#emmrich would be so heartbroken for rook

[ollypopwrites]

They pulled Rook out of the fade only hours ago, and the first thing Emmrich hears as he leaves his room with an urgent letter meant for the Mourn Watch is weeping or at the very least talking (depending on your own headcanon) from the infirmary.

He’s heard Rook talking to Varric before, he’s felt the ache of empathy — his first instinct to reach out his hand and introduce his parents. I understand, it’s sprinkled through every turn through the Gardens.

Victory to the living. Shrines and deep affection for those who had walked amongst them who no longer do — understanding that the pomp and circumstance around death is also for those left behind and not just the dead themselves.

The Mourn Watch isn’t just a catchy name or a legacy, it’s a promise. Initiate Watchers are first and foremost introduced to the importance of grief. The entire reason they exist is to acknowledge the importance of a life lived. For every wail from a loved one was countless moments of joy, laughter, pain, love, and countless other emotions. Proof that a person mattered.

He’s heard weeping/final goodbyes so often, it never stops pulling at his heart strings, but over time it has become a comfort. But it hurts more to hear Rook.

Rook who has comforted every companion with a loss. Bellara and Cyrian. Davrin and his fellow Wardens. Harding and the Titans. Neve and Dock Town/the Viper or Alia’s victims. Lucanis and Caterina or Treviso and the blighted Crows. Taash and Shathaan. Emmrich and his lichdom or Manfred.

Rook has held their hand, been their strength and their guidance so they can all come out on the other side and become Heroes of the Veilguard.

Meanwhile, Rook’s been stuck in a state of denial for almost a year. Toyed with, offered empty hope that Varric was just hurt, just needed time to recover but was still their comfort and mentor. He was holding their hand while Rook became the Leader of the Veilguard. He was there whenever Rook had doubts or felt overwhelmed.

But none of it was real. And acceptance of the loss of Varric was forced on Rook at the same time Rook watched one of their companions die, thinking at least Lucanis had also joined them, and then got stuck in a prison meant to play on one of the hardest things to grapple with: regret.

For 3 weeks one of Emmrich’s dearest friends/his partner has been missing, only to come out of the Fade with fresh grief no one on the team knew they hadn’t yet had to face. And that’s what Emmrich is supposed to be good at.

That’s Mourn Watch basics. That’s everything he sees so often and affects him so deeply with his corpse whispering. It’s what he faced when he lost his parents. It is part of the reason he is as empathetic and gentle as he is.

But Solas put Rook through a long unwitting torture that was so convincing, so delicately played, that in turn Rook convinced the entire team nothing was amiss.

So, while I believe that, yes, Emmrich is fascinated by Solas. Emmrich has empathy for solas. Emmrich does have academic curiosities and interest in speaking with him.

I don’t believe, as a man who loves what the Mourn Watch does and who very dearly loves Rook (platonically or romantically), he’d have nothing to say about the cruelty of what Solas did to them.

[ladylentejita]

Orphan crow Rook had a peculiar habit. Upon returning from a mission—or in the early morning before preparing for one—they would curl up in a ball with a blanket by the hearth in the common room.

The team had always found this quirk both surprising and endearing, but no one had ever asked about it. That is, until Emmrich joined. One morning, over breakfast, he broke the silence with his ever-polite and gentlemanly demeanor.

“Rook, if it’s not too intrusive to ask,” Emmrich began, setting down his tea with a thoughtful expression. “I’ve noticed you have this peculiar routine to start or end your day. May I ask how long you’ve been doing it?”

Rook chuckled lightly at the question. The rest of the team fell quiet, their curiosity evident.

“I’ve done it since I lived in the orphanage, actually,” Rook replied casually, taking a sip of coffee while still fully wrapped in their blanket. “I used to do it whenever I felt lonely or scared. I thought… this must be what it feels like to be held by someone that cares for you.”

The words were delivered with such natural ease, such simple honesty, that they starkly contrasted with the horrified, heartbroken expressions of their teammates.

“Rook!” Harding shot out of her chair so quickly it scraped loudly against the floor. Her eyes were glistening as she threw herself at the blanket bundle, wrapping Rook in a firm, protective hug.

Bellara and Tash followed immediately, equally distraught, piling into the embrace with their leader.

Rook laughed softly, trying to brush off the reaction, but they didn’t push anyone away. Instead, they accepted the affection with quiet gratitude, letting themselves be held.

Bonus 1:

From that moment on, Spite became relentless. Every time Rook was within view, Spite would shout in Lucanis’s mind, “Hurry. Go. HUG HER!”

Lucanis never quite mustered the courage to act on it. But something shifted. Rook’s favorite dishes and desserts started appearing more frequently on the menu, prepared with meticulous care. The cushions on the couch by the hearth—where Rook always curled up—were now kept clean and freshly fluffed.

Bonus 2:

Manfred began joining Rook for their hearth ritual. Every afternoon without fail.

[officialnostradamus]

The Lighthouse is quieter than it has been since before Rook appeared. 

They dropped a tempest into this quiet nook of the fade and suddenly it bubbled again with life. Feet running from room to room, fires blazing in ancient hearths, flowers emerging from long forgotten vines. Busy and bustling, the strangers became familiar. Became friends. Even as they worked to stop the world from toiling and the fade from twisting, there was laughter in the dining hall and study in the library. 

Then the sky went red.

Now, the life within is smaller. The spirits that flock near are mournful, chanting ghostly melodies, an echo of weeping. Neve is working, she's always working, but her notes are spread across Bellara’s work bench now. Bellara is gone, Harding is gone, Rook is gone. Three more people she was supposed to protect. Lucanis brings her coffee and coaxes Assan with him. The griffon is a comfort for her, as much as comfort can be had. For Lucanis, Neve is the comfort. He can still feel the hum of the dagger in his hand, the sudden rending as he finally struck Ghilan’nain from the world. If he’d only held onto it, perhaps Rook would still be with them.

When not nestled in the workshop, Assan is curled around Davrin's boots, a tripping hazard, he proclaims but he needs the comfort just as sorely. A block of wood sits in the center of his bench, like its taunting him. If he starts to carve the fallen, does it mean they won’t come back? He’s a Warden, he’s been through more than enough deaths yet he still doesn’t know what to say to Taash. Nothing will change that Harding is gone, so they sit together and sharpen their weapons, pretending the silence is intentional. 

They all take turns going into the laboratory, the bravest among them still timid. They are all heartbroken, too, and Emmrich knows that. Even in the depths of his own despair he isn’t blind. It strikes him as important to notice because it will matter to Rook, when they return. They should know how much the team loves them.

[kirain]

Rook/Emmerich fic Rook/Emmerich fic ROOK/EMMERICH FIC!

Lmfao! Here you go, anon.

The room was quiet, save for the soft crackle of the hearth and the scratching of Emmrich's quill against parchment. His study was dimly lit, the warm glow of candlelight dancing across his cluttered desk, laden with books, maps, and papers detailing plans too dangerous to speak of. Though nothing was more dangerous than the journey he was about to embark on, the reality of death pervading his mind.

With a dejected sigh, he dipped his quill one last time, the ink glistening as he signed his name with a flourish.

"Darling!" he called as Vae entered, her cerulean eyes grabbed his attention. "I'm just finishing reviewing my bequeathments. It made me consider… a topic I must broach." He stood to face her, nervously rubbing his hands. "The eve before we kill a god, my thoughts turn to mortality. And what we are to each other."

Vae tilted her head, her smile laced with curiosity. "All right."

Emmrich paused, his expression uncertain, as though balancing on the edge of a precipice. "Even under the best circumstances, you will outlive me, Rook. You've… grown to mean much to me and… I care for you, Rook! Deeply. But there are such years between us, I shouldn't heap you with that burden."

Her smile faded, replaced by something softer, more sincere. "I get it. You're scared because you love me."

"What?" His voice faltered, betraying his usual composure. He could sense she was teasing him, despite the gravity of his insinuation.

"It's fine to say it," she pushed, searching for something he wasn't ready to give.

"I can't… at my—"

"You're older than me. I get it." Her words were firm but devoid of judgment, though Emmrich still thought she was joking.

"I'm perfectly serious," he replied, his tone heavy with exasperation.

"So am I!" she snapped back, her patience slipping. "Why are you making this such a big deal?"

"One of us has to pay attention to these things," he countered, his words coming out sharper than intended.

"One of us needs the guts to say how he feels!" Vae's voice rang out, rousing and raw. There was no anger in it—just frustration born from longing.

Emmrich froze, his eyes widening, a flicker of shock breaking through his unflappable facade. For a moment, it seemed as though he had something to add; some rehearsed reply teetering on the edge of his lips. But then, as if overwhelmed by Vae's very presence, he looked away, his shoulders sinking.

The silence that followed stretched on for far too long, thick and uncomfortable. Vae stared at him, willing him to speak, to mend the gap he'd suddenly torn between them. She could feel her pulse quicken, her anger rising with every second that passed without a response, but his eyes remained fixed on the floor.

His refusal to meet her gaze, to give her the acknowledgment she so desperately craved, stung more than the words he hadn't said. But soon her anger crumbled into something worse—disappointment. She could feel it welling up inside her, making her chest clench against her ribs as the realisation settled: he wasn't going to say anything. He wasn't going to do anything.

A sharp ache pierced her wounded heart, but she couldn't force him to speak, and she didn't want to. Slowly, she let her arms drop to her sides. "Look, I... let's pack. Eve before we face a god, right?"

The older man straightened up. He wanted to apologise, but amidst his creeping guilt all he could muster was, "As you say."

The look on Vae's face mounted his guilt tenfold. He could see the hurt in her eyes, much to his dismay. He caused it, and for that he'd never forgive himself.

As she turned away, he lowered his head in shame, every nerve ablaze. He knew he should say something, but for once his extensive vocabulary failed. So many words, so many meanings, and yet none seemed sufficient. Fear, degradation, the weight of his deepest insecurities, and the thought that Vae would one day have to mourn him, alone and heartbroken, chipped away at his sensitive soul.

He kept quiet, even as his inner voice screamed for her to stay. Only Manfred's inquisitive hiss jolted him from his stupor, earning him a rare look of reproach.

"Don't start," he grumbled, his eyes drifting back to Vae.

The further she moved, the more every instinct screeched at him to call out, to bring her back, to make things right. But the words stuck in his throat, his feet rooted to the spot. He could taste the cowardice in his hesitation, and the helplessness of watching her saunter away, but he convinced himself it was better. For her, it was better. His desires didn't matter.

"Actually... no," she whispered, stopping just shy of the door. "No, we're not leaving it like this."

He flinched as she marched back to him, her expression indomitable. "Rook?"

She raised a respectful hand. "Emmrich, do you really think I never considered your age?"

His fingers twitched. "I..."

"Because I did. Of course I did."

"Darling—"

"My parents were murdered, Emmrich. Right in front of me", she said quickly, causing him to wince. "My poor, sweet baby brother, too." She looked away, her brow arching. "I watched them die. I watched..." Tears prickled at the back of her eyes, but she swallowed loudly, forcing them down.

"Oh, Vaelyn..." Emmrich struggled. He reached out to comfort her, but thought better of it, worried she'd recoil in disgust. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you relive that awful memory."

She shook her head, meeting his gaze once more. "I know what it's like to love someone and lose them long before you should. But I've chosen to face that pain again... because it's worth it. You're worth it, Emmrich." Her words were like a physical blow, but she wasn't finished. "Not having you in my life, not because of the inevitable, but because you're too scared to share the time you have... hurts more than I can bear. Worse than losing you naturally."

Emmrich stood speechless, struck by the depth of her confession. He knew there was nothing he could say to undo the pain he'd caused her, but Vae wasn't looking for an apology. She was telling him what she needed, what she wanted. The truth.

"If you think you're the only one tortured by the concept of time," she added, her voice faint, "you're wrong. I think about my brother every day. About the time he lost. He was so much younger than me, Emmrich. So full of life he deserved to live." She took a breath, a brief respite. "But I also think about the time we had together, and that makes me smile. I'm glad I had him, for however short or long it was." Her eyes softened, and she reached out to touch his arm. "If you care about me, then stop hiding behind your age. Because you're right—we don't have forever. We only have the here and now, but that's enough for me."

Emmrich remained silent, his heart pounding like a drum. His thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions, more wild and unpredictable than he'd ever allowed. He hadn't known the full weight of what she carried—the profound, unstoppable pain. Yet there she was, choosing him despite it all.

The guilt he felt for holding back, for trying to reject her in the coldest way, washed over him like a ruinous flood. And in the quiet aftermath of her words, there was a part of him that felt something shift; a crack in the armour he'd built for himself.

Suddenly, before Vae could react, he pulled her into a tight, penitent hug. His arms wrapped around her with a force that conveyed everything he hadn't been able to say, his face burying itself in her lush, floral-scented hair.

"I'm so sorry," he whimpered. "I've been such a fool. I never wanted to hurt you. Never." He squeezed tighter, as if trying to make up for the rift he'd thrust between them.

At first, Vae didn't respond, her body stiff in his embrace, but being held with such genuine remorse, his arms trembling with self-condemnation, shattered her resolve. The fight swiftly left her mind, her hands riding up his back as she melted against him.

"Emmrich..."

"I'm sorry," he repeated, his voice hoarse. "You were right, I was scared. Unfathomably scared."

Vae shook her head, clinging to his shirt in an attempt to soothe him. "Don't apologise for being scared. Just... don't shut me out. Please."

"I won't," he said, his bare hand moving to cradle her head. "I won't shut you out. Not again. I promise."

[profoundlyfaded]

You can tell it’s about 3am and I can’t sleep because I’m lying here thinking about why offering Emmrich the chance in-game to become a Lichlord is such a fucking, stupid idea.

Luckily, the game has clad all our companions in plot armour prior to the Point of No Return but realistically, Rook would be beyond stupid to support Emmrich in becoming a Lichlord at the point it is presented to us in the game.

Emmrich is easily your most powerful ally; I’m not talking about him in the combat sense, necessarily, but in terms of what he is actually there to do for Rook. Fade expert. Ultimately, he is the one who manages to track down your point of escape from the Fade.

So why, when poised on the edge of an apocalypse, would you support him to do a ritual you know could kill him?

Imagine for a moment that DATV had the decision systems of BG3, in particular, I’m thinking about Gale’s God mechanics here, you missed something and Emmrich died as the result of the ritual. What then, particularly if that thing was ten hours of gameplay ago?

Soft locked in the Fade is the answer to that!

It’s such a high-stakes decision to put on the mortuary table. It’s not at all comparable to what the other character decisions are either. Emmrich’a decision is actual life or death. It’s mental.

Ultimately, I think if he chose to give up Manfred, the Lichlords could have been called upon for aid with Emmrich undergoing the final rites at some point after the events of the game.

And actually, that is possible to simulate in the game leaving that open to him because you just don’t finish his personal quest after deciding not to revive Manfred. So long as everyone else is levelled up, your factions are levelled up then Emmrich can survive the final battle without being having Hero of the Veilguard status (I did this with Taash in my second playthrough because I was so heartbroken by their mothers death, that roar…. Poor baby).

This post is in no way a jumping board for a bit of Emmrich/Rook angst as he nears the end of his life with the option of Lichdom still open to him… nope.

[dardinan-ingellvar]

Rook Learns The Truth

Dardin'an awakes with a start, looking over at Emmrich asleep beside them, deep asleep and dreaming of something lovely given the smile on his face. They don't have the heart to wake him, but they silently rush to the mirror to wash their face with some water in the bowl on the table. They look at themself, examining the details of their face, and running their hands over their torso, making sure they're as they should be...and in one piece.

"Okay...I'm just...me...But...that was too real. C'mon, Rook, you know it's just a nightmare...But how-...?"

"How, what, dearest?" Emmrich yawns, sitting up in the bed.

Dardin'an tenses a little and sighs "I suppose...Now that the gods are gone...We can breathe...I can tell you...I have these...dreams. They're so vivid, like memories, but they aren't my own...Or they are, but...Like they're from another life. They didn't start until I met you. And now? It's like a flood. The first had to do with that bangle on your wrist. The one with the chain and the charms. Soul, heart, and flesh...The ways we're bound..."

"How did you-...?!" Emmrich looks melancholy, heartbroken, and astonished all at once.

"...Because it's my memory. I remember giving you that bracelet. Or, when we met, I remembered giving someone that bracelet. One of my first loves, but I didn't remember who. I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried. And then, it was like my mind didn't know how to function, so I moved on, and tried to ignore it. But I had this nightmare tonight. I was exploring a ruin, trying to find a poor lost spirit who was at risk of turning demon. An old friend or family member, I think. But the ruins were booby-trapped, and I failed to notice and stepped right into one. An ax fell from the ceiling, and gutted me...Before I passed, I saw your face in mourning...Then I woke up...Only, I still felt the pain, feared my insides were falling out...And I know it's real, but I don't-"

Emmrich has tears falling from his eyes, and an otherwise unreadable expression.

Dardin'an sees him in the mirror and turns around. "Please, Emmrich...Say something...."

He looks to Dardin'an, still processing what they've just told him. "What...can I say? You're claiming to be my first love, Rook. And you know things you shouldn't be privy to. Things I haven't even told my closest friends over the years. I believe you. Of course I do. You wouldn't make this up, but how?"

Dardin'an shakes their head "I don't know...I just know I'm seeing these memories...and they feel like mine, not just some...psychic link..."

Emmrich tries to clear his head, and tries to piece the puzzle together. "Well...I remember tell of the baby that was found being concerningly thin...as if it was a wonder it was alive at all...What if-..."

Dardin'an winces "...What if the baby didn't make it? So...what? A spirit took over?"

Emmrich shakes his head "A spirit is far too developed. You'd be more aware of your state of being, and would have known long before you met me. No...I think...In order for this to work, a wisp would have had to take hold. But to ensure the body didn't decay, it would have had to be...soon after. Within a day, at least."

Dardin'an sighs "So...I-...or...she...This body was dead...I took over? What does that mean?"

"It means, you are incredibly unique, and you are a wonder for finding your way back to me...I love you, Rook. That has not changed, nor will it"

Dardin'an hugs themself uncomfortably "That is a weight off my mind, but...I'm still not who...or what...I've always believed I was. How am I supposed to just...move on?"

Emmrich pulls them into a gentle embrace "You never have to, darling. It is a monumental revelation...But you are still you, my dear...The last 30 years have not been for nothing. You are not even the person I once loved. You contain a fragment of them, the part that knew me and loved me, but you are very different still. You are your own person, regardless of your origin, and I love you no less for it...For whatever it may be worth..."

Dardin'an clings to him "It's worth more than you know...But I may need time to process this..."

Emmrich kisses their head and gently strokes their hair "Of course, my love...Take all the time you need...But come back to bed. It may help to rest..."

Dardin'an follows him and, after some effort, does fall back asleep, wrapped around Emmrich, for a thankfully dreamless rest of the night.

[eleanorblythe]

Wicked Game - Emmrich x Original Female Character (Rook) - Prologue

I’ve had an idea for a longer story on the brain for a while, but can’t figure out if there would be an audience for something like this, when there are already sooo many beautiful and wonderful Emmrich fics out there.

I wrote the opening chapter - which would start at the end and jump back. If I were to commit to this story it would be a slow slooooooow burn and probably quite long. It would be an amalgamation of about 15 different influences (rip offs).

If I can get feedback on whether this should just be a little project for me or whether people would be interested in reading this let me know!

PS: I am an absolute whore for pain and angst.

You can also read on Ao3 - here

There was fire and smoke everywhere.

She had somehow found herself trapped underneath a heavy set Antaam. Hard and jagged metal cutting into her. Still half dazed she heaved the load off of her and slid herself free. Her battle dress torn and bloody.

The explosion was immense.

Where is he?

They were stood side by side, hand in hand when the eruption happened. She looked around, her vision swimming.

Death lay all around her. Dark spawn starting to crumble to ash, blighted tendrils withering away and the sound of final groans and gasps rang out across the battlefield. Yet despite it all, she was relatively intact. She imaged the large Antaam she was half buried under had shielded her from most of the blast.

She scanned the destruction around her again trying to call out his name, but only coming out as a rasp.

Where is he?

She staggered over the uneven ground, her voice slowly growing stronger, but hoarse. Then she saw a glint of gold, a beacon of hope against the grime and decay. His grave gold reflecting the flames burning lazily around him, in patches.

Equal parts relief and dread filled her as she propelled herself forwards, desperate to reach him. She then tripped and plummeted to the ground. His staff. The skull adorning it was broken with small green wisps sputtering into the ether. She clutched it close to her and scrambled the rest of the distance before throwing herself, inelegantly at him.

“Emmrich!” She gasped as she turned him over and dragged him onto her lap. He looked broken, beaten and bloody. He had obviously taken the full brunt of the explosion. For a moment she thought he was dead.

But he couldn’t be…

“My love, please open your eyes,” she whimpered and with a shaky hand, cradled his face and kissed him tenderly.

She felt his gasp against her lips and she choked a sob pulling back to see his hazel eyes gazing glassily at her.

“Emlygil…dearest…” he tried to reach a hand to her face, but didn’t have the strength, so he held onto her hand that was still grasping his face.

“You did it, it’s over, you did it!” She was babbling, tears streaming, making clear tracks through the dust and dirt splattered on her face.

“We…” he gave a weak smile, his thumb stroking soothingly over her knuckles, over the ring he gave her.

“I’m so proud of you,” she kissed him again, but this time she could taste the coppery tang of blood. She tried not to flinch and pulled back to smooth out his hair, for all the good that would do. “We need to get you cleaned up.”

“Em…” he breathed. Only he could get away with calling her that. He looked…heartbroken.

For her, for him, for them.

“Can you stand?” She asked, knowing the answer.

“Emma lath,” (my love) he said soothingly, like he was helping her come to terms with what they both knew. He was dying.

They were dying.

Fresh sobs came, she was shaking violently and so overwhelmed she was gasping for air.

“I wish we had more time,” she hiccuped in between breaths.

“I know, darling, I do too,” Emmrich used the last of his strength to reach one hand up and tuck her hair behind her Elven ears. Cradling her head, as she did his, feeling her nuzzle his hand, planting a kiss anywhere her lips could reach. Then in very broken elvish he said:

“Ma ghilana mir din'an.” (guide me into death)

In another life, another timeline, she would have rolled her eyes and playfully scolded him on his mispronunciation, and smiled fondly as he furiously scribbled notes and practiced again.

But in this life, as he lay dying in her arms, she could only let out a broken gasp of a laugh and intertwine their fingers.

“You are the bravest, kindest, most incredible person I have ever known. You have shown me and given me so much. You have seen and loved me like no one ever has and I will spend the next eternity of death trying to prove that I was worthy of such a love.”

Emmrich gave a whimper of pain and lost the remaining strength left in his body. She cradled his limp body close to her and she kissed his forehead, nose and mouth with such reverence, repeating the same words she said, what felt like a lifetime ago.

“My heart. My love. My life.”

She pulled back one last time, knowing what she would see. She called out his name. Once. Twice. Before letting out a wail that could have split the battleground into a thousand fractured pieces.

Then she felt it. Her own strength and life ebbing away. Just as was promised.

When one life ends, so must the other.

She shifted her position so she could lay her head over his heart, and pressed his cold, dead hand laced with hers to her lips, whispering into the skin:

“I’m coming my love, wait for me, in the garden of eternity.”

[dngrs-untld-hrshps-unnmbrd]

Graven Hearts

After being unofficially banished from the Mourn Watch, rebellious Lisbette must recruit one of her former professors, Emmrich Volkarin, to help her defeat two ancient Elvhen gods. Hurt that her favourite professor never stood up for her when she needed him, Lisbette takes delight in provoking the handsome, silver-haired necromancer, perhaps enjoying herself a little too much.

Female Rook | Age Difference | Daddy vibes | low key bratting | Hurt/Comfort | Eventual Smut

Start with Chapter One

Chapter Five

The Memorial Garden is blooming under moonlight as they walk among the graves, hand in hand. They light candles everywhere, and then settle down on the grass together. There are so many flowers that Lisbette plucks them and begins to fashion flower crowns. 

‘You’re smiling, Lisbette,’ Emmrich remarks.

She twines flowers together. ‘I suppose I can’t help myself. I have missed it here.’

‘I’m so pleased to hear it. This place is so important to me. After all, it will be a big part of my immortality.’

Lisbettle looks up in surprise. ‘Your...what?’

‘I have been wondering how to broach this subject with you,’ he says carefully. ‘I have many reasons to hope that you become a Watcher again one day, and one of them is that I intend to become a lich lord, one of the great protectors of the Necropolis.’

Lisbette has heard of the lich lords, but few have encountered them. They were all once necromancers like her and Emmrich. 

‘And as you know, I’m afraid of death.’ He frowns at his hands as if believing that this is a failing on his part. 

She reaches forward and touches his hand. ‘You would make a majestic lich, Emmrich.’

He looks up. ‘You really think so? I knew a fellow Watcher would understand. But as my lover, you must have certain feelings on the matter?’

Lisbette continues making her flower crown. He would move closer to the Mourn Watch, when she wanted to stay far away from them. His lifespan would far outstrip hers. Were they doomed before they’d really begun? 

The liches of the Grand Necropolis were distant, other-wordly beings who separated themselves from the living. Emmrich’s lips would no longer be warm, for he would have no flesh and blood. Would his heart turn cold as well, or rather, the space in his chest where his heart had been? Lisbette’s insides ached at the thought. If she had something, a friend, a lover, a home, a sense of safety, was it always destined to be taken away from her? 

‘I will be sorry to lose you,’ she whispers. Sorry? More like heartbroken. 

‘Lose me?’

‘My feelings for you wouldn’t change no matter where you go and what you become, but you....’ It hurt too much to go on.

‘You believe I will change, dearest?’ he asks.

‘Undeath must surely change what’s in your heart. The dead have no need of the living beyond the services we perform for them in the Necropolis.’

Emmrich sighs. ‘This is why I have always said the liches must come out and walk among us more often,’ he says in an exasperated tone. ‘There are so many misconceptions about those who have attained immortality. My heart will not change because of undeath. I will feel all that I do now, just as keenly as ever.’ He hesitates. ‘My body, however...’

His body would be bones, and only bones. 

‘I’m not afraid of bones, Emmrich.’

‘Yes, but I...’ he makes a vague gesture toward his body.

‘Oh. Oh . You mean you--yes, of course. Your anatomy would change as you would be a skeleton.’

‘What we indulged in earlier won’t be easy. But not impossible!’ he hastens to add. ‘I’ve been researching my options, should I ever find a companion.’

‘Do liches feel desire?’

‘Certainly they do, but it is difficult for them to achieve any...satisfaction. But for an advanced spellcaster like myself, there are ways to improvise. I’m rather excited to try them. With the right someone. Who I hope might be you, Lisbette.’

Her lover would become a majestic immortal being made of bones and magic and he would find ways of improvising and spellcasting so they could still be intimate. This was a lot more than she was expecting from a walk in the gardens. 

‘I think your dream is a beautiful one, Emmrich.’ 

She leans forward and kisses him. Their relationship was too new and it was too soon to say I don’t care what you choose as long as we’re together . Even though it was what she felt. 

Lisbette places a flower crown atop his head. ‘Whatever you decide when the time comes, I’ll be by your side.’

--

Lisbette, Neve and, Bellara are making their way through the crowded Docktown markets when someone runs up to her and shoves a piece of paper in Lisbette's hands. They're gone before she can tell who it is. 

As she reads the note, she feels her cheeks turns scarlet with anger, and she shoves it in her pocket.

‘Everything all right, Lisbette?’ Neve asks as Lisbette is looking around for the one who gave her the note. They’ve disappeared from sight. 

‘Fine,’ Lisbette says through her teeth. ‘As long as I can thump some Venatori right now.’

Neve points down a side street. ‘What a good idea. Let’s go this way.’

Later that evening when they return through the eluvian, Lisbette goes directly to Emmrich’s room. 

He looks up from his desk and gets to his feet as he sees the distress on her face. ‘Is everything all right, dearest?’

She passes him the crumpled note to read.

A necromancer is helping the Venatori. His identity may be of interest to you, as he is someone who is close to home. And even closer to you.

‘Someone handed me this in the street. They’re trying to frame you as a spy for the Venatori.’

‘Me?’ Emmrich says in mild surprise. ‘I’m working with you all and with the Venatori? Sounds rather tiring. I take it you don’t believe the message?’

‘Of course not. But who would do such a thing, and why?’

Emmrich studies the note and then tosses is onto his desk. ‘I think I recognize this handwriting. It’s very similar to an old colleague of mine, and we had a falling out. She ran foul of the Watchers for her dark uses for necromancy.’

This was sounding worse and worse to Lisbette. Emmrich has an enemy who is trying to get him in trouble with the Mourn Watch, or even killed as a traitor to everything they’re trying to do here. 

‘We must do something about this.’

‘It’s merely professional jealousy. Johanna can write all the silly notes she wishes.' Emmrich picks up his staff, and wraps both hands around it as he leans on it.

‘How can you be so casual about this? You’ve been wrongly accused.’

Emmrich smiles. ‘Dearest, as lovely as you are with those flashing eyes, you needn’t be upset on my part.’

There’s a tight feeling in Lisbette’s chest that she can barely breathe through. ‘But we must do something. It’s not fair.’

‘I have been meaning to have things out with Johanna for a long time. It appears our meeting will be sooner rather than later.’

‘I hope I will be there when you do. People shouldn’t accuse others of things they did not do.’ To Lisbette horror, tears well up in her eyes and her voice cracks. 

‘Oh, darling,’ Emmrich murmurs, putting his staff aside and folding her in his arms. He holds her tightly against his chest. ‘This isn’t about my old enemy, is it?’

She clings to the front of his shirt, trying to talk but also too stubborn to make a noise in case it sounds like a sob. 

‘I know everything,’ he says gently. ‘I wrote to Myrna asking for a full account of the matter of your exile.’

Lisbette takes a shuddering breath, and then looks up at him. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’

‘Because to speak of it before you were ready would hurt you, and I first wished to show you I am someone you can trust.’

‘You aren’t ashamed of me for drawing the anger of all the Nevarran nobility?’ 

HIs moustache twitches in amusement. ‘The Nevarran nobility? Those tiresome people? I suppose the gentry are perfectly fine. Once they’ve passed on.’

Lisbette gives a choking laugh. 

‘In this life, however, they seem to have little regard for those beneath them. I am sorry for the way they treated you. Reasoning with the nobles is near useless, but if you wish me to speak with the Mourn Watch leadership...’

‘No. I don’t care what they think of me. I don’t want anything from them.’

‘The nobles or our own faction?’ he asks gently.

Lisbette wipes the tears from her cheeks. ‘Both.’ She notices the way he’s looking at her, his eyes filled with doubt. 

‘When I ascend to become a lich, I may have a few things to say to Mourn Watch leadership from my new position.’ He says this with steel in his voice. A little ice as well. Enough to make her shiver. But not in fear of him. In awe. 

He moves around behind his desk. ‘But I do not need to be a lich to write a strongly worded letter to Mourn Watch leadership, remonstrating with them about the disregard they have shown for one of their own. Would that be agreeable?’

‘What would you put in such a letter?’ Lisbette asks curiously. 

‘Let’s find out, shall we?’ He opens his draw, and there is a griffon feather quill lying next to his.

Emmrich smiles to himself, and then takes it out and presents it to her. ‘I just remembered. This is for you.’

A quill, made from one of Assan’s wing feathers if she’s not mistaken, and the nib is polished silver. It’s exquisite. 

‘But why...’ 

‘Because quills always made you happy, dearest. I hope they still do.’

He remembered after all this time? 

‘I love you,’ she blurts out, and then covers her mouth with her hand. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud. But whether you are a man or a lich, I don’t want to be without you.’

Emmrich’s eyebrows raise in surprise, but then he smiles. ‘Do you mean that, dearest?’

He was always her favourite, and she always did have a crush on him. Now that he’s hers, her heart has exploded with feelings for him and they’re flying out of her mouth. 

Lisbette nods.

Emmrich kisses her. ‘Good, because I love you.’ He sits down. ‘Now, the letter. I’m going to enjoy writing this, and after, I’m going to show you just how much I love you. Another walk in the memorial gardens perhaps, or there is a wonderful little place to eat in Nevarra that I know. Or perhaps we will stay here and enjoy each other’s company,’ he says, sorting through his writing materials for the right paper. 

Running her new quill feather through her fingers, Lisbette stands by his chair and watches him write a long message with angry, indignant flourishes on the letters, and many long and satisfying words. 

The letter may not do any good, but it doesn’t matter to Lisbette. This is the loveliest thing anyone has ever done for her. 

[jazzmckay]

davg day 6:

if anyone needs me i will be over here lying on the floor

i'd already collected all the wolf statuettes apparently so as soon as i got the last from the inky (!!!!!!) i was able to view all the regrets back to back to back to back....

so yes. the floor. im a fun mix of excited and overwhelmed and heartbroken. stunned to find a ton of my headcanons are now actual canon. how intense. poor solas, jfc, but also shiiiiiit the dagger and the titans, thats so damn rough. i understand why lace is as angry as she is. the dwarves absolutely got the worst deal ever here. they are, after all, the ones who have to deal with the darkspawn all the time, not just during a blight. i took so many screenshots during all this.... i loved that the whole team got together like a damn book club to discuss solas' worst memories omg... rip to solas he's been mega exposed. the mortifying ordeal of being known. but my rook is absolutely sympathetic. i'm constantly wishing i could go talk to him whenever i want :( solas :(((( (id REALLY like to write a missing scene where rook goes to talk to him after minrathous vs treviso because who the fuck else would understand the weight of dooming innocents on such a scale? part of her sympathy is because i, the player, am sympathetic, but i also think the harder being a leader gets, the more she understands the complexity of the choices he made)

the topic of curing the titans came up..... houghhh is it really possible? will it happen in this game? aAaAAA

and then im meeting someone in the crossroads with morrigan, who she called "she". am i about to meet mythal? in spirit form after solas took her power at the end of dai??? i realize i can get this answer as soon as i want lmao but theres soooo much i want to do at the same times always!!!!

TAASH. i need to know everything about you RIGHT NOW

during all these sequences, i found myself so intrigued by everything taash had to add. theyre actually... really fucking smart? brains AND brawn? my DUDE thats hot. i got this vibe from the "taash talks" stuff as well. there is so much to them beneath the Brutal Warrior vibe

also i got a giggle out of taash immediately being like "they were fucking" about solas and mythal, and i got approval for agreeing "oh they were definitely doing it" sdfgmf incredible

i did indeed get a continuation about taash's gender issues and i'm so in love.... it's actually really wonderful to see a character still figuring it out instead of already knowing. cathartic. the struggle of feeling "not normal" and having a different response to gender things than others. simply not having the frame of reference or the terminology, just knowing theres this Feeling. can't wait to see how it plays out

the way solas was responsible for this with the titans and then when he woke up in the current world with the veil, he felt like it HAPPENED AGAIN.... ACCIDENTALLY. TO HIS OWN PEOPLE im going to scream. the way its linked to tranquility. screaming and screaming and

honestly all of this was delicious in a ton of ways, including lace, bellara, and davrin just being present, leaning all this about the dwarves, the elves, and the blight. bellara and lace relating over the need to reevaluate so much of what they understood..... hhh and davrin probably now understands more about the blight than any other warden ever.

when bellara mentioned that solas might be able to possess someone to escape the fade my pupils went blown like an excited cat lol literally instantly "POSSES ME, SOLAS....."

yes yes we're supposed to be wary, we're expecting him to betray us of course of course but listen. rook and solas could be in one body fighting this together as a little treat. im just SAYING

so after this i did emmrichs personal mission in the necropolis gardens, which was fucking beautiful. i do actually find cemeteries really peaceful, personally. ive been to some old canadian ones and had a great time sitting in the grass between the headstones and writing in my journal. so i loved this very much. walked around quite a bit, not sprinting at all, just taking it in and doing the side quest there

also emmrich and bellara are team "upbeat and kind, reveal their traumatizing backstory, then go back to normal like that never came up!" omg they.... i wish there was a "hug companion" button

i went to the anderfels after but i was feeling a bit overstimulated with all the stuff i learned! but i will def play more later because i am dying to find out more

[sunsetwaltz]

Thinking about how out of all my canon DA protagonists, Rook is the only one to get a straightforward romance (with a hint of HEA).

Mahariel/Alistair: She dodged a bullet by never finding out that Anora would throw her under the bus without a second thought. So she crowned Anora, didn't encourage Alistair to become king because he never seemed interested, and took the "easy" way out by (reluctantly) agreeing to Morrigan's ritual. If she had submitted to Cauthrien, well, King Alistair definitely would've left her heartbroken.

There's also the whole "Creators, do I really have feelings for a shem human?" crisis, y'know feeling like a traitor to her people for daring to love a human. And later on feeling immense (survivor's) guilt for not performing the ultimate sacrifice and irrationally believing she robbed Alistair of a better, more stable future. Which is why Alistair's romanced dialogue in DAI had me giddy, swooning and relieved:

"Happier than I ever dreamed possible. She's more than I deserve... And I hope I make her days easier as well."

Oh and let's not forget the Calling. That kind of puts a damper on the future.

Hawke/no one/the fade: RIP my Hawke. She had a fling with Isabela but the game bugged and didn't properly register their breakup... She couldn't romance anyone else or experience the full Isabela romance. If I had known that bug would happen I would've committed to Isabela lol.

In the Keep, I had her in a relationship with Sebastian for funsies. Except she's a mage and I personally don't believe a Sebastian/mage Hawke romance would end happily. Not unless he gives up the throne to Starkhaven, which I doubt either of them would want. Even by 9:52 Dragon I'm not sure Starkhaven or the rest of Thedas would realistically accept a mage as their Princess (he'd probably give the same speech as Alistair heh). So off to the Fade she went during Here Lies the Abyss.

Lavellan/Solas: It's Solas. He makes things complicated just by existing lol. Y'know as a quiet, not-humble, tea-hating, fade-obsessed dreamer apostate scholar. Not a god but still an absurdly powerful immortal elven mage straight out of Dalish legend. Maker of the veil. Sunderer of the titans and the Elvhenan of old. Leader of the elven rebellion against the Evanuris, liberator of elven slaves. The guy who played a hand in creating both the breach AND the blight. Who is "kind and wise and sad" and terrible at loving someone and being loved in return.

"The course of true love never did run smooth" is THEM. Ten years, man.

Rook/Davrin: Felt straight up like a Disney or Pixar romance - lighthearted and cute. I appreciated how level headed, grounded and confident he seemed. How he had a sense of humour but knew when to be serious. How he didn't have any overwhelming angst or drama in his life (after ten years with Solas yk...a girl needs a break!). It felt like Davrin truly understood what was important during all those round table discussions, like he and my (humorous) Rook were on the same page, that they definitely had inside jokes of their own. In a way, it felt like Davrin became a "rock for Rook".

Also ASSAN. My absolute favourite, my adopted baby griffin! While I would've liked to learn more about Davrin (which clan is he from? Does he have any siblings or surviving family? How'd he get his scars?), I was fairly pleased by this romance and all the cute family moments. Except for y'know that barely anyone in the game acknowledges it - it's only Emmrich, Davrin himself and Ghilan'nain of all characters lol afaik.

(Neve absolutely does not count! Watch/read the banter again. Only Rook responds to Davrin's comment about their future; Neve doesn't even offer anything like "I'm happy for you two" FKSDLAFJ;LSAKD;LKF)

When it came to the scene where they discuss their future together(!), it felt only appropriate to allow at least one of my DA protags to have a happy ending. (At that time I had no idea about Solas/Lavellan.) I liked how the game followed up on the "settling down and raising our half-bird, half-cat kid" later in Act 3. Plus Davrin referencing an earlier cutscene, coming around and suggesting they "go flying one day"... That really warmed my heart <3

[utilitycaster]

did companion quests this morning before driving for two hours for nothing (site visit that got fucked up) so I'm going to send some emails but first let us recap because it is a WILD series of events I have had.

Went to the Necropolis (I always start singing The Church's Metropolis in my head when I say "Necropolis") to lay flowers on Emmrich's parents' graves while he talks to me about lichdom. I'm aware of the consequences thereof though I know it's a ways off, and learned wild new things about Hezenkoss, but specifically it sets up such a fascinating conundrum. Great job; it's fun to play this as a Mourn Watcher who isn't a mage, incidentally, because the dialogue actually handles that scenario gracefully for once.

Went back to the Lighthouse, where Lucanis and Davrin were getting drunk and swapping stories. They're bonding! Finally!

Went to Dock Town to go to dinner with Neve, who is like "Hal's not there so sorry we're skipping stones" and this turns into her having an epiphany on the case with Aelia. It's a good moment and I'm going to talk about it later because...

Lucanis's companion quest (which, as I understand it, is NOT available if you chose to save Minrathous) is also in Dock Town; Teia and Viago have information that's too hot for Treviso so they meet you in the Cobbled Swan instead. They reveal that Caterina's ring was thrown out, which is NOT a thing Illario (only Dellamorte present) would do, which means it's a signal. At this point, Spite takes over and addresses Rook and you go into Lucanis's Mind Palace Prison and it's INCREDIBLE. Genuinely one of the most intense and wild social encounters. I have like 5 memes in mind for later. Literally the only criticism I have is that as you go through the four "locks" (insecurities slash traumas slash Lucanis being more than a little suicidal) is that the Veilguard Team Insecurity should have been represented by Davrin rather than Harding; ngl I missed a lot of Harding's mixed feelings about Spite because that's very early in the game and I tended to do Rogue + Mage partners for quests early on and wasn't as good at eavesdropping on Lighthouse conversations so I kind of missed Harding's trepidation, whereas Lucanis and Davrin's animosity is made much more central. But Caterina and ESPECIALLY Neve (who, because I'm romancing neither Lucanis nor Neve, gets some UNHINGED commentary from Spite) and Illario are all flawless encounters. And THEN after you convince Lucanis to work with Spite and most importantly that he deserves to live and stop punishing himself forever (fun fact! the comedy mask options, which usually aren't my bag? feel really natural and good here, which I think makes sense, as a person who has irl talked more than one person, including myself, off both some dark emotional paths and also bad trips, usually not at once) you both come to and Viago and Teia are like why are both of you dissociating. focus up. A+ quest only one note.

I then returned to the lighthouse where Neve has Emmrich do necromancy on a Shadow Dragon's skull, which is all very nice, and THEN immediately Lucanis is like. Rook! I baked a pie that is Neve's favorite! Have I fucked up everything ever? And, of course, I was like "please for the love of the maker, in whom Rook doesn't believe* tell her how you feel." Anyway this rules.

I think I'll have to finish the full playthrough to give final judgment, and I do think saving Minrathous would be interesting, but from what spoilers I know and from what I've said previously about Neve I think saving Treviso is genuinely the stronger story. Like, on a main story narrative level Treviso is more defenseless and the Shadow Dragons are screwed but Minrathous itself isn't nearly as fucked up by the dragon attack as Treviso would be, but also the Dock Town folks rally better than the Antivans do and that extends very much to Neve and Lucanis. Neve is furious and heartbroken, but she shows up to the story deeply cynical and there's something extremely rewarding about having her come back and say "I knew it, I can only rely on myself, people always let you down, everything sucks and the work will never be done" and to, through persistent work and patience, show her that sometimes people fuck up or let you down and they didn't mean to hurt you and sometimes they can make amends (to the point that we are on quite good terms now!) whereas if you abandon Treviso something breaks in Lucanis and never really recovers. Like, both of them are very pragmatic, but Lucanis does, deeply, want to see the best in people despite everything, and Neve is already, as I said, very cynical and self-reliant even before she's hardened. Also frankly she comes into the story somewhat more mentally well having not immediately been in a torture prison experiencing demon possession for the past ten months. Not that anyone here is mentally well, the reason I'm so obsessed with this story is because "a bunch of highly competent bisexuals with extreme perfectionism issues and various flavors of anxiety and depression move into magical co-op housing, fight god" is, you know, kind of my whole deal, but Lucanis is much more fragile than she is to start.

*I literally played Mourn Watch entirely for the Old Kingdom/Locked Tomb/General Goth Tendencies of it all, and also because I saw a chart that said it was one of the less popular factions and so I was like well then, I shall pick that one, but I cannot stress how much as a Jewish person it speaks to me. Like wow a focus more on ritual and works and importance of knowledge and duty as opposed to faith? Thinking cremation is a weird death custom? The belief that there is a particular importance and selflessness in the work you do to lay the dead to rest? Kind of meh about the main religion of much of the surrounding world but must admit the aesthetic fucks? Anyway. Highly recommend Mourn Watch.

Also btw I learned no one knows what Vorgoth is (which is very funny because we know what he DOES, he executes people who do high crimes against necromancy) but we don't know if he can fuck. He DOES collect landscape paintings? Also if you're Mourn Watch Myrna is kind of mean to you and it's pretty great.

[officialnostradamus]

It struck him, as it so often did, just how tolerant Emmrich was with him. What he put up with. He was still chuckling at that stupid joke and his hand was still massaging Rook’s scalp, tender and soothing. Rook nuzzled beneath his chin, pressed a kiss to his jaw, breathed in the scent of him. Vetiver and cassia, sweet and a little smoky, immersed in all of the things he cared to spend time on, including that he was fastidiously groomed. A reflection of the studious care he always took, including with the way he handled Rook. 

“You know, I can’t tell you how lucky I am that you’re such a patient guy,” he said, finding it and aching requirement to put the thought into words. This one mattered. 

“Patience is a worthy goal, my dear. Especially for one who teaches!” Emmrich agreed, because of course he would, but he caught Rook’s chin. His gaze was curious, searching, and Rook worried something might have slipped into his tone. “Whatever brought that to mind?”

“Nothing particular,” Rook told him with a chuckle, diffusing the severity. The sentiment was commonplace, rolling off of his tongue with the ease of necessity. There were too many times he should have said it and never did. “I know I make it hard to care about me, and I’m lucky you bother trying.”

**Alright, friends, personally I'm heartbroken, so for fun -

[himbopunk]

character dialogue scenes: Rook (Hakim) and Illario

takes place after Bloodbath. while Lucanis prepares to interrogate Zara's corpse with Emmrich, Illario requests a private meeting in Treviso with Rook. against his (and Neve's) better judgement, he goes, without telling Lucanis.

(this kinda jumps halfway into the conversation though. i was struggling with the intro part so i just. didn't. lmao)

Illario: You.... chose him, over me. [Sighs, then laughs]

Illario: I don't know why I ever expected anything different.

Hakim: Oh, fuck you, Illario.

Illario: What, am I wrong? He, his demon, nearly killed me, Rook. And you still side with him.

Hakim: Yes, you're fucking wrong. You act like I didn't choose you first. Back in Llomerryn, I chose you.

Illario: You didn't even know who Lucanis was, then. But now that you do...

Hakim: No, you don't get to do that. You and I both know this all happened by circumstance. But if I had known him back then, I would've made the same choice, because things were different. I didn't care about the Crows, Illario. I gave you an out, but you dug your heels in. It's not my fault things turned out this way.

Illario: [Laughs bitterly] An out... Do you know how naive you sound?

Hakim: [Scoffs] Do you know how much like an asshole you sound?

Illario: Please, it was never going to play out that way.

Hakim: Maybe! Shit, maybe it would've gone horribly for us both, but you didn't even try! Instead you ran home to Treviso, a heartbroken coward with your tail between your legs--!

Illario: [Interjecting, raising his voice over Rook's] What was I meant to do--?!

Hakim: [Raising his voice even louder, all but yelling over Illario, cutting him off] You'd rather betray everyone that's ever mattered to you than take the risk to better yourself! To fucking free yourself! You can get tangled in your own gods-damned head about what never was, because you chose for it not to, all you fucking want. But you made this happen, Illario!

Hakim: [Back down to a normal volume] I might not have even met Lucanis, if you didn't have Zara imprison him. You realize that, right? Maybe that would've been you on the team with me, instead of him. Maybe you wouldn't have ever been First Talon, but maybe you would be the Crow that killed a god. Maybe you would've been both.

Illario: I didn't have Zara imprison my cousin, Rook. What kind of monster do you think I am?

Hakim: Oh, come on, Illario, spare me. I'm not as stupid as people seem to think I am. I'd think you should know that.

Illario: I do. I wouldn't have asked you here if I thought you were, Rook. You're one of the only people in this with their head on straight enough to trust.

Hakim: [Laughs] She called you amatus, Illario! Maybe you don't remember much of... back then. But you should still remember where I came from.

Illario: Ah... mierda.

Hakim: Yeah. And Neve was there, he'd hear it from her if not from me.

Illario: Still, Rook, you have to know I'm being honest when I say I didn't mean for this to happen, not exactly. Not like that. If I knew she was doing that to him, that she was going to do that to him, make him...

Hakim: An abomination?

Illario: ...That's not what I wanted, Rook.

Hakim: ...Right. But even then, the Venatori, Illario? Really?

Illario: [Bitter laugh] And you're so much better? You might play the hero now, but--

Hakim: [scoffs, interrupting him] I'd never voluntarily swap spit with a slaver, Illario. There's a fucking line. Even most of the Raiders knew that.

Illario: I'll be the first to admit, that was... a miscalculation on my part. I thought I was playing Zara, but the street ran both ways, it seems. Almost all of Lucanis's contracts by then had to do with Venatori, so... it was a means to an end. Seduction is a useful tool in a Crow's arsenal, as they say.

Hakim: [Narrows eyes] Right. That's all it is.

Illario: ...Hakim, you know I didn't mean--

Hakim: It's fine, Illario.

Illario: [Sighs]

[Long Pause]

Hakim: So... Where does that leave us?

Illario: ...Have you told Lucanis?

Hakim: No. But Emmrich and he were preparing her body when I left. It's only a matter of time.

Illario: That's not what I was asking.

Hakim: What, about Llomerryn?? Why would I?

Illario: I think he deserves to know.

Hakim: I think he deserves to know who his cousin is, Illario. So... maybe everything will come to light, soon enough.

Illario: [Sighs, resigned] I... You know I can't let you do that, Rook.

Hakim: You're going to let me walk out of here, Illario.

Illario: Why would I do that, given what's at stake?

Hakim: The world's at stake you fucking-- Look. Your brother's much, much kinder than I am. He could barely kill you even with a demon of pure Spite at the wheel. But if you come at me, at us, I will put you in the ground. And if I don't manage to finish the job, someone else will.

Illario: Please.

Hakim: Try me.

Illario: ... [Laughs] I always liked that about you, Hakim. Beneath all the sunshine, all the quips and foolishness, you're as sharp as a knife.

Hakim: ...It's how I survived.

Illario: It's how we both did.

Hakim: [Groans, frustrated] How did things get so fucked up with us, Illario?

Illario: Please, Rook. This is just what Crow politics looks like. Last year more than half the Talons died in a meeting about the Antaam, because of one man's theatrical bid for power, and Antiva pays the price. My entire family was killed by men I had seen at my sister's quince only months beforehand. It doesn't matter if I'm the one doing it, betrayal was always part of the job.

Hakim: ...Lucanis is still going to find out soon. Whether I tell him about the amatus thing or not, whether Neve does.

Illario: I know.

Hakim: You sold him out. You sold out Treviso to the Venatori.

Illario: ...I know.

Hakim: You killed your First Talon, Illario. Your own grandmother.

Illario: ...Mm.

Hakim: I don't know how you come back from this, Crow.

Illario: ...Maybe I don't.

Hakim: ...Look. Help the other Crows with the Antaam for now, it's still your city, and we all need the Butcher dealt with. We can find a way to deal with the Venatori. Without Zara, they'll flounder in Treviso. It won't be hard. But when Lucanis figures out what happened, the part you played in it all? He's the one who gets to decide what to do with you in the end, not me.

Illario: Of course he does.

Hakim: You made made choices, Illario. Really shitty and stupid fucked up choices, but you have to live with them. With the consequences.

Illario: Right, is that what you've done, then? With the gods, with Weisshaupt? ....With Minrathous?

Hakim: ...You weren't there.

Illario: From what I hear, neither were you. Not when it counted.

Hakim: [Stands up abruptly] I'm leaving, Illario. Don't try to stop me.

[Illario watches him move from their table. Reluctantly, he waves off the archer he had waiting from a rooftop above, cursing under his breath as Hakim walks away.]

[sca3a]

Ooooooh 🌸 & / Or 🌾 Please!!! 👀

~ mercars-musings

Aw, thank you so much for the ask! <3

I am answering this for all my Rooks, because I can ☺️

🌸 Does your Rook have any siblings or close friends they see as such? Where are they during the events of Veilguard?

- Taleasin has two adopted siblings. An older brother, Lucius, which is the Mercar's biological son. He is a mage and as such enjoys quite a bit more luxuries than Taleasin, even though they too are a mage. Then there's Novia, their younger sister. She's a Qunari and also adopted.

Taleasin and Novia are super close, much due to the fact that they live in a country that does not like them.

Taleasin does have a couple of close friends in the Shadow Dragons, and they did keep in touch as they were sent away with Varric. Unfortunately they did not survive Elgar'nan's invasion of Minrathous, although their family did thankfully.

- Natalis was an only child to a single mother. As a child he had a lot of friends in the alienage, but at the age of 7 he was taken by Tevinter slavers and sold to a magister in Vyrantium. During his enslavement, he had no friends due to not being allowed to. He wasn't even allowed to speak to the other slaves.

After having, more or less, forced Viago de Riva to bring him back to the Crows after the latter having assassinated his master, Natalis eventually found a friend in Crecenzia - a fellow fledgling.

She was the one to keep him appraised about House affairs as he was off with Varric, as well as commenting on the fact that "Viago may be cursing your name, Nat, but Maker knows he misses your annoying ass."

She does join the final fight because Natalis deserves all the help he can get.

- Felassan grew up in a Dalish clan in Arlathan Forest. He has three sisters, all of them younger. All of them struggled with his decision to give up his role as First and join the Grey Wardens - because why would he do such a thing?

In the Wardens he found a close friend in a young man who had taken the joining just prior to him. Felassan viewed him as a brother and he loved him dearly, so he was absolutely heartbroken when he realized he hadn't survived Weisshaupt.

- Esha has four siblings, that she know of. Born from an inappropriate relation between a magister and his favored elven slave, Esha has been brought up in less than favorable conditions.

Growing up it was hard having friends, but she did find a couple amongst the magister's other younger slaves.

After escaping the galley she was serving on, and having been taken in by the Lords, Esha found friendship and kinship amongst her fellow Lords - especially a couple of Qunari siblings.

Those siblings helped out at Minrathous, because they knew she would help them if need arose.

🌾 If there was a demon trying to trap/take over Rook, what kind would be most successful? What would break their hold?

(Jikes, this was a difficult question to answer 😅)

- For Taleasin I think a Fear demon would be the most successful, because they carry a lot of mental scars and PTSD. They doesn't show it, but they are scared A LOT. And I think a Fear Demon would sniff that out easier than a mouse on cheese.

Seeing as their love for Emmrich runs deeper than anything, I think he would be able to break the demon's hold - much thanks to his Fade experience and deep knowledge of spirits.

- For Natalis it would be a Rage demon. He carries a lot of rage after everything he's gone through and just mentions of Tevinter, magisters and slavers causes him to fly into a white hot rage.

Breaking the demon's hold would be difficult, seeing as how deep his scars run, but I think Lucanis (with a lot of help from Spite) might be able to reach him.

- Being trained by the Dalish, Felassan would be difficult for a demon to possess because he has been taught how to identify a demon's presence. BUT! If it would happen, it would most likely be a Desire demon. In the clan he often struggled with his sexuality and his feelings for a hunter whom he had fallen in love with. The hunter, however, spurned him because he disliked Felassan's homosexuality.

Seeing as the Demon would most likely take on Maron's appearance, Felassan would most likely manage to break the hold himself. Mostly because, even if he still has some feelings left for him, but those feelings are quickly being eclipsed by his feelings for Davrin. And Davrin would run his sword through the Demon without even blinking, so there's that.

- Ersa would most likely be targeted by a Pride demon.

She can be a bit prideful, especially when it comes to her abilities to find treasure and dismantle traps.

She has no knowledge of the Fade or spirits and demons in general, and seeing as she isn't a mage she has never even considered being trapped by a demon. But luckily she has a partner who's a Fade expert, and he'll save her.

<This became very long. Sorry! 🙈>

[by-ilmater]

okay i'm a good ways into my second playthrough of datv and i realized i never posted any of my thoughts after i finished the first time. warning for end game spoilers, like big time, i mean it

many of my initial criticisms still stand, for me. like dai before it, i think datv suffers from some pacing issues. it starts off very slow, and i don't think it really starts to open up until after the dragons. i've always thought dai had the same issue, that the game only really gets going after you get to skyhold.

idk how to really phrase this, but the emotional pacing? feels off for me? does that make sense? like, there's several moments in the game where something absolutely devastating happens, and they did a really good job of capturing that. i think the aftermath of the dragons are a good example of this. in my second playthrough i'm playing a crow rook, so i chose to save treviso (did it the other way the first time) and the moment you fast travel back to dock town after that and half the building is just fucking GONE. that was a gut punch holy shit.

but then, so much of the rest of the game feels.....idk. cold? flat? it just doesn't seem to have a happy medium, there's either huge shit happening or....eh.

i will say, i think i'm enjoying the game more on a second run and that's not super common for me. it has let me pay way closer attention to how they actually handled varric after knowing he's dead the entire time, and there's some surprisingly clever moments.

speaking of the dragons, something i do like that datv did that felt more in line with origins is the game forcing you to make fucked up choices and live with the consequences. there's several moments in origins where you can just straight up lose a party member if you say something wrong or do something wrong, and I think that got kinda lost in da2 and dai. especially in dai, you have to go out of your way to really fuck shit up. i like that the dragons are bad no matter how you choose. i like that, if you choose wrong during the final battle, people will just straight up die (that's also very mass effect 2 and i love it). someone will also die no matter how you choose! there's no way to save harding or davrin after that choice, afaik. i like that.

i wish that we had more freedom over our rook as far as backstory and age and things like that. i really hate that the game basically railroads me into playing rook as young, especially during the emmrich romance. that irritates the fuck outta me. why give us the option to give rook wrinkles and grey hair and whatnot, and then insist that they're some naive twentysomething? haaaaaaaaaate that. i think, for a voiced pc that wasn't just a named person like hawke or shepard, dai struck a good balance. i liked that characters would ask your inquisitor questions, and then you got to decide how they felt. rook doesn't get that.

i miss being able to just talk to the companions whenever. like, i do like that they kinda move around the lighthouse and interact with each other, but i think we also could've been given the ability to talk to them while they did that, instead of having to wait til they have their little speech bubble prompt. idk what inspired the decision to make it like this, idk if people complained that there's too much talking in previous da games. but i loved all the talking and i want it back.

this is a petty personal issue, but i am so so sad we finally got to see weisshaupt in a game and it immediately gets fucking destroyed. literally so heartbroken. i've wanted to see weisshaupt since alistair talked about it in origins.

this feels like a mean criticism but.....some of the voice acting does not hit for me. i chose the american male voice for ezra, cuz he's a city elf from ferelden. and man, it bugged me the whole fucking game lol. but with kai i chose the british male voice and the difference is huge.

goddamn this got long lmao sorry. i'm sure i'll think of more later.

[songbird-and-her-fos]

So I wrote some banter for my two Rooks, Lyrei (Mourn Watch, romanced Emmrich) and Anita (Crow, romanced Lucanis)

Anita and the Crows Part 1 (takes place right after meeting with the Crows for the first time)

Bellara: Hey Anita? Can I ask you something?

Anita: Ask away.

Bellara: How did you end up with the Crows?

Anita: That's kind of a loaded question.

Bellara: I know, sorry. I'm just curious.

Anita: I was sold to them when I was seven. My parents had gotten themselves into debt with some pretty nasty people, and hoped I would sell for enough to settle that debt.

Bellara: That's horrible!

Anita and the Crows Part 2 (takes place at the Lighthouse after Lucanis was freed from the Ossuary)

Bellara: I still can't believe anyone could do that to their own child…

Anita: It's a pretty normal way to end up with the Crows. Most people who have a choice see what happens during training and immediately walk the other way.

Bellara: You must have been heartbroken.

Anita: I was mostly angry. At that point, they had already abandoned my baby sister in Nevarra, so I knew that my parents weren‘t great people and that they wouldn’t hesitate to do the same to me.

Bellara: Oh no… do you know what happened to your sister after that?

Anita: No. We left Nevarra right after, so the abandoned child couldn’t be traced back to my parents suddenly having one child less. I like to imagine that she was found and raised with all the love she deserved.

Lyrei: …Do you remember your sister’s name?

Anita: I wish I did. But she was barely a few days old when everythig happened; not enough time for me to remember her much.