#so if we have his magister name

[notebooks-and-laptops]

Why Fenris could Never Cameo in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

In the run up to Dragon age: The Veilguard, I was almost certain that Fenris would be our main legacy character from previous games. Not only has he been central in the comics released between DAI and DATV, he is an escaped Tevinter slave who's plot revolved around magisters, magic and the structural prejudices surrounding elves in Thedas. Not only that, but he's canonically in Tevinter killing slavers currently so he's geographically in the right place for us to meet him.

About halfway through the game though, it was clear to me: Fenris could never cameo in The Veilguard. Because he'd break it.

How the Veilguard treats Thedas is...odd to me, to say the least. I will be writing another post about how much I adored the expanded big lore in this game (the titans, ancient elves were spirits, where the blight came from etc.) and yet while these large lore expansions worked for me, the actual culture of modern Thedas is entirely softened, its sharp edges filed down until it's a sanitised fantasy world devoid of what made the franchise so vibrant and compelling in the first place.

So let's start with Fenris and slavery. In all three games, the reality of slavery is pushing at the corners of the world. In DAO Loghain allows Tevinter Magisters to enslave elves in order to raise money for his war effort. In DA2 Fenris is fighting to be free from slavers who will not leave him be, let alone the reminders that the city was built by slaves which are everywhere. In DAI one of the two possible mini-bosses is Calpurnia who was a slave, and characters such as Gatt and Dorian both show us how much slavery is tied into Tevinters culture and success.

But DATV the first game actually set in Tevinter where we get to see the famed Minrathous...it's like the game purposefully wants to avoid the issue. I can feel it tilting the camera away to not allow me to see. Slavery is mentioned, but never talked about in depth or as a specifically ELVEN problem in Tevinter. This might have been done to be less problematic, it feels ignored.

We are in DOCK TOWN. We are at the DOCKS. You would think that slaves from all over Thedas who are being smuggled and bought by various groups would be everywhere. You would think that the injustice in dock town would be partly built on the back of ships we've seen in the comics crammed with elves in chains. This is the world Dragon age set up for us. And yet...nothing. zilch. A tiny easily skippable side quest where we free a couple of venatori slaves, but only one of whom is an elf.

None of our Tevinter characters seem to have been influenced by their culture even a little bit when it comes to how they view elves; there is no moment when Neve fucks up and says something prejudiced, no moment when Bellara or Davrin are distrustful of her for being a Tevinter mage.

The same goes for Zevran; a character who epitomised the issues with the crows. The crows have consistently been characterised as very morally dubious assassins who kill for the highest bidder and who buy children on the slave market and torture them as they grow in order to assure that they reach maturity able to withstand torture without giving away a client's name. Zevran is very explicit about the fact that if you fail a contract your life is forefit.

Nobody responds particularly to you if you're an elf. Nobody trusts rook less for it in Tevinter. Nobody treats Rook any differently. Even DAI had better mechanics for this; with nobles in Orlais less likely to trust you as an elf.

Considering one of the main plot points of this game and what makes Solas sympathetic is the fact that he was fighting against the slavery of ancient elves...you'd think the game might want to mirror that in modern Thedas. It might want to show us how characters fighting to end slavery in Tevinter are similar to Solas and how the society Solas fought against was similar to the one that characters we love such as Fenris have fought against in modern Thedas. Maybe we'd want to explore how in a world of slavery like this, how could the answer NOT be to tear it all down? Maybe we should have that option at the end of the game so it really can chose whether we agree with Solas and his plans or not.

Adding Fenris to this game would entirely break the game because Fenris refuses to allow you to look away from this horror. He is a sympathetic character who had to learn to trust mages again because of course he didn't trust them. Of course he didn't. Fenris wouldn't allow the camera to shift focus because he's literally covered in the lyrium scars that show how slaves are used as experiments in Tevinter. Fenris WOULD question Neve on how she feels about elves and slaves. Fenris WOULD have things to say about Lucanis and the crows (let alone the fact Lucanis is an abomonation). So he could never be in this game; he'd drop a bomb on it's carefully constructed blinders to the very society its supposed to be set in.

And yet, in DATV, the crows are presented as...a found family of misfits and orphans? The politician who opposes the crows having absolute power in Antiva is framed as a comically evil idiot who doesn't understand that the crows are ontologically good. Yet...they're NOT. Crows in this game act more like a secret rebel group than an assassin organisation. We see no crow taking contracts with the VERY RICH venatori magisters despite being hired killers. We see crows just refuse to kill people despite having a contract because 'its crueler to leave them alive'. The crows don't feel like the crows here, they feel like a softened version of a cool assassin group who are cool because they wear black and purple.

Our pirate group are also sanitised; the Lords of Fortune are good pirates who only steal treasure that's not culturally significant. Theyve clearly read the modern critiques of the British Museum and have decided to explicitly stop anyone levelling similar critiques at them. There is no faction of the Lords of Fortune who aren't like this, no internal arguments about it. Everyone just. Agrees. And is able to accurately tell what a cultural artifact is vs. what treasure that you can have yourself is. Rather than showing us why a pirate stealing cultural artifacts might be bad (like in da2 where such a situation literally causes a coup and a war) it just tells us it's bad. But also pirates are cool so we still want them in our world.

This issue seaps into Thedas and drains it of any of the interesting complexity and ability to SAY anything that this franchise had before this game. It becomes a game about telling and not showing rather than the other way around. The games have ALWAYS asked questions about oppressive structural systems and their interplay with society, religion and culture and how these things can affect even the most well meaning character. Dragon age at its best IS a game about society and how society functions both for and against it's characters and what happens to societies built on cruelty and indifference. The best bad guys dragon age has given us are those who are bad because they embody these systems or have been shaped by them. Our main characters have had to wrestle with questions surrounding how to exist in these systems, fight against them, learn and grow.

Yet every group you come across in DATV is sanitised and cleaned up to the point of being as non problematic as humanly possible. None of our cast of characters have to wrestle with where they came from or the world that shaped them. None of them have to confront their own biases. They start the game perfectly non-problematic and end it that way too.

And this just...isn't what Dragon Age has been in the past. It isn't why I love the franchise. The whole game just felt, in a way, hollow. And this was a CHOICE and it is why the legacy characters are few and far between. Too many dragon age characters are just too...angry and complex for this game. You can feel them pulling their punches on this one. I have to imagine they did this because they didn't want to be criticised or have too much controversy? But I think it honestly goes far too much in the other direction and just makes it bland.

I can't imagine what I say here will be unique, but it is the basis for a LOT of my other thoughts on this game so I wanted to get it out of the way first. The softened Thedas and characters make this game by far the weakest in the franchise.

[felassan]

David Gaider on Dorian, under a cut for length:

"Now this is a fun one. It's no big secret I have a lot of feelings about Dorian, not least of which because he was my first (and only) gay male companion. There's a lot more to him than that, of course (as there should be), and it was quite a trip. So let's go! Now, DAI is a story all its own, but I'm sticking to the characters. In this case, back at the beginning, the writers were going to try something new: we were going to let the artists take a more active role in the companion creation process. Why? Because not doing so had caused a lot of problems. See, here's the thing: writers and artists speak two different languages. When talking about characters, we talk about their story. Who they are. What they want. We'd write up these briefs, huge and full of information... but it was never the information the artists needed. They wanted visual cues. I don't mean describing their appearance. Sure, we'd usually provide that, especially if there was a story case to be made, but often the artists vetoed us on appearance stuff anyhow so meh. No, I mean they looked for visual language while we tended to only talk about who the characters *were*. What would happen is they'd hone in on something visual in our write-up not intended to be a focus. The first write-up for Anders in DA2, for instance, mentioned he was "haggard" after his journey... and the first concept we got was this pale, shriveled man. "What... is this?" "YOU SAID HAGGARD!" 😅"

"That was the other trick: sometimes when we DID try to be more descriptive, we had to be extra cautious because the words could be interpreted very differently. You encounter this recording VO, too. A VO note says "hysterical" and you *meant* "really upset" but the actor read "scream like a banshee" Thus this caused problems, like I said. The artists would struggle, sometimes conjuring details just to give the character *something* but which would change the character... and, to us, the character was created. Done. We were already invested, probably already writing them. Something had to give. So this time we wrote a bunch of character briefs - but short. One paragraph. We stuck to vibes and the *emotions* we wanted the concepts to evoke. And we didn't name them. They got titles like "Slick Con Man" or "Ice Queen", so we wouldn't get too attached. Then we handed these off to the artists. And it worked nicely. The ones that just weren't inspiring we'd discard, no problem. The others had juice... and the artists felt free to play and offer lots of variations because we weren't set on anything yet. A lot of times, what they produced ended up inspiring US. It was a neat back-and-forth."

"This is what led to Dorian, in fact. He came from a short write-up entitled "Rock Star Mage" and it really boiled down to "I'm cool and I know I'm cool, so take that you cretins". And just like that, the first sketches (by Casper Konefal, I think? I bet I'm wrong) were all amazing. Instant fire. Me: "He looks kind of like... Freddie Mercury?" Him: "Is that bad?" Me: "NO ARE YOU KIDDING THIS IS AMAZING" Plus there was a monkey. Sadly, we had to lose the monkey. There were iterations to come, but this was really where Dorian was born: Tevinter mage, noble, savant, and too cool for school."

"When did he become gay? Not right away. Like I said elsewhere, we didn't talk romance and sexuality until after the concepts were more in place. But as we were brainstorming about why this hot shot mage left Tevinter, the idea DID come up that maybe it was because he was gay. Not directly, however. Homophobia isn't really a thing in Thedas, after all, so at first blush I didn't think that could work. "Rich kid gets kicked out of the house for being gay" wasn't a trope I wanted to explore. But, then again, magister families in Tevinter are *obsessed* with the appearance of perfection, so...? Any deviation from the "norm" is considered scandal-worthy. It said weakness. It said you couldn't control your house. Now... THAT had real promise. The writing pit discussed it a lot. So I think it's fair to say that the gay fairy was already circling Dorian even before we got to the romance talk. I think it's also fair to say that the rest of the team realized I low-key wanted to write him, because when everyone started calling dibs, who was left standing for me? (I pick last, remember.) I gleefully snatched him up and got to work... ...about six months later. I was very busy at the time. 😅 That late start meant I had to design and write VERY quickly. And I did. Somehow, though, this one... it came easily. "Catty gay man" isn't digging very deep, no surprise to anyone who knows me, and it had an extra layer of being so fun because Dorian was confident. He sparred verbally. I loved it."

"There was more to it, however. The conflict between Dorian and his father... ugh, how do I say this? Let's be clear: Dorian's story is not MY story, but it's also not far off. I wrote the entire confrontation scene in one go. After I was done, I probably cried harder than I ever have in my life. 🫠 I was unsure whether it was any good, however. I just didn't feel objective. I passed it over to Cori May - my friend but also Dorian's editor - and asked her to please tell me and be honest. She read it. She walked into my office after, tears streaming down her face, and just nodded. "It's good." Here's the thing. Not everyone is going to agree with this, but: I don't think a writer NEEDS to be a minority in order to write a minority. Sometimes those characters should simply exist, and we want them to. But if that character's story is ABOUT their experience as a minority? That's different. Dorian's story didn't need to revolve around his sexuality - and, honestly, it only did so as a tangent to his family issue, but they're so bound together it's probably irrelevant to split them - but my writing him meant it could be. It allowed me to SAY something. That felt good. It felt right. Ramon Tikaram came on board after a lengthy casting process (so many British Indian accents, oh god). I sat in on a few recording sessions... the confrontation scene, though? Ramon: *says line* Me: (curled up on a nearby sofa in fetal position) *shaky thumbs up* Caroline: "Yep. Great work, Ramon!""

"Dorian's sexuality isn't all he's about, but that's certainly how some viewed it. When the character was announced in 2014, his being gay was mentioned as the last of a number of points, and the instant response from some gamers was to act as if we'd called a press conference just to say THAT. 🙄 It was annoying. Still is. Overall, however, the reaction to Dorian was very positive. The number of straight men who said they romanced him still pleases me. The number of fans who privately contacted me who'd been through conversion therapy, some who said Dorian helped them survive? Well. Gosh. 😭 I did write him for Trespasser - though I hear that a late scope cut meant every conversation had been chopped by 1/3rd or more, and that meant a lot of nuance lost. Which is sad, if true, because it sounds like the result of that left some Dorian romancers a bit cold. Such is how game dev rolls. 😔 If you need more proof of how it was hard for me to let go of him, a short story I wrote after Trespasser came out where Dorian has a bit of closure with his dead father: medium.com/@davidgaider... So yeah. He'll always be my boi. And I'll always be thankful Bio gave me this opportunity. ❤️"

[source thread]

User: "I'm not going to lie, it's hard to take my mind off Dorian almost having a monkey." David Gaider: "If by “almost” you mean there was a picture of a monkey that the concept artist put there as a whim, and which would almost certainly have taken more cinematics and modeling time to put in than we could ever afford… then yes. 😉" [source]

[imageingrunge]

got this insane urge to become a keyboard warrior when i saw someone say samson and cullen could've easily swapped places in DAI and that we never see cullen's character growth ect. - which is...imo the dumbest take i've ever heard. Samson...the lyrium addict in dark town that was selling mages into slavery for his addiction...Samson who thinks meredith is a mad dog hawk should put down....samson the guy who if u get him back into the templar order regresses back into his addiction... you think Cassandra would pick HIM to be the commander of the Inquistion back when it only existed to mediate the conflict between mages/templars when Cullen was de-facto Knight Commander of Kirkwall for two whole years???? How would corypheaus - a TEVINTER MAGE magister (who mind u, is portrayed as being akin to the serpent in the garden of eden according to the chant of light) be able to manipulate someone who is off lyrium, a devout andrastian, so ferelden he probably named his kids after his favorite mabari, and hated mages with a burning passion for a large chunk of his life. Be serious....his character arc isn't even about addiction its about what it means to seek redemption for for all the self hatred he allowed to grow inside of him after Kinloch Hold, how atonement is found through REDEMPTIVE ACTS instead of karmic punishment. Even his scenes where he struggles with the philtrum of lyrium aren't actually about his addiction they are about his self loathing- and why he needs to get away from the chantry because he did not like the man he became when he served under it- I DIGRESS but typing this out made me realize none of the companions in DATV have this kind of pull, they're not interesting to talk about or hyper fixate on 😗 its been like 6 months since I first played DAI and im still in love w cullen, but I can't remember the plot of datv anymore

[vigilskeep]

the basics of tevinter politics and social classes, as laid out in world of thedas and a little elsewhere

the archon is the supreme ruler of the imperium. their authority and magical power is believed to be divinely granted. they choose their successors before they die, so they are usually the sons, nephews, brothers, cousins, or apprentices of previous archons. (this phrasing implies that, like the black divine, the archon is always a man, and certainly the several named ones we know all are, but i’m not sure if this is necessarily always true.) if an archon does not choose his heir before he dies, the magisterium elects the next; these candidates cannot be magisters or hold rank in the chantry. technically the archon can overrule the laws passed by the magisterium, but he rarely does this. his power mostly stems from families vying for his favour, as he has the unique power to appoint magisters at will. a man named radonis is the current archon; he’s appeared in comics and a war table mission.

the magisterium are the mage elites who regularly gather to govern the imperium and pass laws. magisters become magisters in several ways:

one is chosen from each of tevinter’s seven circles of magi. it cannot be that circle’s first enchanter

the imperial divine and every grand cleric of the imperial chantry gets a seat

magisters can inherit seats

as i mentioned, the archon has the right to appoint any new magister if he chooses

tevinter society breaks down into four major social classes.

the first mage class is the altus class. these are descended from the original “Dreamers”, through ancient and wealthy magical bloodlines. most magisters come from altus families. characters like dorian and danarius belong to this class.

other mages belong to the laetan class. these are mages who cannot trace their ancestry to the dreamers, and may belong to families with no history of magic at all. many vie for power despite their origins, and one third of the imperium’s archons have been laetans. (the first laetan to rise to archon was such an outrage it caused a seventy year civil war, but that was, like, 1500 years ago-ish. they’re more chill about it now.) it feels safe to assume that neve gallus, who says in tevinter nights that she doesn’t feel at home in a wealthy estate because she has more templars in her family than mages, probably belongs to this class.

the soporati are non-mages who are still full tevinter citizens. they are allowed to own property and serve in the military, but they cannot have a direct say in government or rise above the rank of mother/father in the chantry. they can however be civil servants and merchants. a mage born to a soporati family is instantly a laetan.

slaves are not allowed to own property, or to hold military rank even when armed and serving as a personal soldier or bodyguard. they have become a more even mix of humans and elves since andraste’s time. mages can be slaves. if a slave is set free, either by their living owner before a judge or by their owner’s will upon their death, they are considered liberati. liberati are still not citizens and cannot have political say or hold military rank, but they can join a circle of magi, get an apprenticeship in a trade, take apprentices themselves, and own property. fenris was a slave, while his sister varania was implied to have become one of the liberati.

there is also a large surface dwarf population in tevinter. they are not considered citizens, but instead regarded as foreign dignitaries however many generations their families have lived in tevinter. they have large embassies in every major tevinter city, which at least in minrathous, neromenian, and qarinus are completely subterranean, meaning residents can retain their dwarven caste and may never come above ground all their lives. minrathous’ close ties to the dwarves mean it even has a massive proving grounds, as well as enormous stone golems known as juggernauts to guard the city gates. more than anywhere else in thedas, the dwarves do get a political say, with an elected body of representatives called the ambassadoria who advise the archon and the magisterium. it’s the imperium’s reliance on lyrium which gives them this kind of sway.

[thedinanshiral]

In preparation for The Veilguard i'll be exploring some of the companions we already have information on from other Dragon Age media. I'l start with Lucanis Dellamorte, who already had an impressive introduction in the story The Wigmaker's job from Tevinter Nights, and an implicit silent role in the short story The Wake.

Lucanis Dellamorte, Master Assassin of the Antivan Crows. Grandson of Caterina Dellamorte, First Talon of the Antivan Crows, and chosen by her to succeed her.

His cousin Illario Dellamorte whom he often works with might resent him a little for being the favourite but Illario is Lucanis' favourite to succeed as First Talon, as he's got the "silver tongue" required for the politics of it Lucanis does not.

Both of them are described as lean with dark hair and umber eyes; Lucanis is described as "the kind of man you couldn't look away from- until he looked at you".

Despite the abuse from his grandmother during training that caused him to hate her, now in his adult years he understands her motivation was preparing him for this life, and while on the job still recites to himself the same nursery rhyme she did when they were children. It goes:

One for silence Two for surprise Three for good measure Four's excercise Five for a slaughter Six for the thrill Seven means more sovereigns Eight marks the final kill

Seems it's a rhyme reminding how many extra kills are necessary/acceptable in a mission that didn't call for them? But while Illario also remembers it they don't make any other comments on it.

Focused, centered on duty, Lucanis never misses the mark. He carries multiple knives, daggers and blades he takes care of personally and carefully. Mostly seems to take contracts on Venatori and Tevinter mages to the point he's grown acostumed to their magic and can sense them pulling at/tunning into the Fade. Yes, he can sense where the Veil is thin. The way in which he senses a mage using magic is as an itch behind his eyes, or as an annoying headache. The worse the headache the more magic is being used. He can track Venatori mages by headache alone.

He's not just a killing machine, he also knows his enemy's ways, in this case knowing such a corrupt mage would have to have an artifact in use to keep demons at bay. When he found and destroyed said artifact demons crossed the Veil and destroyed the wigmaker's party. This event is what earns him the nickname "the Demon".

As good as he normally is in this contract he let his personal feelings and morals interfere and rather than fulfilling the contract he prioritized the slaves escaping and the victims getting justice in the form of vengeance, considering what the wigmaker Ambrose had done didn't make him deserving of an easy death. A Magister named Zara Renata ends the story deciding, since the Crow is now a Demon, that since demons can't be killed but controled, and Lucanis showed his weakness -having a heart - , she'll find a way to manipulate him to her benefit.

In the short story The Wake Crows Viago and Teia drag a drunken Illario back to his room after someone's funeral and by Illario's comments seems the deceased was Lucanis. Illario says they were brothers more than cousins, and now in his absence he has no one to follow. He mentions as a child one time Lucanis read a book about wyverns and became obssessed with wyverns, took him hunting and both returned to their grandmother made an absolute muddy mess. It's curious how as affected as Illario is the other two Crows seem very much not, so an alternative intepretation could be the one who passed is Caterina, their grandmother, and now Lucanis is First Talon so Illario is lamenting their relationship won't be the same, at the same time he's lamenting he wasn't the chosen one, when he bitterly says "It should have been me".

Some colorful notes sprinkled here and there: when asked by Illario what he'd do if someone sees his face and talks, Lucanis says he'd just grow a beard. Seems he did:

In The Wigmaker's job when Illario complains about not having being told the specifics of the contract it's revealed Lucanis did inform him via a dossier he wrote himself. This coupled with his childhood wyvern obssession and the rest of his personality presented in Tevinter Nights tells me he's very possibly ND on some level.

During The Veilguard reveals we learn from devs that Lucanis likes coffee and is a good cook. His writer Mary Kirby confirmed on Twitter his VA is good and Lucanis will have an accent like previous Antivan characters did (Zevran, Josephine), said he is "the sole dumpster fire of the crew" and that she wrote him "specifically to be a bisexual disaster of a human" (source). In Tevinter Nights Lucanis recalls he once found himself walking into an orgy during a contract at a party and i quote, italics included "Getting out of that had been interesting", implying he may have joined in some capacity in order to get out of it.

In his companion tarot card we see his colors are black and purple, the backdrop is a stylized design of crows and behind and around Lucanis there's a purple design that looks like a wing made of eyes.

The pauldrons on his outfit also have a design of many eyes.

The back of his outfit has a bird -crow?- design as well, with a bigger single red eye

And it's not known yet how but during combat that part of his outfit projects a pair of purple wings.

This is likely how that ability looks in combat menu

Because of the purple and the eyes motif plus learning he's known as "the Demon" has made some very excited at the possibility he turns out to be possessed by a Pride demon. But as it turns out, knowing how this Demon nickname came to be, and that he's a Crow, spies and assassins who have "eyes everywhere", plus this wings combat ability i think it's safe enough to say no, he's not possessed, he's not another Anders, if there's a Pride demon walking around looking like a man that's more likely to be Solas than this Antivan handsome man.

Another detail is the other crow motif on his clothes, i think these are rather cute

Because of The Wake some propose Lucanis died and a demon rose him back from the dead or that he's possessed by a Pride demon because purple and eyes and all that, but as i proposed back in 2020 chances are Lucanis faked his death to escape his fate as successor to a position he had zero interest in, a role that was being pushed and forced on him with absolutely no consideration to his feelings or thoughts on the matter, or he is now First Talon, reluctanctly. Considering he thinks simply growing a beard is disguise enough and now in The Veilguard we see him with a beard tells me he is in fact hiding his identity to some, either because people think he's dead or because he doesn't want to be identified as the current First Talon.

[nadas-dirthalen]

Veilguard Theorycrafting Week 2: My Best Guess at 1200 Years of Mythal Shenanigans

Welcome, one and all! While I count down to Veilguard's Halloween release, I'm going to dissect one tinfoil hat theory I have per week.

This week: I'm going to try and guess what Mythal has been up to since the end of the First Blight—and why Vivial, one of Andraste's children, is the key to understanding everything about modern Mythal.

Elaboration, brainstorming, and sources below the cut! Be warned: this post is LONG.

SPOILERS for the Trespasser DLC, Tevinter Nights, and all Dragon Age games so far, INCLUDING VEILGUARD PROMOTIONAL CONTENT.

I'll be honest, folks, I thought I was going to do this post in a later week. But with as much content about the story coming out as it is right now, I wanted to get ahead of the game on Morrigan/Morriflemythal speculation.

The tl;dr here is: I think Mythal started the First Blight with the intention of finding a human host. I think she became Andraste, and that every one of her identities thereafter has been a descendant of Andraste.

So without further ado, let's go over this chronologically. Walk with me.

Part 1: Who Mythal Was Before Her Death & Why She Was Killed

I'm going to briefly gloss over this portion, because I already wrote a post in this series on what I think of the relationship between Mythal, lyrium, and the other Evanuris. Find all the specifics there!

Suffice it to say:

Mythal, though sea-coded, has more dealings with "the earth" than most of the other Evanuris (that we know of), and we know "earth" to be synonymous with "Deep Roads" and "lyrium."

The other Evanuris fought her, and each other, over this.

Mythal, however, avoided outright bloodshed for a long time. She was their judge. She advised them on nonlethal combat.

Various Flemeth dialogues imply that there was marital/domestic violence that Elgar'nan inflicted upon Mythal, up to and including SA. I don't have enough sources to affirm any specifics, and I don't want to get into very triggering territory, so I will leave it there.

We know that a spark of Mythal's soul lived on after her murder, and that she was never imprisoned by Solas like the other Evanuris. Thus, she has been free, unlike the others (that we know of) to seek other hosts for her spirit.

But she would not find success in this for millennia. Freeing her spirit to move while her archdemon was trapped belowground may have proved impossible. To find a new host, she may have had to free her archdemon — and for that, she would need existing mortals to do the freeing.

I (and many others) think she would not find success in this until the First Blight — the one that ended the same year Andraste was born.

Part 2: The First Blight & the Archdemon Dumat

For a long time, many people theorized that Dumat was Elgar'nan's archdemon. Many people theorized that archdemons were something else entirely, but recently it was confirmed (more or less?) that an archdemon is a dragon containing the sundered spirit of an Evanuris, much like Corypheus' did, to house their soul and keep them immortal.

But I think Mythal used the First Blight as a way to free Dumat's soul and transfer it to a living host.

Let me sum up the First Blight as fast as I can:

It began (supposedly) after the Magisters Sidereal crossed physically into the Fade and visited the "Golden City."

They did so because their gods (the archdemons) began whispering to them — and Dumat was the first to do so.

The archdemon Dumat then led this Blight for two hundred years.

During that time, Dumat was killed once, only to come back later. This is because his soul (like Corypheus in DAI) resurrected in the body of another darkspawn shortly thereafter.

It ended at The Battle of Silent Plains in -203 Ancient (just south of the city Solas, for those keeping track at home) and caused the explosion that gave the Silent Plains their name, for nothing could grow there in the ~1200 years thereafter.

To me, Dumat being first to whisper to the Magisters Sidereal bears similarities to Mythal whispering to Flemeth during the hour of Flemeth's greatest need. I believe she knew that unleashing a Blight was the only way to move her sundered spirit out of her archdemon — and into a living host on the surface.

We know that typically, during a Blight, a Grey Warden must be the one to land the killing blow on an Archdemon — and that, if successful, both the soul of the Warden and the soul of the Archdemon are destroyed.

We also know there is one way to circumvent this: by a Warden impregnating someone during a ritual that we learn from Flemeth. This results in a baby born that houses the soul of an old god — AKA, we now know from the DA:tV combat release video, a sundered piece of an Evanuris (presumably).

A mortal host, free of the Blight. Just what Mythal would want.

Enter: Andraste, born in -203 Ancient.

Part 3: From Silence, Justice. From Dumat, Andraste.

Firstly: look at that beautiful crown, people. That lovely crown in Dragon Age: Origins in the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Don't worry: we'll see it again and again and again in later games. :)

It's not just the year of Andraste's birth that makes me think she was born with Dumat's soul. I think her parentage is just as important to my understanding of her origins.

Namely, that her father may have married Andraste's mother, Brona, but also fathered a child with his advisor on matters of alchemy, who was said by Andraste to whisper of the old gods. I can find no record of anyone else in that time period who might have access to understanding of the ritual to create an old-god-imbued child from the slaying of an archdemon.

Now, you may be asking, How do we know that other daughter wasn't born with the soul of Dumat? Why Andraste, specifically?

The truth is: either daughter may have been born with the soul of Dumat. But crucially, only one daughter survived their childhood. And the circumstances of that death scream "weird magic" to me.

Andraste woke up one stormy night to find her sister following lights into the woods. She followed her sibling, after which an unspecified event of violence occurred. Halliserre was found dead in a burned clearing, having suffered wounds beyond weapons, while fires sparked throughout the forest. Andraste was found pale but alive, uncertain of what she had seen, and developed a sickness of the lungs that would prevent her from bearing children for a decade. [...] In the aftermath of the event, Andraste reported hearing voices and talked of strange auras and the sounds of bells. Several years later, Andraste began saying that heresy had played a part in her sister's death, suggesting that Halliserre's mother had been involved in worship of the Old Gods.

My theory is this: one of the sisters was born with the soul of Dumat. It does not matter which, since Flemeth was later able to remove an old god soul from a child in DA:I (more on that later), so we know that that magic is possible even in Andraste's time.

What we do know is that the surviving daughter, Andraste, reported hearing voices. She claimed a connection with the Maker.

But regardless of who was speaking to her in dreams and meditations after this moment, I believe it was Mythal whispering to her in that forest. And whatever happened, I believe that Andraste emerged not just with an old god soul, but another piece of Mythal. The same that would later travel into Flemeth, and then Morrigan.

Andraste went into that forest a child, old god soul or not. She came out the vessel for an Evanuris, holding knowledge that she had no idea how to comprehend.

And regardless of the events of her life, that soul would continue to travel after her death—into the souls of her daughters, the only children she ever bore herself.

Part 4: Andraste's Daughters

Andraste only ever had two children of her own: daughters Ebris and Vivial. I think Mythal influenced both girls from the beginning, because, "They were kept out of the public eye and not permitted to marry, though both had consorts."

In short: they could not marry, but they were allowed to bear children.

Following Andraste's death, I think Mythal's soul went into the first of these daughters: Ebris. It makes sense for her to have chosen the elder child, the one likely to be wiser and more experienced. But we know just one thing about Ebris:

Ebris had but one child, Alli Vemar, who perished on a voyage to Denerim—less than a month after her mother fell to plague, and without children of her own.

Ebris — Mythal's next choice for a vessel — died. Less than a month later, the one who I believe to have been Mythal's next choice for a host, Alli, perished on a voyage. And after Alli, there were no more children (nevermind daughters) in that line. No new hosts that were immediate descendants.

So where should Flemeth turn but Vivial? There was just one problem.

The younger daughter, Vivial, was more controversial: a strong-headed woman who defied her family by falling in love with a mage of Tevinter, Regulan. Vivial and Regulan went into self-imposed exile as the Exalted March began, and into hiding following Andraste's betrayal and murder.

Vivial had been in hiding since just after Andraste's murder. By the time Alli died, Vivial was gone. And her descendants?

What became of Vivial and her descendants is largely unknown for one primary reason: she had only daughters. Each of those daughters only had daughters. They married into other families and took other names, and in the chaos of the Second Blight, all traces of survivors were lost. Andraste's true bloodline, if it exists, lies solely in the descendants of Vivial.

Gone. All of the daughters of Andraste's daughters, and their daughters, and their daughters, were scattered across Thedas, all with different surnames.

If Mythal wanted to continue existing in living hosts, she would have to find them. And it would take hundreds of years.

Part 5: Heir and Spare... and Spare... and Spare...

It's only rumor that Flemeth was born in 3:00 Towers. Much of Flemeth, unsurprisingly, is rumor. But one thing, Morrigan confirms as true: she is Flemeth's daughter, and this means she is doomed to become a vessel for Flemeth one day.

But how did that begin? Legend says Flemeth was an abomination, harboring Vengeance, but this does not seem to be the full story. From the wiki:

Although Morrigan at first believed Flemeth to be an abomination, she later realized that Flemeth is not truly human. Flemeth herself reveals to The Inquisitor that the Fereldan legends of the Witch of the Wilds share one aspect that is true: Flemeth fled the Alamarri and asked spirits for help. Flemeth then admits that Mythal answered, and in exchange for fulfillment of Flemeth's request, she possessed her.

I believe Flemeth is the first of Vivial's descendants (that we know of) who reached out directly to Mythal in a way that would actually reach Mythal. I believe Mythal leapt at the chance to help Flemeth, in exchange for living within Flemeth.

And once the two were one and Flemeth understood Mythal's true aims, she would proceed to birth daughter after daughter to keep she and Mythal alive, all to pursue vengeance against (presumably) the Evanuris who killed her in the first place.

Part 6: The Morrigan of It All (and the Kieran of it all, too)

We know Morrigan is next in line for becoming Mythal's vessel. We know it for sure from the recent Veilguard release date trailer, but this has been a looming threat since Dragon Age: Origins. Morrigan admits this herself.

But I think there is more than that, because of the Kieran of it all.

I don't think Bioware are clumsy enough to write that in only some world states, the archdemon Urthemiel's soul still lives on. It would be impossible to properly bring into Veilguard if there was just sometimes an old god kid running around in a game all about vanquishing the threat of the Evanuris and their archdemons.

I think they knew this in Inquisition. In all Inquisition world states, if Kieran exists, Mythal removes Urthemiel's old god soul from his body. She says, "I am not the only one carrying the soul of a being long thought lost."

I posit that this is the reason for the "appointment" that Flemeth "had to keep" at the start of Dragon Age 2: that she was passing by Lothering on her way to Denerim, where she was going to do... something with Uthemiel's soul. If she arrives in Denerim and does not find it, she understands that only Morrigan can have done something about it, using Flemeth's grimoire.

What Mythal intended to do with Urthemiel's soul, we cannot possibly understand. In our impression of things, if the Warden or Alistair sacrificed themselves to kill Urthemiel, that should be it. Both souls should be erased.

But if that were truly the case, why would Solas be so afraid of the Grey Wardens attempting to find and slay the old gods in Inquisition? Wouldn't that be a good thing, to see them destroyed?

I think those old god/archdemon souls are lurking elsewhere — and I think Mythal might know where. Whether that means the other Evanuris have been doing more than we think they have since the Veil's creation remains to be seen.

How do I know? Because Mythal passed her soul onto Morrigan at the end of Inquisition, in that last scene with the eluvian, before Solas arrived (which was confirmed in a dev note, but I do not currently have the source for it). Once he did arrive, he took what power remained — but I believe it is Urthemiel, not Mythal's soul, that he took.

Part 7: Veilguard Predictions

Now, time for me to dump various things from my Veilguard bingo card. :) In no particular order:

I think we're going to realize that Solas is carrying around some of Urthemiel. Maybe.

If this is true, then I think we're going to see more of the Evanuris than just Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain, and the others that we see might be hiding within mortals. Maybe even allies...

(Did someone say Bellara-Dirthamen? Dirthara? Me. I did. I wrote a post about some of it.)

I think Morrigan is going to confirm all of the Andraste-Vivial-Morriflemythal theorycrafting I've done above, and explain how this relates to the Tevinter Chantry.

If ALL of this is true, I think Morriflemythal (if not Emmrich/the Mourn Watch) might be our key to un-demoning Lucanis, as well as un-demoning Solas, and whoever the hell else needs un-demoning.

And, of course, a million other things that could happen!

If you got this far, thanks always for reading. And if I'm wildly off base or you have something to add, lemme know! <3

[ckret2]

I read all goldielocks chapters and I had questions.

Since I’m not sure if you are going to probably change part of Kryptos and other shape henchmaniacs relation to Bill (aka being from same realm), can I ask what was their relationship with Bill? How they meet him and what did they do in his cult before incident?

yeah all right, their relationships to Bill are all changing so it's no spoilers to tell what my original plans were.

Pre-TBOB headcanons for the shape Henchmaniacs!!

None of them (except maybe Hectorgon) were in Bill's cult. And Hectorgon didn't really "do" anything, he was just part of the rank and file. For billions of years he was a nobody to Bill—he only became "important" as he gradually became one of the last original members of the cult who still followed Bill.

Kryptos was one of the scientists who completely ripped the Magister Mentium's claims about the 3rd dimension to shreds and humiliated him, but when Bill actually met him in person he was very cordial and interested in Bill's ideas and observations, he just, y'know, didn't want him spreading misinformation about the 3rd dimension... but the fact he was so friendly didn't stop Bill from murdering him.

Then a few days later a blue rhombus shows up like "Hey has anyone seen my brother, I haven't heard from him in a few days." Surprise, shocking plot twist! "Kryptos" was their last name, the first Kryptos we met was the big brother of the future Henchmaniac Kryptos!

Bill goes "ohhh yeah your older brother died in a terrible science accident while doing science. I was his good friend though, stick with me, I'll look after you." And a trillion years later Kryptos is still in Bill's inner circle, all because Bill decided to keep him around to spite a dead scientist he had a grudge against for telling the truth about Bill's bullshit claims. He's all super smug about stealing this scientist's younger brother. Bill why did you do this.

Before the incident, Bill didn't even know the people who ultimately made up Amorphous Shape—maybe a couple of them, but most of them were strangers. During the incident Bill went "oh shit oh fuck people are dying but suddenly I have powers maybe I can FIX the breaking people—nope that didn't work—maybe if I shove a couple dozen people together into a blob they'll all survive together, you guys okay???? Okay great you technically aren't dead that's good enough for me" and Amorphous Shape were one of the groups he "saved" this way. They had nothing to do with Bill, they were just bystanders near ground zero of the incident.

Now that we know Hectorgon was originally a sheriff who ended up joining the criminals he'd intended to capture, his original plans are totally dead (and I'm fine with that, I didn't have any good ideas for him, "sheriff wooed to the dark side" is way more fun). But it'd be nice if whatever I do for Kryptos and Amorphous Shape has some echoes of their original plans, so I'm looking out for opportunities for that. Kryptos's might be hard to implement without being tedious, depending on what I ultimately settle on for the new origins of the shapes, but I'd like if it's something similarly fucked up at its root. Amorphous Shape's easier; Bill describes Morph as either an artist or an artwork and almost nobody can see her besides him—maybe part of him wonders, against all odds, whether he was her artist.

[ilaurabhdh]

| My dove | Ben 10 x reader | Chapter 2|

Masterlist

Warnings : none

Word count : 5.5k

A/N : English is not my 1st language

Credits : @cafekitsune for the dividers

Chapter 1

"Still not working right, Blukic. Set it on stun, we get blast ! Set it on blast, we get low battery warning !" A Galvan complains.

"The knob is upside down, Driba." Blukic points at the knob on the blaster.

"And WHOSE jobs was that ?" Driba glared at Blukic who only hummed and pointed at him.

"Yours."

"Was not."

"Was too."

The two Galvans continued arguing as Ben who transformed into a crystalsapien or what he calls diamond head. Was used as a practice target for their new blaster. The brunette only yawns before transforming back into his human form. You mainly came here to inspect the base and its security, but decided on staying to see what the two galvans had created.

Ben sighs . "Come on guys, are we done here ? I thought galvans were supposed to be the smartest beings in the universe." Even if he was tired, Ben took every opportunity to be sassy and sarcastic. "Smart as in figure stuff out quickly so that Ben Tennyson could go home smart."

You click your tongue. "Didn't you agree to this Tennyson ? You should then see it through with no complaints." Your eyes never leaving your tablet, you were finishing up some reports. You enjoy doing paperwork, keeping everything well and organized. You are competent enough to manage your time with paperwork's, deadlines, meetings and missions. Work was somewhat of your hobby, so doing nothing productive makes you feel extremely uncomfortable. That's why you sometimes do the paperwork of other people to pass time, with their consent of course.

"Yeah, but I didn't think it would last so long. I've been here for at least three hours !" Ben complained. "Why are you even still here ?"

"I was interested in what these two galvans were working on. Plus, my studies aren't ready yet and working in the comfort of my room makes me feel too sleepy." You just finished proofreading for the fourth time what you had written on your tablet and pressed the sent button.

"Geez, do all magisters have to do so much paperwork ? Everywhere you go, you always write something on that tablet of yours. Doesn't it get annoying or exhausting ?" Ben quickly transformed into another aliens as the two galvans started to shoot him again. "Ow, ow !"

"Its actually relaxing, you should try doing some, Tennyson." You said his last name coldly.

"Why does everyone get to be called mister and I don't ?" Ben questions you "Also, why did we hire you guys again ?" Another question but turned to the two arguing galvans.

"Mainly to not get confused with your grandfather, maybe because I thought you were underserving of such title. But after our first mission, I can tell you're not a bad guy. Just a bit annoying at times." You received a notification from Rook, he had sent you some book recommendations about humans and their culture. You and Rook had a pretty good affinity. Two plumbers sent to work on earth, not knowing anything about its inhabitants, culture and surroundings. Even better, Rook was also very organized and a kind gentleman. Rook was almost everything Ben was not.

"What do you mean, was I some kind of bad guy in your head before ?"

"No, I just thought you acted a bit like the people back on my home planet." You answer vaguely.

"And what were people like on your home planet ? Wait, actually, where do you even come from ? Like what alien are you ? I don't mean to be rude but like I've never seen aliens like you." Ben had gotten used to the multiple beams blasting him, he was now more focused on you and your mysterious like aura.

You stopped in the middle of your writing and put your pen down for a second. "I'm an Ornix, we resemble humans but have features from an animal on earth you call 'bird'. Almost all Ornix went instinct." You paused for a moment. "I'm most likely, the last remaining of my kind. And if you ask me, it's better that way." You pick your pen back up and continued writing.

Ben wanted to ask you more questions and why you would say such a thing about your own people. But the familiar beeping sound of his omnitrix went off. He transforms back into a human but the galvans couldn't stop their firearm in time and so had lit up his pants. Ben starts screaming, startling you as you finally look his way. You almost burst out laughing seeing his predicament but held it in and went up to help him put out the flame.

After the whole ordeal, you all agreed that it was enough testing for today and walked out of the room to the corridor.

"Seriously, I'm done being your lab rat !" Ben says firmly.

"Blukic is the one who crossed the polarities !" The shorter Galvan blamed.

"You set his pants on fire." Blukic responded.

"Liar, liar !" Even so, Driba laughed a bit. You couldn't help but join in. "I don't know if it was an accident or not. But seeing Tennyson in such predicament really was one of the most funniest things I've seen. Keep up your work."

"Seriously, you guys are worst than Azmuth. Also [name], don't ever mention this again." The last part of Ben's sentences sounded a bit desperate.

"Of course, we are. Everyone is."

"That Galvan's a genius !" Druba finished off Blukic sentence.

"You don't always get the opportunity to see the oh so legendary savior of the universe, get his pants set on fire. I don't think I'll be forgetting that." You continued laughing, to Ben's displeasure. The hero was embarrassed, the only thing he could hope was for you to soon forget it and never mention it to anyone else. You could see the worry on his face. A little smile etched on your face but vanished as fast as it appeared. "Don't worry Tennyson, I won't tell anyone about it. I'm just going to tease you about it."

"I don't know if that's better but I'll take it." Ben's happiness was crushed by your last sentence but at least you weren't going to snitch on him. "Oh, also, you can just call me by my name. I think that's easier to differentiate between me and my grandpa."

You stay silent, you never really acted familiarly with any of your partners or in short your coworkers. It felt unfamiliar calling someone by their name with no titles. Sure people called you daily by your name because well, you don't have a last name. But they would always start with some kind of formal title. It's the first time you've been on a team where you could call your partners by their first names. In fact, it's the first time you've been on an actual team that didn't last less than three days.

"Okay, Ben. But that's only because I don't want to hear you bugging me about it longer." This was the best response you made up to protect your honor and the rising heat on your face.

"Am I that anoying ?"

"Yes" All three of you say in unison.

"I'm never doing this again." Ben grumbled.

Unbeknownst, two figures roam around until finding the exit. A dog growls. Its owner, a tall figure with bones as armor holds him back. "We have everything we need now, boy. No secrets are safe."

====

The next few days passed by, not much happened since then. You mostly stayed behind at the HQ, making renovations to your offices. Today, Rook had proposed to stay behind while you go patrolling with Ben in Undertown. You were pretty reluctant but agreed.

This is how you ended up fighting off some mercenary after the Omnitrix. A crowd had formed, watching you and Ben fight this 'Sunder' off. Ben had many encounters with him in the past.

"Get him ! Come on ! Hit him harder ! Smash him good !" The crowd shouted.

You easily dodge the hoverboard coming at your way. "Why is there so many aliens gathered here ? Shouldn't they evacuate ?" You questioned everyone's favorite hero, Ben transformed into a gimlinopithecus. Shocksquatch in his words. You had just accepted the ridiculous name he gave to his aliens. You were tired of always correcting him.

Ben dodged the hoverboard and was about to punch Sunder but got hit by the same board. He landed next to you and coughed a bit. "It means they trust us. After all, I saved the universe so I can definitely kick butt and save them."

You gave him a skeptical look. "That just sounds danger incoming. I'll trust you on this one Tennyson. But if anybody gets hurt...you are very much done for." Ben didn't know what he should be scared of, the hoverboard and axe swinging at him or his partner, you.

The large grey alien hopped onto his hoverboard. "Give me your new omnitrix, Ben Tennyson, and this could all be over."

"Sure since you ask so nicely." Ben's sarcastic comment didn't amuse the grey mercenary who threw his axe at his way. You activated your wing engine, leaving Ben to fend for himself. The axe chased Ben down, on his way was a child, he quickly shielded away from the axe and let him off to the kid's father. "Geez, don't mention it." The father only gave him a thumbs up. You tried approaching Sunder but he would skillfully dodge you and continue to rope Ben.

You sent out one of your halos to try capture Sunder who let go of Ben and deflected your halo. You smirked as a second one was sent from behind to capture him. The one he had deflected came in front of Ben's. He smirked, held on the halo and electro shocked it, sending it to you then the halo that captured Sunder. Breaking the villain's hoverboard, sending him flying far away.

"This isn't over !" Sunder screamed before disappearing. Ben transformed back into a Human and screamed back at the direction of his enemy. "Looks to me like it is !"

You landed next to your green shirt partner. Ben smiled at you and raised his hand, showing you his palm. You title your head on the side and continued looking at him weirdly.

What human message is this ? I don't get it..? Am I supposed to read something ?

Ben realizing you probably didn't know what a high-five is, held your wrist and slammed each other's palm. "What was that ?" You ask, still not getting it. "It's a high five. Like you high five with somebody after winning or when you're just happy to see them." You thought about it for a second. "How is us slapping each other palms symbolizes joy or victory ?" Ben looked at you a bit exasperated, you and Rook really like to question everything. "It's just a thing we humans have been doing for like a super long time. Just don't question." You looked at your almost fully coved palm for a brief moment and closed it. "Noted."

At the moment, a tall, green alien with ginger hair and mustache, dressed like a magician walked in front of you and Ben.

"Congratulations my dears ! I saw what you did. Wonderful ! Wonderful, yes, indeed. Absolutely superlative." The green magicians attention was now on Ben. "But, my boy, if you want to prevent that run of elixir down feeling after transformation from beat to boy. What you need is a bottle of professors Hokestar's miracle elixir !" The shady alien shows off a small blue bottle with a star on the centre.

"The who with the what now ?"

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime ! Professor Blarney T. Hokestar's miracle elixir will change everything !" Ben gave him a side eye, the omnitrix user was about to make some kind of snarky remarks but you cut him off. "Is that so ? I've never heard of such products, was it registered ? Did it get verified by the safety department ? Is there a list of ingredients written somewhere ?" You ask curiously, you've never meet a salesman's like him before.

Professor Hokestar's was baffled by your comment. Ben giggled a bit before pushing you behind me. "What she meant to say was thanks but no thanks." Ben dragged you back into the crowd. You observe the professor T. Hokestar demonstrating his elixir on a 'stranger' named Solid Plug. You watch Solid Plug grow floral like hair with one drop of this elixir. You've never seen a product grow floral hair, just by the looks of it, the elixir had no ingredients listed. This was going against many laws. Most of the crowd had left, leaving only three other aliens, Ben and you.

"Now, who will be the next among you to partake of my miracle elixir. Two taydens a bottle." The three aliens still here all bought a bottle or two. You and Ben watched him on the sidelines. After finishing his business, professor Hokestar turned to you and Ben, he was more laser focused on Ben.

"As you can see, business is booming."

Ben gave him an unimpressed look. You were wondering how 8 tayden could be profitable, when including the craftmenship of the bottle and the possible ingredients that were used for this magic elixir. "Doesn't prove a thing. Like they say, there's one born every minute"

"And may i add, you've only earned 8 taydens. That is barely enough for a semi decent meal." Ben tried to hide his laughter again.

The professor only let out a nervous laugh. "No need to worry young lady ! I make decent profit, maybe even more than the average if lucky !" You raised your eyebrow at the statement. Professor Hokestar put an arm around you and Ben shoulders. "But my boy, it is my time to waste."

The professor started to lead the two of you somewhere. You were ready to knock him out unconscious if he dared to do anything. Ben shared the same sentiment, not only because the professor was very suspicious but also because he was very annoying.

You stopped In front of a giant cylinder home.

It looks pretty good. He must make some kind of profit to afford it.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome to Professor Blarney T. Hokestar's Extraterrestrial Emporium, lad!" He laughed. "If you cannot find it here, it probably doesn't exist!" The professor takes out some kind of remote, pushing the button. The front of the home opens to display a multitude of toys and plushies. You were extremely confused, this was a waste of time.

"Seems like it's just a bunch of old second-rate-" Before you could ask Ben to leave, he gasped at the sight of what looked like an obese almost human plushy and picks it up. " Where did you get this Sumo Slammers action figure ? I've never seen one like it before." You looked from behind Ben, what was so special about it ?

Professor Hokestar approaches Ben and take the plushy in his hands. "Special limited edition, only available from the concessionaires of Budokan. Fewer than 100 ever made. If you like it, it's yours, my boy, with my compliments." You put your hand on Ben's shoulder and shakes your head when he glanced at you. Ben looked at Hokestar with a distrustful look. "Why so generous?"

"Oh, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the universe to have a one-man superhero team as a spokesman for my elixir, now, would it?" Professor Hokestar then glanced at you. "And witch such pretty lady as you sidekick, we could make fortunes-"

"No." you responded flatly.

Ben still frowned a bit. "I guess you and your stuff may look kinda weird, but... it all seems harmless enough. Let me think about it." You gave Ben an unimpressed stare and pinched the bridge of your nose. At least he was being a bit suspicious of the merchant.

"That's all I ask, my lad." Professor Hokestar confidently responded, ignoring your remark. But you and Ben had already left before her could finish his sentence.

As you both walked off, Ben was playing with the new toy he had gotten with glee. You couldn't understand how such insignificant thing can make people happy sometimes. You've heard of the human culture of collecting these toys and leaving them to collect dust on their shelves. You weren't aware that Ben was also looking at you funny as you judged his toy.

"Is there anything wrong ?" The brunette inquired. "Nothing, I was just...curious of this thing..." You pointed at the round plushie in Ben's hand.

"Oh you mean this limited sumo smasher plush ? I've never seen one of these before but now I can keep this treasure in my collection !" You gave him another weird look. "I don't understand why you humans collects such random objects just to leave them collecting dust. What even is this 'Sumo slammers' thing ?"

Ben gasped as if you just insulted his whole lineage. "You don't know SUMO SLAMMERS ?? Wait when I actually think about it, it's probably an earthling thing...I also dust and take care of my collections, for your information !" Ben proudly proclaims. "But still I need to show you some of its games, movies and stories ! They're like the most awesome things ever ! They've practically defined my childhood !" You froze, your breath hitched and the world seemed to go slower for a moment.

Childhood..?

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Is this really what childhood about ? Attachment to non existant beings and inanimate objects ?

That sounds really stupid, yet, it is able to bring such joys to everyone. These little attachments formed, define a person.

Something you'll probably never experience.

But it's okay.

As long as others were able to experience it, it didn't matter. It's one loss for the life of a thousand more.

Right ?

"You good ?" Ben moved his hand in front of your face repeatedly. You pushed his hand to the side, nodding and preceded to walk forward. Ben shrugged it off and followed you.

Not long after, Ben receives a call from your third partner, Rook. "Hello Ben and [name], how did it go with Sunder ?"

"Quick. He had to catch a flight. Hey, can you look up a "Professor Blarney T. Hokestar" on the Extranet ?"

"Oh, [name] had already sent a message about it."

Ben glanced at you, you were reading some information on your tablet from Rook. And he thought you had warmed up to him...

"I'll just tell you what I found. Professor T.Hokestar is an intergalactic flimflam man. Is he a threat ?"

"No." Ben scratched his head. "Long story. Me and [name] ran into him...okay, maybe not that long."

"Well, should you need backup-" Ben cuts him off. "I'll promise I'll call you." Ben ends the call.

You continued patrolling the area with Ben, he was playing with his plushie while you did most of the work. During the inspection of an alleyway, you had received a message from the plumber's HQ on your tablet for an emergency meeting so needed to leave. Since you were now one of Ben's partner, you were supposed to not attend meetings or manage intergalactic relationships as much and prioritize protecting the universe. So it had to be urgent if they had called you.

"Ben, I have duties to attend to. I'll leave the rest up to you."

"What duties ?"

"Diplomatic. If you need any help please call Rook. I won't be able to help you until an agreement is settled which could take a few days, weeks or more."

Before Ben could make any snarky remarks, you had already taken off. Ben stands unmoving for a second and sighs. Continuing the patrol he did not expect someone waiting for your leave to talk to him and drag him into his schemes...

====

"So we all agree that every party will not engage in any fights or wars and trading agreements will resume with no problems ?"

The two parties grumbled a bit, and one of them raised their hands.

"No, you cannot try and negotiate about eating babies. You know what happened to Jarett, he still hasn't recovered from it. I personally know the perpetrator behind it so I won't be afraid to send them at your door."

The alien lowered his hands and let out a sad grumble. After everyone signed the agreement the meeting was dismissed. You sat down letting a huge sigh of relief, you had done it a million times but this meeting you only had 5 minutes to understand the situation and resolve it. It felt really draining, hence why you were very proud of yourself for accomplishing it, nothing more fun than work...

Uncle Max, enters the room. Everyone had left except you. Normally you could handle about a week or two of no sleep, but these days you feel a bit more tired out...

"I don't know how you manage to pull it off. That was incredible. Sorry for the late notice, the original diplomat had an accident last minute, you were the only one free and of close proximity." He complimented with a smile.

"I've dealt with many more before, it's only my job to make sure that the universe stays at peace." You rubbed your temple, you really need to sleep...Maybe after you finish the next set of papers sent yesterday...

"You look pretty tired, kiddo. Have you been sleeping lately ?" Uncle Max patted your head affectionately. You wanted to pushed his hands away, you weren't a child. But you couldn't bring yourself. "I'll sleep tonight. After finishing my work."

Uncle Max's face shifted to concern. "You really need to take more care of yourself."

"I do, I always make sure to take a shower, make myself look presentable-"

"Not in that way, I meant your health and life style. Even if you try so hard to act like an adult, you're just a kid." You were offended before you could say anything uncle Max sat down and let out a huge sigh, it conveyed some kind of sadness. Your first were clenched, you tried to control your body from shaking. You didn't need his sympathy, you didn't need anyone's sympathy. Why can't they see that you are...

"Stop always trying to protect others by yourself." Your eyes widened, your clenched hands had lessen. "I know that you never want anyone to experience what you've lived through. But you need to stop carrying such a heavy burden. A 16 year old girl shouldn't be settling a potential war between two planets. She should be enjoying her youth. I'm not saying to stop working overall but to find a balance. Take this old man's advice, have fun, go make life long friends and even meet your love, make many mistakes, it's okay as long as you learn from them. Don't be afraid of the unknown."

You remained silent and pondered over his words. As long as everyone was safe it was all fine. Maybe you should ask HQ to lighten your workload..? A little smiled tugged up your lips. Mister Tennyson was truly a good person.

"Okay, I'll try mister Tennyson." Uncle Max returned your smile. In that moment when you thought you were shaking, your halo had been vibrating for a while,  your made it move in front of you. Putting your hand in it to take out your plumber's badge, you had received 17 missed calls from Rook and 29 missed calls from Ben. You tried calling back Ben but he didn't respond. You then called Rook, he responded immediately.

"Hello,[name] ? How did the meeting go ?"

"It went well, explain why I've receive so many missed calls from you and Ben. What chaos did he cause again ?"

"Well...A Screegit was let loose-"

"WHAT ?!" You shouted. Rook covered his ears. "How did a SCREEGIT end up on earth ?!" Rook took a minute to recover from your shout. "Ben's taking care of it. He's got the situation under control-"

"Send me his location, I'll be on my way." You ended the call. The immediate moment the location was sent. You quickly bid farewell to uncle Max and flew to your destination.

Meanwhile. Ben, transformed into Bloxx was trying his best to contain the screegit. He didn't know how long he could contain it until professor T.Hokestar finally did his thing. "Now, professor ! Now !"

"On my way, my boy !" The professor tried to climb out as fast as he could out of the building through a window but fell. Before he could reach the ground. A pair of arms catch him.

"Hurry up ! I can't keep this up !" Ben grunts in pain, the screegit was letting out more acide and trying to break free. The professor clumsily tried to get his machine but you just took it from his hands and shoved it through Bloxx. The screegit had shrunk back to its little adorable form.

"Professor ?" Ben calls out. "It's over my lad" responds Hokestar's.

"And I better get an explanation on how a screegit ended up on earth."

"Okay, before we start, I'd like to say it's all his fault." Ben pointed at professor T.Hokestar, putting the screegit back in its bubble container. "There you are, precious. Back to your rightful form."

"No !" A Florauna pushed the professor, taking the screegit and running away. "The screegit must run free ! Free the screegit !"

"Does this guy ever quit ?" Ben was about to starts chasing him but, you put your arm in front of Ben. Stopping him from pursuing the activist, that was almost immediately captured by Rook.

"Nice one Rook."

"Always my pleasure." He responded immediately with a smile.

The crystal the screegit was contained rolled to Rook's feet. "We will take possession of the creature now, thank you very much."

"Go ahead ! Lock me away ! Then I'll get to experience how my caged alien brethren and sistren feel." You respected activist but some just go too far. You felt like you've had a hundred migraines today. For once Ben notices. Rook passed Ben the screegit.

"So it's a happy ending for everyone."

"Indeed !" The troublesome professor intervenes, trying to take back the screegit. "And now, with your kind permission, gentlemen, I shall take my Screegit and be-"

"Handcuffed to that nut job for a year if you so much as think about touching that Screegit." Ben hands back the screegit to Rook. "And about 5 years of jail, 70 000 taydens owed." You said unconcerned, starting to already report the situation. Hokestar's only stares blankly. He nervously rubs his hands together and smiled. "Screegit ? W-W-W-What Screegit ? Never heard of the thing before in my life. Heh. No, indeed. Now, if you'll forgive my hasty departure, pleasure to make your acquaintance, looking forward to your endorsement of my products, Ben Tennyson ! Hahaha."

As soon as he was finished, the conman ran away. "Yeah... Like that'll happen." Ben looked at the running professor. Ignoring his assistant trying to run away from multiple plumbers trying to capture him. "Even if it did, we'd probably tax him more." The two boys exchanged concerned looks.

"The professor's motives, I can understand. That Pax fellow, not so much."

" He means well. Which makes him even more dangerous." Rook nods at Ben's statement.

Ben glanced at you for a second. "Rook, buddy. How about we do the next patrols together this week ?"

"But isn't-" Ben shoot Rook a stare and repeatedly glanced at you. Trying to hint something.

"Oh, yes indeed. I think it will be a good way for me to discover more human traditions."

"Are you guys excluding me ?"

"No ! It's just that recently, Rook and I wanted to know each other more ! So we wanted to hang out as bros ! Ain't it, Rook ?" Rook quickly nodded, giving you an awkward smile.

You blink at both of them. "Ok, then. It's good that we all get along as a team." You continued to write in your tablet. The boys both left to go patrolling the area, leaving much more time to manage the damage done.

====

It was late at night, Ben just finished his night patrol and had just gotten back in the plumbers quarters. He didn't even get a moment of rest when grandpa Max instructed him to deliver some documents to someone.

Ben groans. "Why me ? Couldn't grandpa just ask another plumber. I just got back..."

The brunette quickly spotted the room he was supposed to deliver the documents. He knocked on the door once, twice, thrice. No answers. Ben was impatient so just forced the door open. He was surprised to see the familiar [hair color] girl, sleeping on her desk under many documents. On the side, piles of what looked like an unending waves of documents.

How did you manage this ? Ben thought to himself. God, that's why you looked like you were about to fall anytime. Ben was hesitant to put more documents down. He had just realized how much work you handled and the pressure you had to carry everyday.

Ben glanced at the door and back at you repeatedly. He sighed, taking some of the documents that looked easy enough, he sat down at a nearby couch and tried to fill up the papers . It wasn't his strong point but he tried his best, only filling up the documents he was confident wouldn't cause an outbreak. He was only able to finish one pile out of the dozens you had, he had to brainstorm hard on the many meanings of these documents and recheck them on multiple occasions.

By the time the Omnitrix user got up, it was already past 4am. He had arrived at about 11pm, so he spent more than 5 hours only being able to fill up one pile. Ben's respect for you had just skyrocketed, you really managed this in a daily basis. He felt bad, he once did get overwhelmed by schoolwork before. It wasn't as bad as what you had but he could understand to some the degree the pressure.

I really need to ask Rook to teach me a bit about alien diplomacy...

Before leaving and going to bed. Ben tried to carry you to the couch, but you momentarily woke up.

"What...Who are you..?" You asked, feeling drowsy.

"I'm, Ben Tennyson, hero of the universe." Ben confidently affirmed.

You were barely able to keep your eyes open and only snuggled up to him. He put you down on the couch, with a blanket over you. As he was about to leave he could hear you mumbling something in your sleep.

"Bye Mr Ben Tennyson, savior of the universe. Promise me you'll save us all."

Ben turned towards you. "Save who ?"

"My family, we're so close...we'll finally be free soon..." Some tears were forming at the corner of your eyes. Ben approached you once again. Taking a seat on a nearby chair.

"Be free of what ?"

"Will you promise if I tell you ?"

"I promise."

You gave him a warm smile. He had never seen you like that until now, but you looked like an ethereal beauty.

"I'm happy, you'll finally save us from ourselves."

"What do you mean-" You already feel back to the embrace of sleep. Ben was left with more questions than answers. He could try and look up more about your origins but if not even Rook knows what happened on your planet. Then how could he ?

Ben got up again, this time, leaving the room for good and going back home. He had already texted his parents about how he'll come home late. Maybe not this late but they understood his duty as savior of the universe. Back in his room, he lays on his bed and pondered. He shouldn't have asked you all of that when you were barely conscious, he'd just have to wait for you to open up to him. Until then, he'll try the help as best as he can.

When he finally closed his eyes, his omnitrix rang. He quickly picked it up.

"Good morning Ben ! Are you ready for our patrol today ?" Rook energetically says.

"What do you mean ? We're only... 9am ?!" Ben was shocked, he didn't even get a blink of sleep, he spent to much time thinking that he forgot to sleep !

"Yes ? Are you ready for a whole day of patrol ? You did take all of [name]'s shift for the next week, remember ?" Ben laughs in pain. This was going to be a long week.

====

Bonus scene :

You woke up later than usual. It was a first for you, but that meant you'd have to spend more time on paperwork, that you didn't mind much. But it would mess up your schedule and routine. Thank the skies that Ben had taken your patrol.

Shortly after finishing your morning routine. Making sure you looked presentable. Applying a bit of lipgloss. You came back to your office and realized out of the 15 piles of paper you've had, one of them was completed. As you reviewed them, you didn't recognize your writing or anyone for that matter. It did have some clumsy writing yet it looked like they put effort into it. It reminded you of your first times and how you had to work really hard to perfect this skill.

You smiled and continued working pleasantly, wondering who it could be.

Chapter 3

Taglist : @supernerdycookietrashblrr

[chaifootsteps]

SolRook, Pavellan, one-sided Solavellan. Spoilers for act 3 of Veilguard.

***

Mahanon knew the man they call Rook long before he actually met him.

For the longest time, on the streets of Minrathous, he was known as ‘the Fox.’ No one could tell you his real name or what he looked like, although based on the way he slung blades and picked locks and got around rooftops, many speculated that he was a former Antivan Crow. After the Nessus incident in which someone got a glimpse of the face behind the mask, the distinct outline of a pointed ear, the prevailing theory was that he was a former slave.

In actuality, he’s a young man with a sharp, angular face and quick blue eyes. Turns out he’s Legatus Charon Mercar’s boy, raised half in secrecy and half with a silver spoon in his mouth, tutored in too-formal Elven that he’s always eager to break out when speaking to Mahanon. He takes his coffee bitter but milky, likes stuffed grape leaves, and hates fish. Despite the skill at jumping rooftops, he loathes heights.

And when he speaks about Solas – confesses, rather – Mahanon’s not at all surprised.

“I talk to him, sometimes. More than the others know. More than I care to admit.” Then, far too quickly to be entirely truthful… “Not like that, of course not. But just the same, it’s not just war table talk anymore. We’ll sit up swapping stories about companions, travelling, the way we think things ought to be. Music.”

He can’t quite meet Mahanon’s eyes when he says it. Mahanon sighs, leans in, drops his voice to a point of conspiratorial, gentle quiet.

“Did you know that when I first met Solas, I carried a torch for him in the worst way?” Oh, how he wishes he could commit the look on Rook’s face to a frame in that moment. It's fairly priceless. “Oh yes. He was charming, witty, kind. An elf at a time when I was ravenous for the company of one, though I suspect I would have felt the same if I’d been a dwarf or a Qunari. I would have boxed a High Dragon if he’d asked me to. I would have done anything for him.”

“Did he know?” A beat. “Does...does Magister Pavus know?”

“Turned me down very kindly. Dorian and I laugh about it now.” It’s true. Dorian’s never allowed him to live it down, and Mahanon supposes he wouldn't either if their positions were reversed. “I’ve never regretted the path life's put me on. Dorian’s the love of my life and always will be, but save for him, Solas is the most remarkable man I’ve ever known. Years ago, he told me that his plans to bring down the Veil would mean the end of the world, and if ever he’d told me even once that that had changed? That those casualties could be reduced, and that he was attempting to transfer the Evanuris to a stronger prison? I would have leap to his aid. Called upon every ounce of clout my name carries.”

Rook looks conflicted, like he’s not sure whether to be relieved or less relieved than ever. “I don’t know which possibility terrifies me more, to be honest with you...that I’m not his type or Maker help me, that I am.”

The former Inquisitor refills his drink. “I think that’s romance for you. Doesn't matter whether you’re carrying a torch for the fellow that lives down the street or the Dread Wolf himself.”

It's the sort of thing they could talk about all day, but for the time being, they leave it at that. They have their meal, argue about splitting the bill, Mahanon wins, and they go their separate ways. When word comes out that Solas has escaped the Fade and Rook has vanished mysteriously, that seems to mark the end of that affair. But Harding's gone, the dagger's gone, and something about blood magic, and Mahanon...Mahanon can't think about any of it too much.

Not so much because he worries so much about Rook – he bets Dorian apples to gold pieces that the young elf will make an appearance sooner or later, and reassures the occupants of the Lighthouse as much – but because the whole thing is so frightfully, unjustly sad. Because Mahanon remembers that frightened, tentative look in the young elf's eyes, the one Rook tried so hard to pretend wasn't a little hopeful, and really does wish it had ended differently.

Sure enough, Rook isn’t gone. He appears as suddenly as he left, and shows up on the burning streets of Minrathous looking every inch the Fox, calling out to the crowd to bring the light. When Mahanon meets him before that final ascent, the young man says nothing to allude to what he told Mahanon over supper that day. If there’s conflict, pain, betrayal, it never shows.

(It won’t be until much, much later that Mahanon will learn that he spoke to Solas, and that when he did, he sounded as damn near close to tears as his companions had ever heard him.)

But suddenly, Mahanon has even less time to pretend that any of it is his business. Suddenly, Dorian’s holding his face in his hands, tears shining in his eyes, imploring with him not to make the final climb up that horrible, blighted growth.

"You don't have to do this," he says as he has so many, many times over the past nine years. "

And Mahanon, just like he's done every time over those past nine years, memorizes his husband's beautiful face, the feel of his kiss, and replies...

"I love you, vhenan. I'll see you very soon."

And suddenly, he and Morrigan are standing beside a blighted throne at the top of the world, and Mahanon is attempting to talk down the man he never stopped loving, not really.

It doesn’t work, obviously. Mahanon never thought it would, in his heart of hearts. Knows better by now.

But somehow, miraculously, impossibly, what Rook’s been putting together all these months does.

The state that comes over Solas when Mythal’s ghostly figure approaches him is unlike anything Mahanon has ever seen from him before, and something he dearly, dearly hopes to never see again. Solas cringes from her pale touch, bends before her, and – though this may just be a trick of the light, a cruel twisting of shadow – Mahanon thinks he sees him hold out the lyrium dagger as though to offer it up to kill him. Hunched over, weeping, he looks less like a man freed from guilt than a beaten dog. It’s perverse, it's wrong, and Mahanon has never wanted to embrace him more.

“You are free to choose another way,” he says instead, kneeling beside him. Ar lasa mala revas. And with an exhale, Solas straightens, glances back at the newly severed leash, and makes the choice to run.

He places the lyrium dagger in Rook’s hands. In the shadows cast between their bodies, fingers cover one another, curling together. "I will go and seek atonement."

He turns to leave; Rook raises the dagger. For a moment, just a fleeting one, Mahanon fears he’s about to drive it into the Dread Wolf’s back. But instead, he hands it off to Morrigan, and says...

"But you don't have to go alone."

The lingering gaze Solas gives him is...many things, small and tentative and overlapping. Surprise, certainly. Deep, abiding, sadness. A peripheral ghost of what might be longing. But not the gentle, indulgent look he once gave Mahanon when he turned him away.

"You are needed elsewhere. I made these choices, I alone will bear their consequences. It is...my responsibility."

"Responsibility? Solas, you’re literally carrying the sky on your shoulders. You’ve been carrying this alone for long enough. You've been alone for long enough.”

“You are not the one who shattered the world. You have your own path, Rook. It is time to walk it."

“And if I don't care to walk it? If I've seen what's waiting along your path, and consider it worthwhile?"

Solas hesitates. “Rook...I understand what this is about. Make no mistake, I do understand. Suffice it to say, you need not pity me. Pity would be the cruelest note you and I could part ways on."

Rook chokes.

"Pity?" Dumbstruck, incredulous. Like he's unable to believe someone as sharp as Solas could have possibly gotten it so wrong. "You think...you...!"

An then, in one swift, smooth motion, Rook pulls the Dread Wolf in close, their lips meeting, blood and dirt and filth. Solas blinks just once...and then, to Mahanon’s surprise, kisses him back. Not just that, but keeps kissing him, the two holding on to one another like the possibility of losing this is a greater and more terrifying fear than whatever they've done to each other. Clinging, white-knuckled, in a way that a young Mahanon would have given anything, anything in the world, to be handed the key to.

"...Where I am going is terrible."

Rook chuckles, a helpless little mixture of frustration and relief and adoration that Mahanon could have written the book on.

"I'm from Minrathous. Wherever you’re going will be a holiday."

Solas, in spite of it all, almost smiles. Takes his time pulling away, his hands from Rook’s hands; does not stop Rook from turning to his companions, the young Dalish Warden and the elder Necromancer and the baby griffon, and hugging them each fiercely in turn, quietly saying something to them that’s swallowed up by the crackle of the Veil. Mahanon catches Solas’s bruised, bloodied eye and manages to keep it, what passes between them too broken to be laughter, but something that feels like a ghost of it nonetheless. Feels like trekking through the Hinterlands, like drinking from the same canteen of blood-warm water, smelling the clover and watching for bears with the wind and sun in their faces.

“Who would have thought?” he half teases, half wonders.

“Not I, Inquisitor. Not I.”

Mahanon has a thousand things he’d like to say to him in that moment, enough to fill a lifetime...would like to chew him out for stealing the last decade from him, to thank him for every moment, from the Temple of Sacred Ashes right up to this farewell, and with that taken care of, to fill in every gap and crevice in between. But in the end, all he says is...

“Dareth shiral, old friend. Be happy.”

Solas smiles, sincere and gentle, and that will do for the rest of Mahanon's life. Rook finishes his goodbyes and joins the Dread Wolf at his side, not a trace of trepidation or regret to be seen in those quick, clever eyes. Side by side they turn and walk away, until the light of the Fade envelopes them, and takes them where he cannot follow.

Perhaps he gazes after them too long, the tight way in which he swallows too telling, for Morrigan turns to him. “Ahh, Inquisitor...it seems that yet again, in that most curious of ways, we've all ended up precisely where we need to.

Mahanon allows his eyes to linger for just a moment longer on the place where Rook and Solas vanished to begin their new life together. Then, with a bittersweet smile, he says...

“May it always be so.”

And with that, he turns to head back down to the ground, where Dorian is waiting for him.

[jukkariart]

Companion banter with Alectris - Neve Gallus edition

There's a lot of professional courtesy and personal curiosity between Neve and Alectris. They've never worked together in their time with Shadow Dragons, but Neve has met just about enough ex-army people in Dock Town to have some preconceptions and Alectris has read enough papers about the Dock Town detective to have some expectations.

First banter triggered when Alectris and Neve are in party. Triggered after the Venatori encounter. 

Alectris: Didn’t expect you to vouch for me to make it on the team, Gallus

Neve: Well, I didn’t. Tarquin did. 

Alectris: Really? Does he really want to get rid of me so badly?

Neve: I think he’s trying to keep you out of Venatori reach.

Alectris: We should tell him he’s doing a terrible job. 

***

Triggered if party is in Treviso 

Neve: So I’ve heard you’ve been to Seheron. 

Alectris: I wouldn’t put it this casually but yes. 

Neve: Then you must know some tricks about dealing with the Antaam. 

Alectris: Aim for the knees first. When they’re your height it’s easier to hit the head. 

***

Random trigger

Alectris: I’ve heard from Bellara that you’ve made it into papers a few times.

Neve: You know how it is. Gossip sells well in Minrathous. 

Alectris: Must have helped you with your work? Get you more desperate and unlucky clients? 

Neve: We both know there’s no shortage of those in Dock Town. But it did help with getting jobs from Magisters. 

Alectris: I hope you don’t do charity work for them. 

Neve: No, they get triple the rate. If they’re nice. 

***

Random trigger

Alectris: It’s been a while since I worked with a team. Good to have another Shadow Dragon. 

Neve: Don’t tell me you’re sentimental. 

Alectris: snorts Forget I said anything.

***

Triggered in Minrathous

Neve: Since we’re here we should stop by Halos. Best fried fish in Minrathous. 

Alectris: Fried fish? I think I’ll pass. 

Neve: On Halos? You don’t know what you’re missing. 

Alectris: I ate more fish pockets than should be possible. Never gonna look at them the same anyway.

***

Follow up banter

Neve: I’ve been wondering what turned you off from the fish pockets? 

Alectris: A… food safety incident. 

Neve: Bad evening after some rotten portion? 

Alectris: Asphyxiation. Turns out Fog Warriors like adding poisonous fish into food stands. 

***

Alectris: I got you that invitation.

Neve: Thanks. 

N: Not gonna ask why I would need it? 

A: Can’t imagine anyone in their right mind wanting to participate. Which means it’s a job, so the less I know the better. 

N: Keeps her word and doesn’t ask questions? Where have you been my whole life? 

***

Neve: Do you know anyone named Cornel? 

Alectris: I used to, but it was a long time ago. 

N: Tall, dark hair? A scar behind his ear. 

A: It depends who’s asking. 

***

Neve: About Cornel. He’s got a sister, Clara. She’s looking for him. 

Alectris: Clara? But he said… Listen, I make no promises but I’ll ask around. We haven’t spoken in years. 

N: You can just point me in the right direction. 

A: I’m sorry Neve, but it’s best if I keep these contacts to myself. 

***

Alectris: Any word from Clara? 

Neve: She sent her thanks. From Rivain. 

N: But I think you already knew that. 

[weaveandwood]

In Hushed Whispers

There was a little interest in me posting some Dragon Age: Inquisition fanfic here, so I'm going to share the one shot I have written! I know I have a few mutuals who are also doing their first playthrough of Inquisition, so if you haven't done the quest this one-shot is named for, don't read this! Consider this your warning!

Pairing: Cullen/Female Lavellan (Brinni, my dual wielding rogue) Words: 1,374

Angst

Read on AO3!

Cullen threw the crumpled up message across the room and leaned over the war table, shaking his head, willing himself to take his next breath even as dread constricted every fiber of his being. 

Dead. 

He slammed his fist against the table, toppling over the markers that had been so carefully placed earlier that day. He told her it was a trap - he told them all! She wasn’t an idiot, she knew it was clearly a trap as well. Still, she was determined - and that determination had doomed them all.  

He paced the length of the room. Back and forth, over and over, replaying their last conversation in his head, trying to figure out what he could have said differently. 

“Redcliffe has repelled thousands of assaults. If you go in there you’ll die, and we’ll lose the only means we have of closing these rifts. I won’t allow it,” he had told her. Of course, there was the unspoken reason he hadn’t wanted her to go, one he was too foolish and too scared to voice. No, better to have her believe he only saw her as a tool, a weapon for them to wield. Nothing more. 

Cassandra, Josephine, and Leliana argued the optics of marching on the castle, the consequences of leaving a foreign magister in power on Ferelden land. It appeared they had been outplayed. No matter how hard Cullen stared at the table, a strategy would not come to him. 

“There has to be something we’re not thinking of,” she had said quietly, finally breaking the silence and looking at each of them. “Another way in.”

Discussions took place. Brinni paced back and forth while Leliana and Cassandra spoke of the secret entrance for the family and planned the “distraction” Brinni and her envoy would be for the magister. Someone suddenly barged into the war room with insider knowledge of the magister’s plans - Brinni seemed to trust him and his easy confidence, so everyone else did as well. 

It was settled. They would leave first thing in the morning. 

 “The plan puts you in the most danger - we can still go after the Templars if you’d rather not play the bait. It’s up to you,” he said to her before parting, his cool demeanor soothing over the storm within. Don’t go. It’s a trap. You will die. 

She went. So did Blackwall (prisoner), Varric (prisoner), and the new mage, Dorian (dead). 

Dead. 

If he had just talked to her, told her how important she was - not just to the Inquisition, but to everyone in their inner circle even after this short amount of time, how he looked forward to reading her messages from her seemingly never-ending duties in the Hinterlands, how their conversations while he was overseeing the training exercises were the best sort of distraction…

He sighed. She still would have gone. Still would have died. 

He walked out of the building, staring at the breach in the sky. What were they going to do now? 

Months passed. It was almost a year to the day since the Inquisition lost their one hope at closing the Breach. Cullen had been right about Redcliffe. He threw troops at it, but they were no match for The Elder One’s demon army. Thedas was gone - everything was covered in red lyrium. Leliana had been captured on a spy mission months ago. Cassandra and Iron Bull led a charge soon after the news of Brinni’s death reached Haven with the rest of her companions - they never returned. Josephine tried her hand at diplomacy and was caught by a demon possessing a nobleman. 

Dead, dead, dead. 

Only a handful of troops remained. Templars, warriors, and even a few elves had traveled to Haven after everything really started going south about a month after…after her death. They fought for the fallen Herald of Andraste. He fought for her. Brinni Lavellan. He still found his thoughts easily drifting to her. He did a double take every time he saw an elf with short white hair the color of starlight. He missed her, even now. Even as he mounted his favorite horse outside of Redcliffe Village, ready to lead one last charge against the castle. One last attempt at saving the world, though it was certain they would all end up the same as everyone else who had tried.

Would he see her once this was over? He mulled the thought over as they marched on the castle through fields of red lyrium, the power surrounding it warm and intoxicating. He saw corpses with crystals growing out of them and shuddered. What world was left to save? They got to the bridge and he dismounted, taking all of the riding gear off of his horse. He dropped it to the ground before slapping the horse’s hindquarters, sending it off to live whatever life it could manage. There would be no one left to care for it after today and he could not bring himself to watch the horse die in battle. He smiled to himself. “The Commander has a soft spot” - she had teased him about that once in the stables, long ago.

A horrible grinding noise brought his attention back to the present, the telltale sound of the demons that had laid waste to the land and the people of Thedas. This was it. He raised his sword, rallying the small troop behind him and charged. 

They fought as well as they could, taking down a few demons while the demons took down more of them. He watched as they fought and fell, their numbers shrinking further and further until only a true handful were left, each fighting their own hopeless battle. A cry, a thud. Dead. A shout, a demonic laugh. Dead. 

“Sir, behind yo-” someone called out, seconds too late. Cullen started to turn, his sword preparing to strike when he felt a sharp pain in his chest, followed by searing heat and frigid cold seeping through his body. He fell to the ground, looking up at the roiling green-grey sky and tried unsuccessfully to remember what it looked like on a clear, blue, cloudless day before magic destroyed everything. He was lying in something warm and wet and he was tired, so tired. His eyes fluttered and the world grew dim. The cries of battle were quiet now and the grinding noise from the demons drifted further from his consciousness. 

It was over. 

“Sir? Sir? A message from Redcliffe,” a voice called from outside the door of his office, accompanied by urgent knocks. 

Cullen startled and sat up. Had he been sleeping at his desk? The long nights and early mornings had caught up with him, it appeared - he would need to keep a better schedule. He cleared his throat, calling for the messenger to enter and took the small envelope from him. 

He quickly ripped it open to read the missive from Brinni’s operation, his eyes scanning desperately for a key word to indicate how the mission went. He quickly crumpled it up and threw it across the room to prevent himself from spending all day reading it over and over again before leaning over his desk, his head in his hands. 

Mission successful. Recruited mages as allies. Will explain when we return. - B

She was fine. She didn’t die, she wasn’t taken prisoner, and she had recruited the mages as allies for the Inquisition. Once again, she exceeded his expectations. He leaned back in his chair, his face to the ceiling and laughed loudly, the cord of tension within him that had been wound so tightly since they left finally loosening. Was the tension he had been harboring solely due to the fate of their Inquisition? They would be able to continue closing Fade Rifts and perhaps close the Breach with the assistance of the recruited mages. Or…was it something that was beginning to take hold inside him, gentle and warm, just like the way she smiled at him during her rounds the other day when she found him in the stables, brushing his favorite horse’s mane and talking sweetly to it? “The Commander has a soft spot,” she had teased him. 

It appeared that the Commander may have had more than one.

[notebooks-and-laptops]

Why The Veilguard Handles Grey Wardens Better than Dragon Age Inquisition: The horrors of the Blight, the Calling and the Cauldron

Grey wardens are by far my favourite part of Dragon Age Lore. On the surface; knights in shining armor who protect the world against an unstoppable nightmare. Underneath; a messed up and dubious order who recruit from the criminals of Thedas and who are doomed to die the moment they sign on with the Wardens.

And while I have a problem with a lot of the factions in DAtV, I think the Grey Wardens are handled excellently, because they're far less sanatised than their counterparts.

Grey wardens are a dodgy organisation filled with dodgy people who the people of Thedas have to tolerate because they are the only people who can protect it from an unwise unstoppable evil force. We're shown this as early as the first act in DAO where Duncan casually stabs a man because he doesn't want to die via the joining. To save the world they make unthinkable decisions and then because those decisions are so unthinkable, they keep all those decisions secret. You, as the Warden in DAO, can do some truly horrific things in the name of stopping the blight.

And Dragon age the Veilguard gets this so right. Davrin is a hero, a monster hunter who wants to do right. And yet he is confronted with the horror of the grey wardens time and time again in his personal quests. He is made to see how the order hides even from its own members the horrific things they do in order to create an illusion that the sacred oath is valient and worth upholding.

The Cauldron was by far one of my favourite parts of DAtV. The fact that all the griffin bones are just unceremoniously thrown in there with absolutely no regard for the sacrifice; the fact that the griffins of old went crazy after they were blighted on purpose to oppose the blight...its horrific and horrible and maybe it was the only way to save the world but surely there was another way?

Similarly, we reach the end of Davrins quest and the blighted Wessinhaupt...this isn't some horrible devious plan, Issya has been driven mad by what she was ordered to do to the griffins, and she can't stand it. She's blighted by the blood in her veins, just like she blighted her griffins. And the idea that some who fall pray to the calling end up there in this fact Wessinhaupt, their minds so twisted that they can't tell whats real anymore...it's so messed up I love it.

And yet we still have good grey warden characters just like we always have! Antone and Evka were my favourite side characters in any faction in this game. Do I wish the Grey Warden Commander had a little more nuance to him? Yes. But that's literally the only thing I have a big issue with. It's so interesting as well that with Antone and Evka in charge they start to allow people to take the joining without signing up. We know some who have joined before no longer associate with the order (Anders) but this is on a whole new level. It makes sense that they'd make that decision, but the implications about what characters who don't know what to do if they start hearing the calling...its delicious.

But I promised you some juicy DAI vs DAtV on this one, so let me explain. I think DAI's grey warden lore is interesting, but the fact that they're just mindless puppets of an evil Tevinter magister takes the bite out of it. I long for a game where the Grey Wardens are working with Corphyesus of their own violition because it highlights how fucked up they can get. And there's president for it both in The Decent in Da2 AND you as a protagonist might have made that decision to support the archetech in DAI.

In DAtV the wardens aren't morally dubious because they're working with Elganan or being mind controlled or tricked. The wardens are morally dubious because that's what they've always been. They're also heros because that's what they've always been. It's such a wonderful faction and I think they've done incredibly well with it.

In DAI all wardens are hearing the calling but we never really feel the horror of that properly, perhaps because we don't see wardens going down into the deep roads or perhaps because we don't have a (real) warden companion. In DAtV because we go into the deep roads and see these messed up wardens who have been on their calling, it's made more apparent just how terrifying the calling is, how individuals lose their minds and become more and more ghoul like if they don't die first.

And on top of that the Aesthetics! I love the blight boils coming back from DAO, I always found them so creepy and really giving you the full idea that the land is blighted as well as the people, so no crops can grow.

I really loved this part of the game and I'm glad we got it!

[felassan]

As I understand it you’re probs going with Lucanis for a romance on your first run!! What in particular drew you to him as your first romance? (This is also free permission to gush about him from what little we know!)

hello! ◕‿◕ ooh hhh this is such a fun question, thanku (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)

soo for this I'm stuck between Lucanis, Taash, Davrin, Bellara and Neve HHH. (which is a fantastic problem to have tbc /pos). aa they are all so 😳😳..

for Lucanis, what I like about him is the character he displayed in TN. in his short story he was really cool and interesting. he's badass - who can't love a dude who makes evil magisters shit themselves in fear just by the mention of his name - but he also has a soft heart.

Lucanis stared ahead, focused and intense. He was the kind of man you couldn’t look away from—until he looked at you. --- Lucanis exhaled through his nose. “If someone wants to pay me top coin to kill a bunch of racist blood mages—who have it coming—I’m not going to complain.” --- The word quit sparked some life in the Wigmaker’s blank expression. “So, the crow thinks he can best the dragon?” “The crow,” Lucanis mocked, “knows it.” --- “Death is my calling”

like... ok sir 😳

but he's also really funny, in that dry or wry blunt sort of way.

The mage was coming to. His unfocused eyes took stock of his situation. “I won’t talk,” he spat. “Even if you torture me.” “I’m too busy to torture you,” Lucanis said, and ran him through with his sword. --- “So, the Wigmaker.” Illario wiggled his fingers ominously. “Tell me about him.” “He’s weird,” Lucanis replied bluntly.  --- Don’t think about it. Lucanis took a deep breath and flung himself off the roof. --- Lucanis thought about securing the entrance—leaving it unlocked could raise suspicion—but chose not to in case Illario decided to work tonight.  --- “Eight marks the final kill,” Illario said, coming to stand next to him. He dusted off his palms. “Do you still recite that old nursery rhyme? The one Caterina made us memorize during training?” Lucanis moved to retrieve his throwing knives. “What can I say? It’s catchy.” --- Illario rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. The Venatori already have your name. If they learn your face—” “I’ll grow a beard.” --- Ambrose threw down the matted mess. “Lucanis Dellamorte, I presume?” “Sì,” Lucanis answered, knowing even a single syllable of a foreign language would disgust the Wigmaker. It had the desired effect—Ambrose recoiled as if he’d stepped in urine. “Is this your handiwork?” “Sì.” The mage’s jaw pulsed. “You think you can come into my Imperium and act as judge and executioner?” Lucanis opened his mouth to respond, but Ambrose anticipated his answer. “Don’t say, ‘Sì!’” That earned a genuine smile from Lucanis. “Normally, there’s no judgment—only a contract. But for you, Ambrose, I made an exception.” --- While hunting his mark, Lucanis had opened the wrong door and walked into an orgy. Getting out of that had been interesting. --- That’s it. Lucanis smiled encouragingly. Good little demons. 

😭😭 lmao pls

what sent me over the edge into wanting to romance territory though is some of the things we learned about him, or the way he was described ig, during the DA:TV marketing era: "lacks social skills", loves coffee, "the sole dumpster fire of the crew" written specifically by Mary Kirby to be a "bisexual disaster of a human", that he's short and has a mullet. what can i say ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ

how about you? :D is there a character in particular that you plan to romance during your first playthrough? ^^

[vigilskeep]

you gonna check out Vows & Vengeance? Would love to get your first impression/takes on it

yeah i listened to ep 1 this morning!! one comment without context: the line “more or less” made me choke on my drink

some comments with spoilery context under the cut:

nadia & elio are fine, i wish their dialogue was a little less uhhh self-aware and expository (“we are having an argument and this is exactly how i feel and i will explain why my backstory is responsible! now i will state your character flaws clearly out loud for the audience!”) that’s a pet peeve of mine. they and their relationship feel a bit generic to me overall. like i say they’re just kind of fine

i guess i did enjoy that nadia’s right and elio does act like a magister and immediately try to solve problems like a magister when they come up. i always like when there’s a new character and the things they say ring true for where they’re coming from, it makes them feel uhhh rooted in the world? i suppose tevinter social class being plot relevant at all is nice in terms of just knowing they’re grounding things in the established lore

people announcing their spells by name so that you know what’s going on was deeply goofy i can’t decide whether or not i loved it

neve attempting to freeze an entire fucking bay to stop a boat and only failing because a magister cast his way out was insane. i said this about her protective dome in the initial gameplay reveal, but she is doing magic on a level we simply have not seen

ummmmm i liked the appearance from our good old wolf pal. it’s funny i feel like i’ve gotten much more fond of him lately. but at the same time whenever we’re not seeing him from an inquisition inner circle member’s perspective i kind of re-learn the way i saw him when he killed felassan at the end of the masked empire. the way i see him when he’s not the guy the inquisition knows, you know? he seems more dangerous and unpredictable to me when we’re looking through a different set of eyes than as one of the people he had to interact with for so long and deal with as people rather than merely obstacles to his greater purpose. i don’t inherently trust him or put anything past him in the same way when he’s dealing with someone he doesn’t have that uh soft spot for

though that “i’m sorry” when things went bad seems demonstrative of the effect dai had on him. it’s not exactly the response of a man who can still convince himself these aren’t really people. anyway no idea what happened in that funny little ritual but rip to another of his a+ plans. you’ll get there one day buddy

not entirely convinced at all that it’s really elio that nadia is hearing 😬

the idea that a person in tevinter hears the words “the hinterlands” and immediately knows it means the hinterlands in ferelden (which i can only assume is what it means) is so stupid i was genuinely taken aback like be serious jsgsjsjsk

[deputyrook]

Chocolate- [Or: how Rook, many years before she was Rook, met Viago de Riva and enlisted in Antivan Crow training.] [Or: why she prefers cioccolata calda to coffee.]

Law of equivalent exchange, every time I post something that took me hours to write, I have to also post something fun that I wrote in 20 minutes. This is that. Written as a character study piece for my Rook, Mina de Riva ♥

TW: Discussions of slavery, forced blood magic. A newly freed slave is talked into becoming an assassin which is arguably a little problematic.

“What’s this?”

The assassin looks at her like she’s a child, or else very stupid.

“It’s chocolate,” He says, deadpan, “You’ve never had it? It’s sweet. Eat.”

Mina studies the food for a moment. Ordinarily, she wouldn’t be willing to eat food given to her by an assassin that she met less than 24 hours prior. But it’s been an odd day.

“If this kills me, I’m coming back to haunt you,” she grumbles. 

“If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t waste my poisons,” the assassin sounds a little offended at the notion.

Breaking off a small piece of the ‘chocolate’ and popping it in her mouth, Mina chews thoughtfully before concluding-

This is the best thing she’s ever tasted.

The assassin watches her with a muted expression. Like she imagines is true for all good professional killers, he seems impossible to read beyond his slightly-grumpy disposition. And yet when she smiles at him and says, “Okay, yeah, this is now officially the best day of my life,” he gives her the smallest smile back.

“It wasn’t already?” He asks, eyebrow raised.

“Well, yes, but this is elevating it.”

With every passing second, the caravan they’ve hitched a ride on draws them further and further from Tevinter. It was one thing to know that she was free, but it’s another to feel it. Soon, she won’t even be able to see the spires and the lights of the city if she turns around to watch them go. 

Curled up cross-legged in the back among a bunch of crates, Mina watches the assassin from the corner of her eye. He’s sitting on the edge of the caravan, one leg dangling off the back. Mina’s not exactly sure how old she is at this point- maybe fifteen or sixteen- but he’s got to have about ten years on her.

“You never told me your name,” Mina says to the assassin after a moment, swallowing a second bite of chocolate. Even if it hadn’t been over a full day since she last ate, she’d still be scarfing it down. It’s so sweet. She’s never had something so sweet in her entire life- it’s like her taste buds are exploding. It’s great. 

“...Viago,” the assassin replies, a bit reluctantly, “Have you ever been to Antiva before?”

Mina shakes her head, and he continues. “There are shelters that I can take you too, for people who don’t have homes. Not nice, but better than what you’re used to, I’d wager. We tell no one you were a slave. You cover up your scars. You used the last of your wages to pay for my escort. Do you understand?”

She nods, taking another bite. She likes that Viago doesn’t wince around the word slave, like so many of the “sympathetic” humans seem to. They used to cringe when they’d see her, but do nothing. Pity is the last thing she wants.

And if Viago doesn’t want anyone to know that she helped him get into her former magister’s mansion, past the magical wards he’d erected, in exchange for getting her out of Tevinter? That’s fine by her.

At first, all she’d asked for in return for helping the assassin get into the kitchens was her master’s head on a plate. But Viago had stubbornly refused to make that part of the deal- “Doesn’t count. I’ve already taken a contract to kill him.” 

Taking her back with him, to wherever he was headed, seemed like the next best thing.

“I don’t think anyone will come look for me, anyway. The mansion will be in too much of an uproar to worry about missing slaves. And it’s not like there’s a long list of people who knew me in Tevinter to begin with,” she grins, a nasty thing, “Shorter now.”

“Do you have any family out there?” Viago asks, and she gives a little shrug, her smile falling. The chocolate is almost finished, but the warmth of it has filled her and her hunger has ebbed, for now. She feels so happy watching the caravan take them over the hills that she could cry.

“Kind of,” She answers after a moment. “I was the youngest of three. My ma sold me to get her and the rest transport out of Ferelden when the Fifth Blight hit.” Mina hasn’t spoken about her mother in years. It stirs an old ache in her chest, the kind of feeling she’d tried to smother. And she’d thought she succeeded. “I was starting to show signs as a mage, so... I guess she figured the Circle would’ve taken me anyway. But mages make for good slaves, y’know? Long as they’re young enough, so they haven’t learned to fight back and cast fireballs. Gives the blood magic an extra kick.”

Mina doesn’t look at the assassin as she wipes at her face. He allows them to sit in silence for another moment, before he asks, “How’d you learn to fight then, if you weren’t trained at the Circle? I saw you with some of those guards.”

Her chocolate was delicious, but she’s reluctant to take the final bite. She wants to hold onto it. Make this moment last. “I pestered an older woman in the Magister’s service to teach me how to read, until she did,” She tells him. “Then I stole some books from the magister’s son on the basics of conducting magic. You’d be surprised what you can pick up, if you pay attention. I sat in on a lot of blood rituals.”

Mina sighs, stretching out her legs before she adds, “I’ve been waiting a long time for an opportunity like today’s to come along.”

Viago makes a thoughtful noise at that, before asking, “What will you do now?”

Honestly, she has no idea. But anything has to be better than where she’s coming from.

“I’ll get a job. I’m a mage, I have skills... I can cook, and clean, and I can read and, well, mostly write well enough. I’ll.. figure something out,” She says. Mina looks down at the last bite of chocolate, wondering if she should maybe save it for later, in case it’s a while before her next meal. Still, she’s surrounded by crates. If she has to, she’ll bust one open and take a peak.

Viago looks at her then, considering. “Hm.”

“Hm?”

“…If you were to hone your skills a bit… with a lot of training, especially magical training… well, you’re a bit of a mess right now, but there is potential there.” The assassin is muttering under his breath, casting her a curious look. Mina’s not quite sure what to make of it, so she asks him outright.

“What are you mumbling about?”

“Mina,” Viago says, after another long moment of consideration, “How do you feel about killing people for money?”

She pops the last piece of chocolate into her mouth, and considers it with a smile.

[mllemaenad]

You know what else bugs me here? I'm stunned that what happened at Weisshaupt is being presented as a defeat.

Now, yes, to be clear: hundreds of Wardens died. I'm not expecting anyone to be happy about that, and of course Davrin should be allowed to grieve. But ...

In War, Victory. In Peace, Vigilance. In Death, Sacrifice.

This is very much the purpose of the Grey Wardens. And not-Varric there is fucking right. Is nobody grasping the magnitude of what we just accomplished here?

We just speed-ran a Blight.

Even if we count the start of the Sixth Blight from the moment the elven gods were released, we have now beaten the Hero of Ferelden's already impressive one year record by several months. And we took out the Archdemon at its first sighting.

What metric for success are we using here? The First Blight went on for nearly 200 years. It crippled the Tevinter Imperium! The dwarves lost almost their entire civilisation and got so desperate they started ripping out their people's souls to make golems!

For the first half, they didn't even have Grey Wardens! People kept stabbing the Archdemon and the damn thing kept popping up again like the world's worst game of whack-a-mole!

People today have little concept of the consequences of the second sin. Oh, believe me when I say that when asked, pious, Chantry-going folk will curse the use of foul magic, spitting and snapping their fingers—but none live today who actually remember the horror that was unleashed so very long ago. Whatever records might have existed regrettably did not survive the chaos and ignorance that was to follow. We have only the tales of survivors handed down through the murky ages and the dogma of the Chantry to instruct us, and that is precious little indeed. I believe I am not understating when I say that the second sin unleashed the bane of all life upon Thedas. The darkspawn are more virulent than the worst plague, a heartless force of nature that came into our world like an ill wind. We know from accounts of later Blights (as these darkspawn invasions came to be called—never has a more appropriate name existed) that the darkspawn spread disease and famine wherever they tread. The earth itself is corrupted by their presence, the sky roiling with angry black clouds. I do not exaggerate, my friends, when I say that a mass gathering of darkspawn is an omen of dread cataclysm. It is said that those cursed magisters who became the first darkspawn scratched at the very earth to find solace in the darkness of the dwarven Deep Roads, and there in the shadows they multiplied. Whether by intelligent design or by some last vestige of worship in their minds, they attempted to locate the Old Gods they had once served. They found what they sought: Dumat, first among the Old Gods, once known as the Dragon of Silence before the Maker imprisoned him and all his brethren beneath the earth for the first sin: usurping the Maker's place in mankind's heart. The slumbering dragon awoke, freed from the Maker's prison by his twisted followers, and became corrupted himself. Dumat was transformed into the first Archdemon, his great and terrible power given will by a rotting, unholy mind. With the darkspawn horde following, Dumat rose and took wing in the skies once again, bringing ruin to the world the Maker had created. The Old God had become the eye of a dark storm that would ravage the entire world. —From Tales of the Destruction of Thedas, by Brother Genitivi, Chantry Scholar – The First Blight: Chapter 2

Two hundred years! Of that!

And yet civilisation survived. The Tevinter Imperium survived! Much reduced, yes, but they're still there. Orzammar still stands, as does Kal-Sharok. This was arguably the worst apocalypse Thedas had ever seen (there are some other contenders, obviously), and they weathered it. Those people knew what a crushing defeat looked like. They knew what loss looked like. They knew what it was to retreat and ration and lose everything.

If you lot ever work out time travel properly, bring some exhausted dwarven or Tevene soldier forward from the First Blight and try telling them you're sad because defeating the Archdemon lost you a castle and a few hundred men.

No Blight since has lasted so long or been quite so destructive, but most have lasted decades, and left utter ruin in their wake. Why does the Western Approach look like that? A Blight!

Once these wastes were a land of plenty. Can you believe it? The rain came north over the Gamordan Peaks, turning the plains green and verdant for three months of the year. Eight hundred years ago, that changed. During the Second Blight, darkspawn spilled out of an enormous crack in the earth, corrupting it with their foul blood… and it never recovered, even after they were driven back underground. The Grey Wardens built Adamant Fortress to stand watch over that chasm, but eventually even they abandoned it to the wind and the biting sand. What few of us eke out a living in this Maker-forsaken place do so knowing that any number of deaths await us: darkspawn raids, dragons, bandits—not to mention starvation from the lack of water and game. If we stay, it is because we know there are treasures buried in the bones of this place, ruins from the time when Tevinter ruled, and even earlier. We pass tales around our campfires of the things we have seen shrouded in the dust storms. My favorites are the ones about relics that could restore the Western Approach once more… but I don't believe them. Truth be told, on nights when the wind is calm, I can stand on a hilltop and see for miles in the moonlight over a stark beauty of which no other Orlesian can claim to know the equal. On those nights, I hope it will never change. —From Lands of the Abyss by Magistrate Gilles de Sancriste – The Western Approach

Even Ostagar was a catastrophe. A short-term one, sure, but a massive loss of life for no appreciable gain.

What happened at Weisshaupt? Even with a commanding officer whose strategy apparently came down to "What if we just charged straight at them? Wouldn't that look cool?" the Wardens held back the darkspawn long enough for Davrin (the Warden in this scenario! Rook is a supporting role!) to get through. The dragon trap worked. And they killed the damn Archdemon.

Now, yes: I recognise the problem. As the elven gods are free they can immediately wake up another Archdemon, so we are rolling straight into the Seventh Blight. This is not ideal! And the Grey Wardens are undeniably weakened after their fight.

But. You cannot tell me that decades of warfare in earlier Blights did not produce even greater casualties, along with the fact that the mere presence of Blight reduces a Warden's lifespan – their Callings come sooner.

We just had the fastest Archdemon kill in history. It may not be the least bloody (it's hard to count the casualties in the south, so the Fifth may still be winning on that front), but it has to be close. And let's face it: they finished the Fifth Blight with (probably) no more than three Wardens on the field. It's been months, at most. We should barely be out of breath. This Blight was over so fast, if you're some kind of official on a diplomatic trip to Par Vollen you might have completely missed it!

What is it Blackwall said? What can one Grey Warden do?

"Save the fucking world if pressed."

One more to go. Do this one more time and we never, ever have to do it again. I don't know why we're moping. This is incredible.