor back on. Wynne will surely smirk at the two of them and Morrigan will groan, but he rather finds he doesn’t mind if they all know exactly what they do when they’re alone. They both are allowed few luxuries, like a bed or a bath every night (though thank the Maker Asha minds not.) This, they can have. Each other, they can have.

Her hand is gentle against his chest, her ear pressed against his heart. They are tangled and sated stargazers, a constellation of another sort. He whispers it, “I love you,” and Maker he will never take it back.

She peers at him, traces his lips with her finger. “I love you too,” she whispers back. “Always.”

They kiss and always is both now and eternity.

[teaandinanity]

Uncommon character asks! For OC of your choice: 4, 8, 27, or 32 and E!

I am having so much trouble choosing. Maybe I'll make a table and make rng choose for me. Because if I do Everyone this will be just. SO long. I have in fact made a table. Why do I have so many OCs.

Also this is So Long anyway because even with RNG's assistance I couldn't limit myself reasonably and have instead done three characters per question. Since I am not a COMPLETE monster, this is going under a cut.

4. How easy is it to earn their trust?

For this one we got Ionavyr (SWtOR Agent), Ameneth Lavellan (DAI Inquisitor), and Valeriya (7KPP Widow).

Ionavyr thinks she is too trusting, in spite of the fact that I'm pretty sure she actually and truly trusts like. Three people. Most of the time her idea of 'trust' is actually just 'I am fairly sure I understand what makes this person tick and am confident in my ability to leverage that.' But also she was too nice a person for the job she had, so I'm glad I let her fuck off to raise a kid with one of the three people she trusts instead of hauling her through more main story campaign. She did not deserve that. Neither did Hylira but Hylira has Protagonist in her DNA so she gets it anyway.

Ameneth has a complicated relationship with trust, because she is an elf mage who wandered around Thedas alone. She tends to assume everyone who does not have pointed ears wants her dead or imprisoned or made tranquil, but she also wants to like people and would love to be wrong about those things. So like. She's curious and friendly even as she's scoping out escape routes in case things go south. And there are a lot more escape routes available when one rides around on a very devoted war hart, and she's entirely willing to smash someone upside the head with her staff or a convenient rock even if her magic gets blocked. So like, her general thing is 'I would love to trust you! Please prove yourself worth trusting and allow 6-8 months for me to relax.'

Valeriya thinks most people are selfish assholes and has spent a lot of time trying to be one herself because she thought it was necessary to her survival. This is why Lyon said he believed her and her response was that Persona 'this character will now die for you' meme. Honestly, though, she's a pretty darn good judge of character and when she encounters someone who strikes her as Genuinely Good she does tend to trust that, even if she's also like 'oh my god, stop it, you're vulnerable like that, how am I supposed to protect you if you paint targets on all your weak points????'

8. What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a child?

Hestrel Mahariel (DA), Tash'saarai (SWtOR Knight), Isonne (WoW Demon Hunter)

Hestrel was generally quiet and well-behaved in the way typical of traumatized kids who desperately want to avoid having people get mad at them. She had to be prompted to interact with other children up until she glommed on to Tamlen, whereupon she had to be told repeatedly to stop following him into trouble (and, sometimes, to stop taking blame for the trouble everyone knew had Not been her idea).

Asha's grandmother mostly told her to stop levitating the droids and upsetting the livestock.

Isonne was asked repeatedly to stop using her magic to torment her older brother. And to stop sewing the collars of his shirts together so he'd get stuck.

27. What causes them to feel dread?

Rowena Hawke (DA2), Valeriya (again, huh), Winter Caffrey (TWC)

Rowena is terrified of failing her family. So like. She has not been having a good few decades.

Valeriya panics at the sound of footsteps outside her door, or the creak of a stair. An empty pantry. A certain smile she once saw on the Queen of Revaire right before an acquaintance was found dead, and which she sometimes catches echoes of in Gisette's face. She's also afraid of public speaking but she thinks that's a very stupid fear when she has so many other things to be afraid of.

Winter feels very weak and breakable in the new world she's found herself in and it makes her want to kick evil in the shins hard enough to break her foot. She's always been quite confident in her ability to take care of herself and losing that scares her even if she pastes sarcasm and jokes over the top of it.

32. Do they have a go-to story in conversation? Or a joke?

Thenali (PoE Watcher), Ameneth (again), Calanthia (7KPP Widow)

None of my characters have jokes because the only thing I am good at is puns.

Thenali (while in the Dyrwood) likes to tell stories about fish because she was raised in the Deadfire and pretty much everyone assumes she is making up ridiculous lies about dolphins and marlin and giant squid, but they totally believe her about the hydra.

Ameneth tends to listen more than she talks, but if she's around younger elves, she loves to get some genuine storytelling on; Alidda of Halamshiral is a favorite of hers.

Calanthia is very good at remembering gossip, so she'll usually try to tailor something to her audience - harmless stories about people her listener knows moderately well and will find amusing.

E. Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?

I'm just gonna go with the crew who came up here:

Ionavyr and I would not have a clue what to do with each other. She's tired. She does not want to have to talk to strangers.

I'd find Ameneth fascinating but I don't think she'd have a whole lot of use for me.

Valeriya and I could conceivably get to that 'nice introvert hangout where neither party speaks for 2 hours' space if we gave it time, I think.

Hestrel and I getting along honestly depends where she is in her story, because for an awful lot of it she is desperately unhappy and needs a friend and also a hug. I would be happy to offer her a friend and also a hug, so that might work out.

Tash'saarai is a person-shaped golden retriever with kickass space wizard powers who would be entirely willing to yeet me across a field. We would get along like a house on fire, possibly with an equivalent amount of property damage and personal injury.

Isonne doesn't really do 'liking people' that much anymore.

Rowena, like Hestrel, needs a sympathetic ear and a hug, and she's a lot more inclined to accept both of those things.

Winter is a ridiculous person and I like her a lot, I would love to hang out with Winter and make stupid puns. She's inclined to like people in general. Honestly of everyone on this list I think she's the one I'd get along with best.

Thenali is a sweet creampuff, so while I'm not sure we'd have a lot to say to each other, I imagine the interaction would be pleasant enough.

Calanthia likes everyone, pretty much, and she's good at carrying the conversation. I would definitely not be her favorite person ever, but we'd get on fine.

[briarfox13]

@tesknicaa painted my dearest Grey Warden, Asha ❤️🌹

I'm in love with her so much 😭❤️

[sapphodera]

Full Name: Gwenivera Hawke Nickname(s): Vera, Sharp (via Varric) Role: Champion of Kirkwall Status: Alive, living in Kirkwall Age: 33 (as of 9:41 dragon) Gender: Female Sexuality: Bisexual Class: Archer rouge (Act 1) and dual dagger rouge (Act 2 and beyond) Specialization: Duelist Birthday: 11th Drakonis Height: 5’10 Species: Human Appearance: Growing up on the farm and training as an archer made her strong. As time in Kirkwall went on, Vera became stronger and more skilled as an archer in combat, giving her a muscular appearance, especially in the arms. After the Deep Roads expedition, she cut her hair from a bob into a short cropped style. Then in act 3, she got asymmetrical silver piercings in each ear. Isabela took in interest in helping Vera when it came to fashion, as Vera had no experience with it. So her style is similar to that of Isabela’s. She has dark blue eyes and medium brown hair which likes to stick out. Background: Had a nice time growing up in Lothering. She and Carver trained together and also fought together at Ostagar. (She didn’t want to but Vera would be dammed if she let her brother fight alone.) She was kinda jealous that her father favored Bethany over her and while she loved her mother she never had a great connection with her. Dated Athenril for a while until she found out she hired children. Likes/Dislikes: Vera likes to fight. She never gets tired of the thrill it gives her. She also enjoys hanging out at the Hanged Man and drinking with her friends. She doesn’t like politics or cruel people and hates the Templars. And Bartrand. Her hobbies include making jokes, cooking, knife throwing, and laying on her bed thinking about everything she regrets. Fears: Vera’s biggest fear is not being able to protect those she loves. If Bethany had died in deeps roads, she honestly wouldn’t have survived Leandra’s death. She blames herself for both her brother’s and mother’s death, and feels like she needs to protect the little family she has left. She’s also afraid of clowns (or I guess jesters would be the thedosian equivalent? They must have clowns in Orlais, right?) Love Interest(s): Athenril, (between Prolougue and Act 1) Merrill (they get married after game ends) Family: Bethany (sister), Gamlen (uncle), Merrill (wife), Isabela (sister-in-law, married to Bethany), Lord Woof (her mabari) and Asha (adopted elven daughter), Decisions made: Bethany became a warden, Arishock was killed, sided with the mages, sided with Anders and spared him Personality: Vera has a warm and funny personality that puts people at ease. Purple Hawke, uses humor to ease tense situations and deflect from her insecurities. She is very kind to Merrill and her sister. Would do anything to protect her family and becomes very angry if they are hurt. (For example, she was a “red” Hawke during the mission where Bethany gets kidnapped by blood mages) Beliefs: Fuck the Chantry, fuck the Qun, fuck the Templars, fuck the Circle (as in the institution and not the actual mages) and fuck Orlais! Religion: Agnostic andrastian Friends: All companions, Orana. She would consider Varric to be her best friend, and Isabela to be a sister. Rivals: She’s not rivals with her but she’s less friendly with Aveline (and probably Sebastian too but I haven’t played that dlc) What happened to them after the game ended: She stayed in Kirkwall bc did you really think the people of Kirkwall were going to rat out their Champion? Anyway then she married Merrill and they moved into her Alienage home (after fixing it up ofc) bc neither really liked staying in the mansion. Merrill became a teacher to the Alienage children, and at some point they adopted an orphan elf and named her after Warden Mahariel. She left the Hawke estate to Bethany, but since she was living on Isabela’s ship it basically became a crash pad for all her friends.

[ma-sulevin]

Honestly, I think I left off like…. six people. This is insane.

We have two universes here, and both of them have an extra OC for flavor. Canon: Harea (Warden), Thea (Hawke), Asha (Inquisitor), and Henry (Asha’s brother)

Self Indulgence AU: Sophie (Warden), Gavin (Hawke), Ophelia (non-Warden Cousland, the Queen), Rose (non-Inquisitor Cullen romance). Where’s the Inquisitor here? She ran off with Solas. We don’t talk about her.

I’m never making another Dragon Age OC as long as I live. Don’t @ me.

[teaandinanity]

send me a ship with a heart and i'll tell you...

❤: who is more affectionate in public? in private?

♡: who is the bigger romantic openly? secretly?

❥: who is more likely to plan something big for valentine's day?

ღ: who is more likely to initiate hand-holding in public?

💕: who is more likely to make huge declarations of love in front of other people?

💘: who developed a crush on the other first?

💝: who spends more time (possibly overthinking) what presents to get the other?

💓: who initiates most physical contact?

💌: who is more likely to send cutesy texts to the other?

💟: who spends time reading their zodiac compatibilities?

💙: who is more protective?

💚: who tends to get sick more often? who is better at taking care of the other?

💜: who said "i love you" first? or, if neither has said it yet, who is more likely to say it first?

💛: who believes in soulmates?

[slothssassin-art]

@briarfox13‘s gorgeous Asha Mahariel ♥

Wanted to practise a more painterly style and borrowed Briar’s lovely Warden for it :)

[mahaeriel-archive-blog]

Alistair: I think we should break up if I'm going to be king and married to Anora... Asha:🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪