#blackwall is my first da love

[a-gay-bloodmage]

Day 22: Camp 

(Blackwall x Mallory Trevelyan)

Sticking to his plan to keep dressing like a woman after being caught in the Conclave in his feminine attire sounded like a great idea at the time. Now, stuck out in a camp in the middle of the woods, Mallory Trevelyan is realizing just how tough it’s going to be.

[icharchivist]

That DAI banter be like "Oh wow, sharing secrets with your friends who love and appreciate you regardless sure is fun! Doesn't talking to your friends make dealing with your issues so much easier? Oh hi Solas :)"

KAGSJSHS YEAAAAH IT SURE IS

I think it adds a layer to understand that Cole can read mind and has known both about Blackwall's lies all along and Solas' as well. Cole is just extremely cryptic so unless you know what he's talking about you can only theorize about what he says, but it means that Cole is constantly dropping hints that the people around us are shady and no one gets it. The only person who actually tries to understand Cole... is Solas.

Idk there's just so many layers there especially since for me, it's post break-up for a solavellan route which means it's after Solas cowarded out from revealing his identity and decided to double down on fixing his mess by also destroying his current happiness.

Cole at Blackwall: "your crimes were horrible but what matters is that you attempted to fix it, even if you hid your identity for it!"

Solas in the back, who just threw his current happiness away to hide his identity to fix his crimes, sweating:

Cole, who also literally called Solas out on destroying his own happiness: wait not like that--

This is the funniest of dynamic i adore them

[girlb0yfriend]

dragon age update!! finished origins for the second time ever :3

[anew-flame]

9 People You Want To Know Better Tag

Tagged by @sweetjulieapples (thank you! Even though it took me like a week and a blog name change later 🙈)

No pressure tags for: @lunastarhawk, @slightlyirritable, @dutifullyburningwinter, @beardedladyqueen, @skinwalkingxana, @aurata-luna , @nerdmomma14 -> lmk if you'd rather not be tagged in these things!

Three ships I enjoy:

I haven't played DAO yet, but Cullen x Amell/Surana is really getting me! I love a good forbidden trope. On that same trope, Blackwall x Josephine in DAI. They're both being so dumb about it. I'm pushing them together (in my head) like the dog 'now kiss' meme. Before DA, my biggest ship was, and still is tbh, Julian Devorak from The Arcana with my OC. They're nearly tied with @lunastarhawk's OC, Altheia, and Julian.

First ship:

InuYasha and Kagome -- the first ship where I learned what a ship was! Shipping them for over 20 years. That was painful to write.

Last song:

Last movie:

It's been a minute since I've watched a movie.... last one I remember is a Forrest Gump re-run on TV lol

Currently reading:

My boss gifted me "The Elements of Style" - not quite sure if she thought I would find it interesting, or if it's a not-so-subtle hint about my writing 😅

Currently watching:

I'm not actively watching any show at the moment. I usually catch The Office, Parks and Rec, and Friends re-runs during my lunch break.

Currently eating:

I'm totally about to go get a slice of peach cake.

Currently craving:

Honestly, some black beans. And I just had them the other day!

[l3irdl3rain]

What are your da world states like? I love hearing about what other people have done!

I'm going to put this under a read more because it's a lot. I love to ramble and you have opened a can of worms.

I have one world state finished and a second one that I'm currently working on (Just got to Skyhold in DAI). I won't lie, world states A and B are pretty similar in choices. I've planned ahead for 7 total though, and the other ones branch out a lot more with different decision.

My first full play through I didn't save as a world state. I also do have a video game blog if anyone is interested @everyonebl00ms . It's mostly just me reblogging stuff but I do occasionally talk about my own play throughs and OCs and fan fic and such.

I am resisting the urge to list out every single decision I made for each world state so I will just give you some of the more major things.

Lila convinced Alistair to do the dark ritual and they remained Wardens together. Alistair killed Loghain in a duel. All her companions were alive and well at the end of the game.

Elena supported mages every chance she got. She brought Carver into the deep roads and he became a Warden. She killed the Arishok in a duel. She romanced Anders and supported his decision wholeheartedly, so obviously she sided with the mages at the end.

Katari (pls look at her. she's so hot.) allied with the mages. She reconciled Briala and Celene, left Hakwe in the fade, did not exile the wardens, let Morrigan drink from the well, and Leliana became divine. She romanced Blackwall and when she freed him from prison she promised him to the Wardens. In Trespasser she disbands the Inquisition and vows to stop Solas no matter what.

World State B is very, very similar. what can I say, I like what I like.

Darvas romanced Morrigan but he refused to do the dark ritual. Alistair ended up dying killing the archdemon. Darvas executed Loghain. All companions besides Alistair lived to see the end of the game.

Moira Hawke romanced Isabela. She supported mages whenever she could. Bethany stayed home from the deep roads and became a circle mage. She killed the Arishok in a duel. She understood and could have even supported Anders actions at the chantry. However, by involving Moira in this he put Bethany in danger. She killed him in hopes that it would help protect Bethany.

And Elgaris Lavellan is who I'm playing as right now. She's allied with the mages. She will be romancing Solas and drinking from the well of sorrows. She's going to leave Stroud in the fade and won't be exiling the wardens. I can't make up my mind what her decision will be regarding Orlais' ruler. Either Briala ruling through Gaspard or maybe the public truce? Also she will be redeeming Solas bc she luvs him xoxo

[spacetravels]

i am so unwell about dragon age and knowing u from the choices fandom i got so excited ur playing soooo what did u think of dao? da2? who did you romance and what was ur character like? how are u liking dai? got pics of ur inky? 🥺 (only if u want!! no pressure to share ofc 💖) i myself am an alistair anders solas girlie 😔

WEHHH thank you… veilguard looks so good i have to speedrun dai but man all of you who’ve been waiting since like 2014 are my heroes cuz i’m just gonna trot in like lalala… (has been here like three months)

dao is my favorite by far i think… i’m easy to please LOL it has my favorite story and i love the cast so much ;_;/ i played warrior lady cousland so i did marry alistair HUHU he’s my favorite romance across all the games but i wanna replay so bad to romance morrigan and have a diff silly little world state (trying not to think about doing this until after dav LOL) but god . HoF is just so so funny and i had so much fun…

da2!! i played blue warrior hawke <3 i liked running around kirkwall LMAO i think it was really fun to just contain the story around this one city and just hang out with my best friends 🥹 but goddamn. no one warned me about everything hawke goes thru LIKE 😭 HAVE A VACATION!!! i didn’t romance anyone though in my first playthru HAHA i kind of regret it though cuz by the end i wanted to romance isabela but i also think for my hawke i was happy to not have had a romance cuz it makes sense for my thoughts about her … like she’s just happy to still be alive and wants to do right by everyone who’s ever believed in her so she never thought about it but maybe after all gets said and done she’d seek out izzy… one of those real Slow burns in my brain heehee.. (pro mage .. btw)

AS FOR DAI !!! i’m terrible with open world games. NFKSJFKSKFKL but i sincerely am enjoying it cuz i’m following a quest guide so i don’t lose my marbles… it’s funny cuz i like. technically knew the most abt dai before playing through the games cuz [gestures at solas] but that’s alright cuz most of it has actually been a treat and a surprise :-) just not. the ending

my inky’s name is deirdre & she’s a human rogue 🙂‍↕️ i don’t have pics rn i’m at work JFKSLDK but ! kind of a little shit. it’s nice that everyone humors her stupid ass. as for romance…. blackwall…. he compels me… something is wrong with him and i like it <3

i’m close to starting wicked eyes & wicked hearts but i’ve been taking the time to explore places and do side quests stuff cuz i wanna be overleveled LOL and i need to switch up my groups more. except for varric. that’s my emotional support companion

BUT WWWWW i wanna draw my inky more & more da fanart when i’m not swamped with other projects and/or playing dragon age & fields of mistria bahahah.. i’ll remember to share more thoughts as i play 🥹🫰

[brood-mother]

sawbones Dragon Age Fic Masterlist

A list of all my Dragon Age fanfics (circa 2014-2018) to keep you occupied 'til Oct 31st. Mostly rarepairs, mostly smutty.

Dragon Age 2

A Little Self-Love Never Hurt Nobody Anders/Anders, E, WC: 2086; "Anders revisits a memory from his wild Circle days in a dream - and gains a whole new point of view." (selfcest, dream sex, PWP) Fructovorous Fenris/Sebastian, E, WC: 1790; "Fenris is his General on the field; behind closed doors, he’s so much more." (footplay, oral, light D/s) Pillowtalk Isabela/Bethany, T, WC: 755; "While Hawke is in the Deep Roads, a heatwave hits Kirkwall." (post-coital, cuddling, mild h/c) Rooftops Isabela/Bethany, G, WC: 931; "Bethany wants to learn how to support herself and her family." (gen, flirting) Tinpot Alley Implied Carver/Cullen, T/M, WC: 2679, "Three Templars went on patrol; one came back." (gore tw)

Dragon Age: The Last Court

Rakish, Reckless Marquis of Serault/Wayward Bard, E, WC: 3436; "The Wayward Bard takes a knife in the back to protect the Marquis. The Marquis wants to know why." (first time, angry sex, mild blood/injury)

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Many Hands Lighten the Load Dorian/m!Lavellan/Blackwall, E, WC: 7429; "All of Skyhold can see the way Blackwall looks at the Inquisitor, even if the Inquisitor himself can't. Dorian comes to realise there are better ways to handle such a situation than petty jealousy." (UST, mutual pining, friends/rivals to lovers) Rectrix Iron Bull/Zevran, E, WC: 1724; "Bull and Zevran met long before the Inquisition." (bondage, caning, forced tickling) Red Sky At Night Samson/Maddox, M, WC: 4450; "The rise of the Red General began with two men and a missed headcount; or, how Samson was lost to the Chantry and found by Corypheus." (hurt no comfort, pre-DAI) Ruby Red OFC/ OFC, E, WC: 3000; "Behemoth, they called her. Towering, terrifying. Where was Jess, under all that red? A twist of metal helm to mark where her head had been, two flat eyes that glinted in the low light. She was still there, Ruby knew it. She responded to her name, or at least to Ruby’s voice. Not any voice, just hers. Only hers." (angst, body horror, red templars)

The above works are all posted on Ao3, but there are more shorter-form fics over at my currently-defunct DA writing sideblog. Comments, kudos, asks, and suggestions for future fics are all very welcome. 🖤

[hellafluff]

@dalishious made a fun fillable chart (blank here) for your DA Faves. Gave my reasoning under the cut bc i love to talk

DAO Companion: Shale of course! If Shale has 1 fan its me and if Shale has 0 fans I'm dead, you know how it goes. Shale is sassy and delightful and I love that they're my nonbinary rep bc I for one LOVE non-human enbies as someone who feels pretty non-human.

DA2 Companion: I'm extremely basic and have been in love with Varric Tetras for years.

DAI Companion: DORIAN!!! His journey through the game and how involved the Quizzy gets feels more personal then any of the other companions and I love the banter the two have together. My Lavellan and him are extremely close.

Excited for Veilguard Companion: Emmrich Volkarin I am Deeply Attracted To You. I have his official art as my phone lockscreen right now. I love necromancers and older men and he's so goddamn cute. Plus, Skeleton friend!!!!!!

Favorite Other Media Character: I've been obsessed with Maevaris Tilani for years and if she isn't in Veilguard I am going to end up on the news. She's a queen and the scene of her and her husband in the fade in the comics makes me so sad.

Favorite NPC: Sandal because I decided to put the Architect in the antagonist slot! I do sincerely love Sandal and I'm excited to see if we get anymore lore on him in DATV. I love the theory that he's a Sha-Brytol.

Favorite PC: Warden-Commander Mirabelle Aeducan, Mira to her friends. I love my get-shit-done exiled princess. She put her brother on the throne but also punched him very hard first chance they were alone. She is still treated as royalty in Orzammar and keeps visiting and making surface trade agreements for them as she searches for a Cure for the Calling. Is she supposed to be doing all that? No but the Wardens sure as shit aren't gonna stop her. She misses Alistair very much but purposefully broke up with him so he could be on the throne. They still keep in contact whenever they can.

Favorite Antagonist: I'm going to kiss The Architect. If we do not see him again in DATV I'm. Well I'm not gonna end up on the news but I will be extremely sad. I want to see the rest of the Ancient Magisters very bad, I think they would make great side DLC content for DATV.

Fave NPC Ship: Wade and Herren are married and I am constantly upset that weren't in Inquisition as like a specialty weapon shop at the very least.

Fave NPC Friends: Blackwall and Sera. The goddamn... Weird Uncle and Weird Niece ass relationship they have. They have some of the best banter in the game. I wasn't a Sera fan for a long time but them together really makes both of their characters shine.

Favorite Romance: I'm extremely basic and want to commit terrorism with and for Anders. Krista Hawke can and will do everything in her power to protect this man.

Favorite Friendship: Dorian again! Seriously, him and my Lavellan are basically in a QPR. He really brings her out of her shell and she matches his energy and wants to help him anyway she can. If she wasn't with Iron Bull by Trespasser she'd probably have gone to Tevinter with him.

Favorite Quest: I like the back half of Paragon of Her Kind a lot, the final confrontation with Branka and Caridin especially. Throw Shale in there for lore and fuck yeah. A lot of it comes down to my Warden being Aeducan and my love of Shale but what can I say, if my Hawke could be a Dwarf she absolutely would have been.

Favorite DLC: I played Jaws of Hakkon as a reluctant mage elf on my last playthrough and fucking sobbed after the Ameridan Meeting. That DLC is absolutely life ruining if you play that kind of Inquisitor, it was all of Adana's deepest fears realized and it shook me how deep in character I got playing it.

Favorite Game: DA2! I love it's jank and story in a story nature and relationship mechanics. I really hope we get a rivalry mechanic in DATV or other games try something like that. I don't want to piss a companion off so much they leave I want them to stay and get bitchy with me in every dialogue! I wanna romance someone who curses my name! Also just has the best story of all the games.

Favorite Other Media: I really enjoyed Absolution! I think some parts of it are under written because of how short it is (Qwydion just being comic relief is the thing that really gets me) but the overall plot and animation is REALLY good! I haven't watched it since it aired tho. I'm hoping it gets another season to cover the Meredith stinger, because I don't know how they'd handle that in DATV.

[bragganhyl]

Hiravias and also any DA character of your choice for those character asks?

Thank you, I'm going to go with Blackwall for the latter bit

How I feel about this character:

*image taken by player who has him as permanent support spellcaster instead of Durance

No, seriously I'm taking him literally everywhere I love him

(I'm putting the rest under the cut bc the image is bigger than I thought it would be)

All the people I ship romantically with this character: No one tbh, but I do see the appeal of him and the Watcher together, they got potential.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Kana, I like the way he brings out his more intellectual side in their banters.

But also Sagani, she's probably the person he respects the most in the gang and he's willing to stand up for her even against his own people if needed. That's a ride-or-die dynamic in the making I just wish there was more stuff with them in the game.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Not really an unpopular opinion, I just think he's super underrated.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I wish his feelings on undead got explored beyond the one (as in 1) line he has if you take him along for Heritage Hill, there is some potential there.

✨Okay now time for my main man, Thom ✨

How I feel about this character: In case I haven't given it away, I like that indestructible sad bear a lot, he's probably my fave companion in dai.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: The Inquisitor, obviously, I romanced him during my first pt and I got everything I wanted out of it - it had drama, it had wholesome moments, it had him on his knees, it had him sad and sopping wet, it's honestly great.

But also Josephine ofc, they make a cute couple, he'd treat Josie right, it's what she deserves.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: SERA duh, they have the best dynamic, they are funny and wholesome 12/10.

My unpopular opinion about this character: He's not boring and the problematic aspects of his character are handled with the severity that they deserve without seeking excuses for them.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: ...I can't think of anything tbh, I think he's fine as he is.

[pikapeppa]

hi!! i've been rereading your fics in all of the veilguard hype and i just wanted to say your writing is just so good, i love your dialogue and characterization, especially how perfectly you write solas! like it really feels so true to how he speaks and carries himself!! so yeah haha just wanted to say happy veilguard summer and ty for sharing your awesome fics with the world!! 🥰 have a nice weekend!

Awww thank you so much!! I love how Dragon Age readers/friends have been poking their heads out of the woodwork and we're all getting in touch with each other again in the hype, IT'S THE CALLING 🤣🤣🤣

I'm so happy that you enjoy the characterizations, especially re: Solas -- he's such a tricky biscuit, so this is the most wonderful praise!! 🥰 Actually, I hope it's okay if I use this ask as an opportunity to plug some of my fics...

Pikapeppa's reading list for refreshing your Dragon Age memory: fic self-recs for those who don't have time to replay Inquisition

(see below the cut for more!)

Lovers In A Dangerous Time: in a nutshell, Fenris is the Inquisitor with Hawke as his wingwoman. This fic is literally a novelization of DA:I with the mindset of "what would Fenris do?" It covers all of Inquisition and touches on every sidequest, and also covers all the DLCs: JOH, Descent, and Trespasser. So if you don't have time to replay Inquisition, you can basically read it here LOL. There is also some theorizing sprinkled throughout about various Big Unanswered Questions™ in Thedas!

The Love That Grows From Violence: this is a Felassan/f!Lavellan romance fic set post-Trespasser. For those who don't know, Felassan is a character in the novel The Masked Empire who was an agent of Fen'Harel, and whom Solas killed at the end of the novel. This fic addresses the questions: 1) what if Felassan was made Tranquil instead of being killed by Solas in the Fade? 2) What if Felassan and a bitter Solasmanced Lavellan fell in love? and 3) what if Felassan actually told us everything that Solas refused to share? This fic is my attempt to pull together the existing lore and meta (with references back to all the original sources) to try to answer as many Big Unanswered Questions™ as I could.

A meta post about the qunari that I put together after reading Tevinter Nights, with my own theories about how Sten might play into things. I also wrote a Sten/f!Mahariel fic that's set immediately post-Origins; it's a romantic tragedy, but it does contain some discusssions about the Qun that may be interesting to refresh our memories about the Qun/the qunari for when Veilguard drops.

A oneshot about Varric and Solas that I wrote after the very first Dreadwolf trailer dropped back in 2020. It seems relevant again now... LOL

Solavellan fic: pure smut and romance. In case you wanted to refresh your memory of how he captivated us in DAI -- or, alternately, if you didn't romance him and want to know why the Solavellans are the way we are LMAO, you can read my take on the romance. 🤣 I have two Solavellan series on AO3: one for my own Elia Lavellan, which has a sad ending, and for Elbenherz's Nare Lavellan, which is "unfinished" in the canon universe, but includes a modern AU with a happy ending.

Beyond that, I have written romance fic for a ton of pairings in Dragon Age if you're just looking for some smut and romance! You can check out all my DA works on AO3, but I've written (M/F) pairings for the following LIs: Fenris, Solas, Abelas, Felassan, Blackwall, Cullen, Samson, Cole, and Sten, and most recently, a little oneshot of Teia and Viago from Tevinter Nights.

Again, Nonny, THANK YOU for your lovely words, and I hope it wasn't weird to hijack this ask for some self-promotion LOL!! Sending you all the love and a happy Veilguard summer!

A QUICK CAUTIONARY NOTE: if anyone does want to chat with me or send me an ask about Veilguard, please do not mention any spoilers from the Game Informer article. I want to go into the game with as few spoilers as possible when it's released, and I'm unhappy that I've already seen spoilers without meaning to. Thanks in advance! 🥰🙏

-- all the love from your friendly neighbourhood Pika! xoxo

[plisuu]

Fanfic Writer Questions

Thanks for the tag @the-rebel-archivist! I think I might have been tagged by someone else a while ago but??? sorry ahahha

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

12! But two of those are art and one of them is the abandoned version of my long fic. I... don't post much ahahaha

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

71k

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Just Dragon Age :)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

In Flame Forged Anew - my long fic! DA: I, Cullen/m!Trev except not really because it's insanely slow burn. Deals with a lot of guilt and also tranquility. ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ What You Want - My oldest work (barring my abandoned long-fic). Pavelyan, from when Connor used to be a Dorianmance. A lil confession one-shot. ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ Battle of Attrition - Dead-dove whump for whumptober. Red Templars and torture ahoy! ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ The Healer's Hands - Solas/Blackwall gay awakening and pining, ft. a little bit of hurt/comfort ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ On Broken Wings We Fly - A lil friendship fic I wrote for @rosella-writes of their Lavellan's interactions with my Inquisitor and the start of their strange friendship.

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try! I also forget and get so caught up trying to write "meaningful replies" that I tend to fall behind on them ahaha

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hhhh well it hasn't ended, but probably Battle of Attrition (since it's all just whump) or Never Say Die, a tiny thing about some of the OCxOC lead-up to the Conclave.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of my writing is pretty bittersweet at best, but probably Shrike, a lil Cullen PoV fic about his and Connor's relationship.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have in the past.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Only privately, and of the heavily character focused kink variety. Trust and emotional vulnerability through physical intimacy my beloved.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not off the top of my head, no.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware, but I mostly write OCs so probably not lol

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nopeee

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, it seems difficult?

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

... All time? Axel x Saix, probably ahahaha for Dragon Age though I'd say my favorite romance is Iron Bull's.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have yet to finish anything ever soooo

16. What are your writing strengths?

Banter and character voice! The transcript project mostly means I've heard and read so much character dialogue that their voices are ingrained in my skull. I'm also told that I'm pretty good at grounding things in physical sensation.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I've always really struggled with head-hopping and under-explaining, I think.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I've never needed to, but it depends on the fic/language. If it's something the reader would already be familiar with like or a word or phrase, I'd write it in the language, but for longer lines or a full conversation, I would either summarize for the reader or write the conversation in italicized English.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Naruto!

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Definitely my long fic, I'm very proud of it, but I love all my writing! I write very specifically to my own tastes ahahah Though my whump fic has been so indulgent it's definitely near the top.

tagging: @rosella-writes, @inquisimer, @dreadfutures, @broodsys, @blarrghe, and anyone else who wants to join! Question template under the cut :)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

16. What are your writing strengths?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19. First fandom you wrote for?

20. Favorite fic you've written?

[elderwisp]

YOU LIKE DRAGON AGE??? TASTE!!!! do u have any info about your protags up (and would u like to share some if not 👉👈) another wisp w fr

GOD YES! Such a beautiful game with characters that have rich storylines! I've replayed DA:I so much just because of the feeling it gave me exploring each region and unlocking everyone's backstory! I did some digging around in the old DA Tapestry as well as pulled up some screenshots! The only pictures I couldn't find were from DA2 so that's from the Wiki 💀

DA: Origins: For Origins, I played as an elf mage named Warden Neira. Her romance was Leliana after breaking things off with Alistair. Alistair became king. Uhm, sad news, bestie didn't make it. 😗😗😗 It's weird because this game was super enjoyable for me but I remember it the least. I think I was overloaded by each decision and quests that everything became a bit fuzzy! I'd love to replay it again, I like the idea of different intros based off class and race so it felt very immersive!

DA: 2 I played as a rouge for Marian Hawke and romanced Fenris. It was my first time playing a rouge in the DA series but after knowing how being a mage and romancing Fenris brings up different dialogue, I've always been curious! I did uh,m, k*ll Anders after the whole debacle. I just- After like processing everything I was like DUDE!! Isabela stayed with us while Bethany became a grey warden. I actually loved the romance in this game, especially the intensity of Fenris colliding with a sarcastic Hawke LIKE THAT WALL PIN WAS EVERYHTING-

DA: I Inquisitor Thalionelle specialized as a Knight-Enchanter. Ok so this was the first game I played, so a lot of the decisions I made, I look back and SCREAM! I took the route of Champions of the Just. In Here Lies the Abyss, Hawke was left in the fade... (I absolutely hated myself after play DA: 2 I WAS LIKE U BASTARD!!) In What Pride Had Wrought, Morrigan drank into the well. Cassandra became divine. The wardens rebuilt annnnnd I declared for the Inquisition but we disbanded after Trespasser. I was friends with every companion and completed each quest. (Iron Bull didn't try to kill me in Trespasser, thank glorb!) Hmm so romances, because it was my first time, I didn't progress them in a linear sense. So I romanced Blackwall first but then I broke things off and stayed friends. Then there was Solas and I was like pfft, what could come from this? He practically hates me- Anyways bro literally ripped my heart and ran off with my arm!

[bbbb-co]

Guys I might compile my DA worldstate into 1 canon because. I am trying really hard to get out of the habit of replaying games because my character didn’t ‘fit the story’ the first time round. With that in mind! I can’t decide who I’m keeping

Warden: As much as I love Bemot (my brosca morriganmancer, #1 boy dad) my heart will always lie with Assana Mahariel (ultimate sacrifice, doomed romance with Sten, epitome of duty before self) A fun bonus is that I can headcanon Davrin named Assan after her and it still makes sense >:3

Hawke: This one I’m torn on. We’ve got my Warrior fenrismancer Leo, pretty wary of magic until right at the last second when he couldn’t stand to put circle mage Bethany in danger. Or Fiona, my Blood mage Isabela romance that’s fiercely anti Templar and anti circle, 100% thought Anders was right (if a bit crazy for other reasons).

Inqy: Leaning towards my warrior Solavellan Nadasa, (playing her rn!) - respectful, faithful, whole world comes crashing down as time goes on but is still desperately clinging to everything she believes (ie, the vallaslin are a symbol of her culture, blackwall can redeem himself etc) BUT I do really like my Adaar, Kost (also a warrior bc I love warrior x mage). Dorianmancer, tal vashoth with a young son that he loves more than anything. A complete gentle giant softie whose life keeps being turned upside down.

[sxrensxngwrites]

The Inner Circle Crushing on Someone from a Different Background -- Part Three

this request comes from anon, who asks: 'Head canons for the main dragon age squard (if you feel up to it of course!!!!) About them crushing on someone from a different background (example: cullen and someone rich)'

I ended up splitting this up because I got carried away... my bad. If you want any of these to be revisited or you want me to go into more detail, feel free to shoot me another ask! The same can be said if you want DA characters from different games.

Part One (Blackwall, Cassandra, Cole) Part Two (Cullen, Dorian, The Iron Bull) Part Three (Josephine, Leliana, Sera)

JOSEPHINE:

The Montilyet family, while of note, had to carefully tend to their money and businesses in the aftermath of being barred from Orlais. Still, Josephine and her siblings regularly interacted as (and with) members of the nobility in Antiva and Orlais. Josephine herself, while a romantic, is particularly understanding of many different aspects of life and knowledgeable on things outside of the upper class.

Station in society has very little to do with Josephine falling in love. For her, it comes down to a matter of character. She has a soft spot for the romantic, but places good-deeds and honor above all else. Meeting someone of a more humble origin isn’t necessarily how she expected to fall in love, but somehow she’s enamored with a stablehand for the Inquisition. They’re very kind, always tending to the requests she has within record time, and respecting those around them regardless of occupation.

Josephine falls hard. At first she denies it; she has very little time for romance when there are holes in the sky, plus someone back in Orlais has already spoken for her. Yet, she can’t help but be consumed by the gentle stable hand–and the concept that their love might be forbidden. She doesn’t give into fairytales as easily as her sister does, however, so she dismisses her feelings away as a crush. To her, it’s not only illogical to fall in love during wartime, but it’s also improbable that she would get to pick her spouse as the eldest of her family that borders on ruin.

It takes some meddling from Leliana for Josephine to confess her feelings. After that, it’s only a matter of time before her beloved stablehand somehow catches wind of it. They’d never believe that Lady Josephine would ever reciprocate their feelings, so they didn’t dare try anything. But, with rumors of her feeling the same, it was now or never. It takes a while before Josephine is comfortable with the concept of a long term relationship during such trying times. However, if they can fall in love while holes are in the sky, then telling her family and other suitors should be a piece of cake.

LELIANA:

Leliana grew up across Thedas, parts of her life being contributed to Orlais and others to Ferelden. Having been a bard in the Orlesian court and a Sister in the Chantry, Leliana is influenced by a number of places and cultures. She grew up being tossed from place to place, never having much of a clue of where she would land next.

When she meets someone that catches her interest, she never anticipates that they’ll be so different from her in origin. She likely anticipates that they’ll also have been raised in the church, but instead it’s quite the opposite. They’re oblivious. They don’t seem to have much care or awareness of the world around them, only interacting with the world that they directly make contact with.

When Leliana first meets them, I think they frustrate her quite a bit. Leliana has always had to be very careful with every choice she made as a young woman, so when she meets someone who she sees as “careless” she wants nothing to do with them. She keeps her distance, making sure that they operate through Leliana, Cullen, or even the Inquisitor. Yet, she can’t deny that they’re quite attractive–even if their actions seem so odd to her.

After a close call in the field, they’re humbled quite a bit and become aware of the stakes of Thedas that Leliana had warned them of. Following said close call, they become more conscious of their actions and try to be more careful on the field. This change probably makes Leliana’s romantic interest deeper, rather than it just being physically attractive. They even approach Leliana for advice–an action that moves Leliana and makes her consider how they’ve changed. It takes a while for either of them to be fully comfortable with one another, but after some humbling experiences the two draw closer.

SERA:

Variety is the spice of life for Sera. Everything new or different is automatically better in her book. She seeks adventure in the mundane and hardly ever takes the easy way out. In fact, anything similar to her upbringing is a little stale to her in some way. However, Sera’s past is a bit of a mixed bag. Her early life was spent in an elven alienage before she was taken in by a human woman. So anything outside of the realm of Ferelden qualifies as different. Yet, Sera rebukes her own connection to the upper class–citing it as her cause to protect the “little people” of Thedas.

Upon meeting someone of the upper class, Sera would quickly group them in with all of the other nobility that she and the Friends of Red Jenny hate. Someone with such a high position and influence isn’t to be trusted in her eyes, especially when they could turn at a moment's notice. She keeps her distance, even reporting them to the Inquisitor on several occasions–so that they can keep an eye on them, of course. Sera even plays pranks on them since they make such an obvious target for the Friends of Red Jenny. However, as Sera watches from the shadows she begins to reconsider her opinion.

They’re of noble birth and have a substantial amount of money, but they use it in such a way that many other powerful people do not. They support the people of Haven, and they help purchase blankets for the displaced villagers of the Hinterlands. In fact, most of their money goes to people who need it more rather than keeping for themselves. Sera wants to change her perspective entirely, but a deep part of her is afraid that it’s all an elaborate trick being played on her.

She confronts them in the middle of the night, even drawing her bow in their face. Yet, they don’t seem afraid in the slightest. In fact, they seem relieved that it’s Sera. It takes a bit of discussion for Sera to put her bow away, and even longer for her to realize that she might’ve been wrong about them. Those seeds of doubt develop further into romance, but her eventual partner doesn’t have an issue using their station to support the people of Thedas.

PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE

[atiredsalmon]

30 Days to DA - Favorite Companion(s)

Out of three games, it's hard to pick just one companion but I sure can do one per game.

Origins: Zevran

When I played Origins the first time, I admittedly didn't give this guy a second look and fell into the Alistair cycle. But when I did give him a chance? There's not a single playthrough that I don't end up romancing him now. There is so much more to him than the front he puts up that still breaks my heart. And the end game voice lines before the Archdemon? Got me kicking my feet and twirling my hair.

DA2: Anders

Before anyone says anything I KNOW. I did my time in the Anders apologist trenches when the wars were kicking off. He's another character with a really extensive history that leads up to desperate choices but c'mon. We love a little sewer meow meow (and one that's trying to help everyone at the expense of himself knowing that he's corrupting Justice and Justice is corrupting him and mAN) I also am a very very big Justice fan and these two go hand in hand and I'm actually really mad that all the complexities of them get turned into a single passive aggressive line in Inquisition.

Inquisition: Blackwall?

I'm going to be entirely honest, I didn't really fall for any of the companions in Inquisition as I had in the previous games. All of them seem more like pretty faces than the well-rounded, complex characters I'd enjoyed playing with. The reason why, out of all of the companions, I prefer Blackwall is because the Wardens are my favorite factions and it's just really funny to watch him stumble his way through pretending to be one. The resolution to his character arc is also really nice to me!

[galedekarios]

i love all the da4 content you've been posting!! i recently got into the da series (in the middle of my first origins run) and wanted to see if you had any thoughts on dao/da2 were (if you played them at all) :-)

i'm so sorry it took some time to get to your message!

i wanted to thank you so much for sending it to me, tho. i see you in my notes often and you leave the nicest tags. (':

i actually do have a soft spot for dragon age as a series. baldur's gate 2 and its expansion throne of bhaal were my first video games. i played it very often and for a very long time. then i sort of fell out of love with video games for a long time because i couldn't find anything else like it.

completely by accident, years later, i found out about dragon age: origins and it drew me back in completely. the atmosphere, the storytelling, the characters, the music - it was so amazing. even the graphics back then were something that absolutely awed me because i want from this:

to suddenly this:

da2 and dai were the first games where i actively went through the pre-release hype and playing them on release day and actively involving myself in the fandom.

i love each of the three games for different reasons, but i do love them. i do have my favourite with inquisition, tho i do realise it's an unpopular opinion.

i'm trying to be spoiler-free because i don't know how far you've played at this point or how much you know. (':

i do love dao for its dark and gritty atmosphere. there are so many moments i remember very distinctly. the battle of ostagar, the first time discovering the broodmother and the lead up to it, fighting the archdemon, among many others. sadly, i never connected a lot with the companions, tho i do think they are well written, with morrigan, loghain and sten being stand-outs to me.

i love da2 for the companions and the smaller scale setting. i loved seeing how kirkwall changed over the years and i loved seeing how all of the companion were intrinsically entangled with and changed by the city. again, there are so many memorable moments here. the death of the hawke sibling, the mission to the deep roads, the ending. the companions' stories. fenris's backstory, isabela's betrayal, sebastian's family.

however, with da2 i was never able to create a hawke that i liked. i also didn't enjoy the fandom too much bc a lot of da2 fans were super critical and obnoxious in their distaste for dai, which i've already said happened to be my personal favourite.

inquisition is my absolute favourite though. i was able to create an inquisitor that i really liked, i loved many of the companions (vivienne, solas, cole, blackwall and cassandra come to mind), the different environments were really fun to explore to me, and i absolutely loved the chosen one trope in this case because the game turns it on its head.

anyhow, sorry for the long answer. i hope you are having fun with the series and i'm happy you're here for the da4 content too!