#then reading what happens to grey wardens lol

[radiaking]

I wish I could do media a normal amount tbh. Instead my brain goes ‘u must consume all available info about this thing before u can do anything else relating to it or properly enjoy it’

[bookishmeow]

Grey Wardens and Ghilan'nain

Welcome to my Ted Talk. I don't tend to make these posts on tumblr but I do overload my friends on discord a lot so I thought I'd give it a whirl here. I'm going to be talking about some spoilers from Tevinter Nights here and the new trailer.

So I was re-reading Tevinter Nights again after we got all these big reveals from the trailers and I got to Horrors of Hormak. It made me do the thinkings.

I wanna touch on this imagery just cause I love it. It looks as if Ghilan'nain's tentacles are choking out a stone griffin. Griffin's being the symbol of the Grey Wardens.

In Horrors of Hormak in Tevinter Nights, we have Grey Wardens who stumble upon what we believe is Ghilan'nain's eldritch horror pits. It shows darkspawn just walking right in and getting mutated. The implication that they're being controlled ala the calling sets up some interesting things for grey warden specifically.

Maybe that's what's going down in Weisshaupt.

Because the Grey Wardens have battled darkspawn forever, they're kinda pros at it. Weisshaupt is supposed to be their fortress, their hub of awesomeness, but something (that we know) is going wrong there. Couldn't just be darkspawn, they know how to handle darkspawn.

Couldn't just be red lyrium darkspawn right? Cause at this point it's been 10 years since the situation at Adamant Fortress. They should be somewhat aware and knowing how to fight that. They had Lord Commander Clarel mucking that up. They likely are super wary of letting that happen again. It is likely that they have done things to keep the Red Lyrium stuff in check, you'd think.

So if it isn't normal darkspawn, and it aint red lyrium tainted darkspawn(i mean it still could be), It really could be what was set up in Tevinter Nights.

Which goes with Davrin being a "monster hunter". It's just perfect.

Davrin who looks like he gets a bit of an upgrade at some point. His armor is pretty gilded out. Interesting imagery like the shoulder looking like a helmet we've seen before. Then we had a few scenes in the trailer that looked like Grey Warden. We had a scene with an impaled Ghilan'nain before Elgar'nan dabs in with them in the background.

I did the zooming and it looks like two griffins. These are Grey Warden attacking Ghilly. Later in the trailer and with Taash, similar geared out soldiers are seen.

Then, of course, you have Solas himself who does not care for the Grey Warden.

He really doesn't care for the Grey Wardens and we always have been squinting our eyes at him with knowing he is one of the Evanuris. Like, why you so mad bro?

In Tevinter Nights we had two reactions to these pit things of horror. We have the recruit who wouldn't have done the joining yet and then we have the wardens who have. When they went in, things didn't go the way they should have. The recruit just went mad but wasn't changed? Still had a bunch of grey brine water inside them, though. Not entirely sure what was happening there. But the warden who was twisted stated things weren't going right with the wardens on their transformation and they had to consume the grey brine, rather than walking into it like the darkspawn. Then they were fighting for control when transformed. So something is wrong with the grey wardens in general straddling the line between the blight and humanity/elfanity/dwarfanity (lol) [Side note, we had this in the behind the scenes video from 2020. This is totally one of her monsters, isn't it?]

I think Solas doesn't like this either. I think he knows what the blight is or where it's from and he sees the grey wardens as abominations or something of the sort. Then you add on the theory of the "old gods" being connected to the evanuris and they're outright killing those pieces of the evanuris with the archdemons. It could also be weakening the jail he put in place when they do this. He is probably unsettled by the whole thing, but he can't really do anything about it considering the whole darkspawn/blight situation in thedas when he does wake up. I'm pretty confident in saying that Ghilan'nain's plot and the grey wardens specifically go hand in hand. It'll be the first half of the game. Thank you for coming to my talk, we will see if i'm right in the end of October haha.

[tethrras]

ngl i am. so curious as to what your breaking point was with the game lol

it's tricky to pinpoint bc i was trepidatious off the top but was willing to give bioware the benefit of the doubt. i was looking past the therapy speak, the defanged companion interactions, but then there was the state of the world and the lack of urgency and then but the isseya quest really solidified it for me.

tay and i have been talking in detail about how a lot of this stuff feels like a classic "somehow, palpatine returned" moment (like with illario being in cahoots with elgar'nan... ILLARIO?) which is bad enough re: isseya, who should've been dead for 500 years at this point but that coupled with a complete lack of nuance and care regarding isseya and the griffons is driving me fucking insane. valya does not offer her unique perspective from reading the journal, in which isseya EXPLAINS WHY SHE DID EVERYTHING SHE DID AND EXPRESSES IMMENSE GUILT, one can easily extrapolate that the fourth blight would've gone on significantly longer and been significantly worse if she hadn't done what she did with the griffons. she was a brilliant tactician, PART OF THE REASON THE FOURTH BLIGHT was as short as it was, she was garahel's right hand woman and SHE DID NOT WANT TO BLIGHT THEM. and then, not to mention, SHE'S THE REASON A CLUTCH OF EGGS WAS SAVED AND PROTECTED AS WELL AS IT WAS AT ALL!

and then the gloom howler quest is her saying nothing bad will ever happen to the griffons again and fuck the wardens but then also recruiting old wardens and calling them grey wardens still like... they could've at least had her call them the Gloom wardens or something sick like

so much of dragon age is about grey morality but they take the hardest stance on one of the most interesting, unique characters across every installment of their franchise. and there was a way to make her coming back good and interesting if we got to actually understand the depth and urgency of her situation at the time and give davrin some shit to second guess and question himself on but, like the rest of the game, there is no urgency. a blight is going on in ferelden and we're having gossip dates with the inquisitor. AND THEN NO REPEATABLE KISS! IN THIS ESSAY I WILL

[cadaveerie]

Are Alistair and the Warden alive? Will they be alive in The Veilguard? And how old are they?

This post with stunning older Alistair art inspired me to search a little about something. Along their art, OP asked the following:

"Is your Alistair still alive in Veilguard? I still don't know about mine. Grey Warden's have a 30 year span, give or take. There is a possibility he is still kicking, but probably close to the end."

And I wanted to know for sure. Since Alistair is one of the few companions that we have an exact date (year) of birth of (9:10), and we also happen to know when Duncan recruited him (9:29), this makes it possible to know Alistair's exact age and how close to the calling he is (if alive).

As op said, Grey Wardens have about 30 years after their joining until they get the calling. Doing some research (aka reading the wiki), I found a not so fun fact! There's this old interview with David Gaider in which he speaks of it:

DG: It's something I put in Alistair's dialogue that I now regret! Afterwards I was like, "Wow, thirty years is a long time for that time frame." I didn't really intend when I was writing it, and only afterwards when I went back I said "Oh...I guess it does sort of implies thirty years after you take the Calling, doesn't it..." Sorry, after you take the Joining. That wasn't really my intention. But it's out there now so I'm like, okay, thirty years. But the idea is also that it varies. Thirty years is the maximum that you could probably expect. It's going to vary for an individual according to their willpower and the level of their interaction with the darkspawn.During a Blight you can expect that the Grey Wardens are going to have shorter lifespans. Outside of a Blight the Grey Wardens would tend to live longer. We have instances in the game of people going on their Calling after five or ten years. Alistair's thirty year quote shouldn't be taken as gospel, that's the way I like it.

So basically... Most people probably don't make it those 30 years. And if there's a blight, the life expectancy is even less.

Here's the math: Alistair joined the Grey Wardens at 19 (9:29), and was born in 9:10. The events of DATV start at 9:54 (10 years after Inquisition), which means... At the moment that The Veilguard begins, Alistair will be 44 years old (if alive), and it will have been 25 years since he did the joining. This means that he's, AT MOST, 5 years away from the calling (which btw, is 6 years for the Hero of Ferelden, if they're alive).

But there's another thing to consider, and that is... both the warden and Alistair fought a Blight, which as David Gaider said, makes their lifespans even shorter.

My hope is that since the Blight only lasted one year or less (which is not much considering how much other Blights lasted. Like, the first one lasted almost 200 years), this will reflect in his lifespan and will give both him and the warden more years to live. And technically speaking, I'd expect that the fact King Alistair is not adventuring to the Deep Roads (presumably?), he shouldn't have been close to darkspawn after he was crowned... Sooo, if the writers were to take that into consideration, it'd make sense that he lives longer than other wardens that might visit the deep roads. But perhaps this is just wishful thinking on my part, lol.

Having said all of this, please keep in mind this is all speculation. Perhaps what David Gaider said has been retconned to some extent since at least 2012 (January 14, 2012).

For all we know Alistair might have already died, for this or other reasons, and perhaps the Warden as well (which... would kinda suck I guess, but I suppose I wouldn't be that surprised). Although I admit that the fact that the Warden was looking for a cure in DAI gives me some hope. Perhaps in the 10 years between the end of Inquisition and the beginning of DATV the Warden has already found a cure? Perhaps they find it at some point during DATV, very last minute to prevent their deaths? Everything is possible. Even if I get the impression that the writers don't seem very interested in the Warden having more importance in the games... Since The Grey Wardens have made a comeback, it'd make sense to know about this if it happens! I have hope hahaha.

[fancytrinkets]

i finished veilguard

My thoughts are still a bit scattered and I think I'll be spending time carefully reading all the codices and letters over the next week or so.

The fight through Minrathous was fun. I bumped the difficulty back up to Adventurer in order to enjoy the battles more thoroughly. And for the first time in a Dragon Age game I found the darkspawn emissaries to be fucking TERRIFYING. Their flesh-tether Blight attacks are excellent and horrible. 10/10 for that

I liked assigning teammates to different roles. Taash to fight the giant construct at the gates, Neve to disable the wards, Lucanis to slay the Venatori mages. Davrin to split off and join the front lines before the climb to the archon's palace. And Bellara, returning from what seemed like certain death to take control of the Blight herself. It felt really moving in a way I liked.

Dorian and the romanced Inquisitor standing side by side and having a caretaking conversation with each other before the final fight was really gratifying for me also.

Seeing Solas turn into a giant wolf was both required by this point and very satisfying. The Solas redemption ending was satisfying for me also. Seeing my Inquisitor kneel at his feet, having Morrigan show up, while Rook produced the statue from Mythal... just from a cinematic perspective—and with the Inquisition's music from Trespasser coming forward in the score and then taking over—I found it really moving, a fitting end to the Inquisitor's story with Solas....

That said, I do have critiques about how disconnected the characters and events and environments often felt from the lore of previous games. I think other people will delve into that better than I can right now

For now I'll just say I have questions. If Andraste really was a previous incarnation of Mythal, before Flemeth, then what was the Maker? Another of the elven gods? Another powerful old spirit? Or a story Andraste told to help her people make sense of their brutal march to war?

What does it mean that the Veil is restored? Has Solas come to trust other people—these new and "lesser" people—enough to believe that they will caretake for spirits (who presumably still can slip through the Veil in some ways) rather than continuing to fear them and drive them off? Or is he just ready to admit that it ought to be out of his hands? He couldn't fix it or undo his errors and atrocities, so he needs to try something new...

What happens to the South? Are Southern institutions so broken by the Blight that they need to accept help from this new Northern alliance that seems to be coming together? Will this alliance fracture and lead to wars again? What are the politics at play? (Lol, I guess the game didn't give us as much bureacracy as I might have liked.)

I am most happy to have given Bellara the Archive and happy that she survived to keep studying it. I still find the Veil Jumpers to be a strange and disconnected-from-the-world sort of faction. But I like Bellara's story within it. As a character, she grew on me.

The Davrin romance was sweet and right for my elven Shadow Dragon Rook. I liked the Grey Warden's story arc, probably moreso for having read The Last Flight. And I'm happy that he survived and Harding didn't. Not because of the romance, really, just because it felt more significant to kill off another returning character, and another of Trevelyan's friends....

I'm happy with Mae as archon. Trevelyan and Dorian deserve a break from the spotlight for a while... (I'm going to have to rewrite their retirement story however, now that Varric is dead. I'm also imagining Trevelyan, Hawke, and the Hero of Ferelden teaming up to fight together in the South during the events of Veilguard, so that's been giving me some writing interest already... we'll see where my writer's brain goes with it)

I have other thoughts, but that's where it's at right now.

[n7punk]

okay i finished da:v here's my full spoilers thoughts but the summary is: good game, recommend if you've liked any of the da or me games

first of all, games ranking because i think that tells you a lot:

without mods: dai > dav > dao > da2

with mods: dai > dao > dav > da2

(closer to 2 decades than not post-release, da:o feels unplayable without the increased walk speed/distance and faster animations/combat mod among over QOL tweaks. oh my god a single backstab takes so fucking long) nostalgia also definitely plays a factor so this might change in a few years or if i replay dao and realize either wow i do love it that much or wow this is Just Unplayable lmao

overall i liked it. gameplay was fun, the story was good, i love the companions, and the only glitches i ever ran into were graphical ones with stuff clipping into cutscenes that wasn't supposed to be there.

i don't like rook as a protagonist as much as i like any of the other bioware protags, but that fully could have been the fault of the way i played them, so when i eventually do a replay (probably after a few weeks/months to see if any dlc releases. and after it gets mods so i can unlock all appearances without needing to recollect them LMAO would new game+ fucking kill you bioware) i'll see if i like them better. it's not that i dislike them there were just multiple times where i was like. why are people looking to this rando to fight a god. like the warden makes sense, they're one of Two grey wardens left in the country. hawke no one looked to until they had stepped up in a lot of small ways. and they were also nobility, and only became the champion of kirkwall after they took it into their own hands to save the city because it's their city too! and the inquisitor people literally believe was appointed by god (and for understandable reasons). rook does have a somewhat heroic backstory written for them but i don't know... it felt like varric would have a thousand better connections that are proven to choose his rook and he chose. this random person who made a hard call once that had relatively small consequences versus. literally he could have chosen hawke like! whatever that's my largest gripe with the game so that shows you how good it is overall lmao

(purple rook does remind me a lot of hawke so im just going to make that my headcanon why varric chose them. hes a sentimental bastard)

also why does he call them rook. i felt like that was never explained. maybe it was a codex i didn't read, because i didnt read most of them lol, but it wasn't even clear to me if that was a nickname they had before or a title he gave them, and it never paid off in any way? like a "checkmate" joke would have been goofy but i don't get the significance of it at all.

i knew 100% going in varric was going to die. as soon as he got stabbed i texted meta like THERE IT IS. and then i woke up and he was there and i was like huh. i guess that was the fake out and itll happen later. well. lol. i didn't clock that exact twist but i kept forgetting he was even in the game and when he did show up i was always like. what is wrong with you. we have magic. you got stabbed by the dagger and now you're wah im not fit to fight after months but harding just Touches it and gets magic powers? what's going on? and then the reveal happened and it was like oh yeah that makes sense lmao. i know something was Wrong. that said im not taking it as rook hallucinating or whatever. they were literally in the fade, i do think his memory was there and it wasn't just solas fucking with their mind and speaking through him. replaying it i'll look for times when companions see rook talk to him. i know apparently a writer was saying stupid shit about rook talking to themself on bluesky but i haven't looked at what it is.

i love harding and taash and bellara so much. and neve and teia too (i fucking love teia). the boys are. there. lmao no i love them too (especially davrin and assan) but i dont LOVE them like i love the others. and evka and antione were cute together. i mean i really like a lot of the characters, it's part of what makes the game strong, because it's a very ME2/ME3 style type game that's about gathering allies versus inquisition where you're directly hunting corypheus yourself and just gathering what you can as you go peripherally, so all those allies NEED to be good to make it work.

i think locking in a companion death after you've done all that work with their factions and personal quests is Stupid but whatever, they're definitely going to come back next game even if i think it's as an enemy. overall the climax quest was cool, i did all the side quests but the fact you get to face off against hezenkoss and aelia and shit if you DONT is cool as hell

oh and i liked the map style. similar to DAO's larger areas, i think, but expanded because we have the tech and resources to do that now and it worked really well. i loved dock town especially. it felt like what da2 COULD have been if it had the development time. a lot of this game did, tbh. i love the story and character potential of da2 but it's at the bottom of my list of games just because it's not really that fun to replay. i've sunk hundreds of hours into dai and dao. i think i've played my canon inquisitor like 4 times with only mild variations in addition to my other inquisitors and half dozen wardens.

the lore drops in this game were GREAT and a couple things came up where i was shocked like oh. oh you PLANNED that huh. there were fucking hints to this 15 years ago. i am so curious at what point they "knew" this stuff. like before this game came out i would have sworn up and down that they had Not come up with the elves becoming mortal due to fen'harel locking the corrupt elven gods behind a veil stuff in DAO and i still think that's likely, but now i would believe otherwise too.

i think they maybe had more big-picture stuff with the elves' war with the titans - because they've been hinting at this titan storyline the whole time - planned, but like, solas certainly didn't exist yet you know lol. idk! maybe.

the elves = spirits reveal went so hard for me, specifically, because ive always been interested in untangling the lore so i Combed over trespasser and there's a codex in there where the inquisitor views a memory of two elven lovers, personified as light, dancing together and intertwining their souls in a dazzling display, and as soon as i heard i was like THATS WHAT THAT FUCKING WAS. they were spirits!! so that's why i say they had to 100% know all of this lore stuff by the time of inquisition and probably knew like half of it in dao.

(side note, if you hang around the shadow dragons merchant long enough, she says she came to tevinter as a slave from denerim. she! was part of that slavery sidequest for the city elves in dao!! that's so fucking cool the continuity in this game goes so hard!!! whatever things they didn't plan, they tied back to get little things like that and it's so cool. versus inquisition which is just like. oh knight enchanters exist. that ancient forgotten arcane warrior skill that only the warden knows and was lost to time? actually the humans in orlais developed something even stronger. fuuuuuu anyway)

i want to know what the fuck is going on with valta. okay here's my thing. i get why harding was upset about the titans because solas essentially stole her peoples ability to dream and do magic which is fucked up. but also. the titans mind-controlled them??? like. solas is anti-slavery honestly in his mind he was probably freeing them. idk having played the descent i was just like the titans are NOT a thing to be mourned but i guess we'll see. i have a feeling harding is also going to be a statue in the next game if she was your sacrifice and im VERY curious if that was something dalta actually chose or if it Happened to her as either a natural evolution (like a blighted creature always turns to a darkspawn) or the titan inflicting that on her as part of its plan/instinct. this game kind of solved all my lore questions about the elves and the blight and so all that's left for me is some aspects of the titans, whatever the fuck the devouring storm is, and maybe more clarity on the real story of andraste but i feel like i have that pretty on lock lmao. she was a human mage in contact with a powerful spirit/one of the evanuris and she died for it. case closed. mythal was up in there somewhere but probably not andraste herself.

the devouring storm tho. ive been wanting more on the qunari than anti-communist propaganda and we're finally starting to get it. the hints towards par vollen next game have me excited. i dont really want rook to be a multi-game protag (as you can probably guess) but i'll just do a second, stronger playthrough if that ends up being true to import the world-state of.

speaking of world states. ok. actually one sec.

i also want to know what's going on in kal-sharok. they say they're like the darkspawn but they can't be blighted/wardens because 1) then davrin or a grey warden rook would be able to sense them and i brought neither of those things to that quest but i feel like i would have seen it mentioned by now and 2) they can't be blighted because there's an expiration date on that (i think it's 20 years) and there are a ton of dwarves way older than 20 in there. it is possible only some of them are blighted or they stopped the practice, like maybe just the rock-knockers still do it, but the joining ceremony is also implied to be blood magic and dwarves cant DO magic anyway and i dont think enough of them would survive the first 20 years to sustain a population so like. i don't think thats the answer i think they would have died out. so what does "like the darkspawn" mean? the darkspawn are normal creatures that get blighted and end up serving it. the blight came from titans. i think kal-sharok is like the darkspawn in that they opened themselves up to their Local Titan and let it lowkey take over them (see: mind control) and it helped them fight off the darkspawn. maybe just by moving rock, maybe with red lyrium even exerting some influence over the blight. maybe just being somewhat connected to the titan let them sense where the darkspawn running around in it were and let them survive. they clearly dont know a lot about the titans but their armor is literally made to make them look like statues carved out of stone and theyre worshipping their oracle statue like COME ON.

anyway, world state

so again, i think another protag would have been stronger, but if they WERE determined to make a new one, i did like what they did with the inquisitor's role. the inquisitor, even post-disbandment, is a powerful figure. having them leading the armies fighting off the blight down south makes a lot of sense. i like that they came back at the end, it felt like they were doing the best they could with making them appropriately present without having them be on screen much to say wildly out of character things for your personal inquisitor lol. the lines they had written for them were perfect for my inquisitor, though.

i do think it's weird the inquisitor even considers talking solas down after they've made the choice to stop solas at any cost?? but whatever, overall i really liked it and seeing anerra again was yes 💖 it'll work well in the next game too because the inquisitor WOULD stay in thedas to help rebuild it post-blight while rook, who at least has proven themselves and is no longer a rando lmao, goes to face the devouring storm. they're getting old now they just want to fix their house so they can sit in it 😂

it did annoy me they had you pick the LI and then their NAME wasn't even spoken. especially since if you romanced certain companions - iron bull, blackwall - they're intimately tied to factions in this fight. im sure if they romanced solas it comes up a lot more but i dont care about that lmao. BUT that goes back to the "this is the inquisitor's fight" thing - i cannot imagine most solavellan inquisitors stepping back and letting someone else go after him.

morrigan is such a babe also i loved her coming back. pretty sure this makes "mythal" the only character who has appeared in every da game. having isabella back was SO GOOD tho she's living the best fucking life. the fact fenris never showed up is such a missed opportunity and im not accepting the "well he had so many possible endings it would be hard to account-" they didn't even let you choose if bull stayed with the inquisitor or left to join the qun they are MAKING decisions on what version of events they want to keep as the canon going forward and they could have - should have - made the call here. and i have no problem with them making those calls! just commit lmao. anyway

one thing this game did great: making your rook matter. the fact i was a shadow dragon and qunari came up a lot. i was able to pull on inside knowledge and translate stuff in qunlot. i like that a lot. it's something they fumbled in inquisition lmao.

one thing it did bad: which companions you pick for quests (aside from the final one) just doesn't matter. they don't even appear in cutscenes (which was weird & jarring), they barely have comments to make throughout or in the overworld, and i dont think it's even possible to gain disapproval outside of amin story quests. like in da2 i would literally plan shit out like okay, im going on quest involving slaves, ill bring fenris to gain approval when i free them. im going on something where i'll probably side with mages, time to bring anders. none of that here. and like im not saying i want there to be more options to lose affection, especially when it felt harder to earn in this game (i did every single quest in the game and only maxed like. two people. everyone else was nine), but i wanted them to have opinions, you know.

bonus: god they fixed companion dialogue in this. now whenever they get interrupted mid-banter they always pick it back up and you get the added banter convos around the lighthouse for pairings you normally wouldn't bring out with you! so that helped flesh the companions out. and god i cannot emphasize enough how much i love some of them. ASSAN. i did not expect it going into this game but every time he was on screen i was just like BABY thats my BABY that's my little BOY

anyway. good game. very interested where they're going with this. felt like a fitting conclusion to that story arc and im very attached to my inquisitor <3

[mrs-gauche]

While I know it’s generally bad for leaks to happen (unless they are intentionally encouraged by the developer, and yes this seems to be a thing, as Mark Darrah himself even mentioned in the past), and there’s no real point in overanalyzing something that is pre-Alpha footage from over a year ago (!!)... I’m just glad it didn’t contain some major spoilers story wise, because I wouldn’t know how to avoid them until whenever this game actually releases. 😂 I’d like to know as little as possible about the story and the characters going into it.......

........That being said.. I’m a hypocrite, I couldn’t resist and took a tiny little peek 😂(and if you don’t wanna know anything until there’s something official, I completely understand, just don’t read any further now!), so all I want to say is

HOLY SHIT GUYS This seems legit and we are probably looking at the very first glimpse of REAL (pre-Alpha) DA4 gameplay footage after EIGHT flippin years, which means this game is REAL, it’s actually happening, it’s a real game that’s playable and everything and ahhhh!!! Weisshaupt?? Davrin?? A dragon?? Darkspawn?? Purple stuff??? DID YOU SEE THAT HAIR ANIMATION THOUGH??

Ahem. Okay, so with the first wave of euphoria out of the way now, how are we feeling about THIS

Hmmmmm 👀👀👀

HMMMMM

OHHHHHHH

Seems like the spirit of Joplin lives on after all?? 👀👀👀

I’ve already seen plenty of people speculating and while we should take everything with a grain of salt here of course, there was a comment on a reddit post by another (supposed) playtester that confirmed “Rook” to be indeed the protagonist’s name/title! 👀 And while this could be of course just a placeholder name for whatever it’ll actually end up being, there could be a lot to derive from this!

- As people have pointed out, “Rook” does sound a lot like a code/spy name, much like Charter, Butler, Farrier or any of Leliana’s spies

- Rook being also a type of crow, fitting in perfectly with the bird themed names like Hawke

- In slang, it’s ALSO another word for “swindler” or “deceiver”, which also reminds me a lot of how there was a Lord of Fortune in Tevinter Nights who used the name “Hollix” as part of their disguise during a mission (which btw was actually the name of Dorian’s mother’s pet nug lol)

So all of this considered, and assuming that the leaked footage might have been part of the very beginning of the game (and how the leaker seemed to suggest that Grey Warden is just one of multiple factions you can choose from!), can I just say that my speculation about how DA4 might start off with an infiltration mission of one of four factions (Grey Warden/Antivan Crow/”Veil Jumper”/Tevinter.. something), while playing as a “spy” (/Lord of Fortune?? 👀) under the alias “Rook”, might actually turn out to be true after all??? (°ロ°)

I mean.. it could just end up being a simple “choose your class/faction” at the start and that’s it 😂, but either way, if we get something resembling different “origin stories”, like depending on which faction you choose, the game starts off with a different mission (similar to what Cyberpunk did?), I think that would be an awesome concept! (Not setting any expectations here though! 😌 The game might start off at Weisshaupt no matter which faction you choose!)

But back to topic, the rook being of course also a piece in a game of chess, which was depicted on the cover of Mark Darrah’s red “Joplin” book first seen in 2016!

Which in turn also of course immediately takes us back to the amazing mind chess game between Solas and Iron Bull, referencing a real game that happened in 1851 known as “The Immortal Game”. While people have been taking Solas sacrificing most of his pieces as well as his queen (Flemythal) only to then strike the final blow and win by moving the bishop (mage) as foreshadowing and also a perfect respresentation of how both Solas and Iron Bull think and strategize, what’s interesting to note, is that it’s the turn in which Bull takes Solas’ rook that ultimately seals Solas’ win in the end. 

Now, this could mean absolutely nothing of course, but with this new information from the leaks, maybe there’s more to it than we think. 👀

Then there’s also the link to Solas’ final Tower tarot card of course...

Other than that, I just think it’ll be really cool to have a chess themed aesthetic for DA4 following the tarot card theme of DAI! Or just the idea of having a “game of minds” like the Immortal Game rather than just relying on “brute force” with an antagonist like Solas, that requires a certain level of strategic thinking and consideration from us in how we act/make decisions to outwit him, would make a lot of sense to me!

(Or we might as well reference that one Simpsons episode with the “human chess board” and cover both brute force AND strategic thinking lmaoo)

Or, even better, let us do something like the flippin “logic chess” mechanic from that glorious Ace Attorney spin off game lmaooo

Let’s bombard Solas with some hard hitting arguments. lmao

I will say though that, if “Rook” does actually end up being the title/name of our next protagonist, I’m once again very curious how the hell they’re gonna make this work in the localized versions, if they do attempt to translate the name literally. Let us pray that they’ll just stick to English for this one, or else the multiple meanings of the term will be completely lost in translation. lol Can’t wait to play as flippin “Turm” in German or “Tour” in French. 😂

[trevisos]

6 and 7!

thank youuu 💖

from these dav hype asks!

6. Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

oh boy so. yes and no? i have some very vague concepts i plan to refine as i replay the games/reread the books/finally read tevinter nights in the next few months. i know i’m going to play an elf mage and they’re probably going to be some sort of genderweird. i was initially thinking a sort of princely looking tomboy girl but the allure of nice looking long hair may tempt me into making them, like, an effeminate transmasc twink? (says the effeminate transmasc twink. lol) i’m torn between crows, mourn watch, and wardens. i’m going to work so hard to not actually pick wardens bc i want to explore something new but also. well. i really love the grey wardens. so it Is a possibility. top romance contenders right now are neve, lucanis, and emmrich but i think i’m just going to let whatever happens happen and not try to plan it too much.

their nickname is tentatively magpie, but their full name is going to depend on where i decide they’re from, which faction i pick, and just plain vibes lol. i think they’re going to be blonde bc i already have a brunette, a redhead, and a black haired protag in this world state and i think it would be funny to round it out with a blonde lol. pronouns also tbd

7. What character from the previous games or other media are you most hoping will make an appearance in DAV?

the most delusional part of me says anders but i know that is simply not going to happen. i would be happy if he got a mention honestly lmao. my next choice is also kind of a longshot bc i am not sure she’s even still alive but i would killllll to see fiona again! in my heart she will be redesigned and the white fiona of dai infamy can fade into the past like an awful nightmare…. but if i would take anything honestly. i love fiona so much. my more realistic choices would be like, fenris? or dorian? isabela maybe? or zevran?????

[mneiai]

Reading/re-reading a bunch of Dragon Age books and thought I'd give my quick thoughts for the ones I've gone through the last few days:

Asunder - 6/10. Always shocked Gaider wrote it, it does not feel like someone who knows the lore or games well, except insofar that a lot of the fight scenes are "this is how I envision it would play out in the game" as opposed to ones meant to be read. I can't remember if the printed version was this bad, but either there some horrific typos in the digital version or, again, it does not feel like someone that knows the lore wrote it ("Rite of Annulment" what the fuck). Creates some weird conflicts with established lore for no good reason. Last half better than the first half and Cole, Rhys, and Evangeline are genuinely likable once it gets going, at least.

Tevinter Nights - 3/10 to 10/10. Weirdly find the Talons story incredibly engaging and the characters very interesting (though that could be my OCD-based sympathy lol) and wish it were a book of its own and not just a short story that had to rush over a lot. In fact, I'd say most of the Crows-related stories are good, as well as the ones actually set in Tevinter. The Grey Wardens ones vary in quality and the Nevarra ones read like someone took passages from the World of Thedas and told a writer they had to come up with an excuse to infodump with poor mysteries shoved in. Most of the rest were just blah.

Magekiller - 2/10. This is so bad. The intro feels like some 12 year old writing about their OC and the addition of the relationship between Marius and that one DAI NPC that never goes anywhere again makes the protags honestly look way more at fault for some of the shit that goes down in DAI than Cole ever could. And this is true about all the comics, but the art is Not Great and relies very heavily on lazy shortcuts normally found in lower quality comics. Also a lot of lowkey ableism considering how Marius comes across. Never had strong feelings about Charter before, but now I dislike her.

Alistair comics - 5/10. The collection doesn't seem to have a good name to call all these lol Anyway, some interesting parts, getting to see one of my fav Tevinter characters and the way she's handled is always nice, but the whole thing is very C-quality-DLC-plot-thrown-out-during-development. Just all over the place. Hated the Isabella stuff, what even was that? We're not even going to get into the multiple international innocents that should have happened, but the whole thing was honestly ridiculous. Mae carries this shit.

Knight Errant - 8/10. Vaea and Ser Aaron are a trope, but it's a good one for comics and well-done in this, they're very cute. Varric feels way more natural here than in the Alistair ones, not sure what's going on with Sebastian but I think that has more to do with how wishywashy he has to be for Bioware canon than anything else. Literally nothing will make me care about the Magekiller romance, though, and it's honestly weird that's the conceit for the job.

Wraiths of Tevinter - 6/10. I think this was slightly better because it had to establish some of the characters, but it wasn't great (and what the hell did they do to my poor Fenris?!). The original stuff was better than when it started mixing into the overarching comics plotline, and the fact that 50% of these DA works fall back on "Qunari Ex Machina" got very old by this point. I cared absolutely zero amount about any of the villains and the Magekiller characters felt incredibly out of place in an already large cast. If it weren't for the endearing Knight Errant team and the mabari, I'd probably mark it down lower. Also lol why am I supposed to care about a slave owner Venatori apologist just because she had a bad childhood? Literally every one of the characters had a bad childhood. Fenris and Marius were literally slaves!

Also actually sitting down and reading the World of Thedas volumes instead of just looking stuff up in them and they're...fine. I still wish they were more encyclopedia like and I'm still confused at some of the assumptions people make based on things clearly not actually said in them, but that's fandom for you.

[armofandruil]

Origins on my banged up Xbox 360. <33

Still Origins. Probably my favourite game of all time, in fact.

Usually Rogue, but in II it's always mage. I'm planning on playing a warrior this time around (only class I haven't played) and since I've seen no info on subclasses, I have no idea.

Warden Firi Maheriel (rogue), Oriana Hawke (mage), Asala Adaar (mage) - my girls <3. All alive and well. All progressive thinking to different degrees - pro mage, anti-chantry, all with some definitely questionable choices. Adaar is coming for Solas's ASS.

Custom all the way, but I definitely stick to the "canon" of the backstories, origins, etc. provided by the game.

I'm hoping to play a Dwarf warrior because those are the only race and class I haven't played yet (also the warrior gameplay from the wip footage looked badass). Obviously will be playing a woman to round out Thedas' line of girlbosses <3 Otherwise, I don't really know. I'm thinking of doing a more idealistic character to reflect how I used to play these games when I was young, and how I secretly still want to (always make the "good" choices). I also think it would be a good way to play seeing as I'm going in blind. But it's all very much subject to what comes to me during the character creator.

Not his biggest fan, but I think seeing Fenris again would be cool. He'd feel really at home in the setting. It's also a huge long shot, but I think seeing Shale again, back in her dwarf form, would go absolutely insane and have me screaming.

Definitely the Mourne Watch. Love me some necromancers. Also extremely excited to see the Antivan Crows return.

Again, not entirely sure, I'm waiting to know more about them. But given what we do know, it'll probably be either Davrin or Tash (giant ladies and grey wardens are my weakness). Also Javik's VA voicing Davrin is a big pull for me. <33

Rivain!!! Love me that piratey aesthetic. Hoping to learn more about the Seers and the like aswell. Also, Weisshaupt. I'm a Grey Warden fan first and a person second.

Really hoping companions are able to disagree with you like they are in origins. I hope they actually confront you on your choices and they don't just sit and follow you no matter what.

Greg Ellis.

The factions!!!! I love having a layer of customization on top of race/class.

The removal of being able to control companions. It feels a lot like mass effect. I just hope during the combat I'll still be able to feel like I'm playing a Dragon Age game and not a Mass Effect one.

Not sure if it's unpopular but I'm not jazzed Solas isn't the main antagonist (or it seems that way from what we've seen so far). It feels a bit underwhelming after Trespasser, however many years of being teased "the dreadwolf rises", and getting whatever is happening now. Let him be an antagonist!!!!

Sandal is the Maker.

I looooove lore videos (i spend hours watching Ghil Dirthalen) and the speculation that comes with diving deeper into Dragon Age's lore. I don't discount them, but when I'm playing the game I like to focus on what's being revealed to me rather than speculation. If that makes sense.

The art!!! I particularly love seeing fanart of the characters interacting in more low-stakes/comedic scenarios. And also seeing everyone's new Rooks.

I think I'm pretty much done with replays. I have the last mission and DLCs of my second canon Inquisition playthrough (i accidentally wiped my PlayStation lol), but in terms of gameplay, i think I'm satisfied. I'll definitely finish Tevinter Nights, I picked it up ages ago and only read a handful of stories, and might watch Absolution if it tickles my fancy.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard HYPE Q&A

What was the first Dragon Age game you played?

Which Dragon Age game is your favorite so far?

Do you usually play as a warrior, mage, or rogue? Which class are you planning to try first this time around? Which subclass?

What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

Do you typically use a preset character and name or spend hours in the character creator coming up with a custom one?

Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

Which character from the previous games or other media are you most hoping will make an appearance in DAV?

What faction are you most excited to learn more about?

Which romance, if any, do you plan to pursue first?

Which location are you most excited/hoping to explore in-game?

What's one thing you'd really like to see in this next game?

What's one thing you're hoping we DON'T see in this next game?

What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're a fan of?

What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're NOT a fan of?

Do you have any unpopular opinions about DAV so far?

What's one crack theory you subscribe to (yours or someone else's)?

Are you interested in all the lore and speculation or do you focus more on the games and stories themselves?

Which aspect of fandom are you most looking forward to? (e.g. reading/writing fic, the bounty of gorgeous art, getting to know new people, etc.)

Are you planning to replay any of the previous games, watch Dragon Age: Absolution, or read any of the books/comics/short stories, or are there other games you want to play in the meantime?

Post a picture or gif that conveys your current level of excitement for Dragon Age: The Veilguard!

[blorbologist]

Squinting at the blorbos like rats in a lab

Tags are minimal unfortunately, this is a personal blog so it’s a barrage of all sorts! I DO tag critical role spoilers with #critical role spoilers and #cr spoilers, given I often liveblog, and will tag until the episode is on YouTube. 

I also do fanfic! You can find me on AO3 at umwelt! 

My main ongoing project is my 'Age of Arcanum Perc'ahlia AU', where Vax is the Warden of Ravens, Vex'ahlia his (lonely) Champion, and Percival is the creator of aeormatons. I tag posts about the au #age of arcanum AU if interested!

Prologue ... CH 3

Cat's Cradle is currently a WIP on hiatus, under #cat’s cradle AU, a lil modern Perc’ahlia AU with foster kittens. Compiling chapters on AO3, but tumblr stays a few chapters ahead:

CH 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15

My big completed project is my 'Raven Queen’s champion instead ' AU. You can find posts about it under #vex is the raven queen’s champion AU.

Some writing, sneak peaks and ask games happen here on tumblr, too. More than some. oops.

You can [hopefully, assuming Tumblr behaves] find my writing under the tag #my writing, and ask under #ask game usually!

Like what I do? Consider buying me a coffee so I can stay sane enough to finish these WIPs! And my thesis! 

I do not take requests. Prompts are only when I’ve RB’d a relevant prompt game - I’m in gradschool, assume I’m busy by default lol

Projects:

Architect of our demise [onwards to Vasselheim!]

Cat's cradle / Kitten AU [on hiatus for Uni]

Daughters or Dolls [plotting, title is a wip]

Second chapter to My heart’s a vessel for ill intent? [not started]

Perc’ahlia travel troubles comfort fic [half-done?]

Recoil chapter 2 [dusty wip, like a quarter done?]

And so will I chapter 3, Jester [dusty wip]

Nursery rhymes as told by briarpatches chapter 4, Greypool [dusty wip, half done?]

Vex’s menial duties as Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt [got one thing done?]

Kyssandra hide and seek fic [birthday gift for Burr <3]

Vex and Vax in the Slayer's Take in TLOVM [Vexahra for Nova <33]

AUs:

Vex is the Raven Queen’s Champion AU [One for sorrow / Two for joy]

Modern AU bottlefeeding kittens [Cat’s Cradle]

Age of Arcanum AU [Architect of our demise]

Delilah controls Laudna’s heartbeat [My heart’s a vessel]

Filles du roi Perc'ahlia AU [historical Québec au, plottin]

Ruidusborn!Percy AU [just ideas]

Leona runs off to the Cobalt Soul AU [maybe a quarter done?]

MILF and DILF Perc'ahlia marriage of convenience [posted part 1!]

Percy is the pact weapon AU [Get your hands dirty]

2/3 Vampires Bashter AU [got that one snippet to work off of]

Tiefling!Percy AU [brainchild with Essay <333]

FMA AU [A whole mess, one ficlet posted]

Fox woman dreaming AU [1/2 posted]

Just tons of random Gilmore/Vax’ildan/Keyleth shit bc i lov the thems

Perc’ahlia Atlantis AU [just in my brain and that One Screencap Redraw]

Accurate Jurassic Park AU [just vague mushing my two special interests together thots]

'The tale of Merciful and Lex' [Jester reads a smut novel 100% inspired by the de Rolos]

Ships:

OTPs are currently Perc’ahlia, Imodna and Laudmoore in that order. I usually only read fics of these ships bar rare exceptions.* NOTPs that are common enough to be worth mentioning are Widobrave, Widojest, Riprolo, anything remotely incesty or toeing the grooming line. I don’t want to interact with this content don’t fuckin make me.

Ships that aren’t my absolute feral loves, buuut that I’d be happy to write for are man. All canon CR ships, plus Beaujester, Bashter, Kiki/Vax/Gil, Callowmoore, Dorym, Chetney/Fearne, Widomauk, Kiki/Vex/Percy [with a huge *], onesided Tary/Percy, all fun! Also getting into the rarepair of Cassandra/Laudna for Reasons, and any Ace!Cass x NPCs her age.

Beyond that, just, y’know. Use basic critical thinking. Do I really need to write ‘hey! Don’t send me, a stranger, things you wouldn’t talk to a stranger about’? I have faith in y’all not to, for now ktrgnkrtnkgn

Have fun foraging through my blog - hope you find a few things of interest, writing or otherwise! <3

[keibea]

update on my dragon age II playthrough that no one asked for and no one cares about ( SPOILERS AHEAD )

WARNING: a lot of random ranting and probably a thousand spelling and grammar mistakes..sorry

first and foremost that bitch fenris, who I still love regardless since I'm obsessed with fixing people, left my hawke (and therefore me) after they had swex the asshole

secondly, meril pissed me off. i mean if even the keeper doesn't want you to fix the bloody mirror, the leader of your people with the want to restore as much knowledge as possible, you should probably leave the bloody mirror alone. now we're rivals because I did the smart thing fjdndjendnt

THE FADE SERIOUSLY I hated it in dao and I hated it here WHYYYYYYYYYY would you do that bloody faynriel at least he's with the tevinters now hopefully that doesn't come back to bite me in the ass...

STOP WITH THE SPIDERS I LIVE IN AUSTRALIA I DEAL WITH ENOUGH SPIDERS ALREADY YOU ASSHOLES

also the dragons are really small??? like not even dragonlings just straight dragons are tiny what's up with that

our mother is dead wtfrick like are you trying to kill off every single remember of my family on purpose orrrr???? and she died as a zombie thing? seriously?? Haven't we been through enough??? luckily Bethany is still alive, although she's being a bitch to us even tho we saved her life the asshat

ALISTAIR IS BACK BBY OH MY GOSH I LOVE HIM I GOT SO EXCITEDDDD EEEEEE. in mine he's part of the grey wardens because I think he'd make a sucky king so...i saw him and it was everything OH MY GOSH. still looked a bit crusty even with mods BUT ILL TAKE IT

so a slight qunari issue am i right 😅 I tried to be on their side because honestly everyone was being mean to them when they're just trying to live their lives and still they end up killing everyone like waaaaatttt

AND BLODDY Isabela like SERIOUSLY GIRL I'm your friend. when you steal a historically and religiously important relic from a someone you bet your ass they're gonna wanna kill you for it. And then the bitch RAN albeit she did come back BUT STILL COME ON ASSHOLE

I killed the arishok...Yeah well I didn't want him to take isabela no matter how much of a selfish asshole she was so he's dead now...I have a feeling that's going to seriously bite me in the ass at some point

also someone help please, do I side with the mages or Templars what did you guys do??? cause I understand both sides and I think they're both right in some areas and incredibly flawed in others, particularly the Templars but idkkkkk also Meredith is a bit shifty I don't like her.. (im at the start of act 3 so no spoilers please! just interpretations if that's okay? although tbh I already know what happens since I played inquisition first then went back to the older games)

and LOL for a long part of the time, when I met orsino I was panicked thinking OH MY GOSH is Irving dead?? NO I LOVE IRVING I ALSO SAVED HIS ASS and then I remembered that this is like a completely different place LOL

I also absolutely adore varric like what a sweetheart! My Hawke and him are like the best of friends and honestly it's the cutest shiz ever

other than that I forgave fenris and I think we're a thing now?? idk. mostly because he's hot and also because you know he's like this sweet broken toy that I just wanna love and care for although HE MAKES THE WORSE REMARKS AT THE WORST TIME like read the bloody room fenris GOSH

lastly, ive just met zevran AKA the love of my wardens life in my dao playthrough and what the actual frick frack did they do to my baby I'm PISSED

anyway that was all, just really needed to get it out there since I know LITTERALLY NO ONE ELSE who plays this incredible game. Any thoughts I'd be really interested to hear. If I offended you because of my thoughts on a character, I apologise, i meant no harm this is just my opinion on them :)))

[far-butter]

It does definitely shows! Like even without any indication of him being the HoF, the aesthetic couldn't match the other Dragon Age games. I love these broody colors too, that a great description of them lol! What Vallaslin is he wearing btw? Is it Falon'Din's?

That makes a lot of sense, especially for Mahariel wardens who wouldn't have left the clan if it wasn't for the Taint! And tbh I think the Six of Swords energy is the perfect choice from what you're describing!

Death is a Major Arcana, so a life altering event, so I can see how it relates to Jeci's life-changing journey and needs to adapt and shed skin, especially moving on from what happened with Tamlen, but there is something more accurate about the crossroad he's at with the Six of Swords. It's like a refugee energy, leaving a place not out of choice but because you can't remain here for your own safety, and the pain and mental toll it takes to leave everything behind (it can be leaving an abusive relationship, a job that gave you financial stability, your toxic family...etc). Even in most versions of the RWS deck, this Arcana is designed in such way that you see a figure rowing a boat and two others, presumably a mother and child snuggling under a blanket. Duncan would definitely be the rowing guy driving Mahariel to safer waters. The Suite of Swords is harsh in that it is very straightforward, and forces to see through illusions and wishful thinking (like staying with the clan or finding Tamlen or being able to choose whether or not to become a Grey Warden). It doesn't leave room to choice or feelings, it litterally stabs your reality and shatters it and forces you to change your mindset/communication. In this case I'd even say to adapt ro a new communication/culture. I think that's a card that could've poped into a tarot reading offered to Mahariel haha (likely with the Tower, among others). Good intuition right there!

Thinking of all that, I appreciate this piece even more. Like there's blood on the skull, it might be a purely Aesthetic ™ choice (I'd be curious to hear the official explanation as to why you chose this detail if you don't mind sharing 👀)...I'd imagine his still "bleeding inside" emotionally as well, isn't he? That's still fresh. And I like how the arrow look lively and thrzatening but aren't actually planted in his skin. With that and his gaze he really looks like a badass who will do what's necessary but won't take shit from anyone lol He looks like he has a lot of inner strength!

(also I just noticed the scales on the armor and the padding part on the arms.....jfnfnfnt the level of details you put in... that's a lot of patience 😳)

Thank you so much for replying and sharing all that!

Six of Swords

[morganaseren]

WIP Meme With Warden Niamh/Morrigan

Tagged by: @midriffmoors

Tagging: @this-is-something-idk-what, @noeldressari, @w-h-4-t, @illusivesoul, @chaosroid Only if you want to, of course! If you’ve already been tagged to do this previously, feel free to disregard this!

Right then! Here’s a change of pace from my usual offerings, so have some Morrigan content featuring my Niamh Cousland. I expanded this WIP based on idea #4 from this list I made sometime back.

Morrigan was my first ever romance in DAO, so she has a soft spot in my heart. I’ve always wanted to do an AU for her and Niamh because the idea of two mages from very different backgrounds falling in love makes my heart melt.

This is a really rough draft, so it’s not as polished as I’d like it be, but I guess that’s the point of a WIP, right? Lol.

Since this is going to be another AU where Niamh’s a Warden, here’s what you need to know:

Duncan went and recruited Niamh first from Kinloch Hold before making his way toward Highever to try and recruit Saoirse. It's probably the only thing that saved Niamh from being caught up in the whole uprising Uldred and his underlings put the entire Tower through.

Duncan is originally unsuccessful in trying to convince Teyrn Bryce into allowing him to recruit Saoirse as a Grey Warden although Bryce and Eleanor are both relieved that Niamh managed to find a way out of the Circle despite the circumstances surrounding it.

Duncan's all but prepared to leave Highever, but then Howe's treachery happened, and both of the Cousland siblings watch in horror as their childhood home burns.

They both have vengeance on the mind after that, but Niamh's especially sullen about it. While she loved her family, she always felt something of a distance between her and them (which is obviously untrue since her family loved her very much), but to lose them in such a way is obviously quite traumatic.

For a time, she's just quiet and depressed despite Saoirse's and Alistair's respective attempts to cheer her up, but because this is an AU where she's a Warden, she gets to see Morrigan for the first time, and let me just say that Niamh is completely enamored by her...

Still interested? Click below to read more!

Even without the evidence of the staff the other woman carried, Niamh could sense Morrigan's magic as clear as day. There was something... remarkably freeing about it---like an eagle chasing the winds beneath an open blue sky. It was compelling, and as Niamh found herself drawn in by the unique cadence the other woman spoke in, excitement wrapped her tongue in knots, eagerly waiting to voice questions she never could have asked aloud beneath the scrutiny of the Chantry and the Circle.

Unfortunately, her enthusiasm waned upon hearing the paranoia of her fellow Warden recruits.

"Your sister can protect us if she attacks, right?" Daveth muttered frantically in a not so quiet aside to Saoirse, who merely rolled her eyes.

"Would you relax? She’s done no harm to us."

And Niamh mirrored her sister's sentiment, frowning lightly at the men in their group. "She's merely asking for our intent here. It would be rude of us to attack her based on that. Would you not be equally concerned if someone trespassed upon your property?"

When she turned to face their guest once more, the smile upon her violet lips seemed to indicate how impressed Morrigan was by both Niamh's restraint and her manners despite the fact that the other woman recognized her as a mage of the Circle. Her words said as much.

"There is always such restraint from those like you, but I can sense the power waiting to burst free beneath your skin---a song as ancient as time. 'Tis a shame your Chantry limits so much of your talents..."

Annoyed---and perhaps even intimidated by her---Alistair tried to draw the conversation back, demanding that Morrigan return the Grey Warden documents they were looking for, but before the woman could even respond, Niamh spoke up in her defense instead.

"We don't even know if she's the one who removed them, Alistair."

"But she's a Witch of the Wilds!" Daveth protested.

"Do recall that we were recently in Lothering, where thieves are known to loiter about despite the Chantry presence. Who’s to say they didn’t steal the documents, or would you accuse anyone for simple convenience?” Niamh rolled her eyes. "Is a bakery patron also a thief if he takes the last loaf while you were not present?" she drawled, deeply unimpressed by his logic.

The man’s face turned a ruddy red, but she cared not for his injured pride. Although she would have ordinarily been more mindful with her words, especially to the individuals who were otherwise her companions, her patience for ignorance had waned in the wake of suffering she had endured as of late.

"So logic prevails in at least one member of your group," Morrigan murmured before turning coolly to Alistair. "You are welcome to invoke a name that means nothing to me, but I am not threatened." She nodded over to Niamh. "‘Tis as your companion states: 'Twas not I whom removed the documents you seek. 'Twas my mother, in fact."

"Could you bring us to her then so that we might request it back from her?"

The corners of Morrigan's lips curled up almost in spite of herself. "A sensible request." A small laugh escaped her then, as if she hadn't expected it from Niamh. "I like you."

And those simple three words were enough to make Niamh’s heart pound.

---

So they meet Flemeth, and then all the usual stuff happens afterward.

Saoirse, Niamh, and Alistair survive the Joining ritual while Daveth dies and Jory is just straight up murdered by Duncan. They're betrayed at the Battle of Ostagar by Loghain even as the three new Wardens nearly die trying to light the signal needed.

Niamh is the most injured trying to keep Saoirse and Alistair safe by the time Flemeth comes and rescues them from the signal tower. This, of course, leads back to Morrigan taking care of Niamh in Flemeth's hut, and let's just say that Niamh's endless fascination with Morrigan continues to grow. ;D

Flemeth pretty much forces Morrigan onto them, and Niamh gets the sense that their relationship is not a happy one. As such, she tries her best to make Morrigan feel welcome in their party, much to Saoirse's approval, especially since Niamh's so introverted half the time.

Niamh sought out Morrigan in her canon world state because she needed a distraction from her feelings toward Leliana, but in this AU, she's been interested in Morrigan from the start (even though she doesn't really admit it). Thus, there's definitely more enthusiasm on her part when she asks about Morrigan's magic.

They definitely get closer because of that, and Morrigan expresses such pride when Niamh eventually learns to shapeshift so seamlessly. They often scout ahead of their party together with Morrigan taking the form of a raven while Niamh prowls about as a wolf.

For Morrigan's part, I don't think she expected to have grown so close as she did to Niamh, but the other mage has a way of consuming her thoughts in spite of her own original indifference.

Of course, Niamh is just so thoughtful of her to begin with.

She retrieves the grimoire in the Tower because Morrigan asked it of her, she gifts her the mirror when Morrigan made minor mention of it once, and she even fights Flemeth on her behalf because she feared the threat the older woman would pose to her and didn’t wish Morrigan to come to harm.

In all that, Niamh asks for nothing from her, and Morrigan is understandably confused by the whole thing---so unused to such altruism.

By the time they get to Denerim, she understands what she's been feeling toward Niamh, mostly due to her observations of Saoirse's and Leliana's relationship. She denies it to herself for as long as she can at least until the subject of the Archdemon comes up.

As shrewd as Morrigan is, and given how noble she knows their leader to be, she knows that Saoirse intends on sacrificing herself against the wicked creature. If that were to happen, however, she knew Niamh would never recover from her sister's death.

Or worse.

She fears that Niamh will be the one to strike the final blow against the beast instead, giving her life so that her sister wouldn’t.

Morrigan can't allow that to happen...

---

"I require your help," she said firmly, grabbing the woman's arm just as Niamh passed her in the hallway to turn in for the evening. In the privacy of her room, she discussed the intricacies of the Dark Ritual. "You already know your sister declined it."

"I do," Niamh said wearily although the look in her pale eyes was one of reassurance. "It has little to do with you being a mage and more the idea of subjecting an innocent life to this."

"But ‘twould save any Grey Warden from needlessly sacrificing themselves!" Morrigan protested heatedly. "This will not be the last Blight! The more Wardens there are to teach the newer generation of them, the better!"

Niamh frowned, dark brows furrowing. "I understand your reasoning, but convincing Saoirse to change her mind on this is nigh impossible at this point."

"Our leader is not whom I need to convince now; ‘tis you."

"I… what?" Silver eyes then widened in realization. "Wait. You want to do it with—” She couldn't even finish her thought, flabbergasted as she was, pointing at herself in utter bewilderment. "Is that even possible?"

"The process would be easier with a male Warden, yes, but the ritual itself is already magic. ‘Twould not take more than a spell or two to compensate for the fact that we are both women, but the end result will still be the same.” Morrigan gently pressed a hand to the other woman’s cheek, looking imploringly into eyes that were like liquid silverite. “Sire a child with me, and none of the other Wardens need fear of losing their lives."

---

Morrigan knew all about the carnal desires that went with laying with another.

She had spied upon others before in her various shapeshifted forms, learning about the things people coveted, of the acts spoken about only in hushed whispers. She had seduced more than a few individuals as well, wanting to see for herself what drove blushing maidens into such a titter. Each and every time, however, she found the entire matter wanting with male lovers whom spent themselves well before she was even remotely satisfied.

She had spoken truth of the matter when she revealed to Niamh that women were not of her preference. Of course, back then, the ones she had seen were honestly such weak, simpering things. They held no such interest to her, but Niamh…

She was always so thoughtful of her in everything she did.

Niamh would be good to her, Morrigan realized. She wouldn’t seek only her own pleasure. She wouldn’t think her merely an object of sexual gratification. If her actions toward her had proven anything throughout their journey thus far, it would be that she would be a considerate lover in bed.

...And it would be a nice memory to hold onto once Morrigan walked out of her life for good.

---

“It seems the legendary endurance and stamina of the Grey Wardens were not mere talk,” she purred with satisfaction

In response, Niamh merely gave a weary laugh before gently collapsing atop her---well-deserved after spending several long hours in bed together. “Do you think it’s enough?”

Morrigan was quiet for a moment as she retreated inwardly to consider the question. She didn’t know if it was the additional spell to ensure the pregnancy, but she could certainly feel... something settling within her—the first sparks of new life perhaps?

Or perhaps it was simply the idea of being with Niamh this way.

Why did I not do this sooner? she mused even as she raked her nails down the length of Niamh's spine in idle repetition. She smiled into the woman’s neck when the simple gesture stirred her lover to quick wakefulness once again.

“Would you be opposed to ensuring it succeeds with a bit more?” Morrigan asked, and Niamh lifted herself enough to look at her. There was an attractive determination in that gaze along with a languid grin of easy confidence.

“Not at all.”

Morrigan was so taken in by the sight that she immediately nudged at Niamh's hip with her knee. Even through such a short time together in this manner, Niamh understood the gesture for what it was and rolled onto her back without complaint as Morrigan straddled her. When Morrigan pulled her lover's fingers toward the apex of her legs again, those silver eyes fell half-lidded with renewed interest as Morrigan slipped them inside, hissing a bit at the stretch of well-worked muscles. At the sound, Niamh sat up, snaking an arm around Morrigan’s lower back to steady her while soft lips also worked a trail up the column of her neck. Niamh’s nose nuzzled at the lobe of her ear before long, which Morrigan couldn’t help but shiver at as they chased after their pleasure once more.

---

“You can stay, you know,” Niamh said some time afterward, voice finally drowsy with the frequency of their intimacy that evening. “I could help look after the child. You wouldn’t have to be alone.”

Like you always have been, was left unsaid.

“No. ‘Twill be as a I said: I will take the child and leave. I will raise them far from the reach of this world until we are needed once more.”

And I would not risk you to Flemeth’s wrath.

She could still sense her mother somewhere out there in the world, likely meandering about in some form or another. Given Niamh had a hand in her attempted slaying, she couldn’t guarantee the other woman’s life should Flemeth somehow manage to find her again.

“Isn’t there anything I can do to help you at all?” Niamh asked then quietly, sadly, and Morrigan turned her head to brush a barely there kiss against the crown of her head—so light that it could be mistaken for mere accident.

“All I ask is that you would live well, my—” Love, her mind finished even as her lips uttered something far different. “—friend. Live gloriously.”

---

Morrigan stayed for the last battle.

Although the ritual had all but assured the new life taking root inside her, she could not leave without knowing that Niamh would survive the final fight.

Granted, Niamh gave her sister the fright of her life when she simply rushed past the warrior to slam the end of her staff blade into the Archdemon's skull. Morrigan could just barely hear the horrified, "No!" just as a blinding light and a deafening, beastly cry filled the air.

As the dust and debris slowly settled, they saw Niamh laying in a heap along the stones, and Morrigan watched from afar as the others tended to her.

Come on, you fool. Get up.

If it suddenly felt like she could breathe again upon seeing the other woman shakily rise to her feet, Morrigan said nothing of it.

As the breeze shifted, Morrigan stealthily took to the skies in her raven form and perched high atop a crumbling spire, observing the party a little while longer, just to ensure Niamh---that everything---was alright.

She picked up further conversation below.

"I’m beginning to suspect dragons have a very strong disdain toward me..." Niamh muttered, leaning heavily upon her staff as Wynne rushed up to help heal her ails. Saoirse couldn't help but question her little sister however.

"But how did you...?" Saoirse's eyes widened then, likely remembering Morrigan’s ritual. “You convinced someone else to take part in it?"

"No. She asked me instead."

“What? But you don’t—” The warrior was a spluttering, wide-eyed mess, but Niamh merely shrugged.

“As the ritual was already magical in nature, it wasn’t terribly difficult to compensate elsewhere. You said it yourself: you intended to strike the final blow. I didn’t wish you to. The world still needs more heroes." Her smile was bitter even as Morrigan could see the relief in her eyes upon being reassured of sister’s well-being. "And I’m too much of a mage for it to ever really see me as one."

Saoirse frowned at the sentiment. "Niamh..."

But the other woman would not have it.

"Leliana would have been lost without you,” she pressed. “I couldn’t allow that to happen if there was something I could have done to prevent it. This was my solution. I’ve no regret of the route I took to get there."

Niamh looked up then, and Morrigan stiffened when those wintry-grey eyes settled unerringly on her. The woman said nothing, but with her enhanced vision, there was little missing the quiet desperation in her eyes. Please just stay, that gaze begged.

But she couldn’t.

They both knew it.

She unfurled her wings and took flight just as the sun set on her life there with them all, leaving Saoirse to help repair Niamh’s broken heart.

---

Niamh had been depressed for months following Morrigan’s departure---something her sister picked up on easily.

Saoirse had always known her to be studious, but Niamh had been burying herself in her work to a startling degree. Saoirse had titled her Warden-Constable shortly after her own promotion---if only in an effort to let the world and Niamh herself see that her accomplishments as a mage were not a shortcoming of her own character.

Besides overseeing other matters around the keep and of the areas nearby with their seneschal, Niamh had also been their principal archivist at Vigil’s Keep until Velanna had joined them. Her sister’s accounts of the past two years were remarkably thorough, granting enough details that there never would be a dispute as to the legitimacy of them even with such events like the Architect and the Darkspawn Mother.

But Saoirse could see that she was distracted.

Niamh was often lost in thought, spending more and more time alone, staring listlessly out the window or at the ring upon her finger---the last thing Morrigan had gifted her with.

Fed up, Saoirse one day proposed that Niamh go out and find the other mage.

---

"What?" Niamh was baffled as she stared at her sister incredulously. "What about the Keep?"

Saoirse merely rolled her eyes. “Between you and the seneschal, things have never run more smoothly. You’re already done writing our history of the last two years, and everything’s been moved from the old headquarters and documented seamlessly here. More than anything, you've ensured that I’ve more time yet with Leliana.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “And you were right before. While I was doing what felt like the right thing at the time, it would have been the wrong thing for her.” She straightened in place. “Just like it would be wrong of me not to suggest this. You allowed Leliana and I another chance at happiness; it’s time you go find yours."

"We laid together once," Niamh said flatly, staring back out the window. "That’s not love, Saoirse… not even if I wish it was."

"Niamh, even you have to realize that she wouldn’t have pressed this hard if she weren’t concerned for your well-being. Even if you had never undergone the Joining, she wouldn’t have stayed like she did." She frowned, trying to get her sister to see reason. "She already said she would be gone by morning if I refused the ritual, and I did. Morrigan’s many things, but she doesn’t strike me as the type of woman to go back on her own word—not without cause. She went to you specifically."

For a time, Niamh was quiet.

"What if I find her and she doesn’t feel the same? She’s already told me that women aren’t her preference in terms of a bedmate."

But Saoire just smiled. "I suspect you managed to surprise her. Just as she’s unlike any mage you’ve ever met, you were likely the same for her. She’s admitted to me that she never expected a mage of the Circle to have the type of prowess you do."

Niamh blinked. "Did she?"

"A rare compliment from her, yes," Saoirse said with a laugh before smiling softly at her sister. "Niamh, even if she doesn’t feel the same, it can’t be any worse that what you feel right now being without her. If nothing else, you’ll know she and the child are alright."

And she saw the way in which her sister’s mind worked quickly behind those eyes---pieces of puzzle sliding together.

"You’re certain you’ll be fine without me?" she asked, getting to her feet.

Saoirse waved her hand dismissively with a snort. “I’ll be lucky if anything out of the ordinary happens within the next year with all the trade agreements and negotiations you’ve set in place. Truly, take all the time you need." She grinned. "And tell Morrigan and the baby hi for me."

---

So Niamh pretty much begins searching for Morrigan throughout the entirety of the Witch Hunt DLC, and she has a new companion in the form of Bain, who's about six months old at that point. He's almost a giant. Lol. He likes Morrigan though, and when they meet the woman in front of that eluvian, he wastes little time in wanting to be her friend.

---

"Let me come with you," Niamh said after watching the other woman play with her puppy for a time.

Morrigan frowned.

She desired it; Niamh could see it in those bewitching, gold eyes. There are dangers though---ones she'd long been aware of.

Flemeth was likely still out there, and her own life was finite with the Calling that all Wardens must inevitably answer. Still, she beseeched Morrigan.

"I would have wandered the Fade for a thousand Ages just for the chance to be with you again, Morrigan. Please... don't send me away again. I could not bear it."

And Morrigan softened then, gently taking her hand to lead her through the eluvian.

As they enter, Niamh saw a camp made in the midst of otherworldly trees and broken, dim mirrors. Her breath caught when she eyed a little bassinet within the camp that Morrigan had made there. She looked to the other mage then, who only nodded with her permission.

Niamh slowly approached and saw Morrigan's—no, their—son for the first time. She had wondered—in spite of herself—what traits the child would receive. The dark hair was obvious, but she could also see the very loose curls that crowned his head—much like her own. As if sensing he was being watched, the baby opened his eyes, allowing Niamh to see golden pools the spitting image of Morrigan’s staring back at her.

"He’s beautiful..."

"Yes. I named him Kieran."

Niamh turned to her, blinking in startlement. “Did you?”

"Yes. I felt it…” Morrigan’s gaze drifted askance then. “...appropriate that he should have a piece of heritage from his other parent. The meaning is ‘little dark one,’ is it not?"

Niamh released a shaky laugh. "It is."

"Granted, it does not use the traditional spelling."

"Few people do these days. I’m honored all the same that you sought my culture for such a thing."

---

"I felt it, you know," Niamh said quietly to Morrigan one evening, eyes softening so much when she allowed the baby to grip one of her fingers.

"Hm?"

"I think it was when you went into labor with him," she clarified. "I felt the ring glow red hot around my finger, constricting and relaxing like a frantic heartbeat. I think my sister thought me mad when I rushed out in the middle of the night, ranting and raving about my need to find you---to see that you were alright. To my regret, the ring itself wasn’t a beacon to anything." Her eyes grew distant at the memory. "No matter where I turned, it still burned. It still hurt with echoes of you, but it could not lead me to where you were, no matter how much I begged it." She looked up then. "I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. It must have been quite the hardship."

And Morrigan can't help her quiet, incredulous laugh. "You need not apologize for something that you could not control. Nay, for something I never intended to trouble you with. I did not know there was an unintended side effect when I changed the ring from Flemeth's design." She paused. "But I am gladdened you are here now."

And Niamh's smile was soft and warm. "As am I."

---

Not long afterward, they made love again for the first time since the ritual.

Every kiss and caress against Morrigan’s skin was a promise of love and devotion. At one time, she would have fled from such sentiments. Despite the freedom that she always longed for herself, however, she didn’t mind the thought of being bound to Niamh in such a way. As such, she couldn’t help her fierce grin at the nip of teeth against the inside of her thigh---a mark of possession. Morrigan’s laugh was low and amused. She knew that for all her lover’s carefulness, there had always something equally wild and untamed within her—lightning that could never be contained.

As her hips rocked languidly beneath a talented mouth and tongue, she relished the thought of having Niamh come undone with her own ministrations, for she had promises of her own to offer to her lover.

---

Kieran grows by leaps and bounds, and as is expected of the son of two powerful mages, Morrigan can sense the latent magic growing within him. For now, he is simply a boy, well-loved by his parents, unaware of the destiny that awaits him.

...although his penchant for mischievousness is something that Morrigan is more than half-convinced he inherited from Niamh.

---

Morrigan looked up from her many tomes when she heard the sound of giggling and toddling feet making their way toward the clearing, where she often sat and read beneath the morning and afternoon sun. Her lips pulled up into a fond smile when Kieran broke through the tangle of bushes, dragging along a familiar blue and silver garment behind him---not unlike the little stuffed toys Niamh insisted on spoiling their son with. Following quickly at his heels was Bain, ever the careful minder of Kieran whenever he wandered about.

“And what do you have there, Little Man?”

But the toddler merely grinned, beyond pleased with his latest bounty. In the distance of their camp, however, Morrigan could hear Niamh’s call of confusion.

“Morrigan! Have you seen my tabard anywhere?”

The question had Kieran erupting into fresh giggles, especially as Morrigan picked him up and gently wrapped him in the fabric to ward against the autumn air. She ruffled his hair then, earning a pleased murmur as he wrapped his arms around her neck.

“Mind your sire, Kieran,” she scolded quietly. She will not always be with us, she thought soberly.

---

And Niamh did stay with them for a time before duty to the Wardens pulled her elsewhere, but it was Morrigan’s discovery of a potential cure for the Calling that led to an extended absence from them all.

Morrigan worries for her safety although she says nothing of it aloud, hiding it with the excuse that Kieran would miss her in all her time away. Niamh doesn’t call her bluff. Instead, she merely takes her hand and presses a kiss against her knuckles, moonlight-colored eyes never leaving hers.

Another silent promise is made there:

I will find my way back to you; I swear it.

---

By the time Niamh leaves on her journey, Kieran is old enough to travel with Morrigan to Orlais as she becomes Empress Celene’s Arcane Advisor. The Imperial Court regards her with both fear and respect. In comparison, Kieran is considerably well-liked---testament perhaps to some of Niamh’s influence with his kind, patient demeanor. Despite his youth, he proves to have quite the keen mind, especially when he enters a local chess tournament against much older opponents. Although he resoundingly ends up winning the event, he leaves it rather disappointed, which leads Morrigan to question him about it.

"I thought it was supposed to be for the very best players, Mother,” he argues plaintively. “Did they place me in a lower tier?"

And Morrigan is very much amused. "If you found their skills wanting, Little Man, ‘twas likely due to you comparing them to your sire. Very few can match her prowess with strategy." She runs a hand affectionately through his hair, earning some light-hearted laughter. "And ‘twould now seem that you are one of them. ‘Tis something she will be most proud of."

As am I.

---

Since Niamh’s been off searching for the cure years prior to Inquisition, that means Saoirse accidentally ends up becoming both the Herald of Andraste and the Inquisitor instead in this AU. There’s a bit of a reunion when Saoirse and Leliana see Morrigan at the Winter Palace and extend an invitation for her to join the Inquisition. Of course, that eventually leads to Leliana inquiring about Niamh.

---

“She is well enough,” Morrigan said as she sat upon the bench, watching as Kieran helped the apothecary tend to the garden. “You need not know more than that.”

“You’re so certain of her well-being then?”

“Of course,” she replied archly. Although she didn’t reach for the silver wolf inlay which sat in the heart of her golden necklace, she felt its gentle heat, thrumming with a heartbeat that was leagues away from her. “I would know otherwise.”

“But is there any way we can get into contact with her?” Leliana insisted gently. “Saoirse would be relieved to receive word that she was at least alright on her own out there.”

Morrigan gave the matter some thought before releasing a sigh. “‘Twould behoove us all not to have her distracted with worries over her younger sister, I suppose. I can give you the means to get in touch with her if need be. Niamh will think this means I miss her, of course.” She sniffed. “She will be insufferably pleased with herself… I hope you and your Warden Inquisitor appreciate this sacrifice, Nightingale,” she added dryly.

---

Following the defeat of Corypheus, there is a long-awaited reunion, as Niamh finally returns, successfully cured of the Calling. Morrigan’s heart warms as Kieran rushes into his sire’s arms. She says nothing as she feels someone come up alongside her.

“She has changed you,” Leliana remarks simply.

“Ridiculous.” But Morrigan sees the way the other woman’s lips lift up into a smile even as she keeps her gaze on Niamh and Kieran.

“The way you look upon her suggests otherwise.”

Silence.

“At one point in time, I simply thought her a good friend, who deserved so much more from me. When she agreed to the ritual, ‘twas to protect her sister, or so I thought. I could not have imagined all that could have transpired since then, nor could I ever thought there would be someone in this world I could call an equal. She has been a good sire.” She pauses. “And a good partner.”

“Then I wish you both the best.”

---

And that’s essentially the rough rundown of how this will all turn out. It will be longer because I love my slow burns, and I want there to be more of a foundation between them before I build up their relationship. :D Anyway, if you enjoyed this, please let me know with a comment, a like, or send me a message! Feel free to check out any of my other AUs as well! Until next time, dear readers!

[jadedragoness]

Battle Ground 1st Read Through Reaction

Can I just start off by saying, Holy crap. Chicago got curb-stomped hard. So freaking hard.

I really, really, enjoyed the story. I pretty much didn’t want to stop reading as soon as I cracked open the covers of the book but I did have to have periods of giving myself a break and just put the book down and go do something sensible like do the dishes instead of screaming or shaking my fists at the sky like a lunatic.

I do admit that as a story the continuous battle was draining and exhausting to read. But I think that was the point so I don’t really count it against the story. It is something important to know going in, and why I’d recommend breaks.

Let’s talk spoilers… just assume spoilers for everything Dresden Files related too. Ummm, also this runs long.

First Let’s Me Tell You About the Thing Which Exploded My Brain:

1. MARCONE IS FREAKING KNIGHT OF THE BLACKENED DENARIUS! WHHHAAAAT!!

...okay, I’m done screaming about it.

OF FREAKING THORNED NAMSHIEL!!! ...I lied, I wasn’t done. How long? What? When? I didn’t see this coming at all! And I’m so freaking torn about how to feel about it.

I am so damned (heh) relieved that Marcone’s didn’t die at Ethniu’s hands. I seriously freaked at the moment she snapped his neck that I went into instant denial and my eyes skipped several paragraph down out of the desperate wish to see if it was trick. I’m also very, very delighted that Marcone is now so much harder to kill. I mean, he was already pretty hard to kill being Marcone but this just takes it up to eleven.

On the other hand, a Fallen Angel is so freaking dangerous. *makes gargling worried noises* And while it looks like Marcone appears to have worked out a partnership with the coin I can’t help but remember that when we were first introduced to this Fallen he was called ‘Thorned Namshiel’ and not by the name of his bearer. So he appears to be the type to subsume the human who holds him. Which makes me worried that Marcone could be on that path and not even realize it. *goes back to making gargling worried noises*

I do find reassuring that the coin is on a chain around his neck and therefore easily removed and not buried in his body like some of the other Denarians will do.

However, I am feeling a little disappointed Marcone is no longer purely a ‘vanilla’ mortal who stood toe-to-toe eldritch beings and survived by simply being smarter, deadlier and amazeballs. I’ll miss that. I always thought that it was especially hilarious how much Harry would freak out about Marcone and how deadly Marcone is when even in the same room as scary monsters (like in ;Skin Game;, I mean seriously he was in the same room as Nicodemus and Harry was hardcore worried about upsetting Marcone… hilarious!) when Marcone was a vanilla mortal… but now he’s not.

And yet, now Marcone knows how to sling around magic and is incredibly hard to kill. *thumbs up at Jim Butcher* Yeeeessssss! *is so happy*

Although… if Harry doesn’t end up making all manner of ‘thorny’ jokes at Marcone I’m going to be very disappointed. =D

Things I Sorta Expected:

1. Murphy dying.

Now, I totally bawled at the scene after Rudolph shot Murphy. I especially lost it when Harry kept referring to her body as an ‘empty house.’ ARGH. But I wasn’t actually surprised that she died. I did feel like I got a very strong sense it was going to happen. Actually, from how often Harry’s thoughts seemed to be pinging in that direction I was partially convinced his wizardly ‘insight’ was kicking in and trying to warn him.

And he tried. He really did.

But ultimately it was Karrin’s own choice to be away from safety and be her badass self.

2. Hendricks’ dying.

I’ve actually have read the short story ‘Monsters’ from Goodman Grey’s POV and I’ve read it a little over a week ago and in it he notes Marcone’s bodyguard as a dumb Einherjaren. Which made my brain go: Whoa, wait… where’s Hendricks? Is Hendricks dead? Did Hendricks die and become in Einherjaren? Or is he off doing something and one of those guys is taking over for a bit? Fuck, Hendricks is dying in ‘Battle Ground’ isn’t he?

So I wasn’t exactly surprised, but I was still very, very upset. And when Ethniu picked up Hendrick’s corpse and smashed him into Marcone that’s where I lost it. Like totally lost it while also being worried about Marcone at the same time. Gah.

Curveballs I Did Not Expect:

1. Marva and Drakul. The deaths of Wild Bill and Yoshimo at the hands of Black Court vampires and the threat that we may see them again as Black Court? Did not see that coming. I expected to lose Wardens but not like that.

...and I may be in denial about Chandler (I like the guy, okay) being dead. Please. He’s a wizard. He’ll be back. Of course as soon as I wrote that I was instantly struck of by the thought of: “Yeah, but will you like what you get back?”

2. Also Drakul is a starborn? I get more and more curious about what it means! I’m with Harry in frothing in frustration over how people won’t tell him already! *screams into the void*

Also Kincaid worked for this guy? *shudders*

3. Marcone and Thorned Namshiel. *gurgles*

4. Justine had Nemesis in her! And for years?!

How in the hell are they going to save her? Mab barely saved Lea and she’s Mab!

Also I thought Nemesis was very infectious. Is there anyone else around who has been infected? Maybe among Harry’s friends with Justine as the vector? *is worried*  

5. Not getting a resolution on the situation with the Svartalves. Or did I miss something? Seriously, the ending of the book felt like it was missing about 30 more pages to wrap up and work a bit more on characters.

Things I Did Not Like or Was Disappointed By:

1. Rudolph getting to live. Fuck that guy.

Okay, I understand that his not getting murdered at Harry’s hands wasn’t really for Rudolph’s sake but for Harry’s own soul. I just want him dead. Dammit, is it too much to ask for him to have been shot by a turtleneck or stomped by a Jotun or splattered by Formor acid that slowly ate away at his guts as screamed until his internal organs slowly dissolved?

I have may have a bloodthirsty vengeful streak. And yet: want.

2. I also may have narrowed my eyes at the end of the book there after Harry said that Marcone was dropping off the keys and then it turned out Lara had picked them up instead. I may have also said aloud, “Butcher, are you Marcone-blocking me?” And he was, dammit, because I didn’t get to read more Marcone.

… I do not have a Marcone-addiction.

3. This is more disappointment than dislike but I didn’t get nearly as much Goodman Grey as I thought I’d get. Aw.

4. Harry not getting to talk to Ivy. *grumbles*

Things I Really Liked/Loved

1. Harry got his home back! And it’s the castle! The castle he all but swindled out of Marcone. Yes, I love it! I love Marcone but doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it when Harry get the best of him too. Anyway, I just love the fact that Harry is claiming parts of his life back from the traumatic heart-stomp events which occurred in ‘Changes’. *bounces in excitement* Now he just needs an office!

2. Marcone. Always. Actually I was a little afraid when he vanished after the battle started that there would be very little Marcone in this book too because Butcher is so Marcone-stingy.

3. That Harry is no longer a member of the White Council. I mean, they’ve been pretty useless to helping Harry out. And honestly, Harry has gotten so many headaches from them that I can’t help but think this is a weight he needed to shed.

Although, it really feeds my ‘Harry needs to become a member of the accords in his own right’ thing again. Seriously, he’s the Warden of Demonreach. He bound a Titan. It needs to happen. Ooh, or the Paranet can see about becoming an Accorded organization in their own right and then Harry can be with them. Yeeeessss.

4. Bob is back in Harry’s hands! Freaking yes! Whoohooo! About time! Oooh, wait, has Bob meet Bonnie? Can we read this happening? OMG, I want it so much… or would Harry be too horrified to let Bob influence his spirit-kid? LoL.

5. Seeing Toot-toot and Lacuna again! And when Harry pulled his ‘Za Lord’ maneuver and got the Guard and a ton of other fairies to help in the defense of… well, pizza in Chicago, that was great I punched the air.

 The I gloated even more over how Mab then explained Harry had scared some of the others with that move. Heh.

6. River Shoulders was so damn badass and amazeballs and like Wild Bill said, I’ll take two.

7. Michael and Charity already knowing that Molly is the Winter Lady and being the best parents and loving and accepting and… so much love for those two.

EVERYTHING MARCONE… yes, he’s getting his own heading

1. Gah, I love him. I have mentioned this before. That one of the first things he says to Harry when Harry is staring at him as he changes clothes is to paraphrase ‘did you forget how to get dressed or is this an awkward sexual reconnaissance’ nearly killed me. I was caught between giggling and choking on my own spit and then I nearly fell off the couch. Just remembering about it now, has me giggling at the computer screen.

2. Also, I find that ‘Excellent’ response from Marcone after they exchange threats to be fascinating. This was one of those points were I put the book down and wondered what Marcone meant by that. Then I had the thought that maybe in his own fashion, Marcone was doing the same thing that practically everyone had been doing with Harry since he got back from being shot. He was checking to see if Harry was still the same man he’d been before. And from Harry’s response, Yup. He was. So: “Excellent.”

Having also read ‘Skin Game‘ and how cold Marcone is in the end there? The difference with this Marcone versus the one where Mab was listening? I find that interesting too!

3. When Marcone showed up to the fight! So freaking badass! Love how he led the fighters.

Also I find it significant that both of the guys who are obsessed with protecting Chicago were the ones who manifested ‘banners’ which drew humans to the fight.

Really cool. And it reminds me all over again that for all their different life philosophies Marcone and Dresden do agree on the mantra of: Protect Chicago.

4. This book, especially the lake beach scene reminded me so hard why I love the banter between Harry and Marcone so much. When it just seems to be the two of them and they aren’t actively threatening each they have such a great rapport! Loved reading it! Wished we got more of it in the books.

5. Okay, with Hendricks’ death I’m rather worried for Marcone. ‘Even Hand’ gave the impression Hendricks often acted as a very gentle conscience to Marcone. Losing him has got to be hitting Marcone hard. And that I now know he only has a Fallen angel on his shoulder?

Yup, growing more worried for Marcone at the time.

6. I’m also wondering about what was said in that exchange between Mab and Marcone on the roof when Harry called out Marcone for about being the Lord of Chicago needing to be more than talk. Okay, I can guess. I just really, really want to hear the words because I bet Marcone was badass.

7. The Lord of Chicago giving Harry the title of the Wizard of Chicago? Freaking loved it.

8. Also Marcone freaking purred. Purred. “Prove it,” he purred. “Hero.”

I think Jim Butcher is trying to give me a heart attack or cause me to crack my skull on floor because I nearly fell off the couch again.

9. With Marcone now outed as a magic-wielding Denarian does that mean we get more of him in the future books? Because I freaking hope so... I say this even knowing I’d have the exact same wish even without him being a magic-wielding Denarian.

Things I Found Completely Hilarious

1. Marcone’s opening lines to Harry. Heh. Forever Lol!

2. Is Lacuna a tooth fairy? Her obsession with teeth cracked me up so much.

3. That Mab smacking both Lara and Harry with those wedding plans. *snickers* I mean, I find it totally hilarious because of how gobsmacked both of them were about it. I don’t expect Harry to go through with it at all, not with how we know how seriously he takes relationships. So either he’s going to get out of being the Winter Knight or find some other way to defy Mab. Or hell, maybe Lara gets them both out of it by marrying someone else first. Honestly, I can’t see her agreeing to marry someone who’d burn her with a touch.

Pure Speculation or Things that Just Excite Me for the Future:

1.  Now I bet you’re all wondering why I’m not more upset about Murphy or Hendricks dying. Simply put, I’m 100% convinced that when both Murphy and Hendricks wake up in Valhalla, in drinking (with quaffing I bet) halls full of grunting, fighting obsessed Vikings and they will go ‘Nope, I’m out!’ three seconds later. Those two? Especially knowing how much trouble Harry and Marcone have got to be getting up to without them? They’d probably join forces and stage a breakout to get back.

This is what occurred to me the moment Gard explained what happened to their bodies. The whole not come back until everyone who knew them was gone, yeah, right. Not happening.

Or, jeeze, I can’t image Marcone not thinking this was a possibility and then not having made plans to bust Hendricks out and you know Murphy would demand to come along too. And with Thorned Namshiel providing help? I can see this happening.

...okay, this idea sneaked into my head but now I’m seeing Murphy (having busted out of Valhalla with a bunch of Einherjaren) and learning about the upcoming nuptials between Lara and Harry leads a raiding party (what else, with Vikings!) to bride nap (groom nap?) Harry away before he says “I do.“ Heh. This would be hilarious.

2. I’m sorta vibrating with the possibilities of what the future will bring with a Chicago that is waking up to the dangers of the supernatural while at the same time having learned that it is possible to stand up to monsters and kill them. Especially, what this means when bad things go down in Chicago again, because of course they will. And there may be more people joining in the fight.

Hmm, can the Paranet be deployed as a means of bringing vanilla mortals in or educating them so they don’t go after the good guys? They do sort of stand in the middle, more so than Harry. *lost in thoughts*

3. While I’m actually a little surprised that Ebenezar made it out alive as I actually had him down on my ‘Will Probably Die List’. I was relieved as I hope to see him and Harry actually have that conversation which Harry wants. Seriously, if only for Maggie’s sake, who shouldn’t have her first and last memory of her Great-Grandpa be him being a total jerk.

4. Harry can bind the prisoners of Demonreach to do his bidding? *blinks* Ooh, the possibilities.

5. These Librarians, the Men in Black of the DF ‘verse, sound amazing and I can’t wait to see them show up.

[mxanigel]

a Dragon Age fanfic for Pride Month

Many months ago, I attempted a Dragon Age Origins playthrough with Neri Surana, an agender mage Warden (they/them pronouns). I started the playthrough knowing the game didn’t allow for genders other than male or female, but I wanted to experience the game with the mindset of my Warden being agender.

It... didn’t really work, no matter how many “headcanon” details I added. Then, when I picked up DAO Awakening, I suddenly had the thought of this being a fresh start for my Warden -- that they weren’t able to be their true self while fighting the Blight, but now they have a new role and new mission and (almost) entirely new companions. Plus newfound confidence in being a Grey Warden after defeating the Archdemon and ending the Fifth Blight.

As I played Awakening, I realized that Anders’s dialogue and humor strongly appealed to Neri: they admired his skilled deflection of commentary from companions that was simultaneously clever yet ensured distance between himself and others. And that admiration gave way to attraction. For the first time in Neri’s life, they desired closeness with a specific person.

I also couldn’t get the idea out of my head of the two of them bonding over their shared Circle past, of a spontaneous kiss somewhere in Vigil’s Keep’s shadowed hallways. Of what might happen afterward once Neri realized they wanted more than a single unexpected kiss while still wary of true intimacy due to being agender.

So I wrote this fic, set about a week after the aforementioned kiss, using the irresistible trope of Neri requiring medical attention. Yes, there’s a little smut, but the focus is on their dialogue and interactions and the careful way they handle consent, touch, and pleasure. On Neri being true to themself while expressing and acting on their desires. I definitely believe Anders would be attracted to Neri, and I’m unexpectedly fond of him now that I wrote fanfic with him, lol.

Thanks for reading, and if this sort of story has any appeal for you, I’d love for you to give it a shot!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32112799