#i always loved the theory that I am the one is about solas

[heylittleriotact]

Not me clocking Solas chanting the lyrics from I Am The One in episode one of Vows & Vengeance 👀

[nadas-dirthalen]

I Saw Solas's Origin in an Achievement Icon and It Opened My Eyes on 15 Years of Lore

— PART NINE: if you haven't read previous parts, do it now! —

[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 10 ]

Welcome, friends and travellers! I wanted to get some thoughts recorded before Veilguard's release so I could see if I am right about an absolute BOATLOAD of theories I have.

In short: I saw the achievement list when it was released. I have seen the backstory hints for Solas included in said list. AND MY MIND WAS BLOWN.

You have been warned: THIS COLLECTION OF THEORIES INCLUDES SPOILERS FOR EVERY DRAGON AGE GAME AND ALL PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL UP TO AND INCLUDING OCTOBER 18, 2024.

Come sit down with me. Make a nice cup of tea (and hide it from Solas). We've got a lot of unpacking to do.

(no, this gif isn't the spoiler, I just like it.)

The Story of Solas: Him Solas Evanuris, Da'durgen'lin (2/3)

— The War That Made Him 'Sing Our End' —

If you're still here, I thank you, from the bottom of my tired heart.

From one single achievement icon, we've unearthed (hah) the workings of Thedas, its realms, its magic. We've come to understand the Evanuris, and we understand one of the youngest of them.

Now, we understand his title: the Dread Wolf, Fen'Harel. Walker of the in-between, as much Evanuris as he is Forgotten One. Da'durgen'lin, boy made from stone. The blight given to the Titan, Terror.

His existence opened the pathway to the end of all things. He and Mythal would fight to stop it. Mythal would lose the fight, and Solas would lose the rest of the world.

Let's keep going. Part 2 of 3, y'all.

Seriously, as ever, go read the other parts before this one. If you need to only read a few, then read 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 (linked above). All of those matter for context here, you've been forewarned!

This post is going to be long. Let's dive right in. We've got:

The Beginning of the End, and the Rebellion that Tried to Prevent It

"The Wolf Chews Off Its Own Leg to Escape the Trap"

The Prison; the... Gangue?

Uthenera, and a Love of the Fade

The Truth About Solas No One (in Thedas) Ever Found... but We All Heard

(screenshot from the June 11 gameplay reveal.)

There were little hints to Solas being from icy terror throughout Inquisition, and I want to make quick mention of them.

First is the fact that when you load up Inquisition's prologue, Solas does not have one point in Spirit talents, as one might expect. No: he has one singular point in Winter's Grasp. I never could figure out why. This would make sense.

But also, one more small thing I noticed? If you solve a puzzle in Trespasser (the one in the Shattered Library) and open up the Dread Wolf statue's chest, you get... Rime.

An ice sword. The description says, "Etched into this blade: 'The way is full of tests and danger. Watch with the coolness of contemplation to stay safe.'"

Coolness. Contemplation—another word for wisdom, that was mentioned in the 'Callback' short story of Tevinter Nights as one of the potential spirits behind the big Regret demon. Both of those things being associated together: icy contemplation? Cold calculation?

Uh huh. UH HUH. OKAY MOVING ON. The next point I want to make is even more important, and I don't have time to hunt for every tiny mention of ice-Solas when we have a day and a half until Veilguard.

Take a breath in with me.

Solas has been singing to us this whole time. His song—the Hallelujah cadence—has been how he has told us of his past, the whole time. Every time he remembers his origins, his history, he is speaking in song. And the very first of those songs, that I can see?

"They're all singing. Coffers, coffins, corpses that aren't dead. A song crying out in the dark." — Cole dialogue, Trespasser

Cole is right, here. (and always.)

It is Mythal's lullaby to Solas, in the same cadence. Calling him into being, using the song he knows best.

His whole life has been a ballad. Not the ballad of his rebellion—though that was one piece of it.

The ballad of the Dread Wolf. The ballad of the blight.

Let's follow its story.

The Beginning of the End, and the Rebellion that Tried to Prevent It

(screenshot specifically from this Kala Elizabeth video that I have seen before, i swear i am not going through youtube or looking at new content!)

Remember what we know so far: Terror was the first Titan gone wrong. Before that, the elves did not call them Forgotten Ones, because there was nothing dangerous enough to necessitate forgetting.

It was Andruil, stalker of the Void, who would hunt the Forgotten Ones AFTER they had been named such. Who would break rules, cross boundaries, and return blighted.

It was not Terror she hunted. It was Pestilence. The other Evanuris each had their own Titans that they mined, and the others were all fighting back.

Solas's rebellion—which I imagine Mythal was his ally during—aimed to stop the Evanuris. Who better, after all, right? Who better, than the one who had survived what they hoped to unleash? Who better, than the one that the People recognized as stronger than the blight?

But to just curb their usage of blight magic would never have been enough.

It does not matter what the Evanuris did with that blight, initially. It matters that the blight existed at all, and we know that every single one of the Evanuris did actions that caused every Titan to fight back. That's why they have the names they do: terror, malice, spite, pestilence.

The world was doomed either way, because when the Titans turned before the time of the Veil, that meant that the Fade, a part of them, was also doomed.

There was nothing the damage would not touch. The only possible thing would have been to somehow have the Evanuris make up for all their many, many horrors—and would you forgive them, if you were a Titan, knowing what they've done?

We don't know the exact details of his rebellion, yet, and so I cannot properly analyze the legends of Fen'Harel that would have taken place during this rebellion (such as the one with Andruil and Anaris). I also do not have the time to devote to researching them before finishing part 10 of this series.

But it could only end one way.

With the Veil going up, the Evanuris locked away, all the Titans sundered from all their conscious minds—to save the Titans from THEMSELVES.

"The Wolf Chews Its Leg Off to Escape the Trap"

"He broke the dreams to stop the old dreams from waking. The wolf chews its leg off to escape the trap." — Cole dialogue, Trespasser

I never understood what that meant, before. Solas created the Veil, yes—but what about the Veil was his leg? Because "chews its leg off" implies that Solas has done personal harm to himself, specifically, in the creation of the Veil. What would be true for Solas that is not true of the other elvhen impacted by the Veil? Shouldn't all of their legs have been chewed off, too, in this analogy?

No: because there was one of the Evanuris alone who walked among both clans of gods, remember?

Fen'Harel. Evanuris and Forgotten One. Da'durgen'lin, who the Titans recognize as their own. We do not know what happened to Solas during his rebellion or how he communicated with the other Forgotten Ones (or, I do not know yet, and have no time to find out), but we do know that he walked among both, seen as a peer among both sets of gods.

That means that, for all he looked like an Evanuris, some part of Solas still was Titan-borne, in ways none of the Evanuris were. What might the distinguishing feature of one of the Titan-borne be?

The song. The one he continues to speak in, trying to hint what happened.

Forever calling for home.

In creating the Veil and sundering the Titans, Solas broke his own home, his own source of life. In sundering the Titans, he sundered a fundamental piece of himself.

Who among the audience remembers Solas's greatest fear, as seen in the Fade during Here Lies the Abyss?

Dying. Alone.

Not dying without Mythal. Not dying without Arlathan. Not the empire of old never being restored.

Dying.

Alone.

While you're reaching for the nearest tissues, let me pull up some Varric/Solas banter for you.

Solas: Do you ever miss life beneath the earth? The call of the Stone? Varric: Nah. Whatever the Stone - capital S - is, it was gone by the time my parents had me. Solas: But... do you miss it? Varric: How could I miss what I never had? Varric: But say I did have that sense, that connection to the Stone. What would it cost me? Varric: Would I lose my friends up here? Would I stop telling stories? Varric: I like who I am. If I want to hear songs, I'll go to a tavern. Solas: You are wiser than most.

Solas is afraid. He is afraid of being the only one to remember the call of the Stone. Do the other dwarves miss it? Will they ever fight to have it back?

Solas: Is there at least a movement to reunite Orzammar and Kal-Sharok? Varric: What is it with you, Chuckles? Why do you care so much about the dwarves? Solas: Once, in the Fade, I saw the memory of a man who lived alone on an island. Most of his tribe had fallen to beasts or disease. His wife had died in childbirth. He was the only one left. He could have struck out on his own to find a new land, new people. But he stayed. He spent every day catching fish in a little boat, every night drinking fermented fruit juice and watching the stars. Varric: I can think of worse lives. Solas: How can you be happy surrendering, knowing it will all end with you? How can you not fight? Varric: I suppose it depends on the quality of the fermented fruit juice. Solas: So it seems.

Most of his people fell to disease. He was the only one left.

Solas isn't talking about the blighted elves of ancient Arlathan. He is talking about the other beings of the Stone, all succumbing to the blight. The defence mechanisms of the Titans he was forced to sunder and put to eternal sleep.

Solas: I am sorry to have bothered you with my questions about your people Varric. I see so much of this world in dreams. Humans, my own people, even qunari. Dwarves alone were lost to me, save scattered fragments of memory where some spirit cared to watch. Now I know why I see so little. Varric: And why is that? Solas: Dwarves are the severed arm of a once mighty hero, lying in a pool of blood. Undirected. Whatever skill of arms it had, gone forever. Although it might twitch to give the appearance of life, it will never dream. Varric: I'd avoid mentioning that to any Carta, Chuckles. They might not take it the right way.

Because the Titans are all gone, as far as Solas is concerned. They are gone, because it was necessary to sunder the waking world from the dreaming one. The Titans needed to be disarmed—and the Evanuris needed to be so caught off guard, they would be vulnerable. He only needed to successfully complete one ritual.

One we already know exists.

The Prison; the... Gangue?

(screenshots from Kala Elizabeth's video. i know her channel is spoiler-free!)

Solas did not intend to cause worldwide destruction with the Veil; it was what he had to do. He put the Titans to sleep so they would not—could not—fight back, and imprisoned the Evanuris so there would be no one left alive to manipulate the blight.

"Solas doesn't want to hurt people! He's not that kind of wolf! Qunari don't see." — Cole dialogue, Trespasser

But the Evanuris could not exist in any normal prison. Had they access to their bodies in any capacity, they would have killed each other, knowing they would soon come back through their archdemons.

Solas needed to take all access to their mobile bodies away. I wondered how, because we see him standing in "fade jail." But what I had not seen, or what I had not known to look for, were the statues all around Solas.

We know, from Inquisition, what can be done with those statues. We see it in the Hissing Wastes, and the Tomb of Fairel questline.

Until further notice: Do not tamper with the torches! Lighting them in wrong order summons demons. The inscriptions on the pillars indicate the correct order, but wait until we have confirmed the accuracy of our translations before proceeding. I have made maps to the other tombs where there are similar structures. Let the same warning stay your hand there. - Magister Gallus Below this, someone else has written complicated formulas and scribbled many notes: - Demons bound into the rock! How did the ancient dwarves manage it without mages? (Binding runes? Subtle properties of stonework? Investigate!) - "Gangue" carved into walls. Could be translated from Old Dwarven as "Stone waste" or "Impure spirit-of-the-stone." Dwarven superstition, saw demons as "impure" spirits of rock? - Study impossible with dormant demons. Ask Sephus and Urathus for help with binding.

Demons can be bound into stone. But what is a demon? A demon is a twisted spirit.

And we know from not only the Chant of Light, but prior theorycrafting in this series (part 3), that everyone who is alive has a spirit for a soul. Spirits and souls are the same thing: the thoughts of Titans.

Those can be removed from bodies. They can be placed into bodies. We've seen the Evanuris do it, with Dirthamen "taking secrets away" from the animals he experimented on.

And once put into stone? There would be no way for the Evanuris to act except for the tenuous connection to the other pieces of themselves: the parts of their souls stored in their archdemons, who would begin to whisper to the priests of old Tevinter.

But what would happen, over four thousand years?

"The prison in which I had trapped them had begun to crumble. I was moving them to another—"

This confirms, to me, that the Evanuris were trapped in those statues, AND that it was, in fact, a good plan!

Good job, Solas! Sorry we made fun of you for an entire franchise.

Still wish you would've asked any of your friends for help, ever, and maybe not murdered some of them.

But, no matter how good the plan, the result of Solas creating the Veil, sundering the Titans, breaking his own connection to the Titans, and imprisoning the Evanuris into stone took a massive toll on him. One he would not recover from for thousands of years.

Uthenera, a Love of the Fade, and the Desire to Remake the World He Knew

This section, thank the gods, gets to be short.

We all know that Solas, weakened, went into Uthenera: the eternal waking sleep. What I want to discuss is why he loved it so much.

Think about it with me for a moment: what is the Fade, from all we have learned in these posts? It is the sleeping Titans' consciousness. The domain of all the Titans' thoughts, and the natural dwelling place of Fade spirits—which are also the Titans' thoughts.

You know what that sounds like to me?

The closest that Solas can get to the Isatunoll he once knew, before the Veil. The one mentioned when Mythal sang that lullaby to him.

Remember what I thought of the elvish word suledin?

sul: possibly short for sulahn, "sing" e: possibly used in place of e'var, as in "our (in Isatunoll)" or "the Titans'" din: death; the dead; the end

Solas could 'sing our end' in the Fade, with the other spirits.

He doesn't have to be the lone man on the island, in the Fade. Not as much, anyway. The realm of the Fade takes the shape of the thoughts and memories of the spirits and people inhabiting it at the time. Thoughts communicate with Fade and shape it.

Is it any wonder, then, that things were always easier for Solas in the Fade, by his own admission?

He was always telling us the truth. We just didn't know enough to see it.

Solas stayed in uthenera for four thousand years (give or take?), and in that time, entrenched in his beliefs. How could he not? He had just caused worldwide devastation out of necessity, and was mourning the loss of all he never stood a chance of saving. He broke the world to break the blight—and when he slept, he mourned it. His people, made of stone, all gone. His people, in their greed, the ones who destroyed it all.

Titans and Evanuris; he walked among them both. He betrayed both.

Both betrayed him first.

Of course he planned to wake, to move the Evanuris to a new prison, and then take down the Veil. It would be so much easier, moving their harmless spirits from statue to statue. And once it was over? The Titans could wake, see that their tormentors were all gone, and—perhaps—heal.

He seeks... regeneration.

But Corypheus heard whispers from Dirthamen, long before then. Corypheus would survive what Solas had intended to kill him with. The Veil would be in danger of coming crashing down—and bringing the horrors of the Evanuris and Titans both back with its disintegration.

Solas had intended to sacrifice a world he didn't know in pursuit of healing the one he wounded.

Corypheus, however, would force him into the Inquisition—and the Inquisition would change everything.

---

Also: I am essentially FULLY OFFLINE to try and avoid game spoilers! As these reviews have just gone live yesterday (10/28), I am not reading my notifications/replies, and am appearing here only to continue posting my theories. I have heard that the embargo has been broken at least once already and I refuse to risk it, so I will respond to messages and notifications once I have played Veilguard for a bit.

(Mutuals, if you need me, you may DM me, as long as you do not mention the reviews in any capacity.)

[kurczeno]

the thing I love about Dragon Age series is that each time I play, each time I research something, I learn something new.

Sometimes it's a stupid trivia, like how Wade and Harren are a couple, or how Sten and Shale were sort of flirting?

But sometimes there are major things I've overlooked, often by browsing through the "bibliography" on Dragon Age wiki.

And here I am, stunned by this.

As far as I understand this is 100% cannon in a way, that was the intention, but Gaider said it MAY be outdated.

But seriously, having confirmation that Flemeth did, in fact, care in her strange way for Morrigan (which I always firmly believed, because, as she says herself, she could have killed Morri easily, if she only wanted to) feels great. Of course she could have just said "hey, girl, I'm not actually trying to take over ur body, the thing is..." and explain everything, but hey, who does that in fantasy?

And, the Solas "trivia", which probably IS outdated, because I'm pretty sure they wanted to make him less forgivable, but the community liked him and the romance too much (which I kinda understand, though I feel like the community just ignores some parts of his story). Also as you might have picked up - I don't really like Solas, but I can't help but wonder, does the "anyone" include romanced Lavellan? I know many people see the Solavellan romance as another trick of Solas, but it's just one theory. Theory that definitely won't be confirmed in a new game, but what was the intention? (I actually like the theory, but also don't think it was ever true)

(the ss is from reddit, because I can't open the old designer notes anymore, but it's a direct quote, if I understand correctly)

anyway, im sure most of you know about this, but for those that don't - enjoy. Again wiki marks it as "legacy" information, I assume because different people are now in charge, but if I'm quite honest, I don't exactly consider the fourth game an actual Dragon Age. But even if you do, it's definitely interesting.

[magnetic-rose]

Sorry for spamming all the likes but your Varric theories are so good and I am 100 percent in agreement with every single one of them (BioWare Bianca is gone, let us romance the silver fox please).

Also a question: we saw today that the main companions all mocapped for the cinematic scenes. Do you think this means Brian Bloom also mocapped for the first time for Varric and we may potentially get an actual, full performance of how he’s always intended him to be physically? 👀

omg thank you! i appreciate that you're enjoying my posts.

i don't know enough about the BTS of dragon age to know if they'd mocap all the characters or just the main companions & rook. it's also possible that just because mocap was used in a lot of scenes, doesn't necessarily mean it was used for every scene in the game.

but i will say when i was watching the 20 minute gameplay i felt like it featured some of the best animation bioware's ever done as a game studio, especially on varric and solas' facial expressions during their confrontation. one of the things that caught my eye was varric squeezing bianca before aiming her at solas. and his expression before separating from the group, you can literally see the moment where he strengthens his resolve to confront solas. it's little things like that that excite me about the character animation in the game.

right now they seem very tight-lipped on varric's role in datv so i don't expect to see any BTS stuff with brian bloom anytime soon. but i'd love to see videos of him in the mocap suit eventually, maybe after the game is out idk.

[felassan]

Hello! I'm not a native English speaker, and I'm not sure what the difference is between Dreadwolf and Dread Wolf, if there's any at all. I hope I'm not bothering you with this question, and I'd be very grateful for an answer 🙏

hello! ◕‿◕ no not at all, i love getting messages about Dragon Age!! and am always happy to try and help. mostly there is no difference. in the English language version of the game Solas/Fen'Harel is known as the "Dread Wolf" with a space between "dread" and "wolf", and the old title of the game was just that, only with the space between the words removed and it made into one word, "Dreadwolf". we weren't sure why "Dreadwolf" in the old title had no space, but people had various theories/speculations about it ranging from, 'it was just a stylistic/aesthetic choice' to 'it might imply a deeper meaning (perhaps about the events or themes of the game), like about two halves of something joining back together or becoming one again'. here's an example of the latter ^^ (and I hope this helps 😊)

[servantofclio]

Dragon Age OCs: Maeve Surana

MAEVE SURANA

Mage, Spirit Healer and Arcane Warrior

Maeve Surana was one of the most gifted apprentices at the Circle, and she knew it. She had both a talent for magical theory and an awareness of the politics of the Circle, and decided in early adolescence that she would be First Enchanter one day. Fate, of course, had other plans.

Maeve felt very comfortable taking leadership over their little group after Ostagar. She’s observant, intelligent, and intense; her friends love her greatly and are also perhaps a little terrified of her. That happens when you routinely watch someone blow up an entire room full of enemies.

Maeve was always interested in elven lore and culture. She and a few other apprentices managed to give themselves slightly crude vallaslin in adolescence. Once free of the tower, she sought out ancient lore at every opportunity, learning the path of the arcane warrior in addition to becoming a powerful healer.

She’s not terribly judgmental and got along with the whole group. She and Morrigan might argue about the Circles or magical theory, but had very compatible personalities. She respected Wynne’s mentorship and was friendly, but not flirtatious, with Leliana. Maeve did flirt with both Alistair and Zevran, even sleeping with Alistair before realizing that there was likely too much distance between their goals and temperaments. Instead, she and Zevran developed a deep and lasting commitment. They are devoted partners to each other and a lethal pair to get on the wrong side of.

She engineered Alistair and Anora’s joint rule of Ferelden and enabled Bhelan’s rule of Orzammar, saved the mages, and made peace between the elves and werewolves. She took her time as Warden-Commander and Arlessa of Amaranthine as well, trying to set the Fereldan Grey Wardens on a solid foundation. Then she and Zevran hit the road, dodging Crows and seeking as much ancient lore as she could cram into her head.

I have written a number of short fics featuring her and Zevran here, of which this is one of my favorite. Maeve is a formidable opponent, and Solas should be nervous. I am a little tempted to revise Branwen’s world state to make Maeve her Warden instead of Coran – her and Branwen’s goals re. Solas would not necessarily be compatible, and I think that friction would be interesting. Lots of time to decide, though.

[raisay]

I’ve been mulling over something else that’s one part fan theory and one part worry.

I want Mythal to be the final big bad, but I am terrified that the devs are going to girlboss her. Some of what I’ve seen of Lucanis and Caterina’s relationship worries me for the future writing— the “she did this for my own good, to make me strong”. I’m still holding out hope that his story arc is about him unlearning this and realizing that what she did was inexcusable, but… the concern is there because of how they treated Flemythal in Inquisition, especially the epilogue scene. There are dev notes for that scene that say Morrigan “misunderstood” Flemeth’s intentions as “hostile” possession, and Flemeth herself says “you were never in any danger from me”. But… Morrigan was in danger from her, just not regarding the forced possession (something that appears to be impossible in the Dragon Age world). Now that I’ve seen Lucanis justify his abuse with “a Crow can’t be weak,” I’m concerned that view will become thematic, rather than something Lucanis needs to overcome. I’m worried that Morrigan will show up in Veilguard and say that her mother’s cruelty “prepared her to take Mythal’s soul,” because that’s a pathetic excuse for the extreme abuse and isolation Morrigan suffered.

And that has implications on how I’ve come to see Solas, and what I hope to see in his story. I believe that Solas’s character arc mirrors Morrigan’s, but I also think it mirrors Fenris’s. In The Masked Empire, Felassan tells a story, and in that story Andruil’s punishment for Fen’Harel is for him to serve her *in bed* for a year. This could just mean that Andruil is Like That, but I think it carries darker implications. Her punishment is telling Solas to remember his place and to stop with the rebellion because he’s beneath the Evanuris. We know Solas had Mythal’s vallaslin at one point. He was her slave, not an equal, and it’s clear that Mythal’s relationship with her husband was rocky to say the least (he killed her)… it wouldn’t surprise me for Mythal to use her slaves for this purpose.

As for the “she was the best of us” line— he is romanticizing her, which is something he does quite often. If Mythal did treat him as a sex slave, or something similar, Solas is going to have a very twisted view of love. Perhaps he did love Mythal, maybe he still does (because we can see that he still carries some kind of intense affection for her), but I am less convinced that Mythal sees Solas the same way he sees her.

Anyway, I don’t have anything grand to wrap this up with, I just really hate Girl Boss Mythal as a concept. I always wanted Dragon Age to be about breaking the cycle of abuse, and I think Mythal as a villain would be a nice way to symbolize that. Yes, she was betrayed by someone she should have been able to trust, but that’s the cycle of abuse, isn’t it? Just because she was hurt by someone doesn’t give her an excuse to systematically hurt others in her quest for revenge.

[greypetrel]

Sera and Solas for the opinions meme? c:<

Ooooooh you asked me to spill the tea!

Thank you for asking about the elves, I'm glad they can rest together hating on each other in this ask. uwu

Sera:

First impression: *starts singing Anarchy in the UK* Beside that, I didn't like her all that much at first. I liked her points of view, but playing as a Lavellan... At first it was a "Yeah but why you're so hostile". She grew on me like moss.

Impression now: I love her your honour, she's such a nuanced and complex characters, and with Dorian one of the most caring people around Inquisition, if you spend the time to build a good relationship with her. Her point of views on politics are genuinely good and much more rooted in reality than Solas' (for obvious reasons)

Favorite moment: Her whole set of reactions in Trespasser. The way she notices Inky is feeling all but well but still does her best to cheer them up and remind them that there is an after that they can shape how they want, she's there to help. The way she's genuinely worried sick for you and is there to help... It was the moment she became a ride or die for me. Also all her banters with Dorian. All of it.

Idea for a story: Anything expanding what we see of her character, really. Anything. Little things, her learning to cope and interact with an Inquisitor who is a mage and/or a Dalish, she spending time with the Chargers and finding the family she always lacked. Cookies experiments. Flirting with Dagna. Anything. Some expansion over her War Table mission and having Cullen saying "Do you know what, I'll do it. I'll send soldiers to hold drills as loud as possible under that noble's windows. Yes.".

Unpopular opinion: She's one of the most emotionally intelligent characters around. She is closed and abrasive, sure, but show her you care and are sincerely interested in having some kind of relationship with her and BOOM. Don't know how unpopular it is tho, LOL. And: she and Solas could actually get along and have more similar opinions that they would admit. It's just that Solas is not a people person (he's 24/7 screaming internally, there's no mental space for much else) and approaches her in the wrong way.

Favorite relationship: I'll say three. She and Dorian gives me life, you see the prince and the pauper going on and learning to live together and finding points in commons and enjoying each other's company. She and Cullen. I am sure Cullen is the one who has the most fun in the Red Jenny missions (not that he will admit it), and they are both commoners and simple people at heart. She sees right through the hard shell of pretending he's a serious knight of course no no he's the expert here, uh-uh. He's totally at level with the other advisors. She is there to take him down a notch. Also. She and Solas. Listen. They share quite some opinions. Sera is more rooted in the actual reality of things, while Solas just has theoretical knowledge. They say the same things and have a lot of things in common (both are solidly against the establishment, both renounced to position of richness to just go and play hobo, both are artists and imaginative. He's a marxist, she's an anarchist, but as above: she's rooted in reality, he isn't). Solas just chose the wrong way to approach her and doesn't know how to fix it, and she's not making a step towards him either.

Favorite headcanon: She's the little girl that got the painted box from the Warden in Denerim.

Solas:

First impression: I was heavily influenced by @karmicblackhole, who is the friend that brought me into the saga and my number one Solas authority. So I got to know him in theory before and came knowing who he is exactly. I was curious when I first play to see him finally in game.

Impression now: I like his character A LOT. Wouldn't romance him, I recognise the fascination but personally there's a "You're not like other girls" theme that is really not my cup of tea. Again, if you're not here from 5 minutes you all know I love him as a platonical friend figure, I love his character and I'm firmly convinced he may be your local trickster and obscure character... But a villain? Evil? No. Not at all. Man is going on of pure inertia screaming internally. And also he's the worst liar around Skyhold. Worst of them all. I sniffed there was something weird with Blackwall, but at least Blackwall doesn't let slip things about his past that don't add up with the story he told you and disapproves when you call him out.

Favorite moment: The last cutscene pre final battle when he's there panicking and asking you advices about how to deal with horrible mistakes. The façade cracks a little and he's just... A scared person not knowing how to fix his mess. Also the way he treats you in Trespasser if you had a positive relationship with him during the game. He's a cuor di panna, he's very tender, he's just so horribly bad at people.

Idea for a story: I am pondering from months on a short ficlet about him going back to watch the Inquisitor as time goes by. Because yes he may be resolved... But he's bad at plans. Also DadWolf, but I'm drawing/writing it. Basically, anything that lets him find something he may use to stop running in circles in guilt and self-commiseration and learn that hey, it went how it went that's ok.

Unpopular opinion: He's not a villain and he's not evil. I can see why people think of that and he's in that grey zone that's grey enough that he can easily fall in both parts... But in my opinion he's not. He's just panicking HARD and starved for human contact. Again, I can see why people treat him as a villain... But I think we saw him only up to the middle of his narrative arc. It would be like judging Cullen stopping at DA2 before the final battle and the mutiny. You can but we're all missing the second half of it. I may be wrong in my opinions and I read some great fics that has him as the villain. He could double, again, I just like to think that people are fundamentally good.

Favorite relationship: As above. Him and Sera. Him and Varric co-parenting Cole gives me life. I recently brought him on a mission with Blackwall and they had the funniest banter ever, BOTH sweating profusely and lying. x°D

Favorite headcanon: He's a huge softie and hugely touch starved and it will take very little to bring him back to the good side. Also, I'd love to see him... Doing something to the Veil and actually making elves mages. Also, he's a terrible hugger, but will appreciate being hugged greatly.

[dragonmage]

After watching the game play I'm still on kinda hype but kinda anxious about it.

TLDR; some probably wrong theories about what we're getting, mostly positive but also seems like not as much New Fun things tm

-I loved the animations and art style and backgrounds

-Levels: I think its gonna be like Inquisition and parts of 2 where the levels are more 'set paths' kinda things with beautiful backgrounds very much like Val Royeaux - which is kinda iffy on how little was in Val Royeaux but I imagine there's gonna be 'open world' areas much like the Hinterlands. Idk why I expected something different but I did, and am just worried about how much we'll actually get to explore

-The Combat was Kinda Good Kinda Bad - it was hard to tell exactly how much was button combinations or just spamming X; it looked like there was a parry and a dodge option, and as some others said reminded me of Jedi: Fallen Order - which I really enjoyed !.

-I can already kinda guess though that at higher difficulties the enemies are just gonna be health sponges; idk what difficulty they were playing at its already seemed like the baddies weren't that hard but just didn't go down quickly

-I don't/didn't particularly care for switching between party members, but I also think it will be missed - there was so many times where I had to play Cassandra 1v1ing a dragon bc the rest of my party went down lol. I think it added a level of strategy - again not that I used it much, but it was a mechanic of at least 2 and inquisition that I relied on for harder fights.

-I really really liked the rain effects in cutscenes and on characters - i hope that theres a blood option like that lol.

-I was on the fence about Varric Dying and everyone's theories that he is, but there's no way he's not after that game play lol. I saw a tiktok saying that they could see it where Varric's the one in charge/leading/gathering the Veilguard and with his dying is how Rook becomes leader of the Veilguard and yeahhhh that seems pretty accurate.

-I like the companions commenting on your personality, it's always been a fav component of mine and it seems it might pop up more than in Inquisition.

-Oh the entire opening/showed sequence reminded me so much of the Inquisition one which is kinda :/ but it was good , but also sad in how much it feels like a repeat of a climatic/cinematic set piece (ala bridge collapse, demons, sliding, the veil fucky). The magic effects look gorgeous tho.

-Obligatory comment about Varric not being blonde/ginger

-Saw some others comment on dialogue/voice acting; for me it seemed on par with Inquisition, and again a neither bad nor good thing lol. I can see the faults of it having to establish what happened in Inquisition for new players, but again seems like par for the course.

-The different factions seem very interesting to me, and with how much it was showed in the 'tutorial' I'm curious if they're making it even more apparent than again previous games, at least dialogue wise

-I really think that regardless of class, everyone might be getting some 'extra/magic' abilities - someone pointed out that Harding might have some little extra oomf, and with the limited party, ON TOP OF Veil fuck shit, I think it's very possible to see not only party members with interesting mechanics, that Rook has the potential to arcane stuff - I mean the whole thing with the Veil was that Solas was opening it and giving elves magic (iirc, and the funny hahas about Fenris running around with mage spells lol) so it'd be interesting if that was something race effected as well.

-but overall positive, I think it'll feel like more of the same which isn't bad, but I had also hoped with how much time in development There'd be Something More - this is also based off just some sneak peak stuff. I just don't want a repeat of Andromeda where they change the entire feel to something watered down thats for a bigger audience but essentially not Dragon Age/Bioware

-I would love to comment on the story because at the end of the day thats why I play. - game play wise, it seemed expected, story wise I like how many potential things were brought up but its way too early to tell how much we're going to get. It seems more than Andromeda and Inquisition with the factions and new characters and I can only hope that it has as much depth as breadth that its showing

[rissi-chan]

1. What was the first Dragon Age game you played?

Origins, way back in 2009/2010.

2. Which Dragon Age game is your favorite so far?

Inquisition. I think all the games have done well at not changing SO much that the world and characters are unrecognizable - and that's the only consistency I truly care about. Therefore, the progress has only made each game better, imo.

3. Do you usually play as a warrior, mage, or rogue? Which class are you planning to try first this time around? Which subclass?

Mage, always. I always tend to go for elemental attacks and healing secondary spells.

4. What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

My canon (fem)Warden Amell is potentially alive and still looking for a cure for the Calling.

My fem!Hawke went to investigate Weisshaupt during DAI, and I'm hoping she's safely with Fenris now . . .

The Inquisitor I'll be importing first will be my Solas-mancing Lavellan. And she is not. happy.

5. Do you typically use a preset character and name or spend hours in the character creator coming up with a custom one?

Never a preset character appearance or name. I take names very seriously and all my previous protags were given their names for a reason that ties into their character. And I LOVE character customization.

6. Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

Ish. I have a vague idea of what I want each race I play to look like (human, elf, dwarf, qunari) and I THINK I'll probably play an elf first, but that may change.

All my characters are mages.

I'll either go with Shadow Dragons or Veil Jumpers for my first playthrough.

7. Which character from the previous games or other media are you most hoping will make an appearance in DAV?

Dorian <3 I think he's the most likely, but ai would obviously adore surprising cameos (like Fenris).

8. What faction are you most excited to learn more about?

The Veil Jumpers.

9. Which romance, if any, do you plan to pursue first?

LUCANIS. I have a type and it is bearded, autistic-coded men that can cook <3

10. Which location are you most excited/hoping to explore in-game?

All of them, tbh. Seeing new places is always so cool.

11. What's one thing you'd really like to see in this next game?

Lots of interaction/socialization opportunities. And SPICE 😏

12. What's one thing you're hoping we DON'T see in this next game?

Lack of substance in missions and relationships. But it sounds like that won't be an issue.

13. What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're a fan of?

The companions <3 They all seem so cool and I am so excited to learn more about them all.

Plus, BABY GRIFFIN PETS AND CUDDLES <3

14. What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're NOT a fan of?

The party limit. That poor third-wheel companion 🥲 I worry about banter suffering as a result.

15. Do you have any unpopular opinions about DAV so far?

I do not expect an enemies-to-lovers relationship with Lucanis when playing as a mage. His character does not read as being hostile towards mages - he just kills cultists and crazy people.

16. What's one crack theory you subscribe to (yours or someone else's)?

Varric is not dying. It's been set up too well - made too obvious. I am justifying my denial XD

17. Are you interested in all the lore and speculation or do you focus more on the games and stories themselves?

A bit of both, but I never set expectations when it comes to theories - just enjoy them for what they are.

18. Which aspect of fandom are you most looking forward to? (e.g. reading/writing fic, the bounty of gorgeous art, getting to know new people, etc.)

The art, the fanfics, and the custom merchandise <3

19. Are you planning to replay any of the previous games, watch Dragon Age: Absolution, or read any of the books/comics/short stories, or are there other games you want to play in the meantime?

I've been watching summaries of Tebinter nights on YouTube, as well as breakdowns of the trailers and gameplay just to hype myself up.

20. Post a picture or gif that conveys your current level of excitement for Dragon Age: The Veilguard!

Dragon Age: The Veilguard HYPE Q&A

What was the first Dragon Age game you played?

Which Dragon Age game is your favorite so far?

Do you usually play as a warrior, mage, or rogue? Which class are you planning to try first this time around? Which subclass?

What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

Do you typically use a preset character and name or spend hours in the character creator coming up with a custom one?

Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

Which character from the previous games or other media are you most hoping will make an appearance in DAV?

What faction are you most excited to learn more about?

Which romance, if any, do you plan to pursue first?

Which location are you most excited/hoping to explore in-game?

What's one thing you'd really like to see in this next game?

What's one thing you're hoping we DON'T see in this next game?

What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're a fan of?

What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're NOT a fan of?

Do you have any unpopular opinions about DAV so far?

What's one crack theory you subscribe to (yours or someone else's)?

Are you interested in all the lore and speculation or do you focus more on the games and stories themselves?

Which aspect of fandom are you most looking forward to? (e.g. reading/writing fic, the bounty of gorgeous art, getting to know new people, etc.)

Are you planning to replay any of the previous games, watch Dragon Age: Absolution, or read any of the books/comics/short stories, or are there other games you want to play in the meantime?

Post a picture or gif that conveys your current level of excitement for Dragon Age: The Veilguard!

[fenharel-babe]

I find it so sad that during the break up scene, he really just pours his heart out to Lavellan. He says how she’s beautiful, unique, and I know he doesn’t say it, but she’s able to literally make him almost forget his plans, make him feel like a normal man. And I still love that even if Lavellan keeps the vallaslin, Solas doesn’t show hate or be rude about it! Lavellan is hesitant to tell him no because she doesn’t want to upset him or hurt his feelings, so she goes about it slow.

“I know you told me this because you wanted to help, but the vallaslin is part of who I am. I hope you can see past—”.

“Stop. You are perfect exactly as you are.”

He accepts it, doesn’t pressure her, and reassures her that he still sees her and not the marks. He just sees her.

But when the marks are taken off, he looks happy (or relieved maybe?) and tells her how she is free. She’s always technically been free, but now he thinks she is truly free from something cruel. He remembers what he told the other elves, the elves he tried to save.

And I think about that one theory that when he looks at her with such love and remembers what he wanted to tell her, he snaps out of it. He loves her and he told her. Truly told her in words and not just actions. He spoke his own truth and realized that it was too much. He loves her too much, and he could see that she loves him, too. I think Lavellan literally saying, “I love you,” hurts him even worse because now he definitely knows she feels the same.

They both feel love and it’s strong, but still. He pulls away because her face, her entire being, and his entire reason for bringing her there makes him remember that he can’t do it. He can’t love her and drag her into another big mistake. He wanted to tell the truth to her, but my heart always likes the sad idea of him being afraid of being so close to her and having her truly hate him. Hate him for what he is, so he hid. He had another truth to tell her if he got scared, so he chose that path instead.

And he chose to leave her, even if it would break both of them.

And don’t think he doesn’t know what will happen when he goes back to Skyhold. You think he doesn’t know about her relationship with the others? How protective Dorian is of her, how Varric takes in little details about her and cares about her more than he lets on, Bull trusting her even if she is a mage and abandoning the Qun partly because of her, Cole being happier around her and wanting to help both of them but ultimately choosing her, Vivienne looking down on him even more and telling Lavellan that she deserves better and actually letting her walls down to comfort her dear friend, Cassandra’s disgusted grunts he thought only Varric would receive on occasion, he senses Sera’s pranks or even catches her doing some of them and they’re not just pranks, no, they’re definitely some dangerous ones to cause harm, and Blackwall no longer speaking to him as a friend or acting as if they could’ve gotten along he just gives him dirty glances and refuses to speak to him unless he has to.

He knows this, and I always imagine a part of him is a little happy knowing that she has people by her side, people (other than soldiers and workers) caring for her well being and doing everything to make her happy. Not just for the inquisition, but for HER. He knows it will happen, and I think that also adds to his guilt and pain even more. He may not have been close to all of them, but he held certain respect to them (maybe except Vivienne or Sera) and actually did care about their well being, but now the relationship is broken and damaged because of how much he loves Lavellan and how much she loves him, and how stupid he is.

And Solas may be good at hiding the truth and such, but when he breaks up from Lavellan and the emotional choice is chosen, he backs away from her and avoids her hands even if she reaches out for him, and literally turns around and walks away so…brokenly. His face is just completely showing his sadness and how he regrets his decision but has to do it. He can’t even keep the mask up anymore, and it falls and he kinda looks like he’s about to fall to his knees from emotion.

Is it to beg for forgiveness from her? Maybe. Is it falling to his knees to cry out his pain and regret at what he has broken? Most definitely. If he let it happen anyway.

It’s just SO MUCH PAIN.

My thoughts are in a rush and not making too much sense, but each time I see the break up scene and see Solas kiss her and grab her butt and then break up with her even if she begs him not to leave and how he BROKENLY WALKS AWAY makes me so sad. I just think about it a lot.

But how y’all doing? Hope you’re doing great.

[enderevynne]

We need to talk about Solas - [Part 1]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPOILER ALERT FOR DRAGON AGE 4 

ALSO DO NOT SPOIL ME ABOUT THIS I HAVEN’T GOTTEN FAR PAST ADAMANT YET

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

So. There have been several moments with Solas that have... caught my attention. 

The first one bothers me the most, because I can’t remember what it was. 

I remember reacting like whoa wait a minute, but can’t remember about what. I am truly a treasure. 

I’m gonna have to do another playthrough with both Ender and Evynne because I also can’t remember with which character it was. (Luckily I haven’t played my other two characters yet, cause that would’ve been a disaster...) 

Anyway. Back to this. 

A few days or so ago I came across a spoiler about Solas and Dragon Age 4. It was huge but not detailed. He will apparently be the villain, as far as I understood the text my eyes swept past for half a second. 

Now, with both Ender and Evynne I’ve only gotten through Adamant and a while after. So I truly don’t know how this is going to end, nor have I been ready to find out the few times I’ve decided to go to the War Room to start the “What Pride Had Wrought” mission. I always go back and focus more on the plentiful sidemissions and to continue putting together the cutscene episodes. Which means I have to go back and replay several scenes in the right clothes and/or hairstyles and/or makeup.

I was not terribly surprised to learn this spoiler about Solas. He’s been... fishy sometimes. Like Blackwall, except not remotely like Blackwall cause Blackwall is in your face all the time about the fact that he’s hiding something and it seems pretty darn clear what that something is going to be. I will be shocked if I’m wrong about it. But I hope I will be. At least about part of it. 

So. Let’s talk about this moment with Solas. 

It took me a while (an embarrasingly long one but oh well) to realize why this moment bothered me. 

And then it clicked while putting it into the cutscene episodes. 

“An enemy can attack but only an ally can betray you. SPEAKING OF WHICH, YOU SHOULD READY YOURSELF.” 

He’s telling me an ally is going to betray me. Cause Corypheus - a name we still haven’t learned in this moment, remember - is certainly no ally. 

Right? 

We know the Elder One is an enemy. 

...RIGhT???

But Solas is saying... the Elder One is an ally? 

Does this mean Corypheus is not actually the Elder One? 

Does that mean SOLAS is the fucking Elder One?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Goddammit I’m not sure I want to find out. I both want and don’t want this to be true. I love Solas so much. If this, or something like it is true, it’s gonna destroy me. And I know, thanks to that spoiler, I am going to be destroyed. Not sure if it’s because this theory turns out to be the case, or something else happens to make that spoiler happen. 

But this? Goddamn. Send help.

[agentwashingcat]

Of Tevinter Mages and Dalish Elves

I wrote some cute pavellan because they deserve happiness tbh

cross posted on ao3 under the same name!

Alras leaned against the headboard on his bed, shifting slightly to keep a better hold on Dorian. The other had settled in between his legs, his back to Alras’ front, and was reading a book. Some sort of book on magical theory that was far too advanced for the Inquisitor to even make sense of. Instead he had wrapped his arms around Dorian, content to just snuggle and maybe take a nap while Dorian was occupied.

It was a while before he noticed Dorian hadn’t turned a page. Alras opened his eyes, seeing Dorian staring at the same page he had been a few minutes ago. He only recognized it because there was still the same diagram he couldn’t understand.

“Everything alright, Dorian?” He asked softly, nuzzling his face into Dorian’s shoulder. For all the talking he did, sometimes Dorian needed a prompt to talk about his feelings.

Dorian sighed, setting his book to the side and moving so he was sitting across from Alras. It took all of his willpower not to simply climb into Dorian’s lap, but he could tell this was serious. At least, serious for Dorian, anyway.

“Is your… clan is the word right?” Dorian hesitated, continuing when Alras nodded. “Is your clan going to be alright with… me and you?”

Alras blinked. He honestly hadn’t even thought about it. “I mean, if they made a fuss I was just going to point them in Iron Bull and Rylla’s direction instead.” Most of them had never seen a qunari before, so it would be a bit of a shock to meet one and find out he was dating their first.

Dorian gave him a look.

Alras smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, you’re being serious. It might be an adjustment, but they should be fine. I mean, we’re encouraged to have more elf children if possible, considering there aren’t a lot of us left, but I was never really planning on having kids anyway. I was just going to be a cool uncle, if either of my sisters had kids.” Of course Alwyn was dating Sera and Alea was still pining after Solas, so that seemed unlikely. “Technically I could have kids, but I’d have to do the carrying and I am not about that.”

Dorian chuckled. “Well, I certainly wasn’t planning on children, so we can agree about that.” He scrunched up his face. “You’re sure they won’t mind a Tevinter mage?”

“Most of them are less aggressive than Alea, I promise.” Alras shrugged. “I know we can be standoffish to outsiders, but as long as you’re respectful, they’ll be respectful back.” At least that was how it worked in his clan. There was no need to make enemies of everyone just because they weren’t like them.

“I’ll have to work on the whole being respectful bit I suppose,” Dorian said with a sigh.

“What brought this on anyway?”

Dorian shrugged, avoiding his gaze. “We shouldn’t both be outcasts in our own homes, should we? What would the neighbors think?”

“We’re constantly moving, so we don’t really have neighbors,” Alras pointed out. He moved so he could climb into Dorian’s lap, cupping his face with his hands so Dorian had to look at him, letting their foreheads rest together. “They’ll love you. You know why? Because I love you. It’ll be a little weird at first but it’ll be fine. I promise.”

“You always know just what to say, amatus.” Dorian tilted his head, giving Alras a soft kiss, letting his hands settle on the inquisitor's waist. “What would I do without you?”

“You’d manage, but things would be much less exciting,” Alras teased.

“That is certainly true.”

[nirikeehan]

Happy Friday Niri! How abouuuut 'god doesn’t love you more than anyone else' for Thalia & Solas and their weird relationship?

HI ROSELLA thank you, this was a very thought-provoking prompt! I've literally never written Solas before so I hope I did him justice.

For @dadrunkwriting

WC: 660

---

“God doesn’t love you more than anyone else.”

Thalia looked up, squinting against the sunlight filtering through the canopy of leaves above their heads. Solas stood over her, his expression solemn. Thalia felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. The mysterious elven mage always had a way of making her feel like he’d caught her with her trousers down. 

Well, the situation wasn’t quite that dire. She’d merely been kneeling at the foot of a stone statue to Andraste,  dotted with moss and lichen, face worn away by time. Several Hinterland locals had left fresh offerings, simple ones of simple folk, some dried flowers, a few copper coins, candles. 

“Sorry, what did you say?” Thalia asked, getting to her feet and brushing the grass stains off her leggings. 

Solas fixed her with his unreadable gaze. “God doesn’t love you more than anyone else,” he repeated, with a slight hint of impatience. “You were so lost in thought. You were contemplating your situation as the Herald of Andraste, yes?” 

Thalia furrowed her brow. That hadn’t been precisely what she’d been thinking about, but before she could say so, Solas tilted his head slightly.  “I hope I did not offend. They were meant as words of solace.” 

“You did not, of course.” Thalia tried to smile. Solas was only attempting to help, as odd as that might look sometimes. She was grateful for him and his accompaniment on her missions, and he had such fascinating stories about the Fade and the esoteric magic he practiced. Still, she often had the distinct sense he was holding her at arm’s length due to a reason she hadn’t been able to glean. 

“Though truth be told, I’m not sure how that’s meant to be comforting. When I was at the Circle, we heard a lot about receiving the Maker’s grace through appealing to Andraste. And Andraste was made out to be so perfect, it felt a bit like a piety contest, even though it was never quite phrased that way.” Thalia frowned. “A lot of us wanted to be special in his eyes.” 

“Did you?” Solas’s voice dropped down to nearly a whisper. 

“It would have been nice, but I never could get myself to believe I deserved it. My family was very upset when I showed signs of magical ability.” She was surprised to find it still pained her, over a decade later. “I had a… really hard time with that, for awhile.” 

“Good,” Solas said, nodding. “You have a pragmatic outlook. You aren’t special, not in the eyes of your god or any other mortals.”

He spoke with such kindness it was difficult for her to reconcile this with his words. 

“Boy, Solas,” Thalia retorted with manufactured cheer, “you sure know how to treat a girl.”

“Do not misunderstand me,” Solas replied. “I am paying you a compliment. If you are to succeed in your quest, you must not be blinded by flattery. Sycophants of all stripes will attempt to sway you with such things. A level-headed outlook may be your only savior.” 

Warmth filled her. Solas could be so opaque that she had a hard time telling when he was pleased with or disappointed in her. “Thanks,” she said, grinning. “You sound like you speak from experience.” 

He stretched his lips into a toothless grin. “I dream many things in the Fade. I have seen civilizations rise and fall. I would be a fool not to learn from my observations.” 

“Still.” Thalia had read a great many theories in books, but had been learning that didn’t make her equipped to apply them in practice. Solas, she feared, was simply smarter than she was. 

“Come, my friend,” Solas said, cutting through her doubts. He held out an arm toward where they had made camp. “I believe that for breakfast, Varric is making one of those items called an ‘omelette’.” 

Thalia laughed, and fell into step beside his bare feet traipsing through the underbrush.

[bearlytolerant]

Fandom: Dragon Age

Pairing: Solavellan

Chapter Rating: T

Chapter WC: 1765

AO3

Chapter 3

“Oh. No, no, no, no.” The voice wavers.

“Oh shit. Shit, I’m so sorry,” Mary-Beth says though she’s not sure who she’s apologizing to.

“It’s okay. Just—let me handle the cleanup.”

It’s then that the voice reveals a phantasmagoric shape. A woman. As Mary-Beth looks into the woman’s eyes, colors begin to appear and this woman is a reflection of herself. There’s a few minor differences here and there. She’s an elf. But the features are so similar. Blue eyes reflecting sun on the ocean, fiery red hair, freckles everywhere, curvy shape and broader shoulders. Even the height is the exact same.

“Who—who are you?”

“Ah, yes. I forgot I haven’t properly introduced myself. The name’s Sarya. Sarya of Clan Lavellan.”

“I’m Mary-Beth Trevelyan.” She pauses, eyes roaming over the woman. “Not to be rude but are you a ghost?”

“I find that term offensive though subjective. I’m closer to a spirit.”

“Oh. So a demon?”

Sarya sighs. “Again. Offensive. You’d think after all these years there would be some better education on the subject. Especially all that I—you know what, never mind.” She sweeps the remainder of the shattered crystal into a dustpan and discards it in the waste bin.

“The elven man here, he warned me not to come up to this room. Are you the reason why? You haunt this place?”

“First of all, I’m not haunting anything. And elven man—oh you mean Solas?”

“Solas—is that his name?”

“Was he tall, bald—“

“Yes.”

“Then yeah. That’s Solas. And maybe? I haven’t seen him enter this room in well, a thousand years? Perhaps longer.”

“You’ve been here for a thousand years?”

“Or longer.”

“How? Why?”

“If I’m completely honest, I don’t know. I have my theories. But nothing solid. I was hoping, by revealing myself, that you could help me find out. You did break one of my most treasured possessions after all. Would only be fair for you to help me out.”

Mary-Beth is more focused on the first half of the ghost’s rambling. “You’ve been here for a thousand years and you don’t know why? How is that possible?”

“I haven’t been able to leave this room. Solas knows I’m here, I’m sure of it. He has to know why. But I can’t ask him.”

Mary-Beth pushes some paperwork out of the way and plops down on the edge of the desk. “So why do you think I could help?”

“You’re not bound to this room. You can ask him for me.”

“And why do you think Solas can help?”

Sarya says, “Once upon a time we were the stars of a great love that burned bright. But then burned out.”

Mary-Beth can’t tell if the ghost is being sarcastic or serious but she continues to listen.

“The details are complicated and messy and really not necessary. He’s a mage and one that specializes in all things involving spirits and the fade.”

“Oh, he’s the one in the letter. That means—wait. He’s thousands of years old?”

Sarya sighs. “Yes. He’s very old.”

“And you’re in love with him.”

“Was. Was in love with him.”

“Your letter tells me otherwise.”

“That letter is something I never sent. I married Cullen, had a child, and lived a full and pleasant life. Of course, the magic of the anchor took me sooner than I would’ve liked. But I learned to love life without him.”

“Maybe he never learned to live life without you…”

Sarya gestures to herself. “You think?”

“Okay, say I believe all this ridiculous stuff you’re telling me and I go to Solas, what am I supposed to say? Hey, your girlfriend is trapped in the tower, do you have something to do with that?”

“Leave out the girlfriend bit and I fail to see the problem with that phrasing.”

Mary-Beth chuckles. “Well, something tells me the Solas you know is very different from the one I know. The man hates me.”

“Doubtful.”

Mary-Beth shakes her head then shifts her weight and leans forward. “Okay. So, how do I know you’re not a demon? That I can trust you?”

Sarya shrugs. “You don’t.”

“That’s not very convincing.”

“That should tell you something. I don’t know about you but most demons I meet always have a convincing sales pitch. Perhaps you should try trusting yourself? Go with your gut instinct.”

Mary-Beth twirls a lock of hair around her finger and chews at the inside of her cheek.

How can she trust her instincts when time and again, her instincts have led her from one toxic relationship to another? Self-sabotage at every turn and she’s just supposed to trust her gut? She sighs. She can help the ghost—spirit—whatever woman. She can try anyway. The worst thing that could happen is what? Permanent possession? Death? Though, from the looks of it, death isn’t even a permanent state. Meanwhile, the alternative offers hope and help to a spirit who longs for peace and deserves rest.

Sarya organizes the letters on her desk while humming to herself.

“Alright,” Mary-Beth says. “I'm going to trust you. Probably with more than I should but you want me to leave this room and talk to Solas, correct?”

“Yes,” Sarya says.

“And spirits, similar to demons, can possess a person, correct?”

“Not exactly possession. More like form a symbiotic bond.”

“Yeah that sounds like a fancier version of possession.”

“As much as I enjoy arguing over technicalities, I’d rather not continue to waste time. It’s not possession. I have no desire to use your body to stay in this world. I want to move on.”

“Okay. Okay.” Mary-Beth shrugs, surrendering. “Well, what if we do that? Form a symbiotic bond or whatever. Then you can wander any part of the castle you want and speak with Solas. He’d probably be more receptive to your presence than mine. You’d find your answer of why you're here then he can fix the problem.You finally get peace and I’ll hopefully be able to leave this castle. We’ll part ways and have our happy ending.”

Sarya nods. “Yes. I can see it. Though, you want me to form a bond with you even though, not even a minute ago, you weren’t even sure if you could trust me? Interesting.”

“I know what it sounds like. But if you’re telling the truth—which I’m choosing to believe you are—then your bond will break as soon as you can rest. Seems simple.”

“I see your point. Though I’m still judging you.”

“That’s nothing new for me,” Mary-Beth says.

“Well, then I agree.”

“Okay, great.” Mary-Beth smiles. “Just one last thing. We need to get this done quickly. I would like to enjoy what remains of my vacation.”

“You’re supposed to be on a vacation?”

“Yeah. In Haven. But I got lost.”

“You sure did. Unfortunate for you but fortunate for me.” Sarya comes around the desk to stand in front of Mary-Beth. “Very well. I’m more than happy to get this over with as you say and I’ll even sweeten the pot, make sure you don’t leave before you have the proper directions to Haven. Deal?”

Mary-Beth grins and holds out a hand. “Deal.”

“Shall we begin?”

Sliding down from the desk, Mary-Beth lays her hands in Sarya’s outstretched palms.“Yeah. What do I need to do?”

“Close your eyes. This might feel a little strange. I don’t know, though, I’ve never done this before so bear with me.”

She closes her eyes and waits but doesn’t feel a single thing. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

“It’s done,” Sarya’s voice is her own.

“That was much quicker and easier than expected. Please no funny business while you’re in there.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Sarya says.

“Okay. We’re off to find Solas then.” Sarya in the body of Mary-Beth, takes off down the stairs, her heart feeling lighter. But there’s another, deeper, sinking feeling that works its way into her stomach. She shrugs it off and she searches the castle for Solas, finding him in the library tucked away in the lower recesses of the castle.

—

“Solas?”

Lying the dusty book down on the table, he turns at his name, not uttered in thousands of years. How Mary-Beth came to know it, he has no idea. But he’s determined to find out.

“How did you–“ But the answer becomes clear as he focuses on her face. He sees it. Feels it. The likenesses therein. It’s the way she runs her finger above her lip, along the invisible scar that isn’t on this body but was on her own. “Sarya?”

Tears are brimming in her eyes as she steps closer, reaching out and placing her hand to his face.

“I have waited so long for you to see me. I’ve never left you,” she tells him.

There’s moisture in his own eyes as he takes her in his arms. Impossible to resist holding her once more. “You should have left me. You should not be here.”

“How can a mortal rest when her heart belongs to a god?”

Solas pulls her into his chest. His heart throbs wildly, whether from joy or pain or the inescapable reality of none of this being real, he doesn’t know. But he holds tight, just long enough to feel the warmth of her body. Enough to feed his starved soul. He pulls away, gripping her by the shoulders to look at her. It isn’t Sarya he sees. Sarya’s spirit, though rare and marvelous, is not the same in the body of another. It does not belong here.

But it has been so long. Though not exactly the same, he can fool himself into believing it’s her. There’s just enough of her. He could have it all.

One touch. One kiss. One last time together.

“This cannot be. It is not right,” he tells her, his sense returned to him.

“But it is. Mary-Beth and I, we made an agreement.”

“No. No.” Solas shakes his head. “You are not Sarya. You cannot be. A demon, I presume.”

“Solas,” she whispers through pained sobs. “I am me. Please, don’t keep doing this. Don’t rationalize me away!”

“Begone from me, demon!” he shouts at her.

Sarya, in Mary-Beth’s body, trembles. “Solas, please,” she begs. “Don’t do this. Don’t do this to me again.”

“Go,” he demands, casting dispel.

There is a gentle gust of wind that sweeps around him before Mary-Beth faints. He crumples to his knees, embracing her in his arms and combing her hair behind her ears. He sobs in quiet agony then gathers the strength to carry her to the rotunda.

[emerald-amidst-gold]

WIP Wednesday

So, still having trouble progressing my main fic’s next chapter, but mainly because I’ve been working on later, later chapters to help piece everything together! And today I have two tiny excerpts from ideas and theories I’m playing with! Strap in folks! >:D

Thank you for the tags @noire-pandora @oxygenforthewicked @cartadwarfwithaheartofgold! Always love them them! X3

So this first one is from my ‘Finding Skyhold’ scene. Angst train! Woo woo!

He had remembered what was forgotten amid black and crimson after twenty-four years of living a lie, of unknowingly pretending he was something he was not. So, why was it that he still felt so lost, so grey? He was tired of feeling grey! He was tired of not knowing who or what he was! He was tired of the world appearing recognizable to his eyes, but still utterly foreign and distant! All his nightly memories and odd behaviors said ‘dragon’, but his daytime ones, and physical body said ‘mortal’! Dragon, mortal, dragon, mortal, dragon, mort-!

As if in response to Fane’s whirling, distressing thoughts, the Anchor upon his left hand crackled and snapped, whipping from his palm and up his arm angrily. The pain that surged through his arm and nearly up to his mind again had him letting out a vicious snarl, pulling the appendage into his chest and squeezing his eyes shut, halting his ascent.

“Nn..ghh..”, Fane choked out noise, but no words, the feeling of sweat despite the frigid air appearing on his forehead as the Anchor sparked and pinched his already sensitive skin, the leather wrap on his forearm all but torn to shreds from when his spectral claw had burst forward.

He staggered on the steps, nearly slipping on the edge of one with a ice and snow caked boot, but a tentative touch to his forearm had him stilling and flinching violently. The hand upon his flinched a bit as well, but did not move, pleading and begging for him to look up as Fane was glaring down at the magic taunting and laughing at him with silent words of ‘You could never escape its touch. Even if it belongs to the one you knew would never rattle the chains.’ within eerie green tendrils. He let out a snarl at those undulating words, the ire he felt warming up his body and spurring the mark to cackle. He was so tired of this. So. Tired. When would it end?! When would he be allowed to turn his back, to put his sword down?! Everything he had done up to this point had turn tides, but not without a price or an objection! He was doing what he was made to do, but what was that anymore?! What was he?! Why did this-?!

“Fane..”, a quiet call from lilt and silk, one laced with tender sorrow, but a desperate desire to help. “Turn around. Let me see your hand.”, the hand upon his still bound forearm loose, but insistent as it gingerly tightened so as not to cause him too much harm. 

Fane grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut as the Anchor continued to taunt him, causing him to pull  it in tighter to his body to try and stop it. He couldn’t turn around, couldn’t bear to see the sky--his sky--staring back at him with revulsion that was no doubt there! He couldn’t bear to see the look of confusion, blue eyes hazed over with grey clouds as recognition was lost! He couldn’t endure tender, comforting hands upon him, soothing his rage and stilling his mind in its downward spiral as it had done so many centuries before when he was...he was…! 

What was he?! Who was he?!

And this next one is a tease, a little silver of an idea I have about a specific place~:

Fane stood over the lining of the ridge, golden emerald eyes alight with fury and indignation as they bore down upon them all, bare face twisted with a snarl and brow furrowed downwards like a semblance of the dragon Solas knew was becoming more and more the norm for his heart.

And that was who was here. His heart, and he had not come alone. As if on cue, the ridge becoming filled with strange looking soldiers, some elven, Elvhen, but their appearances were dark, skin either grey or deepest black and eyes equal parts gold or crimson as they lined up with perfect, immaculate precision, as if they had rehearsed such a thing for thousands of years. Their regalia matched their deepened features, ebony armor inlaid with gold and crimson in archaic patterns that whispered of the empire of Elvhenan, but held an aura all its own as those runes occasionally ebbed with white energy mixed with silvery blue.

Lyrium..? Solas tried to pinpoint the essence, but could hear no sound or hold the desire to understand as Fane’s eyes connected with his own, and instead of being met with fury and disgust, he watched them soften with relief and worry in equal measure. Ma’isenatha.. He reached out with his mind, urging their split souls to connect with one another, to speak with one another. He watched a tiny smirk grow on Fane's face, issuing the message had been received.

“Need some back up, my sky? I told you I’d return with good news.”, Fane’s voice echoed, deep and comforting in the halls of his tired mind, the baritone nearly making Solas weep. 

“I see that.”, Solas responded with a bit of effort, exhaustion making it hard to grapple with his partial soul. “Who are they? They appear Elvhen, but..”

“They are, but aren’t.”, Fane explained cryptically, momentarily dropping off to direct with a hand for some of the ebony clad scouts to move about before wrapping around Solas’s mind once again. “I’ll explain more after we finish this battle, but I’ll just say; Blackness is not as empty as we believed. There is a world, a society within it, and I’ve..learned a lot. About myself. About who I am.”

“...I see. Yes, we will speak. After the battle.”, Solas agreed before allowing his battle donning mask of stoicism to fall, giving the man that was his heart, his dragon a tender smile. “I missed you, my heart. I am glad you’re here.”

Fane’s own mask fell, expression tender and eyes twinkling with adoring gold. How he had missed those eyes, that gaze.

“I missed you, too. And I won’t be leaving your side again for a while. Is that amenable?” A joke, a familiar quip that held so much familiarity and so much love that Solas couldn’t help but feel light amid mysteries and death’s garden. 

“More than amenable, my dragon. More than amenable.”

*throws head back and cackles, coughing afterwards* I..I’m just..gonna leave these here! *runs away*

Tagging: @little-lightning-lavellan @shift-shaping @dreadfutures @the-dreadful-canine @dungeons-and-dragon-age @another-rogue-trevelyan and anyone else who’d like to jump on it! Show me the goods! >:D (but one pressure of course! X3)