#modern girls in thedas make do

[catofadifferentcolor]

Terrible Fic Idea #91: Modern Girl in Thedas, but make it DA2

In honor of DA:V coming out next month I've been replaying DA:I. This is something of a trial because, having just finished a Hogwarts Legacy replay, it's easy to tell that this game is 10 years old - that, and I loved how focused and intimate DA2 feels. Yes, it has world-spanning implications, but it's really all about this guy trying to do his best by his friends and his family. I love it, and DA:I never inspired the same kind of feels.

All of which is a long way of saying: I got to thinking about that most famous of tropes, Modern Girl in Thedas, and I thought about how would I handle it?

Or: What if the MGiT were to appear in Kirkwall shortly before the Fifth Blight?

Just imagine it:

Rather than a true self-insert, I see this more as modern woman meets Thedas, with a middle-aged fan of the Dragon Age series waking up in the body of an unnamed background character in a Hightown estate sometime in early 9:30 following a severe illness. The keyword here is fan - the SI has played the games, read the fic, and glanced at the wiki, but couldn't write out a clear timeline or recall most codex entries.

The SI eventually learns that she's woken up in the body of Sofia Vidal, the 15-year-old daughter of the richest merchant in Kirkwall. Their family has a virtual monopoly on cloth trade on the northern cost of the Waking Sea and has distant ties to Orlesian Nobility as well as the Amells. Their Hightown estate abuts the future Hawke Estate, and if the term robber baron existed in Thedas it would probably apply to here them.

Now, going from the body of a middle-aged engineer from the modern world into the body of a teenager in a Medieval fantasy world is difficult... but luckily no one seems to notice, because it seems doubtful that anyone has ever noticed Sofia Vidal in her life, her family included. She was mousy and shy and easily startled and apparently an endless disappointment to the family for being more fond of books than hunting or fighting.

Because, as Sofia soon discovers, the Vidal family has aspirations. They can read the writing on the wall with regards to the current Viscount and are willing to go to any end to have their family be named the viscountcy.

To which end: Sofia is the youngest of seven children. Three died in the cradle or soon after. Her oldest brother - Gaspare, her senior by nearly twenty years - spends most of his time in Orlais with his titled wife, running the family business interests there. Their other two living siblings are mages, with Amalia sent to the Kirkwall Circle while her twin Agnese went to the Circle at Dairsmuid. It had been their father's hope that, should they not be able to secure the viscountcy themselves, one of his children could marry into the line... but Sofia is so unlikely to catch anyone's eye that her father despairs of her ever marrying at all.

All of which brings us back to the events of DA2.

Sofia may not know much, but she knows that the Blight is coming. She also knows that the conditions in Darktown are horrendous and only about to get worse as refugees flood the cities, so she buys a book on healing, collects some herbs, and sets up shop on the opposite side of Darktown from where Anders had his clinic. It's better than sitting around the estate all day and makes her feel like her transmigration has a purpose.

The events of canon proceed apace...

...which is something of a surprise, because for a long while it's quite easy for Sofia to forget that she's in a video game world at all. That is, until Anders appears at her door looking to swap healing recipes, trade potions, and - eventually - share a drink at the end of the day.

It's through Anders that she meets Garrett Hawke - a cheerfully sarcastic force mage of breathtaking power. He's the sort of powerful it would be easy to fear if he wasn't so affable and in control of his gifts. The idea that he could probably take over Kirkwall through sheer power of his magic and personality alone never seems to occur to him - which is good, because he could probably be DA's answer to Alexander the Great if he cared to try.

Sofia doesn't join the Kirkwall crew, however. She does her healing, gleefully watches their antics from the sidelines, and occasionally joins them for a drink at the Hanged Man.

Though she is the first to welcome the Hawkes to Hightown at the end of Act I, becoming quite close with Leandra. (For many years Leandra will harbor the hope that Sofia and her son will marry and give her many grandchildren to dote over, but neither are inclined that way. Especially after it's revealed they're third cousins.)

Sofia turns 19 in 9:34, the year Hawke becomes Champion.

It's also the year Sofia is introduced to Sebastian Vael, being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night to attend the prince, who is bleeding out in the foyer of Hawke's home following the events of Repentance. It's not the first time this has happened - Sofia's bedroom is infinitely closer than Ander's clinic - but it is perhaps the most embarrassing.

Embarrassing, because she prefers not to be introduced to royalty in her nightclothes. Sofia has standards - not many, mind, but she has them.

Luckily for her, Sebastian is far too out of it to recall what she was wearing. But he can't help but develop a crush on the kind healer who so diligently tended his wounds - one who also ministers to the poor and downtrodden, though she could easily choose to live a life of luxury.

What follows falls somewhere between the canon friend and rival romances. We get a Sebastian who wants to regain Starkhaven because Sofia deserves no less than a Prince but who has the calm and pro-mage sympathies of the friendship route.

But that of course takes time, because Sofia's not convinced at first that Sebastian's crush has nothing to do with seeing her in her nightclothes. (Nor, for that matter, does she particularly care for the idea of a chaste marriage or an aggressively anti-mage spouse. She'd not been a particular fan of Sebastian in the game, but hadn't hated him either.)

Canon proceeds apace. Hawke becomes Champion, Kirkwall is left without a viscount, and Sofia's father tries to marry her off to however looks most likely to succeed Dumar this week.

As the chaos mounts, the soft, slow romance between Sofia and Sebastian is a breath of fresh air. On Sebastian's part, it grows from a seed of fondness - and, yes, lust - to genuine affection as he gets to know Sofia. For her part, by the time Sofia realizes she cares for Sebastian she's already in deep. Its friendship turned to love, which is the best and strongest.

They wed in a small ceremony in 9:36, only telling Sofia's father after the fact. As Sebastian has to leave the Chantry to do so, they're forced to camp out at Hawke's estate for several weeks before finding a small place of their own. This is awkward - mostly because the Vidal estate right next door and Sofia's father is a pompous ass on the best of days.

As the calendar turns to 9:37, matters reach their tipping point. Anders blows up the Kirkwall Chantry and Hawke is forced to kill him in hopes of restoring order. This fails and events of the endgame play out with Hawke siding with the mages.

Hawke goes on the run, helping mages across the Free Marches get to safety.

Sebastian makes good on his promise of taking back Starkhaven for Sofia, making her a princess in truth. The city becomes a sanctuary district for many of the mages in northern Thedas, much as Redcliffe was for the mages in the south. This doesn't prevent the events of DA:I, but halves the numbers of conscripts available for Alexius to conscript later. They send forces to help Kirkwall rebuild... but the city is still lawless and in turmoil when the Conclave occurs in 9:40.

Per Sofia's urging, Sebastian helps the Inquisition in its early days... though she does make it clear that she thinks the Inquisition's only aim should be to close the Breach.

But for the most part Sebastian and Sofia end up living fairly happily in Starkhaven. They have a larger family than Sofia ever imagined herself wanting - 5 kids, but magical epidurals are a wonderful thing. It's not a utopia, but it's the best that can be expected given the politics of the time. Their eldest succeeds their father as Prince of Starkhaven while their next oldest, not to be outdone, eventually gets themselves named Viscount of Kirkwall - just as the Vidal family had always dreamed.

Bonuses include:

Sofia becoming deeply, deeply over-invested in the relationship between Hawke and Fenris. So much so that for a while Sebastian thinks she's interested in one or the other or both and resolves to let her pursue her happiness without any interference from him, only to have it knocked into his head by a third-party that Sofia doesn't want be with them, she wants them to be with each other. This should be played for maximum humor and confusion.

An exceptionally complicated relationship with the Chantry. Sebastian is very much a committed Andrastian, whereas Sofia was agnostic at best in the modern world. Are demons and magic and the Breech proof that the Maker exists? Should she follow the rituals of the religion for Sebastian's sake or be honest about her beliefs? Can she open her mind enough to give Andrastianism an honest try? &c.

Sofia coming to view Leandra as second mother. Though she tries her best to prevent the events of All That Remains, she's not a fighter. All she's able to do is injure Quentin and alert Hawke to the problem sooner; Leandra still dies, but it's before Quentin is able to reanimate his perfect bride.

An engineer being forced to come to terms with magic. It makes the transition to a world at Middle Ages level of scientific advancement easier than it otherwise would be (magically running water!) but still makes Sofia's basic knowledge of germ theory a great leap forward in her Darktown clinic; and

Sofia gaining a reputation for being a great storyteller by blatantly stealing stories from the modern world to entertain children at her clinic. Varric eventually "borrows" some of these ideas and ends up writing the DA version of Harry Potter set in a fictional Circle in the years leading up to the mage rebellion.

And that is surprisingly more than I had. To be frank, the Sebastian romance snuck up on me because it's not one I usually go for, but the muse wants what it wants. As always, feel free to adopt this bun - just link back if you do anything with it.

More DA Ideas | More SI Ideas | More Terrible Fic Ideas

[lectorel]

Modern Thedasians in Inquisition:

(Yes, I am riffing on the Modern Girl in Thedas concept.)

Post-Reformation Qunari: Viddathari mage, under the arigena as silversmith, who only ever learned about the pre-reformation Qun's attitude towards mages as 'a product of what was known at the time'. Went through 'possession-proofing' at ten, which was mildly traumatic, but, you know, fair trade-off for being able to live without things trying to crawl inside their head.

The pre-reformation Qun, as embodied by the things the Iron Bull says about it, deeply troubles her, and she's constantly having small crises of faith. She grew up being taught that the problems of pre-reform were only due to what was not known to them at the time, and that any pre-reform qunari given the correct information would naturally adopt the post-reform view. The fact that this is not proving true is leading her to wonder how rational their society's beliefs actually are.

Especially troubled by the gender thing, since post-reform Qun has moved to seeing gender as a function of role: all those governed by the ariqun use zi/zir pronouns, those by the arishok use he/him, and those by the arigena use she/her. She's very bad at remembering what people's genders are, since to her, everyone is walking around with very clear gender signifiers that are not correct. Except Dagna, who is, in her mind, the only damn person in Skyhold who makes sense. 

Western Tevinter Vulgerati: Tevinter split in two in a massive civil war several generations before his birth, the outcome of which has resulted in the western liberationist province, and the eastern slave-holding province. Technically still the same country, but only because neither side will acknowledge the other as its own nation.

Western Tevinter has a split government - The House of the Magisterium and the Publicanium Assembly. The Magisterium's members are all mages, elected from a limited pool of candidates put forward by Altus houses. The Publicanium is non-mages from Vulgerati Houses, and seats are inherited.

Western Tevinter has a semi-regimated society, with Altus (mage) and Vulgerati (non-mage) houses theoretically being equals at the top of the heap. Below them are the Lanteans, land-owners, and below them the Soperati, the working class.

The herald is the adopted son of a vulgerati house, specifically adopted because the blood heirs all developed magic, and under western province laws, they can't inherit a vulgerati title. (The blood heirs are less than pleased with this, and their parents are trying to find an Altus house they can be married into.) He has vague memories about learning about Corypheus, but only in the context of 'that guy who pissed off the rest of the world so bad we spent a couple decades in a cold war. Did something to the fade, I think? I don't know, it's not exactly relevant to my life. If you want to know the past 50 years of covert warfare and political maneuvering, that I can tell you about.'

Is continuously appalled by Dorian 'allegedly a progressive' Pavus, because "by the old gods, man, there are a lot of possible outcomes between 'being comfortable as a slave' and 'being poor while free', how do you not see this?"

[contreparry]

Happy Friday!!

For whatever pairing you’re feeling tonight, how about having them do some berry picking from your summer prompt list?

Absolutely! Here's some Alistair and Morrigan modern!Thedas for @dadrunkwriting

"Berry picking in the summer. How very... pastoral," Morrigan commented. Was that snobbish? It sounded snobbish. Alistair rolled his eyes and plucked another strawberry out of the patch. It was a pleasant summer day, the air warm and a little sticky with humidity, and the whole group had come out to the countryside outside Amaranthine to pick berries.

He and Leliana were talking about it a few days earlier- berry picking in the summer, that is. Morrigan then chimed in about how she picked berries in the woods when she was a girl (which Alistair just couldn't imagine, really, she seemed to have been born a cynical adult). They started arguing (good natured arguing, no claws extended or teeth bared) over which berries were the best or what they were best used for, and they found themselves at a bit of an impasse. When they glanced over at Surana to play tie-breaker, he only shrugged and said he never picked berries.

Never picked berries! And he called himself a born and bred Ferelden! It was horrifying and had to be fixed. So now they were picking strawberries at a local patch, and Leliana promised to bake a strawberry tart for them all when it was done to prove her point that strawberries were the superior summer berry. Free food was more than enough motivation for Alistair to keep the berries in his basket instead of devouring them on sight.

"You can always leave," he suggested, and Morrigan snorted. Snorted! And then she bent down beside him and jostled him out of her way. She jabbed her sharp, pointy elbow into his side to make room, and Alistair wheezed.

"I prefer raspberries," she declared with a crispness to her words. "But strawberries are acceptable." Her face was covered by the shadows cast by her wide-brimmed black sunhat. Alistair looked at her as Morrigan picked strawberries and dropped them into the green plastic basket. She was wearing her standard dark colors from the top of her head to her boots, and despite the temperature she hadn't even broken a sweat. Even her heavy eyeliner hadn't budged. How did she do it?

"Doesn't it get hot, wearing all that black?" he asked. Morrigan scoffed.

"It's linen."

"... right," Alistair mumbled. Linen? What did that even mean? It was just like Morrigan to say something inscrutable and expect everyone to catch her meaning. When it came to magic Surana kept up with her, and if she talked about fashion Leliana was perfectly in step, but Alistair had no idea what Morrigan was saying. His expression must have given his cluelessness away, because Morrigan sighed loudly and rolled her eyes.

"Ugh. It's breathable fabric. Natural. Good for hot weather," Morrigan explained slowly. "And I prefer dark colors." She shuffled over slightly, giving Alistair a little more room, and returned to picking berries. Alistair joined her, carefully placing berries into his basket until they were nearly spilling over the rim.

"Yeah. I noticed. Probably wouldn't recognize you if you weren't in black," Alistair replied. "It's a... what do you call it? A... signature look! That's it."

"Hmmm. It seems you can retain information," Morrigan said, and somehow it didn't sound snobbish at all. Alistair grinned and popped a strawberry into his mouth. Perfectly sweet.

[pinayelf]

Pinya pls tell the world more about Immy!!! How did you design her look?? What inspo are you usually drawn to? Talk shop Tuesday sounds super fun!

Thank you so much!!!

Haha I will never turn down an opportunity to yap about Immy ❤️

When I first designed Immy in the DAI CC I wasn't really thinking of any specific thing. I gave her wide set eyes because I think wide set eyes are SO PRETTY. I gave her curly hair because I also thought it was pretty and most of my ocs at that point only had straight hair

I know the way elves looked in DA2 isn't really the canon, but I do LOVE an "elfy" look outside pointed ears, so I also gave her the high nose bridge. Human!Immy doesn't have this so there's a difference in designs haha.

It took me a bit to settle on her final design (if you've been here for a long time Immy wasn't always a soft pastel pink girl), but once I finally settled on her being chubby, freckled and having dimples I also decided to just go in and give her that pink princess-y and magical girl aesthetic.

I've never done that for an OC because if you were on the internet during the 00s-early 10s, it was generally frowned upon to make an OC so indulgent - also that type of aesthetic is seen as cringe. But also deep down I knew I liked it for myself and it actually helped me finally find my own personal style. (My personal style is also similar to Immy's but mixed with Amihan's as well :))

I wanted to see a chubby brown woman be romanticized as well as I love the idea of a pastel pink aesthetic in contrast with the world of Thedas lmao. I know (for now) there isn't really any type of lore wrt that type of aesthetic so it's fun to explore and world-build how Immy would achieve her look in Thedas.

This would be the type of inspo I'm usually drawn to! More for the modern setting Immy but also a bit for Thedas or high fantasy Immy

Romantic, cute statement pieces, lots of pink, some 00s bubblegum pop and a bit of romantic 70s

For Thedas and high fantasy it's this! (not entirely historically accurate and ALSO mixing time periods which Thedas does anyway lmao)

THAT gunne sax dress again (a dream dress for me, I want to own one so badly), Italian Renaissance dresses as I ADORE THEM, and for a lack of a better descriptor "elfy" fantasy style dresses too. I go a bit heavy handed in the princess look but I am one of those people who love the princess lavellan deal lol

This is so long but thank you for asking!!! Talk shop Tuesday is fun ❤️

[seriousbrat]

omg this is so fun I have to do it. i was tagged by @juniperpyre thank you!!

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (or however many you have) posted fics and see if there’s a pattern!

not all of these are marauders and some of them are like.. a decade old but still

Falls the Shadow (canon compliant marauders era, james/lily)

Cokeworth, the little smoggy blot of nothing on the map just northwest of Leicester.

2. Lippy Kids (marauders muggle AU where everyone is a girl, james/sirius)

"Oh, fuck me!" shouted the girl, slamming the palm of her hand against the door.

3. Pretty Girls Make Graves (canon compliant one-sided severus/lily)

Like so many polluted, dismal summer days in Cokeworth, this one seems to stretch endlessly on as Sev drags himself wearily up Dorlcote Close towards Lily’s.

4. From the Ashes (canon compliant marauders era, james/lily)

The room is dank, stale, clogged with smoke and shadow.

5. The Silence of Another (next gen, Teddy/James Sirius)

The ghosts stare at him from above, from all sides, calling him coward and disappointment.

6. The Night Will Always Win (canon compliant marauders era, james/lily)

The world is dark, he can perceive nothing but a sharp metallic taste in his mouth and pounding in his ears.

7. Paradise Circus (dragon age, modern thedas AU, fhawke/isabela)

“Look, Mum, just—” Marian Hawke jerked the steering wheel violently to the right.

8. Something Like Love (life is strange, chloe/max)

When you think of Chloe, you see her sleeping at her desk.

9. Gold on the Ceiling (dragon age, lavellan/dorian)

“Inquisitor, may I introduce Madame Violette?” Vivienne said, describing a genteel arc in the air with her hand towards the seamstress, a spindly woman with— in Dorian’s opinion— an altogether too enthusiastic proclivity for rouge.

10. Sea Legs (dragon age, fhawke/isabela)

“You know,” said Isabela, tossing the rope over the side and stepping onto the deck.

I am aware that I like to start things off with dialogue... some of these I haven't thought about in many years haha. Especially the LiS fic- there was a period when I was obsessed with second person lol. Otherwise I do think I like a brief, punchy opening line full of imagery.

I'm honestly not sure who here writes fanfiction rip but I'd love to see this from @artemisia-black and @firefeufuego if u want!

[weird-obsessed-girl]

Modern Character in Thedas!! Fic Rec

I actually love that there’s a part of the Dragon Age Fandom where basically self-inserts have such good fics. I’ll admit that a lot of what I read in this tag is self-indulgent (but that’s really what fanfiction is for) and I thought I might catalog some of my fav fics so far.

I think also what’s great about this tag is that it actually exists! I try to occasionally find similar concepts in other fandoms but this kind of tag doesn’t seem to translate into many other fandoms, or at least the fics that do exist aren’t exactly to my taste. So hopefully this is helpful to everyone like me!

Mostly only Inquisition. IF ANYONE HAS ANY RECS PLEASE SHARE

Also can more authors pls write different ships other than Cullen and Solas?

I’m more partial to completed fics but unfortunately many of the fics in this tag are WIPs. I’ll be posting more lists like this in the future so be on the lookout.

With Horns - The_Ravenous

Not rated ı 97/? ı 362,357 words ı updated 2021

Modern Boy in Thedas who gets turned into a Vashoth, he basically replaces Adaar. Male Inquisitor/Cassandra, yay a ship that isn’t common within this tag!!

I’ve only read the first few chapters but the main character seems funny and I’m partial to the MC becoming a mage and learning the ins and outs of magic.

Identity - AMCanderly

T ı 6/6 ı 26,172

This is part of a series where a woman from earth get transported into Thedas in DA 2 but she gets made tranquil, this fic specifically is her struggle in having the mark which causes her to be cured and her struggle with regaining consciousness/autonomy.

Sugar and Spice - Cracking Lamb

E ı 15/15 ı 25,894

This is a fic that spans across all 3 games so therefore is not a very detailed fic however I love the stable relationship between Bull and the MGiT.

What a Wicked Game - Cracking Lamb

E ı 148/? ı 400,570

CrackingLamb yet again! I admit I have not even read this one half way through but from what I have read I really enjoy Imogen/Solas even if it’s slightly toxic, also good smut…

No Longer A Game - Here_To_Be

E ı 63/63 ı 347,357

I haven’t read this one but it seems to be promising, you might be noticing that I prefer to read about an MCiT that knows the events of the game so any summary mentioning that the character loves Inquisition is immediately put on my TBR.

MARKED - ThroughtheMirrorDarkly

M ı 10/10 ı 109,948

I read this a while ago so I don’t remember much but I remembered the name out of all the hundreds of fics I read in a year! The MC has spent a few years in Thedas but wasn’t involved in the story until Inquisition. Solas/OFC

Running On Empty - PickleDillo

T ı 27/27 ı 163,762

This is the first in a completed series, MC/Iron Bull so obviously it has to be included, I can’t wait until I finish this series. This includes an MC inquisitor who isn’t immediately skilled in combat or over powered.

Coalesce - Beckily

E ı 36/36 ı 83,437

This does have a r8pe warning so I’m not sure if this is explicitly in the story, but it has such an interesting concept of a Modern Girl who gets transported into Male Adaar’s body and they have to figure out how to live together.

Virtually Faded - AntlersandFangs, Celtic_Lass

M ı 101/101 ı 519,973

This is probably a fic that i am not going to read anytime soon as I’m intimidated by the word count. (Don’t make fun of me I’m not patient enough to read really long fics, i need to CONSUME as many fics as quickly as possible) This fic is centred around a pair of friends who get transported to Thedas so this is slightly different from the other fics in this list.

Ad Infinitum - Stormontheocean

E ı 78/78 ı 252,544

MC discovers that Thedas’ Common language is definitely not English so she pretends to be deaf and mute, slightly Mary-Sue but I’m not opposed to it in doses. MC/Cullen

Commiseration - cleighc

M ı 1/1 ı 12,867

A small one but with a focus on relationship between Cole and MC, def not a happy one but interesting nonetheless.

Swedish Firesteel - Escapist_Velocity

T ı 100/100 ı 142,503

I haven’t read this one but it could be interesting. MC/Cullen

{1. Defiance} Everything’s Just Fine - EmpressTod

T ı 73/73 ı 181,562

MC/SERA!!!!!!! Sera is never bloody apart of the main pairing so this is exciting for me.

honeyeater - foetend

E ı 21/21 ı 58,529

Reasonably short one that I haven’t read all the way through so hopefully this is worth it. The concept of Flemeth being involved and tasking MC to get close to Solas is heaps unique so it has to be mentioned. I feel like people really don’t utilise the Elvhen Gods/lore enough or perhaps tend to lean towards paragraphs of lore dumping.

Suddenly, Qunari - Jiwa

E ı 20/40 ı 168,203

Once again MBiT gets transported into Adaar’s body and becomes the Herald! Eventual polyamory with Bull and Dorian, I like how cute and funny MC is.

Ithelan - DyeingRoses

M ı 35/? ı 80,925

Inquisitor/OC which is not common, however I’m not sure how frequently this fic will be updated, this is def on top of my TBR list. MC becomes a tatted elf.

Sugar Honey Iced tea - AntlersandFangs, Beckily, Celtic_Lass

M ı 48/48 ı 412,762

Multiple modern characters dropped into Thedas, haven’t read this one but it seems interesting most especially because of the pairings. Varric/ OFC, Krem/ OFC, Solas/ OC, Inquisitor/ OC.

The Guardian - yayenchan

M ı 13/? ı 56,602

Female Trevelyan/ OMC, Mary Sue elements here but the first chapter seemed promising.

[daitranscripts]

Dorian Conversation: Investigate

Tell Me About Yourself

Dorian Masterpost

If asked before: [6]

PC: It occurs to me that I barely know anything about you.

Dorian: Beyond my being a mage from Tevinter, you mean?

PC: Beyond that, yes.

Dorian: And beyond my being so charming and well-dressed? Which is obvious to anyone.

Dialogue options:

General: If you say so. [1]

General: I hadn’t noticed. [2]

General: Don’t push your luck. [3] -Dorian slightly disapproves

Flirt: It’s obvious to me. [4] +Dorian slightly approves

1 - General: If you say so. PC: You certainly think highly of yourself. Dorian: It’s true. I could be more modest, but I’d be lying. [5]

2 - General: I hadn’t noticed. PC: Some more than others. Dorian: Some people have superior taste. [5]

3 - General: Don’t push your luck. PC: (Sighs.) Let’s move on, shall we? [5]

4 - Flirt: It’s obvious to me. PC: I’m well aware of your finer qualities, believe me. Dorian (male PC): Of course I believe you. The moment I saw you, I thought, “There’s a man who knows quality.” Dorian (Female PC): Of course you are. You’re a discerning and intelligent woman, after all. [5]

5 - Scene continues.

Dorian: Now… what was I talking about? Ah, yes. Me. I am the scion of House Pavus, a product of generations of careful breeding, and the repository of its hopes and dreams. Naturally, I despised it all: the lies, the scheming, the illusions of supremacy. That’s Tevinter in a nutshell, isn’t it? Needless to say, my family was not happy with my choices.

6 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: “Careful breeding”? [7]

Investigate: Your family is angry with you? [8]

Investigate: You don’t like Tevinter? [9]

Investigate: Why not go back? [10]

General: That’s enough for now. [11]

7 - Investigate: “Careful breeding”? PC: What did you mean by “generations of careful breeding”?  Dorian: The great families of Tevinter don’t have children. They refine traits, weed out the undesirable, and promote the rest. My mother was chosen for my father because magic runs strongly in her blood. Never mind that they loathed each other. They wanted a son who could become Archon, to make House Pavus the envy of the Imperium. They got me: a cautionary tale that you should be careful what you wish for. [back to 6]

8 - Investigate: Your family is angry with you? PC: Why would your family be upset with your choices? Dorian: Because I rejected their idyllic plan. If they had their way, by now I’d be married to some unlucky girl from a powerful family. We’d live in luxurious despair, despising each other as I waited to take my father’s place in the Magisterium. I declined the honor, and thus it’s best I’m far from home. Less of an embarrassment that way, you see. [back to 6]

9 - Investigate: You don’t like Tevinter? PC: I’m getting the impression that you don’t care much for your homeland. Dorian: On the contrary, I care for my homeland a great deal. There’s so much potential. Sadly, we squander it. We refuse to acknowledge how far we’ve fallen because pretending is easier. We pretend the Qunari can be beaten. We pretend that we’re superior to everyone, even our own people. Not everyone feels that way. I don’t. Sadly, we’re the minority. [back to 6]

Dialogue options:

Special: But why do you care? [12]

[Back to 6]

12 - Special: But why do you care? PC: It just seems… so much of what you say about the Imperium is entirely negative. Dorian: It might sound that way. For all our faults, my people have many virtues. We are laden with history and culture–Tevinter is where Thedas truly began, remember. We treasure our past and preserve it. You can walk down a side street and find nothing built during the modern ages. And, despite appearances, we care. Deeply. About everything. We have no reserve, not in war and not in love. If I truly believed my homeland was beyond all hope, I wouldn’t miss it so much. [back to 6]

10 - Investigate: Why not go back? PC: Why remain with the Inquisition? Why not go back to Tevinter?  Dorian: (Chuckles.) I’m not exactly welcome back home. Not that it matters. I’m quite accustomed to being a pariah. It adds to my charm. I can do more for Tevinter here. If the Venatori succeed, it’ll set my homeland back a thousand years. I’m sure some magisters would disagree… but that’s why we kill them. [back to 6]

11 - General: That’s enough for now. PC: I think I’ve heard enough. Dorian: That’s too bad. I never tire of talking about myself. Scene ends.

[greypetrel]

4, 12, and 19 for Aisling! - koko anon

Hi koko! :D

Sure, here you go!

Tis the prompt list

4. In developing their backstory, what elements of the world they live in played the most influential parts? 

I wanted to explore the "only three mages in an elven clan" line. Yes we have Merrill, but I'm more OC driven than prone to explore canon characters if not in relation. The fact that as a First, per background, she was trained to lead, in combination with the above, it was a "She may have wishes of her own, but they all come after". Also, the fact that in Inquisition you can ride horses. She became a horse girl because of that, I like the horses. I'm not a horse girl I swear I'm too broke for it. Also, after playing a Mahariel who strikes me as a more harsh character, I wanted to see how a highly emotional character would fit.

12. What have you found to be most difficult about creating art for your OC (any form of art: writing, drawing, edits, etc.)? 

About her? Frankly her Vallaslin. I did a chart for it, I'm always confused about it myself. :"D Also, it's a little tricky, with a round face and full cheeks, to not make her look like younger than she is. As for writing: finding her a nickname. I'm still not fully convinced with "lucky", and I think the most fitting is "pikachu" (which I kept for the modern AU). Alas, no pokèmon in canon Thedas, tho. :(

19. What is your favorite fact about your OC?

As above: that she's emotional. I'm more on the reserved side, so having a character that just... Cries when she wants to? HOW. Also, the contradictions. I do like contradictions in characters, she just has the most of them. Cinnamon roll that can and will electrocute you.

[lilllithdraagon]

Fanfiction Fridays

it has been done. New chapter of The Path Not Taken is up. (It's porn) WOOT!🥳🥳

Since it's been a while, description and tags under the cut.

The Path Not Taken (210871 words) by Heldpeach, LilllithDraagon Chapters: 37/? Fandom: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Solas/Original Female Character(s), Solas (Dragon Age)/Original Character(s), Original Female Character/Original Female Character, Herald of Andraste & Original Female Character, Zevran Arainai/Orignal Character(s), Felassan (Dragon Age)/Original Character(s), Zevran Arainai/Felassan/Original Female Character(s), Felassan (Dragon Age)/ Zevran Arainai, Minor or Background Relationship(s) Characters: Original Female Character(s), Solas (Dragon Age), Other Character Tags to Be Added, Varric Tethras, Kitty (Dragon Age), Cassandra Pentaghast, Original Inquisitor Character(s) (Dragon Age), The Iron Bull (Dragon Age), Sera (Dragon Age), Vivienne (Dragon Age), Zevran Arainai, Felassan (Dragon Age) Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Unreliable Narrator, Tags May Change, Blood and Gore, Eventual Romance, Romance Secondary to Plot, Modern Girl in Thedas, MGiT, Modern Character in Thedas, Slow Burn, Dark Shit is Dark, They almost die a lot, It only gets more unhinged as you go, Major character death - Freeform, Ocs are musicians, they're all idiots, trust the tags, Dubious Morality, Fake Pregnancy, Fake Miscarriage, allusions to rape, gross and dumb plans, it's not dumb if it works, Angst, Heavy Angst, Depression, reference to suicide, Flirting, Also all the sexual tension known to man, Swearing, Music, don't do drugs, this has TV show formula, It Just Does, i don't make the rules, who paused the slow burn?, fake lovers to real lovers, Smut, Bondage, Threesome - F/M/M, Zevran sandwich, Polyamory, Topping from the Bottom, soft dom Series: Part 1 of Worth It Summary: Use of Australian Spelling Added Cover Art 7/11/2023 {Do you ever get that feeling of wanderlust? Like you want to travel but nowhere quite evokes the emotions you want? Sometimes, I have this yearning for home, the place my heart belongs. I left pieces of my heart in Thedas, though I’ve never been there in person… In Haven, in Skyhold, in Crestwood. And travelling to those places always feels like I’ve found myself again. For what is home but the first place you run towards when your soul is weary? A heart doesn’t know the difference between reality and fiction} - LillithDraagon. All Stories must start somewhere. Two Australian women are suddenly transported to the world they have only seen through a screen. Containing their excitement at their fresh start, they must face this new world and all of the dangers within it. It won’t be easy by any means. Especially not when they find themselves embroiled in the events of Dragon Age Inquisition. What fate awaits them? Will their new lives be worth the struggles they face? (Asterisks mark smut chapters.) !!!NOT A SELF INSERT!!! (lmfao) Part 1 is complete. Part 2 is currently being posted weekly.

[embervoices]

Questions for Fic Writers

from @clumsyclifford

(Note: All my fics are accessible to AO3 members only, sorry!)

What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?) Probably CHEESE! or Initial Summoning for Dragon Age and Good Omens, respectively.

Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits? Unsurprisingly: Self-Insert (12), Humor (10), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence (10), Fluff (8), There's also: Modern Girl in Thedas (12) but that's because 11 of them are from one series. I'm bemused that "Silly" only has 4 entries. It really should probably apply to almost all of them. To be honest, I think I'm spotty at best at tagging.

What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics? Religious themes, especially polytheism and spirit work. Unapologetic self-insert. Silly humor.

What detail in your fic are you really proud of? I'll have to think about it. I'm often surprised what lands well despite my thinking it would be horrible… The two things that come immediately to mind I don't think I've shared yet. First is that I experimented with writing the same paragraph of Solas' thoughts, first in prose, then Iambic Pentameter, and to scan with Leonard Cohen's Halleluia. That was because people were conflating the ballad meter of Halleluia with "Iambic Pentameter" because they noticed the Iambic part. But I just thought it was really pretty. I haven't had any reason to share it, though. Maybe on Tumblr now I'm back, I dunno. Second is in a self-indulgent fic I was writing with my co-writer Cowoline. If we ever get around to posting any of it remains to be seen, but there's one scene where one character is reading to another character some terrible purple prose, translating out of Orlesian on the fly. To get that text, I took some of my own romance scene writing from an earlier story and shoved it through at least French, and then back to English via Google Translate. The results were indeed appropriately terrible.

What do you wish someone would ask you about your fics? Answer it now! Nothing comes to mind. I am not sure I'm reticent enough for this to be a big problem. LOL

What’s one fact about the universe of The Canticle of Dreams that you didn’t get a chance to mention in the fic itself? EmberQuizzy isn't actually human. Her soul/spirit is made of Vanic material, not human material. She only appears human because it's what she expected to look like. Thus it's quite possible her and Solas' children will indeed have pointed ears.

Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of? Mostly whenever it catches me by surprise that some arbitrary decision early on actually clicks perfectly info place later.

What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)? I have a whole series of images in my head for making a Good Omens comic out of Ghost by the Indigo Girls, but I don't have the artistic chops, nor the patience to do it myself, and it's too much to commission another artist to do. So it'll have to wait until/unless I can find someone who will do it as a collaboration rather than a commission, which seems… unlikely, and possibly unfair. Mind you, if I had the spare money lying around, there are several GO Fan artists I'd commission to do it in a heartbeat!

How do you find new fic to read? Mostly, by filtering AO3 searches. Occasionally one or another fan group I'm in will post a rec that gets my attention, or a friend will ask me to read their thing.

How do you decide what to write? It attacks me in my sleep!

[heniareth]

For the seven characters thing: Zev, Alistair, Morrigan, Wynne, Leliana, Sten, and Ilanlas c:

Ooooh, the core companions!! This is going to be delicious 👀👀👀👀👀 Let's get to it!

I'm going grocery shopping with Alistair

Alistair strikes me as the ultimate roommate. And so I'm taking him grocery shopping! We're going to load the cart full of good food, gawk at exorbitant prices and make fun of weird products in the supermarket. He's going to buy too much food bc he's used to calculating portions for all of the templar recruits and it will be fine because we all eat more than we reasonably should be able to. And careying everything up the stairs won't be a problem bc Alistair's strong and I am... getting there XD XD XD

I'm going to have lunch with Ilanlas

We're going to a steak house. A fancy one. We're going to try a meat platter if they have one. I really really want to know what he thinks of beef and chicken and our modern day meat in general, as well as the preparation modes. He's probably going to descend into a rant at some point. I'll needle him for recipes and I hope he gives me one or two. I would also really want him to try Wagyu meat (hope I spelled that one right), but it's probably over my budget. We'll gaze whistfully at it.

I'm going to have coffee with Zevran

I really wanted to take him as a plus one to the wedding, but I suspect he'll assume I expect some kind of service out of him. And I don't want that. And I want to get him some good food, but Ilanlas is already coming to the steak house. So I'm inviting him out for coffee. My treat. I'll get a bunch of sweet and savory food too to go with it and we'll just eat our way through that. A conversation will surely be struck up, and knowing Zevran, it will flow nicely. I do hope he enjoys the food tho. No idea what he'll make of our coffee. I'm interested in learning.

I'm going to go thrift shopping with Morrigan

I feel like Morrigan would be the most appreciative of thriftstores and would also find stuff she likes in there. I personally don't enjoy thrift shopping so much as thrift looking. I'll be coming with, point out ridiculous outfits, look for stuff that Morrigan might like, give my honest opinion when it's time to try the garments on. Girls' night!

I'm going to explore a aquarium art gallery museum with Sten

Listen. Listen. The personal gifts for this man include art. They're almost all paintings. I'm taking him to a classic art museum. We're gonna walk around for hours while he looks at the paintings, makes vague noises and I try to strike up a conversation. It will devolve into a philosoohical debate that will end up going in circles. It will be fun and exhausting.

I'm going to a bookstore with Wynne

I want to know what kind of romance novels she reads. I want to maybe leaf through one, and maybe be a little bit surprised by the things she likes to read. I'm also imagining her walking into a bookstore with So Many Books and going all O.O Books can't be that common in Thedas, and they certainly don't look like ours. I bet Wynne has never heard of a paperback.

I'm going to take Leliana as my plus one to a wedding

Since Zevran is not coming with me, Leliana is! We can dress up fancy, and you know Leliana would love that. We can cheer for the bride and groom, eat lovely food, dance, talk with and about the guest... I think ot would be a lot of fun!

Thank you for the ask!!! I tell you, this was the most welcome distraction today. Hope you're having a lovely day!!

(Here's the seven characters thing)

[catofadifferentcolor]

An Incomplete List of Self-Insert Fic Ideas

Aberforth's Daughter SI: Of all the things Harry Potter was expecting of magic, finding a girl who'd be like an older sister to him was not one of them

Lysa Tully SI: In which Hoster Tully's middle child is the face of Westeros’ Age of Enlightenment

Petunia Evans SI: In which a Modern Muggle in the British Wizarding World doesn’t need magic to change the course of the Second Wizarding War

Princess of Dol Amroth SI: In which a Modern Woman in Middle-Earth changes almost nothing - but still makes a difference to her nephews

Thedas is Not Enough: In which a modern woman in Thedas cannot stop the mage rebellion, but maybe she can do a little bit of good

More Terrible Fic Ideas

[crackinglamb]

I haven’t read your DAI stuff so (no dunk on you, I just can’t get into the game) pick out a piece of a favourite scene and give me a break down!

🥰 I know you're not a fan of the games, and therefore probably not a fan of Solas. So I very much appreciate the ask. Thank you so much. I'll keep as much of the shippy-ness out of this as possible but it is the lens I dissect him under, so to speak. Hope you're strapped in and/or reasonably comfortable. This is long.

I picked a very short snippet for a little context and setup:

“Can you walk?” she asked. He nodded once, pushing on the wall to use its leverage to gain his feet. He wavered there until she sighed and wrapped her arm around his waist. She didn't speak again until she'd half dragged, half led him back across the courtyard to an unassuming wooden door, crooked on its hinges. She kicked it behind her once they were through it, and turned to him, a stern expression on her face. “I shouldn't let you in.”

“No, you shouldn't,” he rasped out. “You cannot know what danger I have brought to you.”

Lark lifted a sardonic eyebrow at him, then huffed in exasperation. She hauled his arm back over her shoulders and led him deeper into what remained of the compound. “Foolish wolf.” (From A Fallow Season)

So...first of all, I never intended to go down this rabbit hole. I know I say it a lot, but it's still true. Before I played the game, all I knew of Solas was some spoilers and fanon. It painted a very polarized picture. It wasn't until I did some research (for another DA fic) that I discovered why. He's trying to fix a mistake. He's doing it completely the wrong way, with a head full of pedantic arrogance and misguided ideals. He's a disaster on legs. But at his core, this is who he is: a man trying to atone for something he did.

And suddenly I was fascinated. I do understand why people dislike him, especially on a surface level. I have Opinions about it, but that's not what you're asking for. I wanted to know, what makes him tick? What possible inducement could get him to not destroy the world?

After writing hundreds of thousands of words on the subject, I got deeper into the lore and history of Thedas and started wondering if there was another perspective to bring into play other than my usual Modern Girl In Thedas. Thus, Lark Cadash was born. Dwarves in Thedas are interesting in that they are depicted as a dwindling race, not from their own doing, but by the doings of others. Leaving out MUCH of the endemic problems BW has with trying to create races other than humans, dwarves are equally as fascinating to me.

They've lost almost all of their culture too, just like elves. They're divided as a people. They have long memories. Lark was designed to defenestrate canon (my specialty), and be one of those that was trained to keep the history of her people alive rather than just be a Plot Relevant Thug(tm). I mean, she is that too, just reluctantly. In brief, she and Solas find they're very alike, actually want the same thing, although by different means, and they knowingly fall in doomed love. (As far as they know. Since I'm the author, I know what will actually happen at the end.) Someday I'll get the longfic finished.

This fic takes place at some vague future date when he's 'succeeded' at his plans. It's the classic 'I had nowhere else to go' protag/antag dynamic. It was both a chance to dig into what might happen down the line and to bring two old lovers back together a final time before it ends in tragedy. It's a favorite because it came out of my head as this almost lyrical series of scenes building towards a climax of mutual sacrifice. 'All is lost, but for one moment, we had each other.'

That's not normally my cup of tea, I like happy endings. But every now and then I get in a mood where I just want something angsty. I tend to keep it in oneshots, where it's over pretty quickly. 😆

The prompt it came from was 'they are together, but only for the winter'. And it grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. It's both beautiful and despairing. It exists in a time of bleakness, on many levels. Originally it was roughly 300 words long, very direct and to the point. I kept getting more and more details and ideas for it, though, so I just started writing them. There's a bit of stream of consciousness in its layout that still bugs me a little, but otherwise I'm happy with it.

One of the things I've discovered about Solas as a character/narrative foil is that who he is set against brings out a lot of different facets to him. Like I said, I get why some people don't like him. He's incredibly complex and for the most part well written. It's fun to deep dive into his psyche. Ultimately it's what keeps me writing about him. And if you read this far, thank you. 😊

From this post. Askbox is still open.

[witchyangels]

Chapters: 30/?

Fandom: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age - All Media Types

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Relationships: Alistair/Tabris, Warden Alistair/Female Warden, Alistair & Female Tabris, Alistair (Dragon Age)/Original Female Character(s), Female Amell & Zevran Arainai, Zevran Arainai/Original Female Character(s), Original Non-Warden Amell & Zevran Arainai

Characters: Alistair, Morrigan, Shale, Oghren, Female Tabris, Original Non-Warden Amell(s), Zevran Arainai, Leliana (Dragon Age), Wynne, Dog, Sten (Dragon Age)

Additional Tags: DAO, DA - Freeform, Dragon Age - Freeform, Modern Girl in Thedas

Summary:

Status: ONGOING

Running into Alistair from Dragon Age was not something Atrina had expected when she went to the local festival in her town with her best friend Wanda. Neither was waking up to find herself as the main character of Origins.

Aided by Wanda and with before hand knowledge of what happens, Atrina knows what she has to do. But what about when it's all over? Is it all a dream? If it isn't, will she still want to go home by the time the Landsmeet occurs? Neither Wanda nor Alistair are making the decisions before her easy.

Preview~

Smoke in the distance forced Atrina and the others to hurry their steps. Screams grew louder the closer they came. In the distance they could see bodies hung from trees and could hear the sounds of darkspawn.

As they ran into the town, people hurried past them, trying to escape the darkspawn. Before the darkspawn could continue after their prey, Atrina and the others stepped in their way.

The further into town they went, the more darkspawn seemed to flow towards them. The fighting only stopped when the last visible darkspawn fell.

“Phew,” Wanda said, breathing heavily. “Is that the last of them?”

Atrina and Alistair shook their heads. “No,” Atrina began, looking towards some of the houses. “They’re in the buildings. There might still be survivors,” she said, motioning for them to keep going.

As they crested over the hill, they spotted a golem adorned with crystals, standing in the middle of the town square. Everyone gasped at the sight.

Alistair let out a whistle. “Well, I guess you were right again,” he said, looking down at Atrina. “Guess that merchant was telling the truth.”

Wanda jumped for joy and dashed over to the golem. “We finally have you!”

“What do you mean, ‘finally’?” Alistair asked, not missing Atrina putting her face in her hand.

“Ohhh, uhhh…” Wanda looked torn on what to say, looking to Atrina for help. “Well, I mean we heard about it back when we got the rod.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Riiight,” he said, not entirely believing her.

“Anyway, see if the control rod works!” Wanda said, bouncing beside the golem. “Then we can use it to help with the darkspawn!”

Atrina pulled out the control rod and a piece of paper with the word for her to say on it. She read the word as she pointed the rod at the golem.

—

*throws confetti* chapter 30!! New milestone!! 🤩

[djinnhatescold]

Heyyyy I just finished writing a thing.

Make A Fool Of Me Forever (4255 words) by DjinnHatesCold Chapters: 15 Fandom: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age - All Media Types Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Bram Kenric / original Female Character(s), Rylen (Dragon Age)/Original Female Character(s) Characters: Lace Harding, Bram Kenric, Rylen (Dragon Age) Additional Tags: love in the jungle, Pining, Smut, slow burn kinda, Vaginal Sex, blowjob, Angst, Breakup, bram I'm so sorry darling, Frostback Basin (Dragon Age), lace is a bro, oc is infertile, Depression, Stuttering, Anxiety, MGiT, Modern Girl in Thedas, past isekai, starkhaven men, too much dialogue probably Summary:

Wen has for the most part adjusted to life in Thedas after being ripped from Earth. She is happy to finally be accepted by the Inquisitor's inner circle and proud to be a part of the Inquisition. After a whirlwind sexual relationship with Rylen is suddenly ended by them being sent to opposite sides of Orlais, Wen finds herself in the company of another Starkhavener who is as infatuated with her as she is with him. But what does she want from him? What does she want with Rylen? And what should she do when Rylen appears at the research outpost's doorstep?

[conversationswiththemoon]

New MGiT fic: THE LION AND THE LARK

I just posted the first three chapters of my Modern Girl in Thedas fic, the first fic I've written in Bioware's sandbox. It's a Cullen romance, and I hesitate to call it a slowburn because it does have a strange arc. There will be fluff, angst, heartbreak, and smut. And, if we're all very very good, a happy ending. CHAPTER ONE - THE PORTAL 6 Solace, 9:41 Dragon The portal flared to life with an intense flash of eerie purple light. “Are you sure this will work?” Maxwell asked. The unease in his gaze had developed into a veritable stormcloud. His anxiety over this experiment was clearly growing by the second. “Well no,” Dorian replied, rolling a tip of his mustache back and forth between two fingers. A nervous habit. Not a good sign. “It is called theoretical magic, after all. That generally precludes surety, you know. As we've discussed. Exhaustively.” Max sighed. They had indeed been over the magical theorems numerous times. But something about the way the portal hummed made his skin crawl. Everything in his gut was starting to yell at him that something was not right. “Maybe Cassandra is right about this. If we're not sure, we could just make things worse.” There was a pointed cough behind them, where a few members of his inner circle had gathered to watch at a distance. Max didn't have to turn his head to know that Cassandra still vehemently objected to the attempt. Or that two of them had hands resting upon the hilts of their swords just in case. And she wasn't wrong. Dorian was a genius, to be sure, but if his mentor couldn't find a way to open a portal to a time before the Conclave explosion, could they expect to fare much better? And a failure could be disastrous. A memory of the future-that-cannot-be vividly flashed through Max's mind. The red lyrium-blighted husks of his companions, each with eyes glowing crimson from the horror spreading within. The thought made him shudder. “But is it not worth an effort?” Dorian had asked in their last discussion, an uncharacteristic pleading tone coloring his voice. “We've all been over these formulas again and again. They do not guarantee success, but they are logically sound. You know that! And yes, It might take some time, some trial and error. But I think there's a way to prevent the Breach from ever opening.”

He took a deep breath, his eyes falling to the floor. “I worked with Alexius. I know there is. There must be.” I can fix his mistake, is what he meant. And so they had reluctantly decided to try. The portal sparked, bathing the Undercroft in a its hypnotic violet glow. It buzzed maddeningly, crackling with bursts of sharp static in sporadic fits. It made Max, seasoned elemental mage though he was, deeply nervous. “This portal looks different from the one in Redcliffe. For starters, it's the wrong color.” “Different timestone. It's not the same one as Alexius used, but Dagna said but it should substitute adequately.” He took a step closer to the portal, squinting to see if he could discern anything on the opposite side, but couldn't make anything out. “Now, I just have to tune it to the right time and place.” He ran his thumb over the faceted gem in his hand. “That's the hard part.” But before he could begin, the portal cracked like a giant clap of thunder. Dorian took a hasty step backwards and noted the telltale blue shimmer of a barrier envelop his body. Max already had his staff ready. And then a woman tumbled out of the void.

Read THE LION AND THE LARK at AO3.