#considering your hero is more of a mage...

[wp100]

the only title that matters in Fable is 'Chicken Chaser'

[swordmaid]

i love serious businesswoman pirate marina she's so real to me, love that for her !

yeah like she doesn't fuck around when it comes to her business!! she's a professional pirate - and merc on the side - she has a reputation to uphold!!!

like to me, the ~whole saving the world from the elven gods business~ is another gig she signed up for so she's treating it like one. she's very practical and pragmatic, and she does whatever she can to succeed in this particular endeavor. like she hardly banters with people when she's in business mode lmfao the only time she jokes around is when she's out of her office hours.

one thing that i wish for though is for the dialogues to be much more mean/stricter. i've gone past the weisshaupt quest and i wish you can be more mean on lucanis for flopping LMFAO like sorry king but to me marina would be sm harder on him since she hired him for that job but he didn't do it right, so what is he good for? if he can't do the one thing she asks for then she has no need for him, and she'd just get someone else. likewise i don't see her being sad about the prospect of davrin sacrificing himself when he's going to kill the archdemon bc that's like. why he's in here in the first place LMFAO like to me, marina would be like well this is what you signed up for 🤷 like she detaches her personal feelings from business. like in a personal level ofc she would be sad if davrin did die but in the end that comes with the job u know.... like she's so serious business woman to me she'd thrive in succession

[goomyloid]

im the kris costume anon (that is... a description, alright self jklfhdfkjas) and i just had to jump up and down at what you said at the end about kris protecting noelle!!!!

because gosh did it do things to my brain when noelle said 'then kris, maybe you can take your sword and be the hero that protects me from the mice?' like... hmmmm noelle?? HMM???? i say as i fuck up the puzzle and scare her endlessly with mice anyway but--

gosh i love that yeah, kris as a knight as opposed to baggy clothes gremlin must've been so confusing for noelle! also they just naturally know all these aura farming ass poses, are agile as hell, and things that make them *look cool*?! i love that kris is still shorter than her though shdjsdhjs

i also wholly subscribe to the idea that kris is trying to protect noelle by distancing themself from her (or something) so it is Doing Things to my Brain to consider what noelle must've been thinking to see them as a knight

agljkghkhkfjas oh my god, i had a similar thought during the weird route of 'haha it's like kris is the knight protecting their mage ha a h a...' before tucking that away deep in my mind, because i thought i'd get flayed for it so it felt like someone dumped cold water on my head when i read what you said LMAOOOOO bless...!

I will say the things ur afraid of getting flayed for… theure gonna flay me instead… get behind me big goomyloid will protect you

axwgdhecqcshf i can imagine that noelle has never really thought of kris as being very “cool”… MAYBE when they were playing the piano she would think so? but “cool” probably isnt the right word (maybe earnest instead) and its definitely not the same as how they appear in the DW lol… suddenly bro is swordfighting and whatever else and noelle is just ?!?!?!?!??! (hand over mouth) Why are they kinda… i didnt know they could…

IT MAKES ME GIGGLE even though normal route kriselle is much more lowkey i think its a cool tidbit… who knows maybe seeing that different side of them will awaken something in her………. but in reality theyll always be a little penguin

also — i laugh when i see people draw kris taller than noelle tbh… this is proof that we fundamentally view the characters differently. sorry. kris always must be significantly shorter sorry

also yeah i definitely think that out of all people kris wants to protect by Keeping Them Out Of It it’s probably noelle. susie is way different, because not only is she super strong in character and blatantly disobeys Us all the time, but at this point shes kind of irreversibly deeply intertwined with whatever the hell is happening story-wise. i said it somewhere in a twitter thread but if kris is going to want anyone to understand their position, it’d probably be susie. conversely, kris is driven away from noelle for all sorts of reasons, one of which is probably guilt over Various Things (them possibly having something to do with dess’s disappearance, or the fact that theyre Working For Dess Now or something, or just general low self esteem and feeling as though they’d be weighing her down by staying in her life). they miss her but they feel like they dont have the right to, so they keep pushing themself away and clinging onto susie as a result (this isnt discrediting the krusie friendship or anything but rather one of many reasons that kris seems so attached to her)

cold silent knight there to protect noelle… little did kris know that this protection would lead them into getting closer to her again.. PLAN BACKFIRE epic fail loser!!!! i think about how before kris cut her off in the couch scene, noelle was probably going to say that kris said they would protect her (since she reiterates it later) and i just go Oughhhh. Aauuuugghhhh. if i could redo my little comic interpretation of the porch scene id add that in there because i Forgot

reminds me of this doodle i did (for angel/demon au) where kris’s silent protectiveness gets completely trashed as they are the one forced to hurt her……. forced to hurt the friend you promised to protect… you TOLD her youd protect her…. she is harmed and then as punishment you feel as though you must harm yourself. hey does anyone else see that 18-wheeler coming down this lane or is it just m

[vigilskeep]

Would you mind if I asked what the overall, like, thoughts and plot stuffs you have on a 'the inquisition as antagonists' story? Honestly sounds really interesting as an AU. Is it built off (the scant bits we have) of the cancelled Exalted March? Like the Inquisition redeclared and exalted march enacted on the Free Marches while the Qunari attack from the north and Hawk (or some other hero) trapped managing it all in the middle along with the growing red lyrium crisis? Or something entirely different?

there i was, banking on my explanations of how cool and hot the female characters would be, sure no-one would ever ask me to come up with a plot or logic... foiled...

so. loosely. as we established in da2, the mage circles are in rebellion. the divine gave cassandra one chance: to find hawke, discover the truth about kirkwall, and string them up as an example with all the blame pinned on their shoulders. (remember cassandra’s certainty that hawke and their allies planned everything from the start? i really think this makes more sense than the idea they always wanted to recruit hawke.) the mages would then have a chance to return peacefully to the circles, graciously forgiven for either being swayed by hawke’s lies (supported the mages) or being forced to react to hawke’s crimes (supported the templars). it was supposed to bring things back under control & prevent the divine from having to take more drastic measures. but varric lies, and cassandra fails. given that the rebellion is not centralised in one place anymore, an exalted march isn’t suitable. the divine declares an inquisition. and from then on, nowhere in southern thedas is safe from catching its eye

my intention was that the protagonist would still be the herald of andraste, because i think that’s the most compelling thing dai has going on. i think i’m keeping a lot of the plot with corypheus too. so: after an incident (still figuring out exactly my take) at the temple of sacred ashes, rifts pop up everywhere, and you’re the only one with the mysterious power to close them. in a time when both chantry and mages are doubted and feared, common people mark a sudden saviour as the herald of andraste who is going to bring everything back to rights. their beliefs get you help you can’t afford to refuse, as this time you’re really a prisoner and underdog in every way possible, no army of scouts here. but it also paints a target on your back. the inquisition doesn’t believe in corypheus; it’s obvious to them that these rifts are the work of the loose rebel mages everywhere, taking their vengeance on ordinary people. and you yourself must have dealt with demons to have such power, yet you dare to operate under andraste’s name. whether or not you want to be, whatever you were before, you immediately become the inquisition’s enemy #1

kind of similar structurally to how dao has loghain and then the archdemon, the inquisition would be the enemy you can deal with in multiple ways and corypheus would be the ultimate threat. i wish i could say i have something more solid than that but i really don’t, i haven’t put in a lot of work on this and there are lots of inquisition characters & subplots i don’t consider myself an expert in at all. but that’s sort of the direction in my head

[piplupfluffwritingstuff2]

Hi!!! Hope you're doing well. Um I was wondering....could you write a story where caretaker is a magic user and they use a sleeping spell to put overworked whumpee to sleep? Or even villian using a sleeping spell on overworked hero. You don't have to write this if your overwhelmed with requests. If you do thank you! You would've made my day!

Hi Anon! Sure, I can write this for you! Here you go!

A Royal Pain

Whumpee swung their sword over and over again at the wooden targets. Caretaker looked on with growing worry. Ever since they had been rescued, Whumpee had been overdoing it on the training field. They practiced day and night, barely stopping for meals and definitely not stopping for sleep. They carried their sword everywhere they went, and they had started to drag it across the ground in a fashion most unlike them. Whumpee had always taken good care of their things, soit was increasingly concerning to see them handling their weapon in such a way.

“Whumpee-”

The blade held inches from their nose had Caretaker throwing their hands up in surrender. Whumpee stared through bloodshot eyes, a look of tired determination on their face. It took them far too long to recognize the court mage and their best friend. When they did, they lowered their weapon with a harsh clang against the ground.

“Caretaker,” Whumpee panted, “you mustn’t sneak up on me like that.”

Caretaker hadn’t been trying to sneak up on them at all. In fact, they were trying to make their approaching movements as obvious as possible so as not to alarm them. So much for that.

“I’m sorry,” Caretaker said, “it’s just… I’m worried about you.”

“I suppose you would be,” Whumpee sighed, “considering how easily I was taken. I won’t disappoint you again, I’m making sure of it.”

Whumpee went back to slashing at the targets. They were missing almost every swing. Whumpee, the most skilled swordfighter in the kingdom, hitting less marks than a novice. Caretaker shook their head.

“No one is disappointed in you, Whumpee,” they said, “you’ve been at this all day, why don’t you take a short break and come inside with me? Chef is making your favorite I’m told.”

Chef had been making Whumpee’s favorite meal for the last three days in a row, in hopes that it would entice them to settle down. Whumpee gave Caretaker the same answer they had been giving everyone else.

“Later. I just need more time.”

The incantation grew ever-present in Caretaker’s mind. They had been debating for some time whether to use it. The larger part of them said Whumpee desperately needed the rest, but the annoyingly noble part of them mentioned the slight drawback that Whumpee would feel terribly betrayed when they woke up…

Caretaker shoved their troublesome gallantry down. This was no time to be trustworthy. They mumbled the incantation, performing the appropriate hand movements from inside their robes.

“Sleep,” Caretaker whispered.

Whumpee turned slowly, holding their hand to their head and dropping their weapon entirely.

“Caretaker?”

“Yes, Whumpee?” Caretaker kept their tone light and casual.

“I… did you do something?”

Whumpee took a wobbly step forward. Caretaker closed the distance between them and caught them before they could fall.

“Only what I had to,” Caretaker admitted.

Whumpee’s eyes were starting to flutter, their body going limp in Caretaker’s hold. Everytime their eyelids drooped closed, Whumpee forced them back open. Strong-willed, the king and queen would say, though Caretaker preferred the term, “bullheaded”.

“Don’t fight it,” Caretaker huffed, “you’re not going to win.”

Whumpee’s breathing deepened as their body finally succumbed to Caretaker’s spell. Caretaker summoned two guards to help carry them back inside.

“Their highness requires constant supervision,” Caretaker said, “let me know the moment they wake up.”

“Yes, Caretaker,” the first guard said.

“And inform Chef that Whumpee will in fact be eating this evening.”

“Very good, Caretaker,” the other guard said, “that ought to lift Chef’s spirits considerably.”

Caretaker went to tell the king and queen that Whumpee was finally resting. Their majesties wouldn’t mind that they had taken some magical liberties to get them there.

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[heroesrest64]

Haunting Heroes

Other parts: 1 2 3 4 5

Chapter 6: Murder at Work

Chapter summary: You go to work and consider the implications of your attic filled with swords

You can read the chapter here on ao3

Chapter below the cut :)

You don’t have time to really unpack anything. Neither the boxes nor your own suspicions. So you make a quick dinner, play one episode of the show Ghosts for shits and giggles, then proceed to pass the fuck out on your couch.

Your alarm goes off before the sun even rises, and you slump off your couch and more or less crawl to the bathroom to start your morning routine.

The office building you work in is modern, in a sense. The cubicles are just like the ones you see in shows and movies, with minor discrepancies here and there. Your own cubicle has decorations up even though it’s been two weeks since the last holiday, but you decided the look was seasonal enough to be excused.

You slump into your rolling chair and begin your day, lamenting the fact that you left your coffee in the car.

“Hey work bestie~” a voice sings, and you glance at the clock. Twenty minutes late; that might be a new record.

“Hello Carrie. You’re early.” You muse, spinning your chair to face the blonde woman standing at the edge of your cubicle.

“I know, right? Boss might faint when he sees me,” Carrie laughs, covering her mouth with her hand. You can’t help but grin yourself, pushing your seat back to properly greet the woman before something in the corner of your eye makes a chill crawl down your spine.

There’s a flock of crows sitting just outside your work building, almost all of them gathered atop your car.

Among them, you spot none other than Jimmy, bigger and prouder than the rest. You thought you left Twilight’s anchor in your office, so this must be the crows own doing.

“What are you looking at- oh.” Carrie stops dead when she sees the same thing you do. She laughs a little, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Looks like you have a bit of a fan club. I knew you were feeding the birds around here, but I didn’t think they’d start crowding your car.” Carrie giggles, reaching out to ruffle your hair a little bit.

“I’ll let you get back to work now. We should get lunch today, though! My treat!” Carrie calls over her shoulder as she retreats to her own cubicle.

You sigh, casting Jimmy one last cursory glance before settling back into your seat, ready to get on with your day.

~~

You spend your breaks researching. History classes from back in school told you all of the basics, but it doesn’t hurt to get a refresher.

The creation of Hyrule, brought about by the Hero of the Skies. An era of peace interrupted by a wind mage that was brought down by the Hero of the Four Sword, another era of peace before some guy named Ganon got ratted out by a kid from the Kokiri forest, then imprisoned in the Twilight Realm, where he eventually escaped to enact his original plots. After being sealed yet again, the man escaped his seals and played a huge part in the War of Eras, which brought about knowledge of alternate timelines and created rifts between said timelines which everyone decided to just… not mess with. Then, the group of Heroes started showing up. Old diaries from those times claimed a group of nine heroes would pop in and out of different pockets of time, looking for some sort of black blooded monster. They chased that thing through countless places and times, to the point it was impossible to really keep track of their adventure.

But everybody knows that the end of their journey is questionable. Nobody knows if they ever vanquished the creature that they were chasing. Nobody knows if they ever returned to their correct times or realities.

The last time they were apparently seen was… about a hundred years ago, though with all of the reality and time hopping, it’s hard to say if that was truly the end of their journey.

“Do you believe the stories about the old heroes?” You ask Carrie, looking up from your phone at the girl who’s halfway through a mouthful of her burger.

“Erm.. Why not? I mean, magic and monsters aren’t as common as they used to be, but they’re still around. That means someone had to take care of all the bad stuff in the past. Why not some macho blondes with arsenals of weapons and magic at the tips of their fingers?” Carrie shrugs, wiping her hands with a napkin before throwing it back into her plate.

“ ‘Macho Blondes’, eh? So you’re one of those people.” You smirk, leaning forward to throw your coworker a smug look.

“Don’t tell me you’re one of the Twink Link truthers!” Carrie accuses, pointing her finger in your face. You back up, shrugging nonchalantly.

“Not all of them… just most of them.” You smile genially, and Carrie squints at you.

“The Hero of Time.” She hisses between gritted teeth. You feel a bead of sweat beginning to form on your brow. Friendships have been ruined over this very topic.

“I think… he was a twink in his youth, but a DILF towards the end.” You speak your truth, and Carrie stares you down for three more stressful seconds before leaning back in her seat and nodding.

“A wise decision.” Carrie hums, then goes back to eating her burger. You glance at your phone, thinking back to all of the research you’ve done today. When you get home, you need to get some answers.

~~

You go home and sequester yourself away into your attic.

It’s quiet up there. A little humid, but not terrible. Bearable.

You sort through the boxes upon boxes of gear, comparing them to their historical counterparts and slowly putting together the armor sets of each of the heroes you heard about while growing up.

You stare at the piles of gear, knees pulled up to your chest and chin resting on your knees. You click your phone on, eyes blankly observing your Home Screen.

“Do I actually need to ask at this rate? The truth is clear as day…” You mumble, opening your phone to find the Hero of Time’s wiki pulled up.

“The thing I’m having trouble with… is why they’re here of all places.” You groan, continuing to scroll through your phone until it suddenly shuts off. That’s weird, it had enough charge before. You sigh, pocketing the device before deciding to rejoin the world of the living. Or, well, the world of the dead from your roommates perspective.

You can’t help but laugh at your own little joke, scooting over to the hatch leading down to your room. It lets out an awful creaking noise while you climb down that you elect to ignore, though maybe you shouldn’t have since a loud snap sounds out, and you barely have time to gasp before your back makes contact with solid ground.

“Oww…” You groan, sitting up and blindly rubbing your back before opening your eyes to make sure that nobody saw you completely embarrass yourself.

You don’t find anybody. Nor do you find your own room.

All you find when you look around is an empty forest.

[partyof4game]

Party of Four: A Romance Dungeon Break Fantasy Interactive Fiction

Party of Four is an adult interactive fiction game with RPG, romance, and dungeon break themes written in ChoiceScript.

Synopsis:

The known world of Vert is at peril from dungeons: a land separate from yours, filled with traps, mazes, and monsters. The populace is in constant fear of portals appearing, where your two worlds connect, and spilling monsters across the landscape. The world of Vert relies on two things: the Heroes who band together to enter theses dungeons and close the portals, and the Gods who Mark them.

You grew up in a church of one of three patron gods; Nivari, Goddess of the Sun; Peysca, God of the Ocean; and Alina, God of Wilderness. One day a rumors of a dream amongst the clergy comes to light, depicting that you will be the next chosen Disciple, given a Divine Task both great and terrible. You will head into the dungeons, you will fight, or you will suffer the consequences.

Play as male, female, or nonbinary; be straight, gay, bisexual, asexual (sex adverse or sex willing), or aromantic.

Choose the God you follow: Nivari, Peysca, or Anila.

Choose your class: Warrior, Mage, or Healer. Differentiate your talent further by picking a specialization! Are you a faithful Warrior Templar, a whimsical Wind Mage, or maybe a bumbling Herbalist Healer?

Create your party from 5 selectable characters (not including yourself!). You can’t choose them all!

Romance a stoic shield maiden, a shy healer, your childhood friend, a brash mage, an aloof ranger, an elemental master, or a mysterious bard.

Demo is found here. If you play, please send any spelling, grammar, code, pacing, etc errors my way! General impressions or ideas are also very welcome. TYVM.

If you enjoy any of my games, please consider becoming a member on my patreon (free or otherwise).

State of the current demo: ~71k words, with a complete Prologue. Chapter 1 is in progress. Content Info: this game is for those 18+, due to graphic violence against both human and fantasy creatures, as well as (future) sexual content.

Romantic Options:

Raena: Your childhood friend who grew up as an orphan in the same church as you. She is the pride of the parish's Armsmaster and has been training on the bow since she could hold one. While she can be rash and impulsive, she admires you greatly and will go out of her way to help you out.

Vana Peacebearer: A shield maiden from a clerical family. She is slow to warm to others, but will always reciprocate any kindness she is shown. Vana will follow the player character out of a sense of duty, but there is something that she desperately wants and cannot have. . .

Maymie Fox: A mage with an affinity for short-range elemental attacks, Maymie will do whatever it takes to come out as the top dog. As an ex-street rat her morals are questionable at best, and vicious at worst. If you make a friend of her, she will drag you right to the top with her, whether you like it or not.

Jem Miye: A little shy, and a lot awkward, Jem is the quintessential healer. Like you, he's a Disciple, but to the God Melekoth, who rules the Moon. He has a feminine appearance that makes him insecure, but you can build him up with your friendship (or love).

Linzel Syrat: Linzel is just charming enough to mask how much he absolutely does not care about other people’s problems. He wants to join your party for the profit. After all, he has a giant spider/bat named Fancy to feed, and he’ll be the first one to tell you that insects and mice large enough to satisfy his bestie are not easily sourced outside of dungeons. (Familiar choice available to players who might suffer the 8-legged aversions.)

Aslo Gergin: Loud, brash, a man's man, Aslo is a mage who likes to fight on the front lines, no matter how ill-advised others think it is. He's more than happy to show off his scar collection to anyone that asks. And when he wants something, there is very little Aslo won't do to get it.

Sweets: A follower and devotee to the Goddess Myrtle, patron of music and merrymaking, Sweets is a rather playfully mysterious bard who resides in Sentari, the capital of Vert. They enjoy getting other people to talk about themselves and making a pretty penny at the night markets off accidental confessions or juicy gossip in general. Your name is on a lot of tongues lately and Sweets is very interested to know more.

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Hellooo!

Could you write about a farmer who feels unworthy of their partner's love with the sve adventurers, mages and Mr. Qi?

Thank you in advance. I hope u have a great day!🥰

Sure thing! Sorry for late reply, been a little busy with holidays and work. Thank you for your ask, dear anon! 💖 Happy holidays, and have a great day too!

_________________________________________

Isaac

"Who put that idea in your head?" Isaac's face was calm, but his look and voice would have made anyone's blood run cold in their veins. He was angry, for at first he thought that someone else's influence had made his partner think that way. When Farmer told the adventurer that they're beginning to feel unworthy, Isaac was taken aback. Why? "You're a famous adventurer..." So? "A role model for many in Castle Village." So? "I'm just a farmer..." Not just a farmer. A hero of Stardew Valley. His lover. His soulmate. "You can find someone better-" After that, Isaac is sure to shut Farmer up with a kiss and seriously tell them not to dare consider themself unworthy anymore. He chose them because he loves them. Sincerely. And will kill anyone who says a bad word in Farmer's direction or even looks the wrong way.

Lance:

"That's where you're wrong, my soul." The adventurer sensed that something had begun to trouble Farmer lately, and waited for his partner to tell him what was wrong. He expected different answers, but not this one. Lance sits down with Farmer, as they need to have a long and heartfelt talk, so that there are no misunderstandings or miscommunications. Farmer is worthy, more than they can imagine. And before they can love someone, they must love themself. Lance will gently begin to list all their merits, their bravery and heroism, their hard work and kindness. For a pink-haired man, Farmer is a treasure he wouldn't trade for anything. He will gently help his partner with these thoughts: start celebrating Farmer's big and little wins, learn to love themself. Lance will remind them more than once how lucky he is that they met on top of a volcano.

Jadu:

"Oh dear.... that's actually my line, you know..." What? Farmer looked at the slightly slumped Jadu with shock, not understanding what he meant. The young wizard's face read melancholy and sadness. Can't Farmer see what a wonderful, brave and kind person they are? Didn't they realise that it was Jadu's good fortune that Farmer, who was the secret object of the Castle Village wizard's affection, had paid attention to him and asked him out? Yes, he sometimes felt unworthy, for even as a mage he was unremarkable. But simply feeling unloved doesn't mean you're unlovable, and Farmer was proving that he treasured Jadu and their relationship. The two lovers exchange hugs and a plan to deal with these feelings of unworthiness together.

Camilla:

"Wrong." Camilla said it so quickly and sternly that Farmer was even a little taken aback. It was very rare to catch the head witch of Castle Village in any other mood than her usual playful, joking, and light-hearted attitude. But as soon as the 'I am not worthy of you' came out of her lover's mouth, she immediately grew serious. "I don't want to hear those words ever again." She utters it, wrapping her arms around Farmer and pulling them closer, causing her partner to hide their face in her shoulder. Camilla might guess that Farmer's feelings of unworthiness are probably partly her fault, since in courtship the girl was an impregnable fortress and played with them. But she has genuinely fallen in love with them, the determined and beautiful Farmer, and in all seriousness says that they are worthy. Had always been worthy.

Alesia:

"What? How can you... say that about yourself?" Alesia insists that they need to talk privately right away. Did she do something to make them feel unworthy or hurt them in some way? Or has someone else planted a seed of insecurity in their thoughts? Sniper has no way of knowing why her love feels this way. It's heartbreaking to her that Farmer has such low self-esteem. They're enough. They are worthy. Always have been, are, and always will be. All her friends congratulated her and Farmer, and those who dared to open their mouths and say "Alesia is too good for that weirdo" got her fist in the nose. She loves them, and will help them love themself too.

Bonus Mr. Qi:

"Unworthy? Hmm. Huh. Ha ha ha." Oh Qi laughs heartily and apologises to the slightly offended Farmer for such a reaction to their words. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you know what you're talking about." Before Farmer wanted to protest, they and Mr. Qi found themselves in a place that looked like outer space. Screens of all of Farmer's exploits, all of their victories, all of the times they and Qi had been together flew in front of their faces. The mysterious blue man held an orb that was a miniature planet Earth. He announced to them that they were worthy of so much more than they realised, that Qi was willing to stop and start wars for them, that all the riches he was willing to obtain for them. Ready to lay the whole world at Farmer's feet. That's how much he loves them, his hero, his love. And they still think they're not worthy?

[dailyadventureprompts]

Scragglmop the Destroyer

Once feared throughout the land, a great and terrible dragon grew tired of being endlessly hunted for his hoard and faked his death with the aid of a glory-hungry gnomish bard. Living on for centuries in the guise of a street cat, the dragon is now a hair's breadth from resuming his rampaging ways after the bard's descendants have lost the fortune he gave over to them for safe keeping.

Adventure Hooks:

A series of unexplained fires has wracked the city in recent weeks, which has both the guard and the populace on edge. Rumours swirl blaming arsonists, saboteurs from a rival kingdom, even an illegal duelling society of mages, but none have yet put it together that all of the workshops and businesses were all patronized in one way or another by the famed Candlebright noble family.

Coincidentally, Hignatta Candlebright, young head of that same noble house has sent an invitation to the party to join her at a famed teahouse to discuss a delicate matter involving the retrieval of stolen property. Hignatta has all but taken over the teahouse and its guestrooms since her own family home burned down near the start of the panic, and the party might begin to draw a connection when half way through their meeting the teahouse begins to fill with smoke, panicking patrons, and a booming, sourceless voice that demands "WHERE IS MY GOLD, CANDLEBRIGHT?!"

If you really want to mess with the party, consider introducing them to the fluffy street cat completely independently of the arson plot, making a nuisance of himself in the market while they're trying to shop, or catching mice in their store-room should they have acquired a residence in town. Have them befriend the cat as they might any bad-tempered stray, only to realize after the adventure is half way through that the mice he catches are always somewhat charred. Also imagine the looks on their faces the moment the party's home is broken into by an enemy and their housecat incinnerates a wave of intruders for disturbing his nap.

Background: Everyone knows the story about how the legendary hero Gailen Candlebright saved the realm from the tyrannical dragon Slaggrath, a beast known to devour whole armies and raze kingdoms in search of treasure. It's the ubiquitous tale against which all adventurers are measured against, made all the more ubiquitous thanks to the fact that the deed is memorialized in drinking ballads, children rhymes, and even a few folk operas. Gailen was a troubadour of not insignificant skill before he became a legend, and he had little trouble using that skill and hardwon fame to ensure his deeds would never be forgotten.

As with many tales told by the bards, Gailen left out quite a bit of the truth when concocting his tale: It was a late night in a roadside tavern and the young Candlebright was approached by a sourfaced man with a tangled beard and clothes that might have once been quite fine. Gailen had sung for his supper and then some, his hat was overflowing with tips from a long night's work and a greatful crowd, and the old man wanted to know how it was exactly that the Gnome hadn't yet been robbed; The roads were full of all sorts of rough types who thought that their strength entitled them to others' wealth, bandits yes but worse yet kingsmen, who took what they wanted sure that that they were above any kind punishment.

Seeing that the old man had fallen on rough times, likely having been robbed himself, Gailen spoke from the heart: He'd been robbed a few times yes, but he got by looking like someone that no one would bother to steal from, dressing in his fine clothes only on days he'd perform, and keeping most of his riches in the safe keeping of others, such as the caravan masters he frequently traveled along with.

The old man considered Gailen's words and the two sat up drinking through the night debating the merits of the Troubador's duplicity. Was it not better, asked the old man, to defend what was yours with strength and reputation, That everyone might learn from the failure of those that had trifled with you before?

Gailen looked at the many scars the old man bore and countered that fools never learned their lesson, they just thought themselves better than the last fool who risked it and they'd keep risking it till luck won out or they went to join all the fools that had come before.

It was dawn when the two parted ways, Gailen tottering off to bed thinking he'd given council to a reformed bandit chief, the old man slipping out of the inn and taking to wing thinking he'd concocted a brilliant scheme with the help of his newest, and perhaps first, friend.

i was a week (and one pants-shitting revelation over the old man's true draconic nature) later that the legend of Slaggrath came to an end: Gailen walking into that very same tavern bloodied, burnt, and with the broken off horn of the great wyrm held above his head as a trophy. The news spread like wildfire, the name Candlebright ascended to the shortlist of the realm's great champions, and not a soul questioned when the newly knighted Gailen comissioned the construction of an elaborate series of vaults beneith the castle he'd just been awarded. The bard had everything he wanted, and in return he and his family would hold the dragon's horde in trust, not touching a single copper and adding a little to it each year out of respect for the wyrm's generosity.

Future Adventures:

Even before he charmed his way into unexpected riches, Gailen was an ardent follower of Garl Glittergold, god of ambition, wit, and wariness. Genresavvy bard that he was, he understood that this fabulous windfall wasn't just some gift from his god, it was a test, and that to keep his good fortune going he'd best abide by the exact deal he'd struck in that tavern. Gailen kept Slaggrath's treasure under lock and key all his life and made sure his children did the same despite never telling them where he got it, in accordance with his pact with the dragon . Feeling that the Candlebright family has sat on its laurels for far too long (especially since practical and buisness minded Hignatta has been increasingly questioning why her late grandfather insisted on keeping a giant pile of money in their basement and never spending it), the god has seen fit to shake things up, ensuring that some long lost blueprints for the vault have fallen into the hands of a group of thieves, who broke in and cleared the vault though the very same secret passages Slaggrath used to pop in every decade or so and make sure the count was up to date. The dragon is pissed, convinced Hignatta has reneged on her family's deal.. and all the while the thieves get closer and closer to escaping.

Depending on how the party handles it this situation could break bad in any number of ways: The dragon could give up on being Scragglmop and go on a rampage forcing the party to put him down, they could intercede on Hignatta's behalf and ensure the treasure is returned possibly earning themselves a cushy position as retainers of house Candlebright, perhaps most dangerously they could earn the attention of Garl Glittergold himself and end up being singled out for their own unstable blessing.

In addition to being motivated by the prerequisite desire to get rich, the thieves were hired by an ambitious mage who has long desired to get his hands on Gailen's Horn, the draconic trophy the bard thereafter used as the sigil for his house and hollowed out into a heavy instrument through which he channelled his most showy magic. The mage has designs on the horn as the centrepiece of a ritual drawing on the object's history of power and triumph. Given that the horn is in fact the centrepiece of a giant con it's going to bring some very unaccounted for variables into the mage's ritual which is liable to set off its own chain of problems down the line.

Art

[shady-tavern]

Preview for "Chosen For What" the April Short Story

Once upon a time, when humanity was still young, magic got born into the world. But with it’s wondrousness someone terrible and greedy appeared who tried to steal everything to keep it just for himself. 

The grandest mage of all time, Astonius, one who still lived to this day, had risen to stop that folly from happening. To ensure the rest of the world still got to enjoy magical and wondrous things.

But the weaving of the world had gotten damaged in the ensuing battle and as a result, Fate was forever changed. Terrible evil was destined to rise - as were grand heroes.

„We are the ones to guide those heroes,“ Annette’s father said when she was old enough to truly understand the meaning of his words. „Fate takes us whenever it is time to meet a Chosen One and we hand them what they require for the task ahead. Encouraging words, a weapon, at times even healing. We accompany them on their journey so they can ensure evil always fails.“

„Am I like that, Papa? Do I help heroes?“ Annette asked, excited and after a moment her father sighed and nodded.

„You must’ve inherited it from me. I had hoped you wouldn’t, because your life will never be truly yours, Annette. You must understand that. You...you belong to Fate, now and forever.“

„Is that why you leave so often?“ she asked, thinking of the months he was gone without a trace, vanishing between one moment and the next without a trace. He nodded again.

„You can’t say no and you can’t resist. Fate takes you where you ought to be, no matter if you want to or not, no matter if you are tired or not,“ he explained with a shadow of exhausted, worn grimness to his face.

Oh. That sounded rather unpleasant. Annette had no idea what to say, but she found herself reaching out, patting her father’s hand.

„You’re not alone now,“ she said while her father glanced at her. „I can help!“

Maybe then he’d have more time to be home, to be with her mother, to enjoy his life. His expression both softened and grew very sad. He reached out, pulling her into a hug and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

„Keep that good heart of yours,“ he whispered. „Promise me that.“

„Pinky promise,“ Annette said and lifted her hand, fingers curled in and only her pinky extended. Her father smiled and hooked his far bigger pinky around hers and they gently shook their hands up and down a little.

She had been eight back then and hadn’t truly understood her father’s sadness or why he was often so tired. Why he often came back slightly stooped, as though he was carrying a heavy yoke across his shoulders, his gaze far away.

But as Annette grew up she learned that being bound to Fate was not a kind destiny, nor was it particularly fun. By the time she reached her thirties she had seen more of the world and of humanity than most people ought to. She had fully stepped into her father’s footsteps by then, guiding and aiding heroes.

Very few ever survived the journey and those who did were scarred for the rest of their lives, inside and out. Those who survived retreated into themselves, shutting themselves away, their hearts and minds too wounded for the rest of the world.

She understood now why her father came home silent and grim, moving like he wanted to lie down and never get up again. She felt like that heaviness herself now, her childhood cheer faded and nearly gone.

Great evil came and great heroes rose to fight it, protecting all that was good and bright and they usually died in the process. She had lost far too many friends that way, having accompanied the Chosen Ones on their journeys whenever Fate required it. 

It had been impossible not to grow fond of them, not to love them all in their own special ways. To not feel at home with them and their other friends, who had all considered her one of them sooner or later.

Annette wasn’t destined to die, because who would serve Fate if she did? As far as she knew her father’s bloodline was the only one who produced people like her and if they died, heroes would have a far harder time on their journeys.

So she would survive the confrontations with evil every time. But no matter how hard she fought, how good she became at the art of battle, somehow she was never there to actually protect the people she had grown to love.

In the end she was the only one left to carry remains back home or in some cases, carry nothing, because not even a shred of her precious friends had been left behind.

Worst of all were the times when she had accompanied young heroes, almost children still, who had been chosen for a cruel future. 

A number of them had no families left so she was the only one who knew about the graveyard she had started to dig for her fallen heroes and their heroic friends. Her heroic friends, too.

She carefully took care of the graves near her isolated home, cleaning away dead leaves and planting new flowers. She didn’t want to forget them and she wished the world would do more to remember them.

There was a dedicated Heroes Day, where celebrations were held across the lands, but she couldn’t stomach to join those festivities. It felt as though her friends‘ deaths were lauded as something admirable and good.

She hated Fate, even though she knew it was useless to do so. The weave of the world was damaged and this was simply how things were meant to be, a constant reenactment of times past. She even suspected it was the only way magic could still reliably exist in this world, through meaningful sacrifice and grand, noble acts.

And no matter how hard she fought the pull of Fate, sooner or later she always stood in front of the next hero, wondering if she’d carry their lifeless body back home this time as well.

Fate had been tugging at her insistently for a time again now, guiding her down roads and to her next destination. Annette was resigned to her lot in life, feeling a mixture of listlessness and bitterness, her heart braced for yet more hurt. No matter how she tried to keep herself apart from the heroes and their groups, sooner or later she always ended up liking them anyway. She always ended up cheering for them.

When Fate stopped tugging she ended up at the side of the road, near a large boulder on the top of a hill. The perfect place for someone heroic to meet her, a companion for their quest. Her other duty was to provide for the heroes whatever they needed. Fate had given her a bit of magic for such an act, allowing her to conjure magical weaponry and items and healing tonics.

But no matter how much she gave the heroes, somehow in the last, grand battle, it was never enough to save them.

She settled down on the boulder, staring across a picturesque landscape, little farms and their fields dotting the surroundings and a pretty town rising in the distance. 

The sound of huffing and puffing and something dragging along the ground made her pause and look up.

Her brows rose in surprise when she saw a little girl stomping up the road, full of determination as she dragged a far too big, sheathed sword behind her with one hand. With the other she pushed up the too big knight’s helmet she had put on, one clearly meant for an adult. From the looks of it, she barely managed to carry it on her head.

„What are you doing?“ Annette found herself asking, utterly baffled.

„I’m going to fight for my Pa,“ the girl declared proudly, a little lisp to her words. „Do you know in which direction the Lich King is? I gotta kill him so my Pa doesn’t have to.“

Annette stared at the child and with a sudden, awful feeling in her gut, she wondered if the girl was meant to be the hero. Usually Fate didn’t pick Chosen Ones that young and ten seemed to be the bottom line.

„No,“ Annette said, fingertips digging into the stone of the boulder. „You can’t go face the Lich King, absolutely not.“

The girl frowned at her, briefly losing her grip on the helmet, which swiftly slumped down over her head the way a thimble covered fingertips. Annette slipped off the boulder and helped the girl right the helmet again, only to be pouted at with puffed up cheeks.

„I can so fight,“ the girl declared. „Because if I dont, then my Pa gotta and he’s already fought. He still has nightmares, so I have to make sure that he doesn’t have to be a hero again.“

That was the ugly reality of the few Chosen Ones that survived the evil they were meant to vanquish. If they were lucky enough to make it out alive they were not only scarred for life but also considered game for any future foes.

Fate really was a bitch.

At least the girl clearly wasn’t meant to be the hero of the story, she was too young and couldn’t even lift the sword enough to swing it. Annette would have to wait for her father to arrive to take her place instead.

„Well, if you don’t wanna help me, then good day. I guess,“ the girl said and turned to march onward, dragging the sword behind her and struggling to hold the helmet up. 

„Fate decides who is Chosen,“ Annette found herself saying and the girl stopped and turned to look back at her, the helmet wobbling precariously in her grip. „You can’t undo that.“

The girl frowned, then lifted her chin. „So what? If we kill the evil first, then what does that matter?“

Annette felt herself still while the girl turned again and kept walking. Killing evil first. Annette had never thought to do so, mostly because by the time Fate was done guiding her she usually met the heroes in question within a minute or two. 

She never knew who they were destined to fight, not until the heroes either told her or, if they didn’t know the identity of the evil they chased, until they found out together. But now...now Annette knew who the Chosen One was destined to face in battle and there was no hero in sight.

Aside from a brave little girl with a heart the size of the sun.

„Alright,“ she said and hopped off the boulder, the girl stopping and looking up with a hopeful grin. „I have a proposal and I need your help if you want to keep your Pa safe.“

„What is it?“ the girl asked eagerly. „I promise I can do it.“

„I need you to keep him at your home,“ Annette said. „Protect him from Fate, make sure he doesn’t leave on his quest. In the meantime, I’ll go kill the Lich King.“

The girl eyed her, frowning thoughtfully. „Can you fight?“ she asked and when Annette nodded, the girl heaved the sword up enough to hold it out to Annette, though the tip still dragged through the dirt. „Then you take it. It has killed evil before.“

Grasping the sword, Annette felt the hum of magic within the blade. She had gifted plenty of enchanted items to heroes in the past, but this one was not from her. It must’ve been from her father then.

Most magical items didn’t survive the battle against evil, but the few that did were highly sought after by the rest of the world, for they tended to be rather powerful.

„I got it,“ Annette said and nodded down the path. „Now go, before Fate takes your father from you.“

The girl nodded and Annette bit back a laugh when she hurriedly walk-jogged down the path, the helmet clearly too heavy and unwieldy to allow the girl to actually run.

Hoisting the sheathed blade across her shoulder, Annette turned to walk away. The Lich King, she actually had heard about this particular character, a legend building over years through whispers and rumors. A legend of great evil.

„Well then, Fate,“ she muttered to herself as she quickened her steps. „Let’s see who arrives first, the hero or I.“

There was a stirring in the air but to her surprise, nothing tried to stop her. Usually, when Fate guided her somewhere, it did so with a feeling of great urgency that grew in intensity until she couldn’t stand to ignore it any longer.

This time there was only her own determination driving her onward.

Huh. How strange.

*.*.*

The Lich King lived in a castle that was so obviously evil looking it was almost comical. He was also very, very confused about her appearance.

„You are not the Chosen One,“ he said, eyeing her and Annette shrugged.

„No, but it was either me or a little girl who was going to try and take the place of her hero father,“ she said and the Lich King grew unnaturally still, a muscle in his jaw jumping.

„They would have me fight a child, if the father didn’t show up in time?“ he downright growled the words before he laughed, sharp and bitter. „Of course, I am not evil enough yet, is that it?“

He spoke upwards towards the sky and Annette got the feeling that he wasn’t actually talking to her. Then he sighed.

„If the choice is you or terrorizing children, then go ahead,“ he said and tipped his head back, baring his throat. „With you I do not have to keep up appearances, Fate’s grip has released me for the moment.“

„Wait.“ Annette let the sword in her hand lower, the tip touching the dark stone floor. „You didn’t want to be evil?“

„I wanted to be a mage,“ the Lich King answered and downright spat out, „Not a monstrosity.“

All at once Annette realized something she hadn’t considered before. Not when she had watched beloved friends die over and over again, when she hadn’t been able to save anyone. If the heroes were Chosen, then so were the villains.

The same coin, two sides. A story repeating it self through the centuries over and over again, all across the world. In big and small tales. Someone always died and something was always saved. Someone also always had to be the forsaken one.

As though the entire world was one big stage and the people living on it were puppets on a string for Fate to pull and pluck, making them dance and fight and bow and live and die at its whim. All because one idiotic, greedy moron had damaged the weave of the world all that time ago.

Sighing, Annette rubbed a hand over her lower face, thinking. Nothing here was fair and aside from Fate, there were no winners. Only dead losers.

„Then let’s go,“ she said. „If Fate is currently silent, then let’s try to break it’s hold on you.“

She had stopped believing such a thing was actually possible years ago. With each buried friend, with each wound on her heart and soul, her optimism had slowly withered and decayed away. Crushed under the weight of reality.

But what if...what if there was a chance after all. A chance for true change.

Sheathing the sword she held out her hand. „Let’s try, just one more time.“

The Lich King stared at her hand, undead eyes and gray skin and filled with magic that would make the priests and priestesses of the temples weep and moan. Maybe there was a way to keep Fate away from him, to ensure he never had to hurt anyone else ever again. To maybe even make up for some of the hurt he had been forced to cause.

His next inhale shuddered in his chest and slowly he stepped forward, reaching out. „One last time,“ he whispered.

When their eyes met, his were filled with the same grim, withered hope that Annette felt stirring in her chest. Withered but not dead. It seemed hope truly was the last thing to die, like a weed that kept growing out of the cracks in roads and walls.

Annette took the Lich King’s hand and pulled him out of his castle. Once they were far enough away, they looked back just in time to see a lone hero traveling up the road, heading for the empty castle. Heading for a fight that would not take place.

„Huh,“ Annette whispered. „It seems Fate isn’t so invincible after all.“

Beside her, the Lich King was starting to weep, still clutching onto her hand and she let him, almost tasting his relief on her tongue as he cried like a child that had finally gotten found and led out of the dark.

*.*.*

Would you like to read more? Then head over to my patreon or ko-fi or give the masterpost a look! There are a lot of different short stories, maybe you'll find one you'll enjoy!

Thank you all again so much for your support, for all your kudos and reblogs and lovely tags and your memberships! It means the world to me and encourages me to keep going and write more!

For anyone wanting a book of my short stories, the Short Story Collection will be published in April! Preorders will open soon! Apologies for the silence and delay on that front.

Have a lovely time of day everyone!

[omg-levian]

back again with some funny (or not) facts about DAtV.

it actually fascinates me how the main line and companions quests, while they are plenty and actually pretty full of interactions (and I'm saying that without any sarcasm) never, you know, affect Rook’s personality.

more than that, almost nothing in the game seems actually affect Rook as an individual, a character that you are supposed to build. because it's never about Rook as a person, it's always about Rook as a player. about you. Rook’s failures are always about other people and never about themselves, and the explanation is simple: those are your failures, and your Rook just doesn’t exist outside being a manifesto of your will and your totally out-game and calculated choices. losing a town to venatory/the blight (no vendors, less quests), losing a companion, missing an important quest, etc, etc.

you can choose the way your Rook reacts to events and quests, but although it seems to affect some of your companions, it never changes your Rook in a deep, character building way.

remember DAII, where one could actually choose how exactly Hawke might be altered by important events? what if they become a blood mage in a desperate attempt not just to survive, but to live and prosper? what if they gave up using this magic after seeing what did it do with their family, with their mother? what if they had not? had they became a better person? or… had they became worse?

the very same for the Grey Warden and for the Inquisitor. the characters didn’t even need to speak about how life's trials changed them, you could see the consequences and how do they change your protagonist and the world around.

but Rook… Rooks seems completely unaffected that way. they are the main hero, and yet they are always so distant from everything they are supposed to love and protect that they reminds me, I don’t know, Dexter Morgan?

even when we have that nice mural with the whole Veilguard in the epilogue… guess who isn’t there?

actually, the ending tells us about almost everyone and everything, but what does it give to Rook except for those little flowers (in case Rook had a romantic partner)? pff.

and the worst ending? the final line addresses directly to you, which can be considered as a nice power move toward the player, but yet again tells us nothing about the main character, because there never was one.

[dragonagecompanions]

hello, this is my first request :) unsure if your still taking requests but I was wondering how the companions (maybe romanced maybe not) would react to finding out the Inquisitor has a dead kid? I think the only way the party would find out is in the fade via the fear demon, and then maybe the advisors find out on their own ┐⁠(⁠ ⁠∵⁠ ⁠)⁠┌

idk but I would be truly honored to see you answer this request, and even if not than thank you for reading over it <33

- 🍡

WARNINGS For CHILD LOSS YOI HAVE BEEN WARNED

Cassandra: When the fear demon, gleeful in it’s telling of their leader’s loss, reveals the truth the Seeker is…well, there are no words. Forcibly she is reminded of how they swayed, pale and weeping, when she had said there were no other survivors. Guilt churns low and deep at her own words, a year and more gone now, throwing that fact in their face as accusation. Throwing such a loss in their face and then demanding answers.

Throwing a calling at their feet and demanding leadership, never knowing what a loss they struggled through.

She fights all the harder for them, as if every enemy batted away from them is attempted absolution. Cassandra Pentaghast thought she understood grief in all its facets, but what does the loss of older brother and parents- expected losses if come too soon- stand before the loss of a child? Maker, how do they still breathe through it?

When they are free of the fade, she approaches only to offer apology. If they wish to speak of their loss she will listen, but only then. She has forced enough from them.

Varric: Shit. Just…shit. Here he is, going on for months about how this story is bad for heroes and how the Inquisitor is the main character and blathering on, and never saw it. Never saw the aching grief, because it was never shown. The only example he has, or is at least intimately familiar with, is Leandra Hawk and his own mother.

And as the Inquisitor had never fallen into drink or taken to blaming whoever was closest to them for things outside of anyone’s control there had been no sign for Varric to catch on to. And it makes him feel…almost dirty. Stained with his own intentions, blithely going on while their leader had lost their kid.

He doesn’t bring it up to them, doesn’t know how, but Skyhold’s resident author is absolutely the own who tells Josephine as soon as they tumble out of the fade. That raven missive is a short and brutal telling, far from his normal goings on, and his guilt is manifold in it.

Solas: The Dread Wolf is not so unattached from the world as to not consider the losses suffered at the conclave, but for the most part -when he did turn his mind to them- they were mostly academic. A balance of power, and the loss of so many leaders among both chantry and mages a destabilizing force for his future efforts. Numbers laid cooly on a chart, beads on an abacus. The fortunes of war laid bare.

But more than one parent lost a child in that terrible moment, and siblings mourned. Children bereft, friends torn asunder, lovers left to weep alone for their loves. Listening to the fear demon enumerate the inquisitor’s loss magnifies the enormity of what happened, and though he will undoubtedly be the source of much worse for a moment the Dread Wolf cannot breathe.

It passes, of course, and when they leave the fade the rift mage dies his best not to carry those emotions out with him. This world is not to blame for his actions, for the destruction of his world, but he must restore it and so they must bear the cost. It is not fair to them, and it will be long months until he can be east about his plans.

In the interim, he dares to approach the inquisitor only once about their loss. He is there as a listening ear in the silence of his rotunda if they wish to speak of their sorrow. Or if they wish only a silent companion, he will direct the kindest spirits he can find to guard their dreams and remain at their side as long as he can.

Blackwall: Maker forbid. For a moment Skyhold’s would be warden is swamped by the images of Callier’s children, dead under tiny shrouds beside the ruined carriage at his command. Too many children fall victim to the machinations of their elders and with none to protect them from the fall out, but for all that most of Blackwall’s experience has been from the other side.

Being confronted with the parent who had lost a child, confronted with the knowledge that they had told none of them and had suffered under the burden alone was staggering. Damn it, they had all laid burdens at the Inquisitor’s feet and expected answers, demanded decisions and leadership in a word gone mad— and none had known what they had lost.

He doesn’t know what to say or how to act and instead channels everything into the fight to flee the fade. Rainier would be too much the coward to speak to their leader in the aftermath, but Blackwall- older and hopefully wiser from his own griefs- will offer quiet condolences and whatever aid he can. If they need to speak of it be will listen. And if not there is soft wood and chisel enough to grind out any feelings if that is what they need.

Vivienne: Children had never been in her destiny. As a mage, even one so elevated as to be all but free of the constraints of the circle, motherhood was forbidden to her. Any child of her womb would be sacrificed to the Chantry, given to a family deemed ‘more worthy’ to raise it.

And as a mistress, no matter how deeply the love between them bloomed, Bastian could never have given her such a blessing. He had children— an illegitimate child, and a mage child at that, would have been too great a weapon against him.

And so she had put it out of her mind, never allowed herself to consider or imagine what a son might look like, how a daughter might smile. To think of it would be a loss too great to contemplate—or so she had thought. Met with the active loss and overwhelming grief that their leader must feel, Madame de Fer is suddenly glad not to know how such a burden might rest on her soul.

Could she be so calm a leader as the Inquisitor, while bleeding out inside? Vivienne does not know, and that…well, terrifies her in a way little has. But she is not called iron for nothing, and so when all is calm again she will go the Herald and ask simply and plainly what she might do for them. If the answer is nothing she will abide by it. And if there is something that might in any way assuage their grief then she will ensure they have it.

Dorian: Well, that at least explains the Inquisitor’s uncharacteristically violent outburst, when Halward Pavus had made his way to Ferelden. Upon hearing the possible consequences of the blood magic ritual the Inquisitor had laid into the Magister, flaying with words when they could not use violence. Even the Pavus paterfamilias had seemed shaken by the diatribe, and Dorian had felt championed.

He is not so shallow as to feel betrayed by the knowledge of what terrible grief must have driven such an impassioned defamation of character, but can instead only ache for his friend’s loss. They must have been a wonderful parent, and in a quiet time later will gather his courage to tell them so.

Sera: It doesn’t really register in the moment, so great is her own fear of the Fade and it’s denizens, but later it will simply break the Red Jenny’s heart. Their leader lost a true little one, and still managed to bring themselves to protect the rest of the little people no matter their age.

Like Blackwall she will either offer distraction or uncharacteristic silence in comfort, baked goods an offering that feels too…personal for such a gaping loss. But her admiration for them grows exponentially.

The Iron Bull: Public, corporate grief is rare among the Qun. Not forbidden, exactly, but when everyone is given a role it also implies that every person is inherently replaceable in that role. As Koslun said, the tide rises and falls and things must work forward toward peace.

But the death of a child is different. Whether disease or violence or simple accident, losing an imereki is a tragedy. The Tamassran mourns, the others in their care mourn, and all those in the sphere of the lost one are permitted some little allowance for the loss. Things cannot grind to a halt- this is why parents are separated from children, to ensure the deep emotional bonds that are anathema to the Qun- but there is not simple acceptance without acknowledgement of the loss.

Not even that was given to the Inquisitor. It’s east to see the shock of the others even through his own fear, and the knowledge infuriates Bull enough to get him through the Fade. Their leader lost a child, and no one was there for them. Instead piled on the whole world and its imminent loss on their shoulders. It’s disgraceful.

Later, when Adamant is pacified and they return to Skyhold, he will pull them aside. It will be painful and it will be slow, and whether they need alcohol or pain or even the clinical breakdown that bondage and sex can only give-with their explicit consent- he will help them bleed the pain and begin the grieving process.

Cole: The pain was too big for him to help, the threads caught up in pain and joy and guilt and anger and terrible despair. He didn’t even have the words to describe it to others, and so had kept silent.

If they need him later he will help, but this loss is too big for a spirit unsure of how to act.

Cullen: Maker’s breathe. How could they…why did they not…Damn it, how could he not realize?! He had all but thrust the entire inquisition on a parent who had been robbed the chance to even bury their child, let alone mourn them.

Varric’s report rocks him to the core, and the commander in truth does not know what to do. If the rest of the inner circle has it well in hand he will simply work to make sure their leader has less in their plate. If they wish to discuss it with them, he is there and if not…

He hardly has the words anyway.

Josephine: She weeps over the missive, when it arrives. Their inquisitor has been hiding the worst of loses from them, putting on such a brave face to do so much. Like Cullen she works to make sure they have less to do when they return, but does pull them aside briefly to awkwardly hug them and ask if they want a memorial somewhere private in Skyhold.

Leliana: She knew. She knew from only a few days after, when her spies brought her everything there was on the Herald. And even The Nightingales Heart could ache for such a loss, but Leliana took her queues from the Herald and simply never discussed it. That does not change now— she will follow their lead.

Mod Fereldone

[jime777]

For day one, I chose to draw “a missing scene” from the games! Micaiah and Soren supports that would very probably have existed if there were supports in Radiant Dawn <3

Both Micaiah and Soren are my favourite characters from the duology, the fact they have so much in common and it's left unexplored is a little sad. They had so much potential!

During the RD epilogue, we learn that the two of them were supposed to be the rulers of their respective countries, Soren being the crown prince to Daein (and a prince of Goldoa as well) and Micaiah, the future empress of Begnion.

Not only that, but they also descend from two of the legendary heroes that fought Yune during the Great Flood and defeated her; Dheginsea and Altina. And they are the ones that more than 1000 years later join her instead to stop Ashera.

But for different reasons, they end up growing up far from court. Though they both are raised by a woman early in their lives, the treatment they receive differs greatly and doesn't impact them in the same way. The motive for this being they are “one of the Branded”, laguz and beorc blood alike flow through their veins, granting them special powers and marking their body with a “brand”. Plus, Micaiah and Soren´s laguz side come from herons and (black) dragons, the laguz who live the longest amount of time.

Micaiah´s “mother” raised her more or less as anyone would raise a kid, but she led a reclusive life to keep her safe. She explained what her heritage means too, telling Micaiah that she should hide it to be safe.

Soren´s caretaker was disgusted by him and displayed a very abusive behaviour towards him, going so far as to sell him to an old mage who mistook him for a spirit´s charmer. This led to Soren not realising what he truly was until he was 19 years old!

Growing up, both of them had one person, specifically a beorc, that they trust with their secret and their life. I personally think that Micaiah and Sothe´s base conversation is a little of a parallel to Ike and Soren´s A support in Path of Radiance.

Micaiah: Yes, I’m sure of that. Muarim seems very trustworthy. But, what about everyone else? What would they think if they knew all of my abilities came from the mixed blood running through my veins? Blood they consider cursed!

Sothe: Micaiah, stop…

Micaiah: Right now, when they look at me, they have love and affection in their eyes, but would they look at me the same way if they knew? I don’t want to find out, Sothe. I don’t think I could bear the truth.

Sothe and Micaiah base conversation in chapter 8

Soren: It’s a cross between a beorc and a laguz. Such a taboo union violates every teaching of the goddess. And of society. We are untouchables. Abominations. Condemned to a life of hatred and shunning from both races.

Ike: Wait, wait. Hold it a second. Let me make sure that I follow you… You’re part laguz?

Soren: Yeah. This mark on my forehead is the proof. I learned about it while researching ancient books at the Mainal Cathedral. I always thought it was a birthmark. Others thought that it was the mark of a Spirit Charmer.

Ike: What’s a Spirit Charmer?

Soren: Magic comes from interaction with spirits. If you let one into your body, it will give you tremendous power…for a price. That’s why the old sage was so interested in me. He thought I had struck such a deal. But instead, I was just a filthy Branded.

Ike: All right. I understand. So?

Soren: …What do you mean, “so?”

Ike: So, you have laguz blood in your veins. So, you have a mark to prove it. So… What’s the problem?

Soren: What’s the problem…? Don’t you find me repugnant!? I work beside you, eat beside you. I’m nothing! I don’t belong anywhere! Doesn’t that sicken you?

Ike and Soren´s A support in Path of Radiance

Micaiah and Soren have very similar thoughts about what it means to be Branded and how others perceive them, though Soren´s tend to be much darker especially in PoR due to his childhood.

The distinction is that, while Soren has already met two other branded characters (Stefan, and Petrine if you make them fight during chapter 23 of PoR), Micaiah still hasn't met anyone she can relate to.

This is the reason she is so moved after encountering Soren for the first time, and why she is more upset to be forced to fight him than the others.

Soren: …Ah, that explains quite a bit about the stories that surround you.

Micaiah: Who are you? You’re… You’re just like me!

Soren: Yes, they call our kind the Branded. As the years pass, I understand better and better how others see us.

Micaiah: You are so… cold. It’s like you’re cloaked in frost. Is there even blood in your veins?

Soren: There is. Blood very similar to yours, in fact. Blood that teaches us what it means to be rejected and alone.

Micaiah: Your heart is frozen, but I feel a warm core trying to melt through that ice. I see… You have someone you cherish very much. Someone you rely on.

Soren: Do not presume to understand me, you ridiculous girl. You have no idea who I am and what I can do. None at all. Daein has no business in this war. I will defeat you swiftly and send you and your army back to Daein.

Micaiah: I finally meet my own kind, and he is an enemy…… I will not retreat. I won’t let you go any further!

Micaiah and Soren battle dialogue during Part 3 - Chapter 7 of Radiant Dawn

Micaiah is also the first person Soren tells he is Branded out of his own volition after Ike. Having passed 3 years since then, he feels more confident about it. And knowing she is the same as he, he's not scared anymore. In this scene, Micaiah openly uses her power to read his heart too, the power that comes from her mixed blood and that he has as well.

Not many people know this since this conversation is actually impossible (in my experience) to get in game, but they have another dialogue if you make them fight during Part 3 - Chapter 13!

Soren: Our last battle, in the valley. Was that your strategy?

Micaiah: …

Soren: That was impressive. You killed thousands of beorc soldiers with your little ambush. Well done.

Micaiah: I…

Soren: The Maiden of Dawn… What are you? One of the Branded, that’s for sure. But there is something else about you… Power. Yes, I can feel it in you. You possess great power.

Micaiah: Yes, and you would know. There’s something very different about you, too. Your energy feels so…ancient. You and I seem to have so much in common.

Soren: That doesn’t matter in the slightest. The only thing that does matter is that you are a dangerous adversary. You are also in Ike’s path, so it falls to me to remove you. It’s almost a shame. Farewell, Maiden of Dawn.

Micaiah: So, you fight for someone, as well. So very much alike… But I will defeat you. I will protect the ones I love!

Micaiah and Soren battle dialogue during Part 3 - Chapter 13 of Radiant Dawn

This one is even more surprising, Soren is PRAISING someone! Micaiah brings up how much alike they are and actually hints to Soren´s heritage with that “ancient energy” meaning dragon blood. They both are able to feel the other is not only Branded, but that there is something deeper.

This interaction also shows a slightly softer Soren with him regretting having to kill her, be it for how capable she is or the secret they share.

They have one more interaction during the RD Voice Drama that took place in the 2019 FE Expo, but it is more of a funny moment intended to be comedy than actually exploring them. It always takes me out though!

Micaiah: Around this arm, it will grow thicker and stronger.

Ike: Ah, no, please don't touch-

Soren: Wait right there. You don't need to touch his arm to do your fortune-telling.

Micaiah: Eh? You have some deep scratches right here...

Ike: Ah, come to think about it, just now...

Micaiah: Please do not move. I will heal it.

Ike: Eh?

Micaiah: Get healed-

Soren: Step away from Ike.

Micaiah and Ike: Ah?!

Soren: No healing allowed from amateurs. Hmm, that's right. Tell MY fortune.

Micaiah: Oh, um, okay. Then, your hand, please. Huh? You... You are... The same as me!?

Soren: Huh? What are you say-

Sothe: Micaiah!

Soren and Micaiah during the Voice Drama stage (“Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn Voice Drama Converging Radiance and Dawn: An Interlude Tale” Eng subbed in YouTube by “Fudgenuggets”)

This is placed somewhere between PoR and RD, just when she is about to read Soren´s future she realises he is Branded as well and is shocked by it, which results in Sothe escaping with her and not developing it further.

During the Tellius CD Drama that takes place in Part 3 - Chapter 7, they appear in the same scene but sadly they do not interact.

Now, going back to what I started with, the way they approach learning about their past and their family is vastly different too.

Micaiah on one hand, as can be seen in the epilogue, seeks a relationship with her little sister, Sanaki, and wishes to have a talk with Sephiran as well during endgame.

Soren on the other hand is hinted to understand that the “random lady” who asked for his name is his mother (Almedha <3, I could talk about her for hours too), but even then he completely ignores it and treats her as he would treat any other person. And then, leaves Tellius with no intention to come back. With how smart he is, he probably connected the dots to when he felt so uncomfortable in Goldoa back in PoR.

“As far as Soren was concerned, his past as the prince of Daein among other things was not really of any interest - because he had forged and travelled his own path.”

Soren´s profile in Tellius II recollection book (Translated by “Kantopia”)

Fits his character a lot, and makes me feel SO proud of how far he has come!

Although Micaiah had the same idea as him, she ends up deciding to stay on Tellius and becomes the new queen of Daein instead.

Ike: You mean the blood of the laguz?

Micaiah: So you knew. Did you find out from the boy who’s always beside you?

Ike: Soren. Yeah. I guess you both know how to recognize people with a similar nature.

Micaiah: Yes. He and I are both Branded.

Ike: …Don’t use that word. You and Soren are both people. Just like me and everyone else.

Micaiah: People. You’re just like Yune. You call both laguz and beorc people.

Ike: Why should I care about the colour of your hair, eyes, and skin? Or your ears, wings, or tail? No matter how long you live or what powers you possess, we’re the same. At the end of the day, we’re all people.

Micaiah: … Sothe talks that way, too. His time with you changed him. Thank you, Ike. I’ve made up my mind.

Ike: About what? I didn’t realise we were doing anything but talking.

Micaiah: I thought I might travel to a far-off place after all of this was over. But I won’t. I’ll go back to Daein. No matter what happens, I’ll have Sothe by my side. I have nothing to fear as long as he’s with me.

Micaiah and Ike base conversation in Endgame - 3

And in this base conversation, she mentions Soren too!

It is definitely a shame that Radiant Dawn was rushed in the end and they did not have enough time to implement all that was planned. The Branded are barely talked about in PoR, and though expanded much more on during RD, I always think there was much more going on with them.

Writing this was something I had always wanted to do and very much enjoyed. Hope it makes people more curious about the similarities between these two!

[marinsawakening]

Alright, here's my pitch on Lorule's Triforce: instead of embodying virtues, it embodies flaws. The people who hold the pieces of the Triforce are people who struggle most with these flaws; whether they succumb to or overcome them is up to them. To be the holder of Lorule's Triforce is to be tested, to be told to face yourself and become better, or to doom yourself. I think this opens up very interesting avenues for worldbuilding and fits with the overall theme of Lorule being Hyrule's mirror.

I did play with making Lorule's Triforce flaws the exact inverse of Hyrule's, cowardice/weakness/foolishness, since both Ravio and Hilda do embody cowardice and foolishness respectively, but decided against it because Yuga doesn't fit weakness, imo. Yuga is an extremely powerful mage who managed to fuse with Ganon, and to me it seemed like he was controlling Ganon to do so, which is far from weak. I didn't want Yuga to be the odd one out, so decided against a straight inverse.

Ravio's Triforce piece is still cowardice, of course. So much of his character centers around it, it couldn't be anything else, and it works for his role as a counterpart to the Hero of Courage. Find courage or face your doom. Cowardice as a flaw of Link's works less well, but he has so little character you can get away with it, and I think it offers some fun character building opportunities.

Yuga's Triforce piece is arrogance. Yuga is vain and obsessed with beauty, but 'vanity' felt like too specific of a flaw. The broader 'arrogance' however fits him very well, imo. What ultimately led to his downfall was his arrogance, the way he thought himself invincible, which made him underestimate Link time and time again. I think it also works because arrogance is also Ganondorf's biggest flaw (aside from, y'know, being evil). Power can easily go to your head, and if you lose yourself in it, you will squander it.

Hilda's I'm much less sure about and I've struggled with it a lot, but at least for now I think I'm assigning her the Triforce of helplessness. Hilda is a powerful mage, but it has done her no good. At the end of the day Hilda's character, much like Zelda's (usually), is defined by a lack of control. She 'controls' the plot, manipulating Link into working for her, but at the end of the day, she is in control of nothing. Yuga is playing her and holds all the cards. In addition, everything Hilda does is driven by the fact that Lorule is dying, and there's nothing she can do about it. ALBW was set in motion by Hilda's refusal to accept her powerlessness, without which Lorule would've been doomed.

Of course, her ultimately having to back down and return Link and Zelda to their own world along with their Triforce does contradict this reading, at least partially. It's one of the reasons I've struggled so much with Hilda's Triforce piece. I also considered 'ruthlessness', which'd be more in line with the ending. Ultimately, however, I think I prefer helplessness for two reasons.

First, it works as a flaw for Zelda as well, continuing the mirror theme. Second, I think it's so deliciously cruel for a trio of all-powerful gods to frame helplessness as one of humanity's biggest flaws. Especially since when Hilda's ancestors tried to take control and escape the cycle of war by destroying the Triforce it backfired horribly. I'm usually more interested in headcanons that provide a lot of fun narrative opportunities than what strictly makes the most sense, which is the logic I'm following here. Definitely subject to change though!

[vigilskeep]

It's my birthday & I want all your thoughts/your ultimate dreams for a possible Fereldan chantry secession pls & thank u 💖

the topics at hand are:

orlais’ stranglehold on the sunburst throne. fereldan-orlesian tensions would blow up as soon as any divine attempted to hold authority over the fereldan crown. which with a divine who attempts to restore the circles would happen almost immediately, due to:

ferelden’s support for the mage rebellion. in dragon age origins it has an active, fairly brazen community of apostates across the nation. in dragon age 2 the fereldan crown is sheltering fleeing apostates from kirkwall and, under certain circumstances, attempting to defy the chantry by freeing its circle prior to any rebellion. in dragon age inquisition, the fereldan crown harbours the entire mage rebellion until the alexius debacle. it is the most mage-friendly power in the south and it resisting the restoration of the circles—which would require the orlesian divine to march in new forces to do so—is not hard to believe

broader/more historically, ferelden has a better claim to andraste’s legacy than orlais does. ferelden is the birthplace of andraste and where her ashes returned, whereas orlais is merely the birthplace of the fallible chantry made in her name. you can get a lot of religious mileage out of that and there are probably scholars and clerics who have been thinking about this for ages and would kill to be writing the 1500s style religious pamphlets involved in making it a movement

personally i find a cassandra / leliana split the most logical here. on the one hand, you have a brash, militaristic divine with the title hero of orlais and a more traditional viewpoint, and lacking in the political acumen to make concessions and prevent the secession. on the other, you have an idealistic woman willing to make bold, drastic sacrifices for second chances at history, someone who considers herself fereldan and is sensitive to the mages’ plight, and who is ultimately desperate to believe the maker gave her a grand purpose.

it’s a great loss to sacrifice divine vivienne, who is so interesting, but i just find unconvincing as a rallying point for traditionalists in the event of a schism? because no matter what she does she’ll never not be a mage. idk i could be convinced. however, vivienne would still be absolutely central to the conflict as the grand enchanter of the circle, playing a very dangerous game probably operating as cassandra’s right hand while vying for power with the anti-mage extremists likely flocking to back orlais who naturally see her as an internal threat

eventually an exalted march would be called or some kind of religious war would take place. you can’t declare yourself divine without expecting that kind of backlash. what would really have to happen for ferelden to survive is for somewhere else to also break from the orlesian chantry. your best bet is nevarra and the free marches, who are already often at odds with orlais historically and likely have also long resented getting excommunicated every five seconds whenever they have to defend their borders. one imagines the mortalitasi also prefer leliana’s way of thinking. you wouldn’t get all the free marches at the same time, largely because they’re all cripplingly individual and probably would just pick the other side to the neighbout they most hate. but nevarra is the big deal because orlais’ chronic problem historically is that they can’t afford a war in the north and in the east at the same time, so nevarra always fucks up their fereldan expansions and vice versa

the problem here is that cassandra is a pentaghast. however, she’s a pentaghast who wants nothing to do with nevarra, would absolutely not have given them any rewards or privileges for being family, and whose parents were executed rebels. i think they’d already be mad and could easily cut their losses. (i don’t think nevarra would answer to leliana and the hypothetical chantry of ferelden, to be clear, which i would imagine to be quite localised. i think they’d start doing something independently. idk if they’d declare their own divine or answer to no divine or idk do something nevarran and delightful like say the legitimate divine is whichever one they have buried in the necropolis and she says fuck orlais.)

as a note i think it’s really funny if both cass and leli go by divine victoria, both claiming to stand on the shoulders of the inquisition’s victory. likely nonsense to happen. that or something deeply on the nose like divine victoria and divine liberata or whatever. i’d expect leliana to be labelled the red divine in common terms (against the orlesian white divine and tevinter black divine)

[lizzybeeee]

Just my opinion, but if your Order is bringing back a species who is the literal icon of your entire existence you may want to name them something a little less 'How to Train Your Dragon'. Because I hear the rest of these griffon names and they're on the same level as Hagrid naming a hippogriff 'Buckbeak' or literally any of the dragons from HTTYD.

Beaktooth? Stormwing? Rumptail?

They're a new hope of your Order! This little sliver of the past that was protected through the ages and somehow managed to live despite all the odds! I can see them being pet names from trainers but...I dunno, I think there should be more to it than a cute name because of how significant it is?

Personally, I think it would be cooler (and way more fitting!) to name some of them after notable Grey Wardens as some recognition of their sacrifice and enduring legacy after all these ages. And not just a 'choose your birth month + day' and that's your griffon name combo.

Anyway, this is just some brainstorming :)

Warden's Who Killed Archdemons:

The Warden who killed Dumat is unknown but it happened at the Silent Plains in the Anders -> my suggestion is to name one 'Aria' after the Felicidus Aria or the Silent Plains Rose. The only plant to grow there a thousand years later, in honour of whomever made the blow.

Corin - the Hero of the Second blight who killed the Archdemon Zazikel.

The Warden who killed Toth is not named (but we can grab his sword that was split into three pieces and became three daggers - the Thorn of the Dead Gods) -> just give him a name. Possibly make him a surface dwarf? (we have a human in Corin and an elf in Garahel, after all. It would explain why he was buried at Weisshaupt too.)

Garahel - the Hero of the Fourth Blight who killed Andoral.

The Fifth Blight

The Hero of Ferelden - a griffon named after the Warden, regardless if they make the killing blow. (have them always off screen of just cut off when someone says their name lmao).

Alistair/Adalla - the warden who slays Urthurmiel can also be Alistair or Loghain. Alistair...for Alistair. I was torn on Loghain and whether or not they'd name a griffon after him, all things considered. Instead I chose the name of his childhood mabari (assume that Anora suggested the name). I feel it suits better than using his name - and I think Loghain would prefer it too.

Here Lies the Abyss

Alistair, Stroud, or Hawke - name a griffon after whomever sacrificed their lives at the battle of Adamant!

Again, uncertain about Loghain, but I believe that after a decade of service to the Warden's it's far more understandable that they would name a griffon after him. A true testament that you can join the Warden's from the lowest of lowest points and still make something of yourself.

Other Notable Wardens

Duncan - the man who worked so hard to establish the Wardens in Ferelden after 200 years of exile. The same man who recruited the Hero of Ferelden/Alistair, who led the Warden's at Ostagar.

Riordan - in honor of his sacrifice at the Battle of Denerim in the Fifth Blight -> in all versions of the FIfth Blight (codex entries, dialogue etc...) Poor Riordan is always left out. It would be nice to acknowledge him - the man crippled Urthurmiel, after all!

Isseya - they did you so dirty in DATV. Let her fly high in the sky once more ;_;

Neriah - Corin's lover, who sacrificed her life and allowed him to kill Zazikel. (they can be together again! As griffons!)

Non-Warden's / Acknowledgements

Moroc - a dwarven paragon, present at the founding of the Grey Warden's -> thanks to him a dwarf does not lose their caste if they join the Grey Wardens.

Assan - or another Dalish name. An acknowledgement of the Dalish's part in fighting the Blights. (We already have humans, city elves, mages, and dwarves represented.)

That's 12 names (13 if Loghain or Alistair slew the archdemon) and all I can come up with. The last one can be Bob or something.