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thekingofwinterblog · 1 year ago

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Dragon Age Imperium - Chapter 1.

Summary:

All the Origins PC's join the quest at once. 3 survive the blight. and it all spirals from there...

An alternate timeline set in a world where Hawke becomes Viscount directly after Act 2, amongst other different turns of fate.

A new Arlathan is founded in the bracilian forest after the blight, The Dwarven Empire is on the rebound, both the young Hawke siblings lived, Hawke Killed Talis for the list of Qunari Spies, and so on.

The Dragon Age is an era of blood and chaos, of Empires falling and rising. Waning Orlais, Rising Ferelden, Resurgent Orzammar, a new Arlathan, and at the southern end of the Free Marches, the City of Kirkwall, gets a new Monarch, who is forced to play the game of internation politics, to lead her nation to glory... Or fall into the dustbins of history.

The year was 37 Dragon.

It was a bloody year, as 3 different wars burst into life across southern and middle Thedas.

Kirkwall, and all its neighboring enemies in the Free Marches, Orlais, and the Triple Alliance between Ferelden, Orzammar, and new Arlathan, and the war between Mages and Templars.

All 3 would have enormous consequences, up there with Andraste's march on the Tevinter Imperium, the Qunari invasions, or the destruction of the Dales.

All 3 had also been bubbling under the surface for a good while by the time the monstrous apostle Anders lit the fuse in Kirkwall.

The Templars and the mages had been a boiling pot for centuries only waiting for something to rip the lid off it and expose everything to the world.

The more recent developments outside of the Circles and Templar conflict, could however be traced back to the end of the Fifth Blight, and the Developments created by the four Grey Wardens of Ferelden who survived the Blight.

A number of Grey Wardens survived the battle for Ostagar. 3 Humans, one which was the second in Line to Highever, one a King's bastard, and the third a Mage of the circle Tower.

2 Dwarves, one a casteless Thug, and the other a Princess.

3 Elves there were, one Dalish from the wilds, one elf from Denerim's Alienage, and the third a boy forced at a young age into the Circle Tower.

All of these had been recruited by the Grey Warfen Duncan, in the time period leading up to the Fifth Blight.

Of these lot, only 4 survived the decisive battle for Denerim.

King Alistair of Ferelden. His Queen, Daemona Cousland more commonly known as the Hero of Ferelden, Galenhad Surana, the first Elvhen monarch in centuries, and Princess and Paragon Moria Aeducan of Orzammar, also the new Teyrn of Gwaren.

Of the three nations who emerged from the Blight, bloodied and bruised, Ferelden was the lynchpin for what would come afterwards.

The kingdom had suffered a catastrophic loss of people in the war, with a tenth of it's entire population lost, either to death at the Darkspawn Horde, starvation from the ensuing Famine, and having fled abroad to escape the Blight.

Still, stubborn and fierce as a mabari, Ferelden bounced back, in large part due to it's new monarchs.

Alistair Theirin, first of his name was a charming man, who despite his ability with the sword, and strange form of humor had a remarkable ability to make men like him... But it is acknowledged by most that the true driving force of his government was his wife, the Lady Daemona of house Cousland, known far and wide as the Hero of Ferelden.

It was Daemona who was the leading driving force behind Ferelden's recovery and reformation period after the Blight, both militarily, politically, and economically.

She reformed the military, by remaking the common footsoldier into the famed Ferelden Longbowman, which would in time be remade into the Ferelden Bolter, but for it's era would become known one of the most feared soldiers in the known world. She also defeated the minor invasion of Darkapawn of Amaranthine, and founded the city of Vigil's Keep.

She also reformed the political structure of the Kingdom, by turning the Landsmeet into a permanently sitting body, rather than just something called when the King needed something, or the years taxes would be called. This made taxation of the lands, despite their devastated state at the time, much, much more efficient.

And finally, she drastically overhauled the economy at the time by introducing what for the era was modern technology in as many ways as she could, encouraging the widespread implementation of things such as water mills, repairing the Imperial Highway, and making plenty of newer mills and roads, as well as rebuilding the capital. The only thing she failed in in this regard was the woefull failure of Ferelden naval technology to catch up with the rest of the world.

Alistair was a well liked figurehead and symbol to rally around, while his wife was the true power behind the throne, an arrangement both seemed perfectly content with.

The second part of the triumvirate was also the youngest.

New Arlathan was the newest state in Thedas by quite the wide margin, it's lands having been granted as a boon to Galenhad Surana, former Elf Mage of Ferelden's Circle. It's population at it's inception was comprised of the Dalish Clans of Ferelden, along with the Kingdom's city elves, and the majority of the Elven tower Mages who fought in the Blight, and jumped at the chance to escape having to go back to the tower once the war was over.

Needless to say, this state was highly, highly controversial from it's very inception. A state for Elves, harboring Mages, led by a Mage king? In the long term, there was no way this was going to stand withoth some massive opposition, and fallout.

Orlais had been a staunch opposition to the formation of the new Elvhen state in the Brecilian forest following the Fifth Blight but had not been in a position for a military invasion until the Chantry officially opposed Ferelden's relationship with this new state, and called for its destruction, as well as giving them an excuse, as well as Chantry approved blessing to invade Ferelden once again.

The third part was, by contrast, far and away the oldest one.

Orzammar had no quarrels with Orlais, or the Chantry… But was dragged into the war as a result of the Triple Alliance between the resurging Dwarven Empire, Ferelden, and New Arlathan, which had been so instrumental in their quest to retake the Deep Roads and Thaigs under Ferelden.

The Alliance had been formed behind the scenes in the aftermath of the Fifth Blight, thanks to the Work between King Galenhad, King Alistair, his Queen Daemona, and Teyrna Aeducan(Former princess of Orzammar) of Gwaren, who served as go between between surface Kingdoms and her brother Bhelen.

It started as better trade deals between Orzammar and it's neighbors. Then became military support to fight Darkspawn underground. And finally, as Bhelen became more and more controversial amongst his own nobility, it became a full-blown military alliance on which effectiveness he banked his entire offensives against the Darkspawns, and by extention his political career.

Hence why the continued wellbeing of Ferelden and New Arlathan was extremely important to Bhelen and his dreams of one day restoring the Dwarven Empire to it's old glory.

And so, the official signing of the Triple Alliance came about.

Both of these conflicts were in many ways, inevitable. The only question was when and how the spark for war for war would be lit.

The great battle that would lead to the unification of the Free Marches from a loosely connected confederacy of city-states, into a unified political entity was not.

It was a conflict that had only taken root a few years earlier, after the death of the previous Viscount during the Qunari invasion, and the rise of the next one.

The year was 34 Dragon…

---

34 Dragon.

Knight Commander Meredith was annoyed.

That part wasn't unusual. Meredith had never been famous for her ability to remain calm and level-headed under pressure.

Her mood as she stomped through the Gallows on the way back to her room however, was blacker than it had been in a long, long while.

The Qunari was finally gone... But it their place had come other worries that had replaced them.

Dumar was dead, and so the throne of the Country was now empty.

Not a problem, if she could Trust the nobility to elect a new Viscount who understood the duties of his office, and the devotion it required to the Maker and his Servants.

She could not. Kirkwall's nobility was a decadent flock of sheep that could barely know where they were supposed to go withouth falling off a cliff. And that was on a good day.

This was not a good day. In fact, she doubted it would be a good year.

There was no way she could trust Kirkwall's future to these lot.

All it would take was a wrong choice for the Throne, and they would be right back to the old days, when the Viscount got it into their head of acting above their station.

The first election was to be held in a few days. Those might take a day or months, depending on how unified the nobility was regarding their choices.

Not that there would be a question of how long.

Meredith would shut down the election before it could begin. There was sinply no way she could allow it, as the city was now. Mayhaps later, when the situation had calmed down...

But the Throne and the Question of who would sit in it was but one of her problems.

The other problem was the newly chosen Champion of Kirkwall.

Daemona Hawke, scion of the Amel family was anything but what a proper Champion should have been. Openly supportive of the Mages, having the audacity to have sheltered an apostate since she came to the city. Her very first action as Champion had been to add to that, as she put both a heathen Elvhen Blood Mage, AND a Grey Warden ABOMINATION under her official protection putting them above the law of God and Men!

The woman, thinking her new title made her above any sense of decency, had even had the audacity to request her sister be transferred out of the Circle and into her care!

There Meredith had put her foot down. Bethany Hawke would not leave the Gallows so long as she lived.

Unfortunately, that was where her ability to do anything about the damned Rogue ended.

The title DID put her above the Law unfortunately. So long as Kirkwall adored her, Daemona Hawke was untouchable.

There wasn't much she could do about it right now, but someday... Someday there would be a straw that broke the back.

As Meredith finally reached the door to her office, she entered, the klanking of angry steel clad feet loud and obvious as she opened, then shortly after, closed the door behind her.

She glanced over to the side of the wall, where on a rack, her new weapon was lying. A massive red sword, looking like someone had taken a giant red ruby and chiseled it down to a triangular sword.

In the brief moment after she closed the door behind her, Meredith's thoughts went to the beauty of the Blade, so wonderous it was almost like it sang to her...

Then a sharp, excruciating pang of pain bloomed in her neck.

Her eyes immediatly widened, and she tried to react, but her mody wouldn't move, whatsoever.

Nothing except her eyes, which went down to where a long, narrow blade puked out from her mouth, like a blood coated, grey tongue.

"Should have let Bethany out of the circle Beredith~"

The low voice in her ear made a tsk, tsk sound.

Then the blade was wrenched back, and existence ended.

The figure was clad in black and dark blue from toes to head, with the only exception beong the white symbol of the Qun on the chest and Back .

Just as precationtion in case she was seen after all.

No one in Kirkwall would doubt the Qun ordered her death.

As it happened, she wasn't.

She came in just as easily through the tunnel system form Kirkwall through the Gallows, as she had coming in, getting rid of the clothing in the darkness of the sewers, as she made her way through the tunnels, beneath the River, and then up into her own mansion in Hightown, where a warm bath awaited her.

---

Hawke laid back in her bath, taking deep breaths, smelling the incense of roses.

After a while, she began scrubbing the sweat and other odors and fluids off her skin.

Ah… How wonderful it was to be filthy, filthy rich.

You could do a lot of things as rich folk.

More as a Free Marches Champion.

Champion of Kirkwall… It had a nice ring to it. Power too.

Her companions got to walk freely around, and display their talents and abilities as they saw fit… Even Anders and his crazy spirit friend.

What it had not done, however, was free Bethany from the Gallows.

That had infuriated her… But Lord Commander Meredith had been hard on the subject.

Champions had a lot of freedom in the world… But she was not willing to bend far enough to have a mage released from her precious Gallows.

Meredith was a real, bloody hardliner. The worst kind of Templar. The ones who believed they were truly, completely in the right.

She would never let Bethany be released into her care…

Which was why earlier that night, Meredith had gotten a knife across the throat.

It had taken a while to set up and create an alibi for herself, but when Meredith was found in the morning, no one would be able to trace the murder back to her.

Hawke suspected the next Knight Commander would be less obstinate on the matter.

---

Though she did not know it then, by killing Meredith when she did, Hawke had unintentionally drastically changed the political trajectory of Kirkwall forever.

Had she lived just two days longer, Meredith in her quest to turn Kirkwall into a templar-ruled police state, would have shut down the Kirkwall nobility's election for the next Viscount.

It was their custom, that if the royal dynasty died out(As it just had) there would be an election amongst the rich lords of the White City of chains, to choose the next monarch, and by extension the next dynasty from amongst their own ranks.

Meredith would have rather rudely interrupted this custom, and denied the election of a new leader, and as she saw it, a political rival for power in the city-state.

But with her gone… Well, even if she had left written orders(which she had not) there were none amongst the temporary leadership that followed her, who had the guts to so blatantly challenge the nobility of the city.

And so, as the Templars were scrambling in the wake of the Knight Commander's assassination, the election for the next Viscount was held 2 days after Meredith's death.

As for the choice of the next monarch, a various number of lesser nobles stepped forth to cast their names as candidates.

None gained traction though. No one had the support, the abilities, charisma or the clout to get the rest to follow.

It was very much the same as the last time a Viscount had been elected.

Then one name was tossed forth... More to ask why she hadn't been named before that as a candidate, rather than to suggest she was the obvious choice.

That was all it took.

Several nobles enthusiastically vouched for her her, having had personal dealings with her, where she had left quite an impression.

Those who did not know her personally, also vouched for her. She had quite the reputation... But truthfully, killing the Arishock and saving them all had left far, far more of an impression than any rumors and tales.

And so it was decided.

Lady Hawke would be the next Viscount of Kirkwall.

---

Varric Tethras in his early years had never expected to live through interesting times. Oh sure, the usual backstabbing feuds and developments that came with being part of a merchant city-state and a Dwarven Merchant guild, was to be expected.

But actual, real, lasting changes in the world at large?

That was generally something he'd not thought he'd see in his lifetime.

The Dragon Age might be full of… Well, Dragons, but the world he'd be born into would still be the same as the one he'd been born into.

The words on the page beneath him told a different story.

The pages told of how the Triple Alliance had retaken Bownammar, as the latest Thaig under Ferelden to be reclaimed from the Darkspawn.

It was the latest in a series of spectacular victories beneath Ferelden's soil.

Cadash, Kal'Hirol, Aeducan, and more, all had been retaken from the Darkspawn in less than 10 years.

The victories would have been surprising enough on their own, but it was the source of those victories that was the bigger surprise.

Orzammar, the beacon for dwarven pride, and nobility with a collective stick up its collective backside about everything, was starting to change.

A lot. The new King Bhelen might be the same kind of bastard all power-hungry Dwarven nobles were, but the man had vision, ability, and a love for practicallity that genuinely surprised Varric.

Casteless being armed, surface dwarves being allowed to resettle underground in the retaken Thaigs to bolster their numbers, and actual coordination with their surface allies becoming the new norm.

Hey, it only took nearly a 1000 years... Give them another one, maybe they'd remove the distinction between surface Dwarf and "Regular" ones entirely.

The changes were simple really. So simple Orzammar could probably have used the tactics they were currently using, to do this ages ago.

The Deep Roads, once the Dwarves' biggest marvel, had become their greatest weakness after the appearance of the Darkspawn. They had swarmed through the tunnels, cutting each Thaig off from all the rest, killing and slaughtering as they went until only 2 kingdoms were left, both surviving by cutting themselves off from the network as a whole.

The Dwarves had been utterly dependent on the Deep Roads to thrive. Take that away, and they had no way to help one another, as each thaig fell one by one.

And of course, because of the countless labyrinthian network of tunnels, it had been a nightmare to try and retake lost Thaigs.

You would have to fight your way through every single road, all the way to your destination, and if at any point the way back got cut off, you were dead.

That was the way it had been for centuries and centuries… But things changed.

Now they were using the cramp, narrow corridors and tunnels in an offensive manner, to deny the Darkspawn the ability to use their greater numbers to full use.

The strategy was simple.

Cut off and fortify every single path you found, except for one, then kill everything single thing you found through that pathway until you found other paths through the roads.

Then cut off all the roads except one, and go through that one, and kill everything you found until you found another entrance. Rinse and repeat.

Only once you found no other paths on your way, did you go back to open one of the other pathways, and begin the process there.

It was a stupidly simple tactic, but it wasn't the only innovation they had now.

They'd also invented some new tactic called Halberds and Bolts.

He wasn't entirely sure how it worked, but there was a pike wall, and crossbows involved.

And of course, the most logical innovation was coordination with the surface.

This tactic worked a lot better when Ferelden and New Arlathan would simply supply them from above through reconquered Thaigs, rather than have to rely on some stupidly long supply train all the way back to Orzammar.

Even if the Darkspawn broke through the fortified doors at some point in the Deep Roads, this wouldn't be the automatic death sentence it had once been.

It would take a long, long while, but unless something changed, this strategy might actually see the Dwarven Empire triumph over the Darkspawn at long last.

And hey, if they were really lucky, maybe it would happen before the next Blights.

The new King Bhelen had taken a bad, bad situation, and turned it around.

As he was reading, he heard through the wall a familiar whistling, grinned, and sat up, quickly jumping out of bed and getting dressed, before opening his door for one of the more lovely women in Kirkwall… And by far the deadliest.

"Morning Varric."

"Hello, Hawke. Come on in."

They quickly seated themselves in their usual chairs, with a familiarity that spoke of total casualness.

"So Hawke what brings you here today?"

"Can't I just want to see my favorite dwarf?"

"Oh, you can… But the four last times you came by you wanted to hear about news from home, and not much else."

Hawke grinned sheepishly.

"Alright. Guilty as charged. Though I must say Varric, you're not in a position to judge… I know how much you read up on Bhelen's side of the Triple Alliance."

"Bhelen's side? I'm not Bartrand Hawke, why would I be interested in stuffy old Dwarven crap, like Orzammar's campaigns?"

Hawke narrowed her eyes, and without a word went over all the various Dwarven crap that Varric had chosen to decorate his home away from home with.

"I could not begin to tell you where I got that notion… But whatever, any news from the south?"

He shrugged.

"Not much… Or at least not much I think you'd be interested in… More mines opening, new trade routes… Oh, wait, there was one thing."

From his stack of papers, he fished out about 9, before handing them to Hawke.

"Newest Ferelden fashion developments… Or what you guys call fashion anyway."

"Oh!"

Hawke quickly snapped them up and began looking them over.

"Hmmm… So Redcliffe is moving back towards traditional clothing… Interesting. I guess Teagan wants to distance himself from Orleasian fashion as much as possible."

"Is… That a bad thing? Don't you guys hate Orlais?"

"Oh, we do! But going back to the past for fashion isn't exactly… Well, you've seen Ostwick fashion right?"

"The ones that have men running around in those checkered skirts?"

"Kilts, yeah. Those guys still think it's Calenhad's time…"

She shook her head and began flipping through the pages.

"Oh, but here! Here is real fashion! Highever and Denerim are switching over from casual plate armor to Brigandine coats!"

Varric looked down as she put them on the table. Neither of the two examples was a particularly stylish example of Brigandine armor… Well except for different helmets at least.

"You know, sometimes I forget that and Aveline are both from the same stock."

"Heh… Maybe I should show this to Aveline! I'm sure she'd appreciate-"

From downstairs, someone called out her name in a very loud, and frantic manner.

"Ah, Carver… Wonder what my little brother wants now."

"Maybe the little Hawke finally wants to make a move on Daisy, and wants your advice."

As they heard Carver make his way up the steps of the Hanged man, Hawke chuckled.

"The Maker will return before that happens."

Sure enough, Carver burst into the now unlocked room, panting, and looking absolutely frantic.

"Sister!"

"What is it little Hawke? Do you need some help wooing Daisy?"

"What? Wait-NO!"

"History would suggest otherwise brother, or have you already gotten some Advice from Isabella?"

"Can you two PLEASE not talk about this right now!? This is serious!"

"...Fine, Carver… What is it then… An-Damn, you are drenched… Did you run all the way here?"

"Yes! An hour after you left we got a message from the Viscount's palace!"

"What do they want now?"

"They elected you Viscount!"

"What." Two voices said in unison.

"They held a vote earlier today over who would be the next Viscount after Dumar… And you won. In a landslide they said. You're the next Viscount of Kirkwall!"

"Well… Shit."

Hawke, for once in her life, looked absolutely stunned… Then a missive grin appeared on her face.

"But that means… That means I can just appoint Bethany as my Court Mage. Rulers have the right that that right? I remember old Willhelm got to live free as one right!"

"Wh-THAT'S what you're focusing on?"

"Eh, it's the most obvious benefit. Oh, and I get a shiny crown too… Varric is that crown the Viscount had the official regalia, or can get something personalized made?"

Varric smiled.

Still the same old Hawke.

"Eh, I think you can. What did you have in mind? A band with a ferocious Hawk at the front?"

"Oh, that's good! But I was thinking more that old design in Gold, or Silver… I mean did you see that crown? Great design, but in dark Iron? Who makes a crown in Iron?"

"I don't know, it's better than a Throne of the stuff, I mean imagine how uncomfortable that would be."

"Can you two PLEASE take this seriously? This is big news."

"Oh we are, we're just having some fun along the way Carver. Well, let's get the band together and have a pint before I head back to Hightown. This is gonna be great. All the problems the city had with the Qunari are gone now! Which I get to swoop in, and not only take all the credit and glory for fixing it, but I get to come in and rule without any huge issues breathing down my neck."

She grinned. Then suddenly had an epiphany.

"Oh and Varric? Congrats."

"On what?"

"On becoming the new Viscount's right-hand man of course! Is there a title for that? Or just… Royal advisor?"

Carver rolled his eyes.

"If you want to give him a fancy title, you should just marry him… Then you could call him the Count Regnant."

It took a moment before both of them realized it was a joke.

"Well look at that, the Little Hawke finally started to grow a sense of humor."

The younger sibling, and new heir to the throne of Kirkwall, groaned.

Chapter 2

#dragon age #dragon age 2 #fanfiction #dragon age imperium #viscount hawke #both bethany and carver suvived #all Origins PC's were recruited by Duncan #worldbuilding

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