#she is *andraste reborn*

[hyperbali]

Straight up tripped into (Inquisitor!)Jeanne/Solas and saw into eternity.

It's like. One of the most hilariously fitting ships she has ever had.

Shit boy I die!!

[furubabasket]

seriously!! it's how the world of dai clearly HAS sexism no matter what bioware tries to say--it doesn't successfully imagine a world free of sexism or gender roles. the chantry is a huge show of that. (also, like... this world WOULD have sexism and gender roles. the main religion all but guarantees it. men aren't thought of as holy enough or emotionally stable enough to be major players in southern religion!! that's bound to affect WAY more than it does in-game!! are women the "holy" gender yet still considered so weak and in need of protection? is maferath's betrayal considered worse because of that? how are templars trusted to be fair and impartial and holy when it seems so many are men? how deep does this perception go? how are women affected by the increased pressure of being the supposed holy and reasonable gender? was the world largely sexist before andraste and do echoes of that sexism remain? ignoring that is LESS interesting and creates plot holes and weird game-and-story segregation) anyway. something that Gets Me is that I feel the female villains often approach villainy in the way you would expect women in a patriarchal society to do so (Meredith screams white feminism and positions herself much like Kagha of BG3--a mother snake killing to protect her children--righteously protective, divine as a mother is divine, ultimately innocent of wrongdoing because of this pure cause). Aveline isn't a villain, technically, but she shames and delegitimizes marginalized women for their sexuality (willing or unwilling) in the way a fundamentalist christian woman might and protects her largely male guard like a permissive, patriarchy-upholding boymom. Like, these women feel as if they're written for a sexist world. "Toothless" is exactly the word.

i think plain old misogyny affects dragon age inquisition’s portrayal of the chantry as much as anything else

[sacredashes]

It's time to decide:

ADDITIONAL WORLDSTATE NOTES UNDER THE CUT (warning: long)

LIR COUSLAND: Warrior. Killed Connor at Redcliffe, and killed the mages in the Ferelden Tower (sorry Wynne). Killed Leliana to defile Andraste's ashes to become a Reaver. Prince-Consort of Anora (they do not love each other at all).

Ultimately, Lir hated becoming a Warden and just wanted to get back to noble life as quickly as possible, basically picking whatever would solve the problem of the Archdemon 'faster.' Sloth is 100% his demon.

He’s not exactly HAPPY to be going around killing people, but he doesn't really see it as a problem either. He definitely doesn't mourn anyone he's hurt. Lir just views it as inevitable; that's just how the Game is played, the 'lessers' being swallowed by their superiors. ICK! It’s why he’s a massive gaslighter with that high Coercion skill: "Sorry, it's just what has to happen! Not my fault!"

His party was Alistair, Morrigan, and either Zevran or Sten. Ali does have a moral code, but it's easy to bully him into doing bad things ... AND LIR DIDN'T KNOW ALI WAS ROYAL UNTIL THE END OF THE REDCLIFFE QUEST. It was so awkward and funny because at that point Lir had been like, "SHUT UP ALISTAIR SHUT UP ALISTAIR YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ME AT ALL MY PARENTS ARE DEAD ALISTAIR," only to have that dropped on him. Due to the whole 'saving Loghain to marry Anora' thing, Ali got his own bad ending.

But Lir's ending isn't happy either. He truly thought after all that he can go back to his lazy life as a noble--a ROYAL now--whose not 'in-charge.' As if, after becoming such a horrible person, you can just turn it all off. The Blight was already working its way through his body fast, but I feel like he lives at most a couple of years after the end of Origins, the Blight ultimately taking him. He never knows peace ever again, which is what he deserves.

IRENE TREVELYAN: Rogue. Killed basically anyone who didn't agree with her (everyone in Judgement). Conscripted the mages only because the Templars didn't immediately drop down and worship her as Andraste's Herald. Gaspard rules so she can bully him into submission later. All companions were in the negatives approval-wise, except Bull, with most just leaving or even betraying her.

Fully believed she was saved by Andraste OR was in some way related to Andraste following her survival at the Conclave. As a result, she's entitled and mean, completely brash and immature. Solas was basically dealing with Elgar'nan again, if Elgy was reborn as a 19-year-old girl. Also, 110% a bigot, based mostly on what she grew up in under the Chantry ... but even THEN, it's still a lot. If there was an option to say something really really bad, she said it.

Her party was mainly the Iron Bull, Cassandra, and either Vivienne or Solas. Again outside of Bull, Irene did get their disapproval scenes and if there was an option to be violent SHE WAS.

Bull's betrayal hurts because Irene didn't kill the Chargers!!!! She just never did Bull's companion quest because she didn't like or trust the Qunari. Solas' betrayal only hurts in that he proves that the Mark was never from Andraste. She romanced Cullen but they're divorced/didn't follow through with the engagement because he was in a savior spiral and she didn't like that he was a person with feelings.

After Inquisition and Trespasser, she becomes devoted to serving the Chantry as the Inquisitor, ready to go to war anytime, anywhere.

CASTUS LAIDIR: Warrior. Got the entirety of the Veilguard killed and then dragged Solas into Superhell for shared war crimes. Castus was once forced to fight for Tevinter in their Navy fleet, so he’s very jaded on the whole “I fight for good reason" thing a lot of people in the story do. He just likes fighting because he now loves violence and associates it with getting a reward, since he has zero problem robbing from a corpse. Didn't help any organizations outside of the Crows because he loves killing Vints (not even specifically the Venatori, though he hates them plenty too). Didn't help any of his friends--well, allies, outside of Lucanis for the same reason. After killing Zara and Lucanis was exiled from Treviso, they stopped furthering their relationship.

Castus is very apathetic, so he struggles with being open and honest to any of his teammates or even Solas in his brain. He literally laughs when there are lore drops and calls it all stupid and pointless. He only gets excited whenever we get to talk about murdering the gods or Vints or otherwise. Again, maybe if he took things more seriously, people would be alive! (Also, unlike the previous 2, I wouldn't say he's a bigot exactly, but he is really annoying in his own philosophy of "We all will die anyways soooo why fight to change things? We live in a society!")

With only Lucanis being slightly close to Castus, the rest stayed on the lower end of approval. I DO THINK EMMERICH HATED THIS GUY. I think Emmerich either stayed at an approval of 2 or just made it to 3. Before starting the end of the game, it warns you if you haven't gotten enough support to stop the Evanuris, and everyone is BEGGING you to slow down. If you say "Nah, let's just get the job done," EMMERICH LOOKS SO PISSED, he starts shaking his head as his little disapproval window pops up. So good. Sorry you died, king. Neve also didn’t like Castus either, due to him sacrificing Minrathous ONLY because he doesn’t care for Tevinter and absolutely didn’t mourn the fact even people like the Shadow Dragons were hurt.

BONUS:

[caughtnyact]

WIP Wednesday

Finally I'm able to post a WIP Wednesday on the actual day lmfao. Thank you @thequeenofthewinter and @holdingontojupiter for tagging me <33

I'm taking this week to work on my backlog of Thedas Weekend prompts since I received so many excellent ideas!

@broodwoof gave me a juicy request for Calpernia, so of course I had to oblige 👀

Calpernia used to find comfort in absence. Silence gives way to wisdom, or so the verses of Dumat impressed upon her. Now, however, the stillness of the air of her Minrathous hovel only drives her mad. The so-called 'Herald of Andraste' had succeeded where she had failed. Corypheus was slain, and nothing has changed; the Imperium is the same now as it ever was. She had been forced underground in fear of retaliation from what remained of the Venatori. After her meteoric rise to power under Corypheus, she has been cast aside once more, a dulled weapon that outlived its usefulness. All of her efforts to create meaningful change in her homeland had been for nothing. The despots and opportunists mock her still by bastardizing her rallying cry. 'For the glory of Tevinter reborn.' The words turn to ashes in her mouth now.

No-pressure tagging @dialmformud, @the-bear-and-his-sunbird, @guacamolleee, and anyone else that has anything they'd like to share 😌

[rexomi]

Inquisition Replay Rambles

I'm replaying Inquisition and I want to ramble about it a bit. This is going to be a bit of analysis about his first conversation with Lavellan. This will be of course only my opinion, I think part of the appeal of Solas is there are so many facets to him that there's a lot that could be said depending on what speaks to you personally.

This will only be through the lens of Inquisition. I am not interested in discussing through VGs lens. Due to continuity, I will be referring to the Inquisitor as the Herald/prisoner/Lavellan depending on which is relevant.

But also I don't care, I just really want talk about Solas and make you look at screenshots so here we go.

It's very important to me to state how early in game this is. You potentially haven't even left Haven yet and I think that sheds some light on what exactly Solas' purpose is with this conversation. This unlocks after the Inquisition is reborn officially. In the game Solas is nowhere to be found during this scene but in universe Solas probably watched the Herald's first walk up to the Chantry after waking up.

Mere days ago a prisoner was dragged through Haven in chains. While we do not know exactly what happened between first appearing in front of the ruined Temple and waking in chains, it would not surprise me if Solas had pleaded for the prisoner's life. Not out of any affection but out of desperation. His Focus is still missing and whatever hope he has to regain it is the magic in the prisoner's hand.

He had talked with her on the march up the the Temple of Sacred ashes but she was still the Prisoner then; now the Herald of Andraste walks up to him.

He's testing the Herald.

Solas is gambling. He's desperately trying to predict where the dice will fall. He cannot retrieve the Mark or he would've already. What will she do with this power? Not only the ability to close the Rifts and Breach but also the sheer belief that is being placed on her. If she is capable enough he only knows that will grow.

He is in a very precarious situation. He is everything the Chantry despises and he is painfully aware of it. Still weak from waking from Uthenara just earlier that year. So to test her he offers her pieces of himself, who he is at his core - an Elven Apostate who seeks out the company of spirits - and waits to see what she says.

He is risking so much by these admissions. Templars wield the brand for lesser "crimes" than being an odd apostate. Elves are seen as spiritually and legally lesser, the Chantry declaring their souls further from the Maker. Spirit Healers face greater suspicion from Templars, terrified that they'll turn abomination due to their proximity to spirits. Dreamers are considered generally extinct (with Feynriel being stated to be the first in two centuries) but we can assume that a Templar would be even more terrified of one.

His dialogue then splits into two paths.

Lavellan can choose to either answer his question directly or instead question further on those intriguing thoughts he brought up. While personally I generally ask about him I do think there is merit in looking at the other options. Screenshot from Daitranscripts.

With a single question he has a better understanding of the Herald. Of her foundations. While she may change as her power grows it gives him the starting block to try and analyze her. But Lavellan can turn this around, she can learn from him instead.

I have to give massive amounts of credit to GDL here because Solas' voice changes subtly when you ask him about his studies. Up until this point, Solas has talked a bit stiffly in those first few lines. As I said he is testing the Herald and there's this firmness underlying it as he refuses to reveal his hand. That drops from Solas' voice when he begins to talk about the Fade and his dreams.

This Solas is a bit freer, it crescendos if Lavellan compliments his skill. I sincerely doubt Solas had any idea that anyone would show a genuine interest in his cavorting with what the world would see as Demons and it shatters his previous pretense. This is unscripted and for a moment Solas glimmers through.

He even smiles. it's faint but the corners of his lips turn up.

This is a surprise but a pleasant one. Genuine appreciation was far beyond anything I think Solas could prepare for when he started this line of conversation. For a few moments they're just two people, sharing a pleasant discussion about his interests. What he learns of Lavellan is worthy of respect, albeit still tempered by his caution.

While I realize it is a game limitation - why record three versions of one line when one will do - there is something jolting about how his face sobers in the next line. That moment is gone, he can't let himself get too carried away. He stares off into the distance somewhere past Lavellan and his expression straightens. That sternness is back.

I will stay then, at least until the Breach has been closed.

He's back to subtly pushing the Herald, to see their reactions.

Was that in doubt? I am an apostate mage surrounded by Chantry forces and unlike you, I do not have a divine mark protecting me./I am an apostate surrounded by Chantry forces in the middle of a mage rebellion.

There are a few layers of subterfuge here but I want to reiterate that he is taking a massive risk admitting this. In the middle of a conversation where he just confesses to being everything the Chantry hates he adds that he's been waiting to see if he should even stay and help. The Herald has the ear of the Former hands of the Divine and the former Templar who is the Inquisition's Commander while you can't in game for plot reasons there's no reason to believe that this couldn't go badly fast depending on Lavellan's possible bias.

Another piece of subterfuge that while he makes it sound like he had this revelation during this conversation, I actually think it happened earlier at the first Rift the Prisoner closed. He cannot leave the Inquisition until they discover what happened with his orb. He admits to willingly locking himself in a cage in one the disapproval scenes and in the other he refuses to leave even though the Inquisitor may have slaughtered an entire temple of Elvhen. Even punching him does not have him leave like it does with Dorian. He will endure abuse both physically and verbally for a chance to retrieve what is his.

Screenshots from Daitranscripts, second is from here.

Solas is a trickster and like a trickster he is pulling the rug out from underneath the Herald to see how she lands. He wants to prod and push and see if she snaps at his indiscretions. Is the Herald sympathetic or has Chantry dogma gotten them as well? And even the Dalish are suspicious of spirits. For an elven mage Herald he could be seeing if she'd be willing to sell out one of their own at a chance for survival.

While this is clearly Solavellan centric I do think it is worth looking at the non romantic options. Screenshot from Daitranscripts.

Once again by taking that risk, by putting himself in an unfavourable situation, he learns more about the Herald. He has another piece to the puzzle whether she's dismissive of his plight (and by extension of those of mages) or if she's sympathetic. He can also get a view of how she sees problems, whether she pushes them out of the way to deal with later or if she even thinks she has power to stop others.

So obviously you and I are here for the Solavellan so let's talk about it.

I adore that the romance choice is not "I'll protect you" but rather "You can trust me". Solas does not trust people, he is not a misanthrope by any means (so many of his motivations come out of his love for people) but he is constantly waiting for the knife in his back. He has been betrayed badly and I think that is a large motivation to his conversation here. He wants to know what problems could occur so he can be prepared for what he sees as the inevitable fall.

When Lavellan offers this, offers protection, he immediately tries to tear it down.

How would you stop them?

His voice drops, there's a gravely timber to it. He is demanding to know how. Not to know what her plan is but because I don't think he thought she had one. Solas probably took her offer as an empty platitude, one he could easily toss aside. Solas does not want to trust others and Lavellan offering a hand comes across as a threat regardless of her intentions. It would be worse if she was genuine and only later decided to betray him.

Now I cannot sit here and state Lavellan's meaning. There are as many answers to that question as there are Lavellans. Each one of my own Lavellan comes to a different conclusion. Whether because they may both be elven (?apostates) in an Andrastrian organization, whether Lavellan is genuinely interested in him/his friendship. It may be to return a favour she believes she owes him, he saved her life as well in the intro. Instead I'm going to shift to Solas' perspective.

He was either expecting nothing or for her to backtrack. Instead she looks at him with such determination and declares she would do whatever it would take.

This whole conversation was him trying to unsettle the Herald, to try and push them into a response so he can categorize them. Instead the rug is pulled out from under his feet. He freezes for a split second before thanking them, his voice is gentle and tender. That's all he can do. Whatever he was expecting by starting this gamble it wasn't this.

There's this gentle ebb and flow underlying this entire conversation. He pushes and she pulls, each of them taking turns leading and surprising the other. You can hear in Solas' voice when he has the conversation scripted, each word hand crafted for Lavellan to bounce her ideals from, but you can hear when she reaches beyond his expectations. When she hears underneath his stoic veneer and sees a man she genuinely wishes to know better.

I know a lot of people - myself included - see this as the moment when Solas falls for Lavellan. in part due to the fact that he is so touch and affection starved but I also think it has to do with this game he set up for her. He tested her - as if a shadowy figure in a fairy tale - and she turned it around on him. Subterfuge is his expertise and she flips everything upside-down by being so genuine with him that he cannot help but believe it.

And what i truly believe convinces Solas of this is that she isn't aware that she's doing it. She slips through his defenses for a second because of this. She had no ulterior motives in declaring that she'd keep him safe and he cannot help but for a moment trust her.

That is the foundation of their relationship. That for a few moments they can pretend to be who they really are and just love each other for that alone.

[datvtranscripts]

Signs and Portents Deleted Dialogue

The Smuggled Relic Case

Dialogue is sorted in scene order to the best of my ability.

Neve Masterpost Signs and Portents Masterpost About Deleted Dialogue

—

Tarquin: Welcome back.

—

Tarquin: Welcome to Minrathous.

—

Neve: We've got markets, shows, no one sleeps and—ah. The relic's pulling toward the Temple of Andraste.

—

Bellara: I hope we find the relic soon.

Harding: We need to find that relic soon.

Lucanis: The sooner we find this relic, the better.

—

Rook: What's happening there? Someone hurt?

—

Rook: More demons!

Bellara: We can handle them!

Harding: We can't leave them loose!

Lucanis: Not for long.

—

Rook: A Fade tear. Looks wrong.

Neve: It's all wrong. If the relic we're chasing is unstable… let's get a closer look.

—

Rook: What's that?

Neve: Disruption of the Fade. The relic's work.

—

Neve: It could be drawn to a rupture in the Veil.

—

Neve: Rook, this way.

—

Neve: Rook, over here.

—

Harding: This city's huge. Let's try not to lose the trail. Lucanis: We should stay focused. Bellara: I'm glad Neve knows where she's going.

—

Neve: We need to get down to the docks.

—

Neve: The way out's tied to that chain. I can deal with that.

—

Neve: The relic came through here. Let's look for a remnant.

Smuggler Remnant: Soon… the buyer…

Neve: If the relic's trading hands, we need to stop that deal.

—

Neve: Key to the Dock Town elevator. Could be useful next time we're here.

—

Neve: Damn it! More demons!

Rook: The relic! We've got more demons!

Neve: Oh, good! This wasn't fun enough!

—

Rook: More demons! If all of them break loose…

—

Albin Bataris: You can't—those without faith will fall! For the glory of Tevinter reborn.

Neve: Cute speech!

Albin Bataris: (Frustrated yell)

—

Rook: So just another night in Minrathous?

[maabelasdaruth]

So in order to deal with the Veilguard lore and Solas romance feels, I have been OBSESSED with a self insert Lavellan where upon death the love and obsession I have with Thedas and Solas specifically pushes through the void and veil to a dying without help Amelin (hope) Lavellan who has just cut herself rather badly on lyrium shards and broken her leg after ignoring warnings about exploring old abandoned lyrium mines (edit: fights demons and gets nearly killed by a spirit of pride as of current edition)

So using Titan blood and the DNA of a people who descended from spirits who made themselves real, the parts of myself that are far more interested in Thedas than this world manifest into a spirit of fascination/obsession because of how many hours in the past fifteen years I have spent focusing on this game

So EVENTS OCCUR that lead to them learning about and protecting each other and eventually escape the mine but both getting mortally wounded protecting each other in the process (demon of spite / the reborn rage demon)

They end up kissing after Amelin says she'll regret dying without ever being kissed, upon kiss said kiss cues them suddenly syncing their memories and waking up completely healed but become one person and my new OC with access to my extensive world knowledge and existing as the 1st of clan Lavellan only a few years before the events of Inquisition is born!

Imagine chosing to walk to your death or fate as the Herald of Andraste/ Inquisitor of the Inquisition. But knowing how much damage someone else could do with that title and relying on the HOPE of success to propel you forward. Imagine Cassandra being right when she accuses you of doing this to yourself, imagine what you might have done if you actually could intervene with the ritual, do you change anything? Or do you bide your time and count on the threads of fate your knowledge of these games and this world provides.

Her dual identity is conveniently forgotten in the amnesia of gaining the mark (perfect cover when you believe the lie of yourself) and remembered due to exposure to the time magic in Redcliffe which I've started writing some of (edit: she thinks the amnesia will kick in but it doesn't because she knew what was going to happen so while she is in the fade they split, her/my fox spirit jumps green out of the mark and fights off the little fears to help her get out then fucks off to Redcliffe)

Also considering how Andraste was a possession/ union of a Spirit of Mythal and Andraste. I love the parallel of the Herald of Andraste being a spirit bride of the Twisters of Fate we become when we change the world states in this game to suit our preferences, I like the meta of it!

All so makes it so that I get to play the fox instead of the fool romancing Solas again knowing everything and just hoping it will be enough to make a difference even though knowing because it's about him and his inability to change, it probably won't matter even if he could be offered truth and love in that Crestwood scene but it's tickling my brain so good

[the-tropes-are-hungry]

Inquisition spoilers but thinking about the evanuris and the old gods and the blights and flemeth and

So the fact that Andraste was born the year the first archdemon died, and Andraste and Flemeth share multiple points including a story of marrying two men with a messy divorce/betrayal in the middle, having a daughter who only bore daughters, and Flemeth/Mythal being alive even to SOLAS’s surprise…

The first archdemon contained Mythal’s soul and power. She was siphoned from her original (tainted) form by the Dark Ritual, and was reborn as an alamarri woman who became Andraste. After her Exalted March, she was betrayed by Maferath and died (Maferath @ Andraste, Elgar’nan @ Mythal)… but didn’t die. And she’s been kicking around in the background of history ever since, incarnating and incarnating in the bodies of her own daughters each time.

Which evanuris can the Warden and Morrigan incarnate into Kieran?

Did Mythal perform this ritual at the deaths of OTHER archdemons? (Not the 4th because Garahel confirmed dead by god soul nuke)

What did Mythal take from a Dark Ritual Kieran?

What the HECK did Solas take from Mythal?

Did solas get TWO evanuris with one stab of the knife?

[chantlight]

I still have details to massage, but the premise for her DA:TV verse without erasing ideas developed before the game dropped — This works best with Inquisitors who disbanded the Inquisition and simply would not be doing what DA:TV has them doing. (Default is Alanari.) Cassandra takes on the responsibility of "leading" the South against the Sixth Blight, with "leading" in quotes because the way that's put into practice will be a lot more nuanced but she makes a good spearhead / rallying cry. She doesn't take the title of Inquisitor, though; her title remains High Seeker.

She technically left the Chantry of Andraste after Trespasser. Though she is rebuilding the Seekers of Truth, she is doing so somewhat independently with a focus on returning them to their ancient roots. She also becomes the champion of a prophet, Aminah. Divine Victoria (Leliana by default) approaches her about turning her new Seekers toward the hunt for Solas. She plays on a few things: Cassandra's inability to stay idle, the misplaced guilt / responsibility she feels over not seeing through Solas, the last ember of hope she carries that the Chantry of Andraste can be reborn and there won't be a schism with Nevarra, her desire to avoid an Exalted March as more come to believe in Aminah (which the Divine promises to work hard against if Cass agrees).

There are several reasons for the Divine to pursue this. Firstly, this sort of investigation + hunt is exactly what the Seekers do. It's their whole purpose. Secondly, the order was almost entirely eradicated by the end of DA:I, necessitating the training of new members. Meaning Solas definitely won't know these people — and their methods will likely be different from their predecessors. Thirdly, Cassandra and her Seekers are ostensibly on the outs with the Divine and the Chantry of Andraste. Supposedly, they're not even on speaking terms. Fourthly, Cassandra ostensibly has too much to worry about in Nevarra to get involved. This point is true, but who is she if she's not biting off more than she can chew?

Anyway my other general thought is Leliana — regardless of whether she's Divine — has taken a leaf out of Solas' book and these groups are operating similar to cells. As in Cassandra leads a group, Charter leads a group, etc. etc. The groups themselves don't know about each other's members / methods / operations aside from careful, secret communication between the leaders of said groups. More hounds coming for Solas from more directions, and even if he hampers one, there's another at his throat.

[notebooks-and-laptops]

I'm thinking about the Andraste cult "the disciples of Andraste" who believe that Andraste is now reborn as a dragon and I honestly have so many questions.

According to this codex they're all completely mad because of "inbreeding" by the time we reach them in DAO, but we actually know surprisingly little about them other than the fact that a) they at some point turned away from worshipping the ashes to worshipping the dragon which got them locked out of the inner sanctuary and the gauntlet, b) they looked after the dragons young and eggs and the dragon and her children never attacked them but instead let them drink dragons blood to become revers d) they distrust outsiders and c) their chantry officials are male much like Tevinter but unlike Orlais.

It's implied that the village possibly practices human sacrifice in DAO, although the exact reasons are unspecified (to feed the dragon? Are their mages blood mages? Why? I have questions!!!) And it's also possibly they were just sacrifing outsiders (the knights of Redcliffe) who managed to find their village? Other than that, there is little to learn by walking through the original haven.

Nothing much more is revealed by the series of quests you can do on the wartable about Haven in Inquisition either (much to my own disappointment). They point to the fact that the cave systems and the temple were built pre-andraste, but they kind of trail off in a very unsatisfactory manner regardless of which agent you pick to complete them.

We also have Tamar who was imprisoned by the inquisition and then began to fight for them to secure her freedom. She has some very interesting dialogue:

"Your Chantry goes belly up, the Inquisition steps in. Always something to keep the same people in power."

"The gilded Chantry says only one truth exists. And its servants lie, steal, kill to make it so."

This reads almost identical to what I would imagine the Dalish might say; and cast the cult in a very different light to "inbreeded mad men". From these quotes and other context we get the idea that she belonged to a group who secluded themselves and kept their own traditions away from regular society, and so her people were slaughtered to preserve the chantrys "truth" and deny her own. Even with the dragon gone (possibly dead) she still believes in her cults traditions and is faithful!!!! (Let me talk to her more PLEAEE.) But regardless, this is about as sympathetic as the games really get towards this cult.

So....what were they? I'm so facinated by these guys.

Because like. They clearly have different ideas about magic, ideas possibly handed down from Andraste herself? Or ideas that developed later? Regardless they have many mages in their group and there isn't any evidence those mages are restricted in any way. If anything their mages are sent to do important things like be the main religious leaders or to impersonate Wylen. Their ideas might honestly be closer to the Avvar which would make some sense geographically (did they have contact with the Avvar? Did they trade with them? Farming would have been hard in their snowy mountains as we know from needing supply routes to Skyhold/Haven in DAI so other than hunting, did they have contact with these groups or not?)

And I have MORE questions!!! Did they have similar religious holidays to regular Andrastism? How did they see Andrastes death most pre and post the arrival of her reborn dragon self? Did their belief in reincarnation spread beyond the dragon (to people as well) or was it something special that had only happened to Andraste? Did they have any religious texts that were important - maybe oral history was particularly favoured in this group like with the Dalish? If so, any oral history dating back to Andraste would have died out when the cult itself did.

I want to anthropologically study these people so bad and like learn everything there is to know but unfortunately they are fictional and in a game and bioware doesn't seem to have any plans to develop them so :/

[mabaris]

ok but what happens when an OGB dies. i know it’s a popular theory andraste was one because she was born around the end of the first blight. but what happened to that soul when she was killed? being reborn in a mortal cleansed it of the blight, so it wouldn’t have to jump into the nearest tainted body (darkspawn/warden), but is the jumping a feature of the blight (possible, since corypheus does the same) or a feature of the inherent Divinity of the soul? would it have died there, or gone into hessarian, or instead gone to the nearest pregnant woman lol. and then from that kid on down the ages. what’s the endgame here

[mythalsknickers]

Happy Friday! How about "kiss my hand. make me feel holy." from the religious imagery prompts for Solas x Lavellan?

Title: A Moonrise like Daylight Pairing: Solas x Fen'aslan "Evuniala" Lavellan Rating: M Word Count: 1,146 Warning: I am gonna Say Veilguard to be safe. @dadrunkwriting for safety reason veilguard I had fun writing this, and ho boy is this going to make me cry on my replay of inquisition thank you for the prompt.

Hope, a rare and fleeting emotion in the waking world and one he dared not have. As the snow drowned Haven, the dragon and his miscalculation flew away, he followed behind the pilgrims of the chantry. The original plan had the Herald not woken, starting to take shape. In the night he would make for Tarasyl'an Te'las and activate the wards and find a way to recover his orb.

Through the veil he felt something, the pulse of the anchor. Looking over his shoulder a small breath as he sought the aid of the spirits. Did she yet live somehow? It was another campsite before he heard the answer. Injured but Alive, his magic reached into the long tired wards of the area and the song of wolves filled the night. A simple request to guide her to them.

By the time they had settled into a valley for the night, he took to the edge of the encampment with a small torch. He needed to be away from the throngs of frightened and mourning masses, he needed to be able to listen for the aid he had called and for the Herald. It was hours before the last wolf howled and she collapsed in sight of the Commander.

As he followed the Commander to a tent he could hear the whispers. She was Andraste reborn, she had died and come back to them. His eyes looked to the nearly frozen elf wearing the Eyes of Fen'harel, how cruelly fitting. The masses whispered a likeness of Andraste, but he saw something far more ancient, Mythal in her youth lacking wisdom but she made up for it in kindness and fairness at first. Raised up by the people she too had saved from cruelty unchecked. Exhaling slowly he pushed the the memories and regrets of millenia ago back into the darkness. His magic enveloped the herald slowly easing what he could, the anchor while still his was now very much apart of her. He only left her side, when all that could be done was for the young keeper to rest.

It was the singing that pulled him from the fade, a scene that was familiar in to many ways. He watched as the Revered Mother lead the faithful, and Fen'aslan stood rigidly, her eyes darting around the crowd, and her armored hands clenching into fists. She was uneasy like a caged wolf. There may yet be hope that this would not fair as poorly as the last time the faithful raised and elf to worship.

"A Word." It was all he said as he walked behind her, he caught the relieved look as she broke away from the group to follow him. The road had grown more perilous now, perhaps with his wisdom if she listened he could keep her from the fate of women and elves alike in this religion. His hand waved and the veilfire answered with brief roar casting the memory of warmth. "The humans have not raised one of our people so high for ages beyond counting. Her faith is hard-won, lethallin, worthy of pride…save one detail." He paused as she drew near watching her as she held her hands to the fire and watched him. "The threat Corypheus wields? The orb he carried? It is ours." The shock he expected, as he prepared for her questions while continuing with the words he had already prepared.

"Even if we defeat Corypheus, they will find away to blame us eventually." The pessimism he had not expected but it came with a lifetime of suspicion at the hands of the humans. Yet he could gift her with one thing that would offer her some safety among the humans. Tarasyl'an Te'las, the trip there with the pilgrims would be arduous but it would give them the room to grow that they desperately needed. As she crested the hill, and felt the wards of his own fortress welcome him. Her opaline eyes lite up in a wonder....like that of Evuniala.

It was after the coronation, when she had become Inquisitor that he brought her to the fade. She had changed his whole world, a knot of regrets that Felassan had tried to reach over the millennia starting to unravel all because she listened and asked questions rather then give orders. Where Mythal had flourished under the burden of command and the duty of a ruler. Fen'aslan struggled, spending hours speaking to the advisors, and those who had formed her inner circle. Instead of Benevolence's radiance and Vengeance's fire he saw the gentle warmth of Hope and the chill of Despair.

A kiss to her hand, filled with a devotion he had not given in ages past to make her holy amongst the first of their people and to him alone. The spirits would whisper how the one who hunts alone had set her above her own people and made her equal to him. But she had done that all on her own, and it was only fitting now that he offer her the comfort of his devotion as Hope should have had it long ago as the rarest of the people.

His eyes met her opaline eyes and for a moment he swore he saw her Evuniala, the Hope so long ago lost. There was a hunger between them as she closed the distance first to steal a kiss. Not a goddess but perhaps something much more sacred and holy. He chased her when she pulled away shy of her own passion. His lips captured hers and his arms pulled her up onto his thigh. He could feel the desperation lighting between them, the spirits of passion taking notice as he worshipped her. Lips bruised and parting with sweet whimpers as he found her neck. His hand rested on her back, as she found her feet, cheeks and the tips of her ears flushed. The music of the elvhen court played in the distance of the fade. "We shouldn’t. It isn’t right. Not even here" he offered watching her eyes widen as she looked around. A dreamer she was but perhaps she had never realized her potential until tonight.

"What do you mean even here?" there was a pause and before he could ask her where she though they were. "This is not real?" His lips formed into a smirk, she was quick and cleaver. Not like a fox though but like a wolf....

"That’s a matter of debate… probably best discussed after you wake up." Vhenan...it had almost slipped out in the cast spell. He let out a breath. No it seemed she was not like Mythal, who she was like stirred a deep seated protectiveness in him. She had his devotion and that he did not regret but it made things harder. He would find a new way to correct his mistakes.

[thewardenisonthecase]

hi, love your stuff!! When you first created your ocs, were their initial concepts different from how they turned out?

thank you anon!

I'm. going to be honest. When it comes to DA in specific, I did not have any initial concepts for when I tackled the characters. Like literally none of them, i did not think about anything until i got to the CC, to the point where. I didnt even come up with names or imagined how they looked until i booted up their respective games for the first time, and then they just came to be as I played.

There are a few things that changed the more playtroughs I made tho. Originally, Elizabeth had a very different nose and she had blue eyes, and she was just named Eliza and was very much a purple hawke. It was only on my second run (and the first time i finisehd the game) that i gave her green eyes, and gave her the name Elizabeth and some time after that, i changed her nose and she became a purple-blue mix. Anneliese also used to have brown hair but then I changed it to black, tho her personality has stayed much the same.

There was a moment in one of Asala's earliest runs where she was very much drinking the Herald of Andraste kool aid and she was very Andrastian TM, but i changed that because I thougt her having conflicting feelings when it came to the Qun was a more interesting narrative for her.

I will say, the OCs that tend to come out different than their OG concepts are usually my DND ocs, since I do spend a substantial amount of time thinking and planning them and then when the time comes to roleplay, things come out different. Recent example is that some time ago I was playing a homebrew ravenloft campaign based on bloodborne with a reborn human wizard (who had a parasite keeping her alive lol) and i had an idea for her personality, she was very quiet and subdued, but when it came time to roleplay her, she became lowkey very arrogant and "i have been alive for years, child, i know better than you".

But yeah for my da ocs, i'd say there wasn't much of an initial concept before i began playing

[caughtnyact]

hello, happy thedasweekend! c: i got Very excited to see someone who writes calpernia tbh, so how about her and the lyrics prompt of: Everything I Own - 'It’s reached the point in the night where I need to decide / Whether I’m gonna fall asleep or watch the sunrise’

-broodwoof

I need you to know that I had so much fun revisiting Calpernia for this prompt, she is a very special and underrated character!!

For @thedasweekend <3 and thank you @guacamolleee for giving me the permission I needed to not spend hours on this lmfao

Also there is some self-indulgent past Neve x Calpernia if you squint real hard

Calpernia used to find comfort in absence. Silence gives way to wisdom, or so the verses of Dumat impressed upon her. Now, however, the stillness of the air of her Dock Town hovel only drives her mad.

No warnings - 526 words

Calpernia used to find comfort in absence. Silence gives way to wisdom, or so the verses of Dumat impressed upon her. Now, however, the stillness of the air of her Dock Town hovel only drives her mad.

The so-called 'Herald of Andraste' had succeeded where she had failed. Corypheus was slain, and nothing has changed; the Imperium is the same now as it ever was. She had been forced underground in fear of retaliation from what remained of the Venatori. After her meteoric rise to power under Corypheus, she has been cast aside once more, a dulled weapon that outlived its usefulness. All of her efforts to create meaningful change in her homeland had been for nothing. The despots and opportunists mock her still by bastardizing her rallying cry.

'For the glory of Tevinter reborn.' The words turn to ashes in her mouth now.

The betrayal of her mentor cut deeper than she could have ever imagined. Mentor? No, master, she clenched her fists. All she had done was change hands from one master to another. Erasthenes, Corypheus, their names matter not; perhaps she was wrong after all.

'Then I will return to Tevinter... if there is anything left of me.'

She had kept her promise to the Herald that she would return to Tevinter, but there was nothing left of her. Calpernia rubs her eyes as the light in her oil lamp dies out.

She rises from her makeshift desk to grab more oil. It was then that she noticed a few new letters shoved under the gap of her door. Probably more nonsense, she sighed as she crossed the shoe-box apartment to grab the mail. As she reached to toss the pile into the dying fire in the hearth, she noticed a strange letter on top of the pile.

She tossed the other letters aside and carefully pried the strange envelope open. This letter possessed some kind of enchantment that obscured much of the contents. Even the wax seal was inscrutable; it was not the insignia of any magister she had ever seen. Dispelling the minor encryption spell was easy work for a mage of her talent.

"Hmm... what manner of letter is this?"

The letter revealed a call to action that made her hard gaze soften slightly.

The highbloods don't own us. They don't own Tevinter. If they will not share it, then we will take it from them. There are dragons in the shadows, too.

"There are more of us than them. Bring the light." Calpernia would have felt mocked, if the letter didn't sound so sincere. The letter was not signed with a name; just an invitation to meet with 'an old friend'.

Calpernia smiled at that as she looked outside her narrow window at the first signs of sunlight reflecting off of the still waters. The thought of sleeping didn't compel her now; she needed to see for herself if these so-called 'Shadow Dragons' could reignite the fire in her heart that lay dormant for so long.

Perhaps I might try living in the light once more, Calpernia mused as she set down her oil lamp and gathered her things.

[serensama]

In Sacrifice, Glory : Chapter 3

Thank you darling @illneverrecover and @femme-moon <3

Read on Ao3

Rating: Explicit (for later chapters) Summary: The sky is asunder and the world is in chaos. Something needed to be done and someone needed to stitch all the pieces together- but there was no-one. So she was sent back. The Hero of Ferelden rejected by death to become their Herald, their Inquisitor. What would that mean for the world and, moreover, her family, friends and lover she had left behind? Will she find her place in a new life- a new love- or will the draw of the past prove too strong to truly forget? Chapter Summary: Sister Leliana finally has her answer. Word count: 3701

---

The Herald was stable, already asleep by the time Solas had started to check her over. He made quick work of the wounds on her head and helped clean off her skin as Adan carefully slipped a draught down Elissa’s throat to ensure she continued to sleep through the night. Solas had looked to the Spymaster with questions apparent on his face, but had enough sense to remain silent. He was wordlessly dismissed after Inquisition scouts arrived to move the unconscious woman back to her cabin. 

Leliana quietly thanked Andraste that only the change of guards bore witness to the ordeal as they knew better than to spread that sort of gossip around camp. Picking up a wineskin she took a long swig and although she winced at the strength of it, she was grateful for the harsh warmth it pushed through her limbs. The chantry sister closed her eyes to walk through the steps that led them there. She looked like Elissa. Sounded like Elissa. Had memories only she would have... was that enough to say to the world that the Hero of Ferelden was reborn? She took another mouthful of the tart liquid before throwing the skin on her table, mussing up her scrolls as it landed with a dull thud. 

A scroll rolled over to her foot and she was about to kick it to the back of her tent when she noticed it was the not one either she or her scouts had written on. Leliana bent over to pick it up and inspected it, her eyes widening in disbelief. She rushed back over to her table and held the paper to the light to ensure she wasn’t imagining things or just seeing what she wanted to. 

Written in neat, flowing script across the top of the page: ‘Notes from Sister Leliana’. 

Her mind drifted back to when Elissa had offered to scribe for her, the writing on the parchment was undoubtedly hers. She could recognise it anywhere. Elissa would often give her bits of paper or parchment that she had written on when she returned to camp. Leliana had loved that Elissa would jot down bits and pieces of their travels in order to remind her of something that happened whilst away on a quest, or something that one of their comrades had said to her that she thought was funny or somehow important to their journey. She fought back a grin at the memory of Elissa insisting that the recipe for Sten’s favourite type of cookie had to be recorded in the annals of their history. 

Writing however, could be forged. She knew this better than anyone, Maker’s breath, she was excellent at doing it herself. Yet, she forced herself to recall the tiniest details of their night and she could easily see that Elissa had used her right hand to write, and the Elissa she had known was definitely right handed- and so are most people, including forgers. But it was not the writing, nor the fact that she wrote with her right hand that confirmed the Sister’s belief; it was a small sketch in the upper right corner of the page. Small and inoffensive, no one would notice, but she did. 

A perfectly drawn laurel wreath. 

The Cousland heraldry. 

Elissa’s family crest, emblazoned upon the vellum. 

It was insignificant, she could hear the others telling her she was clutching at straws at best, but to Sister Leliana, Spymaster of the Inquisition, she understood that even the slightest thing could make all the difference in the grand scheme of things. She neatly folded the document and tucked it securely away inside of her glove as she called in one of the guards near the Chantry. 

“Wake up Seeker Cassandra and Commander Cullen, advise them that I am calling a meeting in the Chantry at once,” Leliana instructed as she made her way there. She stopped quickly outside of the Ambassador’s door and rapped twice with the back of her hand. “Come in,” Josephine called out immediately, obviously burning the midnight oil like her. 

“No Josie, I’ve called a meeting. Please come into the map room, Cullen and Cassandra should not be long,” she replied about to step away from the door before she heard a ruffle clothes and a soft crash. The door opened with an alarmed, slightly winded Antivan staring back at her. “Are we being attacked?” she asked, voice low and calm despite her obvious unease. 

Leliana smiled and shook her head as she watched her friend’s shoulders quickly fall back down in relief. “No we are not being attacked, at least, not physically- I’ve no doubt that Chancellor Roderick is still on his holy crusade to ruin us.” 

Josephine made a noise of agreement whilst deftly picking up her writing board as she followed Leliana further into the Chantry hall. The two had barely gotten themselves comfortable before Cullen had walked in shrugging on his surcoat with Cassandra behind him strapping on her sword, both at the ready for a battle if required. 

“Leliana, is all well?” Cassandra asked as she and Cullen looked down at the map expectantly, searching to see if the Spymaster had updated the terrain to pinpoint where the attack would be coming from. 

“My apologies Cassandra, Commander- this meeting is not because we need to brace for an assault.” “Then why the emergency meeting in the middle of the night?” Cullen quipped trying his best to rein in his irritation. 

“The Herald has had an episode-” A barrage of questions erupted from the three advisors; was she okay, was the Breach still stable, did she hurt anyone, was she still in camp? Leliana raised her hands to quiet the room before continuing. 

“The Herald has had an episode. She had managed to remember something from her past but doing so caused her great pain. So much so that she fainted from the experience.” Leliana walked the length of the table, taking the time to consider her next words carefully. “The reason I called you all for this, was because her memory helped to confirm something I have believed since she first woke up. The woman who survived the Conclave and has assisted us thus far, is Elissa Cousland- the Hero of Ferelden.” 

The entire room fell silent as they allowed her statement to sink in. Leliana’s eyes darted between them all, their expressions ranging from amused, bemused to incredulous.  It was Josephine who bravely broke the tension by clearing her throat. 

“You... Leliana... do you mean to say she resembles the Hero of Ferelden?” she offered, hoping to clarify her previous statement. “Certainly you do not mean that she herself is the Hero of Ferelden.” 

Leliana stared her down with a determined intensity that had Josephine’s stomach churn uncomfortably.

The advisors exchanged glances with each other, not quite sure how to proceed without offending the woman standing in front of them. Surely she understood how ridiculous what she was claiming sounded to them all. The Hero of Ferelden had died over 10 years ago, forfeiting her life to defeat the archdemon in what was the shortest recorded Blight in history. She worked tirelessly with her companions to stitch the fractured country together so they could band together and fight off a monstrous army. Every child in Ferelden grew up being told of their adventure, and knew the song that their own Spymaster had crafted to tell the world of the great deeds the woman helped to accomplish. There were even statues erected in Denerim and Highever, the Grey Warden’s brother Fergus insisting on the monuments to remind the generations to come of the sacrifice his little sister made for them all. 

Cassandra’s mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish, second guessing herself whenever she thought she had the right combination of words that would not set off the rogue to murder her in her sleep. Cullen knew better to even try and began rifling through the letters from the day before. 

“You all think me mad,” she stated, not at all surprised- disappointed but not surprised. 

“Surely you understand our reaction Sister Leliana,” Cassandra finally responded, arms raised half way beside her imploringly. “You are an intelligent woman and have some of the finest instincts I have known anyone to have- but you cannot expect us to believe what you have just said.” 

Leliana kissed her teeth and nodded her head bitterly. Of course she understood. What she was telling them, it was madness- but it was also the truth. From her looks, the way she walked and held herself, the way she remembered ‘Princess Stabbity’ Alistair’s favourite nickname for her... to just being named Elissa- this was her friend through and through. 

“Perhaps what Lady Cassandra meant was-” Josephine interjected only to be quieted by Leliana pulling out the piece of paper from inside her glove. She accepted it and looked it over, unsure of why it was relevant to their current conversation. “What am I looking at, what is this Leliana?” 

“That,” she replied tapping on the back of the page, “is something Elissa wrote tonight. That is her handwriting.” She stood alongside the Ambassador and pointed at the drawing to the side and waited for her to come to the same conclusion as her, only for Josephine to look up at her completely perplexed. “This drawing here, that’s the Cousland crest. Her family’s emblem!” Cullen rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably as Josephine passed on the letter, angling the page to allow Cassandra to view the parchment beside him. “Are we sure it’s not just a fancy horseshoe?” he suggested, shrugging slightly, unaffected by the withering look Leliana shot at him. Cassandra hummed as she gently took the page from his grasp and inspected it closely. “No Cullen, it is definitely a laurel wreath- but that does not mean it is meant to signify the House of Cousland,” she rebutted, dropping the page on top of the map in between them all. 

Leliana braced herself against the table, her fingers tented upon the firm wood. She took in a  few deep breaths through her mouth before she addressed them again. “She is the same woman who recruited me. The same who died on top of Fort Drakon to end the last Blight- do not interrupt me, Cassandra,” she ground out before giving a warning glare to the Seeker who tutted but otherwise said nothing. “You all do not understand. She was my best friend, I know her better than almost anyone. If I showed this to Teryn Cousland he would recognise his sister’s hand in an instant, if he saw her? Spoke to her? There would be no contestation. The woman who will help us close the Breach is Elissa Cousland.” 

Cassandra waited a moment to ensure she had finished speaking before employing a different tactic to encourage reason to return to their small council. 

“Cullen, you were there during the Blight. It was said that you even met the Hero of Ferelden- you’ve seen and talked to both of these women, tell us your thoughts,” she requested pointedly much to his chagrin. 

“It is not like I knew her as Sister Leliana did-” “No, but you must recall her. Tell us what you remember,” Cassandra urged. And let us be done with this nonsense.

Cullen hated purposely thinking about his time back in Kinloch Hold; he actively did all he could to push those thoughts out of his mind, however he understood the need for him to do it considering the circumstances. He lightly pressed his lips together as he forced himself to the final day of his captivity, back to kneeling on the floor, back to begging the Maker to save him or kill him, anything but surrender to the demons in the tower. Then suddenly, there was a woman peering down at him, eyes wide with concern and words dripping with kindness- no, another demon, she’s a demon- but she wasn’t. The whole group of them, they were real. No illusion, not a fantasy come to life. They were there and they were going to help- She was tall, or perhaps she only seemed tall from his place on the ground. Long dark hair and fair skin both marred with dirt, blood and sweat from cutting her way through the mage tower; sword and shield in either hand as she tried to tell him that she was going to save them all. Him. First Enchanter Irving. The blood mages. All of them. Fool. 

“... Cullen?” 

The Commander of the Inquisition snapped to attention at the sound of his name, registering the sight of Josephine waving a hand in front of his face. He licked his lips and ignored the warmth flooding to his face. 

“Right, sorry,” he apologised to the women in the room. “Though I saw her briefly, I must admit she has a striking resemblance to the Grey Warden-” “So you see it!” Leliana pounced on his admission, the taste of vindication sweet on her tongue. “She is no demon or spirit- Solas has confirmed this all for me. She is human, living, breathing and real-”

“However, Sister Leliana, if my memory is correct and if we are to go by all eye witness accounts, the Hero of Ferelden was not a mage,” Cullen countered, the image of her holding a shield embellished with a laurel wreath flashing in his mind. 

“And she was also dead. It serves to reason some things could change,” she responded straight faced, exasperated that something as miniscule as being a mage could counter everything else she was trying to explain. Someone miraculously comes back to life and they were more concerned that she also had magic within her veins. Daft.  

“You don’t think there is a chance that you are wishing this is more than it is?” Cullen asked, pleading to her to think objectively. “That it could all be just an unbelievable coincidence?” 

Leliana placed her hand on the writ that Cassandra had shown to Roderick two days ago and smiled wistfully at her fellow advisors. 

“The Maker once sent me a dream, shortly before Elissa came to Lothering after the battle of Ostagar. Now he sends me Elissa herself, to help us out of this nightmare. I will not doubt him. Or her.” 

Knowing that they would not take heed of her words as she had hoped, she apologised to them all for taking up their time and bid them a good night. She would find support elsewhere. In Fergus, Zevran and Oghren. 

And Alistair. 

She sat back at her table and readied her quill, she would write to them all and just like ten years ago, it would be Elissa Cousland who would bring them all together. 

--- 

Leliana’s hand had been cramped for close to an hour and her neck burned as she tried to straighten herself. She had lost track of time in her need to write everything she wanted to say, to those she knew would understand the gravity of Elissa’s return. Four letters were completed and ready to be sent out as soon as the pigeons could be spared to make the long treks to Antiva, Highever and Amaranthine- at least that was where Ogrhen had said Alistair was last, perhaps she needed to send another one to the Grey Warden base in Orlais in case there was anyone there taking care of the grounds and communications. Perhaps Alistair would stop off there in his travels, but could she trust that her letter would be unread in the meantime? No, she needed to speak to Varric to confirm if any of his sources had more intel on her old friend’s location, and then send his letter to the closest safe havens he’d previously informed her of; he promised he would always check them whenever he was in each area. 

Leliana bit back a groan at the loud crack from the base of her neck as she moved her head from side to side, staring down at the sealed envelopes with a sense of reinvigorated pride and purpose, they would believe her. They would come. And Elissa would be okay. 

Pocketing the letters before she rose to always keep them on her person, lest prying eyes see them before she was ready; the Spymaster cursed her one track mind as her joints screeched their displeasure at the sudden movement. She promised herself that when she came back to her desk later in the day that she would clean up the mess but first she needed some sleep. She went to blow out the lantern when she noticed an old comb under the array of parchments and maps that decorated her table. Leliana carefully pulled the simple wooden tool and ran her thumb over the modest carvings, smiling to herself at the memories it held. She clicked her tongue at the idea that came to her and she gave herself two seconds to reconsider if what she was doing was right or wrong, before reminding herself that she would not second guess herself again. Throwing the comb in the air and snapping it back up with practised dexterity, she made up her mind and marched to Elissa’s cabin. 

She took note of how many people were already up and working to get the camp ready for the day and acknowledged them all with a nod and the odd greeting as they passed her. Leliana lightly knocked on her door and when a moment passed by with no answer, she opened the door and allowed herself in. She could feel her annoyance at the scouts who attended to her earlier, obviously putting the sleeping woman straight on the bed and placing a blanket over her, taking no care to change her out of a blood stained shirt or even remove her boots. 

She guessed she could not blame them, after all they did not know how fastidious the woman was- she remembered the time that Oghren had thoughtlessly placed his boots on what he thought was his bedroll, only for it to be Elissa’s. She had chewed out their new companion for the better part of their trek back to Denerim, the dwarf complaining that he had somehow managed to find himself a new wife with an even worse disposition than Branka. He had been forced to wash all their dishes for a month for that comment. Leliana had thought it would sour his opinion of their fearless leader, however he did the dishes with a smile and their coarse banter became a source of entertainment to them all. 

She watched her long and even breaths, the draught from earlier clearly doing its job as Elissa continued to sleep deeply. Leliana gently pushed the blanket aside and skilfully rid her of her shoes and placed them neatly beside the bed. As she replaced the blanket, Elissa grumbled something and turned on her side to face the wall, her long braid freed from behind her. Leliana  despaired at the state of her dearest friend’s hair, something she had always loved about her. She spent so many nights at camp brushing out her ebony locks and fixing it up into different braids to keep it clean and away from her face. Would she think it strange if she combed her hair whilst she slept? Would it be an invasion of her privacy? 

Leliana looked over her now lightly snoring friend and sighed. Better to apologise than ask for permission. 

Pulling over a chair to her bedside, she quickly put herself to work untying the leather band and releasing the dark strands from their confinement. She thanked the Maker that most of her hair fell away from the braid easily with only a couple of knots at the base of her neck. The Sister pushed the heavy curtain of hair away to hang over the top of her pillow so she could observe the tangled strands clearly, only to find a scar between her ear and hairline. Leliana took in a quivering breath and bit her down on her lip. She had been there when she acquired that injury, even fetching the water to help Alistair clean the wound. 

There was no convincing her otherwise now, this was her friend reborn; the same Elissa who helped find a single sword in all of Ferelden for a Qunari who was branded a murderer. The one who decided to trust an assassin right after he had tried to murder her. The very woman who fought for mages who were victims of blood magic and possession, risked her life for them even when the rest of the world saw fit to let them die. She was the one who blushed at receiving a rose from the boy she fancied, but didn’t blink twice at the chance to have an orgy at a brothel with a pirate. 

Leliana didn’t know if she was laughing or crying as her fingers and comb worked their way through the last of her locks, finally as smooth and pristine as she always remembered. With the aim of a master marksman, she threw the comb into the empty bowl by the windowsill that she knew she would use to wash herself when she woke. Reminding herself that she was tired and needed sleep, she stood back up and replaced the chair in the corner of the cabin. She looked around the floor to check that none of her letters had fallen from her pockets and nodded to herself as if she mentally marked things off from her to-do list. 

Leliana took one more look at Elissa and smiled, before quietly falling to her knees to cry, truly cry, for the first time in 10 years. Bent over with her forehead to the floor as her sobs wracked her body, hands in her mouth to stop any noise from waking her. She allowed herself this last moment of weakness to succumb to her joy before she followed the difficult path Elissa was bound to lead them down - to reclaim herself and to restore the sky. 

Blessed be the Maker.  Chapter 4

[idolsgf]

Six-Song Soundtrack

@shivunin tagged me and created this lovely tag game and I always love sharing music so thaaaanks ~ <33

Rules: If you're tagged, make a new post with links to music and/or lyrics describing the following: 1. An event that defines your character's past 2. How your character sees themselves 3. How others view them 4. Their closest relationship (platonic or romantic) 5. A major fight scene 6. End credits song

You know this is going to be about Mori'na, she's in my mind 24/7.

Arsonist's Lullaby by Hozier

I'm Not a Mountain by Sarah Kinsley

Ascensionism by Sleep Token

(A two parter) Some things Cosmic by Angel Olsen and Close My Eyes by Ezra Glatt

Akatsuki by BABYMETAL

Splendor by M83

tagging: @melisusthewee @greypetrel @ustalav @veilguards @ell-vellan @first-talon @lords-of-fortune @scrollofgrease @shivunin (i'm tagging you back c:) and whoever else wants to do this!! as always, no pressure.

Songs with lyrics and descriptions under cut :3

1. Arsonist's Lullaby by Hozier

" When I was a child, I heard voices / Some would sing and some would scream / You soon find you have few choices / I learned the voices died with me " -- " When I was 16, my senses fooled me / Thought gasoline was on my clothes / I knew that something would always rule me / I knew the scent was mine alone "

Fire, fire everywhere. Children, harens screaming. Human men shouting, dragging people across the damp muddied ground, a murderous anger in their eyes. They had believed themselves to have been wronged, Mori'na's clan the culprit. A young Mori'na, huddled under her mother's grip, her brother in the other arm. They tried to be quiet, hoping to not be noticed. It was a silly hope, they would be noticed. Her mother dragged away by her hair, screaming, the children crying with sound of protest. A sharp blade, to silence the screaming. A fury took Mori'na over, launching her small body from the ground, launching herself at the man, the two of them falling to the ground. She gripped the hilt of the dagger that the man's grip had lost, and without a second thought plunged the blade into the man's chest. One more time, then another, then again and again and again. The only thing that stopped her were the clan's soldiers tearing her off of him. She was 10. This was a turning point. Sometimes she can still smell the scent of burning wood and blood.

2. I'm Not A Mountain by Sarah Kinsley

" If I were a mountain, I'd stand my ground / And maybe I'd never listen / But if I were a mountain, I'd close my mouth and / Maybe I'd be forgiving " -- " I'm not a mountain / I can't hold you on my own / I'm not a mountain / I will crumble when you go / There in the square, my arms in the air / And is it so bad to be alone? "

She's not a mountain, she can't hold her ground all the time, and she knows this. The weight of having to hold everyone up all the time, it's draining. She's not this strong badass who's confident every hour of the day, she's just an elf from a small clan that wants to go home.

3. Ascensionism by Sleep Token

" Half algorithm, half deity / Glitches in the code or gaps in a strange dream / Tell me you guessed my future and it mapped onto your fantasy / Turn me into your mannequin and I'll turn you into my puppet queen " -- "And the last few drops from the Holy Grail, now / Rose gold chains, ripped lace, cut glass / Blood stains on the collar means just don't ask / Be the first to the feast / Let's choke on the past and / Take to the broken skies at last "

This is more what like the followers of the Inquisition think of her rather than those closest to her. They believe her to be a deity, Andraste reborn, and are telling her what her future is based on their beliefs. They make her in their image, even though that image doesn't match who she is as a person.

4a. Some things Cosmic by Angel Olsen

"Before we draw, my dear dear friend / I promise you my word / If we should part, my dear dear love / You know you’re in my heart -- " And though I may be getting older / Know that I'm going with you / Know that I'm hanging on to the things that you said "

Mori'na and her mother may be apart, but they are always with one another in each other's hearts. Nothing can break that bond.

4b. Close My Eyes by Ezra Glatt

" In the autumn / When the leaves came down / In a blanket / On the frozen ground / By the oak tree / On the edge of town / Heard you laughing / God I miss that sound " -- " Now the seasons / Keep a-rolling by / Think about you / Almost all the time / Like a phantom / Living in my mind / You’re the answer / That I’ll never find "

The years pass, the feelings stay. Mori'na and Solas miss one another's laughter, the sound still faintly in their minds, the only thing to do is to reminisce. "Will I still be able to see you in my dreams?"

5. Akatsuki by BABYMETAL

" Going over thousands nights / Some love shall survive / So, until my body perishes / Until my life disappears / I shall keep on cherishing this love " -- " In the silence / The two damaged blades stand face to face / Our loneliness and our uneasiness / Slash even our hearts "

I like to imagine this song playing if Solas and Mori'na ever had to face off against on another. While there is no other choice, Mori'na will still cherish their love, the love that was always there even if every strike breaks them piece by piece.

6. Splendor by M83

" What have we to show? / Barren feelings and dust for crow / We can't ever know / When it's time to go " -- " That's the way to see the end / Glowing out along the river bend / It's not goodbye my only friend / Yesterday started over again "

What does Mo have to show other than a broken soul and a broken body? Either way, there is still hope for a brighter day, there is still happiness to be found. She'll pick herself back up and start anew. (I needed something more hopeful for her, I want her to have her happy ending T~T)