#hissera thorne rook

[darkfeanix]

Thedas Tuesday

I started this last Tuesday, and you wanna know how many relationships I wrote between then and yesterday?

Varric. I wrote up Ariel's relationship with Varric last Tuesday, and then didn't get around to writing any of the others until this afternoon. Even having a clear idea of most of them, that took a lot out of me. Aveline in particular completely surprised me with the direction her relationship with Ariel took.

This is where I realised that my canon, while it aligns with the games it takes place, doesn't necessary line up with the game that followed. Again, this is about Aveline. In Dragon Age II, it is canonically possible to get her to a point where she will resign from the City Guard, and I decided that that I wanted to write that into her relationship with Ariel. That does mean it contradicts literally everything about her in relation to Dragon Age Inquisition, but you know what? That's Bioware's fault for giving me the option in Dragon Age II and not considering the follow-through in Inquisition.

Anway, without further adieu, please find the companion relationships for Dragon Age II under the cut (including Dog, because Dog counts, dammit).

Dermid Hawke

Ariel's shrewd mabari hound, undeniably the fourth Hawke child, and overall good boy. Expert card shark and frequent player at Varric's weekly Wicked Grace games.

Bethany Hawke

Ariel always got on better with Bethany than she did with Carver, and while that initially led to some tension between them after his death ("Could I have done more if I hadn't been so focused on protecting my sister?" is a question they both ask themselves many times in the years to come), ultimately the love they have for each other is deeper than any outside force. While Bethany initially resented Ariel for leaving her out of the Deep Roads Expedition, and was scared when the templars arrived to take her to the Circle, over time it grew to be more of a relief to not be looking over her shoulder anymore. This only reinforced Ariel's own beliefs that the Circles served a necessary role, and she would spend the next few years maintaining this perspective as their correspondence continued.

It wasn't until Bethany was abducted by Thrask and Grace, who hoped to use her as leverage to force Ariel to act, that Ariel was forced to admit that the situation in Kirkwall had gotten out of control. Even then, she resisted all efforts to force her to pick a side, toeing the line with Meredith right up until the moment when Meredith took it upon herself to annul the Kirkwall Circle of Magi in response to Anders destroying the Chantry. At long last, Ariel was forced to open her eyes and admit that she couldn't stand by and watch while the templars continued to abuse their authority. When the templars came to execute their charges, the Hawke sisters stood side by side and held the line, rebuking the attack and, when it came to it, striking down Knight-Commander Meredith.

Aveline Vallen

Initially tentative friends after fleeing from Lothering, the two of them grew distant in the year of indentured servitude to Athenril and her smugglers, as Aveline resented being made to do illegal work. The very day that their debt was cleared, Aveline enlisted with the Kirkwall city guard, and that put additional strain on their relationship as Ariel continued to associate with Kirkwall's criminal underworld. Even so, it was to Hawke that Aveline turned to when she began to suspect something untoward was happening with Guard Captain Jeven, and in the years to come, she would credit Hawke with her own rapid rise to the role of Guard Captain.

The relationship took another serious hit when a blood mage abducted and killing Ariel's mother. Ariel blamed the City Guards' inaction during an earlier investigation – and Aveline in particular – for her mother's death, while Aveline viewed it as a tragedy that she could not have prevents despite how much she wished it. It became a point of contention between them that wouldn't be resolved until a couple of years later. Aveline's involvement in the Arishok being moved to take action against Kirkwall drove an additional wedge between them.

With little in the way of friends and no family to speak of, Aveline threw herself into her role as Guard Captain for the next three years, taking the lessons she had learned from Leandra's death and the Qunari invasion and applying them to the City Guard with ruthless determination. Her new exacting standards produced a higher quality of guard overall, at the cost of quantity. And despite herself, Ariel's respect for Aveline grew, particularly as Meredith blocked all efforts to crown and new viscount, while the templars refused to step up and support the Guard. They finally mended fences after Jeven returned to stir up resentment in both the current guards and those who had failed to meet Aveline's standards. Realising that she had been trying to save something that was determined to destroy itself, Aveline decided to resign from her position and dedicate herself full time to the cause of keeping the city safe, alongside Ariel.

Varric Tethras

They get on like a house on fire. What began as a mutually beneficial business arrangement quickly evolved into a lasting friendship, and it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that Varric is Ariel’s best friend. In the early days, Varric helped Ariel practice her lockpicking skills, giving her pointers and advice. As the years passed, she became his confidante and the person he turned to whenever he needed help. Similarly, Varric was always ready with a flagon of ale and an ear to listen when Ariel was fed up dealing with the Kirkwall nobility.

When Varric’s traitorous brother returned to Kirkwall, Ariel was eager to get some good old-fashioned revenge along with her friend, but she changed her mind after seeing the state he was in. She persuaded Varric to spare Bartrand’s life, and with her family’s connections to the Chantry, was able to help him find a sanitarium where he could receive the care he needed. For the remainder of her time in Kirkwall, Ariel would pay fortnightly visits to Bartrand, bringing flowers and reading to him. And a couple of years later, as the situation with the templars got worse and the Veil in Kirkwall grew ever more fragile, the two of them needed to return to the manor where Bartrand had been holed up, recovering a piece of the red lyrium idol that had driven him mad. The two of them debated for several tense minutes before Varric convinced Ariel that keeping the chip of the idol was worth the trouble, as it might help him help Bartrand.

When things finally came to a head with Knight-Commander Meredith, Varric expressed concerns about actively opposing the Templar Order, but he still backed Ariel a hundred percent.

Sebastian Vael

Grand Cleric Elthina might have said that Ariel brought out the worst in Sebastian, but the truth is that she only ever encouraged him to pursue what was rightfully his. Their relationship was tempestuous at times, but they developed real feelings for each other as the years passed, and the result was that Sebastian did begin to pull away from the Chantry as his focus turned to Starkhaven and how its people continued to suffer.

After Elthina's death at Anders' hands, Sebastian realised he had nothing left to hold him back. With Ariel's support, he returned to Starkhaven and claimed the throne that had been his all along.

Fenris

Ariel met Fenris through her connections with Athenril's smuggling ring, and the two became fast friends, with Fenris accompanying Ariel and Varric on the expedition into the Deep Roads along with another of their friends, Isabela. In the years the followed, he became one of Ariel's most reliable allies, and she his. Though they would never quite see eye-to-eye on the issue of mages, Ariel did help him to heal from many of his worst traumas, and in the end he stood side-by-side with her to protect the mages of Kirkwall when Meredith tried to annul the Circle of Magi.

Merrill

The relationship between Ariel and Merrill did not get off on the right foot, as Merrill's use of blood magic and consorting with a demon in the pursuit of knowledge to restore an ancient elven mirror immediately put Ariel on edge. It was not until after Bethany was taken by the templars that things began to change. Ariel, for all intents and purposes, adopted Merrill as a surrogate sister to protect, just as she had been taught all her life to protect Bethany. This didn't always go well. Merrill was no Bethany, and Ariel didn't always make the right choices in her efforts to "protect" Merrill. She always walked a thin line between trying to support Merrill's pursuit of lost knowledge and showing an interest in elven culture, and trying to discourage Merrill's use of "forbidden" magic.

Things finally came to a head some six or seven years after their first meeting, when Merril's former teacher and maternal figure, Keeper Marethari, took it upon herself to put a permanent end to Merrill's pursuit of the knowledge she sought by taking the demon into herself and becoming an abomination. Merrill was forced to fight and kill Marethari, and when the last remnants of her clan – those who hadn't already departed to find a home with other clans – found out what had happened, they turned on her and attempted to kill her. And Ariel did what she had been taught to do: she protected her sister.

Filled with shame and despair for her role in the death of her clan, Merrill shattered the mirror that she had poured so much of her life into. Ariel, surprising both of them, told Merrill that she couldn't hold herself responsible for the actions of Marethari or the clan, and encouraged Merrill to not give up on her pursuit of ancient elven knowledge.

Anders

Ariel had a great many concerns about Anders from the beginning, and the only reason the didn't turn him over to the templars on the spot was because of the potential attention it could bring to Bethany. As time went on, she had to concede that he did a lot of good work for the residents of Darktown, in particular the Fereldan refugees, but she never fully trusted him.

Isabela

While nobody looking from the outside would have called Ariel and Isabela friends, they did move in similar circles, and had a relationship built on mutual respect and sometimes also flirting. They both knew nothing would ever come of it, as Ariel was too pious for Isabela's tastes and Isabela too reckless by half from Ariel's perspective, but it was fun to play pretend all the same (and they did play, that one time, but again, nothing ever came of it). The two of them were also bonded by their shared love for Merrill.

Isabela blamed Ariel's influence on her for her decision to bring the Tome of Koslun back to return it to the Arishok, and also for her decisions to keep coming back to Kirkwall again and again over the next few years. For her part, Ariel did really appreciate Isabela's company, and was always happy to buy a round or three at the Hanged Man in Lowtown and listen to the latest tales of Isabela's attempts to leave Kirkwall behind.

Tallis

A Qunari agent who tricked Ariel into helping her recover a list of names that would have identified countless other Qunari working undercover in southern Thedas. Ariel bitterly regrets not being fast enough to put an end to Tallis and recover that list for herself.

[avalost]

Surprise Rook lore drop hooray ~

My Rook will be Qunari! A nice, devout Qunari, probably from Seheron. Fully bought into the Qun and its way of life, very comfortable in their assigned role (which I haven't determined yet, because - frankly - I need to see whether I like the masc or femme models in the CC more, and then work out Rook's role backwards from that).

But then the dreams start.

They try to keep it to themself. Qunari do not dream, do not enter the Fade. They go to their job, work harder than ever before, trying to work to exhaustion. But not even that can keep the dreams at bay. They go to the Tamassrans and talk obliquely around their problem, terrified to admit to what's happening, and get no help - and earn suspicion instead.

And then their magic begins to manifest.

Most people's magic appears in their teen years - Rook's is late, much later than most people, but they have no idea. They're terrified, and it's getting stronger. They know they should declare themself Saarebas, submit to the Arvaarad. They know they're a danger to their society, and that their society provides a way to keep them and everyone around them safe.

But that way involves being chained, and having their mouth sewn shut. And you see, one of their defining character traits is that they are a coward.

So they run.

They abandon their life, abandon their role - and with it, their name and gender. They end up in Tevinter, where they slowly learn to control their magic. They join up with one of the factions - I haven't decided which one, and how. I probably won't decide that until I play the game.

Now, I haven't mentioned their name, because I'm still playing around with ideas there. At first I was going to have them rename themself immediately upon running away, and their name was going to be Issala, which means "dust" in Qunlat, to reflect their low opinion of themself (they know they're a coward and a traitor to their people - they won't try to justify that to themself).

But! I am a sucker for characters choosing a name in a moment of clarity, and having that name be their guiding star. So what if they go by many names in the years they're in Tevinter, but once the Veilguard plotline hits, they find a scrap of courage to do The Right Thing, and choose their name then? And what if that name is Hissera, meaning "hope"?

And what if their arc is one of learning how to find hope in that hopeless, desperate place they find themself in after their world and ideology comes crashing down around them? And what if the events of Veilguard, whatever they may be, show them that they are not useless, that they have value and worth and courage? And what if, at the end of it all, they emerge with a new understanding of "asit tal-eb" - "it is to be" - and understand that that tenet can be central to their life even outside of the Qun?

[darkfeanix]

Thedas Tuesday

Someone, and I'm not pointing any fingers @defira85, suggested that on Tuesdays, we talk about our Rooks. So naturally when I got home the first thing I did was stop resisting the urge to create a Rook, and here we are. As you might expect, all of this is subject to change when the game comes out.

"Rook" / Hissera Thorne

Tal-Vashoth Mage | Grey Warden | Voice: Erika Ishii

Don't you think it's interesting that there is just one letter's difference between hissera, the Qunari's word for "hope", and hissra, their word for "illusion"? From the perspective of the Tal-Vashoth Hissera, it's because the Qun thrives in the absence of hope. When one is without hope, it is all the easier for an outside force to step in and fill that space. The Qun offers hope, as long as you believe in the Qun with everything you are.

There was a time when Hissera believed, when she was called Athlok and thought that the Qun offered truth and certainty. That changed when circumstances forced her out of the role that had been so carefully chosen for her. She was already a young adult, and had begun her training to become a baker, when the whispers in her dreams began. She knew what that meant, of course. Every child under the Qun is taught to recognise the signs of a stronger-than-normal connection to the Fade, and she believed in the Qun, so it never occurred to her to do anything other than present herself to the tamassrans immediately for reassignment.

Becoming Saarebas was horrifying, and illuminating. She had always been taught that the saarebas were pitied and honoured for their struggle against their magic. It wasn't long before she learned that there was no honour in being leashed like an animal and wielded like a weapon, and that pity was a cold comfort .

Her salvation came during the Dragon's Breath conspiracy, overseen by the Viddasala with the intention of priming the southern nations for conquering. While exploring the eluvian network, the karataam she was assigned to encountered, and was quickly drawn into, a bloody battle occurring between a patrol of Grey Wardens and a band of darkspawn.

Had her Arvaarad not been among the first to fall, she might never have chosen freedom. Had she not fought on ruthlessly against the darkspawn even without her Arvaarad, she might never have caught the eye of the Wardens' leader. And had she not contracted the taint in the midst of the battle, the Wardens might never have offered her a chance to go through the Joining, giving her a second chance at life.

Yet all of those things did happen, and for the first time in a long time, the woman who would come to call herself Hissera had hope that she could be more than a dangerous thing.

[darkfeanix]

Thedas Tuesday

I was working on this on and off for most of the past week, and I'll admit, it got a bit tedious at times. You'll notice that a couple of companions get multi-paragraph descriptions of their relationship to Petronella and then pretty much everyone else gets 1 (one) paragraph apiece.

Petronella's relationship with Morrigan ended up going places I did not expect, especially considering the choice I decided to have her make in Witch hunt, but I still specifically wrote it in a way that it is compliant with what is possible in a completely un-modded game.

Anyway, companion relationships under the cut. Except for Golems of Amgarrak. I couldn't be with that one.

Companion Relationships (Origins)

Wolf

The best boy. He loves his Petronella, who saved him from dying of the Blight, and he knows that she loves him back.

Alistair

During Petronella’s time at Ostagar and in the early days of their shared mission to gather allies against the Blight, she was on relatively friendly terms with Alistair. However, their relationship began to strain as their goals were diverted from the Blight to focus more on saving Arl Eamon’s life, something that Petronella didn’t think was their job as Grey Wardens. Their relationship took another serious hit when Petronella chose to defile the Sacred Ashes of Andraste, resulting in Leliana’s death and Wynne abandoning the group. Because this left only Morrigan, Sten, and Zevran, none of whom Alistair was particularly close with, it left him feeling more and more isolated within the group. The later additions of Shale and Oghren did little to change this feeling.

By the time Arl Eamon recovered and was making clear his belief that Alistair should be put forward as heir to the throne, Petronella was convinced that there were no good reasons to do so. She felt that he had no qualities that would make him a good ruler, particularly after he had failed to step up as the senior-most Warden in Ferelden, leaving most if not all of the decision making to her. In addition, after the discovery of Soldier’s Peak and the events of the past, Petronella was convinced that the placement of a Grey Warden on the throne of Ferelden would undo what little goodwill remained.

What ultimately drove them apart, however, was the decision to conscript Loghain into the Wardens. With Anora’s claim to the throne secure, Petronella did not consider Loghain a threat to her rule, while having him as an ally could potentially bring the nobility that had allied with him to heel. It also seemed a fitting punishment for the man who, regardless of circumstances, had abandoned the Grey Wardens to die. Alistair did not agree, viewing joining the Grey Wardens as an honour that Loghain did not deserve. Petronella, who had never shared Alistair view of the Grey Wardens as honourable heroes, would not be moved, and ultimately Alistair turned his back on the Wardens. Anora was of a mind to have him executed to avoid any future claims to the throne, but Petronella managed to talk her down, and Alistair was permitted to leave on the condition that he renounce all claims to the throne before the Landsmeet, which he did.

Morrigan

Despite initially getting off one the wrong foot, and Petronella quickly tiring of Morrigan’s antagonising of Alistair, the two of them did eventually find a middle ground on which to build the foundation of a friendship. It began with a simple gift of a gold rope necklace purchased from travelling dwarven merchant Bodahn Feddic; it had been hard not to notice Morrigan’s fondness for pretty jewellery, and Morrigan had been both surprised and pleased by the gift. After that, the two began to bond over their shared discomfort with human society, and eventually their friendship bloomed in earnest when Petronella was able to recover a stolen grimoire of Flemeth’s from the Circle of Magi and deliver it to Morrigan.

It was to Petronella that Morrigan turned when she learned from the grimoire that Flemeth apparently extended her life by taking over the bodies of her daughters, and Petronella did not hesitate to come to her aid. In the aftermath of the battle with Flemeth, Morrigan expressed surprise and confusion that Petronella would so willingly put herself at risk with no guarantee of a reward. It was then that the two women realised just how close they had become.

The depth of love that they would come to feel for each other defied easy words¹, and neither of them felt a particular need to try when it was enough that they both knew. For the first time in her life, Petronella imagined a future spent on the surface. For the first time in her life, Morrigan dreamed of a future that she could define how she wished. Yet the tragedy of their story is that neither of them could quite give up control enough to make that future a reality.

When Morrigan revealed the ritual that could ensure that no Warden would need to die to kill the archdemon, there was no doubt in her mind that Petronella would agree to have Loghain help her perform it to ensure both of their survival. The shock and devastation she felt when Petronella refused was unlike anything that she had felt in her life, with one possible exception. After an extended argument that ended in harsh words and hurt feelings, Morrigan declared that she would not stand by and watch Petronella sacrifice herself for people who were undeserving of it. She then transformed into a raven and fled the camp.

Petronella had been able to rationalise the loss of Alistair as a necessity, but Morrigan’s abandonment cut deep, and would lead to her become a deeply embittered individual for several years to come. For her part, Morrigan never forgave herself, and many a night would be spent dreaming of a world where she had stayed by Petronella’s side in spite of everything, through the battle with the archdemon and beyond.

¹ Queerplatonic is the term they would use if they had it; Petronella is demiromantic and asexual, and my interpretation of Morrigan in this worldstate is aromantic and heterosexual

Leliana

Petronella never knew enough about the surfacer religion “Andrastianism” to know whether or not Leliana could actually have had a vision from her Maker, nor did she particularly care. She was impressed by Leliana’s skill with a bow and with the twin daggers she fought with, and found her pleasant enough company around the campfire at night.

Leliana, for her part, believed strongly that she was where she was meant to be – right up until the moment that Petronella emptied a vial of high dragon blood into the urn of Andraste’s ashes. In that moment, overcome with righteous fury, Leliana drew her daggers and attempted to kill Petronella. It didn’t matter to her that with Morrigan and Sten there she was outnumbered three to one. All Leliana knew was that Petronella had committed an act of horrible evil, and that she could not have lived with herself if she didn’t attempt to bring her to justice.

Sten of the Beresaad

The friendship between Petronella and Sten is one founded on mutual respect and understanding. Despite Sten initially expressing confusion over Petronella being both a woman and a warrior, she was able to prove that such a thing wasn’t quite as impossible as he had been taught. Petronella, meanwhile, was surprised to learn that her people did not have the strictest social structure in Thedas. As she learned more about the Qunari, her concerns about them grew, even as she grew to appreciate Sten as an individual more and more.

To be named Kadan by Sten was one of the proudest moments of Petronella’s life, and apart from Morrigan (and Wolf, of course), it would not be an exaggeration to say that the travelling companion she enjoyed the closest relationship with was Sten. After she helped to recover his sword, thought lost, Sten came to view her as an ashkaari, “One Who Seeks”.

Wynne

Petronella respected Wynne both for her skill as a mage and her willingness to confront danger that others would not, as she did in both the Circle and when the demon possessing Connor Guerrin needed to be confronted. Wynne proved to be too Andrastian to accept Petronella’s actions in the Temple of Sacred Ashes, however, and they parted on bad terms, with Wynne returning to her fellow Circle mages to combat the Blight in other ways.

Zevran Arainai

Although she was amused by Zevran, and helped him when time allowed, it could never be said that the two of them were very close. They maintained an amicable relationship, with Zevran frequently flirting with Petronella while Petronella would play along by letting him down easy. He was grateful to her for sparing his life, and as promised, he was her man until the end of the Blight, at which point they went their separate ways.

Shale

As a golem, Shale represents of a part of Petronella’s history and society that she has never really given much thought to. The two of them end up bonding more than either expected during their journey into the Deep Roads in search of Paragon Branka, and Shale is deeply appreciative of the opportunity Petronella gave it in uncovering its history in the ancient Cadash Thaig. When Petronella requests as a boon from the crown of Ferelden that Orzammar be sent aid in the fight against the darkspawn, Shale decides to return to the Deep Roads and join that fight as well, choosing to honour the commitment made by the dwarf it once was.

Oghren

Despite feel some amount of sympathy for Oghren regarding his disastrous marriage to Branka, overall Petronella finds him crass and very difficult to get along with.

Loghain Mac Tir

Petronella knows enough about tactics and strategy that she was willing to concede that Loghain may have made the right decision in withdrawing during the Battle of Ostagar, particularly with the beacon being lit so late. Even so, she held him responsible for all the additional struggles she faced during the Blight thanks to his blaming of the Grey Wardens for King Cailan’s death. She didn’t particularly like him, but she saw the sense in making him a Warden. And he earned her respect with his willingness to make the final blow against the archdemon and sacrifice himself to ensure it died. When the time came to speak at his funeral, she made sure the people of Ferelden knew that he had died a hero.

Companion Relationships (Awakening)

Oghren

Still crass and difficult to get along with. Petronella was especially appalled when she learned that he got Felsi pregnant and then abandoned her. Apart from expressing her disgust with his actions, however, she stayed out of his business. To her shock, he ended up being a better warden than a husband or a father, particularly among new recruits. In a past-Awakening world, I imagine he would frequently be the one to accompany initiates into the Deep Roads to collect their vial of darkspawn blood.

Anders

For a whole lot of reasons that Petronella could never quite pin down, Anders reminded her a little too much of Alistair, and it strained their relationship from the beginning. She recognised that he was an asset to the Grey Wardens, but by that point in time she had become a very difficult person to get along with, and ended up butting heads with Anders a lot over the course of the Amaranthine Conflict. The final straw was when she made him give up the stray cat he had adopted, causing him to resent what he viewed as another authority figure trying to determine how he lived his life.

In the confusion that followed the attack on Vigil’s Keep, Anders vanished, and Petronella couldn’t quite bring herself to go after him.

Nathaniel Howe

Meeting someone from the other side of a cell door does not always lend itself to a positive first impression, but Petronella and Nathaniel managed to find their equilibrium relatively quickly. He never quite forgot that she was the one who ended his father’s life, but he was eventually able to acknowledge that his father had become the kind of person who needed to be stopped. Petronella also considered him a breath of fresh air as a fellow noble, even if she does consider the typical human noble quite soft in comparison to dwarf nobles. It surprised nobody when she named Nathaniel her Warden-Constable in the aftermath of the Amaranthine Conflict.

Velanna

Petronella respects Velanna’s ruthless pursuit of her missing sister, even if it did end up being misguided. She was happy to offer Velanna a place among the Wardens once it becomes clear she had nowhere else to go. Of the two mages to go through the Joining, Petronella viewed Velanna as the more responsible, and this quickly showed in the level of trust she showed in her two Warden-Acolytes. In the months following the Amaranthine Conflict, Velanna would spend a great deal of time at the Warden outpost at Soldier’s Peak, learning about Blight magic from the ancient Grey Warden blood mage, Avernus.

Sigrun

A dwarf after her own heart, Petronella was quick to offer a place among the Wardens to Sigrun. She made a point of keeping the other woman close, intending to train Sigrun to be her Second as Gorim Saelac had once been. Sigrun took to the training with aplomb, and became one of Petronella’s most trusted allies in the months and years that followed. With Petronella’s help, she was even able to make peace with her roguish past. Though she would continue to make jokes about seeking her death in the Deep Roads, she never seemed to get around to it, with her duties always leading her to put it off “for a little longer”.

Justice

The situation with Justice made Petronella uneasy from the start, as her primary experiences with spirit possession had been Connor Guerrin, and the disaster that occurred at Kinloch Hold. She recruited him more in the interest of keeping him under observation to make sure he didn’t turn out to be a demon in disguise. For the most part, however, she kept her distance from him, and was truthfully relieved when Warden Kristoff’s unpossessed body was found in the aftermath of the attack on Vigil’s Keep.

Companion Relationships (Witch Hunt)

Wolf

Still the best boy. He’s worried about how upset his Petronella is, and about how she reacts to seeing Morrigan again. But she’s his Petronella, so he’ll always support her.

Ariane and Finn

Allies of convenience, Petronella never really got to know them as she became incredibly single-minded in her desire to track down Morrigan. If she hadn’t needed their help in the task, she likely would have gone on alone.

[darkfeanix]

Thedas Tuesday

Since I am a coward who doesn't want to create any more character information that could be contradicted by the game (at least, not until I've played the game), I've decided that for the foreseeable future I'm gonna use Thedas Tuesday to develop the worldstate for my first playthrough with Hissera. Most of it will probably end up headcanon, as I doubt the character creator will be as thorough as the Keep, which itself only factored in decisions potentially relevant to Inquisition (?). Even so, it's "established" headcanon, as all of it will be based on what was possible in the games.

Today we'll be going very broad, looking at some of the biggest choices in each of the three games. Since all of my PCs will be women, I'm gonna tag it as the "Girls Get It Done" worldstate. IYKYK.

Heroes

Petronella Aeducan (Reaver)

Ariel Hawke (Duelist)

Rhona Lavellan (Knight-Enchanter)

Worldstate information below the cut.

Dragon Age: Origins

Petronella Aeducan

My very first Warden, long lost to the annals of time and cyberspace, was a dwarf noble who used the default name Sereda, so it feels fitting that this worldstate be inspired by the default dwarf noble-focused worldstate that players can choose at the beginning of Dragon Age II: "No Compromise". In this worldstate, her name is Petronella, and she was very much forced into the role of leadership against her will. She didn't want the throne, even as Bhelan tried to unsubtly nudge her toward making a powerplay against Trian, and she certainly didn't want to be in charge of the Wardens' entire campaign against the Blight in Ferelden, but Alistair deferred to her pretty much from the start.

First, the most important decision: Petronella cured the Mabari, of course. She named him Wolf, inspired by the blighted surface wolves she had encountered during the expedition to Aeducan Thaig; they had been the first surface creatures she had ever seen up close.

Petronella did not romance anybody.

In The Arl of Redcliffe, she stayed and fought alongside the villagers, then in the castle she was persuaded to spare Connor and go to the Circle of Magi for help. Connor's life was ultimately saved by Wynne being sent into the Fade to fight the desire demon.

In Broken Circle, she saved the mages, including First Enchanter Irving.

In the Urn of Sacred Ashes, she desecrated the ashes in exchange for the knowledge of how to become a reaver. Leliana died trying to kill her, and Wynne abandoned the party when she learned what had happened.

In Nature of the Beast, she brokered peace between the elves and the werewolves.

In A Paragon of Her Kind, she destroyed the Anvil of the Void and crowned Bhelan (after supporting Harrowmont early on).

In The Landsmeet, she allied with Anora and recruited Loghain, which cost her Alistair as an ally. She convinced Anora to not execute him.

When she was told about the Dark Ritual, she rejected Morrigan's offer, and Morrigan left as well.

In The Battle of Denerim, Loghain sacrificed himself and killed Archdemon.

Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening

In the Depths of Depravity, the Architect was killed.

In The Assault on Amaranthine, the city of Amaranthine burned while Petronella returned to Vigil's Keep to repel the darkspawn attack.

Dragon Age: Origins – Witch Hunt

In the Search of Morrigan, an incredibly embittered Petronella stabbed Morrigan.

Dragon Age II

Ariel Hawke

My first Hawke was a man. I don't remember his name, but I'm pretty sure he was a Diplomatic/Blue Hawke, and I do remember that he romanced Isabela. Since this is the Girls Get It Done worldstate, some changes will obviously need to be made. Ariel Hawke is a devout Andrastian, though like her friend Varric, she doesn't have a very high opinion of the Chantry as an institution. She believes strongly in the need for Circle reforms, in greater freedoms for mages, though not the outright eradication of the Circles.

Ariel ended up in a rivalry romance with Sebastian Vael.

At the end of the Prologue, Ariel joined the smugglers because she thought they could get more work for Bethany.

When the time came for The Deep Roads Expedition, Ariel was convinced by their mother to leave Bethany behind, leading to Bethany being taken to the Circle of Magi.

In Following the Qun, Ariel did not side with Mother Petrice.

In Legacy, Ariel ultimately sided with Janeka after learning that Larius threatened her father.

In Demands of the Qun, Isabela returned with the Tome of Koslun, and Ariel fought and killed the Arishok to protect her.

In Best Served Cold, Ariel handed the conspirators over to Orsino.

In The Last Straw, Ariel executed Anders, and sided with the mages.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Rhona Lavellan

My first Inquisitor was Lavellan, pretty sure with the default name Ellana. Of my three heroes, Inquisitor Rhona Lavellan is closest to her actually played equivalent. She is the Second of Keeper Deshanna Istimaethoriel, and in the course of her time serving as Inquisitor, she learned the way of the Knight-Enchanter due to the similarities to the arcane warriors of her clan's histories.

With the help of all three of her advisors, Clan Lavellan survived the machinations of the Elder One, and Keeper Deshanna was installed as an elven representative on the new Wycome City Council.

Rhona romanced Sera, though their relationship ultimately fell apart due to differences in opinion over the existence of the elven gods.

In The Wrath of Heaven, and in fact throughout her time as the Inquisitor, Rhona resolutely denied being the Herald of Andraste.

During the events of In Hushed Whispers, Rhona allied with the mages.

In Here Lies the Abyss, Warden Stroud made a noble sacrifice in the Fade to distract Nightmare, and Rhona encouraged the Grey Wardens to rebuild.

In Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, Empress Celene was assassinated, Grand Duchess Florianne was killed, and Gaspard was installed as a puppet for Briala to rule through

In What Pride Had Wrought, Rhona respected the templar traditions, allied with the sentinels, and was ultimately the one who drank from the Well of Sorrows.

After averting Doom Upon All the World, Rhona's influence led to Leliana being elected as Divine Victoria.

Dragon Age: Inquisition – The Descent

In The Descent, Rhona travelled into the Deep Roads to uncover the source of earthquakes, and discovered the Titan.

Dragon Age: Inquisition – Jaws of Haakon

In Ameridan's End, Rhona met the last Inquisitor, and revealed the truth about his elven heritage to the world.

Dragon Age: Inquisition – Trespasser

In Trespasser, Rhona told Solas she would find a way to change his mind, and disbanded the Inquisition.

[darkfeanix]

Thedas Tuesday

So here we are; we've done the Warden, and we've done Hawke, and now today it's time for the Inquisitor, Rhona of Clan Lavellan. As I've started previously, she's probably the closest to her in-game counterpart in terms of the first Inquisitor I played as, though I've fleshed out different relationships and incorporated different decisions into this worldstate than I did in that first playthrough. Also, I didn't do DLC companions this time, because I've only played The Descent once and I just don't really remember either of the companions from it. Assume it was a good working relationship.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do for Thedas Tuesday after today, but I'm toying with the idea of writing some drabbles or something to fill in the gaps and pass the time until 31 October.

That is neither here nor there, however. For now, let us get into Rhona's relationships with her companions and her advisors:

Cassandra Pentaghast

Although they met under rather unfortunate circumstances, and their vast theological differences were a source of conflict initially, in time Rhona's relationship with Cassandra grew into one of trust, respect, and even friendship. The real turning point for them was the revelation that Cassandra was obsessed with one of Varric's serials, something that Rhona could relate to.

Leliana

Even as Rhona denied that she was the Herald of Andraste, her compassionate and righteous nature proved a beacon for Leliana, who was struggling through a crisis of faith in the aftermath of the Divine's death. Through many conversations, Leliana became inspired by Rhona's example, and renewed her faith in the Maker while also recognising that she did not wholly like the person she had become in Justinia's service, and resolving to better herself.

Though no direct action was taken on Rhona's part, there were some who whispered that it was Leliana's friendship with the Inquisitor that led to her being elected at the new Divine. Leliana paid the gossips no mind, instead setting out to turn the Chantry into the bastion of goodwill that she had always believed it could be.

Solas

Fen'harel. The Dread Wolf. In the early days of the Inquisition, when Rhona was still acclimating to her new role – however unwanted – as the Herald of Andraste, she turned to Solas as a fellow elf for support. While she quickly came to realise her had a low opinion of the Dalish, she refused to be put off by that opinion, and instead endeavoured to change his mind. At the same time, she thoroughly enjoyed their discussions about magic, the Fade, spirits, and all sorts of other topics that Solas was knowledgeable about.

For his part, Solas was deeply troubled by Rhona's thoughtfulness and her seemingly boundless curiosity, qualities that he had not believed could survive with the Veil separating people from the Fade. Despite initial reservations, he came to regard her as a very close friend, and deeply regretted when their paths ultimately took them in different directions. When they met again two years later, this time Rhona knew him for what he was – and she surprised him once more when, instead of condemning him, she told him that she would find a way to show him a different path.

Varric Tethras

Rhona was well aware of the name "Varric Tethras" before she met him, as his serials were popular with many of the younger members of Clan Lavellan (including Rhona). She was initially rather starstruck, though it wasn't long before she started getting to know him as a person. The two of them enjoyed a cordial relationship, and Varric took on a role something like that of a fond uncle.

After he becomes viscount of Kirkwall, Varric is instrumental in forging an alliance with the Wycome council, further validating their status as a real political power in the Free Marches and providing additional protections to elves in both cities.

Josephine Montilyet

Probably the thing that surprised Rhona the most about Josephine was how willing she was to ascent to Rhona's decisions regarding the stances of the Inquisition. Despite her clearly believing, or at least hoping, that Rhona was the Herald of Andraste, she did not argue when Rhona made it clear that she would not be claiming any such title. Over time, they became very close friends, with Rhona particularly coming to respect Josephine's seemingly unflappable politeness and levelheadedness.

Cullen Rutherford

They did not get off on the right foot, particularly after Cullen suggested sending a squad to armed soldiers to meet with the Lavellan clan. Over time, however, they got to know each other better. Rhona was a bit disturbed to learn that Cullen was maintaining his duties while going through excruciating lyrium withdrawal, thinking that he should have been given leave to focus on his own health, but she reluctantly trusted Cassandra's assessment of his ability to focus on being the Inquisition's commander.

Sera

Rhona had heard the term "whirlwind romance" before, but never fully understood what it meant until she met Sera. From the very beginning, theirs was a tempestuous relationship, with frequent ups and downs as they tried to navigate their very different backgrounds, and the expectations those backgrounds informed. Sera was put off by Rhona's confidence in her Dalish heritage, while Rhona found Sera's rejection of all things "elfy" to be frustrating at the best of times.

So they stopped talking about it, and for a while that was enough. They had a lot of good days, and some truly great ones. And if the bad days hinted at something simmering beneath the surface, well, neither of them were quite ready to acknowledge it. Their feelings were fast and frantic and so, so intense, and it just felt right – right up until the day that they went to an ancient elven temple, and Rhona drank from a well that bound her to the goddess Mythal. And then all the things they hadn't talked about bubbled over. Hurtful things were said on both sides, and by the end of that day the sun had set on Rhona-and-Sera.

They both felt regret over how things ended in the years that followed, and by the time they reconnected at the Exalted Council, both had done a lot of growing. Sadly, they never quite found their way back to before.

Vivienne de Fer

There would always be points that Rhona and Vivienne would not agree on, particularly where magic and mages were concerned, but by and large the two of them got along really well. Next to Josephine, Vivienne was the one that Rhona would credit most with preparing her for dealing with the nobility of Orlais; in the same way that the Divine had her left and right hands, Rhona would occasionally like to think of the two of them as her own left and right hands, at least where the Grand Game was concerned.

For her part, Vivienne developed a deep respect for Rhona, as both a friend and as a politician. She would never admit it, not even to Rhona and certainly not to herself, but many of the choices she made in founding her own Circle of Magi after the Exalted Council were influenced by her experiences fighting and learning alongside Rhona during her time with the Inquisition.

The Iron Bull

Rhona and the Iron Bull had a really good working relationship, and one out of every four or five nights at Skyhold, you could probably count on seeing Rhona sharing a round or two with the Chargers. They're not the best of friends, but they get along well.

"Blackwall" / Thom Rainier

When they first met, Rhona was quite impressed by Rainier, both for his skills and for his values. After the revelation of his real identity, their burgeoning friendship took a hit that it never fully recovered from. As part of his sentencing, Rainier was given over to the Wardens, and Rhona did admit at the gathering of the Exalted Council that she respected his dedication to making amends.

Dorian Pavus

Few things will bond two people like being thrust into an apocalyptic future and having to fight their way back to the present. Out of all of the people she met while working with the Inquisition, Rhona would probably consider Dorian among her closest friends. Similarly to her relationship with Solas, Rhona particularly enjoyed the theoretical discussions with Dorian regarding magic and the Fade.

Cole / Compassion

Cole and Rhona share a special bond that began on the night that Haven was attacked, and strengthened throughout the many weeks and months that they travelled together all across Orlais and Ferelden. Following Solas's lead, Rhona always approached Cole as a spirit, but unlike so many among the Inquisition, she didn't see that as a bad thing. On the contrary, he offered one of the most unique perspectives of the world and the people in it, and Rhona would frequently seek him out all over Skyhold.

It was Rhona who helped Cole reconnect with Compassion, to relearn what he had forgotten. As time passed and he regained more and more of his old self, their conversations turned more and more to the Fade. The day eventually came when he simply faded from the waking world, but that was far from the last time that Rhona spoke with Compassion, and whenever they met in her dreams, he would always be in the form of the skinny, pale boy that Rhona had known.

[avalost]

Rook lore revision: I think I'm gonna make my Rook a Grey Warden. And it actually makes all sorts of sense for them.

Putting the rest under a cut because of faction background spoilers:

I was initially angling for the Mourn Watch, but the "discovered as a baby" background is entirely at odds with the backstory I've cooked up, so here's the revision --

When Rook fled Seheron, Minrathous would be a very obvious and easy place to get to - but they wouldn't want to stay there, for fear of being hunted. In Minrathous they would have done odd jobs and avoided making friends or letting anyone know too much about themself, because they would still be grappling with their sudden flareup of death magic. And this would become the lowest point of their life - constantly feeling afraid and aimless; feeling like they didn't fit in or belong anywhere; and knowing that they couldn't stay, but not knowing where to go.

And so one day, by chance, they would hear about the Grey Wardens. People who keep watch in times of peace, and defend the land during the Blight. Heroes. And, most crucially - people who take in anyone, regardless of their past, as long as you survive the Joining.

And the Joining sounded daunting, yes. But at that point Rook was desperate, and it wasn't getting any easier to hide their magic.

If they survived the Joining, even the Antaam could not reach them.

When they asked someone about joining the Wardens, and that person pointed them to Weisshaupt, they would see it as a sign that they were already so close to it. Asit tal-eb - "it is to be".

They should have journeyed farther. They should have gone to Nevarra, and joined the Mourn Watch, where their magic could have been nurtured. But they didn't tell anyone about their magic until they were already a Grey Warden, and by then they had chosen their path.

[avalost]

Hissera Thorne

[avalost]

I dunno if we're gonna be given a reason why the Grey Warden last name is Thorne, but if we aren't, then I have a headcanon about it for my Rook:

One of the first manifestations of their death magic was when they would touch a living plant, and the plant would wither.

There was a garden at Weisshaupt. One time, Rook absentmindedly brushed against a rose bush while walking by it - and the entire bush shriveled, petals drying, leaves falling off the stalks, leaving nothing but a bramble.

A bramble of thorns.

Their fellow Wardens laughed about it, gave them the nickname Thorn. The name spread through the keep, its spelling morphing over time.

But they never quite looked at Rook the same after that.