#oc - bryland cousland

[shannaraisles]

In Adversity, Hope - Chapter 3

[Excerpt -

“Couldn’t wait to see us, hmmm?”

“Dermot!”

Bryland caught his brother in a rough embrace, one arm opening to grab hold of Elinar before she could edge away and pull her into the tangle of limbs as well.

“What happened?” the youngest Cousland demanded, eager for news that he still wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to hear. “The night captain said something about you coming in with the Warden Commander, but I thought you were staying back to defend Highever.”

The sudden tension was all he truly needed to witness to understand that the answer he dreaded was the truth. But he had to hear them say it. One of them had to tell him that truth, or he would never believe it. Dermot swallowed, looking away from Bryland’s earnest gaze, abandoning Elinar to meet that eager look head on.

“Bry ...” She stopped, taking a swift breath before continuing. “Highever has fallen. Howe betrayed us.”

[READ ON AO3]

[shannaraisles]

Works In Progress, or Niamh Might Be Committing To Narrative Sometime Soon

Okay, I think I have control over my muse again. Possibly.

Burn With Me

Pairing: Sebastian Vael/Freya Hawke

Rating: Mature

Setting: Pre-game, into DA2

Premise: What if there was a fourth Hawke sibling who sacrificed themselves to let their family escape cleanly a few years before the Blight? Freya Hawke has been in Chantry hands for almost a full year, and still they haven’t managed to induce her to tell them anything about the mages she is protecting. Interrogation in Ferelden didn’t work; cruelty and neglect in Kirkwall didn’t work; it doesn’t seem as though kindness in Tantervale is going to work, either. So Elthina brings in her secret weapon - Sebastian Vael. Will he be able to get the information out of Freya Hawke, or will he realise that some bonds are just too sacred to break?

[Read on AO3]

Forget Me Not

Pairing: Knight Captain Rylen/Ksenia Trevelyan

Rating: Teen and Up, may venture into Mature later

Setting: Modern AU (Dear Friend universe)

Premise: Ksenia Trevelyan has spent her whole life trying to live up to her parents’ impossible standards. Finally at breaking point, she has abandoned her intense job at a prestigious university hospital in favour of taking a position as a small town family doctor several hundred miles away from her parents. She meets a friendly neighbourhood templar (policeman) named Rylen, who seems vaguely familiar, and strikes up a friendship with him. Very Hallmarky, predict-a-romance plot.

[Read on AO3]

In Adversity, Hope

Pairing: Bryland Cousland/Aislynn Theirin (both OCs)

Rating: Teen and Up, possibly straying into Mature as we go

Setting: Origins

Premise: It’s a what-if. What if Alistair had a twin sister? What if she was raised by the Couslands? And what if she and Alistair had an actually healthy sibling relationship that doesn’t involve ripping his heart out and stomping on it, or even anything to do with Goldanna at all? Aaaand then it morphed into ... what if I dropped this premise into my Hounds of Highever universe, where Dermot is the Warden, his little sister is sweet on Anora, and his little brother needs someone to rein him in a bit. Thank goodness Origins already has a plot.

[Read on AO3]

[shannaraisles]

OC - Bryland Cousland

BASICS:

Full Name: Bryland Roan Cousland Gender: Male Sexuality: Heterosexual Pronouns: He/him

OTHER:

Family: Teryn Fergus Cousland (brother); Lady Elinar Mac Tir (sister); Grey Warden Dermot Cousland (brother) - all older; Kieran (nephew) Birthplace: Highever Job(s): Noble Phobias: Claustrophobia Guilty Pleasures: He doesn’t really have any pleasures he would class a “guilty”. In certain company, he can become a little embarrassed by his fascination with Dalish history and culture, but even then, he’ll defend it passionately Hobbies: Archery, sword-training, riding, reading, chess, alchemy, spending time with his mabari, socializing

MORALS:

Moral alignment: Neutral good Sins: lust / greed / envy / gluttony / pride / wrath / sloth Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience

THIS-OR-THAT:

introvert / extrovert organized / disorganized close-minded / open-minded calm / anxious / restless disagreeable / agreeable / in-between patient / impatient outspoken / reserved leader / follower / flexible empathetic / unempathetic optimistic / pessimistic / realistic traditional / modern / in-between hard-working / lazy

RELATIONSHIPS:

OTP: Bryland x Aislynn (OC) Acceptable ships: A brief fling with Isabela; he could be persuaded to woo Josephine or Merrill, under the right circumstances OT3: He’s not a sharer BROTP: Alistair, Zevran, Dermot NOTP: Sadly, he is pointedly straight (not for lack of trying, but he’s stubborn), so NOTPs include all men.

(This may look familiar, but it is a rewrite of an old OC who may actually be preparing to tell his story for once. Wouldn’t that be nice?)

[shannaraisles]

@kagetsukai made me do it!

Okay, maybe she didn’t make me, but she mentioned a lack of male Couslands, and ... now I have two. I have a whole Cousland family! Top pictures are them during the Blight, bottom are them during Inquisition. From left to right, we have:

Dermot Cousland - (2nd Drakonis, 9:03 Dragon) - Second eldest son of the Cousland line; trained as a sword and shield warrior; inducted into the Grey Wardens in exchange for the rescue of his sister’s life by Duncan during the attack on Highever. Romanced Zevran, fathered Kieran, is searching for a cure to the Calling.

Elinar Cousland - (27th Solace, 9:05 Dragon) - Only daughter of the Cousland line; trained with Dermot in sword and shield; accompanied him on his journey to end the Blight. Became Queen Anora’s bodyguard following the Battle of Denerim, and eventually, princess-consort to the throne.

Bryland Cousland - (20th Harvestmere, 9:08 Dragon) - Youngest son of the Cousland line; trained as a rogue in bow and daggers; accompanied Fergus to Ostagar, but was left at the camp when Fergus went scouting; chose to accompany his brother and sister on their quest when he met up with them in Lothering following the defeat. Returned to Highever briefly, but left again to become an adventurer, eventually joining the Inquisition early on after the explosion at the Conclave. Will romance Eralen Lavellan, Herald of Andraste. Sort of.

[shannaraisles]

OC - Bryland Cousland

BRYLAND COUSLAND

BASICS:

Full Name: Bryland Roan Cousland Gender: Male Sexuality: Heterosexual Pronouns: He/him

OTHER:

Family: Teryn Fergus Cousland (brother); Princess-Consort Elinar Mac Tir (sister); Grey Warden Dermot Cousland (brother) - all older; Kieran (nephew) Birthplace: Highever Job(s): Noble; Inquisitor Phobias: Claustrophobia Guilty Pleasures: He doesn't really have any pleasures he would class a "guilty". In certain company, he can become a little embarrassed by his fascination with Dalish history and culture, but even then, he'll defend it passionately Hobbies: Archery, sword-training, riding, reading, chess, alchemy, spending time with his mabari, socializing

MORALS:

Moral alignment: Chaotic good Sins: lust / greed / envy / gluttony / pride / wrath / sloth Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience

THIS-OR-THAT:

introvert / extrovert organized / disorganized close-minded / open-minded calm / anxious / restless disagreeable / agreeable / in-between patient / impatient outspoken / reserved leader / follower / flexible empathetic / unempathetic optimistic / pessimistic / realistic traditional / modern / in-between hard-working / lazy

RELATIONSHIPS:

OTP: Bryland x Eralen (Dalish OC) Acceptable ships: A brief fling with Isabela, possibly, but as yet nothing canon or other OC springs to mind OT3: None that come to mind, but he could be swayed in the right circumstances BROTP: Varric, Dorian, Cassandra, Vivienne, Leliana, Kieran NOTP: Sadly, he is pointedly straight (not for lack of trying, but he's stubborn), so NOTPs include all men.

[shannaraisles]

WIP Update

Okay, it’s official. I have failed in keeping myself interested in just one story. ~chuckles~ Here’s what I am now working on.

Irish Eyes

An Old West Dragon Age AU, featuring my OC, Erin MacNamara, and Cullen Rutherford. A straight-forward romance that should be gloriously predictable and hopefully not boring.

Ena’Vun

A canon-divergent retelling of Inquisition, featuring Bryland Cousland as the Inquisitor, and a romance with Eralen Calmar, another of my OCs.

[shannaraisles]

My Non-Active OCs

For the list of active OCs, click here. Just because these are currently non-active, it does not mean they won’t be available for prompts. Keep an eye on the tags of any prompt lists I post to see who is available for writing.

Mila Trevelyan

(Face claim - Gal Gadot)

Appears in: Dear Friend (Modern AU); Not Always In Writing (prompt anthology) Class/Profession: Zookeeper Game Setting: N/A Romances: Cullen Rutherford

Felicita (Fabs)

(Face claim - Maite Perroni)

Appears in: The Rose In The Crown Series Class/Profession: Queen Game Setting: Post-Inquisition/Pre-Trespasser Romances: Alistair Theirin

Poppy Hawke

(Face claim - Miranda Kerr)

Appears in: In Marcher Fields Class/Profession: Dual daggers rogue Game Setting: Dragon Age 2 Romances: Cullen Rutherford

Berenice Adaar

(Face claim - Ashley Graham)

Appears in: TBD Class/Profession: Mage Game Setting: Dragon Age: Inquisition Romances: TBD (torn between Carver, Fenris, & Cullen)

Dermot Cousland

(face claim - JJ Feild)

Appears in: The Hounds of Highever (month challenge) Class/Profession: Sword and shield warrior/Grey Warden Game/Setting: Dragon Age Origins Romances: Zevran Arainai

Rumor

(Face claim - Alexandra Daddario)

Appears in: Wasn’t Me (WIP) Class/Profession: Rogue/Information broker Game Setting: Dragon Age 2 Romances: Callum Hawke

Callum Hawke

(Face claim - Chris Evans (with beard!))

Appears in: Wasn’t Me (WIP) Class/Profession: Two-handed warrior Game Setting: Dragon Age 2 Romances: Rumor

Katrina Trevelyan

(Face claim - Elizabeth Olsen)

Appears in: Eclipsed (WIP) Class/Profession: Hospitality Game/Setting: Modern Urban Fantasy AU/Paranormal Romance AU Romances: Cullen Rutherford

Elizabeth Trevelyan

(Face claim - Lily James)

Appears in: Fire & Fidelity (WIP) Class/Profession: Rogue/Lady Game/Setting: Regency AU Romances: Cullen Rutherford

Bryland Cousland

(Face claim - Tom Hiddleston)

Appears in: Ena’Vun (WIP, not yet posted) Class/Profession: Inquisitor Game Setting: Inquisition Romances: Eralen Calmar (OC)

Eralen Calmar

(Face claim - Marina Aleksandrova)

Appears in: Ena’Vun (WIP, not yet posted) Class/Profession: Dalish Hunter/Halla Keeper Game Setting: Inquisition Romances: Bryland Cousland (OC Inquisitor)

[shannaraisles]

TMI Tuesday!

Shaking things up a little with an offering of my newest OCs to see if anyone catches your attention!

Right to left, top line first -

Anne Trevelyan - former Inquisitor of the disbanded Inquisition, her story will pick up soon after Trespasser and involves an arranged marriage with Sebastian Vael.

Bryland Cousland - youngest of the Cousland family to survive the Blight, a peripheral character to his older siblings’ stories, and get his own romance in 9:41 Dragon.

Dermot Cousland - second eldest of the Cousland family to survive the Blight. The Warden who will romance Morrigan and father Kieran before disappearing (you know, as the Warden does).

Elinar Cousland - only Cousland daughter, also survives the Blight. Following the Blight, becomes bodyguard to Queen Anora, and a few years later, becomes Princess-consort after marrying her. ;)

Eralen Lavellan - Dalish mage Inquisitor, she is Bryland’s romance, and it’s all very cute, I promise.

Valya Malinsdotten O Bearhold - a member of an Avvar tribe discovered in a Modern AU, who will visit the modern world and embarrass the hell out of Cullen Rutherford while simultaneously falling in love. Think George of the Jungle without the ineptitude.

Want to know more? Ask me - it’s TMI Tuesday!