#i love you gwaren

[gwah--ren]

thinking about how woodcarving and leatherwork become a staple of gwaren like serault and glass. are you following me here. leather armor from gwaren featuring intricate stitching designs and carving into the pauldrons... the ships crafted in gwaren being more works of art than regular sailing vessels... gwaren becoming a sort of hub of culture and art but not in the pretentious way val royeaux has... are you seeing my vision...

[cabeswaterdrowned]

hmm random but does anyone have any ideas or headcanons about what Adam and Jordan’s dynamic would be like?

[imdoingaokay]

Cullen x f!Inquisitor/Reader - After It All...

summary - after the events of Veilguard, Cullen meets his wife in Minrathous

word count - 900+

warnings - fem!reader, HUGE VEILGUARD SPOILERS (it's just one really big one, but it's still there, please don't read if you don't want to be spoiled!), mentions of children, Inquisitor's race is left up to the reader, some artistic license taken in general + what's going on in the south of Thedas (specifically Ferelden)

a/n - hey guys. been a while. I graduated nursing school and started a job, so I've been a wee bit busy. but obviously, I gotta write. I missed y'all. like- a lot. I may do the other Inquisition romances if I feel like it or if it gets asked, but I needed to write this for my sake. I feel very strongly about how much/little some characters were mentioned lol. anyways, enjoy!

It’s nighttime when she returns. 

Cullen wasn’t sleeping, though that wasn’t necessarily by choice. Aside from seeing her, nothing about this trip was by choice.

He would’ve rather their children stay with his sister and would’ve much rather not have them tag along with Cullen to Tevinter of all places. But with Redcliffe and The Blight… he couldn’t leave them anywhere. Not while she was gone. What if something happened in his absence? He’d… Maker, he knew not what he’d do.

Cullen struggled to leave his siblings behind in Gwaren, but they had shooed both him and the children away.  He could only hope for their safety. 

Still, he held no affection for Tevinter or her people. The way the family was sneered at whenever one of them was to speak, whenever someone threw a glance over to them, it was obvious. The people of Tevinter knew what he and, more importantly, his children were. Then again, maybe it wasn’t the best move to bring the dogs… they were a dead giveaway.

“Wasn’t like I could leave them behind…” Cullen murmured, glancing around the dark room. He shook his head and exited the large bedroom before quietly strolling down the hall.

The house was rented by Dorian, when Cullen had arrived and promptly assumed he was in the wrong place, Dorian ushered him back.

“You don’t expect me to let you stay in some inn, do you?” The magister had scoffed

The only thing that calmed Cullen’s nerves was the mention that they’d be under constant supervision by Morrigan… somehow.

And speaking of Morrigan, Cullen passed by an empty room. Morrigan had popped by and suggested leaving an eluvian inside for easier access, something Cullen shut down immediately. He wasn’t letting some fade demon/spirit/creature come anywhere near his family.

Cullen passed by the bedrooms, peeking in through the cracks and seeing the familiar locks of hair peeking out from under the covers. The children were so excited to be in such a fancy house, after living in the countryside for so long, it was almost like a vacation for the children. Cullen smiled to himself, remembering how the children ran throughout the halls, chasing one another while Cullen followed behind with the dogs. If Tevinter wasn’t such a mess and didn’t hate his love so much, he wouldn’t mind coming up for a vacation occasionally.

Cullen slowly made his way back to the bedroom, his thoughts drifting to his wife. Maker, he missed her. So did the children. Everyone missed her. Her letters were wonderful, but they could never replace the thing they all wanted.

“Maker…” he sighed, leaning against a wall. He hadn’t heard any news, no whispers of death, but… what if…

CREEEEAAAAAK

Cullen shot up, suddenly not tired or worried. That was the front door, he was certain. He quickly went into the bedroom and grabbed his sword before walking back down the hallway, checking inside the rooms quietly, making sure his children were safe before moving down.

He heard the intruder's footsteps and finally thought he got them, jumping out from the corner with his blade pointed at their throat. He’d ask questions. Who sent them? Who knew they were there? Whatever else came to mind.

But his thoughts were all thrown away when he finally saw his prey. Those eyes, those lips, Maker that voice calling for him.

“My love…” he breathed, letting the sword drop down, “Why didn’t you…”

“I wanted to be quiet…” The Inquisitor whispered, watching her husband nearly drop his sword before enveloping her in a tight hug. How long had it been? Weeks? Months? Too long, that was certain. Ever since he had arrived in Minrathous, their communication had been brief, he wasn’t even able to learn of Varric’s passing through her, only through Dorian, who had passed by one day to bring sweets for the children and somber news to Cullen. That evening, it had been a difficult task to explain to the children why Uncle Varric wouldn’t be coming by next summer after all. So much death in so little time, The Blights, the dragons, and with his lifeline off in The North while his nightmares grew worse in The South, Cullen was even more stressed than he was during The Inquisition.

So lost in his thoughts, Cullen hadn’t even noticed the tears that had slipped down his cheeks, it was his wife who, after finally breaking away, wiped the tears with some whispered words of affection.

They stayed like that for a while, in a tight embrace, occasionally pulling away only to be brought back again. And even when they had pulled away completely, it was only so she could put her things down. “We should go to bed…” She hummed, “I think the children will sense us and-” She began, only to be cut off by the pitter-patter of feet and the crying out of The Inquisitor’s other, newer, title.

Over an hour later, after some tears and many kisses pressed to cheeks, noses, and foreheads, the happy family lay together in one bed. The children passed out quickly, leaving Cullen and his beloved again awake.

“We have a lot of work to do…” He whispers, “The South is-” He begins before feeling his wife’s finger on his lips.

“Tomorrow…” She says, “I only want you and *this*-” She gestures to the children sprawled out over the bed, “... tonight if that’s alright. Tomorrow, we’ll…” She yawns, and Cullen smiles.

“I know…” He says, draping an arm over his wife his youngest, who planted themselves in between the pair, “I love you…” He sighs happily. “I love you too.” She smiles and finally closes her eyes. Cullen realized that she was probably exhausted, as was Cullen. So, finally feeling at peace, Cullen closed his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

That night, Cullen slept dreamlessly, something he had missed almost as much as he missed her.

[mumms-the-word]

So I’ve played a bit more Veilguard and y’all

Y’ALL

Y’AAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL

Spoilers below the cut (which I may turn into a lore post later idk)

UM SOUTHERN THEDAS IS DYING?

I have everything spoiler tagged and hidden, idk if people are talking about this but EXCUSE ME??

MY WARDENS AND HAWKES ARE IN DANGER

Okay but like let’s think about this for real (I'm going off memory from replaying the "meet the inquisitor" scene like 3-4 times so forgive any missed details; also I disbanded the Inquisition in this game so idk if that has an effect yet)

Inquisitor and Morrigan said that the south is under siege from a legion, an army, a swarm of darkspawn the likes of which Thedas has never seen. Thanks Ghilan’nain for creating new horrors. That sounds bad but then it gets worse

Denerim, a city that has canonically withstood the Fifth Blight and was the showdown site for a battle against a darkspawn army and an archdemon, is lost. We lost the capital of Ferelden.

Everyone is fleeing to Redcliffe, which is decently defensible but not impenetrable. Redcliffe has already suffered waves of undead and (theoretically) a super dark pseudo-future full of demons and red Templars and such. It stood up pretty well against both, but it’s not great if it’s Ferelden’s last stand against the darkspawn.

What about the Hinterlands? Amaranthine? Gwaren? Inquisitor writes that Ostagar and the Korcari Wilds are seeing surges of darkspawn again--that's where the darkspawn poured forth during the Fifth Blight. That's not good!

Orzammar is helping, but I can’t imagine they’re not also suffering. Are the darkspawn flooding the Deep Roads? Orzammar can’t defend against them forever if it’s worse than we think. Are the Legion of the Dead overwhelmed?

Kirkwall has fallen. A city that has withstood, within the last 25 years, a refugee crisis from the Fifth Blight, a violent qunari invasion, the explosion of their Chantry and the ensuing mage-templar chaos that nearly brought the city to its knees, and the Breach, which opened up dozens of Fade rifts in the city that Varric was still dealing with after the Breach was actually closed. It's gone, it's unlivable, so much so that the Acting Viscount had to evacuate her city and her army to freaking Starkhaven, which is usually their mortal enemy (Prince Sebastian Vael tends to want to annex or control Kirkwall smh)

(Also Aveline is Acting Viscount? that makes sense and also I love that for her, but man what a time to be in charge)

Ostwick, the home city for Trevelyans, is threatened by the rogue Antaam, so I can only imagine that Wycome, where a surviving Clan Lavellan would be, is also threatened by the Antaam (Wycome is closer to Antiva and Rivain anyway). And the rest of the Free Marches is apparently experiencing "the worst" of the darkspawn threat. How many cities other than Kirkwall have fallen? Like Ferelden, what's happening in the spaces between?

In Orlais, the darkspawn have apparently cut a line directly through the country. Both Halamshiral and Val Royeaux are barely holding out, which is partly surprising and partly not. Halamshiral and Val Royeaux are luxurious cities, not defensible fortresses. That said, they have the benefit of the Orlesian monarchy's standing army and the Divine's templar (or templar-equivalent) army, so perhaps that's why they're both still standing.

But I imagine the Exalted Plains, the Dales, the desert landscapes of the Western Approach (which already had lingering darkspawn threats)....those must be suffering. Are the Dales themselves blights, the greenery dying? Is the newly-healing land of the Plains now facing death and destruction again?

I mean, yes, the threat of the gods in the north is also very bad but I am stuck on this idea of trying to figure out how our beloved characters from the last three games are dealing with this! This is their turf!

We know the Inquisitor is running around trying to help but what about everyone else? Like, can you imagine...

How is Alistair doing, facing a blight that has been described as "worse than any blight the world has ever seen"? Either he's a warden and he's sick of dealing with this, or he's the king and he's facing the total annihilation of his kingdom again, only this time the odds are infinitely worse. Is his Warden wife fighting alongside him, or is his Queen helping him keep everything together?

What about Zevran? Is he staying in Antiva, causing chaos among the Antaam who have taken over various cities there, or does his Warden romance convince him to go down south to try and help? And Leliana? if she's Divine, she's likely manning the chantry's armed forces, but if not, where is she operating? Is she with her lover, the Warden, or if she's alone, is she back in the game of fielding information to all the necessary forces who need them? She's not the Inquisition spymaster anymore, but that doesn't mean she's not active

Aveline is fleeing to Starkhaven, where Sebastian is, and Varric is with us in the lighthouse. Isabela is with the Lords of Fortune. What about the rest? Did Merrill flee with Aveline? Is Hawke with them? Or is Hawke with Anders, or Fenris, fighting wherever they need to be? (Assuming, of course, they're not left in the Fade). What about Bethany or Carver, if they're alive? If they're Wardens, surely they're in the thick of it, fighting darkspawn. If they're not, have they gone with Aveline to Starkhaven?

And our DAI friends. Cullen is in Ferelden--has he joined forces at Redcliffe, if he's not romancing the Inquisitor? Is his family okay? Dorian is in Minrathous, we can safely assume Josephine is in Antiva City. I can only assume Josephine is trying her best to keep Antiva City safe through her connections and influence, but how long until events there force her to leave too?

Cassandra is from Nevarra so she may be home, or she's Divine, or she's traveling. If she isn't with her romanced Inquisitor and she isn't the Divine, surely she's out there fighting. Against what? Venatori in Nevarra? Or will her allegiances to Orlais bring her down there to aid a Divine Leliana? Sera is still in Orlais too, presumably, as a Jenny that helps the Divine. Are they both facing the darkspawn threat?

If Blackwall is a Warden, is he even still alive? If he's not a Warden, I can imagine he's back in the Free Marches, fighting darkspawn until his dying breath. Iron Bull and his Chargers, too, if they're all alive from DAI. Whether he's in Orlais, Ferelden, the Free Marches, or passing near Tevinter to be with Dorian, he and his team must be constantly dealing with the blight and the gods acting crazy. Unless, of course, he or Blackwall are with the Inquisitor, fighting right there on the front lines.

Vivienne has probably rallied mages in whatever Circle she's established to help, but help how? Joining the forces of the Divine, or leading a campaign of her own? If Cole is human, is he finding little ways of helping, or has he been human so long that he's forgotten how? If he's a spirit, he's back beyond the Veil. Does the chaos in the south now draw him back? How can a spirit of Compassion, whether human or spirit, deal with what is happening all across Thedas?

I have so many thoughts. And I will probably write fic about it. It all just keeps churning in my head. I love it. It's horrifying. The game may have moved on very quickly from it but boy oh boy am I thinking about my Wardens and Hawkes and Inquisitors and going "What are you going to do?? The world is dying!!"

If I learn more I'll turn this into a lore post that isn't hidden by a cut, but for now I have some mural memories to live through (time to cry about Solas again) and then it's side quest city babyyyy so idk when I'll have an update again lol

if you made it this far, well done :') appreciate you

thank for joining me in this chaos!

[inquisimer]

2024 writing round up

bringing back this year-end writing review because I'm a stats nerd and it's always fun to be surprised by how much the time and effort and works add up over time! tagging forward (to some new people - you're always free to ignore or let me know if you don't want to be tagged in things <3) if you'd like to join in: @soupandsorcery | @brightaxe | @glitteringdust | @crabs-with-sticks | @dustdeepsea | and an open invitation to anyone who sees this and would like to do it - tag me so we can celebrate all we've done this year!

words posted: 160,320

additional words written: 46,038

grand total of words: 206,358

fandoms: dragon age. and dragon age. oh, and also dragon age 😂

highest kudos: to feel the sun from both sides at 166 - a missing "what are we even doing right now" scene from the Rook x Lucanis romance <3

highest hit oneshot: I pick my poison (and it's you) at 1515 - yeah, no surprises here, it's the porn 😂 Arlow and Lucanis fuck on the rooftops in Treviso and I pretend there's a plot by drawing a line between the purple lanterns and Spite's wings.

new things I tried: writing (and finishing) a smut piece! that's been on my want-to-do list for a while, so that feels good to accomplish. I also wrote and posted my first polyship works this year!

fic I spent the most time on: the very condition of existence, my fic for @thedragonagebigbang! Female Mahariel/Anora, a childhood friends to strangers to lovers AU where Mahariel & Anora meet as children in the forest outside Gwaren and are reunited years later during the Landsmeet.

fic I spent the least time on: this one is always hard for me to gauge, but probably either softness did not serve me or spit your blood and bare your teeth, two of the pieces I wrote about Nika Brosca's history with the Carta for Febuwhump (mind the tags)

favorite thing I wrote: of my completed works, knee deep without a plea - Lucanis' POV of the weeks Rook spends in the Fade prison! I am really proud of the details I worked into this one for Lucanis and Spite, and the emotions across all of the characters. Honorable mention to before you can kill the monster (you have to say its name) - my WIP rewrite of the end of Davrin's personal arc, incorporating more of the nuance from Isseya's character in Last Flight, and filling in the gaps between the end of the novel and where Veilguard picks up. I'm really proud of the first chapters, and of where my outline is going, but I don't think I can put it at the top of my favorites until it's fully realized

favorite thing(s) I read:

there is no god but they'll kill you for him by tenderest (@/tendertieflings) - f!Lavellan & Dorian, Solavellan, heart-wrenching and angsty "Dorian & Lavellan deal with everything that happened with Solavellan and the world post-Trespasser.

floriography by ritualist - Harding/Josephine, tooth-rotting fluff and humor that contrasts Harding's earnest nature with Josephine's poise, bringing them together in a very sweet way.

contact poison by hellsreluctantheir (@/nonagesimus) - Teia/Viago, yes it's smut but it is also an amazing exploration of their dynamic, and really digs into some of the issues laid out for Viago in Tevinter Nights.

Razorwing by unoshot - f!Rook/Lucanis, a character study of their relationship throughout Veilguard that really pops off with the emotion and the imagery.

hound dogs howlin' round the gate by mortonsspoon (@shivunin) - f!Tabris & f!Tabris, I'm admittedly biased af bc this was an OC gift for me BUT objectively it is such a heartfelt piece about Tabris cousins that will get you all up in your city elf feels 😭💜

writing goals for 2025: finish & publish the rest of before you can kill the monster (you have to say its name)! And if I'm really ambitious, finish my Mahariel cure-for-the-Calling fic, which was the first DA fic I ever conceptualized, but has languished as I work and rework her canon. But it's outlined and I would love to write and finish it!

new works: 65 (!!!)

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fandoms:

highest kudos:

highest hit oneshot:

new things I tried:

fic I spent the most time on:

fic I spent the least time on:

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[qunaricatnip]

Hiiiii it's me the person who reblogged your post about the Cousland x Loghain marriage (this is my main blog but 99% of my tumblr activity is through my side blog queenmelisende sorry for the confusion lol). Lets talk about Ferelden nobility. Their marriage would be an insanely good political alliance -- the two teyrnirs of Ferelden uniting? Cailan should be quaking in his boots. You said she would eat him alive??? I am desperate for more elaboration.

hi!! this is a sideblog too so no worries! but yeah cailan absolutely should be worried but the best part is, at least in my little au, he’s like…. 12 when all this is happening so all he really knows is that uncle loghain is leaving him (and anora) and it’s gonna be a while before they can see each other again :( it’s really maric that should be worried (and is) because he had to make a lot of concessions to the couslands for bryce and eleanor to be okay letting their baby girl go clean up maric’s mess (even if she really wanted it for spite reasons).

Tl;dr siobhan cousland was planning a coup from jump because she was raised to be queen and got told no and then maric dropped the perfect opportunity in her lap with a bow and his blessing, loghain was both collateral and a prize

siobhan in this au was born before the occupation technically ended and so her parents, still in the rebellion mindset of “ferelden first” was sort of groomed to believe that she’d one day be queen of ferelden because she’s the only noble girl within marrying age of cailan right up until anora is born and maric and/or rowan lose their minds. the couslands are Important, second to only the royal family and that shows in siobhan’s upbringing- she’s very politically minded, everything is duty/responsibility/optics with her and that’s something that (imo) would and should drive loghain crazy.

Politically on paper, her and loghain are an amazing match after celia dies right up until we remember that a) the couslands have already married their son and heir to a well known/regarded antivan trading family creating ties to a foreign, unallied country without the crowns express permission right after a war and b) loghain for all his accomplishments is not a man made for politics in any capacity that man is a Follower, he’s the type of person that need to be wholly devoted to a person/cause and c) uniting the only two surviving teyrnir’s is actually a recipe for disaster because oh my god why would you even think that maric that’s giving your subjects too much power and influence even with ferelden’s weird political structure

and siobhan knows this!! she knows that the people of gwaren don’t feel safe or supported by their teyrn and abandoned by their king and she’s also been personally slighted by the crown twice now!! so she graciously concedes to step in and throw the weight of her name around to build gwaren back up to the prominence it once had before the occupation gutted the city all while subtly reminding people that it was the couslands that actually care about the people of ferelden, its cousland gold bolstering the economy, its cousland trading partners bringing ships back into port without even saying anything because she’s a mac tir now after all that would just be gauche to rely on her maiden family name. its siobhan that runs the show and every single person in gwaren knows it, loghain is just insurance in the beginning (before whoops they’re actually in love your honor)

[morganaseren]

yeesss anora OUR beloved! looking forward to reading anything you write about her <3

Oh! I didn't think anyone would be interested in my WIPs for Anora! 👀

Admittedly, my two main ideas with her are just a handful of sentences at the moment. I don't have anything too concrete yet, but, hey, maybe you or one of my other readers might like them!

Queen Anora and the Royal Archmage

An alternative to Niamh's Origins ending.

I still don't know if I'll have Anora rule alone in this one or have Alistair there ruling alongside her as King. I'm tempted to go with the latter due to the potential hijinks involved with Niamh eternally trying to mediate things between those two. 😂

Plus, the castle gossip along with the political gossip abroad regarding the three of them is bound to be amusing!

That, and I've kinda taking a liking to Niamh also being formally recognized as the Mistress to the Queen of Ferelden. 😌 Isn't it just wild that someone can gain a title like that?? I've been foaming at the mouth about it ever since I saw a clip where Leliana was introduced as the Mistress to the Queen of Ferelden during the Inquisition ball in Halamshiral. 😍

Anyway, this will be another slowburn as two women---one the silent ruler behind the late King Cailan's many decisions and the other a mage the world never recognize as anyone of worth---tentatively bond over the terrible cards life has dealt them and grow stronger together as a result.

The Teyrn's Daughter and The Sea Warlord

Honestly, this one came about as part of a fever dream involving Niamh and a harem of all her favorite women, but we're not going to get into that today. 😅

Despite the latter half of the title, Niamh actually isn't a sea warlord. She actually has a similar role from one of her other AUs, where she's the Captain of her maternal family's fleet of research vessels. Her main occupation is the study and conservation of marine wildlife, but she unintentionally earned a reputation abroad when pirates and other unsavory individuals began challenging her on both the open seas and whenever she arrived to port anywhere. She's never lost a battle; thus, her infamy began to grow.

Is Niamh eternally tired of such notoriety? Yes. Is she still that quiet but lovable nerd who'd much rather keep to her research than be bothered by the growing number of people attempting to earn a name for themselves by challenging her? Also yes. Will her suffering end anytime soon? Most likely not! 🤣

Because Niamh is officially recognized as a noble in this AU, she and Anora were actually childhood friends in Fereldan's court, but her training and eventual role as Captain within the Mac Eanraig clan would slowly lead her to drift away.

Their reunion is entirely an unexpected surprise.

Although Anora's been betrothed to Cailan for years at this point, she realizes she's going to be very unhappy with him. Thus, she sneaks out one night with a small pack of unassuming clothes and just enough gold to start a new life as she makes her way down to the docks in Gwaren to board a ship.

Said ship gets attacked by pirates later on, and who should happen to be close enough to intercept the attack other than the notorious Captain Niamh? 😏

What ensues is a slowburn as Anora struggles with the idea that she's slowly falling in love all over again with her childhood best friend.

Meanwhile, the Teyrn of Gwaren and Prince Cailan put a bounty on Niamh's head because they both believe she kidnapped Anora.

So, yeah, fun all around! 😂 Also, I'm sorry the writing content on my blog and my AO3 has been lacking as of late, but hopefully these ideas might interest some of you?

[fenrisdefender]

my HC for how Malcolm dies is completely different than the canon story we get. my HC is below, if you're curious to read it.

First of all, I never liked that Leandra's death was a random serial killer who had nothing to do with the rest of the story. Instead, my HC has an ongoing connection to the blood cult of Corypheus, which we know would have been in pursuit of Malcolm himself, as well as his offspring, for their blood.

When Marian Hawke was a child, she was as rambunctious as ever and even then too much for Leandra to handle alone. For income though, Malcolm traveled around South Ferelden as a healer, and was sometimes away for periods of time. Leandra herself was an herbalist and potions maker and Malcolm also sold her concoctions.

(That is how the two of them met and fell in love in my HC: Leandra was learning her craft - much to the chagrin of her parents, but she wanted something of a skill that went beyond boring nobility - and subsequently was paired up to work with Malcolm. And so it goes, they fell in love.)

So, it follows that when they arrive in Ferelden with nothing but what is on their backs (and in Leandra's belly), they choose to put their skills to use. In my HC, South Ferelden is more tolerant of an apostate if they provide community and services, since the Chantry seems to neglect the people there. They protect the Hawkes in exchange for healing and medicines that Malcolm and Leandra provide.

But as Malcolm travels around the countryside a couple of times a year, Leandra finds that Marian is too restless and rebellious to watch after while attending to the twins. As a result, Malcolm offers to bring Marian along with him to the other cities, towns, and villages across South Ferelden while teaching her about magic and the world.

While traveling, they end up trapped in Gwaren in a terrible snowstorm. It keeps them sheltered in the city for a time where Marian meets a curious older man who eventually reveals himself to be a mage. During the month or so they are snowed in in Gwaren, Marian Hawke becomes friends with this man - a fellow apostate such as herself.

His name is Quentin, and he seems kind to her.

Now, with a name like that I'm sure you can imagine that he is not, in fact, truly kind.

Hawke is subsequently kidnapped by Quentin, who has a faction of mages (including his wife) obsessed with a mysterious figure communicating to them from beyond the Veil. The voice told them to find the blood of a "Hawke." Figuring a child is easier to kidnap than a fully grown adult, they took Marian.

Malcolm, as any father would do, desperately searches to find Marian, of which he is eventually successful. However, in the process of trying to save his daughter from a cult of blood mages, he dies tragically. In his last moments he says goodbye to his eldest daughter, and tells her to run as fast as she can to safety.

Hawke, being a grieving child and bearing the immense burden of survivor's guilt, convinces herself that she cannot face her mother and siblings. She believes her father's death is her fault and runs away in the opposite direction from Lothering - back to Gwaren.

At this point, she is under the impression that the blood mages all died. Quentin, of course, survived and later turns up in Kirkwall for his revenge and rematch with a fully grown Marian. And so, that is the motivation behind Quentin's kidnapping and murder of Leandra. This all also ties nicely into the DLC Legacy plot.

Hawke stays a runaway on the streets of Gwaren for nearly three years, adopted by a mercenary group that teaches her what she knows later in Kirkwall (because it wouldn't come out of nowhere, would it?). When she finally goes home to Lothering, her family - Leandra, Bethany, and Carver - all think Hawke has been dead the whole time.

In my HC, the bitterness and resentment Leandra and Carver carry toward Hawke comes largely from her running away and "abandoning" her family after the death of Malcolm.

And thus starts the story of my version of Marian Hawke!

Hope you enjoyed my version of the story (is enjoyed the right word in a story of tragedy?).

[kiivg]

ok this is research anon. might i ask you(if you are thinking of rewriting. Which I hope you do but not pressure obv):

1. will moira's sword come into play? if alistair knows that it was gaspard that returned the Rebel Queen's sword perhaps they might use it as a symbol to pacify the nobles?

2. in the end do you think gaspard's gambit for the throne could succeed?

3. how do events of inquisition influence what is happening? sorry if i missed something but this is happening after it yeah?

4. YOUR WARDEN. I AM CURIOUS. PLEASE TELL.

.Reaearch Anon I do love you for this 💕 I’m very tempted to write something because it’s like…. Nobody else is going to lbh….. 😔.

.OH this is a bit long, have a read more 💋.

.1. I didn’t know that happened tbh, where is this info???? I love this?? Gaspard my Liege, my Lord, my Emperor, this is absolutely bang on in character for him 😩🙏✨. I’m gonna be completely honest I read half of the books and they kind of suck so I probably missed a lot…. Unless it’s in the GAME???? (I do need this info, I will use this, the sword imagery girl!! It’s phallic!! It’s a knight in shining armour!! It’s giving a sword to a King!! It’s giving!!)

.2. THAT would be a spoiler now wouldn’t it ;) but I also think he wouldn’t want to rule Ferelden, but I also think he could actually become a good King, I mean he’s been practicing for it his entire life, he was born to be an Emperor after all, and also he hates the Grand Game, he’s not going to be frippery and nonsensical with politics and stuff, but also he is a warmonger so…. I mean, is he? He fights off a Nevarran army single-handedly by duelling and destroying their King? Commander? Saving all his men from a war by being hot shit lbh. Idk I can’t remember exactly. He’d be a great King, I love him, I make the rules ✨🤷‍♂️✨.

.On a side note I 100% think he could take over a country easily, which makes me wonder if he even wanted Orlais as it was, with the Grand Game and the nobles who he’d never respect. Oohhhh. That’s smth.

.3. I think uhh I would have to insert a new Inquisitor because Goddard makes Gaspard Emperor and Celene and Briala are both killed off…. But it was set after Inquisition, so I do imagine it would be anywhere between a few months to a few years after. But, in this world state, I could just say the Inquisitor left for whatever reason (idk chasing Solas or something) and Gaspard most likely despises them for allowing Celene to remain as Empress and for killing his sister Florianne, BUT he probably respects them because the Inquisitor did save the world, and his cousin, and give his sister a valiant death in battle? Or does she just get arrested, if she was arrested I imagine he doesn’t respect the Inquisitor at all for that. At least she’s alive? But then again… hmmmmmm…. Smth to think about.

.If anything it’ll be a background thing, OR insanely I could set it post WEWH and pre-Ending? The inquisition could still be happening… OH the humiliation, not only did Gaspard fail to get the Orlesian throne but he’s been exiled for his association with Florianne, they can’t trust him at all! Oh! OH! Delicious, yes, delicious 👹.

.4. My Warden is Andrastopher Cousland, there is a lot about him floating around on my blog I’m sure. He’s 8’ 1” or 8’ 3” and is an absolute unflinching bastard. Marries Zevran, becomes the Teryn of Gwaren, the Arl of Amaranthine, the Warden Commander of Ferelden, and advisor to the King (he does sub out his work but he will also stomp right back in and take charge at any moment (v annoying)). He also re-titles himself as The Silverlite Warden as a way to split his faction of Wardens away from the Wardens in the north (because wtf are you doing Jowin?) and that is why none of them travel north to help out in Veilguard.

.He absolutely hunts down every Howe who still lives, butchering them and whatnot, spends a lot of his free time painting (mostly naked men and landscapes), he learns the Qun, he has slept with both Hawke and Rook. He steals from nobles because it’s fun and they can’t do anything about it, he fills the Warden ranks with criminals, he fills his home with mercenaries, he lets people try to kill him once, and he thinks the only thing he’s bad at is dying.

.ALSO!!! I do want to say my original plan for him was the go through his calling (with Lei Mi’Durgen’s help) and becomes a ghoul in the Deep Roads who keeps his mind and like helps Wardens pass through safely or something idk…. Veilguard just did that, they made that canon for me, so like 🤷‍♂️ good prediction on my part tbh.

.But if I’m going to make a non-canon Inquisitor, might as well have a non-canon Warden 😔🙏. RIP Andrastopher I do love you but you would just fight with Gaspard or take over the throne yourself, not a good match and I am stopping this train of thought before I end up shipping HoF/Gaspard because that’s insane, that’s insane, no.

[mythalsknickers]

Meet My Warden Inquisitor;

~The Light in the Shadow

The Hero of Feralden was as bastard born to the noble house Amell on [Date here]. While not a lowborn bastard, being the bastard of two houses, one of which held magic was seen as a stain by her grandfather. Before House Trevelyn knew of her magic, her grandfather sold her to a Tevinter cousin who was working to gain passage back to Minrathous. However his attempts proved pointless once they reached Fereldan because Drysi managed to escape a ritual he had planned finding her Uncle Malcom and a group of templars who escorted her to Kinloch Hold Once at Kinloch Hold prior to her harrowing at seventeen she was placed under the eye of a budding templar, Cullen Rutherford. As he rose through the ranks she became a promising Spirit Healer often working with a spirit of compassion. Over the years they had grown close and when it came time for her Harrowing, the Knight Commander and her First Enchanter selected her long time protector as her would be executioner. What she met in the fade she does not entirely remember but she does know she withstood it and came out of the fade. According to rumor the excess of Lyrium had triggered a sensitivity in her and she had passed out. A Grey Warden visiting the tower with news of an impending blight would be all it took for her life to upend. Her first task as a junior enchanter saw her expelled from the tower and scooped up by the Warden in question. Only with a pendant and staff to remind her of the only home she had know for years, she went to Ostagar. Waking to find herself one of two grey wardens left in the whole of Feralden with a blight raging, was terrifying and to suddenly be thrust into command and grappled with the reality of her circle falling, loosing the only person she loved due to refusal to harm apprentices, and the ultimate sacrifice of a hero. Over the course of the blight Amell fell into the arms of an antivan crow she ultimately let slip her embrace to go hunt his own demons. It was not until the slaying of Urthemiel that she fell into the arms of an unexpected ally, the disgraced Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir, he became her second in command and faced down the disciplinary action Wiesshaupt handed both of them, with his daughter on the throne and his son doing honestly who knew what. He took over Amranthine for Drysi, giving her the freedom to return to the Circle. This time in Ostiwick. She would not emerge again until rumors reached Denerim's royal court of a Grey Warden mage meeting with the Divine and Knight Divine Trevelyan in Gwaren. However these quickly proved to be nothing but rumor. During the conclave a mage from the Trevelyan family recovered Coreypheus' orb and became the Herald of Andraste. At the fall of Haven it became apparent to Cullen Rutherford who she was with a singular phylactry bearing a grey warden seal. The former Herald of Andraste stood against the fifth blight with a small group of people, and she stood against the world tearing asunder, and then she would stand against the Blight to end all Blights. My words caused those scars...do not belittle the harm I did Weisshaupt has failed us, and I will not see it fail another warden I leave you two alone...you get married in Orlais and come back with ...five Mabari?

Inspiration for this post comes from @eurodyne-d post they did for their Rook, Valentin Mercar. If you'd like to see more of what I have done, please see my Meet My Rook , Meet My Inquisitor, and Meet My Hawke. Drysi is not my canon warden, but her AU is very special to me as she was my first complete playthrough of Origins. Her works can be found under Songs Like Lyrium and Herald of the Grey AU tag or the Drysi Amell Trevelyan tag. She is in a polyamorous trio with Loghain Mac Tir and Cullen Rutherford. If you have any questions please feel free to ask

[niriaveil]

in reverse to nirinne's thoughts on alistair possibly being king, i want to delve into jessamine's thought process as well since she did romance alistair

so in jessamine playthroughs, she always hardens alistair. it's a by-product of what happened at highever and how she processes all the trauma that she went through by watching everyone be killed - she very much embodies the selfish attitude of only looking out for yourself, by scrutinizing every act of mercy or friendship, by always being paranoid that someone will always be out to get her. (haha ruthlessness is mercy upon ourself haha thanks jorge)

(jessamine does not typically harden leliana though, but that's mainly because by the time marjolaine comes into the picture - it's near the time of the landsmeet which means that jessamine's anger has simmered. does marjolaine die? oh, of course. but jessamine convinces leliana that she's still capable of being good, of doing what she wanted as a sister, to follow in the maker - she isn't a killer, not unless she wants to be.)

it's very interesting because jessamine has a strict sense of duty regarding ferelden and her parent's final wish: while vengeance is of course her main goal with howe, by extension her vengeance has extended to loghain who stole duncan away from alistair and herself, which means now that the fate of the grey wardens and ferelden now also fall into her sense of duty. with only highever and gwaren being the only teyrnir's left in ferelden - cousland and mac tir - jessamine starts her plot to ensure that ferelden falls into cousland hands because she won't let loghain "win". she also won't let eamon or teagan win because she has very little respect for eamon, while she does respect teagan she believes he has no sense of political sense as much as she does.

(do you see why her cardinal sin is pride?)

so: the landsmeet. as a cousland, she knows that she still has enough power in her name with influence. she's the one who actually convinces alistair that stepping in as king might be the best option because while anora is responsible, respected, and a good person - she is still a mac tir. she will never let loghain be punished, which means that the betrayal at ostagar and the vengeance they both demand will never be fulfilled. is it manipulative? oh, absolutely. i don't think jessamine sees it herself as a manipulation tactic, but i know it absolutely is.

so, alistair is brought forth as a candidate for the crown - he has eamon and a cousland backing him. but jessamine and alistair have been together for a few months now which is why jessamine puts forth that she'll be his queen, or his advisor, or whatever he wants her to be - because one, it solidifies the cousland legacy, it solidifies her place and safety, and because she has enough faith in her importance to alistair that he'll say yes.

which he does. he also does a proper marriage proposal because he also loves her and the only time she's mentioned marriage, or a future, or anything at all is when they're in private and she's open about wanting such a thing. (the want of their shared future is why alistair also easily agrees to the dark ritual, because he wants jessamine and him to have something after all this.)

while i do think post-awakening, jessamine has definitely dealt with a great deal of her lingering trauma regarding highever, howe, and the blight - there is a great sense of guilt in knowing that she manipulated her way into power and treated her beloved like that. it's equal part guilt because she knows what she did, but also relief because she did what she felt like she had to. and feeling good about that is what makes it worse.

[gwah--ren]

gwaren heals elethea, elethea heals gwaren. they are one and the same. elethea is as "ruined" as gwaren is directly following the blight, and they are both rebuilt at the same time and so her identity becomes irrevocably linked with the city. i am she, she is me.

[musicismymoirail]

Ohhh fellow dragon age player???

Tell me more about your protags 👀👀👀

Oh, yes! :D It feels like I've been playing it forever at this point. But, okay! I do have sideblog for my da bullshit here but I haven't chatted about my protags in ages, so let's go! Apologies for the length ahead of time. ^^;;;

The Wardens: Left to Right.

Suibhne Tabris, the pragmatic & polite rogue whose always up to teach folks the old alienage proverb of 'no child of Adaia Tabris makes empty threats'. Push him if you dare. He's my technically canon warden and the leader of Origins ragtag group. Mainly because he's very stoic and chill. Mhm. He was left at the Chantry as an infant before the Tabris family adopted him. He loves his family dearly, and took Adaia's death very hard. Like he didn't speak for years after and people feel like he ended up as very muted version of his chaotic child self. But grief can change you, and that's okay. He romances Zevran (utterly smitten~), Morrigan is basically his sister, is the one that does the Dark Ritual, and he'd love to meet his son but respects Morrigan's wishes to keep away. He's just a chill sweetheart who will murder a whole castle of nobles to save his loved ones~. I love him. c: <3

Nari Aeducan, the iconoclastic & favored former princess of House Aeducan. Oh, Bhelen. You can keep the throne but you will never feel safe within the walls of Orzammar again. <3 Nari is... my newest Warden, and not super fleshed yet. She lost her eye in her childhood during a training match, and asked Daddy Dearest to get her a lyrium prosthetic eye. Because it neat. In my canon, she misses out on meeting Duncan and gets to roam around the Deep Roads until the Origins group finally stumbles over her like two months later? She's a survivor~~~ She also enjoys sweetly terrorizing her baby back-stabbing brother. <3 No idea who she'd romance, honestly? Probably no one. Her mind is just set on causing chaos in Orzammar. Bless her.

Raniel Surana, the tempestuous and diligent mage that lasted like four days outside of the circle before she turned to blood magic. To be fair, she was dying at the time & Mouse is cool. Raniel was my very first Warden~~~ Sooo. Her and Tabris both met Duncan before going to Ostagar, and she's both enthralled and terrified and so bitter at Jowan, so she's just bouncing in every direction. During the first fight, the orge atop the Tower bites off her arm and Rani, not wanting to die with her new friends, asks Mouse for help. She's Super Bitter and Pissed for most of the story, as losing your home and arm will do to someone. No one really questions the weird white mouse that travels on her shoulder. But Leliana and the others sloooooooowly bring back her old romantic self. Stories and stars do the soul so much good. She ends up as the Teryna of Gwaren, is a happy little blood mage and since Leliana is my canon Divine, is basically married to the highest religious figure in Southern Thedas. Go Raniel~~~~

I never got as attached to my Hawke as my Wardens or Inquisitor (weird as DA2 is my favorite game so far), buuuuuuut this is my current one.

Revelry Hawke, the stepford-smiling put-upon third parent of the Highly Dysfunctional Hawke family. All they wanted in life was to keep their family together and safe, and they Failed! Constantly! Carver died in Lothering! Bethany died in the Deep Roads! Leandra died in Kirkwall! And Revelry blames themself fully. :'D They're technically a rouge, but personal headcanon is they have magic too but just for Entropy spells and this goes unnoticed by all until the Arishok stabs them in Act Two. Losing one's family does have a way of letting you let go of a lot of things, does it~~? Forever sides with the mages, I do imagine they got offered the Viscountship post-game (because it's dumb that's Templar-locked) but Revelry stepped down after like five days. They're known as the Five-Day Viscount now. And they, idk, probably ended up in a polycule with everyone accidently. That seems like a very Revelry thing to do. o:

Do I have a favorite protag of the lot? Yes, it's Mir. :D

Mir'uvenan Ruoho Lavellan, aka Mir, aka Miracles, my beloved and endlessly chaotic Inquisitor. Left his clan because of his toxic and deeply codependent relationship with his twin brother, Mir is basically a shattered mosaic of trauma, impulse and passion. He doesn't know why he's here, he wants to burn the Chantry to the ground and steal its foundation to boot, and people are! Praising him?!? Him? Why! Whhhhhhhy!?! He's not a leader! TToTT!! Except, that's all the gaslighting talking. Mir is stupidly clever and intelligent, endlessly caring and absolutely has no issues telling off Ancient Tevinter Gods and their Fake Archdemons. He lost all his fucks when he got the Anchor, so fuck it. He'll do his best because he's kinda stuck here anyways. TT____TT

(And Bull's like 'this is why you're the Inquisitor, Kadan~~')

Mir's an absolute little nerd who adores mixing his own alchemical concoctions because smashing highly volatile flasks against his skin is just Heaven~~~ He ends up losing his hearing Quite A Bit because of all the explosions, but whatcha gonna do~? Dagna and Rocky teached him Dwarven Sign Language to help. He likes hanging around Dagna to learn magic in the non-magic way too because It's Fascinating! o: <333

Mhm. Romances Bull but it's pretty open. Sera is his BFF, and Dorian a close second. Never gets comfortable being the Herald or the Inquisitor, doubly so after the Jaws of Hakkon, triply so after Trespasser. He disbands it, and is happier for it just being a Red Jenny with Sera and just finally enjoying life at long last with a good support system of friends and connections. I always play the game as Mir slowly working through his miserable self-worth and healing through all the trauma his brother put him through, so I like him ending the game having more neutral-positive outlook. He is actually Not The Worst, and ain't that nice? c:

(He's still gonna punch Solas in the face if they meet again tho. Because friends don't let friends destroy worlds, and he already proved people are just as worthwhile now as long ago.)

And if anyone actually read through all of that, thank you and bless you for reading about my silly little protags I've put Far Too Much Thought into over the years! ;;v;; <3

Also, enjoy a silly comic of Mir buying 57 hand puppets. <3

[dreadfutures]

Accepting Dragon Age Prompts

You can send me prompts any time. They do not need to be from a list! They can just be any idea you have for my characters, or canon characters. I can't promise I will get to your prompt promptly (or at all).

Please copy + paste the whole prompt WITH A CHARACTER OR PAIRING SPECIFIED.

DA Drunk Writing Circle

‼️Please copy + paste the whole prompt ‼️WITH A CHARACTER OR PAIRING SPECIFIED.‼️

Prompt Lists

You can find all prompt lists here, or find some lists below. I will always take freeform idea prompts for any of my characters and ships. I also love characters from Tevinter Nights, The Last Court, and the Dragon Age Comics!

Prompts I like ATM:

Serault Prompts for Anyone

Aberdeen Gothic Prompts for Anyone

Dialogue for the Damaged

Dialogue from the Hero

Prompts from The Fall 2006

Prompts from the Scarlet Pimpernel 1982

Nonsexual Intimacy Prompts for Anyone

Prompts from Circe for Anyone

Lord Huron Prompts for Anyone

Short & Angsty Prompts for Anyone

50 Types of Kisses

Prompts for the Budding Romance

Prompts from Midnight Mass for Anyone

Prompts As Said by Dorian Pavus

Prompts As Said by Cassandra Pentaghast

Prompts All About the Yearning

Kubo and the Two Strings Prompts for Anyone

Prompt Me for a Character Codex Entry

Soft and Sweet Romantic Prompts

Ships and Characters I like ATM:

Ixchel Lavellan/Solas

Ixchel Lavellan (DA4) & Solas

Terinelan Lavellan (DA4) & Solas

Terinelan Lavellan & Ixchel Lavellan

Solas/Felassan

Felassan & Ixchel Lavellan

Morrigan

Kieran (child)

Kieran (DA4)

Morrigan & Kieran

Morrigan & Ixchel Lavellan

Morrigan/Halevune Mahariel

OC & OC :)

My Characters & Ships

Inquisitor Ixchel Lavellan

AKA: The Brave Guide, Champion of the People, and Inquisitor God-Song Main Relationships: ▸ Solas (Romantic) ▸ Formerly-Tranquil Felassan (UST) ▸ Halevune Mahariel (Fallen Hero/Tarnished Idol) ▸ Terinelan Lavellan (Sibling Energy) ▸ Any NPCs/OCs (Platonic) AU Relationships ▸ Sebastian Vael (Romantic) ▸ Dirthamen (Romantic AU) ▸ Kieran (Romantic/Chaste young!AU) More information about Ixchel below.

Warden-Commander Halevune Mahariel

AKA: Teyrn of Gwaren, Arl of Amaranthine, Hero of Ferelden, and The Windy Marcher Relationships: ▸ Morrigan (Romantic) ▸ Kieran (Son) ▸ Zevran Arainai (Mentor) ▸ Ixchel Lavellan (Mentee) ▸ Merrill (Sibling)

Terinelan Lavellan

AKA: First of Clan Lavellan Relationships: ▸ Ixchel Lavellan (Little Sister & Friend) ▸ Istimaethoriel Lavellan (NB Parent) ▸ Other Dalish OCs (platonic or romantic)

Spirit of Glory

AKA: The Shattered Main Relationships: ▸ Ixchel Lavellan (Mentee) ▸ Solas (Contemptuous) ▸ Felassan (Wary Ally) ▸ Shadows of the Evanuris (Enemies) Relationships: ▸ Andruil (Lord, Owner) ▸ Pride (Rival, Enemy) ▸ Ixchel (Prey, Enemy) ▸ Ghilan'nain (Lover, Enemy)

Inquisitor Ixchel Mahariel of Amaranthine

AKA: Foundling, Vigil's Daughter, Young Inquisitor Relationships: ▸ Halevune Mahariel (Adopted Father) ▸ Kieran (Adopted Little Brother) ▸ Morrigan (Adopted Mother) ▸ Zevran Arainai (Protective Uncle) ▸ Leliana (Close Confidant) ▸ Velanna (Tutor, Aunt) ▸ Nathaniel (Tutor, Protective Uncle) ▸ Alistair Theirin (Disliked in a Teenage Way) ▸ Lace Harding (Big Sister) ▸ Other advisors & NPCs

Other Relationships I Write

Feel free to suggest others! ▸ Solas & Formerly Tranquil Felassan ▸ Solas / Felassan (Elvhenan AU) ▸ Solas & Merrill ▸ Solas & Dirthamen ▸ Solas & Dorian ▸ Solas & Cillian ▸ Solas & Lace Harding (Shadows in the Sun AU) ▸ Solas/Cassandra (Shadows in the Sun AU) ▸ Formerly Tranquil Felassan & Cole ▸ Felassan & Briala ▸ Cillian & Merrill ▸ Suggest some!

More on my OCs and AUs

OCs

Ixchel Lavellan

👉 TLDR: all of her story, summarized F | Bisexual | 16 (young timeline) or 27 (DPDF) years old | 2-Handed Champion | Inspiration for Elven Rebellions | Pro-Labor Unions | No-Nonsense | Depressed and Burnt Out (young timeline), Learning to Be Hopeful and Optimistic (DPDF) | Mixed race & Mexican coded | Vallaslin to Dirthamen (DPDF)

Halevune Mahariel

M | Heterosexual | 28 | Assassin & Legionairre | Secretly a Vigilante Protecting Alienages | Exhausted with Politics & Broken Promises | Wife Guy | Grumpy Asshole with a Heart of Gold | Secretly a Softy | Face Cast: Cillian Murphy | Activist Burn Out Embodied | Vallaslin to Falon'Din

Terinelan Lavellan

M | Gay | 18 | Keeper Magic | First of his Clan | Pacificst | Good Cook | Endlessly Kind | Endlessly Optimistic | Wants City Elves and Dalish to Cooperate | Accepts the Truth about the Creators | Still Keeps his Vallaslin | Vallaslin to Sylaise

AUs

Shadows in the Sun AU

My official DA4 world state! A Fereldan feral child stumbles across the Hero, Halevune Mahariel, and he helps her find her name: Ixchel. Clan Lavellan takes her in, and she volunteers to attend the Conclave as a spy for her clan. At only 16 years old, she becomes the Herald and then the Inquisitor. She is pulled in many directions by her advisors and companions and generally has a really fucked up world state. By the time Corypheus is defeated, Ixchel comes to think of the Inquisition as her family—a family that no longer needs an Inquisitor. With her clan massacred, Ixchel has no purpose and no place in the world. She attends the Exalted Council in the midst of a deep depression made worse by the Anchor’s destabilization and the tension of politics surrounding the Inquisition. Solas’s revelation—and his refusal to let her join him—drives her nearly to the edge of her sanity, and she never fully recovers. She spends a few years trying to thwart his plans or come up with an alternative, but she views it as a hopeless cause, and she leads a lonely existence in an empty Skyhold. In my Bloodied and Broken world state, she dies at this point. But in my DA4 world state, Kieran comes to her and pleads for her to help him find his mother, who bears the Well of Sorrows and has gone missing. Ixchel, now 26 or so, sets off with Kieran, now 21, to find the very farthest edge of Thedas—and what lies beyond it. (Assuming the Inquisitor does not make an appearance in DA4.)

Bloodied and Broken AU

As the world ends, Ixchel is resurrected under mysterious circumstances and is sent back in time to the Conclave. Ixchel is furious, convinced of her own futility, and yet she cannot give up again. These are the stories of how she gets better. Ixchel manages to sway Solas from the din'an'shiral and they continue their lives together. Canon-divergent after Here lies the Abyss. At the moment we're concerned with investigating the source of the Blight & cures, and figuring out how to deal with the (locked away for the moment) Evanuris, while racial tension between elves and humans in the south boils over.

One Wild & Precious Life AU

In an AU of the future of the Bloodied & Broken world state, Solas and Ixchel defeat the Evanuris, but the effort causes Solas to go into uthenera for perhaps hundreds of years. His last words to Ixchel are "live well." Ixchel goes to live in Kirkwall and becomes involved in politics of the Free Marches. Sebastian, Prince of Starkhaven and a widowed father of two, falls in love with her. Very chivalric and romantic.

Elvhenan AU | Arlathan AU

A resurrected Ixchel gets sent back not to the Conclave but to Elvhenan, with a fragmented memory. Dirthamen takes her in for interrogation/study, since she wears his vallaslin. As they learn about each other, they fall in love, and they both learn the extent of his family's evils. Ixchel becomes the Champion of Fen'Harel in order to be of a proper rank to court Dirthamen. Together, they help thwart the Evanuris and their tyranny. One of Mythal's former generals, Glory, was "gifted" to Andruil and has been turned into a demon as her main instrument of violence against Dirthamen, Solas, and Ixchel. Solas's closest lieutenant (and lover) is Hope (aka Felassan)

Blood Sealed Belief

Normally Ixchel meets the Hero of Ferelden in the wilderness, he tells her a pretty word and she decides that’s her name now–and then she runs away. She gets adopted by Clan Lavellan after a series of stowaways and other events, and then she goes to the Conclave. But what if Halevune Mahariel had adopted her that day? She'd be a whole different person. Mostly this AU is in its infancy but it's fun to explore how she'd be different.

[laurelsofhighever]

Fandom: Dragon Age (pre-Origins) Characters/pairings: Maric x OC Chapter: 6/8 Rating: T Chapter CW: pregnancy Fic summary:

Hoping to cool off his charged relationship with Queen Rowan, Maric Theirin has taken his son Cailan to Redcliffe under the guise of a royal progress to acquaint the prince with his future kingdom. When word comes from Denerim that the queen has fallen ill and that tensions are running high thanks to an impending Orlesian embassy, the pleasant trip loses its charm, and bad quickly turns to worse. The only comfort in this sea of madness comes in the form of Gwawr, a Chasind healer working in the castle kitchens. Well aware of his duties and determined not to take advantage, there is nevertheless something beguiling about her, and as their time together wears on, Maric finds himself facing a choice that could have dire consequences for himself, his family, and the kingdom he has struggled for so long to build. Or, how Maric met and fell in love with Alistair’s mother.

14th Guardian

My lord Arl Eamon,

Allow me to overlook the usual formalities. I regret not having a chance to speak with you before I left Denerim, but the importance of my words here cannot be understated. Perhaps it has already come to your attention that His Majesty, King Maric, has found regard in one of your servants: the herbalist who attended Prince Cailan in his illness during the summer. Perhaps what you do not know is the extent to which she has taken this fondness and enjoined the king to serve herself. I would go so far as to say she has acted in a manner not unheard of in these Chasind witches, and charmed him out of good sense.

It is not my desire to gossip about His Majesty’s affairs, but perhaps my lord has already seen the signs of warning in their conduct. This ill-advised infatuation has the potential to cause great damage to Ferelden, and to the state of Queen Rowan’s delicate health. It is my fear that, if she should learn of the affair, it will cause her great suffering not only in the anguish caused by knowledge of it, but also in the secondary effect of hastening the progress of her illness. I write to implore your aid in this matter, for your sister’s sake and for the good of the Ferelden she worked so hard to see freed. His Majesty must see sense before this woman turns his head completely to her whims.

I await your response and stand ready to heed my lord’s advice.

Faithfully,

Loghain Mac Tir, Teyrn of Gwaren

Read the rest on AO3!

[highaver]

@highevar asked: "Don't you think, after all this time and everything I've ever done, that I am owed this one?"

It was this selfish thing driving him. Some awful creature that had lodged itself in his chest since... everything, since that day, across the year they had spent dragging themselves through the very worst that life could ever have to offer. After all this time, after everything they had done - who were they, now, if they weren't together?

It was such an unkind part of himself that he didn't know to face it. An instinct that he did not know how to make peace with. Elethea deserved whatever her heart desired and he knew that, stood there, by the desk in his study, pinching the bridge of his nose between forefinger and thumb. She deserved to marry for love, to rebuild her life in Gwaren, to be happy. But what did that leave him with? The hand that he had dealt himself, that he had clawed for so desperately in those last days of the Blight. An empty life but one of power. His friends and family all gone, spread across the world while he sat and rotted in their absence.

He did not know how to live in this world without Elethea anymore. If he admitted as much to her, then she would hate him. If he admitted as much to himself...

"You cannot marry a Theirin!" An easy scapegoat. Balfour had always hated the man - and the politicking, the talk of kings, that had dominated the time around the Landsmeet had put ideas in the heads of many a noble. "Anora and I are barely recognised as Queen and Prince - and you wish to give our enemies a Theirin they might conspire to sit upon the throne?"

There was something on his face that was deeply unconvinced by his own words. As if he knew how wrong it was to say at all. As if he knew how little use it would be in keeping Elethea from the isolation of Gwaren. But they might be bound again in their misery, the two of them, if she had nothing else. It felt so obvious. So basic.

"You are - We are both owed more than this country can ever repay. But this is foolish." The cruelty of it gnawed at his throat. Stop. He would never see her again. Stop, stop. The Blight was over. He was not meant to be so afraid. The panic was almost overwhelming. He could not stop the words. "Anora will never permit it."