#how Leliana would insist on him being buried in Dalish fashion despite being the Herald of Andraste

[impossible-rat-babies]

Some Darva parents headcanon stuff: --They were only nineteen when Darva was born, so Ahgie was only 33 when he died. Consequently, Mavel was 49 when she died when the clan was attacked. --But, Ahgie was already dying when he was killed by the Orlesian hunters. He was stricken with a wasting disease that is akin to cancer. His own healing magic and the Keeper were preventing the steep decline of the disease when it manifested, but he couldn't prevent it entirely. He had only a few months left when he was killed. --Everyone else but the children--Darva included--knew about his condition. He would've been told, but after his death Mavel thought it best to keep the knowledge from Darva. She wasn't in the right place to tell him and he was already grieving the loss of his father and wouldn't have done well with the news of his eventual death had he survived. --Due to the rift that grew between the pair, Darva never learned of his father's disease. Not until a further inspection of what happened in Wycome found many journals from the Keeper and other members of the clan. One journal amongst them was his mother's journal that included information about his father's disease. --He has very mixed feelings about the information: anger, fear, disgust, mistrust, grief, etc. --Mainly he feels fears about the disease being hereditary, anger about his mother keep it a secret, and almost grieving his father's death again on top of the deaths of the whole clan. It's a very turbulent time for him. --Dorian is told about it first and he immediately jumps into researching the disease. Vivienne helps with the Circles extensive library on healing magic and medical conditions. Josephine requests several books from the University of Orlais. The whole Circle is eventually told about the condition and the possibility that Darva could have it. --It isn't until he's fifty two that the symptoms start to show and he knows. He knows he has less than a year until he dies as a result of the complications. Dorian probably knew before he did. He knew the signs better than he did. --Darva contacts many of their companions with the information and they all visit over the course of his decline. Sera spends almost the whole time with them. Cassandra spends several months with them as well. Blackwall even manages an appearance despite him having become very difficult to track down. Even with how busy Cullen would end up, he spent two weeks with them. The Chantry nearly falls apart on itself in the months that Leliana is gone. She would joke with Darva that he would need to get better so they could put the Chantry back together again. --He dies just over a year after he first noticed the symptoms. A grand ceremony is held in Val Royeaux at the Grand Cathedral where Leliana makes the address. He is buried in traditional Dalish custom in the Exalted Plains. (The area is later named Dirthavaren after Darva's death.) A plaque with information about the Inquisitor is made in bronze and place on a slab of marble at the base of the tree. For years the area is covered in cut flowers and other trinkets. As a result, the area underneath and around the tree blooms every year with vibrant flowers of almost every variety.