#first week in thedas

[felassan]

Dragon Age: "The release date for #DragonAge: The Veilguard will be revealed TOMORROW! We're excited to share this moment with our fans with a release date trailer, and in the coming weeks we'll also have high-level warrior combat gameplay, Companions Week, and more. 💜 Tune in to our next trailer HERE: [link]" [source]

The next Dragon Age: The Veilguard roadmap is here! The release date is being revealed tomorrow along with a new trailer!!

[Trailer premiere link]

Trailer video description:

"Return to Thedas in Dragon Age™: The Veilguard. Solas's ritual is interrupted - but at what cost? The corrupt Elven gods have broken free and are hellbent on blighting the world. It's up to you to unite the Veilguard and fight back against these ancient rulers." [source]

Roadmap dates:

"Dragon Age: The Veilguard Upcoming Reveals August 15th Release date trailer and announcement Week of August 19th High-level combat and PC spotlight (Fel note: "PC" here means computer, not player character) Week of August 26th Companions week August 30th Developer Discord Q&A September 3rd IGN First month-long exclusive coverage begins September Much more to come in September and beyond" [source]

[walkerofthebeyond]

Honestly, with everything that has happened with dragon age veilguard, im really sad to say a part of me wishes this game had been cancelled.

I trusted weekes to write a great ending for solavellan. I defended the devs on Twitter and got called slurs by antiwoke weirdos for it. I bought into the hype and bought the rooks coffers and the artbook. Now i just feel ill, i wish the game had never been released, and then i could have stayed in my little headcanon bubble. So many writing choices left me just thinking, why?!

Spoilers

I knew there wasn't going to be a happy walk into the sunset type ending for solavellan, and there were things I liked about the ending like solas and lavellan going into the fade to be with each other eternally, really tying back to "in another world"

but some of the other choices I just can't get behind. Mythals' relationship with solas just felt wrong. We're they lovers or mother and child? I can't tell, which is not something anyone should have to say, but either way, it was toxic and manipulative, and it's never brought up or confronted in any meaningful way. They could have used this to highlight the difference between lavellan and mythal. How mythal forced him to change to what she wanted while lavellan loved him for who he was.

Mythal should have been the bad guy who had manipulated and corrupted solas, using his guilt and desire to save the elven people, so that she could have her revenge and to change the world how she saw fit. Have lavellan be the one to reason with him, to finally show him that he was wrong, again. That thedas was worth saving. I know some people (me included) wanted the veil down, but I understood for gameplay reasons that couldn't happen.

They could have finally shown solas loving lavellan from his pov. shown us memories of what he thought of her when he first saw the little mortal with his magic in a cell in haven. What he did after the first flirt, what he thought after the fade kiss or the kiss on the balcony, what happened after crestwood or when he left skyhold or the end of trespesser. show him pining for her, show him watching her dreams from his pov, always running when she reached out for him. Apart from one codex and one piece of dialogue, we aren't given any sign that he misses her. They put more effort into the relationship with mythal than the one with lavellan.

I'm not even going to bring up what happened with varric because honestly I still not ready for it, it was such a terrible writing choice not just to varric but to solas ans the player as well, and a terrible send-off for a beloved character.

So many of the lore reveals were thing that we already suspected and they were given to us so quickly.

Overall, I'm a bit heartbroken, angry, and broke. This is ME3 ending all over again.

[corseque]

I wanted to make a last-minute prediction post based on what I’ve seen so far. I haven’t looked at new Dragon Age news for the past couple (3? 4?) weeks, and I know I’m (on purpose to avoid spoilers) missing some (probably a lot of) details that other people already know. I DON’T WANT TO KNOW. So if I’m already right or wrong about something,

PLEASE please DON’T TELL ME.

You can come back in a month and tell me THEN. It’s just one more month to wait.

Also, this is just for fun, and it’s not serious. It’s based on vibes and also based on what I would write myself. I have developed a surprisingly specific image of what might happen to Solas and I’m just want to write it down.

I’m thinking “there is no possible way this is right………” but then I’m like “unless…..?” so a vague chance of potential spoilers

First, I’ve been suspicious about the elven gods getting free and Solas being trapped. If you think about what Solas says in Trespasser, it’s very

Part of Solas’ aim that has so far been revealed to us is he likely wants the Veil torn down, and one of the only things that is keeping him from that is the reality of the elven gods trapped in there, who would be released.

Inquisitor: “If you destroyed the Veil, wouldn’t the false gods be freed?”

Solas: “I had plans.”

But that is no longer a concern from that moment in the gameplay trailer where they are released. 

“I intend to restore them. Doing so will most likely destroy your world.”

Two elven gods rampaging across Thedas sounds like the kind of “the world is being destroyed” situation Solas was talking about. It is his incision that breached their prison, and it isn’t impossible that Rook may have been almost manipulated into completing it. I wonder if Solas is playing his two sets of enemies against each other yet again?

In the old tales, Solas uses his enemies to fight each other while he is tied to a tree, trapped. He gives both sides equal advice until they are both defeated, at which point he frees himself and finishes what he set out to do. 

Honestly, even though he’s “trapped,” it sounds exactly like the sort of thing that needs to happen for his work to continue.

(All of this is speculation that I think I’ll have a better idea about once I hear the full first conversation with him, and exactly how he words his point of view of what happened. If he’s very squirrelly in his wording, I’ll know he may have caused it on purpose.)

“I seek regeneration,” he said in Vows & Vengeance. The devs had said that Solas has been bringing back magic for centuries before the series even started. Perhaps it explains why the dragons have returned. It seems that his reshaping the world, regenerating it, will be successful because it seems to be moving steadily without him. So maybe this is a last and, once in motion, inevitable step in “healing” the injured world.

I think that the elven gods are very scary and world-ending, but Solas is the only one of them that reshaped the world successfully. He will be the one to do it again, not Ghilan’nain or Elgar’nan or any other god. He is a trickster his, and Tricksters are the Gods of Inevitable (otherwise catastrophic) Change.

One of the greatest criticisms of Inquisition was the lack of screen time Corypheus had. And how the climax fell flat at the end because he didn’t have enough screen time. This leads me to believe that Solas may be the “Last Boss” of DA4. Because we definitely HAVE a complicated satisfying personal relationship with him that has been set up for two whole games.

So the ending for Solas needs to do a lot of things:

“These are the times in which legends are born or slain” Solas as the Dread Wolf will die

It needs to work for both people who love and hate Solas

In order to defeat the Elven Gods, Rook has to find their weakness, which is Solas’ weakness too (maybe a fatal flaw, or how they can be truly killed) so it can be used on Solas too. Perhaps this will involve Solas trying to obscure this from Rook as best as he can

Solas fully is on Rook’s side against the evanuris, but when they’re taken care of, he doesn’t need to team up anymore

I don’t believe that you will be able to stop Solas’ plans, and I hope that they will change Thgedas’ world no matter what. I hope it’s just a fact of life that the Veil comes down

The story basically needs to involve Solas betraying Rook again, because new players need to experience that feeling in order to be in the same place with him as they were in DA3

It needs to give players a torn situation about him, one that makes you feel he’s reasonable but at the same time make it satisfying to fight him. So I believe this is why he will betray the player again, even if he is getting along with them.

I believe there needs to be a boss fight against Solas because he does have a cool big monster form and people have been promised to be able to kill him

It needs to be satisfying for those who romanced him too, but it also needs to be beautifully sad because part of the draw of the romance compared to all the others in the series is that it’s beautifully sad

For that reason, I suspect (not because I particularly want this to happen, I’m just saying what I see most likely) is that fighting and killing Solas may not actually be optional, and he is killed in every worldstate. This way, everyone gets a last boss fight and everyone experiences pretty much the same story without much branching 

I think the difference between friendly and unfriendly version may be whether he is brought back to life by the efforts of those who care about him after he is killed

So basically:

Veil comes down/magic comes back

Solas helps Rook take down evanuris

Solas betrays Rook when it seems the story should be over

Boss fight with Solas as the Dread Wolf (see: my Tulpa Theory)

Solas is defeated and killed

Story ends there if Solas is hated, (story about Rook getting revenge)

If Solas is loved, Solas is brought back and rebirthed in another freer form through a spirit ritual, perhaps as Wisdom, but some part of it is bittersweet like Rose and Doctor 10 (story about regret).

But basically, no matter how Solas and Lavellan’s story ends, their love enduring will be the path to joy, or them being together. Rook can kill Solas and Lavellan can bring him back. Even if it has to just happen off-screen or in fanfic.

I think it is very likely that Solas kills Varric or another character as a way to transition from passive threat to active threat. Or maybe Rook is responsible because of the theme of regret, idk. But I think we’ll get a great cathartic end for Varric probably.

I think we may have to choose between Varric and the Inquisitor, because it’s similar to the Hawke-Alistair choice

I would be very surprised if the story ended with Solas and Lavellan went off into the sunset together in a perfectly happy ending with nothing bittersweet. But sadly, I don’t really see this happening and I think bittersweet may be the name of the game.

Other things I predict:

We can assume that the Inquisitor will have an optional death scenario when they reappear, where we choose either to let them sacrifice themselves in some way, or save them. So perhaps there is an ending where Solas and Lavellan die together and can be free as spirits, which would also be bittersweet.

I don’t really have predictions for anything but Solas, so the big lore reveals might change the situation so much that none of this applies or makes sense anymore. In which case I will probably be HAVING FUN.

I am not EXPECTING any of this to happen, I am just writing it down and posting it in case I’m right. Anyway please wait until I’m done playing to tell me if I’m right or wrong, and this is just for fun, I wouldn’t mind if the whole game was completely different.

[vangbelsing]

Spoilers for the ending of Veilguard below the cut

Why is no one talking about the fact that Trick Weekes is on record for implying one of the first things Solas and Lavellan do once they're in the Fade is have the nastiest fuck sesh Thedas has ever seen??

[thedinanshiral]

Blights

I tasked myself with analizying the Blights to check for patterns. I had already started this ages ago and had a draft or two including a very basic and improvised map to help me visualize the main events in each Blight.

I think i may have found it, the pattern. Everything is all over the place for hundreds of years but it's there.

After making a summary of each Blight and sleeping on it for like a week i started asking questions i frankly don't remember seeing before, in game or by fans. "What are the Archdemons doing, where are they going?". Everything is presented as drakspawn evil, wake up evil Archdemon, rawr destruction, Grey Wardens yay. Rinse and repeat.

But why? Why are the darkspawn searching for, waking and tainting OG dragons into Archdemons? Why are the Archdemons controlling hordes and entire armies of darkspawn advancing over the surface of Thedas? What are they doing, where are they going, what is their goal??

As i considered all these questions and some others, i found myself accidentally realizing several theories and ideas can be weaved into a single, convoluted one that explains everything. I'll try to keep it as short (lol) and easy to read as possible, so keep reading and watch me fail terribly at it (´:

Old Gods of Tevinter.

Who are they? According to established chantry dogma, they were spirits created by the Maker who in their envy, jealousy and whatnot decided to turn their back on them and cross the Veil, into the physical world, where they took the form of dragons and had humans worshiping them as gods. For this grave offense the Maker imprisoned them underground where they allegedly remained for ages until the Blights began.

Origins of the Darkspawn.

Unknown, really, but the Chantry teaches that when the Magisters Sidereal, following instructions from their Old Gods broke into the Golden City to claim godhood and corrupted it, the Maker punished them with the taint, turning them into the monstruous creatures known as darkspawn, who then spread their corruption as the Blight over the world, rotting and destroying everything on their wake.

Many questions come from this. The Old Gods, while imprisoned, continued to be worshipped by the humans of northern Thedas -Neromenians, then Tevinter- as these self-proclaimed gods would reach them in dreams and whisper ancient knowledge to the dreamers, teaching them blood magic as well. With their guidance Tevinter grew into the largest and most powerful empire in Thedas, until one day their gods spoke to them no more. All fell silent, and the Imperium fell into despair; why would their gods not speak to them anymore? Their fears and anxiety left them vulnerable, needy, so when the gods spoke again they not only were relieved, they were wiling to hang on every letter of their words.

And so when their gods made the most outlandish proposal they accepted it. To cross the Veil into the Golden City and claim godhood for themselves per their gods invitation. No effort, and no life, were spared to perform the ritual. Countless elven slaves lives were sacrificed -for their blood had special magical qualities- and almost all the lyrium available in the Imperium was reserved for possibly the biggest blood magic ritual Thedas had seen in many ages.

But as Corypheus, High Priest of Dumat, would much later share, the Golden City was black, corrupted, and the throne of the gods was empty. Yet they still were punished, deformed, blighted and thrown out back into the world to wander and be lost in ever growing madness. This event triggered the Blights, the first one being after the ritual with Dumat risen as an Archdemon with hordes of darkspawn at his command, and the first Blight would go on to last 200 years, with the Archdemon slained multiple times without truly dying until the order born to protect Thedas from him, the Grey Wardens, devised a plan to end him permanently.

So the questions, some of many, could be: Why did the Old Gods stopped comunicating with their priests? Why did they resume communication only to give instructions for a massive ritual to break into the Fade? Why promise godhood and power only to deliver a curse?

Evanuris rebranding.

One of the main theories around the Evanuris and the Old Gods is that they're the same. Both groups have 7 members, and in several cases by their names or attributes and even constellations associated with these deities, it's almost imposible not to see an equivalence between them. Both groups are imprisoned. Both groups are related to dragons. I already wrote on this here but in short:

Imagine the Evanuris had dragon mounts or vessels that they're connected to and control via a piece of their soul implanted in the creatures. As physical beings the dragons remain on the ground. Yes, they were shapeshifters too, but the codex about a servant taking on the dragon form reserved for the gods strikes me as very odd; if even servants could shapeshift to that degree, why did the Evanuris allow them to even have the remote possibility of shapeshifting at all? That story sounds more to me like that servant "borrowed" a dragon and took it out for a ride, the expression is "took wings" and the servant was convinced -if not forced- to do it by Ghilan'nain.

These dragons would have caretakers assigned to them, and when the Veil was created severing the connection between the Fade and the physical world, they must have been cut off from everything. Underground, for millenia, left to decay, left in proximity to or even inside Titan remains that without the control of the Evanuris may have corrupted them. Or maybe these dragon forms were already corrupted by the taint, as Andruil had already caught it in the Abyss and spread it everywhere.

Maybe some of the Evanuris were already blighted and either didn't felt affected by it then or the taint, much like how red lyrium works, made them feel stronger as it consumed them. Maybe Andruil's madness had spread to the others and that's why they had become so warlike and had become a menace to their own people. So Solas imprisoned them in the Fade, most likely under several different barriers, and created the Veil at great cost to everyone, to the whole world. For ages the Evanuris slumbered in their prison, until maybe they recovered just barely enough to try to reach out, and when they did all they could reach out to were the humans that had been building an empire on the remains of their own. But a dreamer is a dreamer, and a human easy to manipulate. Now imagine the Evanuris, under a new identity as Old Gods, essentially groomed Tevinter for hundreds of years for the sole purpose of them reaching a point in power and resources that would allow them to perform a ritual to let the Evanuris out.

Remember the ancient elvhen could develop spells through hundreds of years, in their inmortality time was barely perceived and so their way of planning could afford all the time in the world. So the Evanuris did that, they played the Imperium, ghosted them to make them desperate, and instructed them to release them without them knowing it.

Prison Break.

As it was designed to keep them in and was sealed from the outside they couldn't open the barriers from the inside, they needed others to do it for them, and those others were the Magisters Sidereal.

It's likely that to imprison such powerful beings Solas put up more than one barrier, so maybe the Magisters only crossed one, the Veil, and thought they had found the city empty. But this opening in the Veil must have been enough for one of the Evanuris to take effective control of one of the dragons underground, "Dumat".

Maybe -most likely IMO- there was no Maker punishing the Magisters Sidereal for their sin but it was the Evanuris spreading their own disease on to them, marking them forever as their new servants, casting them back into the world and condemning them to an existence devoted to releasing their dragon vessels so they might at least in part escape their prison in the Fade taking on their wings.

The OG dragons being the Evanuris mounts or vessels preserving a fragment of their souls would add to explain why Solas was so against the Grey Wardens' plan of preemptively killing the remaining OG dragons, or what Flemythal was doing at the end of Inquisition with Urthemiel's soul, sending it through an eluvian. Was she sending it somehwere else to keep it safe, or was she sending it into the prison, to return to its owner?

....But all this was supposed to be about the Blights! Getting there..

I first summarized each Blight, then with that info i took the map of Thedas and tried to visualize three key points: where darkspawn and Archdemon appeared, where they moved to, and finally where the Archdemons where slained. Because some Blights have been way more chaotic than others and they vary greatly in duration (compared the first lasting 200 years while the fifth lasted barely a year), the pattern wasn't immediately obvious.

Apologies in advance for these disasters..

The First Blight (-395 Ancient) had darkspawn overrun the Deep Roads first, and this is a constant in every following Blight: darkspawn in the Deep Roads. Always. The Dwarven kingdoms are the most affected. A few years later in -380 Ancient they reach the surface and the hordes advance over western Thedas

There's a battle of Nordbotten in the Anders where the newly founded Grey Wardens finally get a victory, but it would take them a long time to find a way to kill Dumat permanently -as the Archdemon was jumping from its slained body into the closest blighted creature over and over again until the Wardens caught up and came up with the Sacrifice that has since then become THE way to eliminate Archdemons -. The final battle and definitive death of Dumat took place in the Silent Plains. Afterwards it was a matter of pushing the remaining darkspawn back into the Deep Roads.

The Second Blight began in 1:05 Divine and lasted around a century. Darkspawn began appearing in the surface from the Hunterhorn Mountains in the Anderfells, eventually reaching the city of Hossberg and later laying a brief siege on Minrathous where the darkspawn were defeated. Other hords moved south into Orlesian territory, the battle of Cumberland ending in victory against them. Weisshaupt was also layed under siege but recovered by Orlesian forces. Meanwhile more darkspawn surfaced in Ferelden only to be defeated and pushed back by Alamarri tribes unified under a leader who would later become the first teyrn of Ferelden. More darkspawn also poured out of the Abyssal Reach in the Western Approach, which explains the Warden presence in the area and all the fortreses they built or made use of like Adamant Fortress.

Eventually around 1:95 Zazikel was slained in Starkhaven.

The Third Blight (3:10 Towers) was under the Archdemon Toth and with most of its activity around the central area of Thedas.

Darkspawn presence on the surface spread from north to south of central Thedas, hitting specifically Marnas Pell and Vyrantium in Tevinter, the city-states of the Free Marches along the Minanter river, and Churneau, Arslesans and Montsimmard in Orlais. As the Darkspawn advanced East over the Free Marches, Toth was slained in Hunter Fell in Nevarra in 3:25 Towers

The Fourth Blight (5:12 Exalted) is the most curious so far, in terms of darkspawn presence and movement on the surface.

On top of the darkspawn hitting the Deep Roads all over Thedas as usual, this time in particular attacking Orzammar, different hordes surfaced in opposite sides of the continent. Darkspawn appeared in the surface on the Anders in the northwest as well as on the northeastern coast, taking over Antiva city, reaching over Rivain, and also Wycome. Darkspawn over the Free Marches moved west, which i find a bit odd as the archdemon Andoral was moving from the Anders in the opposite direction (maybe they meant to meet halfway?). Hossberg was sieged once again, and darkspawn advanced over Marnas Pell, again. There were some minor incursions on Orlesian territories but Orlais quickly pushed them underground. Andoral was finally slained in Ayesleigh.

Lastly we have the Fifth Blight (9:30 Dragon) that we all know and adore..not. The shortest in history, so short it seems pointless..

It affected Ferelden, particularly Ostagar, Orzammar, Redcliffe, Lothering, Denerim..Lasted but a year, and Urthemiel was defeated just outside of Denerim.

Now, where's the pattern? The easiest one is Blights are becoming shorter each time. They've lasted, i order, 200, 90, 15, 12, and 1 year; if this tendency is sustained the next Blight might last just a couple of months..

Then I noticed, checking the final battles..

The Archdemons have been going East the whole time. And the Darkspawn activity moving south into Orlais repeatedly was very likely in an attempt to awaken more Archdemons, one known to be in the Western Approach (the circle south of Ferelden is where i think Razikale could be but there's no real evidence of this, just her cult moving south from Tevinter searching for her, as seen in the ruins of the Frostback Basin).

So the darkspawn never stop. They're always in the Deep Roads, surface when an Archdemon wakes up and follow their command while a portion of them keeps trying to go south of Orlais. And meanwhile, the Archdemons continue to try to go East.

Why? Maybe they know what lies across the sea. And this pairs up nicely -too nicely- with this idea i got about the Executors being Evanuris loyalists, perhaps a remnant of Elvhenan on the other side of the Amaranthine Ocean who have been working on the outside; nobody knows what and everything about them is a near complete mystery.

From their notes to the Inquisition we can tell they do have a certain power, i suspect it could be some form of mind control because how else can complete strangers convince everyone in an outpost to just ..join them. Leave the place abandoned, no signs of struggle, of violence, people just ..gone. The Executors claim they "prepare for the day and hold vigil", heavily imply they know what's coming and say not to look for or mourn the lost people for "they have given themselves of their own will to a higher cause". What could be a higher cause than the Inquisition's at that time?

In Tevinter Nights Solas prevents us all from learning what the Executors have learned about him, as he petrified the one present in that meeting, and later warns Charter of the danger they represent. Knowing the Inquisition is so close behind him and having the almost certainty that they won't be able to stop his plans, just what was so dangerous about what the Executor had to share about him? Solas is now a very powerful man on an apocalyptic mission for which he's willing to sacrifice even his own life, but the Executors are too dangerous? Suspicious.

An executor is someone charged with executing someone's orders. Whose orders? Not to mention Solas doesn't kill lightly or without good reason. I try to imagine just what sort of power could make him do that, when right now he is the most dangerous man in Thedas those across the sea couldn't be worse than him on his Dinan'shiral...could they? Maybe if the ones they follow are the ones he imprisoned.

In the Thedas Calls trailer just as we're shown the Rivaini coast the voice says "Glory to the risen gods, they've come to deliver this world". Who would say that about Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain escaping from the Fade, if not their loyal subjects?

Aaand that's all for now, thank you for your patience in reading this far!

[skelebellie]

i like to imagine mourn watch rook as someone generally pretty good natured. major purple rook vibes and knows when it’s time to lend a helping hand. you have to be in order to work with nevarra’s grieving families. sure, they might get a bit frustrated/angry at the usual inequalities of thedas, but nothing out of the ordinary.

and then the team gets to weisshaupt, and you can see their brows furrow as they argue with the first warden. thinking about all the lives lost because this bald egg of a man (foreshadowing) can’t temper his pride. the anger almost invisible until it breaks like a thin string and their jaw clenches. their patience vanishing into thin air.

“you know what, i tried.”

before they knock out the first warden into next week, evka giving them control over the situation. and rook moves like a well oiled machine. not a stumble in sight as they start planning counter maneuvers.

and all of a sudden the team remembers that the jovial funny bone guy has been fighting hordes of undead and necromatic uprisings in the darkness of nevarra. digging their way out of bone and decomposing tissue just to see the listless green flames of the mourn watch.

[notinkirkwall]

A Dog Named Ostagar, Codex Entry

Transcription below

Genuinely cried writing this

A Dog Named Ostagar

He was a scrawny thing. The last left in his litter. The man swore he was descended from the heroic mabari of Ostagar, the fearless dogs who saw the Fifth Blight. But I couldn't have a dog. After that loss in the Deep Roads, what was left of my life was something I'd face alone.

That night, there was a fire. I hauled buckets with the rest of the villagers and we doused the flames. I saw that scrawny puppy. I couldn't find the man anywhere. I tried to shoo the pup, but two days out of the village and he came tumbling into my camp. I called him Ostagar and said he could stay "for now."

I meant to find him a place to stay--a farm, a quiet village, maybe some noble's villa. But Ostagar never wanted to remain behind. "For now" turned into months and then a year and then I couldn't imagine life without him.

I thought we'd only be in Weisshaupt a week. Then came the darkspawn army, the Archdemon, that god... Ostagar and I ran through the falling towers, and clawed our way through the horde. Then, for the first time in three years, Ostagar wasn't at my side. I was alone.

When the wall collaped and smoke filled the room, I pictured Ostagar running. Maybe he'd gotten away. He could escape from Weisshaupt and find that farm I should've left him on in the first place. If I was alone, it would be okay if Ostagar was safe.

I heard a darkspawn snarl, then fall silent. I was dragged from the wreckage, though I wasn't sure I wanted to be--and Ostagar was there wagging his tail.

Evka and Antoine told me there's trouble all over Thedas. They asked if I'd go to Fereldan and send reports. I'll show Ostagar the ruins he's named for. I don't know if he's related to those Fifth Blight mabari, but to me, he's the best of them.

--from Warden Norrie's journal

[blarfkey]

My first fic for @equalopportunitysolas week features my fav Solas rare pair: Solas/Cassandra.

Rating: G

Modern AU/Office AU.

When an unsigned bouquet of flowers appears on Cassandra's desk, she thinks it's a mistake. The second time must be a prank. But as the days pass and each morning brings flowers or small gifts, the signs of courtship is unmistakable. But the person behind it all refuses to come clean and Cassandra must wrestle with an old insecurity in order to accept the possibility that someone might desire her.

Flowers come first: Calla lilies and daffodils and pops of red leafed embrium. They sat on her desk, a small vase sitting innocuously in the corner. 

The note is blank and not signed. She puzzled over it for long moments, her briefcase still hanging in her hand. 

“Is something wrong?”

Solas, her coworker in the next cubicle, leans over their shared wall. Of course he is here early. Sometimes she wonders if he sleeps here. 

“I got flowers,” she says stupidly. 

“Oh? You didn’t tell me you have a suitor.”

Only Solas would call such a thing a suitor. But Cassandra secretly likes it, all these anachronistic phrases of his, like he had stepped out of a historical documentary. 

“I don’t,” she says shortly. 

“A secret admirer, perhaps,” he suggests with a half grin. 

She snorts indelicately. “Right. The more rational answer is that these were meant for someone else.”

“You don’t think you’re a reasonable recipient for such a gift?”

“Who in Thedas would give me flowers, Solas?"

Read the rest on AO3

[dreadfutures]

Tevinter Nights: dramatic summaries

Back in March I decided to read a story from Tevinter Nights out loud to the DA FanFic server every Monday night. I figured with the number of stories, we'd hit August right as we finished - hopefully it'll be a big month for us fans!

I just love this anthology so much - there are many gems and entertaining bits among them, and they're criminally underrated. A lot of the DA side content is hit or miss for a lot of people, but seriously, some of these short stories could be published on their own without any knowledge of Thedas and still entertain!!

Here are the summaries I wrote ahead of each reading. :) All of the TN short stories are independent of each other, so take a look and perhaps you will find one you enjoy. I tried to keep them largely spoiler free :)

Also, check out @larkoneironaut 's Tevinter Nights art project! They're enjoyable in their own way :)

Three Trees to Midnight, by Patrick Weekes

After the Qunari take Ventus, prisoners are put to work chopping wood on the outskirts of Arlathan Forest. Myrion, a human mage, and Strife, a city elf who joined the Dalish, are shackled together at the ankle as a work pair. While their relationship starts antagonistic, they are quickly forced to work together to escape. This thrilling adventure is one of our first looks into the mysteries of Arlathan Forest, and the Antaam’s advance south—despite the rifts forming in the Qun’s ranks. Notably, Strife and his companion Irelin appear in another short story, Ruins of Reality, and Dragon Age: The Missing.

Down Among the Dead Men by Sylvia Feketekuty

We finally see Nevarra in this tale, and what better place to start than in the Grand Necropolis itself? Audric Felhausen, our POV character, is a city guard who is tasked with protecting a Mortalitasi mage during an investigation about some restless undead in the bowels of the Necropolis. We see how spirits and demons wander, and get stuck, in the bodies kept there -- and how possessing a body, even a long-dead one, can have significant effects on the spirit. On both a cultural and metaphysical level, this story gives us a TON of lore. And Audric, our hero, is equally curious and unsettled by what he learns. By the end you'll see why so many people are desperate for him to be a companion in DA4!

The Horror of Hormak by John Epler

Do you love Wardens? Do you miss the dark fantasy elements of Origins? Do you like the aesthetic of Dark Souls, with giant stone doors you push open with all your might to reveal a giant boss? That's the vibe that John Epler (DA4 Creative Director!) brings to this story. Wardens Ramesh and Lesha are tracking down a group of missing Wardens in Nevarra--a group, it turns out, that does not want to be found. For better or worse, Ramesh and Lesha plunge into the darkness and discover a horrifying truth with massive implications for the ancient history of Thedas... and the Evil Gods about to wake in DA4!

Callback by Lukas Kristjanson

Follow Sutherland and his crew of honorable adventurers back to where they began: Skyhold. Now defended and empty but for a handful of Chantry chosen caretakers, the fortress that once housed the Inquisition has gone dark, and Sutherland is tapped to investigate. We see Skyhold and by proxy the Inquisition itself from the perspective of one of the little guys, drawn to it because of ideals and encouraged to become their best selves. In doing so, we also see how the events of this world can shape Spirits in unexpected ways, with consequences for a world where the Veil is thin. Callback is full of callbacks and cameos from a surprising group from DAI, and an entertaining and perilous mini adventure in its own right. This is a love letter to Skyhold, to the Inquisition, and a meaningful counterpart to the memories of Skyhold kept in its frescos.

Luck in the Gardens by Sylvia Feketekuty

Hear a tale of glory and daring straight from a Lord of Fortune themself! A genderfluid, disguise-wearing, acrobat-turned-swashbuckler regales us with an adventure from the streets of Minrathous. Spy on secret meetings between Magisters, learn what the Venatori have been doing since Corypheus' defeat, and tremble in the face of things "past the Veil of our world," neither demon nor spirit. Who are the Lords of Fortune from Rivain? What lurks beneath Tevinter's streets? This may be the story that inspired many people's wishlist for the next Archon and the next Black Divine -- some beloved, familiar faces join our hero to face the terror in the gardens!

Content Warning: Body horror, Eldritch horror, mentions of Tevinter slavery

Hunger by Brianne Battye

Tevinter Nights returns to Warden business in Hunger -- or does it? Evka Ivo, a heroic warden, and her junior recruit Antoine, have to decide what counts as Warden business when there's not a Blight ongoing. As they make their way to Weisshaupt to answer their summons, they decide to make a small detour to help a village in need. Evka and Antoine are our beloved dwarf/elf romantics who feature in a DA Day short story - as well as in the DA4 lead-in comic, The Missing! Whether they may be companions or contacts to our protagonist remains to be seen, but surely they'll make an appearance after such tales of heroism and compassion!

Murder by Death Mages by Caitlin Sullivan Kelly

We return again to Nevarra from a different angle this time! An agent of the Inquisition, the multiplayer necromancer Sidony, is sent back to the home country she resents in pursuit of a killer. We learn not only about Sidony's past, but about the political landscape of Nevarra: do the Mortalitasi run the country as shadowy puppet masters? What do the common people, and the nobility, think of the death mages from the Necropolis? How are Mortalitasi trained? And what does necromancy look and feel like to the characters in Thedas? In this tale of alleyway chases and gossip-filled balls, we get another glimpse into a country we may very well visit in DA4!

The Streets of Minrathous by Brianne Battye

We return to Minrathous to learn what's become of the Venatori since Corypheus's defeat. Join Neve Gallus, special investigator (and important cameo in The Missing comic), as she navigates the alleyways of Tevinter's great city in search of a murderer. Through her eyes, we see how less-privileged mages are viewed, and how the law bends to the whims of the rich and magical in Tevinter. Neve is joined by Tevinter Templars in her investigation, and their final battle is certainly eye-opening for anyone interested in fighting mages... What lies beneath the Streets of Minrathous, if not the Cekorax? Well, you're about to find out.

The Wigmaker Job by Courtney Woods

Lucanis Dellamorte, Master Assassin (and rumored heir to the First Talon) of the Antivan Crows, prowls the secret passages and unsuspecting rooftops of Tevinter with his cousin Illario on a contract. The target? A member of the Venatori with a... peculiar hobby. From shady hotel rooms to a grand gala and fashion show, get a look at the best of the Crows doing what Crows do best. This is one of the best stories in Tevinter Nights by far.

Content Warnings: abuse of slaves, body horror, torture, gore, hair eating, lots of pretty gruesome (if cathartic) assasination, and possession

Genitivi Dies In The End by Lucas Kristjanson

The remnants of the Inquisition approach a new group of adventurers and task them with finding the secrets of Fen'Harel. The Antaam - or at least, part of it - give chase. And Genitivi Dies in the End.

Herold Had the Plan by Ryan Cormier

Our Lords of Fortune are on the run as a mission to steal an ancient amulet goes awry. They have the amulet, they have their daring escape (a Lord of Fortune knows no other kind, of course) -- but Herold had the plan for what to do with the damn thing, and Herold is gone. As Starkhaven guards give chase, only one Lord of Fortune will survive the night. But will he make it to the mysterious Squire who hired them in the first place? Join us for an adventure that will break your heart and keep you on the edge of your seat.

An Old Crow's Old Tricks by Arone Le Bray

Tevinter has sent their finest centuri to defend the shores of the Nocen Sea from potential Qunari invaders. They stake their claim on the area and set up camp, enjoying the esteem of being the proud defenders of Tevinter. But it's not the Qunari this group of soldiers should fear.

CW: blatant racism against dalish, off screen massacre of a Dalish clan, many gruesome cathartic assassinations described in some detail, hand trauma

Eight Little Talons by Courtney Woods

Antiva's crown is weak. Antiva has no army. And the Qun is at its doorstep. Antiva's Crows may be the country's only defense, but they must act fast. Caterina Dellamorte, the fearsome leader of the Crows, calls all Eight Talons to meet in secret and solitude to discuss and prepare for the threat at Antiva's borders. But perhaps they should begin by looking for threats at home. All Crows are assassins. But only one is a murderer.

Half Up Front by John Epler

A former altus who chose to be disowned into poverty to be with her elven lover takes the job of a lifetime: steal a precious, powerful, magical artifact from the Archon's Palace itself. It was never going to be easy, but the former Altus Vadis couldn't have predicted that a Minrathous heist would bring her all the way to a port in Rivain, loyal to the Qun. What at first glance seems like a classic cat burgling caper actually might tell us a lot about the forces at play in Thedas—how perhaps the people on the ground may or may not be following orders.

Dread Wolf Take You by Trick Weekes

[seeker-ophelia]

Hallelujah

(There are no Veilguard spoilers in this content, it was all created in early September, I’m only posting it now).

So I found this old Bioware article from 2014…

Its about what the writers listened to when they wrote their characters.

I was immediately struck by Weekes’ (writer of Bull, Cole, & Solas) comment that he wrote whole swaths of Solas dialogue listening to K.D. Langs cover of Hallelujah.

Because when I was playing Origins, way back in 2009, as soon as I heard the words “The Chant of Andraste” I thought of Hallelujah.

No better parallel could exist for me. Hallelujah, if you listen to the lyrics, is not really church related, yet it got absorbed into the church as a hymn. Its fucking sad, and yet we’re praising god or some shit?

Kinda like how I feel The Chantry has changed their religion, their original purpose, Andraste and the Maker and all that, into something horrible (subjugation/lobotomization of mages, feeding templars crack, you know, nOrMal StUfF).

I love the parallels there. And I love that Weekes used this sad-ass fucking dirge for our sad-ass fucking egg, especially considering what KD Lang said about it:

Canadian singer k.d. lang said in an interview shortly after Cohen's death that she considered the song to be about "the struggle between having human desire and searching for spiritual wisdom. It's being caught between those two places."       (Be still, my heart.)

And I thought about how Legends Shouldn’t Be Given The Weight of History, and how The Chantry’s purpose has been twisted, and how Hallelujah’s purpose has been twisted, and at the time, I was completing The Temple of the Emerald Knights in DA:I. I was thinking about how the Elvhen temple is littered with statues of Andraste and Mythal (dragon), how there’s a Knight, Andale (which is so obviously Andraste, prob Flemythal reincarnate of some sort).

The blending and melding and mushing of cultures and religions as time drags on, how originally good or pure purposes are changed or shifted, or corrupted.

And I thought of Andraste again.

I have been unhealthily obsessed with this artist named Aly, who is a Bard in Thedas and sings at The Dread Halla Tavern (you can find them on spotify here);  

(for clarification, this human is not me, I am not a singer, she is very good, you should go listen to all her songs-after you read this).

Anyways, I got to thinking…

What would Andraste’s Hallelujah sound like?

I had to write it.

Its sad and beautiful and tells the story of a woman flighting against forces she has no hope of defeating (But we still have to try).

[Andraste’s Lament]

And I got immediately transported to a smoky, dimly lit tavern in Southern Thedas. Aly has just sung Andraste’s Lament, and is approached by Neria, a lone Dalish Elf who clutches a scrap of paper tightly in her hand.

Aly listens to this elf tell her a story of a sad song her mother used to sing her when she was young, before she got killed by bandits. And could she sing this song for her, please, she even has a few coppers.

And Aly sits down, scans the paper, and realizes it’s a different version of Andraste’s Hallelujah.

Written in small looping script at the top, in Common, is Dirge of the Dread Wolf.

And she sings it softly to Neria, a strange story of mothers and gods and tricksters and wolves, and Neria’s eyes well.

[Dirge of the Dread Wolf]

She ends the song, the last beautiful Hallelujah trembling through the thickness of the tavern air.

Neria sniffs once, and then begins a new story. Aly listens to this Elf speak of a crumbling Dalish temple deep in the middle of nowhere, where she found a piece of paper beside a four legged statue that has since eroded to expressionless guardianship, of words crossed out and changed and smudged.

Then she shakily hands Aly a different piece of paper.

This velumm is significantly older than the first, thicker, almost crumbling around the edges.

And its Hallelujah again, but its spelled wrong, and some strange name with too many n’s in it is written at the top.

And Neria asks Aly if she can sing this.

But it’s written in Elvhen, and Aly shakes her head, she doesn’t think she can stumble through all the strange Dalish a’s and ash’s and am’s (there's so many damn vowels in Dalish…).

But, Aly halts the elfs falling face, she is more than willing to sing this in Common, if Neria will stay to act as translator.

So the two bend their heads close over the bar, and Aly pulls out her small precious notebook where she writes down the lyrics to her own tunes, and they quickly make work of the Elvhen words, Aly humming and hawing as she changes some words to better match the pattern of the song.

And soon they have a brand-new Hallelujah, and Aly asks Neria to pronounce the name at the top.

Ghil-an’nain, Neria says, and make sure you spell the hallelujah right.

H, a, l, l, a, l, i, e, u, y, a.

What does that mean in Dalish? Aly asks the elf.

And Neria shrugs. Halla is like a halla, she assumes. But this word lieu, she doesn’t know.

Aly assumes in the context of this song it must mean birth, but Neria shakes her head. Shena is the verb for born.

Well, what about victory? But Neria shakes her head again. Ena’sal’in is the word for victory, or triumph.

Aly blows out a breath. She’s a lyricist. What would make this poetic.

What about truth?

The elf thinks, and a small smile grows on her lips.

She can’t think of a Dalish word for truth.

Ghilan’nain’s Truth of the Halla?

Aly’s beautiful soprano soon fills the room, and her eyes widen when a soft Alto joins her, singing along in the original Elvhen.

[Ghilan’nain’s Truth of the Halla]   

A haunting melody, completely changed by the understanding of the root of halla lieu’ya, not a praise to The Maker, or the curse of a trickster, but the story of a young god, beaten and battered and blinded, and her creations, and her destruction of them.

[Ghilan’nan’es Halla’lieu’ya]

The tavern erupts when they finish, and poor Neria blushes furiously as her back is slapped, and her hair is tousled, by the patrons of the establishment.

Aly and her new friend make their way to the bar, where foaming tankards await them.

They cheers, and as they tip the beer back, a city elf approaches them, dressed like a Dalish, but he has no vallaslin. He pushes his cowl down to reveal a bald head and shocking purple eyes. His voice is quiet, with a deep, romantic lilt.

“Where did you find that song?”

…

Please be gentle with any constructive criticism on my voice, I am absolutely NOT a singer, I know I don’t have a superstar voice but I’m also not tone deaf, so just… don’t be shitty to me, internet. Listen to the lyrics, not the delivery.

If anyone’s actually interested, I'll message you the lyrics. I also did record all four songs (Andraste, Dread Wolf, Ghilly (English), and Ghilly (Elvhen),) but can only put one video per post. Maybe I'll link them later if people are interested.

*It did not even occur to me until after writing Andraste’s Hallalujah that someone might have had this idea already. I did a little googling afterwards, and someone has put solas’ dialogue to the tune of Hallalujah, but no ones “re-written” it yet in this context (that I could find). My query to you is, why would Solas speak in Leonard Cohen's hallelujah/iambic pentameter if he had never heard it before?

---

Obviously, this can never be turned into a real song, because Sony owns the rights to the OG Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. But the romanticism of this song, changing through the ages, was too good to pass up. I hope you enjoy it, sincerely, and if you are a better singer than I, by all means, use my lyrics and record it, and please send me the link so that I can listen to it!  

Thanks to Weekes, Leonard Cohen, & The Dread Halla Tavern for inspiring this.

Bare your blade, and raise it high.

[felassan]

Snippets. 🐺💜 DA:TV spoilers under cut.

Carly: Lucanis is "pretty average [height] everyone else is ridiculously tall" [source]

John: "getting absolutely dummied by an encounter in the game you work on as your day job is a uniquely humbling experience" [source] Trick: "Me desperately doing side quests to bulk up before the next big critpath beat because I KNOW I am not currently good enough at Rogue to beat that meat grinder at my current level and gear without dropping the difficulty back down." [source]

John: "hands up if you’re in game dev and have ever caught yourself searching Google for a guide to the game you’re working on that’s not even out yet" [source]

Flaming greatswords? ^^ [source]

Jay: "God, I remember the concept art for this scene" [source] (the scene in the gameplay reveal when Solas sheds a tear when it fails)

Kala: "Thinking back to playing Dragon Age Veilguard with the Council and all the fun we had, the crying (mostly me) and the shock at some of the surprises (especially Caitie) and I can't believe that's gonna be the entire fanbase soon. I can't wait to experience it with everyone" [source]. "I genuinely cannot wait for everyone to see Veilguard. I *know* for a fact there is going to be things people will freak out about, just like we did. There's A LOT people will love. Everyone will have stuff they don't like, which is inevitable, but there's so much to love" [source] Caitie: "Holding hands and sharing headphones because i unlocked the [redacted] scene first ❤️ Fond memories 😭😭" [source]

Trick on some of the chairs in the Lighthouse library group screenshot: "As much as I ADORE the idea of Solas sneaking out of Skyhold with a U-Haul packed to the brim with furniture and all the good mage gear you gave him, I expect it's likely just a common Fereldan style." [source]

Caitie: "If it helps- ive also seen silly ‘head canons’ and jokes thats will end up true haha" [source]

Caitie: "I'm not sure if we can say where we ended up in the story- but we got farther than the GI guy did it seems! By quite a bit. Did not get close to finishing it, however." [source]

Kala: "Pssst… we saw the companion rooms and the Lighthouse and it was really something amazing 👀👀" [source]

edit/update:

here are some more snippets which were posted by the Dragon Age official YouTube account in the livechat on one of the videos last month:

"There are lots of hairstyle options, we’ll have much more to share on the character creator in the coming weeks!"

"It wouldn’t be a Dragon Age game without a visit to the Deep Roads!"

"Our team spent a lot of timing refining combat and making it feel fluid and fun whether you play as a Warrior, a Mage, or a Rogue"

"It wouldn’t be a Dragon Age game without consequences! Your choices will influence the world of Thedas, as well as relationships with your companions"

A user asked "Are you a Fen’Harel spy?" Dragon Age replied "👀"

[nvthedasmode]

The Dread Wolf's Grave

Notes:

Very short one-shot fic inspired by the quote; 'They asked "do you love her to death?" I said, "speak of her over my grave and watch how she brings me back to life.'

Lavellan's name is Harellan, 'Raven' is Varric's nickname for her.

One of Harellan's nervous habits is rolling coins over her knuckles.

Set sometime during early Veilguard, Solas presumed to be at the Lighthouse rather than in a separate prison.

First ever fic! I am not a writer! I am just a lil guy with a lot of feelings!

And I am so sorry I have no idea how to write Solas and Varric lol.

-----

To say that Varric was uncomfortable was an understatement. It was one thing to ask a dwarf to live on the surface, another thing entirely to ask him to make himself at home in the Fade. Unfortunately, he had little say in the matter. The Veilguard had settled themselves within a deep pocket of the Fade; a safe haven from the blighted elven gods now roaming Thedas, and thus far it had proven to be a wise choice.

Their new home was where he emerged from now, and the morning silence (save for Bellara’s excessive snoring) was a welcome indication that everyone was still fast asleep. Or, at least, everyone but the one elusive elf he was looking for. Once he was confident he had not woken anyone up with his heavy dwarven tread, Varric’s footsteps established a leisurely pace as he descended the stygian steps weaving from the gilded door of the Lighthouse to the shifting island below.

The Dread Wolf’s corner of the Fade expanded before him, shimmering masses of Fade-touched rock floating across the enchanted vista as unhindered wisps of magic soared above him like stars against Kirkwall’s night sky. It was brighter, warmer, but still as commanding as the area of the Fade the fear demon had ruled. Some of the silhouetted islands in the distance would have been large enough to cast a city the size of Starkhaven into complete shadow, and some dipped deeper than even the oldest of thaigs. Smaller rocks housed old and ruined walls, frescos of the fabled wolf glowing faintly from the veilfire sconces and causing him to appear equal parts treacherous and feeble.

The littlest cluster of rocks presented an assortment of ancient elven … trees, Varric assumed. Their metal base gave way to a spherical head that sprouted sharp, golden branches. They wove intricate shapes that moved to shelter a gleaming emerald centre, glinting like fire. This group veered closer to the island he now trudged along, glittering vines with blossoms as large as ponds wrapping themselves around the jagged surfaces and reaching out to grasp their neighbour - a complex walkway of mystic bridges that connected the islands, forming an imposing jungle that served as a shrine to what once was.

Far above him, when he thought to look, Varric could have sworn he could make out the slightest shape of an azure city, light refracting across the landscape as if it was pouring through a window in a Chantry cathedral. The sight was often cloaked in a calculated mist, as though his eyes were intruding on an intimate scene between two lovers - but every time he rubbed his eyes to see it clearer, it had vanished.

Varric had learned that the island he had called home for the past few weeks could shift its appearance depending on his old friend’s mood. While the Lighthouse remained the same, often the Veilguard would wake up to see their interim home had a different garden to explore, each one shaped from Solas’ lonely library of memories. Sometimes there would be luscious fields of green, emerald blades swaying to a song none but they could hear as perfectly round drops of dew dissolved into dazzling specs of light. Other times there were seemingly never-ending pathways; rivers of crystal gems creating a map upon the island, waterfalls replacing cities and curious wisps building toy castles from motes of magic. Once, when Varric awoke in the dead of night (or as close as one could get to that, in the Fade), he peered out his window to see Solas strolling Skyhold’s grounds, his tired eyes never leaving the figures of Cole and the Inquisitor as they helped to soothe a dying woman lying by the campfire, clutching a fatal wound. Had Solas reached out to them, Varric did not know, for he had quickly retreated back to his bed to allow his old friend his privacy.

Today, as Varric disembarked the steps, the soles of his worn boots met an impossibly soft sand that shifted gently beneath his weight. Something resembling seashells dotted the ground, their surface gleaming and moving in a way that made them look more like creatures than collectible souvenirs. Out of baseless paranoia more than respect, Varric carefully picked his way across the fabricated beach to the towering figure in the distance.

Solas stood at the end of the beach, the ripples of the ocean creeping along the sand to stop just shy of the tips of his feet, as though magic itself dare not disturb him. He stood tall, gazing across his domain with an expression befitting his name as the manufactured breeze lifted the ends of his coat. Hands clasped habitually behind his back, a single gold coin rolled lazily across his knuckles, causing tiny spurts of reflected light to shower across his long fingers. Any reasonable dwarf back under the surface might have mistook it for magic.

“Good morning, Varric,” came his familiar voice. He spoke in barely more than a murmur despite Varric still being numerous paces away, yet he heard it as though they were standing next to each other.

“And here I thought it was only Rook who had to listen to your voice inside their head, Chuckles,” Varric shouted back, scowling half-heartedly when he saw Solas’ shoulders betray a small laugh.

Solas patiently waited until Varric had made it to his side before speaking again, finally turning his gaze to his friend with a playful smirk on his lips. “Ir abelas, I did not want to deny you the pleasure.”

Varric let out an indignant snort. “I’m starting to understand why so many dwarves stay below the surface.”

“To avoid speaking with me?”

“Now, now, I didn’t say that.”

“You did not need to,” Solas responded curtly. Varric was glad to see the smile still lingering.

At least he hasn’t lost his sense of humour.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, the sound of the waves crashing a few hundred yards ahead of them filling the space. Had he let his mind tune out for a moment, it would not have been unlike the mornings they had spent waking up to the sounds of the Storm Coast - Solas casting a protective barrier over the campfire before the Inquisitor burst into tears at the idea of going a single moment without her tea; Cassandra cursing from the edge of camp as she tried and failed to prove she could in fact approach a nug without scaring it away; Lace and Varric placing bets on how many more days it could rain before they all lost their minds. He wasn’t sure which put his back up more; being surrounded by suffocating grey and rain, slipping on lethal cliffs that never seemed to dry - or being in the Fade.

It was Solas who broke the silence first, as if sensing Varric’s unease. “How are you adjusting?”

Varric shrugged, stalling as he measured his response. It wasn’t in the nature of their relationship to lie to one another (or so I thought, he corrected himself), but he wasn’t about to start tearing apart his friend’s home either.

“I can’t exactly say I’m keen to settle down and start a family here, but I’ll give it to you - it’s impressive.”

“Thank you,” Solas sighed heavily, his eyes focused on something in the distance. “Imagine what it would be like without the Veil.”

“Chuckles, not now.”

“So, when would you propose-”

“I came here to talk to Solas,” Varric said morosely, feeling a pang of regret as Solas’ shoulders stiffened. “Not the Dread Wolf. How about you humour me, just this once? Then I promise we’ll go back to the uncomfortable ‘Child of the Stone’ and ‘Ancient Elven God’ dynamic.”

Solas silently met his eyes then, and the coin in his hands stilled as white knuckles wrapped around it tightly. Just like the painted walls on the islands floating around them, Varric could see his were tall but crumbling. Exhaustion and pain had sunk their bloodied talons into his sharp features, but under the wolf there was still the man. A friend that desperately wanted to get out.

“I’ve never been good at this sort of stuff,” Varric muttered, turning his gaze back toward the ocean, “but you left a lot of people behind. Good people, that missed you.”

“I am not unaware of that, Varric,” Solas replied. Varric could hear the sharpness to the tone, a warning that he should drop the subject immediately.

They both knew he wouldn’t.

“I mean, even Buttercup seemed upset - although she tried her best not to show it. With you gone, Cassandra became her next target for pranks, and we both know pissing off the Seeker is a dangerous choice at best - lethal at worst. I mean, I’m speaking from experience here.”

A quick glance to his right told him Solas was also very pointedly staring out at the ocean again, doing his best to look the picture of disinterest, but the ironclad set of his jaw gave him away. It always had.

“And Ruffles! I thought she would never stop accidentally adding your frilly cakes to the Val Royeaux order list each month. Eventually, me and the Kid-”

“Did you come out here with the intent to torture me, Varric?” Solas snapped, his proud mask melting away to pained anger as he pressed his eyes closed. His nose scrunched as he breathed through it, the waves that stretched before them stuttering and turning a sickly green. “Do you see me as so many of my People do? Do you also think me a heartless monster with no feelings?”

Against his will, Varric’s mind recalled his friend’s broken sobs as she read Sutherland’s reports about the monstrous demon that had plagued Skyhold. Her heart’s deepest regrets ravaging the place they had once called home, the scars of his past forever embedded in the old Inquisition fortress.

“No,” he sighed. “I don’t think that at all, Chuckles.”

Another deep breath from Solas. The water slowly began to settle once more, melting back to a cool, pure cerulean that would have made the painters at Halamshiral turn crimson with embarrassment.

“Then what can I do for you?”

“Remember,” Varric said shortly.

Solas opened his eyes to peer at Varric with confusion, and he could see the purple storm deep within them threatening to pour out and engulf the island they now stood upon.

Silently, Varric nodded to Solas’ hands, still held tightly shut as though he were frightened of dropping whatever was in them. Solas slowly unfurled his fingers, the gold coin nestled innocently in his palm, small dents pressed into his pale skin from clasping it so desperately. The purple storm observed it silently, eyes barely blinking as they stared.

“I saw you playing with it,” Varric said gently, feeling his friend was more a terrified Halla than the dreaded wolf in that moment. “Raven used to do the same thing, when she was nervous. Ruffles had to pry it from her hand when we went to the Winter Palace.”

Solas continued staring at the coin, his expression unreadable. “She gave this to me on the way to the Temple of Mythal,” he said tentatively, as though testing out the words in his mouth. Varric supposed this was the first time he had allowed himself to speak of her in years. “She said she had no need for it any longer, since she had …”

“Since she had your hand to hold,” Varric finished for him. “She said it loud enough for the entire camp to hear.” The memory almost made him smile himself.

A ghost of a smile tried to lift the corners of Solas’ mouth, but it faltered before it even began.

“I remember.”

Varric did smile then. I knew you were still in there, Chuckles.

“Do you still love her?”

There was barely a heartbeat before Solas tore his eyes away from the coin, wrapping his fingers safely around it once more before straightening to his full height and turning to look along the endless sands.

Varric felt the Fade change before he saw it. The sands before them rippled and swirled, floating smoothly into the air to reveal the harsh black rock of the island below. A deep shadow lurked over the area, a stark contrast to the vivid, colourful sky behind it. The sands shifted and formed a familiar image; tall swaths of darkness encircling a small enclave while a suffocating green mist rolled along the floor, catching Varric’s ankles and sending small tendrils up his legs that dissipated as quickly as they appeared. Paltry red spirits skittered around nervously, as if they were constantly running toward - or away from - something.

This was the graveyard from the Fear demon’s lair. Or - more accurately, Varric supposed - Solas’ memory of it.

There was a slight adjustment, however. Only one, solitary gravestone sat in the enclave. The stone it was made from looked sick, brimming with fear and unspoken terrors, its aura almost oppressive.

Varric approached it wordlessly. The words upon it were the same and yet not as he remembered - the elegant, smug carvings of the fear demon were gone, replaced by hurried, almost infantile writing that looked as if it had been carved with a very sharp claw.

‘Solas,’ it read. ‘Dying alone.’

It was only then that Varric saw them. A spectral version of Solas - his friend, Solas - appeared slowly from the darkness, smiling as he offered a gloved hand to the second figure that manifested. Harellan met his smile with her own, eagerly gripping his hand and laughing as he twirled her into his arms. The scarlet spirits, appearing to be calmed by the two newcomers, turned to watch, sweeping closer to the radiant scene that seemed to consume the darkness around it. Varric could hear the faint sound of a band playing from - somewhere? Nowhere? The memory of his friends didn’t seem to care, nor did they notice him or the cruel grave at their feet. They danced and looked at no one but each other, and Varric was irrevocably certain that they would dance forever if the world would let them.

The lonely voice came from behind him then. It was so thick with immeasurable pain that Varric could not bring himself to turn around.

“Speak of her over my grave, Varric,” Solas murmured, “and watch how she brings me back to life."

[biancadavri]

dragon age fans discussing dragon age: i have spent over a decade of my life learning everything about thedas. i know the lore, i know the people and the places. i can easily discourse about complex fantasy geopolitics on a level that would make real life experts want me carnally. i have been obsessed with characters that at no point were mentioned in any dragon age games. one time i briefly misremembered the date of a minor (completely irrelevant) event and i wasn't able to look at myself in the mirror for three weeks

me: who would start saying shit like "saw a snail today.... effervescent" first once they're out of orzammar, brosca or aeducan

[vigilskeep]

First of all, Hello. How are you doing and how is your week?

Secondly I apologize if this has been asked before, but what was your opinion if any in the multiplayer of Dragon Age Inquisition? Mostly the characters and maps that were available? Additionally what were things you wished were more active or presented more in the three games? Features, areas creatures, text/lore? What ever drew interest.

Thank you for your time, and have a nice day.

hi!! extremely polite ask thank u muchly. i am doing alright!

i’m afraid i’ve never used the dai multiplayer, i don’t even know how it functions... and tbh i read some info on the characters from it in world of thedas and they made me Wildly Uncomfortable! lmao. i probably picked a couple of bad ones but like... this is a Nice Dalish whose clan loves to share information with the human scholars and all the other dalish were sooo mean to them because of it! here’s a mage who was disillusioned because the nasty rebels were Too Violent. here’s a heretic who the inquisition forced into service or death because of her beliefs which we’ll never discuss at all. blah blah blah. i just scrolled through them on the wiki and some of the others sound interesting mostly the dwarves but it’s all uh very inquisition (derogatory)

as for what i wish was explored more in the games, hmmmm. dwarves dwarves dwarves, of course. both they and the city elves of the alienages have really been neglected since origins, only represented by companions without any personal connection to their communities and never otherwise relevant to the plot, and it’s such a shame. otherwise, i don’t know, there’s so much i want more of! i do love this world. assuming dreadwolf exists and has a fade level i hope it’s fucked up this time. we just haven’t gotten into personalised nightmares for every companion lately like we used to! also when will they hand over the vampires.

[vultures-and-scavengers]

start.

curly, if any man needed a hobby, it's you.

he's not sulking: the commander of the inquisition doesn't pout.

but he has hobbies! he does! he spars every morning with his officers (wait, that counts, right? he enjoys it), he reads (books on tactics, but it's just lucky he finds the reading he does for his job interesting.), and he... he...

cullen has hobbies, he swears. he just can't... name one.

five minutes later, cullen thinks of one. chess! he likes chess. it's unfortunate annette-- lady trevelyan, he reminds himself-- likes to take dorian with her so much, and leliana is busy, so he can't play as much as he likes.

and sure, ann-- lady trevelyan-- has been in skyhold the past few weeks, and so has dorian, and he still hasn't played recently, but they just got back from adamant.

really, cullen doesn't have leisure time. if he had time, he's sure he'd know some way to fill it. cullen stares at the paperwork on his desk, pondering, telling himself an idea will come to him, any day now.

alright, he's got nothing.

he broods over that enough that he startles when lady trevelyan sweeps into his office, a small stack of papers in her hands. she looks unbothered, moving with a practiced grace as her skirts flow around her. she tilts her head slightly, asking if everything is alright.

oh, sure, he's fine, cullen's just contemplating the monotony of his existence. it's what everyone loves to do. he intends to tell her he's fine, really, but what he says instead is, "am i boring?"

right. he's going to resign and go live alone in the woods, now.

she doesn't react at first, her eyes unblinkingly focused on him, and then her lips purse. "what brought this on?"

that's not a no, he observes.

"ah," she answers for herself while he flails for an answer that doesn't make it look like he's obsessing over something varric said a week ago. he doesn't need to tell her that. she figures it out for herself. "is this about varric's comment?"

he chose the three most perceptive women in thedas to work with. cullen would appreciate it more if they turned that perception on him less. he nods, though.

"i think," she says, and while she always picks her words with deliberation, she seems even more cautious than normal, "that you have been put in positions where you had little time or opportunity to develop hobbies, but it does not follow that you must then be boring."

well, he can't ask her how to find a hobby he likes, so he tries a slightly different tactic. "well, what do you like to do?"

she opens her mouth, closes it, and cullen is rewarded with the rarest of visions: a flummoxed lady trevelyan.

"oh," he says. and then he laughs, because what else is there? it's a tired, disbelieving sort of laugh, because here they are, inquisitor and commander, and they can't think of a single leisure activity between them.

what a pair they make.

she flushes, but she only pushes her shoulders back and stands a little straighter in a defensive sort of defiance. "well, what did you do before joining the templars?"

at first cullen thinks to remind her he was raised on a farm, and that the work started before dawn and lasted until dusk. but he dusts off an old memory and furrows his brow, wondering why he'd let it grow so faded. his uncle had been the town carpenter, and on days cullen had been able to slip away, he'd spent hours in his uncle's workshop.

"woodcarving," he finally answers. it's a start. she escapes the conversation before he can ask what she had once enjoyed, but that's fine. he's learned by now that she's allergic to being known, but if he opens a door and gives her space, eventually she'll walk through it.

blackwall is easily convinced to part with spare bits of wood, and because cullen is still ferelden, he attempts to carve a mabari first. its terrible, but its a start.

he tries to carve a bird next. birds are much simpler. his raven hops closer, sitting on his shoulder as he sits back, summoning childhood memories to guide his hands. its much better. he locates paint, and paints it black, with a splotch of white on its chest, and he sets it next to his raven's perch.

it makes his raven seem pleased, and his raven can't tell him he's terrible at painting. its an ideal location.

as he carves a second bird one evening, lady trevelyan appears, a steaming mug of cocoa in her hands, and thick furs wrapped around her shoulders. he reminds her its summer and receives a haughty glare in response.

but he spins his chair around and she settles herself onto the couch shoved against the wall behind his desk, and slowly, shyly, lady trevelyan tells him she's fascinated by herbalism, by the histories behind how different plants are used and how the uses have changed over time.

he asks if shes tried growing her own, but she shakes her head, and tells him in a voice she can't quite erase the wistfulness from that its not lady-like.

he swallows his first instinct, which he still thinks is a quite reasonable one, to tell her to hang the nobility and what they think. but lady trevelyan has bound herself to their rules in order to play their game, and she is only more visible now. he's had (and lost) that argument.

"and?" he finally asks.

lady trevelyan-- no, annette-- looks over at him, and she has no answer. her confused expression fades, replaced by blank neutrality, but she sips at her cocoa. the silence that follows is more contemplative than tense, and when she speaks, its only to ask if he'd be willing to share more about how he learned woodcarving.

cullen lets her change the subject, the door opened. he tells her of his uncle, of the woodshop nestled up on the hill behind the baker's store, and of learning how to use his uncle's tools. later he'll savor the memory of wrapping his hands around hers, showing lady trevelyan-- annette-- how to hold the whittling knife so she won't hurt herself, her side pressed to his as she listens to him talk.

and three weeks later, a rather terribly painted mourning dove carving sits in a planter with an over-watered and drooping embrium.

its a start.

[ellana-lavellan-official]

Solas and loneliness

Years ago (around a decade ago, to be frank) I read By The Still Waters. Even though solavellan is minor pairing there, once scene gave me goosebumps and got imprinted in my memory.

“It’s not too late,” the Inquisitor said. “I’m listening.” She smiled, though it was only a slight curl at the corners of her mouth. Her clan markings had disappeared for good now. “I’ll be here all night.”

Solas fell to his knees in front of her. Fenris still could not move. He could feel the demon’s fascination. It seemed almost to be holding its breath. Solas grasped both the Inquisitor’s hands in his and bowed his head over them. “I have been so long alone,” he said, in a low voice that seemed to be picked up by the warm soft wind blowing through the garden: alone alone alone alone."

After news from game informer article

SPOILER

.

.

Solas was alone (!) all those years. This is so fucking sad. I can't help feeling for him. Imagine how miserable we was feeling all this time.

Lavellan at least had people beside her.

He has noone. And it's his choice. I'm not gonna judge him or say he should have stayed with Lavellan. I clearly don't know the rest of his story, what he went through and what's at stakes. But the sheer willpower needed to end relationship with he, when it's clear he cares for her is immensive. Considering his greatest fear is dying alone. Considering he lost one of the few companions he had (Wisdom). Considering his words to Lavellan when they met and in Crestwood.

Lavellan:  I’ve never heard of anyone going so far into the fade. That’s extraordinary. Solas: Thank you. It’s not a common field of study, for obvious reasons. Not so flashy as throwing fire or lightning. The thrill of finding remnants of a thousand-year-old dream? I would not trade it for anything.

vs

Solas: I was trying to determine some way to show you what you mean to me.

Lavellan: That’s not necessary, Solas. You’re my…

Solas: That is the question, is it not? For now, the best gift I can offer is the truth… You are unique. In all Thedas, I never expected to find someone who could draw my attention from the Fade. You have become important to me - more important than I could have imagined.

Weeks said in the past how moral implications of romance with Solas are huge. Back then I took it as confirmation that through her he realized his mistake in thinking modern people aren't real. But I think it's more that than, especially after yesterday.

He was alone for millennia, it's unknown if he ever had deeply intimate relationship with anyone. In fact, his word suggest he hasn't: before Lavellan the Fade and dreams was what he loved. And then he met her and realized he could trade it in favor of spending time with her.

What is their story, for him, is about truly loving for the first time? Opening up like never before, experiencing connection with another being on a new level. A possibility of having someone know how you truly are, not a persona, but Solas (or, more precisely, his soul. I think Solas is a name he was given. which doesn't necessarily represent him wholy) . Being cared for who he is. Being free and loved.

I so hope we will get a chance to make it better for him. I also hope spirit Cole comforted him, even though Solas likely turned him away as well.

I was positive Bioware will depict him as a leader amongst his agents, busy progressing with his plan and spreading the chaos for his opponents. I got this impression from Trespasser. Intelligent trickster, who got what he wanted by using qunari and Inquisition.

But I was wrong and I'm glad. What we got is so much sadder but also fucking beautiful. It opens a lot of possibilities to how his story will progress. Weekes is a genius. I love them.

I am this close to blocking any news to experience the game for the first time as it's released. Now that I know Inquisitor will make an appearance, I'm hopeful for meaningful wrap up to their story.

UPD

And fuck if the news don't give another spin at him watching Lavellan from the distance in her dreams. Imagine it as the only comfort and intimacy (or whisp of it, really, as he was always far away) he allowed himself since Trespasser, probably when his lonely presence in Lighthouse became too much to bear. It's so sad. I actually cried yesterday T_T

Let me love you and care for you and hug you and comfort you and protect you you stupid fucking idiot of a vhenan