#only to end up joining the carta later when her son was killed and the father threw her and her daughter out

[abyssal-ilk]

no thoughts. only a fem inquisitor cadash equating vivienne's relationship with bastien to how a castless woman's only chance of social elevation is seducing nobles in orzammar and her opinion on bastien being irreparably tainted because of it.

[magneticmage]

A Web of Betrayal

This is an excerpt from yet another fic I will probably never write. I have a lot of those. Anyways, enjoy!

Cw for sexism, plans of poisoning and Canon death of named characters. Also a discussion of how Orzammar's sex-based system is stupid and artifical binaries do not work in real life because nonbinary and transpeople exist. And enforcement of such a binary system hurts people who do not fit within its demands.

Valda Aeducan was lucky.

She was a princess in Orzammar. Daughter of the King and his noble Queen. Noble Caste and wealthy. Desirable and beautiful.

And yet she felt strangled in unseen webs at times for it.

She had seen her father's favoritism from a long time ago. He favored his sons, particularly his eldest two. It was not that surprising in retrospect, she supposed. Bhelen had been born from a casteless concubine-which had further soured her parents' then already-strained relationship. She had been born a woman, and thus should have inherited her mother's noble caste, not her father's royal one. But her mother had convinced the King to break from tradition for her daughter's benefit. Perhaps with the potential a future alliance of marriage could bring him.

The whole caste system was sexist, really. She had recalled the few times her cousin, Firenze, had broken down in her arms sobbing because they had not fit between their mother's noble caste and their father's casteless one since they did not wish to be male or female. Their brother, Rethan, had been assigned their mother's caste as a noble and he lived in fear for the discovery of his true self and being forced down amongst the casteless, to live in squalor and disease and refuse until he died. Both had gone off into the Deep Roads one day and neither returned. Rumors said that Rethan had escaped to the surface and Firenze had joined the Legion. But they were only rumors.

The caste system was killing them, bit by bit.

Even when one's gender did not affect things, one's caste certainly did. She was a noblewoman and was expected to be chaste and honorable. She had more bodies hidden under her stone caverns to be fed to her spiders and spilled more dwarven blood than quite a few members of the Warrior caste. She had been denied male lovers unless her father had approved of the match. Gorim was proof of that.

It rankled her. Coated her veins in venom and she was not surprised to find her growing disdain was matched with an increasing skill in actual poison and its antidotes.

She saw how Bhelen held the same doubts and frustrations. He was chided and ignored by their father, only gaining attention when he failed drastically. While she was praised for her own combat skills, it was because it was rare and often discouraged for women to become warriors due to the looming threat of broodmothers. Or so her father had explained when she had picked up her brother's sword to practice. She had batted her lashes and played on her father's soft spot as his only daughter and the family's precious jewel, to be safeguarded in Proving fights and not in true Deep Roads expeditions, when she was allowed to fight at all. She had been forced to maintain that image for years. She was as harmless as a nug as far as many nobles were concerned when really all she had been doing was weaving webs of influence and manipulating court intrigue to her family's benefit.

It had only been a matter of time before she had learned of Bhelen's ambitions. He had begun to be more reserved at family meals. But Trian was busy being groomed for heirdom and Barran-her own twin- was focused on both supporting their brother and learning the ways of war for the day he became Commander of Orzammar's armies. Whatever was left of them. No one else noticed the growing frown in their younger brother's expression. The faint hint of mockery in each laugh. The deep exhale of relief the moment he had a moment away from his brothers' shadows.

But she did.

And so she waited.

She did not strike when he took that lovely redhead as his lover. Trian had scoffed and demanded she be kept to her rooms like the dirty casteless woman she was. Barran had scowled and offered to find him a better match when he had time. Bhelen did not listen. Valda did not need to see the tender looks and small touches they hid before each parting to know how deep the affection ran. She even helped the woman by sending her gifts of food and small trinkets in passing over the years-always discreet, of course-and let her presume Bhelen had been the one to send them or whatever she wished to think of them. And her little brother did notice and gave her a questioning look between meals every once in a while after each present arrived. But she only smiled and went back to discussing the ways the various Houses were quarreling again as she cut delicately into her bronto steak.

She did not strike when she saw Bhelen begin to make moves in Dust Town. To ally with the Carta bosses to do his dirty work in exchange for some of the wealth and finer adjustments in life. Trian did not notice a few of his silver buttons went missing and blamed it on the servants as thieves. One poor girl had been beaten so badly that Valda had stepped in and offered the girl a new job instead of cleaning her brother's laundry: to make sure her spiders were fed. She had agreed and despite the healing wounds causing her some delay in being able to work, she had grown extremely adept at managing the caves and the spiders had learned not to harm the girl, even when she took a few of their eggs and venom for herself. Valda did not mind nor ask after her blatant thefts. Being a woman of any rank was hard enough when the men of the noble caste were as inconsiderate and selfish like her eldest brother.

Still she did not strike when Bhelen began to put his plans in motion. He had quietly orchestrated small quarrels between a few noble Houses, pitting them against each other in Provings to test his skills at coercing the upper classes. Barran had bested them all and drawn himself as a target after he ended the conflict through diplomacy. Their father had held a feast in celebration. Trian had all but secured Lady Helmi's daughter's affections by then, bolstering the traditionalists' favor in the Assembly despite Barran's rising own status and favor amongst the reformists and Warrior castes. Bhelen seethed over his wine that night. Until she had slipped him a note with the location of a warehouse full of food and medicine and scraps of old unused fabric and metal from her many, many gowns and armor. He had put the warehouse to use and it was empty within a fortnight, it's contents gutted and distributed amongst his followers.

He had thanked her but did not reveal his plans further.

But they both knew where the rot lay. And they both knew what measures would be needed to remove it.

Still, the entire system did not need to be torn down like he wished. Rebuilt and reconstructed, but not demolished.

So she struck at last.

It was the eve of the expedition and the feast was in full swing. Trian was complaining until his eye had wandered to some lovely noble women wishing to dance and flirt with the heir to the throne. Barran glowed with pride and swagger as he roamed the hall before disappearing with a pair noble-hunters, one on each arm. A third had been sent to Gorim's quarters and Valda did not pretend to hide her jealousy when the woman left with a smile later that night. Luckily, her handmaidens had been more than happy to help calm her anger by giving her tasks until it was time to move. She was still human, after all. She still held regrets sometimes.

If she were not who she was, she might have been able to have him. But the castes were absolute and the Assembly and her father and Harrowmont all valued tradition. Some more than others.

She was waiting alongside his concubine when Bhelen returned to his room, the two of them happily chatting about various skin and hair care regimes and the frustrations of the world's expectations with her future sister-in-law and herself. There was no doubt Bhelen would do anything for his loved ones.

And so would she.

"Sister, I....I did not expect you." He frowned and crossed his arms as he made his way across the room towards the two women.

"I know," She savored her last sip of wine for the evening before setting the glass down, "And I have a proposal, dear brother. I will be blunt since it is time we be honest to, at least, each other."

Bhelen's brows furrowed and the canny intelligence he took great pains to hide gleamed bright and open in his eyes then. "I'm listening."

"I know some of what you have struggled with these past years," She ran a finger around the rim of her glass, letting the sound breathe into the air for a moment before she continued, "Our struggles may not be the same, but we understand that our home is being destroyed by more than the darkspawn. It is being destroyed by ourselves."

Bhelen sat down across from her, gently taking Rica's hand and kissing her knuckles, "Would you mind preparing a bath for me, love? I need a moment to discuss some things with my sister."

Rica nodded and curtesied, "Course. My lady, excuse me."

Valda waved her off, "None of that, my dear. You will be Queen one day. Bow to no one but the ones you love."

Bhelen blinked in surprise and Rica smiled, as pleasant and easy-going as ever, "I will keep that in mind."

As Rica left the room, Bhelen leaned forward, fingers dipping out of view to no doubt reach for his knife sheath. "Queen, sister? Whatever gave you-"

"Honesty," She reminded him simply, "You and I both wish to change the face of Orzammar in our own way. And I believe we can help each other do that."

He leaned back and lifted his hand to stroke his beard for a moment. The gesture was so very much like her father and brothers that she had to bite back a swear. Bhelen, of course, noticed the slip in her mask and smiled, "Yes. Let's be honest, sister. Tell me how you wish to change Orzammar for the better."

"I believe you've had enough of listening to others tell you their goals, brother. " She smiled and set her hands on the table, palms up, "Tell me yours."

There was a pause as Bhelen seemed to weigh his options. Finally, he shook his head, "You will not help me. You do not have the heart for it."

"I have no more heart than you." She countered, "Our brothers are fools, my twin included. If they must be removed to ensure we get where we need to go, then so be it. That is what you planned for with that ex-warrior caste, isn't it? To move the Aeducan shield so you can set them up against each other."

He frowned, "Why would I wish them dead?"

"Because Trian does not respect you and would never change what needs to be done. Barran attempts to help but does not understand the causes of our sufferings."

"And what sufferings are those?"

Valda let her eyes drift towards the screen that separated the running water room of the bath, "You and I were not meant to be what we wish, Bhelen. Your ambition is to do better for the dwarven people, for your lover and your child."

He scowled, "You seem to know a great deal, sister. However did you come across such things?"

"People talk about interesting rumors all the time," Valda responded crisply, "Beyond that, we both know that I cannot name my sources without risking their lives, now can I?"

He chuckled and waved a hand, "You are such a spider queen, sister. If I did not know better, I would say you would much prefer the throne yourself!"

"No." She said.

There was a pregnant pause.

He arched a brow, "Truly? You could have all the power you wish. Any man you want. The Assembly would happily support you."

"The Assembly are old and do not speak for all of our people," Valda looked at her nails. The paint had chipped away a bit somewhere. "I wish to remove the caste system where it harms people. But I cannot be the one to do that."

"And why not?"

"I do not want power, Bhelen. I want people to be able to choose what they are in this world. What we Dwarves become. We cannot do that if a symbol of the old ways does that."

"Elaborate." His brows furrowed as he turned his head to the side to glance at the baths.

"Many people view me as either a copy of my mother or an extension of my brother as his twin." She smiled bitterly, "It is how I have managed to go unnoticed on my own all these years. So, no, I cannot be the one to change our people, but I can help the one who does."

Bhelen shook his head, "You want me to be King?"

"I want to help my brother," Valda corrected quietly, "Because I believe that he will do what he needs to in order to better help our people. All I ask is that I am listened to and my requests are accepted when I have them."

Bhelen met her gaze, "And what requests would you have?"

"A voice of my own to say what I wish, agency to decide things for myself be it marriage or other life prospects, and the dignity of any dwarf has been granted in your new rule."

"That's vague," He pointed out, "What will you do with these favors, if I grant them?"

"Serve our people by ensuring the old nobles do not interfere too much with your work, for one," She brushed aside her ringlets from her armored shoulders, "Ensure the casteless are fed and respected and the darkspawn driven back. Forge alliances and trade. All the same things you are already planning. And a few you haven't accounted for."

"Like?" He questioned.

"You'll find out eventually. You're smart enough, brother. And we promised honesty to each other." She held out her hand, "Now, do we have a deal?"

Bhelen glanced at her hand and seemed to think it over a moment longer. Then he clasped her forearm and they shook, "Very well, sister dear. I will do what you ask so long as you do not betray me."

[da-mage]

I jumped on this bandwagon as well.

These are my DAO OCs from left to right.

Kathryn Amell / Tobias Cousland

Kathryn was with the mages in the fight at Ostagar (And a warden candidate). She joined Alistair and Tobias to stop the Blight. Afterwards, in mourning, she joined the Wardens fully and became Warden Commander of Vigil's Keep. Tobias scarred physically and emotionally, reluctantly joined the Wardens. After the Blight he was named Prince Consort (Warden King at times) with Queen Anora (his lover, Zevran, stopped by occasionally).

Thia Surana / Theon Mahariel

Thia escaped the Circle with Jowan but a storm hit, in its rage, separated them. Theon, blighted and alone, had continued to search for Tamlen. In his search he stumbled upon Thia. She, having been raised mostly in the Circle did not know how to survive in the wilderness. Neither wanting to be alone again, were an awkward pairing, yet comforted in the company. After the Blight Thia rescued Jowan from being taken back to the Circle. They stayed and learned with the Dalish for a time. But Jowan couldn't stay with them and went his own way. Thia still cared for him, but she had find her place as a first and future Keeper to a clan. Sadly, Theon was killed during the final battle against the Blight in Denerim.

Dellun Tabris / Janei Royce-Tabris (half sibling)

The Tabris' have different mothers but similar personalities. Only difference is that Dellun would do anything, no matter how violent or back stabbing, to rise in power. While Janei would do anything in her power to protect those she cares about. Escaping the Alienage and Denerim after Janei killed the Arl's son, they traveled until they came across the town Honnleath. Bumping into the Warden Tobias, they cleared the darkspawn out together. Dellun was bitter about the others not agreeing to the demon's offer. He nearly got himself killed fighting his own sister. Janei couldn't go through with something like that, and from there they went their separate ways (and Janei befriended Shale). Dellun lived but now on his own traveled in a weakened state. He ended up finding Haven accidentally. He wasn't much of a believer of the Maker and Andraste but he could see the power their Reavers had. They didn't have many elf followers, but he proved himself dedicated to their ways. He was killed when the Wardens finally showed up seeking the Urn of Sacred Ashes. Janei, proving herself during the Blight, was permitted into the Denerim Guard. Tobias later assigned her to his Royal Guard.

Jorren Brosca / Lathena Aeducan

Jorren was clever enough to convince Jarvia to keep him and Leske as a members of the Carta. They just couldn't go around in public anymore. He helped the Wardens take Jarvia out and traveled with them in the Deep Roads. There they met Lathena, after she had been exiled she lucked out, and ran into the Legion of the Dead. They are the only reason she survived the Deep Roads. She joined the fight in Denerim against the Archdemon. Jorren never had the chance, he suffered a critical blow in the Deep Roads protecting Morrigan (whom he professed his love to). Lathena regained respect from Orzammar and her brother the King for fighting during the Blight. She remained with the Legion of the Dead, making a vow to protect her people to the best of her abilities.

And for DA ][ : Arianna Hawke

Arianna hid that she was a blood mage from everyone, regardless of what magic she used, she did the best she could as the Champion of Kirkwall. But working hard also means she partied even harder, with both drink and partners. She had an open relationship with Isabela after Fenris' one night stand. Anders was the only one that she considered a committed relationship.

Yeah...

((-Inquisition coming next-))

[aion-rsa]

Barbarians Season 2: Questions the German Netflix Series Needs to Answer

https://ift.tt/3yVhQZB

Warning: contains spoilers for Barbarians season one.

While historians may have other items on their wish list (including more a more accurate representation of 9 AD, judging by some responses), what most viewers want from a second season of Barbarians is escapist action. We want hefty sword fights, ferocious armies, blood-daubed faces screaming for revenge, shocking deaths, betrayals, and naked hook-ups in the dye shed.

All that is hopefully in the pipeline now that filming on season two is underway. As reported by Deadline, the second season of Germany’s most successful Netflix production went into production in and around the Polish city of Krakow at the beginning of September. It’s obviously too early for an official release date but the smart money would be on the six new 45-minute episodes arriving at some point in late 2022. There’s no word as yet on which historical events the new season will cover (the first was set during the run-up to The Battle of Teutoburg Forest, a decisive victory by the united Germanic tribes against their colonial Roman masters), but we’ve suggested a few possibilities here.

Appreciating that the history books provide answers to the fates of many of Barbarians’ characters, here are a few additional plot points left hanging by the first run that we’d like to see resolved.

What will Folkwin’s sacrifice to the gods mean for his and Thusnelda’s baby?

In Barbarians episode three ‘On the Edge’, Folkwin is being hunted down on Varus’ orders for his part in stealing the Roman legion’s eagle standard. Unable to find Folkwin, the Romans raid his village and crucify his entire family. Devastated, Folkwin prays to Woden and the gods for revenge upon the Romans. He asks that “Varus, and all who ride under his flag shall shed their blood on our soil,” and promises in exchange, “for this, I will sacrifice what’s most precious to me. My firstborn.” The gods kept their side of the bargain in the blood-soaked Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, after which Varus fell on his own sword after his legions were defeated by the Germanic tribes.

Folkwin’s childhood friend and former lover Thusnelda ended season one pregnant by him. Will the gods take their sacrifice in season two, thus dooming Folkwin and Thusnelda’s child? History tells us that the real Thusnelda did have a child, but as Folkwin’s character is a fictional part of this historically inspired series, perhaps this particular pregnancy won’t reflect the historical course of events.

How will the Folkwin/Arminius/Thusnelda love triangle be resolved?

Thusnelda and Arminius’ marriage may have started out as a political union designed to unite the tribes, but that’s not where it ended. Ari had gone into the arrangement aware that Thusnelda was in love with their childhood friend Folkwin, and prepared for the relationship to be just for show. But when the couple were told that Folkwin was dead, and were given his wolf tooth necklace as proof, they forged a bond and mourned their friend. Thusnelda fought at The Battle of Teutoburg Forest to avenge Folkwin’s death – an unnecessary vow as Folkwin had been alive all along. After the Germanic victory, Ari offered the newly returned Folkwin a lordship under his rule, but was rebuffed, and Folkwin vowed to kill Ari if he became the king of the Germanic tribes. Thusnelda told Folkwin that she intends to rule by Ari’s side. In season two, will Thusnelda stick with that decision? Husband and king, or childhood love?

Will Ansgar complete his gods-given task?

One of Barbarians’ more retrograde storylines in season one was Ansgar’s disability-makes-you-magical plot (not at all unlike Game of Thrones’ Bran Stark story). When Thusnelda’s little half-brother Ansgar attacked a Roman soldier to save his sister, he was struck on the head with a sword and suffered a serious brain injury. Thusnelda stopped her step-mother from euthanising him, and allowed Ansgar to be looked after by the tribe’s seer Runa, who called the boy a favourite of the gods, with special abilities. Runa said that Ansgar had been to the Kingdom of Death but returned to Earth because he had a task to complete in the land of the living. Ansgar was seen predicting The Battle of Teutoburg Forest through his paintings, so perhaps he has other predictions to make in season two? The child survived season one and was last seen being led away from the battle by Folkwin.

Read more

TV

Barbarians and Animal Symbolism: What Did Wolves Mean in the Ancient World?

By Juliette Harrisson

TV

Barbarians’ True Story: the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, Arminius and Roman Defeat

By Louisa Mellor

Will Hadgan’s betrayal be punished?

Chatti Reik Hadgan is one of Barbarians’ villains. Thusnelda’s father Segestes promised her in marriage to him but she refused and later married Ari. Hadgan tried to force himself on Thusnelda but she fought him off, then he removed his men from the Germanic army, choosing not to join Ari in the fight against Rome. It was only when he and his co-conspirator Segestes (a well-known historical figure) realised that the tide had turned in the Germanic fighters’ favour that they entered the battle. The pair were last seen in the season one finale plotting against Arminius. History tells us Segestes’ fate, but will season two see Hadgan punished for his actions?

When will we properly meet Arminius’ brother Flavus?

Ari wasn’t the only son of Reik Segimer taken as a child from his Cherusci home to be raised as a ‘noble hostage’ by Rome; his younger brother Flavus was also taken. Unlike his sibling, Flavus remained loyal to Rome and served under Roman leader Germanicus in The Battle of Idistaviso, which was fought against the Germanic tribes led by Arminius. Flavus only appeared in Barbarians season one as a child in flashback, but for a drama themed around cultural identity, the adult haracter would make a rich addition. Three of the new cast members for season two look as though they could potentially play the role – Austrian actor Murathan Muslu, Russian-born Daniel Donskoy and Italian Alessandro Fella. They’re all confirmed as joining the returning cast of Laurence Rupp, Jeanne Goursaud, David Schütter, who respectively play Ari, Thusnelda and Folkin, along with other newcomers Cynthia Micas, Katharina Heyer and Giovanni Carta, all in as-yet-undisclosed roles.

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Barbarians season 1 is available now on Netflix.

The post Barbarians Season 2: Questions the German Netflix Series Needs to Answer appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2YwC3br

[mutantenfisch]

1 & 7

1. What is your Inquisitor’s name and race? (and small characterisation/backstory because I won’t shut up about my OCs)

Duuuude, I have like 17 Inquisitors by now… XDBut anyway, here they are, as ordered as possible.

The Dwarves:

Meret, Craeg, Arno and Eguzkia Cadash. Zelma Aeducan.

Related only by name, Eguzkia bears the maiden name of her mother, who originally was a baker in Orzammar and ran away to the surface with a member of House Helmi who loves his wife and daughter deeply, despite them being lower caste. She and her mother were hired to provide their culinary arts to some nobles at the Conclave and it was only due to a chain of coincidence, that the young dwarf ends up being Herald of Andraste.

Meret’s mother, on the other hand, was indeed a branded casteless who worked for the Carta. Her surface-born son followed her path due to having to provide her medicine for her chronic cough. One of his heist targets, a Tevinter mage and scholar in exile, sees the young dwarf’s intellectual potential and hires him and his mother as apprentice/bodyguard and housekeeper. A decade later, the trio’s interest in the Conclave is only marginal; the Tevinter, Lydus Maro, had planned to make the pilgrimage to the Temple of Sacred Ashes for religious reasons only and by chance, all three of them survive the Conclave, mostly thanks to the distance Lydus and Ama have kept to the temple. Of course, the following scandal with a dwarf of all people being the Herald of Andraste, and with him having a Tevinter “magister” advanced in years as a friend and lover does not help the fledgling Inquisition gaining approval or attention in its first days.

Azelma was the second child of King Endrin Aeducan but after being framed for the murder of Trian, she was exiled to the deep roads. Unfortunately, she never managed to reach the Grey Wardens in time and instead joined the Legion of the Dead, to give her exile and death-in-name a meaningful purpose. A darkspawn emissary’s fire bolt nearly killed her and left one half of her face disfigured and the corresponding eye blinded and ear tingling. She follows some suspicious darkspawn activities to Haven and tries to warn the Divine. Her amnesia is worse than with any other Inquisitor in their respective time-line, for she can remember almost nothing about what happened in the two weeks before the Conclave. 

Craeg is a surfacer who’s never been to Orzammar in his entire life, but as the resident bouncer at his favourite tavern, he had to deal with so many Carta dwarves who were, in fact, real casteless dwarves from the streets of Dust-Town which left for a better (if criminal) life, he decides one day to get one of those infamous face tattoos on his cheek as well. He was probably drunk when that happened. His reason to be at the Conclave was, as with most of my characters, purely business-related but since he has a talent for stumbling right into trouble, it was almost no coincidence that he picked up the orb. 

Arno left his family the moment they declared he’d be married to a member of the Smith Caste and used the anonymity of the Surface to embrace his real identity and change his name from Nora to Arno. He picked the last name Cadash for he knew it was a quite common name among Carta-members and he was sure this would sound believable enough. He loves hitting stuff and wearing armour that conceals some parts of his physique. Smuggling Lyrium as a quick, if dangerous, source of income was good enough for him and especially after the downfall of the Circles, Templars were way too eager to keep their line of supply working, so he did’t ask many questions.

The Elves:

Ilargian, Meretari and Udane Ibaiguren.

They were taken in by clan Lavellan when the Ibaiguren were destroyed during events of the “Three-Queens” era in 9:17 Dragon. Only few clan members survived. 

Ilargian is the oldest of the trio. In the worldstate where he becomes Inquisitor, he and his Starkhaven-born wife Maeve Ameslari, n elf-blooded healer and secretly self-taught hedge-mage, are on the run from the Mage-Templar War. They met a few years earlier when she was in temporary, contract-bound slavery for a Tevinter slave hunter company and escaped together. Now, he tries to get first-hand information about the outcome of the Conclave and decides to go there as a spy for his small, growing family. Being separated from his loved ones really tears on his nerves and sanity and sometimes only the companionship of the mysterious spirit boy can ease his pain and calm his fears, so he can sleep soundly at least during some nights.

Meretari and Udane are half-sisters with a ten-year age-gap and while the older, Meretari, has a few childhood memories of her mother, two dads and twin-brother, the younger is named after Meretari’s mother who, in this worldstate, did not survive the flight to clan Lavellan but is kept in dear and loving memory by her husbands. Udane the Elder was also a cousin of Merrill’s mother and for Varric, the resemblance between Meretari and Hawke’s Dalish companion in Kirkwall is almost too uncanny to bear.

Ondras and Oroilora Lavellan

Again, these two are only related by their clan’s name, but are neither siblings nor cousins. Instead, O was sent to Clan Lavellan after her magic manifested, for Clan Sabrae already had Merrill as Marethari’s first.

Ondras could be the epitome of a bratty teenager who is more interested in partying and flirting, if he didn’t also show a deep care towards others and their daily struggles. For most people, he makes the first impression of a very flamboyant youth who neither hides his good looks nor sexuality and some smell a scandal just waiting to happen. Despite his young age - he barely got his vallaslin before he volunteered to spy on the Conclave - he is an excellent marksman and caring and patient companion to those he grows friends with. 

Oroilora is the keeper’s First and takes her elven pride and distrust towards humans a bit too seriously, but then again, she can’t be blamed for this. A few months before she got her vallaslin, the young mage encountered a troupe of noble-born hunters, who decided to declare the elf their “special” prey. She barely survived this encounter and chose Elgar’nan as her vallaslin and swore to hunt down and kill the humans who hurt and humiliated her. This hunt lead her to the Temple of Sacred Ashes.  

Manon Vallon

Manon is one of the few survivors of Celene’s purge of Halamshiral’s Alienage. She was hired as a guard by an Orlesian hedge-knight who bears little love for the Empress’s actions during that night but also needs cheap muscle to protect his estate in the Dales from the brooding civil war. He watched her slaughter some of Celene’s soldiers in the streets outside the Alienage and that settled the deal for him.Manon was his bodyguard at the Conclave, even though she rather wanted to stay behind at her new home to protect her fellow servants, but had little say in the matter, which made her furious at first, but upon her return to the estate, she was glad her fortune turned out like this. She immediately put the whole remaining household under the Inquisition’s protection and retaliated upon the marauders for what they’ve done there.

The Humans:

Maxim, Irene, Roxana, Sebastien, Henry and Jean-Luc Trevelyan.

While Roxana and Jean-Luc both have only little memories of their family and spent most of their lives in the Circle, both have different approaches towards magic and the ongoing war.

Jean-Luc, who was certain he would die of old age in his Senior Enchanter bed, is afraid of the open and of rain and enjoys staying by the fireplace, neck deep in his studies, now wields a green glowing thing on his hand, has to venture through mud and snow and what not and the only light at the end of the day is having conversation with his fellow researcher Minaeve or the heart-warmingly charming Ambassador Montilyet. 

Roxana on the other hand thinks the war has been inevitable and considers it her duty to fight in it, to make mages’ lives safer. She holds no grudge against Templars in general, but then again, not every Circle was like Ostwick’s and not all Templars are nice people. 

Irene served as a Templar for most of her life and while she takes her duties very seriously, and disagreed with Meredith’s leadership when she was stationed in Kirkwall, she can’t bring herself to fully trust mages, after having seen them being possessed or killing her friends with blood magic. She and Cullen know each other since their days in the Kinloch Hold Circle and even though she is a woman beyond her forties and at least for a while was above him in rank, she highly respects him and often speaks back with him when things have to be decided. 

Sebastien is the illegitimate child of an Orlesian servant girl and one of the Trevelyans when this branch of the family resided in Ferelden around 9:15-9:20 Dragon. As a child, he was bullied by his peers for his parents, his accent, his protruding ears and his weight. That he searched solace in comfort-food, such as cookies, did not really help. Especially not, when the Hero of Ferelden and their entourage stopped at their village and the intimidating Qunari companion of the Grey Warden took the little boy’s cookies and told him he didn’t need more. What did help, was seeing the Hero and their friends in action and learning about Alistair becoming king of Ferelden. After this, the boy decided to become like his new idol and after a decade of fiercely practising the way of the sword, he has become a buff, towering young lad, who still loves cookies and has a thing for those pagan giants from the north. 

Maxim, Max for short, is the youngest of four children, and while his mother was incredibly happy that at least her youngest was a girl, the following years showed that this was indeed not the case with young Max. While his father tolerates his personality and his interest in learning how to ride and fight and his older brothers accept him, his relationship to his mother is rather cold and strained by this circumstance. 

Henry is the least person he himself would have thought becoming a hero of some sorts. The calm, quiet man might be a noble and might be quite proficient with a bow or his dual blades, but never had any ambition to actually do noble or heroic deeds. And after all, isn’t the Grey Warden or the Champion of Kirkwall what a real hero has to look or act like? No, for this orange haired man, this whole Herald business is just one big misunderstanding.

The Qunari

Zdravkos, Shura, Artemia and Ireth (though I’m not sure whether I will actually play the latter, due to her being already part of an Elder Scrolls crossover, where she is Dragonborn)

Zdravkos is the son of Vashoth mercenaries who serve as regular guards for a quite unimportant Orlesian nobleman and his family. The boy, even though he always knew he was treated a little different than the other servants’ children, grew up to be a kind and gentle, soft-spoken young lad who would, in his teen years, often impress guests of the house with his skill as both a painter and a dancer, despite his height and “savage” origin. When his magic manifested, at the rather high age of nineteen,  his family’s patron arranged for him being taken to the Circle of Montsimmard, where Kos showed quite some talent for both frost and healing magic and successfully completed his Harrowing only a few years after coming to the Circle and months before the Civil War started. While he is no eager player of the Game, he has a talent for it and uses this to his own benefit after becoming Inquisitor.

Shura is again a vashoth and also a true mercenary. She convinces with her intimidating height - and strange beauty - as much as with her broadaxe. Then again, her abilities as a leader, or at least second-in-command, weren’t just valued by her former company, but also by her fellow Inquisition members. 

Artemia, Temi for her friends, grew up near the Antivan border and as a child, always hoped her horns would curve in a way that’d make it possible for her to use them to swing on them.In the end, she grew faster than her horns and the early death of her Tal-Vashoth parents made it necessary for her to take on any kind of work that would make it possible for her and her younger siblings to survive on their own. She joins the Valo-Kas mercenaries when her siblings are old enough to look after themselves and loses both her horns to enemies’ axes. She’s furious on the battlefield and a whirlwind with her long knives. But as soon as children are in danger she turns into something the Qun would have called a Tamassran, like her mother once was, and fights like a dragon to defend them.

2. Who is your Inquisitor’s best friend?This is indeed not easy to ask. In means of approval, most of my Inquisitors get along well with Varric - Eguzkia Cadash and Henry Trevelyan are declared fans of his work as well. Then again, depending on the character and background, my Inquis have different views and values and since some of them have accompanying NPC OCs, those count, too.For Meret, his lover Lydus is also his best friend - much to the delight of his mum, who is happy her boy is happy. He also becomes friends with Minaeve and both Bram Kenric and Frederic of Serault, the latter eventually engaging in a polyamory relationship with Meret and Lydus.Ilargian would probably be lost without Cole’s presence. The boy knows when to say the right things to the elf and he is the first person he can share his burden of worrying about his family with, while not having to give away too much verbal information about them. He also gets along very well with Blackwall and, to his own surprise, with Dorian.Meretari often sticks to herself, but becomes good friends with Scout Harding, while Udane befriends the Chargers, as does Max.Zdravkos, now that he has the chance, bonds with Vivienne over their similar views towards magic and mages, Jean-Luc and Oroilora become friends with Solas.Irene sticks somewhat to her habits and hangs around with the (ex-)Templars a lot but also becomes friends with Blackwall and Cassandra.For Shura, no-one, not even herself can tell whether she was first friends, then lovers with Sera or if it was the other way around. Fact is, when they can, they plunder the kitchen larder together or prank those who understand fun. Eguzkia gets along with Sera very good, too, but without the romance part. And she sometimes slows Sera down, when a prank seems harmful to her.Pfhhhew, that was a lot. Thank you very much for asking!

[lumateranlibrarian]

About my OC

I was tagged by @penthesilea1623, and I’ll talk about my canon Inquisitor, Japhra Cadash, a dwarven, dual-wielding rogue from Markham.

I tag @godihatethisfreakingcat, for any of her OCs from Sons of Jerusalem or There and Back Again... and that’s the only other fic writer I can think of at the moment - hi, Seas!

I’ll also tag @vaderslocker if they have any OCs they want to talk about :)

Feel free to retag me if you want to know about any of my other Dragon Age OCs - August Lavellan (son of Fenris), Elakshi Lavellan, Lainie Hawke, Nathaniel Trevelyan, or Wonder Adaar

GENERAL

Name: Japhra Cadash

Alias(es): Honeybee - courtesy of Varric

Gender: Female

Age: 24

Place of birth: Markham

Spoken languages: Common, Dwarven, and the Carta equivalent of Thieves’ Cant (a bastardized version of formal Dwarven, with bits of Antivan, Orlesian, and Common thrown in)

Sexual orientation: demisexual, but no specification as to her partner’s gender or sexuality

Occupation: In canon, she’s the Inquisitor, but I have modern AUs where she’s a guidance counselor, where she’s a member of the Bull’s Chargers, and where she’s a photographer.

Eye color: Chasind yellow

Hair color: Auburn

Height: 4′8″

Scars: She has a very deep gouge through her eyebrow, from an injury she received when she was thirteen. There is another scar running through her lip that she got on her first lyrium run through the Vimmarks. She has other assorted scars on her arms and legs from combat, but they are less notable.

Burns: Nothing significant.

Overweight: No.

Underweight: Not currently, though she was underweight for a while while she lived on the streets for a short period during her childhood.

FAVOURITE

Color: Red

Hair color: Blonde

Eye color: Gold (can you guess what - or rather, who - I’m getting at, here?)

Music genre: Fast-paced reels and things you can dance to. She’s not a huge fan of ballads.

Movie genre: Action

TV show: She would binge Hard in Hightown if it were out on Fantasy Netflix.

Food: She likes fried foods, particularly potatoes.

Drink: Spiced ciders and ales

Book: She doesn’t read much in public - reading and writing not being her strong suit - but she’s been known to swipe a history book or two from Dorian’s “finished” pile in Skyhold. He pretends not to notice.

HAVE THEY

Passed university: No university in canon, but I’ve written a story where she’s finishing up her degree.

Had sex: Yes

Had sex in public: No

Gotten pregnant: No (though I have an AU where she is pregnant at the start of the game, and delivers a month or two before Corypheus attacks Haven)

Kissed a boy: Yes

Kissed a girl: No

Gotten tattoos: No

Gotten piercings: Yes.

Had a broken heart: Yes. She lost her sister, who was addicted to Lyrium, when she (Japhra) was thirteen years old. They had a physical altercation when her sister was hallucinating while under the influence, and after Konna came to her senses, she left on a job, and Japhra never saw her again.

Been in love: not yet

Stayed up for more than 24 hours: yes

ARE THEY

A virgin: No

A cuddler: No - but she becomes one with time.

A kisser: No

Scared easily: Depends on the situation.

Jealous easily: No... but she doesn’t think she deserves very much of anyone’s attention, either.

Trustworthy: If somebody has her loyalty, she’s got their backs one hundred percent. But if she doesn’t trust them, she’s willing to manipulate or keep them out of her way as needed.

Dominant: When she’s angry or worried, this side of her comes out to the forefront.

Submissive: She rarely, if ever, allows herself to be this vulnerable.

In love: Not at the moment. But soon...

Single: At the start of Inquisition, yes. By the end of Inquisition, not so much.

RANDOM QUESTIONS

Have they harmed themselves: No

Thought of suicide: Yes, though I do not plan on going into this deeply in the story.

Attempted suicide: No

Wanted to kill someone: Yes. The Dasher, her boss in the Carta whom she worked for and eventually escaped from. 

Ride a horse: Only once she joins the Inquisition, and even then, she resolutely sticks with ponies.

Have/had a job: Carta enforcer, and later Inquisitor

Have any fears: Becoming the person she used to be before Inquisition, taking on some of the Dasher’s “leadership” tactics, and being betrayed by people she trusts.

FAMILY

Sibling(s): Konna (older by nine years, deceased)

Parents: Aaloka Ghosan (mother, who left soon after Japhra was born), Sandar Cadash (father, deceased)

Children: none

Pets: Astyth Cadash, a silver-haired mabari that is literally the size of a cart-horse. Astyth is named after a personal hero of Japhra’s, the paragon Astyth the Grey.

[robinhoodrevisited]

Regal Revelations (pt.9)

Sometime Later. (A young boy kneels playing with his toys under the shade of a large oak tree. The boy is re-enacting a castle siege with little wooden figures. Leaning against the tree watching the boy play from a few feet away is Marian. She smiles at the boy's exuberance as he narrates the action, but grimaces at the gory details.) Marian: (Chidingly:) "Don't you ever imagine happy endings for the soldiers, Edward?" Edward: (Glances over to her:) "Where's the fun in that? Action, fighting and adventure - that's the real exciting stuff!" Marian: (Smiles:) "Well I can't deny that. But sometimes it's nice to just sit and watch the tide flow in and out or listen to the birds sing." Edward: "Mum, if you're going to start singing again, warn me, all right?" (Marian smirks and walks over to sit beside Edward on the grass.) Marian: "Would you like to hear the ending of our story this time?" Edward: "I know how it ends, you and father live happily ever after - bleh." Marian: (Laughs:) "Okay but you don't necessarily know what happened to everyone else do you?" Edward: "You mean after the fighting stopped? (Marian nods, Dryly:) Sounds exciting all ready." Marian: "Oh hush, you might learn something." (Edward tosses a toy soldier back into the basket where several others are stored. Wiping his hands on his trousers and moving to sit on a tree stump, he looks to Marian.)

Edward: "OK then but it'd better not be too mushy." Marian: "When you get older you may not mind the mushy parts of life. So, who do you want to know about first?" Edward: "Hm, what about Octavia? She sounds like a total badass! Surviving that fall, killing Blamire - tell me about her." Marian: "Well, there's not much anyone knows about her after the events at Nottingham. I do know that she was invited back to Powis several times by Commander Lexa but Octavia refused. Instead it's been rumoured that she lives a peaceful life as a farmer on a plot of land that's not far from where Lincoln is buried." Edward: "A farmer? Why didn't she go back and join Indra? Together they'd be unstoppable." Marian: "Don't think Indra didn't try and convince her of just that. But as far as I know, Octavia laid down her sword after avenging Lincoln." Cut To. Octavia's Field. (Octavia carefully sows some seeds on a modest patch of earth. As she senses someone's presence she turns to see Indra approaching.) Indra: "I'm pleased to see not all of your training has left you." Octavia: "I keep myself sharp, it keeps me alive." Indra: "But you don't have to live alone, you can return to Powis, with your people." Octavia: (Shakes her head:) "Lincoln was my people. He believed we were all the same. One clan, one people." Indra: "And we can be under the Commander's leadership." Octavia: "I'm sorry, Indra, I can't go back. Lincoln and I promised each other that one day we'd be free of the fighting, of the killing. (Looks out:) This patch of land may not seem like a lot but to Lincoln and I, it would've meant the world. Out here I'm free of it all. Out here there's peace and I owe it to Lincoln not to give that up." Indra: (Raises her hands in surrender:) "I can see you've made the right choice for you. I can respect that. (Looks at the soil behind Octavia:) Do you need any help?" (Octavia stares at her a moment then smiles and hands Indra the rake.)

Cut Back To: The Hill. Edward: "OK so Octavia fulfilled her quest and laid down her sword once and for all. (Marian nods:) I can see that, that's honourable. A bit of a waste of a skilled warrior but, if she's happy I guess that's cool." Marian: "I'm sure Octavia would be glad you approve. Besides, a peaceful life is what Djaq chose for herself. She and Will are both living in Powis and neither of them continue to fight." Edward: "No, but we both know Djaq's skills are as a healer. It's what she trained for and, well, she's the reason you're alive." Marian: (Smiles:) "Exactly and Will was brought up a carpenter's son. In Powis they're living the lives they were destined to lead. Djaq is healing the sick and Will is helping to build homes for the many people who lost theirs after years of war. Not to mention their own home." Edward: "Yeah, yeah I know. They're all loved up and living together. What about Little John? He hasn't visited us in ages." Marian: "Ah, well John is travelling the country isn't he? He joined up with Bertha and her troop and he performs as one of her gladiators from time to time." Edward: "At least someone's out there still fighting!" Marian: "Yes, but only for show and there's very rarely any blood spilled." Edward: "Aw Mum, don't ruin it." Marian: "Personally I think he's there for different reasons. John never did get over leaving Alice and his son behind. Perhaps with Bertha and her boys he feels like there's a chance for-" Edward: "Don't say the L word!" Marian: (Putting her hands up:) "All right, I won't, this time."

Edward: (Changing the subject:) "What about Prince John, what happened there exactly?" Marian: "Well, true to her word, Clarke did find a way to neutralise King John's powers. Ironically it was Vaisey's Great Pact of Nottingham that inspired her. After speaking with the English Barons, Celtic war chiefs and even the Archbishop of Canterbury, a new charter was decided upon. A document that would force the King to obey the law." Edward: "And the King signed it?" Marian: (Chuckles:) "Oh no, not at first. After John was crowned King he flat out refused to sign any such charter. It was only when the barons captured London that John was forced to negotiate. The result of the negotiations was written down by the King’s clerks in the document we know as Magna Carta." Edward: "But what's to stop the King from ignoring the charter?" Marian: (Considers:) "At the moment there are many factors. For one, the King needs money to keep an army and the barons aren't prepared to pay for one. So, while John is indeed King, without an army he's not much of a threat." Edward: "All right I can see not being able to pay for an army but doesn't the King have the Royal army at his disposal?" Marian: "Well, ask yourself this question; if you had dedicated your life to serving the King and you discover that his death was rumoured to have been orchestrated by his successor, would you then serve that man?" Edward: "No, I guess not. So what does the King do with his days then, if he's not waging war?" Marian: "Being King isn't about leading wars, Edward. Aside from spending time with Queen Isabella and their son, King John has many duties and responsibilities." Cut To: Royal Court. London. (As Queen Isabella dotes over her son, Henry, King John straddles his throne in a lackadaisical manner.) King John: "A prisoner! That's what I am, a prisoner in my own Kingdom! Have you ever heard of a King being treated as badly as I've been?"

(As the King laments about his lot in life, the doors open and two men enter the room. The response of the royal couple could not be more different. As the taller man strides toward the King, John sneers with derision. As the shorter man approaches the Queen, Isabella beams warmly at him. Gisborne slams a heavy ledger down in front of the King.) King John: (Looking up in disgust:) "And what fresh hell is this?" Gisborne: "Just a few more decrees that require your signature, (With a derisive tone:) Your Majesty." (As the King glares up at Gisborne, the man in black starts to laugh gleefully at him. Meanwhile, across the way, Isabella continues to stroke her son's hair whilst staring adoringly up into Allan's eyes.) Allan: "And how is the Queen feeling today?" Isabella: "Much better for seeing you, Sir Allan." Allan: (Smirks, looks to the boy:) "And the Prince?" Isabella: (Spares her son a glance then looks back to Allan:) "As precocious as his father." (Allan quickly looks toward the King and Gisborne. Seeing that King John is adequately distracted signing papers, Allan leans down and whispers in Isabella's ear.) Allan: "That's my boy. (Straightening up:) Are you free tonight, my Queen?" (It’s Isabella's turn to look over towards her husband. She watches as her brother leans over the King pointing at which decrees to sign before turning back to answer Allan.) Isabella: "Same time, same place?" Allan: (Bows:) "As my Queen demands." (Allan winks and turns to go, leaving Isabella smiling gleefully in his wake.) Cut Back To: The Hill. (Edward stares open mouthed at Marian.) Edward: "Do you mean to say that Prince Henry is actually Allan a Dale's son?" Marian: (Barely hiding a smirk:) "I couldn't possibly comment. (Marian holds out a few moments longer under Edward's scrutiny before the urge to laugh becomes too strong. Edward watches his mother giggle and can't help but join her.) Oh Edward, the look on your face is priceless!" Edward: "I can't believe the son of Allan a Dale could be King one day!" Marian: "Oh, now that's just another rumour. There's no proof at all that Henry isn't the King's rightful heir." Edward: (Seeing the twinkle in Marian's eye:) "Whatever you say, mother, whatever you say."