#loghain mac tir x inquisitor

[blackstaff-blast]

It's happening. The first chapter of my Loghain/Inquisitor multichapter fic. I have so much to say about them ok.

Oh there will be fluff alright.

For registered users only, for now! We'll see where it goes :)

[lotreckk]

you can trust thedas to them 💜

closeups

[mythalsknickers]

For the DADWC: Had your Inquisitor ever been in love before being sent to the conclave? (featuring the inquisitor of your choice)

TITLE: Champions of the Just and Holy CHARACTERS: Drysi Amell, Zevran Arainai, Cullen Rutherford, Loghain Mac Tir RATING: Teen WARNINGS: Mentions of Suicide Ideation Word Count: 1307

"Love is ultimately selfish. It demands that one be devoted to a single person, who may fully occupy one's mind and heart, to the exclusion of all else."

It was against that wisdom that I did learn what love was during the fifth blight and even a little before it. Back than I did not have a good concept of how long I could live for as a warden directly exposed to the calling of an archdemon, and I wanted to live life to the fullest before I ultimately died. My joining was not something I chose of my own accord, I was forced down this path and I felt if I was to die, it would be knowing love.

The sweet florals of first love came while I was still bound to the circle at Kinloch Hold. The blush between two barely eighteen people, a mage their templar guardian. Greagoir and Irving had seen the hushed whispers, the lingering touches when I would heal him during my classes. The way his hand would guide mine along the chant of light verses. He was so determined back then that if a mage was faithful enough, their gifts would be safe guarded. Still our mentors chose him to be my executioner during my Harrowing, blessed the maker or the lady of the skies that it was never needed but he was so apologetic afterwards. It lead to our first kiss, and a pendant I wore through the entirety of the blight, and I wear anytime I am away from home longer than a day or two. Irving set me against the circle to punish a templar as our own mage would be punished. It saw me expelled from the circle and enlisted into the grey wardens. I would not see him again until after word reached myself and my friends that the circle had broken.

Leliana told me later I was despondent for days as we made our way to Kinloch Hold. An annullment had been ordered and needed to be carried out, and I had be tasked with it in turn for aide against the blight. The weight of destroying the home you have known since a child, was crushing. Yet hope persevered as we cleared the rungs. Apprentices had been safe guarded, that was till I saw him, locked in a cell by a desire demon, my face his torment. He begged me to kill even the youngest of apprentices. It was a knife into my heart, he wouldn't have asked for any of this. It was with the blood of my former mentor on my hands that we fought, things were said and my heart shattered. I was not the same girl that had left the circle after that.

My next brush with love...rather lust perhaps came at the hands of my would be assassin. Zevran Arainai, he was became a fast friend of mine once we recruited him. He seemed to know when my thoughts turned to the darkness eating at my soul and he would say something that would pull a chuckle from even Morrigan. He taught me what it felt like to be desired, to be craved and to be chased. I could not in good conscious promise him forever, not with the blight nor with the fact that I was still healing from the damage Cullen and I had done to each other. On the eve of the final fight he was there, but in the aftermath, he had his own mission to undertake, and I did not stop him. Every so often a letter from him makes its way into my hands or on my desk.

Perhaps the love that healed me the most was with Loghain, I'd call it the love of an enemy turned into the love for a partner? Our relationship was complex from the moment I betrayed Alistair and ordered Loghain under go the joining. He never forgave me for that even to this day. Loghain and I spent many nights, speaking about the blight and what to expect. Darkspawn did not behave as any army of living, but rather as a horde of hive minded bees defending their queen. At some point it turned from enemies being across a fire pit to compatriots leaning against each other and sharing a bottle of...oh I think it was wildwine he had traded for from a chasind who knew him. There were a few regretful kisses between then and the final stand against the archdemon. It was nearly a week later when Morrigan and Loghain had revealed while I still laid in a healing tent what they had done. I threatened both of them...yet despite the worst of my behavior neither of them budged. I remember what they both said to this day. The love of a sister and the love of a man I had doomed to die with me.

I distinctly recall one warden fit to fall on his sword, and another who clawed desperately to victory. My sister does not accept death for a man who had the gall to ask her to destroy her home. Are you quite done Commander, you are wallowing and it is pointless. Stand up and claim your victory Drysi Amell.

It would not be until I was summoned to Weisshaupt, I crept out of the castle in Denerim to find him waiting with two horses. In truth the journey north was cold and unforgiving and having him there, and our initiation bottles to drink was a warmth I did not know I need. One thing lead to another and we ended up in each other's arms and he kept me from putting my fist in the first warden's face. I left him in charge of Amranthine as I chased Anders to the Free Marches and then split off to go in search of a cure for the calling.

It was getting cornered by my cousin and the Divine and getting bullied into coming to the Conclave that lead me to cross paths with Cullen. I heard the nearly prayed whispers of my name when he sang the chant, or spoke to Leliana for news of my safety. I kept my heart and my identity from him until Haven. Perhaps it was the look in his eyes that helped me defy my odds and make it out of Haven alive. It was no archdemon, just the Architect's brother and his pet dragon. According to Leliana for the first several hours of my healing, Cullen sat in my tent working on his plans. We did not talk at any length until Skyhold and arguably that talk was more...desperation to hold eachother, to assure ourselves we were both whole and as okay as we could be. The blasphemy we committed that night beneath Andraste's statue...well some spirits did latch onto it apparently it was quite passionate. It was not until the dread wolf took my arm that he and I reunited with Loghain...gods preserve that man was fiery along with Cullen. I could not say no to both of them, and they understood that. We were all bound by blood and bone to each other.

Even now as I write this for Varric Tethras' tales of the Hero of Fereldan. I can hear them sparring with Cullen's nephew and niece, and two of the four mabari we have lay in here with me by the fire. Soon we will have some mabari pups to help with the templars recoving from lyrium. I have not given up my chase for the cure, but I have left it into hands far more suited to that discovery than mine. I found my peace finally.

[ineedmyknightcommander]

The Meresino fic in question!

Happy Dragon Age Day, thank you for the old men

All OCs are mine, the Meresino illustration is based on @ziskandra 's fanfic

[kalemesoftley]

And the warden gave Loghain those old maps he brought with him everywhere, Inquisitor.

[johaerys-writes]

Dorian Pavus/Trevelyan

A World With You, Chapter 23: Traitors and Tales

Tristan finally meets Hawke’s Warden contact, the infamous Loghain Mac Tir. Everyone knows him as the Traitor Teyrn, yet he isn’t the only one whose loyalty is in question.

Read here or on AO3!

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

“You’re Loghain Mac Tir?” Tristan breathed, blinking in disbelief. “ The Loghain Mac Tir?”

The man before him stood tall and proud in his Grey Warden uniform. The uniform itself had seen better days, worn at the cuffs and its metal buckles dull with time and wear, but one wouldn’t know it by the way the Warden held himself. He rested his hand on his sword hilt, his unflinching gaze fixed on Tristan. He had an imposing presence, seeming to take much more space in the room than a man of his size should, and the look of someone that expected his commands to be obeyed, no matter who he was talking to. And they probably would.

Still. Tristan could not possibly be talking to the Loghain Mac Tir.

“The Traitor Teyrn?” the man said. His brows drew down in a frown, the lines of his forehead deepening. “The very same. I assume you’ve heard all the names. I’ve been a Warden for ten years, yet I’ll never be considered anything else.”

So. It really was him. The man that had risked losing Ferelden and the rest of Thedas to the darkspawn, that had doomed King Cailan and the vast majority of the Grey Wardens to death at the battle of Ostagar. The man that had plotted and schemed to keep himself in power, even when most Banns were against him. The man who had been forced to join an Order he had betrayed, and for all intents and purposes was now about to betray again. That was the man that Hawke had brought him to meet, that would give him answers about the state of the world.

Tristan frowned. They would have a lot to say after this.

“Hawke here tells me that you know why the Grey Wardens have disappeared,” he said, crossing his arms before his chest. “You believe that Corypheus might have something to do with it.”

“That is correct,” Loghain replied, his voice calm and steady. “It is my belief that Corypheus is the key. After Hawke killed him, Weisshaupt was content to forget the entire affair. But if I’ve learnt anything from all those years of being a Warden, it’s that blighted creatures can survive even seemingly mortal wounds. Why not Corypheus?” He turned away, taking a step towards the old desk, where maps and scrolls were laid out. “I began to investigate. I found evidence, but no proof. Soon after, all the Wardens started hearing the Calling.”

“The Calling?” Tristan asked. He didn’t know much about the Grey Wardens, at least not as much as he would like. The Order had a way of keeping their affairs firmly behind the doors of their fortresses, and with the Blight having ended all those years before they had slowly but steadily faded into a state of semi-obscurity. Yet, that “Calling” definitely sounded ominous to him.

He glanced at Hawke, whose face had taken on a sickly pallor.

“So, the Wardens think their time has come,” he said slowly. “That they are being called into the Deep Roads, to make their final stand against the Blight before the Taint takes them. They think they’re… dying.” His fists tightened, and the muscles in his jaw clenched. “You never told me.”

“I didn’t believe it concerned you.” Loghain looked at Hawke over his shoulder, and Tristan thought he saw something akin to compassion flashing in those icy blue eyes, pale like the morning sky on a frosty winter’s day. Hawke’s gaze remained cold. Cold and angry.

A ball of apprehension settled in Tristan’s stomach. From the little he had seen of Hawke, he seemed like a man that was phased by very little. What was it about the Calling that could make him so angry?

Loghain let out a soft sigh as he turned around to face them. “The Calling is a portent, like crows circling the battlefield before the fighting. First, come the dreams. Then the whispers, just at the edge of hearing. That is when the Warden goes to the Deep Roads, to die with honor. But few people, even amongst the Wardens, know that the Calling is simply a sign of the Taint taking over. A Warden that hears the Calling can’t think clearly. All of the Grey Wardens hearing the Calling at once… that’s madness.”

“So, that’s why they’re hiding. They’re all in a panic,” Varric said. He was a little way away, leaning against the wall of the cave, his features obscured by the dancing shadows of the torch above him.

Loghain nodded. “They are.”

“Corypheus is imitating the Calling to scare them. And the Wardens are playing right into his hand.” Tristan shook his head, his frown deepening. “We need the Warden’s help, now more than ever. This is the worst possible time for them to be falling for a trick like that.”

“This is no mere trick, Inquisitor,” Loghain said. “I can hear too, at the back of my mind. Sometimes I catch myself humming it under my breath. I know it’s false, but that doesn’t make it any less real. The Wardens believe it is real, and that is all that matters.”

Tristan rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his blood pounding at his temples. This was bad. Oh, this was very bad.

“Can you hear it, too, Blackwall?” he asked, turning to the only other Warden in his party.

Blackwall drew himself up, his eyes darting to Loghain and then to him. “I do not fear the Calling. Worrying about it only gives it power.”

Hawke’s gaze snapped momentarily to him, before returning to Loghain. His brows were drawn in a thoughtful frown, his lips pinched in a tight line.

Loghain gave Blackwall a look that coming from any other man would have looked like a glare, but the Warden just seemed... perplexed. He was watching them all carefully. At times, it felt as though not a single movement went unnoticed by his pale blue eyes. It probably didn’t.

Tristan pinched the bridge of his nose and took a breath, hoping to ease the pressure of the headache that had started taking hold, an iron cinch around his skull. What Loghain was saying was outrageous. If Corypheus did indeed have that much control over the Wardens, they were all probably doomed.

That was… If what Loghain said was true. And Tristan still had little proof of that.

He fixed him with a hard look. Time for more questions, it seemed.

“We met some Grey Wardens just before coming here,” he told Loghain. “They wanted to take you back to Weisshaupt for questioning. Apparently, the Warden-Commander of the Grey Wardens herself has ordered your capture. Why?”

Loghain returned his inquisitive gaze with a calm and composed one of his own. “Warden-Commander Clarel ordered an urgent meeting with all the Warden Commanders after it became known that all Wardens hear the Calling. She insisted, and most Wardens agreed with her, that a new Blight, perhaps the more devastating to date, is close at hand. She proposed a ritual involving blood magic. A desperate measure to prevent further blights. I protested the plan, called it madness. They tried to arrest me.”

Tristan opened his mouth to speak, but Solas was faster. He took a step forward, straightening up to his full height as he came to stand next to Tristan.

“What sort of ritual is this?” he asked Loghain. “What are the Wardens planning to do?” His voice was… not panicked. Not exactly. But there was the sort of urgency that was now gripping Tristan’s breath, too.

Loghain stared at Solas in confusion for a quick moment, then shook his head. “I do not know. Clarel wouldn’t say how she planned to do it, or where she had gotten the idea for it. Even had she said, I am no mage. Any details would be lost on me. But I know that tampering with blood magic is never a good idea. I wasn't the only one to oppose it, but my voice rings the loudest, I suppose.”

Sola’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing more.

“Where are they planning to do this ritual?” Hawke asked. Straight to the heart of the issue.

“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Loghain said. “I still have some informants in the Wardens, but they’re getting harder and harder to track down. I need time.”

“Time that, unfortunately, we do not have,” Solas replied quietly, and Loghain shot him a sharp look, his lips tightening visibly.

“Solas is right,” Tristan agreed. “If Corypheus is using them, things are infinitely more dire than originally thought. The Wardens cannot fall into Corypheus’ hands. If another Blight breaks out, there will be no one to stop it.”

"I'll do what I can," the grizzled Warden said, his expression stony and unyielding. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, Inquisitor, I have work to do. There's too much at stake to waste time with idle talk. "

*** Tristan was seething by the time they left the dark cave. Almond was chewing on a patch of sad and rain-soaked grass when he approached her. For a moment, he wished he was as untroubled as she was.

“We should water the horses,” he said, running a palm over her neck. “We have been riding them non-stop for hours.”

Blackwall nodded, and untied his own bay gelding’s reins. “I saw a small a creak on our way here. There were no darkspawn that I could see, but we should be wary.”

The brook that Blackwall led them to was narrow and bubbling, running swiftly over flat and slimy rocks. It was at the bottom of a small ravine, and finding a way around the large stones that seemed to sprout from every bit of ground was tricky, but in the end Blackwall was able to spot a path that would lead the horses there safely. By that time, the light drizzle had turned into proper rainfall, pattering on the hood of Tristan’s coat, running in small rivulets down his leather breeches, slithering into his boots and soaking his socks. If there was a place more miserable than this, Tristan didn’t know of it.

Cursing, he took out his flask from his coat pocket. Thankfully, he had remembered to bring it with him this time. The brandy -Antivan, earthy and aromatic- did work somewhat in warming him up. It didn’t do much to calm him down, though.

Loghain’s information had unsettled him to his very core. If everything he had said was true, then Corypheus had full control of one of the biggest military orders in Thedas, and the only one that could stand against a Blight. And if the Wardens were indeed preparing a blood ritual…

That had given Tristan pause. Why did it suddenly seem like everybody and their aunts were doing a blood ritual of some sort?

His fingers tightened around the mouth of his flask until his knuckles went white. Everything was so complicated and convoluted, that no matter how hard he tried to pick the threads apart, they kept getting tangled. If Dorian were there, he might have been able to talk through all this mess with him. He always seemed to have some brilliant insight to offer that Tristan hadn’t even thought of, no matter the subject at hand. And he always did have a way of asking all the right questions. Had he been there during the meeting with Loghain, he would have pressed the old Warden in a way none of the others could, gleaned every bit of information he held.

That was, if Loghain could be trusted. Something that was still very much in doubt.

The smell of burning smoking leaf reached him, and he glanced beside him at its source. Hawke had come to stand next to him, the soft orange glow of his pipe illuminating his face from within the darkness of his cowl. It unnerved Tristan more than he cared to admit that he never heard him walking up to him.

Hawke exhaled a thick, silvery cloud of smoke, then extended the pipe to him. “Want some?”

Tristan wrinkled his nose and looked away. “No, thank you.”

“Suit yourself,” Hawke replied with a shrug.

He might have been mistaken, but Tristan thought the rain was falling harder now, making him shiver and retreat further into his cloak. Or perhaps it was Hawke’s presence that was making him uneasy. There was something about him, something nagging at him, like an itch at the back of his brain that he couldn’t scratch. He took another sip of brandy to steel himself.

“How do you know Loghain?”

His question was abrupt, and his tone a tad sharper than he had intended. He felt Hawke stiffen beside him.

“I was looking for a friend when I learnt about the Grey Warden’s disappearance,” Hawke said simply. He brought his pipe up to his lips. Inhaled. Exhaled. The smoke blew past his lips, dispersing in the rain and wind around them. “I contacted Weisshaupt under an assumed name. Loghain happened to be in charge, and asked me to meet him. He already had his doubts about the Order at that time, so when he learnt who I was and what I had done, he offered to help.”

“I… see.” Tristan took another sip of brandy. Hawke’s answer had given rise to more questions, none of which would help enlighten him in the slightest. There was something missing still. Something in Hawke’s tone that he couldn’t put his finger on.

“Does my answer not satisfy you?”

Tristan bristled at his curt tone. He opened his mouth, then closed it, thinking.

“I suppose it comes as a surprise that you would trust someone like him for information,” he said carefully after a short while.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

His gaze met Hawke’s in an unabashed stare. “Was that a serious question?”

“I’m not sure. Was yours?”

Tristan frowned with the challenge in the other man’s voice. He took a deep breath, preparing to go straight for the offensive.“Loghain is known across Thedas as a traitor. He has betrayed country and king, and not just once. Now he’s willing to betray the plans of his own Order, an Order he has betrayed the past. You must be able to see my reservations,” he spat, making sure his words packed as much derision as he could fit into them. He turned to gaze at Almond, calmly drinking water, oblivious to the tension that had settled thick around them. When he threaded his fingers through her thick mane he realised they were trembling slightly, and he quickly shoved his hand back within the folds of his cloak. “You’ll be hard-pressed to find a person in the whole of Thedas that he hasn’t crossed.”

Hawke huffed a laugh. “The same could be said of me. Or you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Every time I hear news of you, you’ve made a new enemy. After your support of the mages, half the Templars and the Chantry would want nothing more than your Inquisition declared a heretical organisation and your head on a pike. Does that mean you can’t be trusted?”

“That’s hardly one and the same,” Tristan retorted, his irritation flaring hot and bright. “I had reasons for doing what I did. I did it to make people’s lives better, the only way I could at the time.”

“Anyone you ask will give you the same answer. I did what I did to make people’s lives better, or so I thought. And so did Loghain, I’m sure.”

Tristan scowled at him. “You can’t possibly believe that.”

Hawke turned around to face him, his expression very serious all of a sudden. “You forget that I’m a Fereldan first, Inquisitor, and then a Marcher. I know very well what he has done, and what his actions have cost the world. Still, he’s the only one that can help us at this point. What he has done in the past is irrelevant, compared to what he is willing to offer now. Sometimes, you have to suspend your disbelief in the face of utter chaos. Especially when you have no other options. Which I’m sure you don’t.”

Tristan gaped at him, his pulse beating madly against his throat. He tore his gaze away when he realised he had been staring, clicking his tongue in disgust. Almond whickered softly when he pulled her away from the creek and placed his foot on the stirrup.

“Let’s go,” he called to the others, deliberately steering his horse around Hawke, as if he were nothing but a tree trunk in his way. “It’s getting dark.”

**

No one spoke a word as they got on their horses. A deep, pensive silence had fallen over them all, the clop of their horses' hooves one the stony ground and the pattering of the rain the only sounds for a long while. They passed through empty villages and abandoned huts, their thatched roofs rotting on sopping wet beams.

The Grey Wardens they had met were not lying about the darkspawn either. Their eerie, guttural sounds and the hollow clanking of their decrepit armours echoed in the grey darkness that spread around them as the day rolled on. They took care not to venture too close to any of the abandoned settlements, staying clear off the main road. The darkspawn, oddly, left them alone. Soon, Blackwall started talking with Varric, and Hawke joined in their conversation, and it almost - almost - felt like things were back to normal. Only they weren't.

As he swayed rhythmically on his saddle, Tristan's head felt as if it were about to burst.

He let out a soft sigh and rubbed his eyes with his free hand, wishing for a miracle that would somehow end his troubles. The lightning strike that fell just a few feet away, making a sad, leafless tree explode, would have been ideal. Alas, his luck didn’t extend so far.

“We should look for the nearest Inquisition camp,” Varric said, his voice muffled from within his hood. “I’m not staying in this rain for much longer.”

“Ah, how I’ve missed this,” Hawke said with a wide smile. His earlier somberness seemed to have completely disappeared, as though he and Tristan had never exchanged a word.“Still haven’t found your love for the outdoors, old friend?”

Varric huffed a laugh, that was broken up by a shiver. “Don’t think I ever will, Poppy.”

“Poppy?” Blackwall asked. “Where did that come from?”

Varric opened his mouth to speak, when Hawke interjected. "Something that happened many, many years ago. I'm sure Varric will spare us all from hearing it.”

“No way I'm leaving our friends in the dark, Hawke!” Varric chuckled. “It's Captain Poppy, to be exact. Do you want to tell them the story, or shall I?"

Hawke rolled his eyes. “I had hoped we would avoid that, but some things are just too much to hope for, aren’t they?”

“You’re damned right they are!” Varric said cheerfully. “I’ll say it if you don’t want to. I’m a far better narrator anyway.” The dwarf straightened up on his saddle and cleared his throat, taking on a serious expression. “It was a dark and cloudless night in Lothering. Our hero - Hawke- was returning from a night at his favourite pub, The Frisky Minstrel-”

“The Tipsy Minstrel, Varric,” Hawke corrected. “She was tipsy, not frisky.”

“Let the writer embellish his stories in the way he sees fit, will you?” Varric protested. “Now, where was I? Ah, yes. It was a dark and cloudless night in the dead of winter when Hawke was approached by a nefarious stranger. “Greetings, young master,” the man said. “I am looking for someone to undertake an important quest.””

“What was the quest?” Blackwall asked. He seemed enthralled in Varric’s story.

“I was just getting there,” Varric said, shooting him a pointed look. He cleared his throat again, making his voice deep and raspy. “”Smuggle five sacks of poppy seeds on a small boat, under cover of darkness, from Lothering to a secret port in Redcliffe,” the stranger said. “That is all you need to do.” Hawke, as you can imagine, was intrigued. The quest was simple. The reward was handsome.”

Blackwall let out a short huff. “I bet you five sovereigns there were way more than ten sacks on that boat.”

“Hold on to your gold, Warden,” Hawke said somewhat gruffly, but the amused smirk on his lips hadn’t faded.

Varric made a dramatic pause, eyeing his audience. Even Solas had shifted slightly on his saddle to listen. Pleased, he continued. “Without hesitation, Hawke took up the man’s offer. “Aye, nefarious stranger,” said he. “I’ll do as you ask. I may be young, but I sure am brave.” Thus, our brave, young hero, still wet behind the ears and hanging from his mother’s skirts-”

“Alright, I think that’s quite enough,” Hawke stopped him, laughing. “You’re still as terrible a storyteller as you’ve always been, Varric.”

Varric’s eyes widened dramatically, and he looked at Hawke with an expression of wild affront. “Well, then why don’t you go on more interesting adventures so I don’t have to embellish as much?”

Tristan didn’t realise he had been listening attentively to their conversation, until Hawke turned towards him. “Don’t listen to him, Inquisitor,” he said affably, his smile dripping with barely concealed mockery. “Varric has a way of coming up with the most extravagant tales. You should hear what he says about you when you’re not around.”

Tristan rolled his eyes and looked ahead of him, scowling. How he wanted to wipe that smug grin off Hawke’s face. With his fist, preferably.

“Now, now, I’ve never talked about Blondie behind his back! Well. Perhaps only once or twice. And when my audience asked for it. Quite insistently, I may add,” Varric replied with a laugh. “Even Chuckles here has been known to enjoy my stories from time to time.” His wide smile didn’t falter an inch when Solas snorted derisively.

“It’s fascinating how whatever interest I lack in your stories, you’ll invent for me,” the elf retorted.

Blackwall let out a loud guffaw. “He’s got you there, Varric.”

The sudden din of battle in the distance cut everyone’s laughter short. Tristan pulled on Almond’s reins and glanced around him, trying to locate the source of the sound. A cloud of smoke rose towards the darkened sky, and it did not look like the smoke of a campfire.

“That must be coming from Crestwood village,” Hawke said, drawing his steed next to Tristan’s. “It looks like they’re under attack.”

“From whom?” Tristan asked, and felt foolish for asking.

Hawke gave him a wry, arrogant smile and kicked his stallion forward, its large hooves splashing in the mud as it picked up its pace. “We won’t know until we get there, will we now?”

[theloghainquisition]

The Inner Circle

Forgive me, as I have not been keeping up with this blog as I had originally intended. I intend to update at least twice this week and it will likely feature for the great adventure of Warden Loghain, Loghain Hawke, and Inquisition Loghain. 

However, for this week I will do a short blurb on his inner circle. Also, I did not take Vivian as a companion as she was obviously simply riding my coat-tails to power.

Dorian Pavus (the Love Interest): As his love interest and closest companion there is very little the two don’t share. Loghain is not used to affection so the physical relationship came easier than the emotional one that blossomed between them. There is however, no one else that makes him smile.

Solas (Best Friend): First, Loghain trusts him. His knowledge  of spirits and the mark is unparalleled. Second, Solas is serious minded, focused and does not act like other elves he’s known. He does not defer to Loghain. He regards Solas as an equal and someone worthy of respect. In addition, he is the only person that Loghain trusts to treat the mark.

Cassandra (The Rival): He has a rocky relationship with the Seeker. She represents everything that frustrated him about the Chantry while he was under its thumb. Initially, he was attracted to her as a fellow warrior, but found that his affection for her was more sisterly. Although the relationship was difficult at first, it fostered into one of trust and equality. He has never shied away from challenging her and she has consistently challenged him.

He isn’t really as close to the others. Even Varric, who he is fond of, Loghain regards with skeptical distance. After, Hawke died this has changed and he’s tried to interact more with him.

[blackstaff-blast]

9 people you'd like to get to know better

I was tagged by @faneposting-my-beloved THANK YOU FRIEND okay i shall. i shall gather my thoughts

3 ships: GENERALLY i am the annoying one with all their self-ships.... But for the tag:

1. fucking hell i'm gonna say it INQUISITOR X LOGHAIN MAC TIR

totally not like i have a multichapter fic about my Inquisitor and that old asshole in the works

2. Hawke x Fenris

3. Xie Lian x Hua Cheng

First ship: you expect me to remember??? This ancient lore???? Shit I'm going to say Aragorn x Arwen

Last song: The Angry River by The Hat (True Detective s1 soundtrack) because I have just seen that show and irrevocably fallen in love. There is no going back.

Last film: film? No idea actually. But the last thing I've seen in general is the first season of True Detective

Currently reading: The Portrait of Dorian Gray, The Stolen Throne by David Gaider (is it fic research? yes.) and a collection of Poe's works

Currently craving: more true detective and more sleeb. in no particular order i just want to stare at rust cohle and/or be unconscious

Tagging: ok brace for impact @lowestechelonabomination @tachiehara @galedekarios @shokussy @connor-is-the-captain-of-my-bed @undertaker1827

9 people you'd like to get to know better

euuuuuuuuuuuugh

Tagged by @divinityiswasted

3 ships: mine lmAO, okay okay I'll be normal for half a second (she won't say anything normal) 1. Anastasya x Vein (Heroes 6) 2. Fahada x Khalida (Heroes 7) 3. Seras x that Australian guy (Hellsing) I know all of these are pre-established relationships but I am not much of a shipper outside my characters

First ship: Gauldoth (Heroes 4) x that girl he killed then Gauldoth x ME

Last song: The Story You Won't Believe - Live Version by Percival

Last film: Nimona

Currently reading: The Lord of the Ice Garden tome 2 outside of university reading list (which is XIXth century urban development)

Currently craving: playing Armored Core 6

I'll tag, uhhhhhhh, uhhhhhhhh, don't hate me for it: @silmarillia, @sabin1108, @arnaerr, @ashartstuffs, @radagon-in-eldentale, @golden-risuto, @luftnovax,@hai1ne, @lexsnotdead

[rosella-writes]

Hi Rosella, happy DADWC! For a prompt, for Morrigan/Warden Loghain, may I submit the following excerpt from Elinor Wylie's poem "Valentine":

Before my heart is dust At the end of all, Eat it I must, I must Were it bitter gall.

But I shall keep it sweet By some strange art; Wild honey I shall eat When I eat my heart.

I'm dumbfounded by this one, honestly. It's so beautiful. 🥺 I hope this little fill does it any kind of justice, thank you. For @dadrunkwriting

Pairing: Morrigan x Loghain Mac Tir Rating: T Context: the morning of the day Hawke, Loghain, and Inquisitor Virelan Lavellan's party leaves to besiege Adamant Fortress.

~~~

‘Tis strange, waking in a bed that is not hers, to sunlight that does not dapple so much as stream. Morrigan blinks against it and turns her face away from the light. She tucks her nose into the warmth of the blankets — warmth that lacks her son, but holds someone else. 

“Morning,” she tells the Warden in her bed. “I had not thought to stay, but it seems rest claimed me against my will.”

Loghain Mac Tir stirs, his voice a pitched rumble in his chest that is more vibration than sound. His arm tightens around her. “I am glad for it. Stop shifting about, it was perfect before you moved.”

“Well pardon me,” she scoffs, but she does not mean it as harshly as her tone implies. “I supposed you would wish me gone.”

His grasp tightens again before immediately falling slack. The weight of his arm is a comfort. “I do not wish it, no.”

Morrigan hums contentedly to herself, then makes a show of shifting closer and tucking in. ‘Tis purely to be contrary, she tells herself. It has nothing to do with the fact that the very warmth and scent of him are comforting, or that she savours every breath that expands his chest beneath her ear. She nearly fools herself into believing that she isn’t counting every single one, marking them, along with his heartbeats, in her memory. 

She feels, almost, as if she is consuming this moment. Their time is coming to an end, just as it had once before, but this had not been the bitter gall of the Ritual. She wishes she could hold it in her hands, an immortalised moment clutched close to her chest, as if it were a precious bauble that her mother might scold her for keeping. Instead it is much like honey, dug from a dead tree with hooked fingertips, dissolving into sweet heat in her mouth. Soon the taste will be gone, and she will struggle to remember.

Loghain grumbles, tucks his nose into her hair, and huffs out a satisfied breath. Her chest aches, and she closes her eyes.

[sidhelives]

Writing Tag Game

I was tagged by @kittynomsdeplume, @noire-pandora, AND @hezjena2023. Thank you thank you thank you! I'll tag @the-cryptographer, @frostyfelassan, @piecesofsolaswriting, and @beaubartley.

1.How many works do you have on AO3?

Fourty-Nine. Going for that big five-oh this week.

2.What’s your total AO3 word count?

*checks* 291,655 words

3.What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Listen Closely (Skyrim. Cicero x f!Listener) - 104 Kudos

Reunion (Mass Effect. Shepard x Thane Krios) - 52 Kudos

Care to Dance? (Dragon Age. NSFW. Varric Tethras x Cassandra Pentaghast) - 52 Kudos

A Chance Encounter (Dragon Age. NSFW. The Iron Bull x f!Trevelyan/Solas x f!Trevelyan) - 49 Kudos

The Inquisitor's Intentions (Dragon Age. NSFW. Solas x f!Trevelyan) - 46 Kudos

4. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I didn't used to when I started out, I didn't quite have a good handle on the process. Now I respond to every single one. I want commenters to know how much I appreciate them taking the time to comment and comment more!

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Ooof. Angtiest? *looks* So I've got some Solavellan pieces in compliations which are pretty angsty, but I tend to have hopeful endings at the very least. I guess "angstiest" ending would be one of these two:

The Scars (Mass Effect Andromeda)

Just (Dragon Age. One Sided Aveline x Isabela)

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Happy endings! Yay! I do a lot of happy endings, but I think happiest would be one of these two:

I Can Only Hope You Won't Be Too Disappointed (Dragon Age. Nathaniel Howe x f!Cousland)

You Composed the Cadence of my Heart (Dragon Age. Isabela x Bethany Hawke)

7. Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I don't actually! I once accidently referred to Thedas as Tamriel in a fic once, but that's as close as I've gotten.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not in comments or to my face. I'm sure people have said unflattering things about my work, but not to me. Fuck em. I write this shit for me.

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I write far more smut than is healthy for someone as Ace as I am. I mostly write f/m stuff, I've done a little f/f (working on one atm), and I've brushed up against m/m in group sex situations. I used to write a lot of m/m a lifetime ago, so I'll probably get back to it at some point.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Le gasp, no. I didn't even know this was a thing.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Like Hez, @piecesofsolaswriting recorded one of my fics as an audiofile, if that counts:

Take My Hands Podfic (Dragon Age. Fenris x f!Hawke)

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I haven't. The idea is very appealing though.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

OOOOOOOOOOOOF. Asking the hard questions. Based on my wordcount you would probably guess that it would be Solavellan (and I do love it, don't get me wrong) but I'm very partial to Anders related ships. I've personally written a lot of Anders ships (Including my crackship Anders/Trevelyan which I ADORE) and I just like that boy.

So basically like... I don't know dude. All them.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I try not to leave WIPs behind as a rule but I have a couple falling behind that I'm worried about:

a Mass Effect Andromeda fic following Sara from her almost death on Habitat 7 through the game dealing primarily with her relationship with SAM but also her internalized fear of Turians and how it conflicts with her attraction for Vetra and the complexities of the human condition

a Dragon Age fic where Regan Hawke arrives at Skyhold with her entire family (Fenris, their two sons, Bethany, Isabela, and Carver).

15. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm very good at dialog, particularly banter. Also metaphors.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Transitions are the worst for me. Going from one location/time/situation to another is a chore, I just want to be there (explains why I write so many contextless one-shots). Smut takes me forever to write and I have a very hard time injecting emotion into it.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I think it depends on the fic honestly. I use a lot of Elvhen in my fics, any fic I write with Zevran has some Spainish (Antivan), and I've touched French (Orlesian), Tevene, and Qunlot. Sometimes it's translated by the characters, sometimes I provide a glossary in the notes, and sometimes I don't give any translation at all. It depends on the POV and the tone of the work honestly.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Dragon Age. It's all that damn Egg's fault.

19. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Ooooof. Favorite Fic... I love everything I've written tbh, so I'm just going to do it by category:

Favorite SFW One-shot:

Between Rocks and Hard Places (Dragon Age) - A character study of Loghain Mac Tir set just after the Landsmeet and taking the Grey.

Favorite NSFW One-shot:

This is How it Starts (Dragon Age. NSFW. Solas x f!Trevelyan) - Desdemona confronts Solas privately and they have a heated discussion.

Favorite Ongoing Long Fic:

In Dreams Awake (Dragon Age. Will be NSFW at some point. Solas x f!Hawke) - After escaping from the Nightmare, Hawke wanders the Fade, searching and hoping for a way out. What she finds is something quite different.

Favorite New Fic (It's my blog I'll put in as many favorites as I want):

I'm Sorry I Ruined Your Party (Dragon Age. Might be NSFW at some point, haven't decided) - A short chaptered, POV switching romp with the DA2 kids surrounding an unexpected arrival in Kirkwall.

[garruson-vakarian]

ME + DA Friend Pairings

Okay but hear me out...

Shepard x The Warden/The Inquisitor

They would share stories of their heroism and their incredible strokes of luck. They would enjoy each other’s company, but would respectfully leave each other be out of the fear that some conflict would spawn out of nowhere and threaten the world (again).

Jeff “Joker” Moreau x Hawke / Varric Tethras

They would absolutely need tissues from crying out of laughter. No one would be safe from the treachery of their humor. Joker would spin stories at a rate that even Hawke was impressed with... Varric may have met his match. That begs the question, though: How much of  their stories are true?

Garrus Vakarian x Cullen Rutherford

Calibrations, strategy, and weaponry. Need I say more? These two would deliberate on their dreadful pasts and reflect on how they have changed their lives little by little to ensure that those tragedies don’t repeat themselves as long as they are still alive.

Kaidan Alenko x Alistair Theirin

Strong connections to their homeland. Would probably argue over who has the best national anthem, but laugh about it later over a warm homemade brew of Canadian-Fereldan craft beer.

Liara T’Soni x Lace Harding / Shaper Valta (same voice actress!)

Precious cinnamon rolls. All three of them. Each of them are curious about the world around them and are passionate when they talk about their work. However, they would not need to be protected at all costs, for they could easily protect themselves.

James Vega x The Iron Bull (same voice actor!)

They would host public contests to showcase who is stronger. Iron Bull would either hit James or hit on him. There’s no telling which would take place (first). There would be lots of competing and dancing between the two of them. Jimmy and Patches would have trouble getting bored.

Zaeed Massani x Fenris

Vengefully brooding in some corner, no doubt leaving a trail of dead bodies behind them. Zaeed would tell Fenris stories of how he killed a number of slavers as a mercenary, which would make him feel more comfortable in his company. Fenris, in turn, humored Zaeed by explaining how his hate for mages applies to biotics.

Urdnot Wrex x Sten

Severe levels of loyalty to their kin, to the point where they can make questionable decisions out of blind loyalty. They find respect for each other after questioning each other in their decisions and finding that they both learned from their experiences, and that an outsider’s influence may not have been the worst thing that could have happened to them.

Grunt x Oghren

Would absolutely attempt to out-drink each other. Grunt would learn to respect Oghren after he drank four bottles of ryncol and still managed to swing his axe in a 360 motion seven times without falling over. Grunt could do double that, but it was still more than anything a being half of his height could do.

Samara x Wynne

These two would talk about their need to protect others, and how their motherly love has grown to benefit those who need it. While Samara is dictated by the code, Wynne is aided by the spirit that possesses her. They ponder how they are lucky to be born with the gifts they are given, and that they are content with whatever fate has in store for them.

Thane Krios x Solas

I would be surprised if they did not discuss the meaning of life. They take pride in the fact that their role in their own lives is to serve as they are needed, and accept that some powers are greater than their own. However, this would not stop either of them in their endeavors to ensure that the ones they love are safe. Solas would attempt to replicate Thane’s reflective and vivid memories in the Fade, and invite him to experience it to lighten his burdens.

Morinth x Zevran Arainai

A dangerously provocative duo. These two would constantly tease each other into a bed somewhere, where Morinth could attempt to get Zevran to embrace eternity. Luckily, Zevran is smart enough to know when he is about to be overwhelmed by a woman (in a bad way), and can easily weasel his way out of her grasp. Regardless, the cycle continues.

Miranda Lawson x Isabella

These ladies would likely find comfort in talking about the little things that give them so much in common. It would help take away from their hectic lives, and allow peace to be found in fashion catalogs and their fierce independence.

Jack x Sera

At first, Jack would be incredibly annoyed by Sera. I mean, really, really annoyed. That is, until Jack stumbles upon some brownies in her quarters. Sera’s baking skills have improved since the bad cookies, and have evolved into a mastery of a red sand and lyrium brownies. It started out as a prank, but Jack makes sure to carry a few of them with her wherever she goes now, usually to remind herself not to destroy Sera the next time she sees her.

Kasumi Goto x Leliana

These girls would create some kind of secret language they could use to share information in a normal conversation with their peers. Even though they would refuse to share any secrets of their own, they would at least have fun with each other in the new world they have created together.

Ashley Williams x Anders

Both of these characters would share their constant strife with their unpopular opinions, which they do not hesitate to share. While they may find it difficult to get along with their peers because of this, they manage to get along with each other due to their dedication to their morals.

Commander Bailey x Blackwall

Would sit in immeasurable amounts of guilt and silence and avoid eye contact like the plague. Still, they could do that together and have a mutual understanding without speaking a word. The crossed arms would be enough.

Tali’Zorah vas Normandy x Josephine Montiliyet

They would share stories of their people’s history, which took place in ships that led to the success of generations. Each of them would explain the logistics of the ships they speak of, and be shocked in the stark difference between them. However, they would no doubt take notes of the intricate and fragile operations they function within.

Legion x Cole / Justice

An interesting combination, these three are. They have had the most elaborate journeys in self discovery, that they find it most beneficial that they share their knowledge. They also face identity crises, and find the experience most enlightening. They share the fear of becoming corrupted in the world they live in, which is a fear that is often shared with organics outside of the veil.

Mordin Solus x Merrill

Two researchers who are known for their questionable work, Mordin and Merrill would have the most interesting interactions. Merrill would be too anxious to cut Mordin off to explain how her magic works, so she would just silently sit and watch him pace back and forth and wait until he got close to passing out.

Dr. Karin Chakwas x Flemeth

Incredible amounts of wisdom. Essentially cares for others as needed, and they would go out of their way to ensure that others heed their warnings. Chakwas would share her grief about Joker and his resistance to take his medicine, while Flemeth would share her grief about Morrigan and her resistance to take her seriously.

Aria x Morrigan

They have both worked hard to attain their knowledge and power, and they will fight others to the death over what is theirs. However, if they grow close enough, they ~might~ show each other some vulnerability out of the sheer confidence that they are strong enough to destroy the other. However, Aria would remember Nyreen’s ethics and try to ensure that Kieran remains untouched.

[dreamsneath-blog]

Inspired by the prompt an unbreakable kiss—the type of kiss that really shouldn’t be happening, it’s a mistake, but you just can’t find yourself able to pull away. Word count: 349 Rating: suggestive

(All at once, the false Calling he began to hum so often under his breath fell into absolute quiet in his mind.)

“I’ve a thought, Loghain.”

If you might indulge me went unspoken, for they both knew it was unnecessary for her to try and appeal for his attentions. The reports spread out before him had long since been put to memory, were more a decoration of an excuse—a reason for them to meet in the quarters given to him by her away from the ears of her agents, if never their eyes.

Her nightdress had slipped down on her shoulders. Pale eyes drank in the hollows and curve of her clavicle before returning to his papers.

“Yes, Inquisitor?”

“No matter the outcome at Adamant, Corypheus will continue to be a threat to your Order. I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to stay.”

She offered kindness shroud as a shrewd, political move. Loghain understood it for what it was, yet still he paused. The agreement that threatened to drip from his tongue tasted bittersweet, but she didn’t allow him the chance to speak it aloud. In the moments silence stretched between them, she came around the table and took his face into her hands. She was gentle in her suggestion that he meet her gaze.

“You must leave southern Thedas,” she whispered, “once this is done.”

And then she pressed her lips to his.

All at once, the false Calling he began to hum so often under his breath fell into absolute quiet in his mind.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her body flush against his—all while her fingers tangled themselves in his hair, a soft noise escaping her throat, promising more. A promise made real the moment she took a step back towards the table and he followed without letting her go, without breaking a kiss that shouldn’t have been happening, but was—

Her hands fell to his shoulders as she sat her weight upon the table, his hands tracing the curves of her hips and down legs that spread to make room for him between them.

“What do you want, Loghain?” she asked quietly, suddenly, even as her dress was pushed further up her thighs.

“You.”

[the-redlion]

Dragon age

I’m just going to do the games... if I add the books and comics into this, I’m gonna overload everyone. (though I could, haha)

Favorite Male:

DAO - Alistair Theirin.

DAO:A - Nathaniel Howe.

DA2 - Carver Hawke.

DAI - Cullen Rutherford.

Favorite Female:

DAO - Wynne.

DAO:A - Sigrun.

DA2 - Meredith. (I can be a glutton for a good bad guy/ someone who spirals outta control)

DAI - Josephine Montilyet.

Favorite Pairing:

** for ALL of the following pairings I like both male and female HOF, both in game and in fics.**

DAO - Alistair x HOF & Zevran x HOF.

DAO:A - Nathaniel x Cousland HOF.

DA2 - Rival Sebastian x Hawke & Ander x Hawke. Ander is such an anomaly to me. I don’t really care for romancing him in game (my Hawke always ends up hating him), but I love fan fic pairing with him. He’s pretty much my favorite when BioWare isn’t leading the way.

DAI - Cullen x Trevelyan. (I love the mage inquisitors the best.)

Least Favorite Character:

DAO - Loghain Mac Tir. ( I honestly liked him in books. I feel betrayed by the in game version.)

DAO:A - Oghren.

DA2 - Merrill.

DAI - Sera.

Who’s most like me:

There isn’t one really like me, but there are some that speak to some of my traits.

DAO - Wynne. I can be protective especially of people I work with. I like to give advice if I can.

DAO:A - Nathaniel Howe. I carry grudges but I’m not over admitting I’m wrong when proven so.

DA2 - 🤷🏻‍♀️

DAI - The Iron Bull. Loyal and pretty open about my sexual desires and preferences. Good at my job.

Most attractive:

DAO - Alistair & Cailan Theirin.

DAO:A - Nathaniel Howe.

DA2 - Isabela.

DAI - Cullen Rutherford.

Three more characters that I like:

DAO - Cailan Theirin, Sir Gilmore, and Dagna.

DAO:A - 🤷🏻‍♀️

DA2 - Verric, Fenris, & Thrask.

DAI - Dorian Pavus, The Iron Bull, Knight Captain Rylen.

[halfblood-fiend]

Fictober 2019 - Day 4

From The Fictober 2019 event <3

Prompt 4 : “I know you didn’t ask for this.”

Fandom : Dragon Age: Inquisition

Words : 2,041

Warnings : canon character death

“I know you didn’t ask for this.” - Knight-Captain Rylen x Keram Adaar

Rylen hadn’t seen Keram for some time now. She’d gone missing somewhere in the afternoon, but her horse was still tied with the rest so he surmised that she couldn’t have gone far. Probably took a walk. The horned lass liked her time to herself and maybe needed it bad after Adamant. Maker knew he could use a breather himself, but there was always plenty shit to do. Best to let the Inquisitor have her peace.

So he took up looking after their sizable entourage to Skyhold. Between him and Commander Cullen, it was easy. Just like old times in Kirkwall. Only with fewer abominations and less bloody madness. 

But as the sun set over the Orlesian treetops and the first moon made its slow ascent over the Inquisition encampment, Rylen finally let himself get worried.

“You haven’t seen the Inquisitor, have you?”

“I haven’t.” Cullen looked up from his papers at Rylen and glanced around the tents as though Rylen hadn’t been doing the same fucking thing himself for hours. Together, they shuffled to the front of the ration line. It had been a hell of a lot longer earlier, but they had been too busy to stop. Now, the camp cook was already handing Cullen his share and filling the next bowl. “It was my understanding that looking after Keram was sort of your job now.”

“Har, har.”

Rylen eyed the steaming venison stew with the large roast potatoes in Cullen’s bowl and rubbed his face with one hand. Andraste’s ass, he was tired. And he wanted very badly to eat, to retire with Cullen to his tent, and maybe get slobbering drunk for good measure, but he couldn’t leave Keram out wherever she was. Not with a clear conscience.

The cook offered him a helping, and with a sigh, Rylen declined.

“Guess it’s time to do my job then,” he muttered. Rylen waved goodbye to Cullen and marched away from the welcoming smells of food and fires.

His stomach was very fucking unhappy with his chivalry.

So. Where could she have gone? If he was a tired, cranky, horned giantess, where would he go?

“She’s gone where she thinks it won’t hurt,” Cole said, suddenly appearing at Rylen’s elbow.

“Maker’s balls, Cole!” Rylen swore, leaping back and clutching his chest. “You’ll kill a man like that!”

“Sorry.” The boy dipped his head and his pale face disappeared beneath the wide brim of his patchwork hat.

“What do you mean, ‘she went where she thinks it won’t hurt’? She’s not…” Maker, he couldn’t even finish that sentence in his mind.

Cole’s eyes widened and his gaze snapped back up to Rylen’s. “No! No. I just… I followed her to see if I could help, though she usually doesn’t want my help. But this time… She hurts so loud and so hot. She seems very mad.”

Rylen chewed his lip. He’d had a hunch that Keram was hurting all through their slog across the countryside. Nay, ever since she returned with Hawke and her team and not Loghain. She’d been too close to the Warden to not be. Aye, Rylen knew, but he’d been too cowardly to do anything about it. Keram was seething throughout the whole trip, and Rylen never asked why.

What a sorry excuse for a partner you are, Rylen.

“Take me to her.”

Cole led Rylen much further from the camp than he would have thought Keram would wander but then stopped so suddenly at a sharp embankment that Rylen nearly bowled into him and knocked them both over the steep slope.

He didn’t seem to notice. “There.” Cole whispered, pointing out the way. “Through the ravine. She needs your help now, not mine.”

Don’t like the sound of that, Rylen thought as he thanked him and picked his way through the brush down the embankment.

A few steps closer and he could hear the rush of water. When Rylen ducked into the ravine, the roar became all he could hear. Then the path widened and opened up into a dimly lit glade with a shining, clear pool of water being fed by the small waterfall responsible for all that bloody racket. Hadn’t been here for a sodding minute and the spray was already forming droplets of water on his armor.

Damn, that’ll bloody rust, Rylen thought, brushing the metal plate as he squinted in the gloom looking for Keram.

Then the whole place lit up as a fireball whizzed past his head and exploded in the rock behind him.

Rylen dropped to the ground and drew his sword before he realized what was happening and rational sense could tell him that there could only be one person responsible for that.

“Come to slay me, Basvaarad?” Keram sneered. “Or will you just drag me back in chains to wither away in your Circles?”

Rylen spun towards the direction of her voice and found the vision herself crouched on a rock, naked and sopping wet, with a new flame ready and jumping in her hand. She looked like a feral thing, hackles raised and ready to strike. Rylen didn’t think she’d ever looked at him like that, like one of those sods she wouldn’t think twice about putting down. It stung in a way he couldn’t quite place.

But it’s your own fault, he told himself. Even though he’d been a soldier for so long it was second nature, Rylen cursed himself for reacting, for putting her on edge. He should have bloody known better. He should have seen this coming.

He should have known how to treat an angry mage.

Shaking the thought from his head, Rylen stood slowly. He sheathed his sword and held up his hands to her, swallowing any thrum of lyrium that wanted to burst to life. He refused to threaten her any more than he already had. "You know I'd never do that to you, lass. It would be a bloody crime putting you in a place like that. Besides, haven’t you heard? They don’t exactly exist anymore."

“Oh, if only your Chantry could hear that kind of blasphemous talk.”

Maybe he shouldn’t have, the sticky predicament he was in, but he found it too fucking funny. That she would still think, after all this, that he gave two single shits about what the Chantry thought... He laughed. Bitter. Hollow. Maybe he had never quite believed like the other boys and he was always just looking for a way out of the family business, but he certainly didn’t care for the Chantry now.

Not if it would deny him her.

“Something funny?” Keram hissed, low and dangerous like a sand viper.

“Fuck the Chantry, Keram,” Rylen said with feeling. “You think that if I cared about them, I’d be here? I only care about the Inquisition and what they stand for. And now? Honestly, lass, I now I mostly only care about you. If all I was was a Chantry dog, I’d be dead by now. Or worse." It occurred to him that he could have been like those beasts they hunted in the Approach if he had stayed with the Order. Would the red lyrium have been forced on him if he hadn't joined the Inquisition? Worse, would he have taken if willingly?

Keram’s lip curled and with a shout she hurled the fireball, not at him, like he assumed, but at the pool. With a high-pitched hiss the fire hit the water and curled away into a cloud of steam.

“Not that I’m not glad that wasn’t in my face, lass, but—”

“It’s a fool’s errand, caring for me. You can ask Warden Loghain how that sentimentality worked out for him.”

Rylen opened his mouth to speak but Keram barreled on.

“All those Wardens at Adamant,” she said scornfully, “How were they all so damn stupid? Loghain wanted to make things right—he was the only one with some sense, Shokrokar. But now he’s gone... because of them!” A new fireball leapt to life in her hands, this one crashing against the rock wall opposite them. “I never cared about any of this shit! I never cared about your stupid war for magic or the damn sky! I just…want to make things right. And all your foolish Orders and Circles and Emperors squabble and bicker while the world unravels… I am trapped here because no one else is willing to do anything!” The next fireball crashed into the waterfall, throwing a shower of droplets into the air. “Loghain was going to do something… and now he’s dead. What a waste.”

Once he realized Keram wasn’t cross with him at all, Rylen’s brain whirred to try and catch up. Cole was certainly right. She was hurting and she was mad.

Breathing hard through her nose, Keram curled around herself and rested her chin on her knees. She stared angrily at the water, seething and stewing. Cole had said she needed him now, but Rylen could hardly tell what she needed him for besides maybe target practice.

He approached her rock and the giantess didn’t move. He leaned against it and she didn’t look at him. Do something, you sod! Rylen hoisted himself onto the rough stone, settling himself close to Keram and he still didn’t get a face full of fire. In fact, once he was next to her, she dropped her head to his shoulder.

“Loghain was the best of that whole sorry lot,” she murmured, her voice thick.

Rylen momentarily recalled the man who he’d known so little yet heard so much of. Maybe he had given him good advice as far as Keram was concerned, but Loghain Mac Tir had also killed hundreds of people, started a civil war, tried to have his opponents poisoned, and sold men and women into slavery, just to name a precious few of the countless atrocities he committed as Regent during the Fifth Blight in Ferelden. ‘The best of the lot’ was not the way Rylen might have described him, but instead, he said, “Aye, lass. He was. I am so sorry for your loss.”

“It wasn’t just my loss! I am used to losing things, that’s not new. A leader like that is a loss to the entire Inquisition! I am tired of sending useful people to their deaths while spineless worms like Gaspard roam free. We need people of action, not pomp and circumstance.”

Rylen chuckled darkly. “Is this a bad time to remind you that you chose to let Gaspard live? And you gave him the Empire?”

“It is,” she growled.

“Look, lass…” Rylen turned his face to press a kiss to Keram’s forehead. For a half-second, he wondered if he would be thrown off for it, but the giantess remained snug and warm against him. “I know you didn’t ask for all this, but you’ve been navigating the whole Inquisitor thing better than most would have. Maker knows I wouldn’t have the patience for it. Not for the parties or the damned diplomacy… I don’t think I could even do Commander Cullen’s job! But you? You’re the most capable leader we could have hoped for. And I think Warden Loghain would have thought so too. Why else would the legendary ‘Hero of the River Dane’ have followed you into battle?”

“Because he was also the ‘Traitorous Teyrn’ and had nothing else to lose by following an oxman to his death.”

“Well, now, hold on.”

“Still,” Keram sighed over Rylen, “leaving a skilled general in the Fade was just as wasteful as sitting here moping about it is. There is no time for such weakness.”

With that, Keram rose in one fluid movement and leapt to the ground like a cat.

“It’s not weakness,” Rylen reminded her with a frown. “It’s grief. We lost many good soldiers in that siege. It’s not weakness to grieve for any of them, Loghain included.”

“We can argue the semantics if you wish,” Keram said as she picked her clothes up from another stone and pulled them on, “but I have no time for weakness or grieving. Perhaps when I have finished tearing Corypheus’ still-beating heart from his body with my teeth, I will find the time to grieve for Loghain.”

[mistresstrevelyan]

B A S I C S - Full name: Rhiannon Cousland - Gender: Cis Female - Sexuality: Bisexual - Pronouns: She/hers

O T H E R - Family: Mother (Eleanor Cousland d.), father (Bryce Cousland d.), older brother (Fergus Cousland b. 9:02 Dragon) husband (Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir), daughter (Teleri Esclarmonda Cousland Mac Tir b. 9:40 Dragon) Girlfriend (Leliana) - Birthplace: Highever 9:08 Dragon - Job: Commander of the Grey (Ferelden), Teyrna of Gwaren, Warden Representative at Skyhold, Maid of honor to Queen Anora (Former) - Phobias: Losing her family again. Sleeping at night/in the dark. The whizzing sound of arrows. (It was the first thing she heard when Dairren opened the door during the night of the Highever massacre). Entering Highever’s larder.  - Guilty pleasures: Orlesian romance novels. Apple wine from Highever. - Hobbies: Horsseback riding. Sparring. Reading. Playing the virginals. Playing with her daughter. Spending quality time with Loghain and Leliana. 

M O R A L S - Alignment: Chaotic Good - Sins: Wrath.  - Virtues: Diligence.

T H I S  O R  T H A T - Introvert / Extrovert - Yeah both - Organized / Disorganized - Close-minded / Open-minded - Calm / Anxious / Restless - Disagreeable / Agreeable / In between - Cautious / Reckless / In between - Patient / Impatient / In between - Outspoken / Reserved / In between - Leader / Follower / Flexible - Empathetic / Unempathetic / In between - Optimist / Pessimist / Realist - Traditional / Modern / In between - Hard-working / Lazy

R E L A T I O N S H I P S - OTP: Rhiannon x Loghain - Acceptable Ships: I’m very protective of her bc. the last person I fully entrusted her with turned her into a sidepiece/nameless maid for their OC. But I love shipping her with Canon Chars and other (people’s) OCs. - OT3: Rhiannon x Loghain x Hadiza (Who is @the-crowned-serpent‘s lovely Inquisitor) They’re actually in an OT4 with Raleigh Samson. - Brotp: Rhia x Anders (Boy do they have UST though) - Notp: - Other than the obvious (IE Rendon Howe & Co) none, really. She’s very lovable.

[breninarthur]

Hello DADWC! 👋 Here's my prompts list <3

💥Please be aware that I haven't finished Veilguard yet! No further than On Blighted Wings. 💥

Kallian Tabris is my grumpy berserker warrior from my DAO fic; when darkness comes. She's also in Knight My Heart, a modern fantasy actor AU, and my Nobody Dies* AU in which... yeah. Her tag is kallian tabris, and I tweet about her sometimes :)

I also have Maz Hawke, my blue/purple mage, El Lavellan, my assassin rogue Inquisitor, and Alra Niina Aldwir, my dwarf warrior Rook. They're all in the same worldstate (AU's included), but I haven't written much for them. On mobile so can't link their tags rn 🙄

Happy to write them alone or maybe with each other as well!

Pairings:

Romantic:

- Kallian Tabris / Alistair Theirin (canon)

- Kallian Tabris / Zevran Arainai (more complicated, a canon flirtation but no more. Flatmates in KMH AU.)

- Kallian Tabris / Anders (unrequited on his side but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

- Maz Hawke / Fenris (canon)

- Maz Hawke / Any DA2 companion (unrequited or failed in some way lmao)

- El Lavellan / Blackwall

- Loghain Mac Tir / Rowan Guerrin

- Adaia Tabris / Duncan

- OC / OC - mine/mine or mine/yours!

Platonic:

I'm happy to write pretty much any platonic relationship! Here are some examples, but definitely not limited to these:

- Kallian Tabris & Zevran

- Kallian Tabris & Ciarth (Dog)

- Kallian Tabris & Morrigan

- Kallian Tabris & Daveth

- Maz Hawke & Carver

- Maz Hawke & Varric

- El Lavellan & Solas

- El Lavellan & Dorian

- Alra Niina Aldwir & Varric

- Alra Niina Aldwir & Solas

- Alra Niina Aldwir & Harding

- Alra Niina Aldwir & Lucanis

- Alra Niina Aldwir & Lorelai

- Rowan Guerrin & Katriel

- OC & OC - mine&mine or mine&yours!

I do also have a Tabris ancestry WIP! New OC's in each chapter, so if you don't specify a pairing, I might do one for that.

Prompt List:

I love to write angst and fluff, and enjoy lots of tropes and AU's, so feel free to send me pretty much anything 🥰 I will probably not write smut, though.

(These are vaguely sorted into categories, though there's overlap.)

Angst (broadly speaking)

- angsty poem prompts

- "for the damaged" - x

- Hidden Injury

- "Hit 'em where it hurts" - x

- Quotes about death - not all angsty! - x

- Short angst sentences

Fluff (broadly speaking)

- 14 Days of DA Lovers

- 50 Types of Kisses

- Bed sharing scenarios

- Compliments and reassurance - x

- cute shippy prompts - x

- Domestic fluff

- Kisses

- Love confessions

- platonic sentences - x

- Random ship dynamics - for this one, you could send the prompt on its own if you like, and I could choose the pairing that fits :) or pair it with another prompt!

- Soft and sweet sentences - x

- Soft sentences - x

Misc

- Aberdeen Gothic - x

- Artefacts of Thedas

- Bottles of Thedas

- Caring prompts

- Chaotic found family

- Charles Dickens Prompts

- Convoluted Scenarios

- DAtober 2022

- Dragon Age inspired prompts

- Dragon Age Promptober

- Dragon Age specific dialogue prompts

- "from the hero" sentences - x

- "from the villain" sentences

- Hozier lyrics - x

- medieval / fantasy sentences

- micro story prompts

- OC Codex - x

- OC Codex 2

- Physical contact

- Poetry prompts

- Richard Siken

- Sappho Sentences

- Sensory prompts

- Sickfic

- Sleep Token prompts

- "so you had a bad day" prompts

- Trope bingo

- Vague Cold Weather Prompts

- Whump

- whumptober 2022

- Word prompts

Other filled prompts: x, x, x, x