#harrow reborn au

[elfieafterdark]

Pyrrha Dve hasn't ever been a perfect woman, let alone a perfect person. Her mid-twenties weren't exactly spent at her best.

She had a few nasty habits, and a decent enough job to fuel them. Smoking, womanizing, and of course, drinking.

That last one was how she ended up at this hospital, sitting there all uncomfortably in the middle of the night. Fidgeting with her big hands, unable to fully sit still but lacking anything actionable to do.

She had, remarkably, fallen asleep at some point. The nurses kept telling her she could go home, they'd handle it, and she just kept staying.

What was she supposed to do? Leave the kid? Not an option.

It's gotta be morning by now. Caught in this in between place, with all the beeping and the noise. She can't even remember finding the kid, not really.

She just remembered showing up at the hospital with the kid.

She couldn't take it anymore, she finally flagged down a nurse, and asked, "how's the kid doing?" The nurse, who had started her shift at some point recently, judging by the significantly reduced bags under her eyes, was infinitely patient.

Once she knew what Pyrrha was talking about, she happily led her to the infant. Same as before, same as when she found her... Just, more tubes. Tubes and wires connected to the little baby.

"She's a little trooper. Aren't you sweetie?" The nurse asks, and the little baby coos. Pyrrha stared at the infant, at her dark skin, at her little tuft of red hair, at her golden eyes.

"What's with all the hardware?"

"Heart and oxygen monitors," explains the nurse, letting the baby grab one of her fingers as she talks, "We've also got her on TPN, that's total parent nutrition by the way." She added before Pyrrha could ask, "Just making sure that she's okay. God damn though, I can't believe someone would leave her in a box on the side of the road."

"Is that what happened?"

"That's what you told us, yes." The nurse confirmed. The baby gurgled, looking around at this strange world and clearly finding her tiny self utterly perplexed by it.

"Jesus." Pyrrha said. The baby looked her way, then smiled and reached, though she lacked the fine motor skills to properly do so.

Pyrrha offered a finger, and the baby grabbed one. Something happened then, to Pyrrha Dve, something involving her heart, and that heart collapsing in on itself.

"What..." Her words were thick and slow to roll off the tongue, "What happens now?" The nurse grabs a clipboard and starts writing.

"Well, now CPS gets involved. They try and find her parents, though something tells me they won't succeed there."

"bahhh." The baby added, rather unhelpfully for poor Pyrrha's heart.

"And when they can't find her birth parents, she's going to go into foster care." The nurse continued. Pyrrha straightened her posture at that.

"And, if I wanted... I mean, is me... an option?" As if expecting it, the nurse brandished a piece of paper with a phone number and some basic instructions written on it.

"Give them a call, they can get you all the literature. You'll have to be evaluated of course, but, I think she likes you."

Pyrrha looked back at the baby, the baby whose birth parents abandoned her. Left her to literally die. Pyrrha's never been so glad that Mercy convinced her to walk home rather than take a cab, by way of stealing the cab with Augustine and driving off without her.

"Hey kiddo." Pyrrha tried, and found it not unpleasant to say. "Uh, you got a good grip."

"Ahhh." Said the baby.

"Yeah," Pyrrha said, trying not to choke on how fucking precious this little life is, and how close it was to being snuffed out. "Me too."

Pyrrha Dve was going to make some changes, she decided it then and there. She was going to make some calls, she was going to get her act together.

She was gonna be a mom, the best mom she could be. And it all started by nearly tripping over a cardboard box on the side of the highway.

[theriverbeyond]

The Process Of Elimination, by zoicite/ @enechelon

The Emperor calls for eligible heirs to compete for a chance to marry his treasured progeny, Her Divine Highness, First Born of the First Reborn. Each week one House will be sent home until only one remains and the winning heir shall ascend to stand beside Her Divine Highness, hand in hand, with House replenished and legacy secured. Harrow does not intend to compete.

or: THE bachelor AU!! This has been a longtime favorite fic of mine and it was such an honor to be able to bind it!! Sending out a massive thank you to the Zoicite for writing and sharing it with the world

Fandom: The Locked Tomb

Pairing: Gideon Nav/Harrowhark Nonagesimus

Title font: Neue Helvetica Bold Extended

Body font: Garamond

Pages: 471

Case: Arrestox Bookcloth White with hand-embossed gold foil

Endpapers: French Marble Pastel Goldenrod

Progress pictures/process under the cut!

For the cover/title I went directly to the Bachelor logo for inspiration, replacing the classic wedding band with, of course, the ring of keys used in the fic!

The cover is heat embossed by hand, in the same way as my previous bind of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. For that bind I went pretty maximalist, and for THIS one I wanted to aim for a really clean looking, simple but elegant look. I think it turned out pretty good! I ended up going for the white and gold look to match First House Gideon vibes

I also tried rounding and backing here again, which turned out somewhat mixed. I'm still working on my technique for that, but peep the nice yellow headbands to match the endpapers!

Overall, this was SO fun to do, and a great excuse to revisit & spend good time with a fic I love.

[rainforestakiie]

new au idea~

the opposite of heaven isn't hell, for hell is merely a reflection of humanity's darkest impulses. instead, it is the tangible shadow of heaven, a realm steeped in despair, ruled by the enigmatic sister of god, morgan. like a twisted yin and yang, where god embodies life, morgan reigns over death. she sits upon a throne woven from the essence of pure darkness, her very presence a harbinger of malevolence. from the tattered folds of her shrouded cloak, archreapers emerge—sinister beings born to counter the archangels.

the first human, adam, was not a creation of light; he was forged in the depths of morgan’s domain, a place known as the underworld, or perhaps purgatory—a liminal space where shadows intertwine with despair.

morgan's oldest and most cherished archreaper, lucifer, acts as adam's reluctant guardian.

this version of lucifer is a far cry from the angelic figure whispered about in tales of old. his hair, an inky black, spills like night itself, and his skeletal arms protrude from a form draped in darkness. his eyes are hollow voids, framed by sunken cheeks that echo his sinister nature. he dons a short-sleeved dress shirt, layered with a sleek black vest, and a tailored tie, all complemented by trousers and knee-high boots that speak of a forgotten elegance. of course he still has his top hat, only it is pure black with skulls framing the base instead of the snake and apple. as an archreaper, lucifer is adorned with eight wings—either a tapestry of black feathers or the twisted remnants of bones.

his existence is the antithesis of archangels; lucifer thrives on spreading death and shadow, a harbinger of darkness long before humanity graced the world. at this point in time, when adam is yet to awaken, lucifer's hunger is insatiable—a swirling black hole within him, yearning to consume the very light that flickers in the distance.

each archreaper possesses a monstrous companion, and lucifer's is cerberus, a beast born of nightmares. wielding a scythe, lucifer stands as morgan’s most powerful servant, her dark reflection in a realm untouched by light.

after adam’s birth, lucifer’s singular purpose shifts to protecting him, for within the shadows lurk creatures ravenous for the pure soul of light that adam embodies. as they navigate this darkened realm, lucifer finds himself entwined in a forbidden love with the very being he was meant to guard.

however, morgan sees adam as a failed creation, a mere flicker of light to be extinguished. in a desperate bid to save him, lucifer confronts morgan and emerges victorious, forcing her to relinquish adam to her brother, god.

transformed by love and the urgent need to protect, lucifer’s soul is purified. cast from the depths of shadow to the radiant embrace of light, he is reborn as an archangel, but at a harrowing cost—his memories of morgan, his fellow archreapers, and his love for adam are erased.

simultaneously, adam’s memories are stripped away, and he is placed into the lush, untainted paradise of eden. there, he encounters lucifer anew, now his guardian archangel, and yet the echoes of their past remain shrouded in mystery.

perhaps lilith, a specter of ancient evil, lingered in the shadows, once intent on devouring adam's pure soul.

the threads of fate intertwine, weaving a tapestry of light and darkness, love and loss, waiting to unfurl.

[coolotplblogloadng]

Top 5 Griddlehark💀 Fics

No Particular Order

There is no other who knows you by 8611

8,564 words - Rated M

Gideon dreams of a specter, dreams of a girl with coal dust eyes and sandy skin standing on the edge of an ocean of desert. | The Locked Tomb x The Old Guard.

I Will Not Die For You by ghost_maidedn_of_delphi

151,369 words - Rated M

Gideon Nav is a mid-level enforcer for the Nonagesimus Crime Family, and all she wants is out. Luckily, she has a ticket: if she can ferry the don's daughter, Harrowhark, across the country to a meeting of The Nine Families.

A modern setting, Organized Crime AU for everyone's favorite disaster lesbians from the Locked Tomb Trilogy.

Cake by the Ocean by zoicte

15,219 words - Rated T

Okay, so the thing was, Gideon had always been shit at plans. She knew that. Everyone knew that, but this--she really didn’t think it would be this hard! Gideon’s voice was like the least memorable thing about her. Bargaining her voice for a well-shaped set of human legs--that really should have worked in her favor.

who ya gonna call? By ingeousbitch

24,563 words - Rated E

the Buzzfeed Unsolved AU in which Gideon is ready to fight a ghost, and Harrow just wants to be haunted.

The Process of Elimination by zoicite

122,267 words - Rated E

The Emperor calls for eligible heirs to compete for a chance to marry his treasured progeny, Her Divine Highness, First Born of the First Reborn. Each week one House will be sent home until only one remains and the winning heir shall ascend to stand beside Her Divine Highness, hand in hand, with House replenished and legacy secured.

Harrow does not intend to compete.

[revsforgottenwar]

Hello! It’s me again! Do you have anymore context or lore behind that comic you made of Link in Majora’s Mask and the aftermath of it? I believe you called it Repetition. I love that comic sm ♥️

Hi again! 🥰 Thanks so much, it’s one of my favourites too 💕 I frequently abandon comics because I get lost in the dialogue so it worked in my favour for having none haha.

I certainly do! I find MM is a very important part of Link’s Journey especially in the context of this AU.

To understand the emotional turmoil behind this you need to take into consideration how Link viewed his status as hero. Despite the time skips, Link in OoT is a child the entire time. When he is an “adult” he certainly sees a lot of death and destruction which would be harrowing especially considering how sheltered he was in the Forest. But at the end of it all, time is reset and all of those deaths and bloodshed that he sees the aftermath of are erased. 

OoT could be perceived in his eyes as a complete win. As a child, to be a hero would be a mantle he would have fully enjoyed, and at the end of it he certainly had saved the day, no one was hurt. (barring of course characters like the Deku Tree ect but even he is reborn). 

Then Termina happens. Link enters this world and despite his starting predicament it immediately becomes clear this place needs a hero. It’s his duty and his nature to help.

One of the key mechanics of the game is that you CANNOT get all the masks and complete all the quests in a three day cycle. One of my favourite examples that i reflect on is that you cannot continue the Anju/Kafei quest if you save the old woman on the first night. You have to decide which one to complete and let the other essentially fail.

Link is the kind of person who believes he needs to save everyone, that is his purpose and sacred duty. So every time he helps someone, he soon discovers that someone else suffers because of his actions. As a result he constantly resets the timeline. Over the course of the resets he takes details notes of everyones movements (Bomber’s Club notebook). His goal is to find a way to save everyone. He HAS to. 

With each reset he becomes more frantic. He keeps failing people, he sees the moon fall again and again and feels the fear and anguish of all the people of Termina.

He is not the hero he is supposed to be and something inside breaks. He cannot move on until he accepts the harsh reality of being a hero. That you cannot save everyone. You must make hard decisions and make sacrifices.

He saves as many as he can and the Skull Kids give him the Fierce Deity Mask for their final “game”.

I see this particular Mask as an equal to Majora. It’s got the word Deity in it’s name so I don’t believe it is something that should be wielded by a mortal without consequences. It turns Link into a cold weapon and he succeeds in stopping the moon. When it is all over he is left empty. Despite the fact he has saved the town he cannot erase from his mind the people he was forced to sacrifice for the greater good. Every being in the world has a life, has feelings, has worth.

Anju is the one who breaks through to him and convinces him to remove the Mask. It takes an incredible amount of strength for him to remove the it and causes him great pain. The magic of the mask leaves a painful burn scar around his jaw and face where the edges of the mask met his skin and the markings leave bloody scars. He has a permanent reminder of this power he wielded and the price that was paid. 

In the aftermath of Termina when he returns to his world, he no longer sees himself as a hero. He cannot escape the failures of his role. He values the life and happiness of everything. Time passes and he rebrands himself purely as a wandering warrior as opposed to a hero (a word he now despises).

Apart from the physical scarring there are still mental ticks that stay with him which do get better as he recovers with Zelda. The overuse of the Ocarina of course breaks his ability to perceive time properly. No force of magic should ever be treated lightly or without respect (there will always be consequences). He frequently has flashbacks from across the ages and sometimes struggles to discern ‘when’ he is. He is also hyper vigilant. He can’t always help but take note of the movements of the town, trying to memorise every step and action. Of course because he isn’t resetting time it’s fruitless and exhausting. He is trying to make predictions out of chaos. And of course he can’t sleep on the full moon, he cannot help but stand in silent vigil incase the moon shall fall again.

At the end of it all the main thing i like to do with Majora is challenge the meaning of ‘hero’. Everyone has a different definition of it. Link enters the conflict with a purely fairytale view of it which isn’t realistic. He is seen as one by those around him who can see who he truely is and what he achieved. 

I personally believe that a true hero never sees themselves as one. They are people who simply try to do the right thing and ask nothing in return. No matter the size of the conflict.

[thedeadthree]

🖊🖊🖊 for each of your da ocs please im begging

HIIII AJ DEAR AND OF COURSE <3 and not emotional at all bc of u wishing to know more about my da babies AHH..! since i finished absolution they've been on the brain again.....! <3

SEND A 🖊 + I WILL GUSH ABOUT MY OCS <3

🖊 - the small folk of ferelden named her the ashen queen! for her ashen hair but as she saved the temple of sacred ashes, and she was reborn in the fires of Highever from lady to warden to queen to hero of all Ferelden from the blight. <3

🖊 - in highever, like the dear girl she was "the teyrnir's delight" she had more than a few paramours and requests for her hand (there was even talk of a tourney for her hand jahsbnjh) but her heart was on her sworn knight, sir roderick gilmore, before the tragedy of highever that resulted in his passing. alistair reminded her a lot of him when they first met in ways of their personalities. and he helped her heal from that and she's grateful to ali for that to this day <3 speaking of ali though <3 he still gifts her roses to this day every year on the day of their anniversary (bc of course he does <3) and had a garden commissioned in the palace for her! was it costly? yes! was it needed? not really! but he loves her and she loved him for it so!

🖊 - this hit me like an epiphany last month? i think? but i thought of having an old amell oc be her lady-in-waiting and childhood bestie! her name was rhiannon but i think i like alicent better? following her successful harrowing (with flying colors mind thee <3) she returned to highever to be the court sorceress of teyrn bryce cousland! alphonsa played wingman to her when ali showed interest in nathaniel howe <3 to be honest i adore natie too much and was going to set him up with alfie in an au but as i was thinking of fun facts it HIT ME and so! wingman alfie to her bestie was born! <3

🖊 - originally his name was faron! but i wasn't into the name and how it flowed together and in browsing the silm/t*olkien tag the plural for the f*eanor came up and i liked how it sounded as a name <3 and so his name was changed to feanorian!!!! his vallaslin and his patron was falon'din for a time as the mother of him and his sister lhysa was at one point a patron of the elven god of shadow <3

🖊 - for his relationship history if i remember reading right, he has been happily married to dorian for about a decade now at the start of da:d and (maybe) absolution <3 he had a short lived relationship with merril back in the day as a companion of hawke. he’s also had more than a few other lords and ladies as partners in the past before he met dorian <3 get ur rich man feanorian!!!!!!

🖊 - other than solas, he is the foremost scholar of elvhen lore and ancient sorcery <3 rivals that of the tevinter archon in terms of power and knowledge of the arcane <3 LOOOATHES using staffs and prefers the tried and true hands to dish out an arcane hind end whooping hehe! the chantry threw a FIT when he refused a staff they offered him but he “assured” them he hasn’t become an abomination.. yet <3 he was also invited to attend the temple of sacred ashes as a dignitary! his extensive knowledge totally doesn’t stem from the fact his biological father was an ancient elf himself and now the left hand to the dread wolf <3

🖊 - NOW FOR MY BABY <3 she has another verse she’s in!!!!! her other verse is the witcher where’s shes lhysa aep lonán, an aen seidhe of nilfgaard <3 also an assassin, she was the premier kingslayer and left hand of both emperor emhyr, his son maxen (an oc of minee <3) and jan c*alveit!!!!! in her da verse she was once an assassin for her mothers order based in nevarra the nahkriin, but went her separate way from it and became freelance!

🖊 - she never meant to be the inquisitor, and for sure never meant to touch the orb it sort of…… happened. her motivations for her presence there was actually that she was on a contract. and who was the contract for you say? it was the divine justinia herself in fact! <3 she hoped to kill her and draw attention to a few important things and people. you know, the chantry because of it was more than obvious that the only way to draw attention was to force their hand when it came to matters pertaining to them, and of course, a particular rebel leader of an unknown but known to someone……. VERY dear to her:

🖊 - WHICH LEADS TO MY LAST ONE!!!!! she and felassan were an item in this verse! i need to read the book he’s in bc she’s also in it for more lore but! he and her! his ideals and charisma captivated her. which was WEIRD for her bc well, in her line of work u know it is neeever a good idea to become close or attached to anyone u know? and uhhhh well……. he dies in the fade right.. bc well bestie rebel leader totally not an elven god right. SO HE WAKES UP AND HE WAKES UP TRANQUIL RIGHT SO HE WAS ZEROED IN THE FADE RIGHT! *cue the tiktok “she knows” song* AND ALSO *cue bloodlines will burn from the hotd soundtrack jsjshx* bc she SWORE to kill the one who killed him u know? it’s only right! an eye for an eye a soul for a soul u know? which makes it MORE inch resting that the whole time it was solas right? and even worse is he fell in love with her and she fell in love with him.. ✨😵‍💫🤍😳

[ifieverweretoloseyou]

my most batshit insane theory is that Gideon is Alecto and Harrow is Anastasia (or at least their reborn souls). now let me elaborate on that.

this entire theory starts with this from gtn page 202

and after knowing how many little clues are left all over the books I feel like this must mean something.

What do we know about Alecto? that she's muscular, she has a two-handed sword when all the other cavaliers have rapiers, she's so inseparable from it that she was buried with it, Harrow is in love with her and she has golden eyes. these are all traits that we know that she shares with Gideon. the other thing that I found really curious is the description of the Body's hair color. I can't currently find the exact quote but it was something along the lines of - that it was wet so it could've been any color at all, which means that it could be red.

unfortunately there aren't that many descriptions of how Gideon looks like, but there is this one in the cohort au where her smile is described as "crooked" and the description of Alecto's mouth is this: "the mouth alone was perfectly imperfect: a little crooked..."

now about Harrow. first we got this from Mercy on page 79 of htn

I kinda feel like comparing people's looks can only be done if the two people actually look like one another

then this from Augustine on page 170

and this on page 195 sounds a lot like what Harrow would do

then the final thing is the second part of the poem from ntn

we know that Anastasia was sent to the Ninth to bury Alecto and from this it very much sounds like Anastasia is preparing to do just that. "This time will be the time we get it right:" this feels like they've gone through this multiple times and that the next time they'll get it just a little bit more correct. maybe this next time as Gideon and Harrow

[sephstones]

Fic :: The Locked Tomb Trilogy :: The Process of Elimination :: Chapter 8 (/8)

Title: The Process of Elimination, Chapter 8 Fandom: The Locked Tomb Pairing: Gideon/Harrow Rating: E Word count: 122k overall (last chapter is 27k) Tags: Harrow the Ninth Ball AU, and also Bachelor/Bachelorette AU. Please read the AO3 tags. 

Summary:

The Emperor calls for eligible heirs to compete for a chance to marry his treasured progeny, Her Divine Highness, First Born of the First Reborn. Each week one House will be sent home until only one remains and the winning heir shall ascend to stand beside Her Divine Highness, hand in hand, with House replenished and legacy secured.

Harrow does not intend to compete.

[Process of Elimination, Chapter 8]

[jessitheninth]

😆 Enjoy this ride to crazy town 😆

I was talking with another Tumblr user and it made me consider HtN from a new theoretical angle. We know Harrow spent her life wanting Gideon to witness her. Then in HtN Harrow essentially makes Gideon her (thematic) Chorus through the lobotomy, who can do nothing but witness (and relate the story to it's intended audience) after that (Harrow is the audience to Gideon's narration after all with the second person tense)

Like always, Harrow forces herself to suffer in someone else's place, which is why I think Gideon gets mad about One Flesh, One End being her only communication. On no uncertain terms did she want Harrow to continue to suffer (or worse continue to hurt herself) and Harrow goes and makes it so much worse anyway.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

I don't think Wake was trying to straight oust Harrow then, I think she was trying to crush that part of her so all that was left was a fucking mad Alecto with an anchor to Harrow's empty body after she rends Harrow apart. (This makes me think Harrow could be Alecto's "Adam" or Herald even moreso).

F, _could_ Alecto have been made worse cause John _was_ rending out her soul stuff to resurrect? And if so did Wake know or learn this while aboard the Mithraeum, from Phyrra or otherwise? Because if so, wouldn't it stand to reason that she knew rending Harrow's souls apart might accomplish some similar end to make her either a monster herself or a vessel for one? A new baby ressurection beast in truth. 😂 @alsamil likes when Harrow becomes a monster for the sadness factor.

Did Wake ever recognize Alecto being with Harrow in the AUs?

Cause if so she's got a very easy way to kill John. Just get someone to cut him off for a hot minute so Alecto's freed spirit can travel to Harrow's body and bring hell 😂

John said Wake seemed like she was trying to die by cop. Don't some criminals do that when they a) think death is better than their day to day suffering of repressed grief and compartmentalization? b) have nothing else to live for? Or c)completed what they thought they needed to and as a final FU they go out in a blaze of glory and death?

She'd destroy God 😂 by finally awakening a Monster through or in Harrow. Maybe it doesn't work all the way and Alecto might be an amnesiac Nona, who's no longer The Ninth Ressurection Beast but something new entirely. Through Gideon and Harrow's union of spirit is Alecto reborn 🥳 or some shit. What you guys think about this?

Another thought I read was HtN being an illusion to "letters" Gideon and Harrow leave for one another when one is more present than the other. There are parts of HtN that Harrow is barely there and Gideons narrating really strongly and judgementally. So it's be Gideon going, "this is what I think about this shit, Harrow". She's narrating _to_ Harrow not the audience after all, even though 2nd person pulls the reader in.

Then Harrow subconsciously shows Gideon her responses in her AUs since Harrow can't talk to or remember Gideon as per usual but she processes things Gideon says in the back of her mind and gets back to her with a good or bad au 😂 scenario. Shit Gideon could even be directing some of the cute meme AUs 😂 or they're codirecting. Harrow didn't know Isaac and Jeanne like Gideon did and I feel like Gideon would know about the "Cohort Coffee" meme from her comics where it always seemed weird for a Harrow choice to me.

As she comes to remember Gideon her AUs get cuter 😂 like she comes to realize how important Gideon is to her alive and that means Harrow has to have the faith to let her go.

[fentelam]

I keep thinking about where Solas would fit into my Modern Thedas AU and I think after talking with Mimi and what I’ve talked with Senka about I have a pretty solid base for what the timeline is going to be overall ( which should most likely be on Varric’s blog but lmao i had to name eight ages ). 

so a couple of things about the Atomic Age AU --- ( a lot of this is overall history since Solas ends up having a historical degree )

one. The Dragon Age saw to the inquisition, but Solas remained in limbo for ages after. The Inquisition was reborn with Justinia V at the helm, without the threat of Corypheus looming over them. The Divine Conclave was critically panned on both sides. The mages felt there was little retribution while the Templars regained their position within the chantry walls. Justinia V did make amends that would later be looked back fondly on by mage historians, for she was the first divine to make the circles non-compulsory for those who completed their harrowing, which lead to a backlash from Templars and those critical of mage freedoms. It was the first step in ages for equality for mages, yet did little in ushering in any laws on rights within the largest nations in Thedas. Ferelden would be the first to offer laws protecting mages, in 10:18 Gilded, It specifically for mages who to live outside the Chantry after completing their education and passing their Harrowing, many critics cited it as the first step of a downfall for Ferelden. Antiva and Nevarra would follow with similar laws in 10:23 and 10:44 respectively. The Free Marches would begin convening as the United States of the Free Marches and would pass a bill with different wording, protecting mages of any kind in 10:50 Gilded due to their high population of Dalish Clans. The rest of the world would soon follow with similar protections. 

two. The Divine Conclave of 10:31 Gilded began the first talks for equality for elves. It would take until 12:32 Reconstruction for true equality for most elves in the nation of Orlais. The Free Marches elected equal rights for mages and protected lands for Dalish clans in 11:23 Steam allowing them to become part of the United States of the Free Marches while still allowing them to maintain their internal hierarchy and autonomy. 

three. Orlais lagged behind in protections for mages, for good and bad reasons. Orlais had a strong sense of tradition and held onto many of their old ways -- yet the blame was not entirely on the shoulders of the Orlesian people, for many people were more accepting than the government, the Chantry simply lagged behind. After the death of Divine Justinia V in 9:78 Dragon ( at her Summer House near Val Chevin ). The Grand Clerics travelled to Val Royeaux to elect a new Divine in the Grand Consensus. It took two weeks to elect a new Divine who was much more conservative than Justinia V, and reiterated that Magic was the corruption of their world and that the Maker did not look fondly upon it, causing a power struggle within Orlais ( between the Imperial Family and the Divine Chantry ). It was not until 12:32 Reconstruction after a war between Ferelden and Orlais did the Imperial Family and the Court of Orlais begin talks about equal rights for all peoples of Orlais, including Mages and Elves.

four. Between the ages of Steam and Discovery, there was a decrease in mage births, and many nations discussed for years about discontinuing the costly Circle Programmes. While the Chantry helped fund these programmes, in the Machine Age -- the role of the Chantry shifted and Templars retreated solely to Chantry grounds and were no longer as present in the Nation’s militaries or cities. The Templars would remain in the Chantries, the Circles and in some cases the University systems ( due to the number of Mages within the Universities ). Val Royeaux would be the only exception to this, for the Templars maintained a heavy presence in the Imperial City. 

five. The United Nations of Thedas was created in the Crown Age. It was the first time that The Tevinter Imperium, Par Vollen, Orlais, and Ferelden began peace talks and other international talks. The United States of the Free Marches would join the United Nations in 16:12 Revolution and Antiva and Nevarra would follow within the next four years. Rivian would also later levy for membership later in the Revolution Age. This lead to what would what some historians would consider the first Age of Long Lasting Peace in Thedas. In 16:34 Revolution the United Nations of Thedas came to a consensus on many civil rights but the most famous right of them all was the Magical Unity and Civil Liberties of the United Nations of Thedas Amendment, better known as the Mage Rights Act.

six. In 14:78 Discovery the war between Par Vollen and the Tevinter Imperium drew to a close as the Seheron Accords were signed, bringing peace to the Seheron Islands since they had been plagued by constant war since the early Steel Age. The Accords were signed with secrecy, and many of the people of Seheron were concerned about how their lives would be affected. In the Blessed Age, Par Vollen had taken back Seheron in a bloody coup d’etat, freeing slaves from their masters and slaying those loyal to Tevinter. It was within the Steam Age that Seheron was once again reclaimed by Tevinter, only for Par Vollen to reclaim it in the end of the Machine Age. When the Accords were read, it granted Par Vollen the land of Seheron but allowed citizens to hold dual citizenship, and began satellite rule, by letting an electorate into Seheron, much like had occurred in Par Vollen early in the Reconstruction Age. Later in the Crown Age, Seheron would create their own government as Par Vollen and Tevinter lost grip of the citizens and the Independent Nation of Seheron was formed in 15:88 Crown. The Independent Nation of Seheron would join the United Nations of Thedas in the Industrial Age.

seven. Par Vollen and the Tevinter Imperium also went through major changes between the Gilded Age to the Revolution Age. For in the Steam Age, Tevinter went through it’s most drastic shift, internal politics in the Dragon Age had allowed this to happen, and Tevinter began opening its borders to outsiders and ended the period of Isolationism that had been in effect since the Tevinter Imperium lost Seheron in the Blessed Age. It was slow going, for Tevinter mainly traded with the Kingdom of Nevarra and The United States of the Free Marches in the Steam Age, yet slowly they opened their doors. It was the Imperial Senate that elected this new open door policy, and the Archon signed it into law, however, the Imperium Chantry was not as thrilled by this new open door policy, for Nevarra’s goods brought the influence of the Andrastian Chantry. Par Vollen saw a different kind of shift within their own nation, a shift away from traditionalism that took many ages, many of the details are unknown. However, Par Vollen truly joined the International stage after the Seheron Accords with a government less influenced by the Qun, yet the Qun still played a significant role in day to day life in the nation of Par Vollen. Many who live in Par Vollen have names and families, which is vastly different than what the nation had once been. This came about in the Reconstruction Age when a wave of openness swept many nations of Thedas, and many citizens of the Nations of Thedas demanded an overhaul of their governments. Yet, the interworkings of Par Vollen are still shrouded in mystery, and the Qun seems to still have a hold on the nation, for many jobs, and places in society are still assigned by the government.

seven. The Nation of the Anderfells continues to rely on the Wardens, however, most Wardens have fallen into the shadow. The United Nations of Thedas passed an amendment in the Civil Liberties Bill restricting the Joining to every ten years in Weisshaupt, or if someone is dying of the Blight. There has not been a Blight since the Dragon Age. The Anderfells are not part of the United Nations of Thedas, nor do they wish to be. The King of the Anderfells is much more present. However, the nation leans on Weisshaupt for leadership.

eight. The main concern of the United Nations of Thedas is the severely weakened veil and the sharp increase in Mage births since the start of the Industrial Age. Mages are at an all-time high since the Dragon Age, for Chantry historians had stated that Mage births were in decline after the Divine Conclave in the Mid-Dragon Age. Yet, the veil has weakened, and many are starting to feel the effects.   

nine. Nine ( including the current ) ages have passed since the Fifth Blight. They are respectively: Gilded, Steam, Reconstruction, Machine, Discovery, Crown, Revolution, Industrial and the current Atomic. a full timeline of what I have written about is here!

ten. orzammar hates everything and doesn’t want anything to do with fade bullshit. They continue to trade with nations and create impressive designs. 

So what does this mean for Solas?

one. Solas awoke in 17:77 Industrial in the United States of the Free Marches. He was at first confused by the state of the world he awoke to, but quickly adapted. He was noticed by the Wardens in 17:93 Industrial after completing a doctorate in Neo-Classical History in Ferelden under the name Solas Rudolph. He travelled for a while after this, specialising in Elvhen and teaching interim and adjunctly at a couple of universities before settling in Kirkwall in the mid 18:00s. For the love of the Maker, please do not call him Professor.

two. Solas settled in Kirkwall, more famously the Midtown sector ( the cultural hub ) and opened his own studio. He teaches adjunctly at Kirkwall University and paints in his studio, he also dabbles in photography and attends local gallery showings, sometimes for his own his shows. He is considered eclectic by his own friends. He does not drive, for the traffic in Kirkwall is terrible and prefers to bike. He’s an unregistered mage since mage registration became legal in Kirkwall in the late 18:30s. He owns one shirt not covered in paint or made of hemp ( or tweed ). He’s that guy in starbucks you HATE. 

three. He is still trying to bring down the veil, however --- he’s needed very little help. Nor has he gone for his foci. 

im dying guys i love my au.

[elfieafterdark]

Gideon Dve grows up with one mom, and she doesn't mind that in the slightest. Especially because it's not actually true, she effectively has many moms/aunts, and two dads/uncles.

Pyrrha is her mama, strong and funny and nice. The one she goes to when she's wanting snuggles or needs help.

Mercymorn is her auntie, a little distant but endlessly caring. Plus Mercy, surprisingly, helps her get into all sorts of mischief. Her girlfriend Cristabel is probably the nicest woman on the entire planet, mom material.

Cassiopeia and Nigella are moms first, aunties second. She spends a lot of time over there when Mama's working. Their daughter Jeannemary is her best friend so that makes it all even better.

Augustine is an uncle. He's a little scary to be honest, but only because he looks exactly like what a vampire looks like in Gideon's head. He is not a vampire of course, but still. He tells her not to smoke, while smoking aggressively.

Ulysses is fun, funny, and nice. Dad material in little Gideon's eyes. He never gets mad at her, and he always makes really tasty treats. So awesome.

She has a big old weird family, and sure, she doesn't really look like Mama but that's okay. Doesn't change the facts. And the facts are that Gideon had a really awesome childhood. Safe and secure and familiar.

And then the whole gang up and moved to California, and everything changed.

[drawsshits-inactive]

modern thedas reincarnation au where hawke is reborn hawke reborn as a mage, goes to the circle (more like a school for mages), decides that he will sign up for the Harrowing challenge (an old mage tradition, they say, a way for young mages to prove themselves, of course they now have loads of safety measures in place, but still dangerous, not mandatory) because he's still young and hot headed so they project him into the fade to prove himself against a demon but its not a demon that he meets but a spirit who does not want to fight. a spirit who claims to be a spirit of justice. a spirit of justice would look like a strong figure, hawke had always imagined, perhaps wearing an armor and wielding a sword (thats what all the books illustrated spirit of justices as, anyway). but hawke supposes books can be wrong, when he gets out, he's telling all his friends and teachers that the spirit of justice looks like a man, with blonde hair half tied into a small knot and a long, charming nose, and feathered robes

[elfieafterdark]

It's the first day of school. Santa Monica is the same as it always is. The September air probably isn't actually that cold, but it certainly feels cold to Harrow Tridentarius.

She's spent seven years living here, with her adoptive family. Her real family. She wakes up, gets dressed in her new fit (now with more mesh), packs her bag, and heads downstairs.

Corona must still be asleep, but she can always count on Ianthe to have woken up and made coffee.

"Mornin' Harry." Ianthe says, looking like a pale fairy queen, if said Queen short shorts and a big university sweater. "Sleep all right?"

"Yes, thanks." Harrow replies, grabbing her favorite travel mug and the coffee pot. "You?"

"Not really, but what's new huh?" Ianthe is lounging in a really big leather bar chair. Picking at some toast.

"Aww, I'm sorry Thay." Harrow tops off her travel mug with a healthy dose of creamer, then digs through the fridge for a Pop-Tart. "What are you up to today?"

Ianthe sets her plate down and grins, "I don't have classes until tomorrow. So naturally I'm going to a party tonight."

"Judith?"

"Hah, no. Dulcie."

"Makes sense." Harrow shoves the foil wrapped pastries into her oversized pockets. She hugs her sis, and makes for the entryway. "I got to run."

"Be late for once Harry." Ianthe says, "You know you don't have to arrive at school an hour early right?"

"I like to-"

"I know I know, you like to get your locker sorted and figure out where all your classes are." Ianthe gingerly picks up a piece of toast again, buying like it's plotting something. "Love you! Have fun! Get sloppy, make bad choices!"

Harrow rolls her eyes, slipping on her dark purple high tops. "Love you too, make sure to drink water." And she's out in the street.

She loves Santa Monica, she loves the ocean, she loves the beach, she loves the salty air. She loves the piers, she loves all of it.

It's way better than Montana that's for sure. She shudders, either from the chill or from remembering that ranch she spent her early years on.

Doesn't matter. They're gone. Anna is doing well, she's doing well. She walks, she doesn't need to, she could have someone drive her. Mom's, well there's no way around it, mom is loaded.

But Harrow likes to walk. She likes to look around, she likes to see how things along the route she always walks change day to day. The old bakery, the new five-story tall multi-use buildings. The dog who's always lounging on the porch of that old house.

Canaan secondary school is the same as it always is, an upscale architectural nightmare of faux stone and glass. It's perfect. Seems like she isn't the only person here either, a few cars in the student parking lot, a bus full of nervous freshmen pulling up. Noise. But the comfortable kind of noise.

She gets her schedule, and is grateful to see a few familiar teachers. As well as a new name: M. Cristabel for biology.

Wonder who she is.

Harry hits a brisk pace to her new locker, which is mercifully down in the art wing of the school. Her favorite haunt, walls plastered with noteworthy projects from last year.

A few excessively dark and tastefully macabre samples are her own. She's proud of her art. Of herself. Even if she is a little bit strange. The polished floors shine, and her converse squeak a little as she goes.

She scouted out all her classes, she's crammed all her unnecessary stuff into her locker. (Extra hygiene products, extra non-perishable snacks, a spare jacket because she gets really cold randomly; and so on). Now she can find her friends, or wait for them if they aren't here yet.

Down the main hall she goes. Past the somehow even more nervous freshmen, down the front steps.

And she crashes into something sturdy with red hair.

"Oh shit!" The red haired sturdy thing, a girl apparently, says with some kind of new england accent.

Harrow falls, drops her stuff, namely her Pop-Tart. But none of that really matters. Not when she looks up and sees the girl. Tanned skin, freckles, a swishy top of hair and shaved sides. A flannel tied around her waist. Jeans and a white tank top. Mirrored aviators slipping off her nose.

"I'm so sorry!" The tall and muscled girl blurts out, "Oh God I hope I didn't hurt you."

"No harm. I'm all good." Harrow says, smiling as this slab of girl helps her up. "You did accidentally smash my breakfast though."

"Fuck." The girl says, "We got a bit of time before class starts, can I buy you something from the corner store?"

Oh. Uh oh... This girl is smooth. Chances of her being like Harrow are pretty low of course... But what's the harm right?

"Well I'd have to know your name first." Harrow says with a smirk.

"Right. Gideon. Gideon Dve." Says Gideon, Gideon Dve.

"I'm Harrow."

"Your name is Harrow? That's actually badass. Okay Harrow, can I take you to the corner store and buy you some replacement breakfast?"

Harrow feels a shiver, like a drop of cold water running down her spine. It's not at all unpleasant though.

"Yes," she says, "I'd like that. Lead the way, Gideon."

[elfieafterdark]

CW: religious trauma, disturbing topics, doomsday cult.

Harrowhark's had a hard life.

But that's not really a surprise, being born into a death cult. Her parents, convinced that the world was going to end. Convinced that they needed to cleanse themselves of sin before it happened.

She was indoctrinated from the moment she was born. Taught to be virtuous, no sin crossed her young mind, she prayed for the end to come gently for her and the compound.

She believed.

But she was different, sometimes had a hard time understanding things. Certain foods grossed her out and she didn't want to eat them.

She got very good at hiding that. Getting rid of food when no one was looking. Drinks too. It was the smells, and textures that set her off.

That habit saved her life when she was ten. When Father woke her up, told her that the end had come. Sat her down and gave her a drink.

It smelled wrong, later in life she would know the sensation. Ick was activated. So she dumped it when no one would notice.

And, hours later.

The police found her, they found little ten year old Harrowhark, sitting there in her robe, surrounded by bodies.

Harrow's had a hard life.

[elfieafterdark]

Ianthe is sound asleep, her room is the same as any 15-year-olds, boy band posters, baseball medals, her bookshelf full of racey romance novels.

She's sound asleep, dreaming of girls and boys from school when her bedroom door opens.

A little shadow slips in, soft socks pad over the carpeted floor. Ianthe continues to sleep as this shadow approaches, sniffling quietly.

"Ianthe?" The shadow whispers, it reaches up with little shaky hands and tugs at her blanket.

And Ianthe wakes up, not suddenly. She isn't terribly alarmed by the shadow, because the shadow is little sister shaped.

"Did you have another dream Harry?" She asks, and Harry nods, still sniffling and wiping her eyes with her sweater sleeve. Poor thing gets so cold, they're still trying to get her to eat enough food.

"Need help getting up here?" Ianthe asks. Another nod. Ianthe flips the blanket up, and swings herself to sit. She picks Harrow up by her armpits, "Up you go."

Harrow huffs, and wiggles. All fussy and sad. Truly a wet cat made human. Ianthe covers her and lets her settle.

Harrow curls up, and scoots close. And Ianthe throws an arm over her. "I gotchu Harry."

It takes 3 minutes for Harrow to stop crying. Another five for her to be sound asleep. Ianthe sighs and closes her eyes.

Turns out she actually likes being a big sister.

[elfieafterdark]

Violabeth wasn't exactly sure what she was getting into, fostering such a troubled young girl. But she was well off, had plenty of time and love for her twins, and so it felt natural for one more.

The girl was of Maori descent, so Violabeth spends time brushing up on their culture. So Harrow had something familiar.

Turns out that was a waste of time. The poor girl has absolutely no idea about her heritage. She doesn't even know what the word Maori means. Or much of anything really.

Harrow is tiny. Small, scrawny, a wafer of a child. Clearly malnourished, extremely skittish, and horrified by nearly every part of modern life. Poor thing. It's all so terrible.

Harrow screamed When Coronabeth turned on the TV for the first time, and she calls it a demon box with ghosts in it. She's terrified of the radio for the same reasons. She is 10, she has never seen a television before, and her birth parents were insane.

Viola can hardly fathom it, the scope of tragedy this little girl has been through. To think that a mother could be okay with poisoning her daughter in the name of "salvation". Make no mistake, Viola is privately religious... But never like that.

Harrow stares suspiciously at her dinner. Glaring at it with tiny malice. Ianthe tries to coax her into trying it, saying that it's really good and you'll enjoy it. Beth just goes to town on her own.

Little charcoal eyes look up at Viola, searchingly, uncertain. A little pointy face full of doubt and fear.

"Is it safe?"

Same question, different day. Harrow always asks this when given food, and every time she does the meaning is understood. Is it safe is code for, "is this poisoned?"

Poor thing. Poor, sweet girl who's been put through way too much. More than anyone should ever have to go through.

Viola does the same thing she always does when her youngest asks that question. She reaches across the table, she grabs one of the dino nuggies, and takes a bite for herself.

Harrow watches as she chews, because see, her parents laced juice with cyanide. All the other adults had wine, but Harrow specifically had juice. And her entire family and community drank something, and the cyanide prevented them from uptaking oxygen, and they died. And little Harrow was left alone for hours frozen and blank faced.

But Viola, perhaps contrary to what the little one thinks, has not laced anything with cyanide and wouldn't even know where to find cyanide if she wanted to.

She swallows, she smiles in what she hopes is a reassuring way. She says, perfectly safe, and Harrow looks at her older sisters, neither of whom have seized up or gone purple.

Then she looks back at Viola, who also hasn't keeled over dead as a doornail. Then the little girl picks up a Triceratops shaped chicken nugget, and takes the world's tiniest bite.

And oh, how her eyes sparkle.

That's when Viola knows that this? It's all worth it. That's when she knows for sure that they're keeping sweet little cautious Harrowhark. She's family already, and she's finally home.