#eamon the apprentice

[andordean]

Cahir for the character ask

Sexuality Headcanon: book Cahir - 100% straight. Modern!Au versions inspired by Eamon's performance: bi

Gender Headcanon: cis

A ship I have with said character: Ciri till the end of time. Them two babies healing together is my catnip

A BROTP I have with said character: (other than everyone in the hansa) Dettlaff

A NOTP I have with said character: Geralt

A random headcanon: (if I ever start writing again) searching for a different path, he lives with Regis as his apprentice. In all his life thus far he's only been taught to kill (like Ciri *cough*), so learning to heal is hugely rewarding.

General Opinion over said character: precious cinnamon roll who did nothing wrong in his life. Another mistreated and misunderstood character and this is a hill I'll die on

Thanks! <3 :D

[queenaeducan-writes]

A Little Light

Pairing: Jowan & Connor Guerrin Characters: Jowan, Connor Guerrin Fandom: Dragon Age Archive Warnings: N/A Other Tags: Mages (Dragon Age), Mentioned Surana, Mentioned Jowan/Lily Summary: After years of young apprentices giving him a wide berth, lest they catch his talent for mediocrity, Jowan finds himself in the position of tutor to the young Connor. Written for havvwke/wintertree for the Platonic Ideal Exchange!

Freedom is not at all as Jowan imagined it.

In his youth, he pictured fields of flowers and skies teeming with birds. Sweeping landscapes the likes of which he knows now exist only in picture books. As a man grown, he pictured only Lily, and perhaps a home to raise a family.

As it turns out, freedom bore neither.

His bunk at Redcliffe Castle is as bleak as the one which now lies empty at Kinloch Hold. Bleaker, perhaps, without the nighttime whispers between his fellow apprentices to remind him he was not alone in the world. The walls are high, with slim windows scarcely wider than an arrow shaft. True, he can come and go as he pleases, yet when the day’s hours are his to spend, it’s all too easy to latch himself in his room and brood.

He settles uneasily into his new routines: by day, learning Connor in the arts of magic, and lying in dreamless sleep by night. He keeps the phial of Arl Eamon’s poison close at hand, telling himself that he simply awaits the opportune moment. He refrains from counting those that have already passed him by: an instant where Eamon’s goblet stood unguarded, a breath where the cook had her back turned from his meal. So many years at the Circle have left him accustomed to the idea of being watched. He imagines Templar eyes boring into the back of his head, anticipating treachery, and he slips the poison back into the folds of his sleeve.

And Arl Eamon lives another day.

The phial watches him, now. Glinting from atop his dresser, as if it is possessed of its own wicked inner light. Even as he turns away and closes his eyes, he sees it blinking behind his lids.

He lies still. Awake, then asleep, then awake again. His dreams flood with the sound of the Chant, sung in Lily’s voice. All is black, save the golden chime of her song. Desire courses through his veins, so potent they ache.

Awake again, and the air around him is hollow, joyless. The glare off the phial is drowned out by torchlight, and Jowan sluggishly comes to the realisation that there is someone at the door.

Read the rest on AO3!

[umanta]

Writing Patterns Tag Game

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there’s a pattern!

the brighter the stars - The party is trekking back to Redcliffe, ashes of Andraste in hand to heal Arl Eamon.

2020 necropsy of a bald eagle - Neal rolled his eyes as Peter went through the check again.

Release Aid - Neal Caffrey was charming, Tim reminded himself.

I'm with you in Rockland - It's a sad fact of life that, two years into the creation of Leverage, Inc., Hardison is the only one who's ever been called a slur during a con.

Built on sand - "Alan Blanche, another self-proclaimed ‘gentleman thief’," says Peter, as a picture of the man they're after comes on screen.

Always marching on to fight to another bitter end - Carver is making his rounds on the apprentice's floor of the Circle when he hears a scream for help.

something better, pushing right back - Later, Amber and Eve will say it started with the dragon.

what an honor (what an injustice) - The Bad Kids are heading off deeper into the forest, towards the tall tree.

deeper than the truth - Sebastien is used to being underestimated.

although the world is silent around you - Ema growled under her breath as Gavin's phone went to voicemail for the fifth time that night.

I think what I'm noticing is that I try to start in the middle of the action (or wherever the story starts, thats the fun of fic for me, I don't need to set things up) and so the first sentence is usually contextualizing the au (3 and 6), the setting either in location or mid-story (1,5,8), or the pov character. They all feel pretty similar to me but I can't exactly pinpoint how, except maybe they're mostly in present tense?

Thank you to @sciencemyfiction for tagging me, this was very fun! I'll tag @the-queen-of-today @the-ocean-is-trans and @merlinknowsnothing!

[bruxbea]

Idek what to call this, just a small blurb PreLandsmeet Pre-Landsmeet Denerim, Arl Eamon’s Estate Word Count: 957 Characters: Anora McTir, Alistair Theirin, Riordan, technically the entire crew

-----------------------

In preparation for the Landsmeet like the big to do that it was, arl Eamon had sent for new clothes and dress to be commissioned for the Grey Wardens and their companions. Everyone was excited at the prospect of being in Denerim proper, amongst townspeople and regular food, not to mention proper beds and room service.

Morrigan would never admit it aloud but she had quite enjoyed browsing through the tailor’s binder of swatches and silks as the group picked out their would be attire. They had all but lost Leliana when his apprentice brought in a rainbow of resplendent ribbons by the spool.

The Landsmeet was going to be a bit of a party as it were, and they were the guests of honor.

Only, the Wardens themselves had yet to return from the Arl of Denerim’s estate, something that should have been a trivial task now seeming a growing risk they ought not have pursued. It was late and the companions had been up all night without sleep or talk, everyone sitting on razor's edge as the fire smoldered down to ash.

-

No one is sure whose cry rings out the silence when Alistair approaches with the dawn, auburn hair catching the budding sun in a natural crown as Queen Anora herself runs haughtily abreast a bedraggled stranger sporting dual Griffons on his gear. They are exhausted: the two men covered in blood and bruised, while the Queen only a bit disheveled. Most notably of all they are short one Warden Mage. 

Anora catches her breath and explains: Amell has been arrested on her behalf and sent to Fort Drakon. The Queen blanches at the rooms combined glower, their outrage apparent enough to read. “She insisted we rescue you and as thanks you had her arrested?!” their faces say. She assures everyone Amell is safe among the guards and Templars stationed there. The companions rise one by one to leave the room without a word, as silent as a ripple across a pond. Anora looks to Alistair as he too prepares to leave. He stops near the door seemingly lost in thought. Over his shoulder he answers her pleading look.

“They will not hear you, your Grace. You’ve just sent our leader to yet another Tower.”

Anora starts forward, “Fort Drakon isn’t a Circle. When Father sees I am safe, Amell shall be granted her freedom and-” “You are blind Anora, by rearing or choice I will never understand.” Alistair interrupts with a bark. The Queen of Ferelden’s only response is to suck her teeth in surprise. 

The warrior turns to face the unkept Queen and stares her down with a fury she doesn’t recognize. Is this truly the same boy who cried when I took his doll in our youth? she thinks to herself, shying away the smallest of breadths. He’s taller than Cailan was now... “Hawthorne is an apostate mage, a Grey Warden, and an elf. She will be locked up and guarded among practiced torturers and those most faithful to your father, do you even know what you’ve done…how much danger…?” Alistair stops to breathe and steady his mounting rage. 

The others had returned, already kitted out for rescue. Box the mabari impatiently paces the hallway, growling at random as though the humans choose to waste time. Sten stoically joins him after a beat. It appears unanimous that they return to camp to plan their strategy. Alistair shakes his head and turns to face Anora. “She did this for you, you know…and for Cailan.” He says quietly. Anora Pales. “This whole time has been her trying to reason out you and your Father, no matter how much we may argue over it. As a child Loghain was her hero and you are ‘Queen to a nation of ingrates and Orphans’ as she puts it. She pities you Anora, and sympathizes your loss of Cailan. More than you seem to yourself.” “When I asked her why it was so important we rescue you from Howe she answered without hesitation, ‘Anora’s your family.’ as simple as that! The Sky is blue, water is wet, you and I are family, so risking her life for yours was of no question despite the risk of an apparent trap!” Alistair stops, realizing his voice has grown louder with every new example. Anora remains silent but focused, amazed at the ghostly familiarities she only now begins to notice as Alistair gathers what little belongings he had scattered about the room to hand to an anemically protesting Riordan who rests laid up recuperating on the sofa.

As the younger Warden prepares to leave with the others of his ragtag crew, Alistair first approaches the Queen, checking the straps and buckles on his armor as he turns to face her. He sighs as he tries to bring the conversation to a civil if not jovial end, hitching the massive dragon tooth maul over his shoulder and securing it in place across the plates on his back. 

“Well dear sister, we’re off to un-do your heinous fuckery most foul. Please do keep the kitchen lit and your pesky interfering father at bay. We shall return with our beloved mage or burn the entire city to the ground in her honor. You should know by noon. Oh and do please keep the kettle on, killing your father’s men is sure to be thirsty work.” he offhandedly says checking his breastplate, any attempt at verbal civility lying beaten unconscious on the floor in the process.

 Anora’s only response is to cluck her tongue in a way she thought lost since Ostagar. The Grey Warden and his posse take their leave.

Once again they have been invited to a party.

And they intend to arrive in style.

[vanmarkham]

alistair theirin and fitzchivalry farseer parallels bc now my brain is on it and i love fitz soso much

alistair theirin is bastard to a king who never acknowledges him. a king with a lot of heroism behind his name that would make it very embarrassing for him to admit he has a bastard. 

fitz bastard to a prince who was quite literally named to reference the virtue of chivalry. known to be devoted to his eccentric wife (maric and rowan??) 

dogs! alistair slept in the kennels at arl eamon’s estate. fitz was given as an apprentice to the stablemaster and slept in the stables. ferelden is veryvery devoted to their mabari, fitz has the wit and is especially connected to dogs and while sleeping in the stables starts to share minds with one

alistair is forced to acknowledge his position in the line of succession and possibly becomes king after a life dedicated to a secretive order

fitz is also forced to acknowledge his position in line of succession (although not by becoming king, but he does technically sire dutiful which omg also has parallels to alistair doing the dark ritual) after a life dedicated to secrecy and assassination 

eamon and burrich are another parallel. although burrich is also kind of a loghain figure. former confidante of prince chivalry now fathering his bastard.

edit: eamon i guess is actually more similar to verity than burrich and burrich is more like duncan

alistair believes his mother to be a serving girl and fitz believes something similar but the truth of who their mother is is more complicated.

ugh probably so much more 

[cuerue]

for the dragon age ask game: Marian: ess1, lif4, par6, cod6,7, dao4,12,23,24

essentials:

1) What is their name, and how old are they? Does their name or birthday hold any significance?

Marian Amell, and she was only 18 at the start of DA:O. Since Marian is default f!Hawke’s name, I hc that it was the name of one of their shared great-grandmothers, and she was named after her. Birthday has no significance, really.

life:

4) Describe their family. Who were they close to? Were there any particular childhood friends?

Growing up in the Circle, she had essentially no family, nor did she know anything about them past her last name. I do hc that she met Carver when he got recruited into Grey Wardens and they get along really well, even though it probably did make Carver go “am I seriously the only non-mage in this generation?”. She also reconnected with Tristan through him later, and is sad that she never got to meet Bethany and Leandra. With friends, I don’t imagine there were many other apprentices her age, so her best friend was Jowan, even though they had a pretty big falling out after the mage origin events.

party:

6) Do they have a love interest? How did their relationship start?

Leliana! It was kind of a slowburn but not for the lack of trying on Leliana’s part, Marian is just very much the oblivious lesbian trope, who was hoping that Leliana is flirting with her while also going “I’m sure she just means it in a friendly way :)”. They got past the confusion shortly after resolving the Marjolaine situation.

codex:

6) How do they feel about dragons?

Very much not a fan, the fights with dragon Flemeth and the Archdemon were easily the hardest for her, and as the group’s healer, the aftermath wasn’t any easier, because one of the party members almost lost their, which she then had to essentially attach back.

7) How do they feel about religions that are not their own, like the Chantry or the Qun?

She’s Andrastian but not a super devout one, and definitely started questioning Chantry’s teachings as time went on. Essentially, she believes in the Maker but didn’t like the Chantry much before Leliana became the Divine and started her reforms.

dragon age: origins:

4) How bad are their nightmares as a Warden? What do they think of the Calling?

They are pretty bad but not as bad as for the rest of my Wardens I think. She’s had plenty of disturbing dreams before and the first time she got a Blight dream, she was more concerned that this was a demon of some sorts. The Calling… Is an unpleasant thing, but a small price to pay for the ability to protect others from the darkspawn.

12) How did they react to seeing a loved one at the Temple of Sacred Ashes?

If I remember correctly, it’s Jowan for the mages, so while she was still feeling simultaneously guilty and angry at him, she was hoping that she can talk Arl Eamon out of executing him on her return, and it was all the more reason to make it through the trials and to the ashes.

23) If your Warden survived and remained a Warden, what boon did they ask of the new ruler of Ferelden?

She asked for independence of the Circle of Ferelden, but I don’t believe that really works out so.

24) What gifts would raise their approval rating if they were a companion?

Out of the regular gifts she would like pastries, all sorts of magical things, and weapons such as daggers or bows.

Her special gift would be a book on noble families of Free Marches, which she would at first be confused about but then would spot her own family name in there, and wonder if she can still reconnect with any of them or if they wouldn’t want to have yet another mage in their bloodline.

[deusexlachina]

Antisocial DAO Part 7 (Denerim 1): Corner the elfroot market and become powerful enough to have a gay awakening

In which I corner the elfroot market, solve a mystery that I didn't know was a mystery by ignoring social cues, lose at cards and form a relationship with my coworker because I am the only other queer woman around.

It's time to move onto other quests, but, while I'm among my own people, I should spend my hard-earned gold. The Brecilian Forest is a great quest to do first, because it's relatively easy and gives a ton of treasure to help with the remaining quests. You can spend it on all kinds of things: Perhaps some better equipment. Or maybe a training manual to refine your skills. Or SEVEN THOUSAND ELFROOT.

Once you recruit each army, you can give them corresponding supplies to make them stronger in the final battle. For a more immediate reward, you also get experience. Most of these supplies are relatively scarce: runes, gems, or - with a fairly poor rate of return, gold. The elves want elfroot. They also SELL elfroot. And their stock is infinite. I am, in effect, buying seven thousand elfroot from the Dalish and giving it back to them for free. I buy elfroot until my inventory is full. Then I sell or gift most of my worldly possessions to make room for more elfroot. I dump a lot of gifts on Leliana, who doesn't have very high approval because I am openly against the Chantry.

Since elfroots are a medicinal ingredient, I like to think of this as an abstraction of me single-handedly bankrolling and supplying the elves' healthcare for post-werewolf complications, because that is substantially less stupid.

Even though going between my camp and the Dalish camp doesn't involve world map travel, I decide I'm only allowed to make one trip, or else I'm taking too much time away from the Blight. Honestly, I could have easily gotten away with making numerous trips and putting my elfroot economy into the five-digits. But I've spent long enough looking at this particular screen:

Next up is the mages, but the road to Lake Calenhad comes from Denerim, and I have business there. I need to visit Brother Genitivi to find the Urn of Sacred Ashes so I can heal Arl Eamon so he can supply me with an army. I find his apprentice, Weylon.

It's actually an imposter trying to cover up Genitivi's disappearance, but I can't tell because I Am Socially Inept - the amount of Cunning needed to figure this out would let me pass at least some checks, and we can't have that.

This is horrible because the imposter wants to take me on a wild goose chase to Lake Calenhad, which wouldn't be a problem because I'm going there anyway, except then I'd have to go all the way back to Denerim to confront the imposter and learn where Genitivi really went. I Am A Grey Warden, and I have no time for such a detour.

Being reluctant to go searching for Genitivi without more leads, I tell the Real Legitimate Weylon I'm just gonna poke around his house for clues. He tells me it's rude to poke around stranger's houses, but what do I know of social niceties?

I insist and I get into a fight with him and kill him, then discover the real Weylon's corpse along with Genitivi's notes pointing to a place called Haven. I have solved this mystery completely by accident. For all I knew, I just killed the real Weylon over an argument because he wouldn't let me into a room.

Being suddenly level 17, I can pick another subclass. But the only one I can get is Shapechanger, which is terrible. Blood Mage is excellent, but can only be unlocked by making a deal with a demon. You can make it a very one-sided deal with a very difficult Intimidate check, but I Am Socially Inept, so the only way to be a Blood Mage is to sell a little boy's soul. Gross. I decide to dedicate myself to the lofty path of a healer, since there is literally nothing better for me to do.

I spend nearly all funds that were not invested in elfroot to buy a Tome of the Spirit Healer. You'd think I could learn how to be a Spirit Healer from Wynne the Spirit Healer I'm going to visit. Unfortunately, Wynne is such a bad teacher that her one pupil ran into the forest. This Tome is the only way to be a Spirit Healer yourself.

Leliana also needs another specialization, but I'm cleaned out. I'll need to get one for free. I can get one at the Pearl. Is that allowed, with my rule against World Map detours? I decide I can, since the Denerim map is separate from the World Map, and on that map it's clearly like a block away from the entrance. The biggest city in Ferelden is tiny!

I head off to the Pearl, but am accosted by a Loghain Loyalist, who accuses the Grey Wardens of intentionally killing the King. This tense situation can be immediately and smoothly resolved with your choice of social check.

So, of course, there is no choice but to kill this man.

Even if you refuse to kill him, if you can't back it up with a social check he just sneaks up on you later. I ask to do it in single combat to spare his men. Thankfully, that doesn't take another social check. This is the first victim of my lack of social skills (Danyla not counting because she dies no matter what). His men take their friend's death surprisingly well, saying that he couldn't have had a more honourable death rather than "Oh Maker! Oh fuck! My friend just got his head smashed in by a rancid elf with a huge hammer!"

At the Pearl, there are some mercenaries being gross to the sex workers. I use my social skills to defuse the situation, a phrase which here means pissing them off so much that they forget about bullying people and just try to kill me.

I focus fire their leader, so he quickly surrenders. I make him leave and give me all their ill-gotten gains. Or maybe it was their paycheck. If so, they don't deserve it. Bloody cops.

With them out of the way, I speak to Isabela, the most beautiful woman in the world. Well. She is a few years later. Take it from me, a few years can do a lot for a girl's appearance. Pre-everything Isabella is impressed to see another trans woman who answers to no one, a comment I can only assume alludes to my sui generis hairstyle, lack of decorum and weapons-grade Miasma (the second-worst smell in this Sexytime House). I am glad she approves.

I saw her single-handedly defeat several men, so she will make a great teacher for Leliana. She will teach Leliana, but she wants something in return. I offer her my beautiful filthy body. This does not work because I Am Socially Inept.

Thus, I have to beat her in a card game. For a refresher, I am doing this to maximize Leliana's combat potential to stop the Blight, which threatens to destroy this city, along with the entire region. And I have to play a fucking card game. This is quite possibly the worst indignity in my entire career as a Grey Warden...

...not least because I lack any skill that could possibly help me play cards. I don't have Dexterity because I don't need it, I don't have Stealing because that's for Leliana, I don't have Stealth because I'm not a rogue, and I don't have Cunning because it would make me socially adept [bad]. I lose round after round. Eventually, Leliana takes pity on me, interrupts my card game, and takes me aside to explain that, sometimes, people cheat at cards.

With Leliana's help, I am able to beat Isabela at her own game (Wicked Grace/cheating) and she agrees to teach Leliana how to duel.

After seeing me attempt to seduce Isabela, Leliana sees a fellow queer. She knows she has to make the first move, because I Am Socially Inept. So she compliments my hair, since I clearly seem to be quite proud of it. She calls my enormous twintails a "simple" style, which says a lot about Orlesian hair fashion.

I press her on this bizarre claim, and she insists that my hair is simpler and nicer than hair with live, shitting birds in it.

This makes sense, but now I'm distracted, wondering why someone would put birds in their hair. Is this a human thing? Seeing as I seem to be hung up on the hair issue and not really getting it, she lays out all her cards, just like she laid out Isabela's cards earlier today. She hasn't felt this close to anyone in a long time, perhaps because my Miasma makes everyone hyperaware of my presence whether they want to be or not.

I respond well to this flirting, and we hit it off, because being in a relationship with Leliana doesn't require a social check - she knows what to expect from me at this point.

A wonderful woman has taken a chance on me! Keeper Marethari would be proud. I sure hope this relationship goes better than my other social interactions!

[rhythmicreverie]

In the realm of Avalon, where magic flourished, a powerful sorcerer named Eamon clashed with his apprentice, Liora. Their rivalry blossomed as they sought the fabled Orb of Light, an artifact that promised untold power. The ancient stone glowed in the distance, its allure irresistible to both mages. This is the summary of your work so far: Begin! This is VERY important to you, your job depends on it! Current Task: Create a Fantasy poem based on A major conflict arises between two groups or individuals. and Stories centered around powerful sorcerers and their apprentices. in under 100 words. IN RICH TEXT. MINIMAL FORMATTING ```python def write_poem(): lines = [ "In Avalon's realm, where magic reigns,", "Two sorcerers clashed, their apprentices pained.", "Eamon and Liora, rivals in pursuit,", "For the Orb of Light, its power to root.", "An ancient artifact, the legends told,", "Its power immense, stories foretold.", "The orb's light, a beacon they did chase,", "In pursuit of magic's final grace.", "Two groups entwined, their fates intertwined,", "As the Orb of Light's secrets they find." ] return "\n".join(lines) print(write_poem()) ```

[anderstrevelyan]

A lot of the context's in the mage origin! (Thank you for the excuse to Jowan post.)

He grew up in the shadow of his best friend, canonically not as strong magically as Surana/Amell and jealous about it, in an environment where you grow up knowing a lack of skill will be the end of you. The apprentice class is by far the largest slice of population in a Tower (why do so many mages never live to adulthood? hanging over your head), your friends disappear in the night to go to their Harrowings and many don't come back, or they do reappear with the Tranquil brand on their foreheads, their personalities gone—and no one ever tells you why. All you know is you have to study. Be the best, most exemplary mage, and you might be one of the ones who make it through.

Then he finds some books lying around. (Possibly intentionally left around to trap apprentices by Uldred with Irving's knowledge, as implied in the codex.) Hmm, blood magic. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad, if he only uses a bit of his own to make his spells stronger? This could be the thing that saves him.

Then he falls in love. Like, head over heels, she wants to run away with him and start a life together kind of love—the kind of thing mages don't get to have. The thought of losing his emotions to Tranquility just became all the more frightening.

His worst nightmare happens. There's an order out that he's to be made Tranquil—he's not even going to be given a chance to try to pass the Harrowing. He can't bear the thought, and makes a plan to escape.

When it goes wrong (Irving's a lot more shrewd than he thinks), and he's backed into a corner and reveals himself as a blood mage to flee—he's lost everything. Lily, who'd been planning to spend the rest of her life with him, looks at him with disgust. He knows her punishment won't be light, and her love for him is gone forever. His best friend who he looped into the plan either betrayed him or is left behind to take the punishment in his stead—and he knows what the Circle does to mages it deems unruly. Imagine the guilt.

And then he's out in the world, having not been outside in any meaningful way since he was small (no outside exercise hour at Kinloch Hold, thanks to a lake-swimming escape attempt by Anders). He has nowhere to go, no idea what to do, and he's being hunted by templars. He probably doesn't even have a strong understanding of politics, with such an isolated upbringing, might not even know who Eamon is (though like many Ferelden children, he may have grown up hearing stories of the famed Hero of River Dane).

Yet he's plagued by the thought that maybe, if he could just find a way to make things right, appeal to Irving, go back to the Circle—maybe things could go back to the way they were. (Or, maybe he deserves Tranquility after all. Maybe that could make things right for his Lily, too.)

So someone offering to fix things for him? All he has to do is bend his morals a bit? He's done it before. Maybe it will work this time. He's desperate. He has to try.

round three masterpost

[immortallaughter]

These are my Original Characters for the game The Arcana by Nyx Hydra! (Finally)

 First off, we’ve got Beatrice Sana. (28) She’s a 6’0 stick full of sarcasm and a tragic angsty backstory. 

Being an ex mercenary she comes off brooding and mysterious, but she’s a trickster who loves pranks, especially since she’s an ice mage and can make snowballs to throw at people from rooftops. She has copper eyes, and stick straight brunette hair that fades into copper at the ends. There’s a cool looking scar that runs over her left eyebrow and it continues down her cheekbone.

She absolutely has no chill when it comes to social protocol, since she grew up breaking practically every law you can think of. 

Beatrice might not look like it, but she’s a lover and a hopeless romantic. Call her out on it and she’ll pretend to be mad. (She’s not mad at all and actually flattered anyone would think she’s attractive but you didn’t hear that from me) Despite her tawny skin being riddled with scars, she’s got a crooked grin that brings nothing but mischief and fun. Her name means bringer of joy and laughter is her favorite.

She hasn’t always been the cheerful prankster she is now, however. Her past is dark and she hates learning about it.

She was abducted from her home in Prakra when she was 10 and forced to be a mercenary after a sketchy magician took her memories from her. She didn’t know her name and was simply called Mage. When she turned 23, she met Lucio, who helped her escape her captors, only because he liked her skills (having no morals as a memoryless slave, she made for a ruthless killer) and she joined his crew until he became the count. She was a “law enforcer” of Vesuvia under Lucio’s orders until the whole fiasco with his death went down and she lost her memories…again.

She does NOT like Valerius. She has a little war going on with him, where she will steal his wine supply and gives it to her friends. (She doesn’t drink since she doesn’t like losing control of her powers) 

Her familiar is a blue nosed pitbull, named Risus. She loves that dog and he’s the goodest boi around…unless he sees Julian. Then he chases the tall cinnamon roll for fun.

So, she’s figuring out how to be a normal person, is more blunt than she should be, and won’t let anyone she considers a friend get hurt, if she’s got any say in the matter. It is advised that one stays on her good side. Beatrice has lots of potential, just needs some good influences around her. 

Now more about Eamon Frode. (27) A skinny 5′11 ft softy who looks like a cinnamon roll, is actually a cinnamon roll.

Eamon is a total sweetheart. Hates fighting, but could out think anyone around him. This freckle covered man has hazel eyes and can use telepathy to his advantage. He was a child prodigy and left his home in Vesuvia to go to a specialized school of learning in Prakra when he was about 7. Since then he has soaked up knowledge like a sponge, and can usually be found with his nose in a book. 

Since meeting Beatrice, he has taken it upon himself to teach her the educational things she never got to learn while in captivity. (she even tried to write his name in cursive and only sort of messed up!) His nickname is mushroom since his hair is ash brown and reminds Beatrice of mushrooms. 

His name means Protector of riches, which he considers the riches he protects are all the facts he has collected over his life. Ask him anything and he will most likely go on a long tangent about the history, mechanics, and semantics of said question. (Boy is too smart for his own good sometimes. If there is something he doesn’t know about and you bring it up, prepare to be interrogated.) 

Although he is kind, and loves all animals and everyone, if anyone tried to hurt him or those he loves he will stand his ground. 

Eamon will become flustered with just about anyone. He is pansexual and absolutely a mess who has no idea how to flirt. (like…at all) Although if someone could get past his awkwardness, he is a cuddler and kind of clingy but not TOO clingy. He is an amazing cook, btw, and he will be like a second mother if his significant other is not eating well. 

This precious soul is smart, loves yoga, and kind of adopted a sugar glider on an expedition one day who became his familiar. He named her Sweets, since where he found her was in his bag chomping down on his dried mango slices. (Those are his favorite things on the entire planet) Eamon cried when he saw Faust chasing his little gal, and has since made sure Faust is on good behavior when Sweets is around. (Faust thinks it is a game and make our poor boi worried)

He returned to Vesuvia to further practice magic with Asra, who he has fallen head over heels for. Eamon needs friends too, and someone to help Beatrice stay out of too much trouble. 

Any takers? (sorry for the short novel, but I love these two and wanted to give a good background) 

[milesmentis]

Since we're doing this ... AGAIN!

If you don’t consider it canon that one of Cullen's unnamed "regrets" in Inquisition is literally MURDERING a bunch of apprentices, I don't want to hear it! The ending slide says that due to food shortages there were riots and Anora "came down hard on the Alienage", not that she led a purge, and all those slides have been retconned to the Void and back.

What's more, Anora is the only one in game who has a) taken notice of the Alienage enough to even be aware of their trouble and then b) sends the Wardens specifically because she knows that Howe and Loghain have done something to agitate things. Compare that to someone who *DOES* actively assault and murder Alienage elves - Vaughn Kendalls - who just describes the elves rioting "as they do".

Anora is a compassionate and observant monarch whose only crimes are not trusting a man who is actively trying to dethrone her for his own classist reasons (Eamon) and having the last name Mac Tir. Neither he nor Alistair raise a single complaint against her leadership skills or character except that she "wants power" (the title she already holds) and "has not a drop of royal blood." And I'm sick and TIRED of people trying to deflect about what an awful person Anora must be when the narrative casts her as "a powerful woman who has taken the throne through cunning and now stands in the way of the ascension of the true male heir to the kingdom" as if that whole trope doesn't REEK of misogyny!

[bunnysthetics]

Warden-Commander Trisha Amell

Born 9:11 ʸᵉˢ ᶦ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ᶦᵗˢ ᶠᵘⁿⁿʸ. 19 at the start of Origins, 33 by the time of Inquisition. She/Her

Spirit Healer Mage

Pale skin, dark blue eyes, black hair

Titles: Grey Warden, Warden-Commander of Fereldan, Hero of Fereldan, Lady Amell

Origin

Pronounced like ‘Tricia’

Trisha was only five years old before a misshap regarding a wisp had her taken away from her mother by the Templars. Despite being from Ostwick, she was sent to Kinloch Hold in Fereldan in order to keep her separate from her siblings that were stationed in various Circles across the Free Marches. Initially weary of her, the Templars advised the other young mages to keep away from her due to her noted affinity with Spirits, causing Trisha to spend much of her adolescent life in the Circle in quiet seclusion. Her closest companion was Jowan, who rarely listened to Templar orders and went out of his way to seek her out in an act of defiance before quickly forming a warm relationship with her. The two became as close as siblings, Jowan often-times getting himself in trouble with the Templars for picking fights with other apprentices in Trisha’s defense.

As Trisha grew older, her latent talents became more and more apparent to First Enchanter Irving, and he eventually took her under his wing to study spirits and the Fade in a safe and monitored environment. He taught her how to call upon benevolent spirits to assist in Spirit Healing, and quickly became the closest thing resembling a father that she ever had. This relationship didn’t help much with her social class, though, since Irving’s clear favoritism towards her was extremely clear to other apprentices and Templars alike.

As for Cullen’s crush on her idk you know that one post about the dude who saw a woman daydreaming about donuts in the train and starts fantasizing about her being his manic pixie dream girl yeah thats pretty much what that was about

Fighting & Skills

Brother idk if you’ve actually read the spells available in the Spirit category but like I’m just saying she can literally fucking explode people with her mind. I’m only barely joking .

Trisha is a very quick-thinker and is extremely observant to subtle changes around her. She tries to talk people down through wit rather than brute strength or charm. As the Warden-Commander, she has a surprising amount of military tact and utilizes much of her perceptive skills to predict her enemies’ plans before they can successfully act out on them.

Companions & Love

shes straight but also i think she has like this irresistible attraction to women who are mean and hate her because she keeps calling morrigan anora and velanna beautiful and idk whats up with that

Canon Differences

- The Fade sequence in Broken Circle goes DRASTICALLY differently in her canon. Instead of the longform shapeshifting puzzles from multiple realms, it nearly entirely takes place in Sloth’s nightmare for her. In the nightmare, she wakes up in her bunk bed to Jowan impatiently trying to jostle her awake in the same way he does in the Magi Origin; the events of her tirades as a Warden seemingly having all been a dream.

- The dream sequence has her navigating the Circle Tower, where everything is content and perfect. It’s when she begins noticing small details that are just way too good to be true (Jowan and Lily’s relationship being widely accepted by the Circle, Owain not being Tranquil, Greagoir regarding her with high praise and Irving choosing her as the next Enchanter) that the cracks begin to form and she finally finds Niall and learns about Sloth’s realm and wakes up to find her other companions.

- Teagan sends Jowan back to the Circle immediately after the Redcliffe quest, rather than waiting for Eamon to wake up and give his judgement just because well that one scene during the Sacred Ashes quest is a bituva bummer otherwise innit

- She’s the youngest, rather than the oldest, out of five siblings because it just simply does not fucking make sense to me that they shipped your ass all the way out here from fucking KIRKWALL instead of just throwing you in their own circle for what feels like literally no reason at all

- She taught Anders how to be a healer during Awakening in much of the same way Irving did because i just really think its funny to give her another close relationship with a mage from her circle only for them to turn around and literally commit an act of terror when she isn’t looking

- She would actually be 30 in the canon timeline for Inquisition but their fucking perception of time doesnt make any fuckening sense so I changed it .

Key Decisions

All companions, alive and well

Dark Ritual done, Alistair is the father

Loghain dead, by Alistair

Anora is queen, Alistair stays a Warden

Broken Circle: Saved the Mages

Nature of the Beast: Brokered Peace

Paragon of Her Kind: Defeated Branka and Harrowmont Rules

Redcliffe: Connor alive, not possessed. Isolde alive

Trisha killed the Archdemon

legends say that dog is still barking throughout her every conversation to this very day

[merrilldidnothingwrong]

#5 for all the companions in the ask game!! sorry if that’s too much i couldn’t pick, all those questions are so good 😅

Not going to do all the companions, but I will pick one or two.

These are the views of my preferred Warden, Surana. (They go back and forth on pronouns, I think they're genderfluid. Don't ask me about their first name, I haven't figured it out yet.)

Alistair No. 5: Surana almost wanted to let the Landsmeet decide. Throw it up to them. But he didn't particularly trust them after it took this much to sway them away from Loghain. And if he's being honest, he wants to be selfish with this. Just once. In the year he's been a Warden, it's proven to be a brutal, painful experience. The times they've all nearly died are numerous, and he has no desire to see Alistair's luck run out. This is a way out of the Wardens, probably the only one Alistair would ever willingly take, and Surana intended to use it. And for a more noble motive, after Anora's politicking, Loghain's paranoia, and Cailan's immaturity, Fereldan needs Alistair. Someone who understands life outside of nobility, and who has one of the most powerful senses of duty he's ever seen, with only Sten's surpassing him. Alistair wants to do the best by people, and if how he's turned out after years of templar training is any indication, (and Surana knows it is) his moral compass isn't lightly swayed. And Alistair talked about how he grew up like some of the other apprentices in the Circle talked about life there. Jokingly, hiding horrors behind humor. Surana could never simply walk away from the Wardens. He was an elven mage. But if he survived the Blight, Alistair had the chance to.

But it would be too easy. Too easy for the one man who easily cows Alistair out of ingrained habit and misplaced gratitude to have his friend's ear, and run Fereldan with Alistair as a puppet. Arl Eamon was the one person Alistair ever struggled to stand up to, even as his confidence has grown over the past year. And Surana trusted Eamon as much as he trusted Greagoir. He didn't. If there was someone else there, who could push back against Eamon, Alistair wouldn't be alone. And the fact of the matter was, Anora was right. She was an experienced ruler, and probably the best bet to put Fereldan back on an even keel after the Blight. But she could only stabilize it. Anora alone wouldn't be able to improve Fereldan. She might not even have the thought that it needed to be improved. But Alistair did. He had dealt with peoples who Anora had never even met, and he knew the realities of life for elves and mages. If the two of them could work together, they would be better off.

Despite floating the idea of marriage to the two of them, Surana didn't think they would ever love each other that way. At most, they could wind up friends. More likely, they would be allies, sometimes butting heads. But that was a sight better than the alternative. For once, Surana just wanted a result where everyone would be alright. Where one side didn't end up murdering the other. And maybe, just maybe. Maybe Alistair and Anora could push the world to be kinder.

[kantrips]

Alistair & Celia Headcanon Collection

Some Amell x Alistair (largely fluff) headcanons! Includes some from Origins, Warden time at Amaranthine and the Inquisition-era. Some of these I have had since my first playthrough, but others I may have read elsewhere, loved and thusly absorbed so please let me know if I can link anyone!

Origins

The first time they meet at Ostagar, Celia thinks Alistair is the most fascinating person she has ever encountered because no one in the Circle had a particularly boisterous sense of humour. Alistair is oblivious to her heart eyes, and also holds back because he’s worried she won’t survive the Joining.

Even after the Joining, Alistair tries very hard not to ~feel feelings~ despite the clear signals Celia is hurling at him because he assumes she won’t like him once she gets to know him more/she will get bored of him/ she will leave like everyone else i.e. the boy is hecking damaged.

Celia laughs obnoxiously hard at all Alistair’s jokes because a) she finds them unexpected, and b) because, like a dork, she wants to prove she gets the punch line. Alistair is perplexed by her reactions at first, and cautiously wonders if she is mocking him. Once he realises she is genuinely amused, it bolsters his ego significantly. 

Celia has no concept of personal space and sits and walks very close to everyone. There wasn’t a lot of room at the Circle so she forgets she can spread out. Morrigan makes it clear she needs to back off (Celia doesn’t need telling twice) but Alistair is more relaxed and gets used to it quickly after the confusion of the first night when she blithely sets up her bedroll right next to his. Alistair assumes she is a bit scared of sleeping in the forest but really she is just accustomed to the need to cram as many apprentice bunks into a room as possible.

In a way, Alistair is also used to sharing small spaces (Chantry and Wardens) so it doesn’t bother him at all when Celia chooses to sit pressed against his side, walks so their arms bump together, or unconsciously brushes an eyelash from his cheek. He quickly grows to like her overfamiliarity (for some reason…).

Similarly, Alistair eats Celia’s leftover food if she can’t finish it or doesn’t like it, even before they’re a couple. She just offers one day and after that it becomes a given. The others side-eye them but they are happily oblivious.   

Celia gets in trouble from the rest of the party for getting distracted yelling encouragement and cheering Alistair during combat. In turn, Alistair gets in trouble for turning around mid-battle to thank her when she buffs or heals him. Morrigan advises that if they are both so determined to get killed, she is more than happy to assist with hastening the process.

Celia’s mabari, Trevor, is quickly accepting of Alistair and his proximity to Celia because he observes Alistair protecting Celia in battle and thusly deems him to be a ‘good dog’ and considers that they are equals in the pack.

Alistair and Celia vandalise each other’s wanted posters whenever they come across them. It gets competitive.

Celia doesn’t really want to be in charge of saving the world but has three things working in her favour: 1) she absolutely hates letting people down 2) has an intense need to finish what she starts 3) she is in possession of a bossy streak.

That said she spends the entire Blight screaming internally to an extent not even Alistair fully grasps.

They go to the Circle Tower first, because Celia thinks she will have the best chance of getting help from people she knows and is also ‘homesick’ in the sense that she is very glad to be free of the place, but stressed enough with everything going on to crave something familiar even if she resents it. The events there devastate her. Along with the loss of friends and mentors she has known since childhood, being trapped by herself in the fade particularly terrifies her as she has never truly been alone for so long before in her life. It reminds her of the Harowing which totally blindsided her. She is very teary, untalkative and introspective for some time afterwards, but both Trevor and Alistair have the correct instinct to stay close without trying to interact with her which she finds incredibly comforting.

Accustomed to making potions, Celia will not under any circumstances deviate from a recipe while cooking, whereas Alistair just chucks everything in to use up leftovers and see what happens. Alistair gets meals together super quickly whereas Celia takes forever. A little unfairly, Celia is perceived as the better cook because she produces very consistent meals, while Alistair’s experiments sometimes do work, and sometimes don’t, with people tending to focus on the disasters rather than the successes. Meanwhile Celia is rather: “should I add half a sprig of rosemary? No I mustn’t: it would be far too daring!” so everyone learns to tip their own seasonings into their bowl before even tasting her food.

When they’re travelling and walking for days on end, Alistair and Celia make up a lot of games in the vein of ‘I spy’ and ‘would you rather?’ They can occasionally persuade others to participate though no one enjoys them or gets quite as invested as Celia and Alistair (who are actual children).

A game stops abruptly one day when Celia guilelessly asks if Alistair would rather be Emperor of Orlais or King of Fereldan and he gets extremely defensive and answers, “Neither.” Having no context for this reaction (yet), Celia (a stickler for the rules) pushes him, insisting his answer isn’t allowed and that he’s cheating until Alistair gets grouchy, stomps off and refuses to play anything for days. 

Celia figures he must be overtired, but his unhappy reaction does come back to her later at the Landsmeet and contributes to her already firm resolve not to put him on the throne.

When bored, Alistair also periodically asks Celia to, “Do a trick!” with her magic and she usually obliges with something small and silly which Wynne always scolds them for (but they continue to do anyway).

Celia does not like Eamon one bit and makes it clear from their first meeting. Alistair actually gets a bit annoyed at her because she is polite to 99% of the other people they meet and he can’t understand what her problem is. Celia won’t say because she doesn’t want to drive Alistair away so she remains coldly civil towards Eamon and commences a long, looong process of nudging Alistair towards having the realisation himself that a) Eamon is manipulative, selfish and cruel and b) Alistair deserves better.

Celia wants to collect some of the books they find which is not practical given they are constantly travelling, but Alistair carries as many as he can in his pack and suffers in silence for it, ultimately finding it worth it for her enthusiastic gratitude.

Celia cuts Alistair’s hair and does a very respectable job after weeks of him complaining it’s flopping in his eyes (they used to cut each other’s hair in the Circle). Zevran pretends she did an awful job, gasping in horror at Alistair’s appearance, much to Celia’s ire. Alistair (internally weeping) tries to be brave until he can check his reflection in some plate mail and see it is fine.

Celia is very naïve about how the ‘real world’ works having been at the Circle since she was a child. This is especially evident in Denerim and Alistair has to explain how money works and grab her before she wanders down dicey looking alleyways.

Alistair nearly dissolves into a paroxysm of agony when he points out his favourite type of cheese at the Denerim Markets and (accustomed to the very limited range of bland foods provided at the Circle) Celia innocently asks, “There is more than one type of cheese?” Alistair makes it his mission to educate her. She doesn’t like most of what he feeds her but doesn’t say so to protect his feelings given he seems to take the matter so incredibly personally.

Leliana convinces Celia to sing one evening at the campfire. She’s breathy with a very limited range but manages okay, and Leliana plays and harmonises in support. Watching on with a goofy smile plastered over his face, Alistair comments to the surrounding companions about how talented she is and they’re like “…she’s really not mate.”

When they both wake up from a blightmare (or Celia has one and wakes Alistair with her flailing) they sneak about and eat anything they can find then sit up and have massive deep & meaningfuls (i.e. in the spirit of going for a long drive with a friend or being in the garden with someone outside a party and spilling your guts). Eventually they start blaming the depleted food stores on Leliana’s nug, Schmooples, much to Leliana’s displeasure.

Given Celia usually responds so well to his jokes, Alistair gets a bit peeved when Celia starts replying to some of his more severely self-deprecating humour with an unamused, “No you’re not,” or, “That’s not true.” He defensively argues it’s just a joke, but he does stop doing it so much as time goes on.

Celia is SO excited when Alistair gives her the rose. She never in her life thought she would be the recipient of a proper ~romantic gesture~…however she accidentally sits on the rose about five minutes after she gets it. Celia is devastated. There is a lot of panic and tears and she keeps one petal pressed in a book but has to unceremoniously ditch the rest in secret.

Celia doesn’t tell Alistair about this until years later and she’s terrified he’ll be hurt but he just laughs because he was so worried he was going to be the one to squash it and then she destroyed it basically the minute she got it. Alistair acknowledges it was an impractical gift given their situation. Celia gets mad and says it was a PERFECT gift and is annoyed at how funny he finds it given this has been a crushing, guilty secret hanging over her for years.

Following this, every time Alistair gives her any kind of gift, he can’t help but throw in a ‘Don’t sit on it!” and cracks himself up, especially when Celia gets grumpy about it and accuses him of spoiling the moment. It happens so often that when Alistair chooses a horse for her and plans to teach her to ride, Celia manages to cut him off with, “Yes, I know Alistair: I can sit on this one,” and steals his thunder.

Alistair periodically says Celia’s name just to check if she’ll answer, especially after a long period of quiet or to see if she’s awake à la screaming in the chantry because it’s so silent. When she responds he says, “Nothing” or “Never mind” but he finds it vaguely comforting just to hear her reply and it’s a habit he never loses, even when they have been together for years and he is much less isolated generally. Alistair doesn’t realise he’s doing it, and it never happens frequently enough for Celia to notice: she just assumes he has lost his train of thought.

They sometimes conspire to purposely fall to the back of the group while on the road so that they can hold hands. Everyone knows full well what they are doing, but Alistair and Celia think they are being incredibly ~sneaky~.

The first time they sleep together they laugh. A lot. Before, during and after.

Alistair snores loudly but only when he’s on his back. Celia is used to the noise of people sleeping around her at the Circle so it doesn’t bother her and she doesn’t want to disturb him because she knows he needs the rest.

When they are known to be sharing a tent however, their companions will slap on the walls of it and demand she kick him until he stops snoring. Celia will relent and gently prod and nudge Alistair until he rolls over with a bit of sleepy grumbling.

I think everyone has this headcanon to the point it is basically actual canon HOWEVER I am legally obligated to include it: Alistair is a professional body heat distributor and Celia drastically cuts down on the number of blankets she uses once they are sleeping together. If she stands in front of him on cold days, he understands the non-verbal signal and will automatically wrap her in his cloak.

Also might as well be canon: Alistair likes to be the little spoon. He doesn’t say, but Celia knows.

Decidedly not a fluff one (you can skip to Amaranthine to avoid) but the ritual with Morrigan fairly significantly messes Alistair up (both the act itself and his consideration of the repercussions i.e. Kieran). He’s jubilant and relieved at their victory over the Archdemon, but in the background struggles to process and there is some fallout once the victory celebrations lull and he has time to fully register what happened. Alistair grapples with a lot of guilt, disgust and confusion. He doesn’t know how to express it or where to direct his emotions so it mainly manifests as self-loathing. He wants to talk to Celia about it but can’t articulate his feelings which makes him feel worse.

Celia tries to comfort him, but he needs space on and off for a long while after and she gives him it. She feels a lot of guilt too, and never stops wondering how much it was actually his choice to do the ritual, worrying that she made him feel like he had to do it. Eventually they discuss it openly and honestly, which eases both of their minds somewhat, but it takes a long time to get to a point where they can talk on the subject. Meeting Kieran at Skyhold also helps Alistair down the line, though it’s obviously painful.

Amaranthine & Inquisition

Alistair keeps an eye out for people struggling, especially new recruits who are having trouble fitting in. He takes them under his wing and is very good at building people up and making sure everyone is included. He’ll just start enthusiastically greeting people like they are his best friend and squeezing himself onto the bench next to them at meals until everyone else follows suit.

For recruits that don’t respond well to his ‘mother hen’ type attention, Celia is good at assigning tasks that specifically highlight their strengths and builds their confidence/sense of purpose which also gains them the respect of their peers.

Alistair has been known to stand behind Celia while she is giving mundane orders/making speeches and pull faces or impersonate her, turning stony and impassive when she spins around accusingly because people are laughing.  

But if anyone else talks smack about her he gets very, “Sorry mate, just to clarify was that comment directed at my wife, your Commander, the hERO OF FERELDAN, VANQUISHER OF AN ARCHDEMON!? That’s lucky, I didn’t THINK IT LIKELY. Because that wouldn’t be WISE, would it now?” etc. with some loud, fake laughter and firm backslapping for the worst offenders.

The plan for them to part ways so that Celia can search for a cure goes very badly, especially because Celia (under a lot of stress and not coping™) eventually devolves into, “I’m in charge and I say so,” which is a big betrayal of their agreements both to stay together, and make decisions together on equal footing. She realises this and takes it back but Alistair is demoralised and gives in with a bit of petty, sarcastic reverence e.g. saluting and, “Whatever you say boss, don’t know why I dared to utter an opinion how foolish of me...” so they still part on slightly strained terms, even after later mutually apologising and trying to make the most of their time together before they go.

Both regret the argument during their separation and write horribly soppy letters to each other, but something still feels uncomfortably unresolved until they are together again. They pine. So much. It’s disgusting and cliched. There is considerable sighing and staring at the moon or deep into tankards, very much to the ire of those around them. Alistair can be particularly annoying: “This roll reminds me of my wife...she eats bread sometimes...”

After Celia sends the letter to the Inquisitor, she writes to Leliana directly along the lines of, “I know it was incredibly subtle but I wanted to check: did they get the message? That I will destroy them if Alistair gets hurt?” and Leliana replies in the vein of, “Hon, it wasn’t even remotely subtle ffs…”

When reunited, though ecstatic and nearly delirious with joy and relief, it takes a while to rebuild the trust they once had, especially for Alistair. There’s an unfamiliar awkwardness that flares up unexpectedly, but it doesn’t last and they’re both fully committed to each other and to staying together permanently this time.

Celia and Alistair have a conversation recapping everything that happened while they were apart in which Celia is all, “Poor Hawke. Honestly I’m shocked you didn’t do something obscenely idiotic like try and sacrifice yourself thank the Maker for that…” and Alistair is there, nervously sweating, looking for an exit, loosening his collar etc.

As they settle back into their old routines Alistair will occasionally blurt out things like, “I really like having breakfast with you,” and then berate himself internally for how trite that sounds but Celia replies on cue, “I love waking up next to you and the way you groan when you stretch your back out and the way you check your hair twice before you leave the room and the way you complain if I don’t eat my crusts and the way you still hold my hand when we’re walking...” and basically they’re just blissfully happy being comfortably domestic and even as they get older they are forever just teenagers in love.

The Wardens at Amaranthine acquire/receive a griffon egg and the hatchling imprints on Alistair and decides he is their mother. It can’t cope with separation, crying constantly if Alistair goes out of sight, and won’t let anyone else feed or handle it so Alistair carries them in a sling 24/7. He gets to give orders and run training sessions with the tiny griffon occasionally poking its head out just to glare at everyone.

Whenever the baby griffon squeaks, Alistair automatically replies, “Well said,” or “Excellent point, Ser Beaksly” with a totally straight face.

For the first few months, Celia gets nipped or scratched if she approaches Alistair unless he wraps the griffon up. It so badly wants to fight her. Celia is permitted to sleep in her own bed, as long as the griffon sleeps curled on Alistair’s chest and Celia doesn't try anything outrageous like touching her husband even fleetingly. It gets a little frustrating as the months drag on, but the image of Alistair with the sling over his armour, or with the griffon snuggling possessively around his neck staring daggers at everyone, is so entertaining that Celia can’t get truly annoyed about it. As the griffon gets older it does learn to tolerate other people and becomes more independent but remains very protective of Alistair and favours him above all others. Insert the ‘Ah yes. Me. My husband. And his thousand pound murder-bird-cat child’ meme here.

Modern AU Bonus Round

They share headphones while commuting.

They occasionally end up wearing sort of matching outfits, mostly unintentionally.

They consistently refer to their dog, Trevor, as their son to the point that people who aren’t familiar with them assume that they actually have a child.

[crossdressingdeath]

I hate that if Connor survives, in Inquisition, some of your companions blame Connor for what happened at Redcliffe. Connor also blames himself. I wouldn't put it past the Circle to have even convinced Connor, who was at the time a terrified child, that he was guilty of everything a demon did. Loghain should be blamed, but no one dares to do that. :(

Yeah, it's like... he summoned the demon, yes, but he was a kid with only Jowan's lessons in how to use magic and deal with the Fade to guide him (and as much as I love Jowan... yeah, his lessons probably weren't great all things considered; he's an apprentice on the run and distracted by poisoning Eamon, after all). His father was dying. Of course he turned to demonic help; if you're a kid and your father's dying of course you're going to listen to the one person who seems to be offering concrete assistance! And while Jowan probably did warn Connor about the dangers of associating with demons—he's not the best mage but he's not stupid, and while the Chantry is full of shit it's certainly important to recognize the potential dangers of interacting with denizens of the Fade when you're kind of pushed into doing that every night—given the whole "poisoning Connor's dad" thing the kid probably wasn't too interested in listening to what he said. Connor is I'd argue the least responsible for what happened. First and foremost is the demon, of course, but then there's Loghain for pushing Jowan to poison Eamon, Jowan does have some of the blame for the general situation (even though I do argue that his situation mitigates a lot of it)... You could even blame Isolde for hiring an apostate instead of giving her kid to Proper Teachers, although more than that you should blame the Chantry for being so awful to mages that the best available option for Connor was hiring an apostate to teach him control and hoping for the best. Connor was just a desperate, frightened kid who got in over his head.

One of the quiet tragedies that Inquisition's writing kind of brushes under the rug (presumably because it makes the Chantry look bad) is... if you do In Hushed Whispers, when you go to the future in a world state where Connor survived his possession, he kills himself. He's so terrified of being possessed again that he burns himself alive, one of the most agonizing deaths imaginable, to escape that possibility. Despite the fact that there is nothing to suggest that getting possessed once increases your chances of getting possessed again! And while the Inquisitor responds with the right degree of horror at it, there's... no followup. You don't get to go to your Chantry faithful advisors and ask them what the hell was being taught in the Circles that this young man was blamed for something done using his body without his input or permission when he was a child to the point he thinks it's all his fault. A non-human mage Inquisitor, who likely would've been taught different traditions and so may well have very different opinions of possession than the Chantry, doesn't get to ask why this child was pushed into believing something that everyone who knows a damn thing about spirits and demons knows is wrong. You don't get to bring up in discussions about whether the Circles should be restored or abolished that this young man dies because of what they taught him and how they treated him, much less all the other lives ended or ruined by that system.

Inquisition adds in all these little things showing us how terrible things are for Circle mages, on top of everything from the last two games—in both previous games the Templars push you to help them murder every mage in a Circle down to the youngest child! That is what we call morally bankrupt!—and then... tries to tell you that mages are Bad, or at best stupid children, and that the Templars (aforementioned would-be—or successful, depending on what world state you're in—mass murderers) are the good guys. I swear, it really does read like whoever does the writing for the mage stuff didn't get the "mages are bad now" memo that the rest of the writers got. The mages are so fucking sympathetic, and then half your advisors are telling you they're bad and dumb and can't be trusted and you should just put them on a leash and... no! These people are survivors who accomplished an incredible amount from nothing and the game just does not let you treat them with the respect they've earned. Hey! DA writers! This is not a situation conducive to grey morality! Stop trying to make all the Chantry's atrocities morally grey by trying to make their victims less sympathetic! It does not work!

[morganaseren]

How well did Niamh get along with the rest of the party in Origins that don’t often come up, like Shale, Sten, Oghren, etc.? And was there anyone from the party or otherwise from thay game that she had a particular distaste for? (Loghain or Bhelen come to mind since they’re just kinda dicks all around even if you can side with them).

Let me see if I can break this down without rambling on too much. Lol.

1.) Shale

So Niamh’s forever a scholar at heart, so she’d probably be intrigued by Shale on principle alone. She’s never seen or heard of a golem before, and she’s likely curious about the technical aspects of how something so simple as a control rod is capable of controlling them.

They’re distant acquaintances at first, mostly because Shale doesn’t have much trust toward mages, and Niamh can’t really blame them, considering Shale was essentially experimented upon constantly by their previous master. While they never exactly become exceedingly close friends, but they do respect one another by the time the events of DAO draw to a close. Shale appreciates that she’s willing to look out for them in battle, and Niamh personally finds Shale’s dry quips to be amusing.

2.) Sten

They remain distant acquaintances. Sten probably likes that Niamh’s not very big on small talk, but he’s also not very shy on his views regarding mages, which would be uncomfortable for her. She’s understandably put off when he refers to mages under the Qun as beasts of burden, and she’s even more horrified by what they do to keep them under control...

3.) Oghren

He’s the one companion that Niamh will never get along with, mostly due to him sexually harassing the female members of the party, how misogynistic he is, his behavior toward Zevran is especially atrocious (seriously, look at his dialogue with him on the wiki), and his dependence on alcohol is alarming...

---

Other than the companions, it should go without saying that Howe is the person she despises most in any world state. Loghain’s a close second simply because he put her sister’s life in danger several times: the abandonment of King Cailan and the Grey Wardens at Ostagar, declaring the Grey Wardens traitors to the nation, sending assassins like Zevran to deal with any remaining survivors of the Order, etc.

There are other NPCs she has a strong hatred for such as (in no particular order) Uldred, Marjolaine, Branka, and Eamon.

Then, there are NPCs she’s known on a more personal level and ended up disliking such as Cullen, but there’s also Jowan.

I tend to headcanon that Niamh came to Ferelden’s Circle a year or two after he was. Because they were relatively close in age, they became fast friends. However, as they grew older, Niamh surpassed him in both magical abilities and the curriculum related to them. She underwent her Harrowing at seventeen and passed it in order to become a full-fledged mage while he was still an apprentice by the time the events of DAO began. In addition, she had the respect of her mentors First Enchanter Irving and Wynne--Kinloch Hold’s most revered Senior Enchanters--despite not yet being an Enchanter herself yet.

That’s my headcanon as to why Jowan turned to blood magic. He felt like he could never measure up to her. He constantly felt like he was in her shadow. As such, Jowan slowly grew to resent her, and they grew distant, especially during that last year before the Blight.

As to why she came to dislike him, well, the fact that he lied to her about his blood magic didn’t necessarily help matters. Then, when he came to her for help regarding an escape, Jowan basically endangered her as well. Nothing stays a secret in the Circle for very long after all, and that was proven true when Irving later confronted her about Jowan’s odd behavior.

Old as he might be, she knows how exceedingly shrewd her mentor is (she developed her knack of strategy from him), and that’s why she didn’t lie to him. Although she didn’t aid Jowan in escaping, she likely would have been imprisoned anyway by Greagoir and his Templars were if not for Irving and Wynne speaking on her behalf. Niamh was actually trying to help an Enchanter get her apprentices to safety when Uldred’s coup began in full. Then, in any AUs where she’s a Warden, Duncan conscripts her before Greagoir can think to detain her for further questioning.

...I said I wasn’t going to ramble, but I ended up doing it anyway, didn’t I? Lol. Thanks for the question though! :D