#emerging like darkspawn

[emmg]

I’ve never played Dragon Age before but I’m being won over by all the thirst posting lmao, what’s the best DA game to start with? Idk if there’s like an overarching narrative or if they’re self contained plots or whatever.

Omg I somehow missed this which is unacceptable given how much I love ya lol

YEEEES, WELCOME TO THE DRAGON AGE SICKO SIDE, MWHAHAHA

Okay, so if you're not totally allergic to old graphics I highly recommend starting with Dragon Age: Origins. It's an absolute masterpiece in storytelling, but also wildly politically, errr, incorrect lmfao. And with mods it looks amazing

You get to have a dog who can read. I'm not making this up. He understands human speech perfectly and only uses it to beg for treats. You can also ask him if he has something for you (like Scratch in bg3) and when he doesn't, the game makes you want to kill yourself because the camera pans down into the most SHAME ON YOU angle on him I've ever seen and he looks defeated. It's amazing lol

Your companions in Origins are straight up insane. A huge warrior who steals cookies from a child and calls him fat. A living construct who was once a dwarf but there was a situation and she spent 30 years inert being shat on by pigeons and now she's on a personal quest to brutally murder all of them.

Did I mention there's a bisexual assassin elf who spends most of the game complimenting the group's grandma's boobs? I’m not sure it’s a "good" plot point, but it sure is a plot point.

You get to be rescued from prison by any of your companions. If the dwarf and elf go, they lie that they are brothers and it somehow works. Or the companions can end up naked. It’s insane, it’s absolutely fucking insane

Or you can start with DA 2 and experience the joy that is Purple Hawke (aka choosing the sarcastic dialogue option.) I present to you some of the classic lines:

"So I should be looking out for a bunch of boneless women flopping through the street?"

"Let's be more specific. I don't do anything that involves children or animals."

"You should pay someone else. Like me. I like being paid."

"I'd like to know who this "Corypheus" is. With a name like that, he's bound to go "mwa-ha-ha" at some point. I just know it."

In DA 2, you get to run around for YEARS (yeah actual years) with your found family that sort of hates each other, everyone, or almost, is bisexual, someone is possessed, and everyone is horny.

Inquisition is a great starting point, though, if you don't want to go too far back. It’s friendly to new players and very patient with your questions about "What is a dragon?" and "Why does everyone hate elves?" It rehashes everything you need to know so you’re not like, "Wait, what’s a Blight again?" Plus, it directly ties into the new game, Veilguard, which is even friendlier since 10 years passed between the two games and it has no choice but to be.

But really, I feel like all of them are good are introducing/rehashing the lore

Also if you want to experience the most life-devastating romance with the elven embodiment of a poetic egg, Inquisition and Veilguard got you covered. @thessaralka wrote many treatises on it lmfao

Pick up the games ok pls ty byyye

[minty-bunni]

Okay, but Antoine getting sick or injured and being nursed back to health by Evka would be adorable.

Antoine doing the same for Evka would be cute as well, but I'm specifically picking on Antoine because he has gotten hurt or has greatly concerned his wife in 3/4 of the pair's appearances.

[mllemaenad]

This, however, is raging idiocy. I can feel Seanna vibrating with rage in the back of my brain. I do not know if the Warden is still alive because Bioware didn't import anything about her, but if she is that is the absolute last straw.

The stunningly short Fifth Blight. The Architect and the Awakened darkspawn (Ohhhhhhh. We are never going to get any payoff on that plot, are we? I'm going to need a minute to mourn for that one. It was fascinating.)! The emergence of Corypheus and the false Calling! The suggestion that the Black City might have been like that for longer than the Chantry claims. Evidence of Blight in the extremely ancient Primeval Thaig. Red lyrium in general. And smaller things: the purification of a Blighted eluvian; Isseya's cleansing of griffon eggs, allowing the species to re-emerge ...

Everything about the Blight has changed in the last few years. It is completely reasonable for the First Warden to demand evidence. He bloody should demand evidence. But what he's doing is throwing a temper tantrum. Wardens do not have the luxury of temper tantrums.

[felassan]

Thoughts on the new images of the Lighthouse Part 2. DA:TV spoilers under cut.

[Link to Part 1]

I ran out of image allowance on the first post so I'm putting the rest here in this post.

I think maybe this is Davrin's room. on the righthand side, there are floor-to-ceiling windows (one part of them even has curtains) or even the whole wall cut away - this would be perfect for allowing Assan to fly out and fly in as he came and went. ^^ Corinne Busche said this about Davrin's room:

"When you see Davrin’s room, you’d certainly assume he’d be up watching the sunrise with that view. If only it weren’t in the fade"

with windows so big or a wall cutaway, you can see why Davrin's room is said to have an amazing view like this. :D

On the right hand side of the room is lots of things you'd need if you were into wood-carving/whittling, which is implied for Davrin by what he's doing in the Lighthouse group shot: stool, workbench/table with shelf space beneath, tools, a log of wood on the bench, what looks like a saw, piles of more logs, an axe to chop them with, a stump to split them on. on the workbench are some of his finished projects: a carved nug, a carved dragon, and there are other wooden carvings he's made elsewhere in the room. on the floor nearby it's scattered with I guess wood shavings/bits of broken wood from chopping wood.

Some more carvings Davrin has made - he makes so many :) here we have nugs and an adorable bear design. sidequest to help Davrin open an Etsy store.

Another standout thing about Davrin's room is all the monster stuff. of course, he's a monster hunter. Over the fireplace is the skull of a large creature. fixed to or hung from the ceiling are the bones that make up a large creature's spine (they remind me of dinosaur bones in museums). left of his armchair near a curtain is another big skull on the wall. there's a collection of horns hung from the ceiling and more smaller skulls on the wall behind that. other items along the monster-hunter theme are bits of bone(?) or horn(?) or something on his desk, annotated anatomical illustrations of different types of creatures (which ties into how he sees it as a specific skillset to hone, how he learns monsters' weaknesses to be able to exploit them etc), and the various glass containers - some of these look to contain monster parts (specimens or trophies?). Witcher vibes!

Nug diagram and a horn-like or tentacle-y specimen in the green jar.

Assan has been scratching the back of Davrin's chair like a cat hhh. can we gift them a griffon-sized scratching post pls? and next to Davrin's comfy chair by the fire is a rug or sheepskin kinda thing of some sort on the ground - for Assan to lie on when Davrin sits in the chair? ^^ how lovely. it looks like there's also a stick, bone or chew for him on the ground near that. maybe that's Davrin's outside coat draped over the top of the chair. and btew is the nug to the right of the fireplace a carved wood nug statue or a stuffed dead nug hh?

Halla statue? ^^

Right: Another halla statue? Center: Another? Left: Animal diagram with drawings of could be a halla (top) and a set of halla horns (the biggest horns in the center).

There's a halla statue in Bellara's room and one in Taash's room too, but if these things in Davrin's are all hallas, that's a lot of halla things in one. Coincidence, monster-hunting related (as they're animals), Dalish-related, or Ghil-related? it's been wondered if Davrin's vallaslin correspond to Ghilan'nain (which would add a layer to the story of 1. an elf encounters not just one of their gods but the one whose vallaslin theirs corresponds to, 2. a monster-hunter, as she's mother of monsters, and 3. a Grey Warden monster-hunter who just may have been killing the mutated darkspawn and mutated monsters emerging from Ghil's monster-pools lately).

I wonder if the silver chalices around the room are meant to evoke the Joining cup?

What are these green things at the window?

Davrin's room has some empty shelves. I noticed some empty shelves in Emmrich's room too. I'm assuming this is where companions will display the personalized gifts we can get to give them, like was mentioned in the second dev Q&A:

Corinne Busche: "Out in the world, and there in various locations, so you kinda stumble upon them, you can buy a gift that is very personal to any one of the companions, and then you go, you turn that into them, you give it to them, they have a nice acknowledgement. And then, the thing that’s just like so sweet about it, we’ve talked about how the companion rooms evolve over time, but if you go and get them one of these, like, very personalized gifts, they’ll display it in their room. Like it doesn’t go into some stats void. It’s actually on display."

(if so, I'm assuming there's such a place in each room not just their two ones; just, those places may be out of frame due to angle in the other images).

Outside of the room you can see more ruined ancient elven Fadey architecture.

Process of elimination leaves this as Lucanis' room. Lucanis?? 😭😭 in what looks like the kitchen storage room?? if you need a snack in the middle of the night do you either wake Lucanis up when you sneak in (he'd hear you with his senses) or encounter him still up because he can't sleep well that night in the corner with his demonic aura?

it's dark - check, dude who "hides in the dark". he doesn't appear to have many belongings or personal effects - check, dude who is practical and pragmatic. he's a lot less ostentatious than Illario.

there's food everywhere, including fresh produce and a returning Dragon Age classic, giant cheese wheels. :') likely there is more food in the sacks, baskets, crates/boxes and pots. sleeping here reminds me of what was said about Lucanis being one of the team cooks in the second dev Q&A:

John Epler: "Bellara and Lucanis actually end up being, essentially, the team cooks. Bellara, you know, spending a lot of time out in nature, learning a lot about, you know, different types of cooking, is really big on experimentation, she likes to, you know, try different things. Lucanis comes from the Crows, Lucanis is very big on the finer things, so between the two of them, there’s a point in the story where they basically decide, if we don’t do this, the entire team is going to starve, so let’s just call ourselves the cook, cooks, and make sure that nobody dies of food poisoning, so."

I wonder if the chests contain food, other supplies or Lucanis' belongings.

Another one of these things. There's one in Neve's room and Bellara's too. maybe there's one in each companion room and the other screenshots were just taken from an angle where they can't be seen? again I'm so curious what these are for (or maybe they're just decor).

[Link to Part 1]

[crownomancer]

*emerges from a massive art slump just to take a crack at a Davrin armor design*

Spoilers under cut.

As someone who enjoys historical military uniform design, I still disliked how little Davrin’s armor did not match the Dragon Age vibe if you chose to keep the griffons with the Wardens.

Still, I saw what they were going for and so I tried to redesign it to keep their vision and to match it more to Thedas. So I chose to keep an armored chest piece, but the traditional military tailcoat I altered to fit the classic Warden vibe, turning it instead into a studded gambeson. I opted for pauldrons instead of epaulets, and gave them a “feather” design to match the griffons. I kept the armor pretty light still because the design is clearly intended to be ceremonial, not functional, just like a military dress uniform. Still, I wanted it at least somewhat functional because you never fucking know when the Darkspawn are just going to pop up on you.

Anyway, this was just a quick draw before bed and I’m saving my Davrin base so I can keep doing armor draws for him.

[scuttlingcrab]

BoneDaddy prompt because I’m also suffering the brain rot!! Emmrich tending to a nasty slice on rooks ribs, tender kisses and then… well, who can say where it leads. But, you know. Nothing cures wounds like tender breathless make outs and orgasms, as they say.

Thank you so much for this prompt @keepingupwiththekardamomme! I took a few liberties with this one, hoping to save some of the smutty stuff for a later post, but this includes lots of sexual tension and wound tending after a near death battle with darkspawn. Just another day for the Veilguard. I hope you enjoy and please send me more!

(Also this was heavily inspired by this amazing post by @sailorsatina!)

Summary: Emmrich and Rook are fighting for their lives in the Hossberg Wetlands, barely escaping a sea of darkspawn. After saving Rook from the brink of death, they share an intimate moment discussing some of Rook's past scars and perhaps what the future may hold for them both.

Notes: A continuation of the last story, the Perfect Teacher.

You can find it on AO3 too.

BTW! I'm open to receiving any/all prompts on Emmrich, so please send away! xx

Old Wounds

(Image via oni-ino)

First came the explosions, the blistering blight erupting, the ground quaking from the deafening thunder of a horde of darkspawn emerging from pools of corruption. With them arrived the screams, the chaos, and the abject terror.

Emmrich Volkarin was haunted by the shrieks, the hair on his arms standing tall. If he had known any better, he would’ve listened to that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, the one that was clawing at him from the inside, warning him to take flight. Flee you imbecile! Get as far away from that wretched growth as possible! Run or you’ll die here, you’ll die, is that what you desire? RUN!

He was accustomed to his fair share of horrors during his tenure in the Mourn Watch, most of which precipitated from the transgressions of mortalkind. Even so, nothing could have prepared him for the atrocities that were Ghilan'nain’s creations.

These animated sacks of flesh, haphazardly thrown together from a hodgepodge of heads and torsos and limbs, were ghastly abominations. It left a sour taste in Emmrich’s mouth at the notion of how they came to be, the lack of respect for each vessel that once harvested souls of the living - it went against everything he stood for as a necromancer. And yet, there was nothing he could do to help these creatures but obliterate them. Over and over and over again. Stuck in this perpetual state of fear, of helplessness.

These darkspawn had an uncanny intelligence, going far beyond being mere puppets of Ghilan'nain. When Emmrich got too close, fighting toe-to-toe, more times than he’d like to admit in the recent days; their deep-set eyes, glazed over yet frenzied, glowered at him. As if they were searching his very essence for something to claim, to infect, to turn him into one of their own. Some of them knew how to counter his attacks, to dodge his necrotic spells. They were learning, adapting, at an alarming rate. And they’d do anything to rip him apart. Emmrich gulped, an ache in the back of his throat as he tried to soothe these blasted nerves.

Rook, Davrin, and Emmrich were in the Hossberg Wetlands, sent out by the Grey Wardens to investigate some recent disturbances in the area. They had followed a trail of blighted roots to a cliffside, discovering a massive boil sitting in the centre of some ruins. It pulsed irregularly like a festering wound, the rotten stench making it increasingly difficult for Emmrich to keep his breakfast down. As soon as they approached it, the air changed, growing heavier as darkspawn sprouted into existence, more boils forming around it. The group were separated instantly in an attempt to eradicate the increasing number, to keep the blight at bay. 

Rook and Davrin were at opposite sides of the ruins as they continued to repel their own swarms. Emmrich couldn’t tell if their work had any impact at all on the blight, how long they had been fighting for, or if they were about to be overtaken … swallowed whole by the corruption…. He had never seen so many darkspawn in one place, and they were all charging towards him. Him! A professor with no inclination of battle tactics, whose only proper tussle was once punching a fellow colleague, twice,for accusing him of plagiarism. And he would’ve punched him thrice more if given the chance…

With each burst of necrotic energy, Emmrich’s limbs grew heavier, his fingers twitching in an effort to keep his staff held high. Behind, to the right, up above, and back behind, to the left, the right, the left ! Everywhere! His pulse raced, the sound of his heartbeat thrashed in his ears, drowning out the howls of the darkspawn. No rest, no moment to breathe. Go. Move. Dodge. Back! He knew he was exerting himself too fast, his mana depleting quicker than a sinking boat without a hull - but it was impossible to do otherwise if he wanted to survive. 

The darkspawn pushed in closer, manically swinging their weapons, ripping off parts of themselves to throw at Emmrich like spears. He took a step forward, his foot wobbling as a rush of wind slapped his cheeks, barely ducking in time to miss another clawed attack. One more step to the side and he was teetering, spots of black peppering his vision. 

“Assan, NOW!” Davrin boomed, his voice cutting through the bedlam. 

Assan shrieked in response, the griffon diving from above and scorching the earth in front of Emmrich, incinerating the darkspawn that had been breathing down his neck. He fell to his knees, panting, cold sweat building at the crook of his neck, as he stared at the blackened ground in front of him. 

Oh thank the… 

The ground vibrated again. Thump. Thump. Thump! Each tremor made its way through Emmrich’s fingers as he gripped the dirt, travelling to the very tip of his skull, his teeth rattling. Thump. Thump. Thump!

By the time Emmrich could pull his head up, the dread was already pooling in his chest, his body locking in response. An ogre bolted in his direction, parting the darkspawn that remained with each stride as it picked up momentum. 

Was it Rook’s shouting or the guttural howls of the ogre that came first? Emmrich couldn’t recall. He inhaled sharply, bracing himself for the incoming blow. 

Rook slid in front of Emmrich just as the ogre’s club swung at him. She released a pulsing surge of magic to shield the attack, a purple orb hugging them both. Its club met the shield, and it somehow held, ripples from its impact coursing through the mana. 

Swipe, after swipe, after swipe. The ogre was relentless. It hammered down on them, each blow weakening the shield, leaving it closer to splintering. Rook tensed, gritting her teeth as she concentrated on keeping it together. Emmrich squeezed Rook’s shoulder, hoping to pass along any energy he had left…

From the corner of his eye, he spotted a small crack forming underneath the ogre. It grew, quickly travelling to the edge of the cliff. More fissures formed, each one bigger than the last, until the ground crumbled. Emmrich didn’t have time to gasp, to scream, let alone think of any last regrets, before the earth fell away. The ogre disappeared into the darkness below them, Rook slipping from his grasp as they both joined it… falling…. falling… falling… 

---

“Emmrich. EMMRICH!”

Emmrich’s lungs burned as he gasped for air, liquid spewing from his mouth. His eyes shot open, blurry, stinging. He pulled at his armour, struggling to free himself from the confines of his clothing. Too much! The fabric felt foreign against his skin, weighing him down, the pressure mounting, mounting, mounting!

The world soon came back into focus and his breathing once again slowed. A shadow loomed over him, their shape, their features becoming more distinct with each inhale, each exhale… It was Rook. Rook. She knelt beside him, one hand pressed against his chest, the other cradling his head. 

“Thank fuck.” She blurted, staggering to her feet. 

Emmrich rose, leaning on his elbows, coughing up any remaining fluids. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in… It was wet. Everything was… clammy. Why was he drenched? He blinked again, looking down at his hands. They were submerged in shallow murky water, along with the rest of his body. He was sitting in a pool of it, one of the countless marshes in the Hossberg Wetlands.

“I… Rook, I’m in your debt.”

“You can thank me later, Emmrich. We’re not out of this yet.” Rook extended her right hand, eyes fraught as she scanned their surroundings. “Can you get up?” 

He paused, eyebrow raised in question before grabbing hold of her hand. In one swift motion, she hoisted him to his feet. Emmrich reeled slightly as he found his bearings. Rook grimaced at the movement, clutching both fists as she turned, preparing to march the opposite way.  

“It seems so, yes. But are you alright? Let me–” 

“We need to go. More are coming.”

“More?”

As if on cue, high pitched screeches came from behind them. Emmrich jerked his head back, eyes widening as the recollections of the past few hours resurfaced, jolting his memory of the severity of their predicament, the consequences if they failed, the darkspawn… 

The cliff where they had fallen from was ablaze, the fire roaring, devouring the blight as the flames licked high into the sky. A flood of darkspawn ran down the precipice, falling on top of each other as they fled, giving the illusion that the mound was increasing in size. Assan circled above, every so often diving at the waves of darkspawn and calling out to his master. 

“Davrin…” Emmrich began, “Is he…”

“Alive. Yes. He’s finishing the job. He’ll be able to find us when it’s safe… I hope.”

Emmrich nodded, there was no time to doubt. The sounds of the approaching darkspawn grew louder with every second wasted and Emmrich loathed the thought of having to fight any more in his state. They started running, sloshing through the marshes. His bones ached, a stabbing pain spreading from his ribs, worsening with each stomp. He kept his eyes on Rook as they continued, her movements stiff, posture slouched, dissimilar from her usual gait. She was wounded, but he couldn’t discern the severeness, not while they were still in danger. 

Everything around them blended into one as they ventured deeper into unfamiliar territory. One decaying tree after another, passing identical ruins, and bog after bog after bog… it was growing increasingly difficult for Emmrich to make sense of their surroundings. Any signs of the darkspawn that had been chasing them vanished however, silence enveloping them save for their own ragged breaths, as it all became a distant thought. A nightmare. 

“Do you have any idea where we’re going?” Emmrich asked eventually.

Rook didn’t respond. Strange. She was always so quick to retort in that humorous way of hers, and since their impromptu dance a few nights back, she had offered him more banter than usual, riddled with innuendos; an added layer compared to how she spoke to the other companions. Instead Rook swayed, clutching her right side as her movements slowed. She stumbled, falling onto the closest tree to keep her upright. 

“Rook!”

She raised her hand in protest, shaking away any kind of help from Emmrich as he approached. 

“I’m fine. I…need, I know how…” 

Rook slumped forward and Emmrich caught her before she fell to the ground. He helped her back to her feet, breath catching at her disposition. Rook’s face was pallid, lips tight. She winced with each gulp of air, her eyes flickering as she struggled to keep them open. Her short plum coloured hair was knotted around her forehead, now near burgundy from the blood and dirt that caked it.  

“Have to… can’t…if we…” 

Rook pulled herself out of Emmrich’s arms in an attempt to walk on her own volition. She immediately keeled over, crumpling into herself as she cried out in pain. 

“No more heroics, please.” Emmrich whispered, carefully picking her back up. “We must seek refuge, it will give me an opportunity to tend to your wounds.”

Rook looked up at Emmrich, head lolling, eyes glassy as she laughed at his words.

“Oh do be serious, Rook. You’re–”

An eerie, primal howl filled the air, unlike any of the other sounds that came from the darkspawn he had encountered so far. He instinctively held Rook closer, not wanting to let her go, as his mind theorised a thousand variations of monsters, ghouls, or other atrocities that were likely coming in his direction. 

“Run…” Rook whispered.

“I… yes. We run! Of course. Hold on, Rook.” 

Emmrich cleared his throat, taking a deep breath as he steadied his core. He lifted Rook, carrying her in his arms as he darted forward. It was sloppy but they were moving, as fast as he could manage. The pain in his chest was unbearable, the world around him uneven. 

“You need to h…” 

“Hush.” He responded, out of breath, “save your energy.”

Emmrich rushed towards an approaching rock face, nearly slipping when his boots met the muddy rocks. His eyes searched for any sign of cover, a hide-out, a cave, or possibly… Yes! A cabin! A small dilapidated cabin sat atop a small hill, nestled against the base of another crag. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do. He sprinted towards the structure, and within a matter of seconds was inside it. The cabin was small and most importantly, vacant - of mortals and monsters. A single bed sat against the far wall, with a tiny stove and kitchen near the door. 

He delicately placed Rook down on the bed before barricading the door behind him, finding whatever furniture and abandoned items he could to shove against the entrance. Much good that would do, really, with an enormous hole in the ceiling and a single gust of wind likely to knock down the entire structure… but it gave him peace of mind.

A long moment passed, Emmrich waiting on bated breath for another noise, for something to burst through the door… but it was silent. Emmrich leaned against the wall, letting out a long pained sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. His chest throbbed, he could feel his sides swelling. Likely a broken rib, or two. 

“Where…” Rook whimpered, her words barely audible, but Emmrich spun around, rushing towards her. 

“I’m here. We’re safe. We’re safe. For now.” 

Rook’s eyes were closed, but she smiled faintly. Her skin was paler than Emmrich would’ve liked to see on someone who was still living. She was shivering, sweat collecting on her forehead. He placed his hand on her cheek and recoiled. 

“You’re boiling, Rook. This is… far worse than I thought. I will need to act fast. Do you trust me?” 

She only groaned in response, eyes still shut.

“I will take that as a yes. Now brace yourself Rook, and my sincere apologies for any pain this may cause.”

Emmrich lightly rearranged Rook’s body so she was lying straight on the bed. He searched her person until he found a standard dagger, unsheathing it. 

“I’m going to take off your armour, which may cause some discomfort.” 

Emmrich used the dagger to slice through Rook’s leathers. He peeled away the first two layers of protection, and what garments remained underneath were drenched in blood. He cut the tunic in two until her top half was bare before him. Rook writhed in pain with every slight movement, digging her nails into the bed as he worked. 

“Oh, my dear Rook…” Emmrich shook his head as he discovered a gaping wound on her side, spanning from her underarm to the middle of her ribcage. “I am not the strongest healer, but rest assured, I will do my best.” 

Emmrich hovered his hand above the wound. He moved his fingers in slow circles as if he was stirring a cup of tea. He closed his eyes, searching deep within himself for an ounce of mana left, anything that he can use, hoping, praying to whoever might be listening, that there was some power not expended. 

His fingertips glowed as flows of green magic poured into Rook’s side, the wound gradually closing, turning into a long raised scar as the skin reformed. Without notice, Emmrich’s focus faltered, cutting him off from the source. He collapsed on his knees, clinging to the bed.

Rook opened her eyes, colour steadily returning to her cheeks as the remnants of his mana coursed through her body. She turned to him, brows furrowed in concern.

“Emmrich…” 

“It seems I’ve… I’ve exhausted myself. I did what I could, but you must rest.”

“You’re mad. You should’ve sorted your injuries first.”

“Nonsense. Mine are inconsequential.” Emmrich lifted himself so he was now sitting on the corner of the bed, running his hands through his hair to regain any semblance of balance. “It's been... decades since I've healed a wound with that intensity. I’m afraid I might’ve left a scar.”

He glanced at her side, his cheeks burning at the realisation her upper body was still exposed.

“Oh, how dreadfully rude of me, here…” 

Emmrich quickly gathered some of the discarded bedsheets and handed them to Rook, bowing his head in an apology. 

“It’s OK.” Rook murmured, slowly sitting up. She took the sheets from Emmrich, loosely covering the front of her chest. She flinched, her side still tender, as she looked down at the freshly healed wound. 

“I don’t mind. The uh, scars, I mean.” 

“It will make quite the addition to your collection.” 

“Oh, yeah. Hard not to notice them all, I guess. I’ve got so many.”

“I find them beautiful, Rook. Our flaws hold such unique truths. Stories of victories, resilience, pain, redemption. Even the most minute blemish can tell us so much about how a person lived.” 

Rook smiled, placing a hand on his forearm. 

“Usually I get annoyed with fancy talk, but there’s something about you that… I just… well, I could listen to you yap all day about scars, or anything else for that matter.”

“Ah, speaking of which, may I inspect the wound, there’s something I–” 

Rook’s words, although they weren’t as scandalous as some of the previous things she’s whispered in passing, hit him like a boulder. He paused, back straightening as he looked at her. Her smile had grown, cheeks flushed. He tilted his head in hesitation, checking her eyes on the off chance she had also obtained a head injury.

Emmrich cleared his throat, his mouth was dry. Again. An annoyance, truly, as he found this a constant side effect whenever he was alone in her presence. 

“Your wound, Rook. May I?” He gestured to her side.

Rook nodded. 

Emmrich ran his fingers over the scar, ensuring there were no mishaps, no chance of it ever reopening. He hummed in approval, quite satisfied with his work, despite the shoddy circumstances. And yet, when he was done, his fingers lingered on Rook’s skin. He couldn’t bring himself to remove them, instead he slid his digits down her side, tracing them along every scar he could find.

“Your scars…” Emmrich whispered, “may I see more?”

Rook shivered under Emmrich’s touch, but she turned her back towards him, showcasing the vast expanse of scars and blemishes that covered her muscular frame. Emmrich suppressed a gasp, his fingers trembling as they followed the different shapes and textures, leading down to her tailbone.

“How exquisite…” he whispered, “like a painting. A work of art.” 

His eyes greedily absorbed the scars, trying to savor the moment, capture the intricate details on every aged wound, the variations in colour, the raised lesions, recognising the types of weapons, spells, that might’ve caused them.

“What a life you’ve led, Rook. I've only a few scars, due to… more unfortunate circumstances, and no doubt less grandiose from all you’ve experienced outside the Mourn Watch.”

He leaned in closer, to inspect them, his body temperature rising along with the temptation to kiss her… to replace his fingers with his lips…

Emmrich stiffened, shaking his head in shame as if he had committed some heinous crime. But it might as well have been, letting these emotions get the best of him, under such damning circumstances. This was not the time, nor the place. And this was absolutely NOT how he conducted himself! You dolt! What kind of gentleman would he be if he succumbed to his lust, these emotions… he’d be no better off than some of his former lovers.

As he attempted to remove any trace of vulgar thoughts from his mind, one scar in particular caught his eye. A pale circular lesion that covered nearly her entire left shoulder blade. He traced circles around it, massaging the skin, as Rook melted into his hands.

“Tell me, how did you get this one?”

“Um… that one… oh! A bar fight, ha. Hanged Man in Kirkwall. Went there with Varric once to follow a lead apparently, but between us, I think it was for a book signing.”

“Book signing?”

“Mmm. Remind me, Emmrich… to show you some of his books when we’re back at the Lighthouse. You might be shocked to know what Varric gets up to in his free time.”

“Ah,” Emmrich hesitated, removing his hands from her back. “Did you want to talk about Var–”

Rook spun around, leaning towards Emmrich in an attempt to kiss him. Their lips almost touched but she winced at the last possible moment, holding onto her side as she collapsed on top of him. Emmrich nearly fell off the bed, cringing from the awkwardness and the pain from his ribs. 

“Rook.”

“Too much?” She steadied herself, looking back at him sheepishly. 

Emmrich stared back at her, narrowing his eyes in disappointment, but ended up softening under her gaze all the same.

“I’ve thought about this moment…” Emmrich turned away, sighing dramatically. 

“Aw, what? You mean tending to my wounds? I knew you were charming, but this is a whole new level.”

“No. No not that. I’d enjoy nothing more than to… to share this moment with you further, Rook, but my dear, you’re still wounded, you’ve lost blood… It would be unbecoming. And until we’ve returned to the Lighthouse your safety is my greatest priority.” 

Rook giggled, leaning in again, but Emmrich held her steady. 

“Later, Rook. When you’ve fully recovered, I’d love to broach the topic again.��Properly.” 

“Sorry. Was worth a shot… I guess I ruined the mood, huh?”

“Well, you could say…” 

Their moment ended abruptly when another animalistic shriek cut through the air. But this one was familiar, aggravating even, the same one Emmrich had heard repeatedly since joining Rook and her team. 

“Could that…”

“Assan!” Rook screamed. 

The griffon’s call came again, its sound getting closer. Emmrich jumped to his feet, rushing towards the door. 

“I for one am looking forward to getting out of here and having a nice, warm bath.” 

“Emmrich?”

As he turned towards Rook, the moonlight filtered in through the broken roof, evelopping her in a soft glittering spotlight. She was still bloodied and had a mere bed sheet draped around her bruised and battered body. Even so, the sight of her caused his pulse to start racing again, a shiver coursing through his soul. There was a shifting feeling in his heart, a pang, that worsened the longer he looked at her. Rook. The most magnificent woman he had ever seen.

“Thank you.” 

Emmrich returned her acknowledgement with a bow.

“We’re even now, I suppose.” Emmrich said, beginning to unassemble his makeshift barricade. “Until the next time one of us gets into trouble.”

“Well then, I’ll just have to bring you on every excursion from now on.”

“I’d quite like that, actually.”

“Good.” 

Emmrich caught himself smirking, not so much at the notion of endangering himself continuously, but at the prospects of the future, and their budding relationship.

[nose235678]

Finished my first play through with my Crow!Rook!

I’m devastated! My Lavellan’s happy ending broke my heart and the Lucanis romance is wonderful!

But am I gonna take a break? No, not for a second!

Warden Var’fen “Rook” Thorne reporting for duty!

Her parents left her clan during the Fifth Blight, after they fought with the other Dalish in Denerim and King Alistair refused to honor his promise of land to the Elves. Offering their skills to the Grey Wardens as trackers in the Anderfels where she’d discover her magic and live as an apostate. Training to be a healer with Warden Mages until they invited her to join them on a trip to the newly emerged Kal-Sharok and stumbled into a nest of Darkspawn.

Barely managing to clear them out, but not before Var’fen was blighted and subsequently took the Joining at the age of 23. Suffering a rare side effect of the ritual that turned the sclera of her eyes black. Meeting Varric shortly thereafter and at 24, using a fake last name since joining the Wardens, they would make their move against the Dread Wolf.

Doing whatever it took to stop his ritual…

Her likes include:

*Cioccolata calda ☕️ (never had chocolate until Varric bought her a cup and was addicted ever since)

*Dogs 🐶 (left mabari, Josa behind with her family when she left to hunt Solas)

*Rocks 🪨 💎 (picks up a pebble or crystal wherever she goes. Most are just cool looking lumps of granite)

*Giving gifts to friends 🎁 (gifts may or may not be pebbles that “remind her of them” and no, she will never explain what she means)

*Harts 🦌(her parents raise them for mounts to herd halla. Brought them along from Ferelden to the Anderfels when they moved)

*Smoking Elfroot 🍃(helps with period pain; bad before, but the Joining made it worse)

Her dislikes include:

*The Chantry ⛪️(only got her vallaslin to keep Templars from dragging her off to a Circle)

*Dracolisks 🦎(saw one lick its own eye like a gecko once and never recovered. Scarred for life)

*Cooked vegetables 🥦 (if it’s slimy? She will die before eating it, but likes salads, carrots and has been yelled at more than once for shuffling around the pantry/kitchen, eating a whole bell pepper/cucumber/tomato, like a rabbit)

*Taxes 💵(self-explanatory)

Who she’ll romance:

This dapper gentleman, whom she met once before while recruiting conscripts in Nevarra City. Bumping into him on her way out of the city dungeon while he was leaving the morgue after corpse-whispering to help solve a murder. Never exchanged a word, but she remembered his polite apology (the first she’d ever received from a Shem) for nearly knocking her over and he remembered her eyes.

[thedissonantverses]

Just Another Screaming Speck of Dust

Today Could Be the Last - Chapter 17 - enc0432 - Dragon Age (Video Games) [Archive of Our Own] Chapter preview under the cut.

Weisshaupt. Davrin and her back-to-back against the darkspawn. Stone crumbling around them and the cacophony of the death screams and howls of the monsters. It was chaos and destruction and she didn't know if she could stop it. She was exhausted. Her lungs burned and her thoughts swam. All she knew was she had to keep swinging her daggers. They had finally cut a swathe through. They might be able to escape. Only something howled, anguish matched only by Rook’s fear as the darkspawn crowded them again. Nothing for it but to keep fighting. The wolf howled for her, calling her to heel. He’d stop the nightmare, if only she’d give in. He wouldn’t make her watch again.

Only Ghian’nain emerged, the blight coming with her. She grabbed Rook up with her tentacles and Davrin cried out. A laugh, cold and calculated, as the sun was blotted out with red. She struggled and Ghilan’nain crowed her victory as she drove her tentacles into her chest and through it. Worse still was the blight. Davrin was caught, struggling. She screamed as he disappeared to it, flailing to the last to get to her. Her fault. It was all her

“ENOUGH.”

Rook pushed back against him. It was like throwing her weight behind the world’s most obnoxious boulder.

'This is what will happen if you continue to ignore me. Will you watch your lover die? I suppose for one waiting for the Calling it might be the lesser of two evils.'

“Rattle the bars of your cage all you want. It’s still your cage.”

He started the nightmare again. This time it was D’meta’s crossing. This time she s-

“Sihu!”

She sat up, gasping and reaching for her dagger. Davrin caught her hand, squeezing it.

“Hey. Hey. Look at me. You’re safe.”

It took her a moment, then she shuddered, letting him wrap his arms around her. He stroked her hair and murmured in her ear. He was safe. He was alive. He was here. When her breathing returned to normal and he pulled back, she noted she was in the dining hall. Which meant-

Lucanis brought her a cup of collata colada, his eyes sympathetic. She took it, hanging her head. He had to have been making it when she fell asleep. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen again. You were up so…” She wanted to babble.

He stopped her, wrapping his hands around hers on the mug. “There’s nothing to apologize for.”

Davrin moved to sit beside her on the couch, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Assan had followed, and he lay his head on her leg. The heavy weight of it was soothing. I can’t protect them. She set the drink down and buried her face in her hands. Davrin let her go but waited, settling in next to her. Lucanis went out the front with a second steaming cup, muttering something about seeing Neve’s light on and her latest case. The fire crackled merrily and she was warm and she was safe and-

“You can’t go on like this Sy. I can’t watch anymore. We need to figure out another way.” His voice was carefully calm. He was holding back, and that made it worse.

“I know. It’s just…” He leaned forward on his elbows, and she looked over at him. “Solas knows how I feel about you.”

Davrin took her hands in his. “I know who we’re hunting. I’m not going anywhere. But right now, we need to figure this out.”

“I need more to go on.” She echoed him and he huffed. Assan butted her and she released Davrin reluctantly, scratching under the griffon’s chin. “I know something we can try. But you’re going to hate it.”

“If you’ve got a plan, I’m there.” He answered easily, rote.

Rook chuckled, reaching for her drink. “I need to go back to the crossroads. Find more of the Dread Wolf’s memories. And I need the mages.”

“Ah. Which means I’m…staying here.” He threw his arm around her again and she leaned into him, pillowing her head on his chest. “What do you think you’ll find?”

“I don’t know. Anything that might shake me out of his grip I suppose.” Rook fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

“Mmphm.” He kissed the top of her head. “You’re right, I hate it. But it’s your call.”

She yawned in response, and Davrin chuckled, the sound sparking through her. “You can sleep with me tonight you know. In a real bed.”

“You’re persistent.” But she sunk further into him, the heat of his body irresistible.

“You’re exhausted. Let me take care of you.” The mischief in his voice told her he knew he’d won.

Rook groaned. “Alright-”

He picked her up and she gasped, laughing. “Dav!”

Assan squawked behind them in alarm as he carried her back to his room.

[kreept12]

Thoughts about the dwarves in DATV

Warnings : Spoilers for Lace Harding's quests

I just finished Harding's quests for the second time, and although I really liked them, I can't shake the feeling that the quest and lore feel disconnected from what we know about dwarves in the Dragon Age universe.

I really appreciate that Harding has to come to terms with the pain and anger over what happened to the Titans. However, I wish they had emphasized how much the dwarves are still struggling because of what happened to the Titans.

The death of the Titans led to the birth of the dwarves (which I'm still not entirely sure how, by the way), and the dwarves built a vast underground empire that thrived long ago. It all fell apart due to the darkspawn, who emerged from the Blight. This division left only Orzammar and Kal-Sharok, with Kal-Sharok being a recent addition. Orzammar's strict caste system, as presented in Origins, only serves to divide them further, especially in their relationships with surface dwellers. In Origins, we also learn that dwarves have a low fertility rate, contributing to their population decline, which is exacerbated by the internal divisions. To make matters worse, they are constantly under attack by the darkspawn—not just during the Blights like the rest of Thedas, but every day, dwarves die in the Deep Roads to prevent the darkspawn from reaching their cities. The dwarves are slowly dying out, much like their ancestors, the Titans. And this is all because of the Blight that Solas caused. Yet, none of this is ever addressed.

The first time I played, I didn’t connect with Harding’s anger much; the Titans felt distant, more like a concept than a reality. We never had clear information about the Titans' connection with the dwarves, and I felt like their fate was treated as something ancient that was done and over with, like the elves moving on after the creation of the Veil. But it still has an impact. Harding, or even Dwarf Rook, can’t speak to the fear of knowing your ancestors were exterminated, treated with such cruelty, and completely forgotten—and the terror that it might happen to you too. That the cycle could repeat. What will be left of the dwarves once they are all gone? Will their art, their fallen empire, and their culture be exploited, just as the dwarves mined the Titans' corpses? Shouldn't this fear fuel the already strict and conservative views of some of the counselors in Orzammar? If Harding's knowledge is discovered, the consequences could be huge!

In my two playthroughs as a dwarf Grey Warden, I was kind of sad about how little we could discuss our shared lineage with Harding. The group discussion when you discover Solas' regret about the Titans is the closest you get to voicing your own anger. You can even express sadness that you were "fighting against my own dreams." But you can never talk about what being a dwarf feels like for Rook—whether you’re from Orzammar or a surface dwarf. I understand that the faction choice assigns you a premade backstory, but this doesn’t really apply to the Grey Warden, since all we know is that you trained at Weisshaupt, with no details about your life before joining the Wardens. Heck, we can't even choose the casteless tattoo in character creation.

Dragon Age has been starving dwarf enthusiasts since Origins, and although I'm glad we got all this ancient lore about the origins of the dwarves, I can't shake the feeling that something is missing. I was so excited the first time I played Harding’s quest and discovered Kal-Sharok (whose existence really surprised me, as I completely forgot about that side quest in Inquisition). It was fascinating to see how their culture diverged from Orzammar, but we only get glimpses. Hopefully, we'll get more current-day information about dwarven civilization in the next game (especially with what happened in the South during Veilguard).

[thewardenisonthecase]

Moments in Between - Chapter 3

Lucanis Dellamorte x Grey Warden!Rook

Chapter 2

Read on AO3

Summary: Rook has a nightmare and Lucanis has a funeral to arrange.

A/N: I didn't like this chapter that much but it needed to get done. I'm still figuring out where this story is going. Also MAJOR SPOILERS FOR DATV AT THE END (its about one of the big reveals in the third act)!!!

Another night, another nightmare.

She was amongst them, one more darkspawn in the middle of the hoard. Her thoughts were not her own, as she heard the sweet calling of the archdemon, beckoning them to keep digging. 

Just keep digging. Digging. Find it. Find the source of the song. 

Come to me. 

The sound of metal against stone echoed in her head, each time louder and louder until the earth exploded, as a pair of giant wings emerged and the intense roaring of the Archdemon shook everything around her. 

Rook woke up in a cold sweat, her heart hammering in her chest, her mouth dry. Standing on shaky legs, she didn’t know what to do. 

Ever since her Joining, she too had struggled with nightmares, but none that ever felt this…real. And none that featured an archdemon. 

She could feel her feet taking her somewhere, her body moved even if her mind didn’t command it to. She stopped, not knowing where she was until a voice spoke her name. 

“Rook, are you alright? You look pale.” She heard someone speak, her mind still trying to catch on. The voice was familiar, but the sound of her own ragged breath muffled the next sentences. 

Next thing she knew, calloused hands with a gentle touch led her to a chair, helping her sit down. A water cup was put in her hands. Slowly, and with help, she brought it to her lips and drank almost everything. 

Rook closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. When she opened them, she was met with a certain crow crouching in front of her, his eyes filled with concern. 

“Lucanis.” She whispered, as her mind cleared, looking around the room. “Hi.” She saw his face relax a bit after she spoke. 

“What happened?” He asked, softly. He covered her hands, the ones holding the water, with his own. “You’re shaking and you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

She gave him a small chuckle that sounded more like a gasp. “I…I had a nightmare. A very, very, bad one.”

Lucanis nodded and stood up. He thought for a moment and then said “If you want, I can make you something to eat.” 

“I…thank you.” She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before saying “Can you make that chocolate drink? The one from the café.” 

He gave her a small smile. “Of course.” 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him get to work, as she slowly gathered her thoughts. She had never dreamt with an archdemon before, but she remembered the warden commander telling her about it. 

“It’s intense, terrifying.” She remembered hearing the commander talk. “The nightmares are bad on their own, but during a Blight they’re worse. And when you see the archdemon…I was lucky to have Alistair with me.” 

She didn’t know how much time had passed but the smell of hot chocolate filled her nostrils, as her empty water cup was replaced. 

“Thank you, Lucanis.” He nodded and began to walk away, into the pantry. “Can I…ask you for a favor?” She said, unsure. 

“What is it?”

“Could you keep me company? Just for a while.” 

He stood there, thinking and for a moment, she thought she had overstepped, until he grabbed his cup of coffee and sat on the chair opposite to hers. The two drank in silence, until Rook asked “Do you also have bad dreams?” 

“Sometimes, although lack of sleep prevents them. Do you have them often?” 

“All the time. It comes with being a warden.” 

His head tilted to the side. “I don’t understand.” 

She sighed. “I guess most people don’t.” Rook leaned back on her chair, as she thought of a way to explain it. “Because of our connection to the blight, we often have dreams with them - the darkspawn, the taint. And if you’re unlucky enough, you’ll dream with the archdemon.” 

“And I’m guessing that was the cause of your nightmare.”

Rook nodded. “I had never dreamed of one before. They’re not really supposed to happen unless a Blight is going on, and even then, I’d thought we’d have more time before…”

“Before, what?” 

“Before an archdemon was uncovered.” She took another drink before asking “Do you know how they came to be?” When Lucanis shook his head, she explained “The darkspawn, they’re always digging, looking for the Old Gods trapped beneath the earth. They call them constantly until they get them out. The Old God is then corrupted by the taint and becomes the Archdemon. It’s how we know it's a true blight, if an archdemon is spotted, and usually, our dreams are the first indications we have.” 

“So what you’re saying is that our situation is worse than what it was?” 

“Exactly.” Rook rubbed her forehead. “I don’t know if there’s any connection between the Old Gods and the Evanuris but if they are controlling the blight and got a hold of one of these archdemons…I don’t even want to think of the chaos that would be.” 

“It is something to consider. Have you contacted the rest of your order yet?” 

“We, uhm…aren’t on the best of terms right now. But maybe Harding and I can come up with something.” She finished her drink by putting it on the table. “Thank you, Lucanis.” 

“Of course.” He smirked. “But you’ll be owing me a favor.” 

“I told you we would all be owing each other.”

She smiled one last time and made the lonely journey back to her room. There was another problem hanging in the back of her mind. 

If there truly was an archdemon and if this was truly a blight…then her end was nearer than she’d expected. 

. 

It did not take long for Lucanis to reclaim that favor, as the very next day, a letter from Teia arrived.

The walk to the Cantori Diamond had been silent, but Lucanis was glad. Since Teia had told him about the funeral, he hadn’t been in the most talkative mood.  

Still, he had asked Rook to come along, in case Spite got out of hand. 

But also…he needed someone that wasn’t so involved, so familiar to be there. 

Once they arrived at the casino, Teia and Viago greeted them. 

“Good, you’re here.” The Seventh Talon said. 

“Thank you for making the arrangements, Teia.” 

“For Caterina…how could I do otherwise. I’m so sorry, Lucanis, this must be such a blow.” She turned to Rook. “Thank you for coming with him. I need one Dellamorte to plan this. His cousin has been no help at all.”

“I’m sorry, Teia.” Illario said mournfully. “This is just…too much right now.” 

Besides him, Rook took a deep breath and said “If there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word.” 

That was the other reason why he had asked her to come along. After a year surrounded by Venatori, having someone so…nice around was a breath of fresh air. 

“You’re such a dear.” Teia smiled. “I hope these two are paying attention.” 

Lucanis noticed the familiar, charming tone Teia used when talking to Rook, and he shifted the weight from his feet, slightly uncomfortable at the notion. “Teia, don’t flirt with my…” he stopped himself. 

What were they? Teammates? Friends? 

“Colleague.” Was the word he settled on, hoping the others did not notice his hesitation.

“Jealous? Fine, to business, then.” Teia said. “There’s a lot to plan, but first, I need the ashes.” 

“Ashes?” Illario asked, causing Lucanis to frown. His cousin seemed too surprised, though he couldn’t blame him. With how fast things had been…

“Maker help us, yes, the ashes! Caterina’s ashes. From the cremation?”

“Oh. Yes. Of course. I’ll get them to you right away.” His cousin said. 

In Lucanis’s mind, he had tried to think of every scenario about how this all came to be but there was still too much confusion. Before Illario left, she asked “Illario…what happened?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Caterina. How..? How did the Venatori get to her? When? Where? In the estate? In the city?” He bombarded his cousin with questions. “How did they get past our people? What did they use? Poison? Blades? I need to know.” 

He needed to be prepared. They would come for him too - if he did not find them first. 

But it was still strange. How could the First Talon had fallen so easily?

“Cousin, stop. You can’t dwell on this. It’ll drive you mad.” 

“I am not dwelling. Zara killed the First Talon. I have to know how, if I’m going to stop her.” 

“I told you. I’m handling it.” 

Illario and his stubbornness. If he continued like this, he’d get himself killed and Lucanis…he would be the only one left. 

He couldn’t stand the thought. 

“Boys! Enough. We have other things to discuss.” Teia intervened. 

“My apologies, Andarateia. Continue without me. I’ll…get you the ashes.” His cousin said and left. 

Lucanis sighed. He was still as confused as before and Illario seemed to refuse to cooperate. He turned his head, seeing a frown on Rook’s face. 

“Something’s wrong with him. I don’t know what.” 

“When he’s not on the job, my cousin always has his head on the clouds.” 

“Still…”

“Illario can be a handful, but this…The only time I’ve seen him like this was when Lucanis died.” Teia looked at him. “You’re worrying, aren’t you? What will people say when they discover that “the Demon of Vyrantium” has a big, soft heart?” 

Lucanis huffed and ignored what she said, opting to focus on Illario. “He’s been careless at times, but never when his own life was on the line. Zara took down the First Talon. Anyone could be next. And my cousin doesn’t want to think about it.” 

Teia stopped to think and replied “You have a point. It’s not like him to ignore a knife coming in his direction.” 

The three stayed there, in silence. Rook was right - there was something wrong with his cousin, but he couldn’t tell. He sighed, mentally, not sure of what to do. 

Lucanis shook his head. He had come here for a reason, and that reason was not worrying about Illario. “What do you need from me for the funeral?” 

“Come. I’ll get us drinks, and we can make arrangements.” Teia led them further inside the casino. 

They didn’t take long. Mostly, they asked what flowers they should use and where to place them, which people could be invited to the wake, if they should bring a Mother. 

All sorts of things that made Lucanis wonder how it must have been like for his family when they thought he was dead. If they had done all of this. 

The only time I’ve seen him like this was when Lucanis died.

And now he might as well be the reason why his cousin would get himself killed.

Before they left, Lucanis spoke with Teia. “Our house owes you for handling all this.” 

“Caterina was family. Can you imagine what she'd say if she saw us all like this?”  

His face lightened. “She’d be furious. Especially at Illario. As usual.”

Rook, who had stayed mostly quiet until now, spoke “How did you manage to stay on her good side?” 

Lucanis laughed. “What good side?” 

“To hear Caterina tell it, Lucanis can do no wrong.” Teia added.

“It’s easy to look good standing next to my cousin.” 

Rook smirked. “You’re not so bad, give yourself some credit.” 

Lucanis looked away, remembering the previous night. He then saw Teia’s eyes narrow, a small rise in one of her brows, before he cleared his throat. 

Teia straightened her face and said “I’ll have my people keep an eye on him for you.” 

“Thank you, Teia.” 

“Go on. I’ll let you know if something comes up.” 

They said their goodbyes and left. 

They were in the middle of the Crossroads, getting close to the Lighthouse eluvian when Rook stopped and asked “Are you ok?” 

Lucanis blinked, confused. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean…I don’t know what if feels like, but losing your grandma must be hard, right? I just wanted to check in.” 

“If you’re wondering if I can still do my job-”

“It’s not about that.” She shook her head. “I’m asking as a friend. I mean, I hope we are friends, but I just…” She sighed “Varric recently told me that it’s important to check in on your friends, especially when you’re on a mission as big as killing elven gods. So…that’s what I’m doing.” 

Lucanis stood still. He wasn’t used to this sort of caring, much less from someone he knew for such a short period of time, but he could see that Rook was genuine. 

“I-thank you, Rook. I will be fine.” He said, hoping. “And yes…I think we can be friends.” 

“Good.” She nodded and they kept on walking to the Lighthouse. 

But a sudden question formed on the back of Lucanis’s head. 

If Varric was dead, how had Rook talked to him?

[daitranscripts]

Solas Conversation: Investigate

Tell Me About Your Journeys

Solas Masterpost

Positive approval, Skyhold only

PC: I’d like to hear more about what you saw in your exploration of the Fade.

Solas: I would be happy to share it with you.

1 - Dialogue options:

General: Tell me about spirits. [2] +Solas slightly approves

General: Tell me about old ruins. [3] +Solas slightly approves

General: Tell me about old memories. [4] +Solas slightly approves

General: Goodbye.

2 - General: Tell me about spirits. PC: Tell me about a spirit you encountered.

Solas: I met a friendly spirit who observed the dreams of village girls as love first blossomed in their adolescence. With subtlety, she steered them all to village boys with gentle hearts who would return their love with gentle kindness. The Matchmaker, so I called her. That small village never knew its luck. [back to 1] ㅤㅤ ��

Solas: The Alamarri crossed the Frostback Mountains to escape a beast they called the shadow goddess in their stories. I met the spirit that they fled. She walks the Fade along the southern tundra, weeping, lonely, and forgotten. Great Ferelden formed because a lonely spirit drove her prey away. [back to 1] ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Solas: I found an ancient spirit who had once been undisputed king of almost every land I had discovered. Like pride or rage, it was the Fade’s reflection of a feeling. When I asked which one it was, the spirit faltered. “They’ve forgotten,” said the spirit. “There remains no word for what I was.” [back to 1]

3 - General: Tell me about old ruins. PC: Tell me about the old ruins you explored.

Solas: I found the ruin of Barindur, a lost Tevinter city buried deep beneath a dead and barren wasteland. Volcanic ash had sealed it tight. In one dark moment, every living creature in the city seared and smothered. They were statues in the ashes, like a mold made to recall the lost. [back to 1] ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Solas: I found an ancient dwarven thaig no longer sheltered by the stone. An earthquake had exposed it all to daylight. A thousand dwarven corpses lay, the victims of a darkspawn horde, their last stand marked by one great ring of armor. In the middle, one small body, clutching tightly to a small stuffed toy. [back to 1] ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Solas: I found in the Korcari Wilds a humble cottage far removed from any of the simple Chasind tribesmen. The trees and weeds had not reclaimed the home nor did the Chasind dare to come and steal the trinkets still remaining. It was empty, long abandoned, but the world feared that she might return. [back to 1]

4 - General: Tell me about old memories. PC: Tell me about the old memories you found in the Fade.

Solas: I saw a savage human horde go marching toward the battlefront. They sang a soldier’s hymn to keep formation. The primal music shook the ground. These savage unwashed warriors carried harmonies no Chantry choir has mastered. Though their cause was all but hopeless, they sang songs that made the spirits weep. [back to 1] ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Solas: I saw a dwarf emerge into the light of day and shield his eyes against the sun, the first time he had seen it. The tears were streaming from his eyes. I thought them from the blazing light until I saw the rock he held so tightly. Then he laid the rock down gently, and he left it as he walked away. [back to 1] ㅤㅤ ㅤ

Solas: I saw a young Qunari working in a simple kitchen, baking bread as she was ordered every morning. In every loaf she broke the rules. She’d take a pinch of sugar and would fold it to the center, like a secret. And this act of small rebellion brought a shining smile across her face. [back to 1]

General: Goodbye. PC: We’ll talk later. Solas: Goodbye.

After exhausting all of Solas’s stories Solas: I think I have shared everything of note. I should spend some time encountering more stories.

[dicethrow]

@deathswcrn | liked for a starter

Desperate to understand what the Blight was doing to him—why it whispered to him, why it pulled him in a direction he couldn’t comprehend—Gale finally gave in and followed the lure. The path led him to the Hossberg Wetlands. From his readings, it was meant to be a fertile place, teeming with crops and wildflowers. Yet all he found was waterlogged soil and the decaying remains of what had once been farmland.

He kicked a pebble, watching it bounce across the ruined earth before splashing into a murky puddle. Just then, the clash of metal on stone pierced the still air, followed by the unmistakable screech of darkspawn.

Gale knew he shouldn’t play the hero. But this was farmland—logic dictated there might be some poor farmer caught up in the chaos. Without hesitation, he crested the hill, only to see a well-armed woman cutting down darkspawn after darkspawn. Yet they kept coming, crawling from a foul, blighted sac that seeped corruption into the earth.

Without thinking, he ran to her aid. Flexing his fingers to loosen them, he summoned a bolt of fire and hurled it toward the sac. It burst with a sickening squelch, splattering filth in all directions. No more darkspawn emerged, but the ones already present turned their attention to him. One lunged, and Gale’s hand shot out reflexively. Flames consumed the creature mid-leap, and he stumbled back, catching his breath.

"Friends of yours?" he quipped, drawing a small, straight sword. A flickering orb of fire hovered in his off-hand, ready to strike.

[tobiasdrake]

Alright, we've gotten an impression of Orzammar politics from the top down. Time to see what Orzammar looks like from the bottom up with Dwarf Commoner.

Hey, Rica. Bhelen's unnamed "Mistress" from Dwarf Noble features heavily in the Dwarf Commoner story as the Commoner's sister. Trian accused her of pilfering from the palace because her boobs were too big, but the Commoner origin delves more into detail about what Rica's real angle is.

If she has Bhelen's kid, she'll be uplifted from being casteless into the noble caste.

That's it. That's the entire scheme. It's something that's so common in Dwarven society that Gorim points out two women in the Diamond Quarter who are literally shopping for trade-ups.

It's a practice known as "noble-hunting". This is an actual term the dwarves invented because this behavior is so common and accepted as a means of upward mobility. There's an element of prostitution to it when Casteless do it 'cause you gotta make a living somehow, but it's the same.

The entire concept of Casteless is another way Orzammar is a self-defeating catastrophe of a society. They have created an officially recognized class that people can be grouped into in which you are forbidden from any career opportunity other than crime.

You can't even pick up a sword and go die in war, which is the most basic of basic jobs that a society can assign to its povertous underclass. War, specifically fighting Darkspawn, is for the Warrior Caste. If you're Casteless, you have three options: Panhandling, noble-hunting, or doing crime.

Literally, as Casteless, you are not allowed to do any kind of over-the-table work.

So. That. Leaves crime.

It's Crime Caste. When it would be criminal for you to take any form of employment but you gotta be employed because the economy runs on capital and there is no welfare state, then it naturally follows that the employment you take will be crime. If having any job is crime then all you can do is crime.

And then they turn around with Shocked Pikachu face when organized crime practically rules their streets as much as the nobility do. My dudes. Stop assigning people to Crime Caste if you don't want to have crime problems.

This is exacerbated by the fact that part of the reason marrying up is a reliable avenue is because the Noble Caste is desperate to reproduce.

The first conversation you even get to have as a Dwarf Commoner is about this element of Orzammar's ongoing self-destruction.

As the Darkspawn emerge from the depths of the world, Orzammar has long been the front line against their insurgency, and it's not going well. They've turned their upper class into an assembly line of babies to grow into soldiers to die in the Deep Roads. There just isn't enough manpower to compete with the endless supply of walking nightmares farted into existence by pure outrage.

Meanwhile, this huge chunk of their population, desperate for any work they can get their hands on, is left to rot away. Or do crime.

Oh, but Crime Caste gets funnier than that. Because Castes are inherited by blood, Casteless dwarves produce Casteless dwarves. People born straight into Crime Caste and never even knowing a chance at another life. People whose only loyalty is to their immediate family and there are no lifestyle options available to them.

Yeah, the whole concept of Casteless is, in practice, a speedrun strat for mass-producing mafias. Which is a thing Orzammar apparently feels is worth doing while the Darkspawn are kicking down their gates for 1,200 years.

And people think Fereldan politics are bad.

So the nobles are desperate to reproduce while the Casteless waste away in a situation where crime is really the only opportunity available to you. This is where noble-hunting becomes a patchwork solution for both parties, and one that plays into the obvious and unpleasant gender politics of Orzammar.

Orzammar is an incredibly patriarchal society, and noble-hunting reinforces that. As Rica says here, noble men need to mass-produce soldiers from their loins, and "their wives can't do it alone". The implication of that line is staggering.

It is commonplace and expected for married noble men to pick up and bang side pieces from among the commonfolk. On the other side of noble-hunting are men shopping around for "concubines", which are effectively bonus wives. When their affairs result in sons being born, the sons' mothers and their entire families get to become honorary nobles.

Unless the son dies, say from fighting in the Deep Roads, and then the concubine and her family are thrown back out into the streets. Low-class women are only good for mothering the fruit of noble men's affairs.

It's a situation that brutally intertwines sex and class in an extremely predatory way that... honestly, is probably the reason why Orzammar's never considered re-evaluating the self-defeating paradox that is the Casteless system. Why would they? Dust Town is good for the nobility. It's where they find dolled-up women who won't say no. Why would they want that to change?

Which. Yeah. Rich people, amirite?

This system also biases the military in favor of men. Women do serve in Warrior Caste, but the Noble Caste's mass-produced assembly line of soldiers favors boys. If a concubine births a son, that's a success. The son becomes a noble and the mother's family is uplifted. But any daughters that noblemen's mistresses birth are left to rot away in whatever Caste their mother came from.

So, how does one even become Casteless? Well, there are two ways. You can be stripped of your caste for committing a crime, which only further exacerbates the whole Crime Caste thing when they're using Casteless status as a dumping ground for actual criminals. This was not well thought out at all.

Or you can set foot on the surface for five seconds.

Leave the deep at any time, for any reason and for any length of time, and you automatically get stripped of your Caste. This is to avoid bringing the taint of outsider ideas into Orzammar. Because when you're already doing a speedball of sexism and classism, why not add a shot of xenophobia to the mix?

In any case, the Dwarf Commoner origin goes deep into what it means to be Casteless. Both the Commoner and their sister Rica are in with the Carta, under their uncle Beraht's leadership. Beraht's trained Rica for noble-hunting and the Commoner for crime. Specifically smuggling.

Since Orzammar depends on surface goods but banishes into Castelessness anyone who goes up to get them, it naturally follows that the Casteless are a major supplier of surface goods in the city. The Crime Caste is what's keeping trade between the surface and Orzammar flowing. This whole fucking city runs on self-defeating hate.

Oh, and let's not forget the hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy so thick, even Duncan can smell it.

The Proving is a cornerstone of dwarven civilization and dwarven faith. Noble houses settle matters of honor by sending champions to fight in the ring. Disputes between dwarves can be settled in the ring. Fights aren't necessarily to the death, but they can be.

(Darkspawn beating down the gates, there's a personnel shortage in the army, and the nobles are reserving warriors to kill each other in gladiator matches. This fucking city.)

The Proving arena is considered a sacred place for the dwarves of Orzammar. As noted in the Dwarf Noble origin, dwarves revere their ancestors and the Stone. The winner of the Proving is considered to have been blessed by the ancestors. This is why it can be used to settle legal disputes. If you defeat your foe, then the ancestors saw the righteousness of your position and blessed you with victory.

But they don't actually believe that. Or, more to the point, their hate outweighs their faith.

Due to a chain of circumstances, the Dwarf Commoner ends up impersonating a warrior in the Proving. After vanquishing several opponents, their identity gets discovered.

Casteless aren't permitted in the arena. But they've already competed in several rounds and won, so you might think this would mean they have the favor of the Ancestors, right?

Nope. The official stance of the administration is that the Ancestors are fucking wrong and the entire tournament needs to invalidated. This is a sacred ritual that they just void because they don't like the results they got. Because the results don't support their bigotry.

Expected behavior from a society that has a legal mechanism for erasing people they don't like from history. The Ancestors don't rule Orzammar. Rulers rule Orzammar, and they will make the Ancestors bend their knee to governance when they see fit.

And manufactured desperation rules its streets.

In Dust Town, you don't really have a lot of choices. Even if you were the most loyal, the most faithful, the most talented member of Beraht's following? Once the Proving job goes south, you have two options: Either launch a coup against your fellow Carta members or be killed for screwing up so bad.

This is a microcosm of what it is to be Casteless. We aren't really talking about betraying and murdering your own allies. That's not a choice you get to make. Your options are much more simple: Are you going to survive or are you going to perish? That's it. Those are the only choices that manufactured desperation affords you.

[felassan]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard | High-Level Combat Parts 1-4 writeup

This post also contains transcriptions of the text that was in the video.

This was a four-part video series which has also been edited into a single standalone video for convenience. The video features an elven Warrior Rook from the Grey Warden background and who has taken the Champion spec.

Story/plot, flavor stuff, and other cool stuff

The footage in the new gameplay video was edited to avoid major spoilers, but there is still new story information in there.

Weisshaupt Fortress, the headquarters of the Grey Warden order located in the Anderfels, is under attack and under siege from the Blighted elven god Ghilan'nain, her Archdemon, and darkspawn. The darkspawn are following Ghilan'nain's orders. Rook and the Veilguard must stop her. They set off to find their allies in Weisshaupt and soon meet resistance from the darkspawn. Lots of sacs of Blight corruption are growing on the buildings that make up the fortress. Blight sacs (or something that looks like them. the lil parachute things) fall on the fortress too like missiles. Ghil's face watches the siege from the stormy sky.

This quest is called "The Siege of Weisshaupt". The fact that Weisshaupt would come under attack from the weird darkspawn and a dragon in DA:TV actually first emerged as a detail during a leak a few years ago. Stages and objectives in this questline include "Get to the War Room (Move along the wall)", "Find the dragon trap (Move along the wall)", "Find the dragon trap (Defeat the darkspawn)" and "Get to the Library (Defeat the darkspawn)". I'd guess that said dragon trap in this instance is for Ghil's Archdemon, though it makes sense why the Wardens would even have such a thing as a dragon trap seeing as the Archdemons, when they rise, are in dragon form. Could it be anything like the setup that had confined Ataashi in Trespasser? Also, lore says that Weisshaupt is home to an extensive library.

As this is high-level combat gameplay, the implication could potentially be that this storybeat occurs during the mid-to-late game?

It seems that at times certain companions are required to be taken along on certain quests (iirc this was previously reported in an article somewhere too). For example, Davrin is required during The Siege of Weisshaupt, as it is a Grey Warden quest and he is the Grey Warden companion.

I think Warden Rook's surname is Thorne (Grey Warden symbol in the image). The Rook in the video has the first name "Esha".

Solas' Lyrium dagger isn't only a story thing/magic maguffin artifact that can tear the Veil. When Rook gets it, it appears to have a function/use in gameplay as well. Rook can attach 3 runes to it in different slots. These runes have various functions and effects e.g. Scorch.

The companions are described like this:

Bellara - "Veil Jumper"

Davrin - "Grey Warden"

Emmrich - "Mourn Watcher"

Harding - "Inquisition Agent" (Agent of the remnants?)

Lucanis - "Antivan Crow"

Neve - "Shadow Dragon"

Taash - "Lord of Fortune"

We see additional descriptions for some of them:

Davrin - "Sword-and-board monster hunter commands a griffon"

Lucanis - "Swift and precise assassin with a demonic aura"

Emmrich - "Nevarran professor of death summons spirits"

Harding - "Potion-slinging scout's arrows shock and shred"

(I love these lil descriptions btw, the way they're written is like poetry)

Along with his demonic aura, Lucanis (called "The Demon" per TN) has an ability called Abominate. Implications.. intriguing :D

Lucanis' abilities tend towards crowd control. Davrin can call Assan to attack in battle. He flies down like a meteor or comet and it's so cool. :)

The video includes a bit of flavor text for Grey Wardens from an ability description and a specialization description:

Ultimate Ability [of Grey Warden Rook, presumably] – Warden’s Fire Unleash a barrage of strikes with the burning strength that resides within every Grey Warden. [this does fire damage] Specialization – Champion The pinnacle of Grey Warden combat prowess. The Champion is a born leader who rallies their allies, turns their fervor into flame, and wields a shield as a deadly weapon.

(^ The fire damage and fire motif contained in the above makes sense as darkspawn are vulnerable to elemental fire damage. also, I think when Rook uses Warden's Fire, they blow a horn 'Gondor calls for aid' style, which is super cool.)

The video includes new lore in the form of item descriptions for various gear pieces. Each item appears to be associated with one of the factions, as it has that faction's sigil on its info box.

These guys are darkspawn ghouls. One type is called a Greater Ghoul. (Does that imply the existence of "Lesser Ghouls" or just "Ghouls"?) These are melee mobs. Another darkspawn enemy type is Greater Hurlock Spiker. Those are ranged mobs that throw the spikes from their backs. There are also regular Greater Hurlocks (I think those are these guys) and Greater Hurlock Blighters. The Blighters seem to have sacs of red Blight corruption on their backs, and you can see them throwing globs of this around, thereby spreading the Blight like their name suggests. it seems like these globs explode after impact like grenades or bombs. of course, all darkspawn spread Blight, but that's like an evolution of spreading.

The video features new music.

Enemies can be Sparta-kicked off ledges. Throw your shield like Captain America! (or at least its energy-shadow thing) This Rook has an ability called Titan Stomp.

Lucanis sometimes leaps around in a dramatic burst of crow feathers, kinda flying (it feels like) down from above like a bird of prey.

Thoughts, speculation

Gameplay looks super cool and fun oh shit!

If the plotbeats described above (Ghil, Archdemon, Weisshaupt siege etc) aren't considered by BioWare to be "major spoilers", it makes me wonder about the plotbeats and twists they aren't revealing that would be. yknow?

If Ghilan'nain has an Archdemon, might Elgar'nan also? We've seen different concept art pieces and scenes with two dragons in them, and we have long speculated about a 'Double Blight' of some kind. Two Elven Gods have risen; handily, prior to DA:TV beginning, two Old Gods/Archdemons remained (Razikale and Lusacan). In DA:TV teaser murals and art pieces, the concentric circles motif still had the two 'lit' hemispheres around the outside. If they both have one, which Old God is paired with which Evanuris? BUT. Saying that. alternate theory. how do we even know that her Archdemon is a real Archdemon? Corypheus in DA:I used red lyrium to transform a High dragon into an imitation of an archdemon, his red lyrium dragon. Thedosians initially presumed that this was a real Archdemon. if Cory can do it, why not Ghil and Elgar'nan? Ghil at least has clearly been messing with red lyrium given the red lyrium darkspawn.

I hope we get to visit Weisshaupt at some point before the siege takes place, I'd like to see it as it was and explore it a bit before that happens. 🥺 Weisshaupt in the game looks so like previous concept arts we saw of it (one, two), it's so cool to see all the art pieces come to game-life as assets in-game. also I love all the lil griffon assets around Weisshaupt, like the sleepy statue. and could this scene be the Weisshaupt War Room?

On Ghil's face in the storm: on DA Day 2023 BioWare said:

"To the far west, three Grey Wardens patrol the Anderfels. Tremors have been causing disturbances of late. Their cause is unknown. Upon the distant horizon, a storm of ominous intent brews and darkens the skies."

they were being literal ig about the storm of ominous intent darkening the skies! and then I guess the storm in this concept art of Weisshaupt is the Ghilstorm.

Why would Ghil attack Weisshaupt with darkspawn? I'm sure there's more to it underneath the surface, but from what we know so far, the elven gods are "corrupt"/"Blighted" and are "hellbent on Blighting the world". and if you want to spread a Blight, it makes sense that you would target.. the HQ of the world's main and only defense against the Blight. it's also not a surprise that she is doing so (I don't mean this in a disparaging way. I just mean 'stories put out clues and foreshadowing for the next plotbeats, and if you were following the clues as intended' etc) - we knew that the Anderfels had been experiencing unknown tremors lately and that a storm of ominous intent was brewing there. also, the new darkspawn are mutated and in TN the Wardens discovered in Hormak that Ghil had/has twelve (now eleven) secret underground monster pools in the Deep Roads that mutate darkspawn. lyrium was also involved in that instance, albeit yellow-green.

Ghil's attack on Weisshaupt also explains why in the Thedas Calls teaser trailer, it sounded like Weisshaupt was under attack and under imminent threat. (Ctrl+F "Weisshaupt" in this post for more on that). For example, the line "Grey Wardens don’t hide in our castle. I won’t ask good soldiers to turn tail and run." - this sounds like a dialogue line spoken by a senior Warden specifically during the Seige of Weisshaupt.

It also explains why in this Thedas Calls shot of Weisshaupt, Weisshaupt looks afflicted by red lyrium, there's a dark ominous storm vibe, and things look ruined/threatened. and it explains screenshots and scenes like this and why in the character reveal trailer Davrin was fighting red lyrium darkspawn in a Blighted dark area with griffon assets. (read the "Davrin" section here for more)

"They set off to find their allies in Weisshaupt and soon meet resistance from the darkspawn" - could this be Evka and Antoine? :)

I don't think we see any or many Wardens around in the sections of this quest that we see in this video. I definitely saw at least one dead one. what has befallen them? I hope some of them are surviving somewhere inside the fortress ;-; and where is the First Warden in all this? also, this must be awful for Davrin to see :< A Grey Warden witnessing the attack of your order's heart.

Fighting a darkspawn siege on the walls and roof of a famous fortress is giving me Battle of Denerim, Fort Drakon-DA:O-style vibes and memories. it's perfect :)

With Lucanis' demonic aura and Abominate ability, it's probably time to revisit the idea that there's something inchresting/spirit-demonny going on there. I'm curious to see the take on it this time around and how it differs to e.g. Wynne, Anders.

I love the way hair and capes flip around and move in battle!

^ Ghil's Archdemon, or "Archdemon"? At this point it also looks like.. sacs of Blighted corruption (or something) are falling from the sky down onto Weisshaupt/being launched at Weisshaupt by the darkspawn/Ghil as part of the seige!! jesus!!

Some random other posts of things like stuff I noticed: Davrin and Lucanis height comparison (who knows if it's to scale on that screen though), Summon Baby Button, Davrin and Lucanis icons, Lucanis' smirk, Davrin picture compilation, Emmrich and Harding on the party screen, darkspawn advance, useable trebuchet/dead Warden/giant ominous tube, aeries?/griffon lamp/+2 Heartwood

Item description lore

Each item appears to be associated with a faction, as it has that faction's sigil on its info box. For example, the Golden Casque helm is a Lord of Fortune item.

GEAR WIELDED BY ROOK "Golden Casque – rare heavy helm – [Lords of Fortune] Tall and plumed, this fine helmet is the color of gold – but much harder to dent. The Iron Cast – rare heavy armor – [Mourn Watch] This armor’s vividly sculpted musculature is a testament to Nevarra’s unrivalled knowledge of anatomy. Necropolis Defender – rare targe [a targe is a type of shield historically used by Scottish Highlanders] – [Mourn Watch] The elite guards who stand watch at the gates of the Grand Necropolis use these shields to guard against both the living and the dead. Spellbound Longsword – rare longsword – [Shadow Dragons] This enchanted longsword is bound with burning magic. Andraste’s Will – unique ring – [Shadow Dragons] Andraste was tied to a stake and burned while her earthly husband turned his armies aside and did nothing, for his heart had been devoured. Amaranthine Loop – uncommon ring – [Antivan Crows] Favored by Crows, the uniform rows of stones add balance and precision to every blow. Also some elegance. Heart of Andraste – uncommon amulet – [Lords of Fortune] A charm given to newly anointed Fathers of the Imperial Chantry, the cracked stone serves as a reminder of Andraste’s mortal heart." Rook was also wielding a big hammer and wearing a belt, the icon did not pass over their infoboxes during the video. GEAR WIELDED BY DAVRIN "Blight Killer – rare longsword – [Grey Wardens] An intimidating, one-of-a-kind sword cut from solid obsidian. It is perfectly balanced. Reforged Bulwark – uncommon heater (shield) – [Grey Wardens] Reclaimed from the ruins of an old Warden stronghold, this shield honors the sacrifices of Wardens past while defending their future." Davrin was also wielding his iconic/default armor and what looked like a dagger or shortsword. The icon did not pass over their infoboxes during the video.

Part 1

Text notes in this part:

"Combat Part 1: Prepare For Battle This is an introduction to high-level combat. Footage has been edited for brevity and to avoid major spoilers. Weisshaupt Fortress is under attack from Ghilan’nain and her Archdemon. Rook and the Veilguard must stop her. Let’s get your warrior ready for battle. Abilities & Runes -  Assign abilities and an ultimate attack before jumping into battle. - Equip runes to enhance your power set and access unique abilities when activated. - Choose runes that boost a Warrior’s damage and help with crowd control. Skill Tree - Each combat class has an array of specializations to choose from. - Your Rook has chosen the Champion branch, which favors strong defensive skills. - Utilizing passive abilities like Heavy Armor Mastery will help boost defense if you are equipped with all heavy armor. - You’re going to be battling darkspawn, who are vulnerable to fire. Fiery Resolve will grant us “Flaming Weapons” for a duration when we parry an enemy attack. - We’ll be doing a deep dive on progression systems in the future. Inventory - For this build, you’ll want a full set of heavy armor to activate our Heavy Armor Mastery passive. - Rook is primarily using a Sword & Shield since it allows you to be more defensive. - If you prefer a more aggressive playstyle, two-handed weapons deal more damage, but have fewer defensive options. - The Spellbound Longsword deals high Stagger and can trigger powerful takedowns. - We’ll cover Stagger in Part of this series. - Rook has a fire-based, darkspawn-killer build. - This ring grants a bonus to the max number of burning stacks, which results in more damage over time. - This is just one type of build. Other examples include customizing to emphasize your Shield Toss or Takedowns. - Personalize yours to fit your preferred playstyle. - Selected companions can aid Rook by equipping complementary gear and passives. - This is a Grey Warden mission, so you should bring Davrin into battle with you. [Character selection screen] - In addition to Davrin, you decide to take Lucanis into battle based on his crowd control abilities."

This is what the character screen looks like. There are 'pages' for Map, Character, Companions, Skills and Library. (Library is for the codexes basically).

Gear-wise Rook can equip two different weapons (in this case they have a sword+shield and also a hammer in the 2h slot), helmet, an armor, and what looks like 1 belt/accessory, 1 necklace/accessory and 2 rings. Helmet has a 'hide helmet' toggle. Additionally, the Lyrium dagger has slots for 3 runes. There are also slots at the bottom for 3 abilities and 1 Ultimate Attack (I think). I think the Ultimate ability is based on Rook's background.

There looks like there's 3 different types of things we gather, plus another submenu if you press triangle to see the resources (heartwood etc). The one on the right looks like gold/coin. I wonder what the other two are?

This is what the equivalent pane for Davrin looks like in the Companions menu. Companions have less customizable gear slots than Rook.

This looks like the relationship meter. In this save, Davrin seems to be at relationship level 4 with Rook, a stage which is called "Comrade in Arms".

This is what the 'choose your team'/'gather your party' screen looks like. The companions' cards are these art pieces. At this point in this save, Neve is the only one with the Veilguard sigil above her card. Michael Gamble tweeted that this means "she is a hero of the Veilguard." [source] Maybe this means that her 'loyalty mission', or this game's equivalent thereof, has been completed so that Neve has been able to fully commit to the Veilguard?

Part 2

Text notes in this part:

“Combat Part 2: The Basics Now that Rook, Davrin & Lucanis have the right gear and skills, the team sets off to find their allies. Soon, they are met with resistance by the darkspawn, blighted creatures following Ghilan’nain’s orders. Assess The Battlefield - First, learn the enemy types to strategically exploit their weaknesses. Darkspawn are vulnerable to fire. - You will also see that they are resistant to Necrosis. - Enemies have a multitude of damage vulnerabilities and resistances. - Abilities which exploit weaknesses have a green outline. - Rook encounters a swarm of darkspawn ghouls who favor overwhelming melee. - The ghouls are joined by Hurlock spikers, ranged combatants who are also vulnerable to fire. - Time a Shield Block to parry an incoming attack, which provides an opportunity for a high-damage counterattack. - With this successful parry, the Fiery Resolve passive skill activates Flaming Weapons. Melee attacks will now do fire damage instead of physical. - Use the Kick ability to deal massive damage and knock enemies off ledges. - Shield Throw is an effective ranged attack that can destroy obstacles and quickly close the gap between you and an enemy. - Health pots are available throughout the world. Grab them to prepare for what’s ahead. - Use the Ability Wheel to pause the action, cast abilities, and direct your companions. - Some enemies have tougher additional protection that needs to be removed. A yellow bar indicates Armor Barrier. - Armor is resistant to most attacks. Heavy attacks are the most effective against it. - Here, the darkspawn horde begins to overwhelm. - You can cast Spectral Bulwark, which damages enemies who land melee hits. - This allows you to fearlessly get into the thick of battle. - Enemies have a lavender stagger bar that builds when you land hits. - While an enemy is Staggered, they take bonus damage, and you can deliver a powerful takedown."

Part 3

Text notes in this part:

“Combat Part 3: Buffs, Debuffs, & Crowd Control You’ve mastered your core abilities. Now it’s time to face down a variety of enemies, all at once. Spacing Strategy - This Rook is a Warrior, specializing in the Champion branch, which favors a defensive style of fighting. - Warriors are front-line fighters capable of devastating, up-close attacks. - Rook and their companions can also deploy different tools, such as area-of-effect attacks to uniquely manage various enemies. Buffs & Debuffs - Additionally, activate companion buffs and debuffs to apply status effects. - One example of a buff is Lucanis’ Adrenaline Rush ability which enhances Rook’s damage stats. - Davrin has Heroic Strike, which applies the overwhelmed debuff. This causes the target to take additional Stagger. Crowd Control - This build activates the Shield Volley Passive, which ricochets your shield 3 times if you hit it with a heavy attack. - Rook is getting attacked on all sides, so you command Lucanis to use Abominate to knock enemies down. Fighting At A Distance - Use abilities, like Davrin’s Death From Above, to deal damage from afar. - Or use your Grappling Spear to pull them close.”

Part 4

Text notes in this part:

“Combat Part 4: Primers, Detonators, & Ultimates As your fight progresses, use primers, detonators, and ultimates with strategic timing to turn the tide of battle. Primers & Detonators - Rook can create incredibly damaging combo detonations with the help of their companions. - Assess the situation, and determine which primers and detonators work best against each enemy type. - Command Davrin to Taunt to gather nearby enemies. - Activate the Crystallize rune to freeze the gathered group in place. - Lucanis can use Eviscerate to detonate the combo and strike the whole group. Ultimate Attacks - As the battle progresses, Rook can unleash a destructive ultimate attack. - Now that you’ve mastered these combat strategies and tactics, let’s see them all in action."

Abilities, passives etc

For these I focused mostly on the move’s name + its description. In some cases there's sort of two as there's the one from the Ability Wheel and the one from the Skill Tree.

ROOK Driving Kick – Focus all your strength and determination into one mighty kick. / Deals a very high amount of Stagger. Grappling Spear – Harpoon your targets with a strong throw and drag them in for a closer encounter. / Pulls your target towards you. Press [button] or [button] to perform a follow-up attack Spectral Bulwark – Hone your guard and protect yourself from enemies foolish enough to attack. Enemies who hit you with a melee attack take damage and very high […]. / While active, enemies who hit you with a melee attack take damage and very high Stagger. [Ultimate] Warden’s Fire – Unleash a barrage of strikes with the burning strength that resides within every Grey Warden. Applies Burning to enemies [Specialization] Champion – The pinnacle of Grey Warden combat prowess. The Champion is a born leader who rallies their allies, turns their fervor into flame, and wields a shield as a deadly weapon. [Greater Passive] Heavy Armor Mastery - +Defense while wearing a heavy helm and armor. You are now less likely to be disrupted when getting hit. [Greater Passive] Fiery Resolve – Gain Flaming Weapons on Perfect Defense. Flaming Weapons lasts 50% longer. Titan Stomp – Deals very high Stagger to nearby enemies. LUCANIS Adrenaline Rush – Grants enhanced damage Abominate – Deals high Barrier damage and applies Knocked down to enemies in the area Eviscerate – At half health of less, this deals bonus damage, increasing in effectiveness the closer the target is to death DAVRIN Death From Above – Deals high Stagger [summons Assan to attack] Heroic Strike – Deals high Stagger Battle Cry – Applies Taunted to enemies in the area

There were also names and info popups of different runes, e.g. Mend.

[source]

[teine-mallaichte]

From the rook questions list: Does Storm have an irrational phobia?

Rook Ask Game

I'm not sure if it's irrational, but as a Grey Warden it's certainly... inconvenient. But Storm is scared of Hurlocks.

He's gotten better over time and now rather than freezing he will just ignore anything else in the fight and focus entirely on the hurlock - which is still an issue... But it's better than he used to be.

And, I have written a short snippet based on this 😂 so I give you the first time a 17 year old Storm encountered a Hurlock after 'the blight incident' and his emergency joining.

--

It turned out that being a Warden was fairly boring most of the time. The days blurred together in a monotonous rhythm: long treks across the land, endless training sessions, and the occasional skirmish with small groups of darkspawn that didn’t offer much challenge. The constant vigilance was there, but so was the overwhelming sense of tedium. The real kicker, though, was the dreams. They were unsettling - disturbing glimpses of ancient, echoing voices. He'd been told it was the old gods calling to him, darkspawn whispering through the taint - not exactly a reassuring explanation.

But for the most part, the first few months of being a Warden were uneventful, with nothing more than the same routine repeated day after day.

Another day, another long, uneventful patrol. Storm drifted toward the rear, as mages were supposedly meant to do. That, too, had been a point of contention—apparently, mages cast from the back. Mages used staffs. A mage with a dagger? The Wardens didn’t know where to place him in the formation. In Storm’s opinion, they were just being difficul - too rigid.

Today they were scouting a cave system. It took mere minutes to secure the area, but the weight of the taint in the air was unmistakable - it gripped their senses, pulling at their veins. Darkspawn. A low, guttural growl that reverberated through the cave like a death knell.

Nothing unusual. They fought darkspawn regularly. They were Wardens. It's what they did. But today something felt off.

Storm’s heart raced in his chest, his legs suddenly feeling heavy, as though made of lead. He’d been trained for this. He knew how to fight. He’d only been a Warden for a few months, but fighting was nothing new. So why couldn’t he move? What was wrong with him?

The growl echoed again, sharper this time, and Storm's instincts screamed at him to react. His grip on his dagger tightened, and his hand sparked with flecks of lightning, but his body refused to cooperate. His breath coming in short, shallow bursts, chest tight, the air thick with a strange, suffocating pressure.

He couldn’t move.

The darkspawn appeared from the shadows, emerging with a slow, deliberate gait. Its hulking form loomed over him, eyes glinting.

A hurlock.

It moved closer, its jagged teeth glinting in the dim light of the cave, its hulking form a grotesque reminder of the nightmarish creature that had nearly taken his life. He could feel the taint radiating from it like heat, the suffocating pressure of the Blight filling his lungs, making it harder to breathe. The sound of its claws scraping against the stone echoed in the back of his mind, louder than his own racing thoughts.

“Storm,” Aunt Bethany’s voice cut through the haze of panic, sharp and commanding.

He couldn’t move.

He couldn’t even think.

The growl that came next was deeper, more menacing, and it snapped something inside him. The image of the hurlock biting into his arm, the sickening, tearing sensation, flooded his mind. The Blight. The darkness. The infection. Everything he had been trying to ignore, everything that had led him to this moment, it all crashed into him at once.

“Storm, move!” Aunt Bethany’s voice cut through his mind, but it was distant, as though coming from the other side of a vast chasm. Her urgency didn’t seem to reach him - his mind was stuck, trapped in that single, awful memory. His body refusing to respond.

Get a grip, he thought, move, damn it. He had to move. He had to do something.

The hurlock took another step, its massive footfall shaking the ground beneath them. It snarled, its eyes locking on Storm as though it could sense the hesitation in him.

You’re not that weak anymore. You’re a Warden.

The words echoed in his mind, but they felt distant, too abstract. He couldn’t go through it again. Not like that. Not again.

"Storm!" Bethany’s voice was sharper now, and he felt a hand grab his arm, pulling him back.

The world around him was a blur—shouts, clashing steel, the crackling of his own lightning. Everything felt distant, like he was observing from somewhere far away.

The growl of the hurlock faded into the background as his body trembled, his mana nearly drained, his senses overwhelmed. By the time the creature crumpled to the ground, dead at the Wardens’ feet, Storm was shaking uncontrollably, his legs unsteady beneath him.

The journey back to camp was a blur, the landscape slipping past in a haze.

He could hardly recall the path they took, the faces of the Wardens as they passed. But what stayed with him, vivid and real, was Bethany’s hand still firmly gripping his arm, guiding him, offering him something to hold onto as his world spun out of control.

[mllemaenad]

Of course, Seanna's followup assessment to "The king is oddly informal" is "Oh. The king might just be an idiot." She's a dwarf. Darkspawn are not cool! Darkspawn are not an exciting adventure!

Now, I grant you Seanna is a casteless dwarf. She has not exactly been beating back the hordes herself. But even this origin really hammers home how much darkspawn have shaped dwarven society. Seanna has lived her whole life in the collapsed ruins of shops and houses and forges and even mansions. Orzammar used to be so much bigger. There used to be so many more people. And that's not even getting into the idea that there used to be other thaigs. Orzammar has stood alone for centuries; so long no one even knows how to deal with the re-emergence of Kal-Sharok.

It's good to hear Duncan talk sense, but Seanna already knows this. Rica is smart and Rica listens. And she's got the word from Orzammar's warriors and shapers.

The dwarves already know a Blight is on its way. And yet ... no one takes their knowledge seriously. Why are the humans like this?