#i posted so much about harding and emmrich but i just want to put out there that i am also absolutely in love with davrin!!!!

[a-whiff-of-a-dream]

Hot and bothered

[thevulturesquadron]

I see people making a big thing out of the ‘companions are not even asking Rook how they are doing, it’s just Solas when he is being manipulative’ twitter post.

And you know what? I stand by that one. While companions are always concerned about Rook’s well-being, there is something deliciously heavy in the vulnerability and risk attached to the fact that Solas IS the one asking directly and receiving a direct answer back.

The companions show time and again how much they care (they are even ready to pierce the Veil for Rook), but there is a heaviness in avoiding the direct approach throughout most of the game. They show care and concern by sharing with Rook who they are, by making Rook a part of their personal lives, by allowing Rook into what makes them happy: Neve shares her favourite spot in Dock Town, allows Rook to be part of the one habit that clears her mind. Lucanis takes Rook to the one place in Treviso that offers him peace and makes him reconnect with his own life, he takes Rook for a stroll in the Market as an insider, not a passerby, in hopes that what relaxes him can work for Rook too. Emmrich shows Rook the beauty of the Memorial Gardens. Davrin, repeatedly, takes Rook out for a breath of fresh air, much needed when they are drowning in impossible odds. Bellara allows Rook to mess around with the Archive, the one thing that keeps her focused when she’s navigating through her emotions. Harding spends time with Rook outside the Lighthouse. Taash takes Rook out for drinks and into their home. They all offer Rook numerous opportunities to unwind and to open up if they need to. But none ask the question directly because Rook is what keeps them together, so the answer to that question can’t be anything but ‘I am fine, we got this.’ It’s a mix of fear for what the potential answer could be and the realization that Rook won’t ever admit when they are out of their depth.

And then there’s Solas. When he checks in on Rook, it never is out of concern. It’s either because he relies on Rook to understand what is happening in the world or because he needs to make them lower their guard. And Rook can call him out on that on almost every occasion. But it’s also precisely what allows Rook to openly receive and answer that question, if they want to. Solas doesn’t depend on them, Rook doesn’t owe him anything, and that’s liberating. No need to put on a strong face because who cares if Solas is disappointed? And I think that’s such a fantastic aspect of their relationship. The distance between them, much like the rift keeping them apart, is also a source of safety for both. I am devouring that dynamic. There is something so liberating, for both probably, in the fact they HAVE to work with the other, and there aren't any emotional strings to pull or feelings to be careful about. Gloves are off, conversations are direct. Until one of them makes it personal.

They are both each other’s lifeline and ankle weight, not by choice but by circumstance.

[dngrs-untld-hrshps-unnmbrd]

Graven Hearts

After being unofficially banished from the Mourn Watch, rebellious Lisbette must recruit one of her former professors, Emmrich Volkarin, to help her defeat two ancient Elvhen gods. Hurt that her favourite professor never stood up for her when she needed him, Lisbette takes delight in provoking the handsome, silver-haired necromancer, perhaps enjoying herself a little too much.

Female Rook | Age Difference | Daddy vibes | low key bratting | Hurt/Comfort | Eventual Smut

Chapter One

The Lighthouse is a sheer delight to Emmrich. The rooms given to him seem to shape themselves around him to his ideals and tastes without him needing to ask. He and Manfredd spend a happy afternoon putting all his things away, and Emmrich makes mental plans for how he may help this charming group of people. They are facing two ancient Elvhen gods, and the task before them is forbiddable. 

Manfredd goes out to explore the lighthouse, and Emmrich sits behind his desk to write letters to his colleagues in the Mourn Watch. How does one post letters in a place like this? He supposed he’d figure it out. 

There’s a soft knock on his door, but before he can call out for the person to enter, the door opens, and Lisbette appears. 

He smiles at her, and opens his mouth to say, “It’s wonderful seeing an old student doing so well,” but the expression on her face makes the words turn to bone dust in his mouth. She’s smiling at him, but it’s a hard, fixed smile, very unlike the friendly welcome he received at the Necropolis. 

But now he thinks of it, Bellara was the one doing most of the talking. Lisbette was merely polite.

Without a word to him, Lisbette takes a long, slow walk around the room. She’s wearing comfortable off-duty clothes, a pale shirt tucked into high-waisted pants. The ensemble is nothing special, but she somehow looks lovely in them. Her masses of curly red hair is down past her waist, and the freckles on her face and glassy green shards in her eyes catch the sunshine.

Lisbette pokes at a skull on a shelf. Examines a bottle. Her attitude is irritatingly overfamiliar, as though she feels she has a right to both examine his things and ignore his presence. She was never rude to him during her student days. Lisbette had been rebellious and provocative on paper occasionally, but in his classes, tutorials, and private meetings in his office, she’d always behaved with manners and respect. 

Emmrich sits back in his high-backed chair and watches her with what he thinks of as his chilliest gaze. Though her student days are over and her relationship with him is quite different, he still expects manners and respect.  

Finally, she saunters over to him, though she still doesn’t look at him. Her fingertips trail across the surface of his desk. “ Coming in here reminds me of being called into your office, professor.”

“How so?”

“I can feel waves and waves of your disapproval, just like the old days.”

“What do you believe I disapprove of?”

Lisbette laughs softly. “Always a teacher, aren’t you?”

“Lisbette. If you don’t want me here...”

“I need you here,” she says with a careless shrug, and perches on the edge of his desk. 

Emmrich opens his mouth to tell her not to sit on his desk, but then closes it again. She wants to provoke him, and he feels certain that he mustn’t be provoked. He supposes she wishes she didn’t need him. Needing someone from the Mourn Watch upsets her after she was unofficially banished from the faction. He feels nothing in particular about that. He wasn’t there when the decision was made, and it’s good for a young person to learn that their actions have consequences.

“You have gathered together quite a team,” he tells her, hoping to change the subject to a topic they can both enjoy. 

“Yes, they’re like family. It’s good to have family around me again.”

Family?

He feels his heart sink. 

Lisbette was found abandoned as a baby in the Necropolis. Like him, the Mourn Watch raised her, and just as it does to him, the Mourn Watch means family. Home. Love. 

Or it did until they banished her.

How would he have felt if the only family he’d ever known shut him out and told him to leave? Has she had one kind word or letter from anyone at the Mourn Watch in the year since?

But Lisbette has landed on her feet, he reasoned. She’s a talented young mage and she’s navigating these unfamiliar waters with confidence and apparent ease. 

All the same, him being here hurts her. Angers her. She doesn’t want anything from the Mourn Watch, but she has no choice. 

He can find a way to win her over, surely.  

In a kinder tone, he begins, “Lisbette, what happened a year ago...”

She scoots around his desk toward him, and then reaches for a book on the far side of his desk. Doing so, she splays herself across his lap in a bewildering manner. His fingers flex on the arms of his chair as he stares down at her. 

Lisbette sits up and pushes her red curls out of her face with a breathless smile. “ Alvarus’ Treatise on the Undead . I’ve always wanted to get my hands on this.”

There’s better light from the window if she’s facing the other way, and she perches on the arm of his chair. Emmrich finds himself with his arm around her, but pulled back as far as he can so as not to touch her inadvertently. She wriggles back, closer to him, making that task difficult for him.  

“ Lisbette, there are chairs for both of us.”

As she turns the pages, she slides further from the arm of the chair until she’s half sitting in his lap. “I’m fine here, professor.”

“Lisbette.”

“Hm?”

“ Lisbette .”

She looks up at him with a dazzling smile, her face just inches from his. “You’re handsome when you’re annoyed.”

“I know what you’re doing. You dislike that you need help from me. You’re provoking me because you’re angry with me. If we could have a mature conversation...”

She blinks innocent eyes at him. “Don’t be silly, professor. I’m provoking you because it’s amusing me.”

Slowly, she sinks even further into his lap. Her bottom feels soft against his bony thighs and very warm. Lisbette rests against his chest, licks her fingertip, and turns a page of the book. 

He grits his teeth. If she won’t speak seriously, he will. “I will speak with the Mourn Watch. You’ve been punished long enough and you should be allowed to return to the order .”

The smile fades from Lisbette’s lips. She reaches up and touches the silver strands of his hair, and then combs her fingers through the locks. Her touch feels surprisingly sweet. 

Then she boops his nose with her forefinger. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve had better adventures since being told to leave, and now I have a Mourn Watch professor all to myself. He’s going to help me save the world.”

He gazes at her, feeling unimpressed by her arch tone and the way she’s touching him. She might be their leader, but he was not her pet.

“How may I be of service?” he asks icily.

She muses on this for a moment. “Do you have any advice for me, professor?”

“Your spells were ragged today. Your staff work was sloppy, and your incantations poorly aimed.”

“You called out Beautifully done, Lisbette at least three times.”

He had, hadn’t he. He was delighted to be invited onto the team, and he’d been impressed and inspired by the leadership his former student had shown. The way she smiled at everyone. Her warm confidence. He’d congratulated himself that he’d been responsible in part for the young woman she’d become, the old fool. 

Emmrich clears his throat. “I must encourage as well as correct.”

She tilts her head teasingly toward his. “Ah, so you encourage me in public and correct me in private?”

“You’re trying to provoke me, young lady.”

Lisbette reaches up and ruffles his silver hair. “I am provoking you. Thank you for the book.” 

She snaps the volume closed, gets up from his lap, and saunters out of his room with an maddeningly hypnotizing sway of her hips. 

Emmrich opens and closes his mouth. Too late, he thinks of something to call after her. “Lisbette! I was reading that book.”

But the door closes behind her, and he thinks he hears her laughter in the corridor. 

__

Oh, Lisbette and Emmrich, you're both in so much trouble. Not the same bit of trouble, but definitely a lot of it, and together. Thank you for reading!

CHAPTER TWO

[deadlysoupy]

complete (for now!) character sheets of my blorbo (huge thanks to @arcandoria your contribution to the fandom is incredible bless)

explanations under the cut (there's a lot bc i'm a yapper) (spoilers!)

Bellara: Rook and Bellara hit it off pretty much since the beginning. Rook loves to tinker, and Bellara's brain is always full of ideas, so they hang out a lot together just taking stuff apart and putting them together. despite Urchin not being a mage, he has basically grown up with mages and seen magic a lot in Tevinter, so i think he'd know a little bit. they bounce off each other really well, and when Cyrian comes back and she hits a low point, he supports her with a joke or lets her rant. neither he nor she will probably ever say it out loud, since it's a sensitive topic for both, but they consider each other siblings or cousins at least

Davrin: complete opposite of Bellara, Rook and Davrin got off on the wrong foot and couldn't get up lmao. Davrin had a problem with how Urchin handles things, he considers the Lords to be unethical and rude bastards, and how Urchin rushes into battle or does careless things. Urchin also hated how heroic Davrin seemed to pose as, he's pretty much jealous of his dalish upbringing, and his history with the Grey Wardens. they even got into a fight at some point (Urchin started it, by the way). but after that, they reach an understanding that turns into deep respect for what each of them went through, and to say that Rook would miss Davrin as his unbiased opinion and who wouldn't be afraid to challenge him is to say nothing

Emmrich: at first they got along great. the Lords taught Urchin to be respectful to spirits, and he's fascinated by death and the life beyond it. but Emmrich is a very "touchy-feely", inquisitive and curious person, which Urchin is a complete opposite of. still can't get out of my head the graveyard scene when Emmrich confides and talks about his parents, and Rook, trying to react in his usual non-emotional way, makes a joke, to which Emmrich deeply disapproves and Urchin has to apologize. that's the gist of their relationship, to be honest, but it does become better after a while. his experience in life helps Urchin a lot, and he likes listening to Emmrich talk about magic

Harding: good friends who goof around a lot! i don't have much to say about them to be honest, but i think there's potential here for so many goofs and gaffs and getting in jail. reminiscent of that one "mayhem!" line Harding has in a dlc of Inquisition, i think she'd be down to cause some chaos in Minrathous or something. Urchin also understands her anger, and he's remorseful at their revelation that the Titans died because of the elves. all in all, they're on very good terms

Lucanis: hooo boy. where do i even start and how do i make this as short as possible. there's always been an understanding between these two, even beyond romance, that was just a cherry on top. Lucanis had a lot going on when he came into the story, so Urchin gave him space and support when he needed it, because he knows how something that traumatic can hurt, and that sometimes you just don't want to talk about it. it's hard for them both to express feelings, and Lucanis is a guy of action rather than words, so he cooks, gives little gifts, gestures, and Rook in turn gives him compliments, jokes with him, takes him out on dates etc because he's more of a words guy. i don't know i could make a separate post about their specific romance that i've built in my head, give me an ask if you want it i denno

Neve: his emotionally stunted wife. you probably noticed how their bars are just insanely covered with colours, and that's because of the whole "Minrathous or Treviso" thing. i milk so much drama out of that choice because it's really good! beside the obvious, Rook couldn't really save Minrathous because of his past with slavery, but he still feels so bad about it because of Neve's love for it. and i don't think she can ever forgive him, actually, but she tries moving past it. the fact that they both had crushes on each other that turned south is kinda funny to me, because they're like two sides of the same coin! she's so afraid to get close to other people, she's snarky and doesn't turn down a good joke, her sense of style is incredible (i imagine them exchanging Tevinter fashion tips). they're still close even after the game, and grow closer after it, and Rook, Neve and Lucanis become a polycule. traumacule. do you see the vision

Taash: saved the best for last i guess because Urchin and Taash are like two siblings who hate each other. well, not exactly hate. i really liked how their relationship began, when Taash tells Rook how the Lords aren't thieves, and he's like "but we stole shit! literally!" and i think there's a really interesting contrast here. Taash was taught by their mother about cultural appropriation and respect, while Rook was Isabela's apprentice. Isabela's! there's no question he doesn't have almost any morals at all. so Taash thinks Rook's a jerk, but Urchin doesn't mind it much. after that, they bond over their gender issues, and since Urchin found his identity he shares his experience with them. in turn, Taash teaches him about dragons. they're also both from mixed cultures, so they have this solidarity over their messy lives. they're neat i like them

whoever read until the end. holy shit i want to kiss you

[thievinghippo]

Everyone, I have been stressing myself out a ridiculous amount this past hour and now I'm at the point where I just need to laugh

What am I stressed over? My world states in Dragon Age. Which is a completely normal thing to stress about

This will probably get long, so let's put it behind a cut. And promise me. If you read to the end, that you'll laugh at me in the comments, because I will deserve it

So, I'm outlining a post-game Emmrich/Sonnet fic. And I was daydreaming and I thought, how cool would it be for Bethroot and Thom's daughter to choose necromancy as her mage specialty! Because that's what she knows! Aunt Rook, Uncle Emmrich, Uncle Dorian, all necromancers!

And then I thought, oh no. Bethroot is part of Edda's world state so that won't work. What Inquisitor does Sonnet have? She has Frae, my Solas romancer who goes to the Fade with him. Damn, I told myself. I guess I can't have this really cool thing

Then I think... well, could you switch them? And here's where I'm so dumb, you guys. I told myself NO. NOT ALLOWED

And why isn't it allowed? Because Bethroot's world state is called 'ash in the sun' from the tavern song 'oh grey warden' therefore the Rook in Bethroot's world state has to be a warden or romancing Davrin

End of discussion

For almost ten minutes, I sat here and said, but it would be so cool to have the thing and every time my brain responded 'don't care. you set the rules ten years ago and actions have consequences. you cannot have the cool thing'

But you will all be proud of me. I finally told my brain to shove it and that I'm gonna have the cool thing. Which means I'm switching some world states around and I'm pretty sure I will literally be the only one who cares about this. Because at the end of the day, I'm pretty sure anyone actually reading this post wants me to have fun writing. And if switching my world states around leads to more fun hence more writing, I think you'll be cool with it

Like, I'll admit that I'm a little bummed on Edda's behalf. She's getting the short end of the stick, because I'm gonna put Frae (along with Aubrey Hawke) with a Harding romancer for reasons. Which means I'm not even sure who Edda is gonna end up with

And I sort of feel bad that I'm so much more invested in other Rooks than her. I assumed she'd be my main. The one who I wrote the most about. I thought I'd be all dwarf all the time, but Sonnet and lich Emmrich are eating my brain. (I also think I resent Edda a bit because I wanted her to be older and serious and Rook is... not that)

So yeah. Sonnet is going to team up with Bethroot, Wynneth, and Anelle and my brain is just going to have to be okay with that

[serenityfails]

part two of my DATV thoughts, now that i've finished the game. i think i'm gonna focus on my feelings about specific character arcs in this one.

VARRIC: i touched on this in my previous post but varric isn't really a character in this game, it's just rook and solas's shared projection/idea of who varric was. which i do think is actually an interesting concept. i just think it's noticeable, once you learn that fact, that everyone just moves on instantly. i don't need the game to indulge me with hours of clothes-rending mourning, i just don't believe his death would go totally un-remarked upon.

HARDING: i need a lot more selling on the idea that she cares really deeply about her dwarven heritage. it's possible i missed some important banters or something on this subject from her, but as it stands i didn't feel, based on who she was before, that it really mattered to her that much. she's a surface dwarf, born and raised-- she certainly had some thoughts about that in the descent DLC, but the vibe i got was "yeah those guys don't associate with the likes of me, but fuck 'em, I'm Fereldan", not "gee i wish i could reconnect to The Stone". even just some tidbits about her family. she brings up her mother all the time-- something about her mother feeling a sense of loss there, or something emotional to link her thematically to the titans.

lacking that connection, it felt even more glaring that they straight up PUT VALTA IN THE GAME, because that's HER story, not harding's. it just doesn't line up for me personally.

i like the idea of anger vs joy in concept, and i liked the idea that harding actually had a lot of animosity towards solas that she felt ashamed of. but i think that animosity should have started from a more personal place (maybe what happened with corypheus and the inquisition, then varric) and blossomed from there into the wider question of the titans. if that was the intention, i didn't really see that in the final version.

BELLARA: She's Fine.jpeg. i think it would have been good to get a clearer idea of who/what Anaris is, because i did feel like that aspect of her story was underbaked and her brother's death was foreshadowed so hard it was basically haus of decline's "i think we're gonna have to kill this guy, steven" comic, but that was an issue i had with multiple character plotlines. i like her and Neve's relationship and i will be sexualizing it. thank you.

NEVE: i can't really take her Dark Knight bit seriously but that's okay. (she's Crime Boss Batman in my game now, and her boyfriend is the leader of the Crows, so good for her.) I like how she plays off the other characters more than I think I like her in isolation. i also feel like i was missing some of her backstory, but maybe you get more if you romance her?

LUCANIS: i want him to be a bigger mess. he's too well-adjusted. i say this having hardened him in my game... i was cut off from romancing him but i still feel like he was taking everything too well and being too reasonable about everything. i want a bitch with messy hair and yellow teeth scrabbling around like a fucking goblin okay he's been imprisoned under the ocean for a YEAR and he's POSSESSED make him get FREAKY WITH IT. he lives in a pantry but he always looks like he just stepped off a magazine cover. i can't jerk off to this

DAVRIN: they could not possibly have told you any more clearly how precisely his entire plotline will play out from mission one, so it was boring in that respect, but i enjoyed all the Wardeny lore of his questline so i'm okay with it. I also called the monster being Isseya so i get a gold star for being a big fucking nerd. His romance has moments of juice and then peters out a lot at the end, which is tragic. I actually enjoy his perspective as a Dalish elf that felt confined by that life and left it on purpose, but I think we don't get enough of a sense of the Regular Old Dalish vs. the weirdasses in the Veil Jumpers to feel the weight of that choice.

EMMRICH: i love this bitch he's so fruity and fun. it's deeply cute that he's genuinely shocked and hurt people find necromancy creepy and weird. i razzed him about it once and he got so genuinely sad about it i was like omg... baby.... i'm so sorry peepaw!!! Hezenkoss is the best villain in the game because she's just like what fucking ever no relatable motivation no grey morality it's mad science time!!!!!!!! my friend said she "made a bone Jaeger out of rich people" and you know what. she was right to do that. #womeninSTEM #supportwomenswrongs

i let manfred die. in the moment, i was actually just super mad at the game for so blatantly foreshadowing WE ARE GOING TO KILL THE CUTE LITTLE SKELLINGTON that i was like fuck you, the skeleton dies. i felt bad about it after. but also emmrich becoming a lich was REALLY funny so i don't feel THAT bad.

TAASH: there is a good character in there underneath the corporate mandated HR meeting. another point where the script needs less handholding, more time to breathe, and more in depth exploration of the qun's take on gender, which in the past games i have found genuinely compelling, and gender in thedas in general (which the games already have a patchy track record on).

i was also mad at the game for so clearly flagging their mom's death, and it seemed so reversible because like... hi we have a party full of mages with healing magic what exactly is the issue here, BUT WHATEVERRRRRRRRRRR. (mommy, why didn't aerith use a phoenix down?)

i also have to apologize to Taash for completely ruining their life and making it hard to connect to anyone ever again by killing off Harding. i think it's crazy Harding got to spend her last months on the planet getting the daylights fucked out of her by someone who is at a rough estimate ten years her junior and twice her size, though, good for her.

post is already too long. i will post about my feelings on Solas, Lavellan, and Mythal some other time.

[heroofshield]

hi hero! for the rook storytime prompts, could i get either 8 or 31? :D

i am a chronic overachiever so i'm doing both lol

8. A time Rook argued with someone they care about.

(post companion quest)

"We're not done!" Zea exclaimed as Emmrich threw the book down on his desk and stalked towards the door, moving into the main hub of the Lighthouse.

"I believe we are!" Emmrich snapped, vaguely aware that Harding and Bellara were on the balcony and trying not to make it obvious that they were witnessing his and Zea's first real argument. But he was still so mad that he didn't care that they were seeing the dispute. "I've said all I can about the matter."

"Clearly not since we're still arguing about it!"

"No we're-"

"Yes we are!" Zea interrupted, pointing a finger at Emmrich as she took a step off the staircase. Her blood was boiling and she wanted to just storm off but at this point it was a matter of stubbornness. "Ever since we got back from Navarra, you've been avoiding me!"

"What did you expect? I gave up lichdom for Manfred! The one thing that I've been working towards my entire life."

"You gave it up for me. I asked you too!" Zea swallowed thickly, her shout echoing throughout the main hub of the Lighthouse.

Out of the corner of her eye, Zea saw Bellara open her mouth to say something but Harding put her hand on the elf's arm and shook her head.

"I didn't ask you too."

"I know." Zea blinked back the tears that threatened to trail down her face.

"Then why? You know how much I wanted that, even after what happened with Johanna!"

"Because I'm selfish!" Zea exclaimed, the tears finally falling. "Because I'm not Mournwatch. How could I have been sure that lichdom wouldn't have changed how you felt about me? Because I didn't want to lose you as well!"

Not waiting for a response, Zea stormed out of the hub, eyes blurred by tears. Striding past where Assan was laying, and ignoring his questioning chirp, she climbed down the hidden pieces of pathway underneath Neve's room- she'd discovered it early on and didn't think that anyone else (other than Neve) knew about it. It was a small space and she just needed a place where she could hide when needed.

"Although I haven't needed it until now." she thought, scrubbing the tears from her face and curling her legs up to her chest. "We just need some time to cool off."

31. LoF!Rook disarming a trap or solving a puzzle.

Zea looked at the puzzle in front of her, narrowing her eyes as she tried to figure it out. "They can be rotated, but in which direction?" she asked herself, letting a frown appear. Gazing around the courtyard, she tried to see if there were any clues that might help.

Not seeing anything in her vicinity, she decided to widen the search. Boots crunching on the gravel, Zea walked along the perimeter to see if there were any clues- but other than discovering more statues, she couldn't fine a key.

"Any day Laidir!" came a distant shout, one of the other Lords that had come along on the trip.

"You want to solve this puzzle, go right ahead!" Zea shouted back, knowing that they wouldn't. Taking a breath, she refocused and was about to move on from the nearest statue when she paused, noticing something.

The statue looked distinctly Rivaini, which was odd since they were weren't in her adopted country, but it made her wonder...

Another quick loop around the courtyard confirmed it: the four statues were all different with one dressed in Rivaini court clothing, one in Tevinter Templar robes, one in Antivan Crow leathers, and she assumed the last one was in Navarran clothing. It was an educated guess since she'd never been to Navarra and had only seen sketches of their fashion.

"Neighbors." she said out loud, smiling to herself as the pieces fell into place.

A sharp whistle got everyone's attention and Zea strode towards the Rivain statue. "We need to turn this one towards the Crow statue. And then the Navarra one towards Tevinter." she said as they pushed against the wooden pole to shift the statue.

"Why?"

"Because they're all neighbors with each other." Zea replied as the statue gave one final turn, an audible click being heard and veilfire appeared.

Zea straightened at her theory being proven correct and scurried off to turn the others so they could get to the treasure.

[butterflydm]

It's ~official~ (DAV posting)

I don't know how much of the game is left but it feels like things might be picking up towards the endgame. My save game data tells me that I'm currently over seventy hours into playing this character (though that includes menus and such, I assume), so no complaints if we are headed towards endgame! But I am loving the game, so I will be sad when we reach the ending (though I do already have my plans to replay as a dwarven and/or Shadow Dragon Rook).

Put down those two blighted dragons that attacked Treviso and Minrathous, so that's a win, and I shot a ballista bolt into Ghilan'nain. So that was a pretty big success, and I'm back to doing all the side quests and character quests that popped up in the aftermath of that story quest.

We finished through Harding's personal quest and confronted the Titan's Shade, so she's now officially a Hero of Veilguard. It feel fitting that she be the first one to get that status, considering that she came from DAI and all. She's finishing what the Inquisitor started.

I really liked learning more about the history of the dwarves and the Titans, heartbreaking as it could be at times. And since I took Bellara with me on Harding's personal quest, it was two elves that were talking to her at the end. Unintentional on my part there, but it really made a lot of Harding's lines feel like they resonated even more, because it was the elven people who benefited from what Solas and the other elven gods did to the Titans.

The damage that history does feels like a big theme - both in things like the elven gods being the ones who shattered the Titans, or in things like those same elven gods trying to recreate their glory days of being worshipped. One of the lines that Harding says at the end of her personal quest - "we will thrive in spite of you" (and having two elves there definitely gave that line a special punch; I wonder if that line is different if you don't play as an elven Rook or if Harding processes that part any differently if you're also a dwarf) just really felt powerful.

Sins of the past would be an other way to put it -- that applies in most every case we've seen. Regrets that stem from the past.

I got confirmation on a few of my guesses from last time -- the Gloom Howler was a Gray Warden who left on her Calling. More specifically, she's an elven mage who blighted the griffons on the First Warden's orders in order to win the fourth Blight.

Emmrich also interrogated Rana's body and confirmed that Illario is a traitor and sold Lucanis out to her in order to gain his place as First Talon of the Antivan Crows. But she was supposed to kill Lucanis, not use him for her experiments, so Illario was genuinely shocked when Caterina learned that Lucanis was alive and imprisoned.

Harding haunted by the trauma of what was done to the Titans centuries ago (millenia ago? i haven't plotted out the timeline), the splintering that created the dwarven people. Bellara is haunted by her brother, who she thought died chasing the very elven artifact that we first found with her (the archive spirit) but who made a deal with one of the Forgotten Ones of the elven gods instead. What she could have been, a deal that she fears she would have made if put into his place.

Emmrich haunted by an old colleague and Neve by an old case that got away.

Darvin is haunted by the ugly legacy of the Gray Wardens and what it means to be willing to do anything to stop the Blight, no matter what the collateral damage may be. Even if that's an entire species.

Taash's struggle has been against gender expectations, as set against the background of growing up with a Qunari mother and having escaped the Qun. A legacy of their birth culture, and deciding what they want to take from their differing cultures they grew up in. Not the sins of Taash's past but of the culture that they escaped from but still feel some connection to.

And Varric, of course, is haunted by Solas -- a friend that he's worried he can't save (and who is the echo of a friend that he believes he failed to save -- Anders and Solas have a LOT in common).

(the list of things that Solas is haunted by span the entire game lol)

On a lighter note, I took Harding and Taash out together and they flirted! <3 And then they flirted again back at the Lighthouse! <3 Harding had a dream about Taash! <3 It's charming! <3

And to get to the title of the post -- I went through Lucanis's Inner Demons quest and then we talked in the kitchens afterwards and we are officially exclusive.

It was really great too -- the quest. Spite leading me through the prison that Lucanis had constructed around himself, because he's afraid of himself after what happened in the prison. Being able to support Lucanis and also to talk to Spite to let him know that... that Lucanis isn't trapping him in that prison deliberately. It's just that it takes time for people to heal from deep trauma like that. I love how it was entirely dialogue-based and not about literally fighting to get to Lucanis but about talking to the parts of himself that were afraid and hiding.

It seemed like a good place to stop for the weekend, since I do have some non-DAV things to do.

[virginiathegray]

*very spoilery thoughts about Veilguard to follow* It's been so interesting seeing the "nobody likes Rook" discourse when this game, more than any other in the franchise imo, emphasized the connection of this core group and how deeply they all cared for not just their mutual cause, but each other.

I have to assume that people are narrowing their focus so intensely on the lack of Rook-related Lighthouse content re: codex entries like the book club or non-cutscene companion banter (which, fair enough if they wanted more of that included!) that they forget almost the entirety of Act 2 centers on building a relationship with your companions and helping them through their own character arcs, each of which culminate in them either directly or indirectly looking to YOU for guidance, comfort, etc. Bellara asks ROOK to come to her brother's funeral. Davrin trusts ROOK to help him decide what to do with the Griffons, Emmrich puts his literal life in Rook's hands if you consider the implications of his ultimate choice (and if you do make him a lich, Rook is the one he asks to be there waiting for him on the other side). Rook's word alone stops Harding from going full Titan mode.

Not to mention those quieter but no less tender moments — Neve inviting Rook out to supper, Lucanis taking Rook to the cafe, Taash bringing Rook along the day they plan to come out to their mother as nonbinary. I do believe there's an argument to be made for including more explicit references to how much the team cares about Rook. I like the idea of a post-fade scene where everyone takes a collective breath and expresses their profound relief over having finally found their lost leader, lover, and friend. I can especially see how the Varric reveal calls into question why the companions didn't pick up on what was happening to Rook sooner (especially Neve and Lucanis who canonically sense blood magic).

But even exactly as the game is currently written, every member of that team loves Rook dearly, respects them fully, and would go to war for them (and they do!). That is not subtext, that's just right there in the content of the game.

"The Veil Guard didn't actually care about Rook" the Veil Guard was so desperate to get Rook back from the prison they tried to make a ritual dagger of their own to rip the Veil apart and look for them

Rook wasn't their boss, Rook was their home

[elcor-thespian]

hi!!! for that datv ask game how about 1, 3, and 4? i also just followed you so i know nothing about your rook (or if you've posted anything about them) but i'd love to hear about them and who they are (class, species, etc.)!!!

Yay, thank you! Please answer the same on your blog if you'd like and tag me in it! I'm assuming this is the ask you mean, because I've reposted a bunch of them today. 50 Questions Ask

So since you haven't read my other stuff I'm sorry to say I've tricked you and I have 7 Rooks. But I'll try to keep this as abridged as possible! I’ll put in a shitty screen grab for everyone too, so you have a basic idea of what they look like.

Also some of this I've never fully solidified so we're making decisions now and sticking to them!

The questions are, how old is your Rook, what faction did they join and how long ago, and what was their life like before? We'll get the quick and easy stuff out of the way first.

Nephele Mercar (human rogue, romanced Lucanis) is 28, and has been a Shadow Dragon for about 11 years. I, like many people, am fully ignoring any sense of them being "new" to the organization.

Nasreen Aldwir (elf mage romanced Emmrich) is 25, and has been a Veil Jumper for about 4 years. I know a lot of people who romanced Emmrich are aging their Rooks up to make the age difference less noticeable. I'm leaning in, baby.

Aleksei Mercar is (elf rogue romanced Bellara) 26, and has been with the Lords for about 7 years.

Paloma (Qunari mage romanced Taash) is about 26, but she doesn't know for sure. She has been a Shadow Dragon for about 2 years.

Brenna Thorne (human warrior romanced Davrin) is 32, and she has been a Warden for 14 years. Again, we are ignoring any sense of them being a rookie. As far as I'm concerned when the First Warden called her a "junior Warden" he was just being an asshole.

Konstantin Ingellvar (Qunari warrior romanced Neve) is 27 and obviously was found in the Necropolis as a baby so....27 years.

Elspeth de Riva (dwarven warrior romanced Harding) is 28 and....depends who you ask. They would say they were born a Crow, most people would say about 10 years. Viago would say he's still waiting to see.

Now for some back story. Trigger warnings in here for child abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual physical and mental abuse, slavery, depression/suicidal ideation, murder. Did anyone's Rook have a good childhood?

Nephele was born in Rivain and was in charge of raising herself as far back as she can remember. She never knew her dad, or what happened to him (it's unclear if her mom doesn't know or doesn't want to talk about it, and asking questions gets you punished). Her mom is an alcoholic/drug addict, and when she wasn't gone she was mostly unconscious, and if she was conscious she was probably screaming at Nephele or smacking her around. Things got worse when her step dad entered the picture when she was about 5. He was always awake, so he was always screaming, throwing things, and hitting her. Nephele learned really early on to stay out of the house as much as possible. Her community tried to help her as much as they could, but no one could afford to take her in, and her step dad seemed to have some strong ties in the community through various criminal activity so no one really wanted to get on his bad side.

For the most part Nephele dealt with this in stride, developing a great sense of humor and precocious charm (you know, like most traumatized children). However, things really started to become untenable once she hit puberty. Skipping over the more graphic details for now, step dad sucks, but she was always able to get out of the house or get him black out drunk before things got too bad.

One night when she was 15, he was being particularly aggressive and was trying to push her on to the kitchen counter. She saw a knife on the counter and tried to grab it. He went for it too, they wrestled for it, and at the end he had cut the side of her neck but she had stabbed him in the stomach and he was unconscious on the floor.

She ran out of the house, and got patched up by the local Seer, but she had had enough, so she got on the first boat out of there before she even confirmed if he was actually dead.

She ended up in Minrathous without a plan, and without any money. All she had was that same kitchen knife, which she got pretty good at using, and her winning personality. She got good at getting by on the street, either by charming, begging, swindling, or straight up stealing. Maybe sometimes you sleep with someone and they buy you dinner. It's a fair trade.

Eventually she was working in bars and trading information she picked up there to interested parties. Her reputation caught the attention of the Shadow Dragons, who ended up bringing her in. That meant an actual consistent place to sleep and regular food. Also training from people who actually knew how to fight with knives. She was a great study since she didn't have another option. She quickly became a fixture in the organization, particularly when they had need for a spy. Nephele is really good at fitting in to most environments, and making people feel comfortable.

(By the way I came up with all of this before I knew anything about Lucanis or his romance, and it fits sooo well. What do you mean he takes really good care of her when she had to always take care of herself? What do you mean he’s changed her associations with kitchens to be a place that was safe and welcoming as opposed to where her deepest trauma took place? What do you mean he offers non sexual intimacy? What do you mean they both collect knives? I’m sick.)

2. Nasreen was raised Dalish, mostly in Antiva. She started manifesting her magic at about 10, and it was very clearly mainly focused on naturally on death. Where she walked in the forest the grass blackened and died, mushrooms would sprout at her touch, and the decaying and rotting process for dead animals would speed up until they were nothing but bones. She actually started eating mostly vegetarian meals because she couldn’t be too near the clan’s kills. People tried to be normal about it, but it was pretty clear she made people uncomfortable, so she spent a lot of time alone. Her parents did their best to help her, but she turned in to a pretty sad and lonely kid.

When the Kirkwall Rebellion started she was about 11-12. Since the Dalish have never been forced to go to circles (allegedly), particularly in the North, it shouldn’t have affected them much. But the thing about fear mongering is that it ends up catching a lot of people in the crossfire. When a nearby human town found out about Nasreen’s magic, it sounded a lot like demonic possession and blood magic to them, and they attacked the clan. Nasreen’s family tried to hide her, but they were killed in the process, and she saw the whole thing from her hiding spot.

Nasreen left what was left of her clan to avoid anyone else getting hurt. She wandered around for a bit, and ended up in Rivain, where she met Aleksei. They became fast friends, and when he found out that she was living on her own he took her home and his mom basically adopted her.

The two grew up together, alongside Aleksei’s three younger brothers. Nasreen had a massive crush on him, but he really saw her more as a sister. We’ll talk more about him in the next section. But long story short they went their separate ways and Nasreen ended up in Arlathan with the veil Jumpers.

A very important of facet of Nasreen’s character is that she is suicidally depressed. She’s never actually acted on it, but she is very reckless, particularly in a fight, almost like she wants someone to finish her off. At the start of the game she has given herself about 6 months and if she’s still alive she has a plan to kill herself.

She also has a real anger problem. Thedas needs to invent talk therapy like, yesterday.

3. Aleksei is the oldest of 4. His brothers are Mikheil (3 years younger), Kire (4 years younger), and Vedran (7 years younger). His father passed away when he was 9, and he was raised by his mom, Marina. Marina is the ultimate mom. Across 7 Rooks we have one actually good parent.

Aleksei has always been a really happy go lucky kid, but his father’s death hit him a lot harder than he lets on. His mom noticed the subtle changes in him, particularly in how much he started pitching in around the house to help her out. Which is nice, but also she really didn’t want him to sacrifice being a kid to take on that responsibility. Which is certainly part of why she was so happy to take in Nasreen. Aleksei was a kid again when Nasreen was around and he seemed so much happier. She also saw that Nasreen was in distress and she would never turn away a kid in need. Very quickly she saw Nasreen as her own, and she finally had a daughter.

Aleksei wanted to be a sailor his whole life, and he and Nasreen would often pretend to be pirates and adventurers. They did a lot of odd jobs around the city to help bring in money, including but not limited to performing music on street corners. One thing they didn’t really have as much time for was school, although Marina did her best to teach them at home. Aleksei has ADHD and is dyslexic, so he was not a great student and really struggles with reading. (Nephele and Nasreen can probably read at an 11th or 12th grade level since they kept working on it as adults, but Aleksei is like at a 2nd grade level as an adult).

When he turned 18 he immediately signed up to join a ship, and wanted Nasreen to go with him. The thing is, Nasreen is terrified of boats and gets seasick very easily (you know, because of the trauma of escaping on a boat after seeing your parents get brutally murdered). So she asked him not to go, and he went anyway. She’s never forgiven him for that.

Not that long after setting sail, maybe a couple months, Aleksei’s ship was attacked, and he ended up getting put in to slavery. After about 6 months he was rescued. I saw a post that made a lot of sense that suggested that since Fenris was out there freeing slaves, it makes a lot of sense that thats how he was rescued and met Isabella, so that’s canon now.

His family never knew about any of this. Aleksei can barely read or write, so he doesn’t send a ton of letters home, and he doesn’t want his mom to worry about him more than she already does.

4. Paloma was born in Seheron and she doesn’t have many memories from her life before age 9. That was when she first displayed her magic, and she was taken away and called Saarebas. She doesn’t even remember what if anything she was called before that. Trauma has a way of erasing your identity, particularly if that is what the people around you want.

But the whole time she was stewing and formulating a plan, and the second she was able to escape she did. She was about 22 or 23, and her first concrete memory is ripping her mask off of her face, and using a rock to cut the stitches in her mouth.

At this point it had been about 13 years since she had said a word, and she spent a lot of time on her own in hiding teaching herself to talk again. She would watch people during the day and then spend the evenings trying to repeat what she had heard. She actually got fairly decent at understanding different languages, even if she couldn’t read or write them. Once in Minrathous in the market she heard a mother call for her child “Paloma”, and she liked the sound of it and decided that was her name too.

At one point she gained enough confidence to start attacking Qunari and Venatori she saw subjugating other people, and the Shadow Dragons brought her in after a particularly brutal raid.

She’s getting better at talking, but still forgets to chime in in conversations, particularly in large groups. She still isn’t used to people wanting to know what she has to say.

She has also taken huge strides in finding her own identity. She is constantly trying different styles, foods, hobbies, etc. She dyes her hair all the time and changes her make up to match. She’s trying to make up for lost time and is speed running finding her personality.

5. Brenna was born in to a noble family in Amaranthine. She has 5 younger siblings. Oskar, Glynnis, and Owain are the triplets (2 years younger), then Ailith two years after that, and Eveleen two years after that.

She was 11 during the 5th Blight, and she remembers the day that Warden Commander Ilayna came to Amaranthine. She even met her briefly once. Brenna was a tomboy and was obsessed with the idea of being a Warden and traveling the world fighting evil. Her parents very much did not support this and forbade her from learning to fight or going near the warden fortress. She snuck out all the time and found a lot of wardens happy to teach her.

When she turned 18 she told her parents she was joining the Wardens and they told her that if she did they would never speak to her again, and they wouldn’t allow her siblings to either. She did it anyway, although she misses her siblings tremendously. She heard that Eveleen is finally engaged and Owain is expecting his second child.

Despite the pain, Brenna has never regretted her choice. She’s thrives in the Wardens and it has been everything she dreamed of when she was a little girl.

6. As we all know Konstantin was found in a crypt when he was an infant. We still don’t know anything about his birth parents.

This sweet summer child. Konstantin was the only Qunari his age in the Necropolis (I’m tempted to say he was the only Qunari period, but I can’t swear that we don’t see any other Qunari NPCs anywhere. Suffice to say he stuck out). He grew really quickly and eventually was 7’2” not including the horns. He also isn’t a mage, so there’s only so much that he can do.

His entire life he has tried to be useful and not take up too much space or attention. This is entirely self imposed, as the Watchers have always been kind and made him feel loved and supported. But he still feels the need to justify his place, especially because the other students his age were real dicks about him, partially because of the perceived special treatment he was receiving.

He is a really good student, focusing on magical theory rather than practical application. He understands magic better than most mages outside of the Necropolis. He also reads a lot of history and poetry. He reads a lot also because he doesn’t really have any friends, and he doesn’t talk to anyone his age much beyond pleasantries and what is needed for work.

He gets along much better with the senior watchers. And I think nearly every senior watcher sees him as their child to some degree.

7. Elspeth is the backstory I have fleshed out the least, and they’re also the character I’ve played the least.

The Crows buy orphans, and usually only elves and humans. Elspeth being a dwarf, she wasn’t high on the priority list. But when Viago saw this tiny child, he thought what the hell. It was the worst impulse purchase of his life.

Elspeth is not….the worst Crow. They just aren’t naturally patient. Or stealthy. Or graceful. Or quiet. They prefer a direct approach. Smashing things with a giant hammer is pretty direct.

What they are is committed and loyal, and genuinely everyone likes them. So they get away with a lot. They somehow have become Viago’s sister, child, bodyguard, and biggest headache. But only he is allowed to complain about them. He’ll kill anyone who suggests kicking her out.

[mediumsizedwildcat]

For the Rook questionnaire, 25 and 45 for all four of your Rooks!

Very interesting questions and something I've wondered and thought about before! Thank you for asking! <3

Unfortunately, my answers will probably be very basic xD but i also don't know that many characters off the top of my head, so... Forgive me for being basic? xD

If you want to ask more questions from the Rook questionnaire (it's spoiler free), my ask box is open and I welcome any and all questions about them! (my rooks)

This is a looong post, so I'm putting a read more cut here :3

25. How does Rook like to spend their free time?

a. Luke definitely likes to read, though he hasn't allowed himself much free time. With the Shadow Dragons he was mostly working, only brushing up on some things so he wouldn't stand out too much. Of course he had to hone his skills, too. In a way, the Veilguard actually show him how to relax. Now he watches Davrin carve and might even take up drawing in the future, who knows? He also sews so he doesn't forget how to fix his armors and clothes.

b. Before the Veilguard, Stellan never really had free time. They're too used to being the target, so they've been doing stuff that looked intimidating, like sharpening weapons or training. In the Lighthouse, they're trying to learn about the things the others like. They're learning how to make coffee for Lucanis, trying to figure out how to get through to him that Spite is a person, too, reading the books the Lighthouse's bookclub is up to, learning the finer arts of cooking... They're also writing down what transpired so far and sometimes just sit and stare at the walls, thinking everything that's happened so far through.

c. Nalaya absolutely loves entertaining Manfred. He helps him with his chores, asks him for tea, tries to get a closer look at everything in and around Manfred. She enjoys dragon talk, too, or listening to Emmrich's seemingly endless wisdom. Training with Davrin and Lucanis, philosophical conversations with the Caretaker, you name it. Only reading gives him a headache, so he leaves that up to the professor. And when Nalaya's really lucky, he can find Emmrich in a position where he can just slot in and get some cuddles.

d. Robin has spent the last few years fighting darkspawn and is secretly terrified by their new forms, so he's using Davrin's carvings and some rough drawings he made himself to study them. Antoine is right, the Blight is changed, and it scares the shit out of Robin. However, when he's not studying one of his new fears, he likes to explore. The Lighthouse, the save parts of the Crossroads, and of course Solas. Which means going through drawers and every conversation he's had with the man. He keeps busy with work and tries his best to help people, so there isn't much free time for him, anyway.

45. Who was Rook’s closest friend before joining the Veilguard?

a. Luke didn't have that many friends. Of course he knows fellow Shadow Dragons and could cooperate with them, but what does “close” even mean? He did like to get on Tarquin's nerves and Tarquin let him get away with it the most, but does that make them close friends? Probably not. Luke may also be a bit too paranoid to have close friends, always looking where he could help the most people and how. Unfortunately, the answer is Tarquin, and Luke wouldn't like this question.

b. Stellan's closest friend... Well, as an Antivan Crow, Stellan didn't make friends with most others. There's a sort of friendship going on with Viago, but Stellan has a hard time trusting people. They weren't born into a house and became a Talon's favourite, so friendship tends to mean a dagger in their back. No, thank you. Even with Viago it is a very tentative relationship, though it might count as the “closest” friendship he's had. They work hard, alone, and don't mess up contracts. (Being able to leave was a blessing in disguise.)

c. Nalaya's closest friends before the Veilguard were wisps. There are many of them in the Necropolis and Nalaya trusted them with a lot of things. He even went on a date with a wisp once! They were both children then, but wisps tend to be more understanding than mortal people, in his experience. If hard pressed about his closest mortal friends, he'd have to say VORGOTH and Myrna. Really, he prefers the company of fadefolk.

d. Robin's closest friends are hands down Anotine and Evka. When he joined the Wardens he was in a bad place, mentally and physically, and he fought every Darkspawn he could see. While he wasn't the friendliest (Evka had to knock him out a few times) Antoine and Evka never gave up on him. He wouldn't be the man he is today without them, and he's not afraid to admit that anymore. They taught him kindness and compassion and blighted or not, he wouldn't have it any other way.