#treviso spirit cat

[luzial]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Video Game) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Female Lavellan/Solas (Dragon Age), Female Inquisitor/Solas (Dragon Age) Characters: Solas (Dragon Age), Female Lavellan (Dragon Age), Treviso's Spirit Cat Additional Tags: Treviso (Dragon Age), Angst, Romance, Dreams, The Platonic Ideal of Cat

Summary:

He slips into a cafe to pass the time. It is an alluring place on the water where lilac lanterns spill light on lovers and assassins alike. In the distance, something bright catches his eye. Two felines, perched side by side on the base of a pillar that overlooks the canals. One of them is such a vivid white he swears it’s glowing in the afternoon sun.

By day, Solas investigates an irregularity in the Veil in the Streets of Coin and encounters a spirit cat. By night, Lavellan dreams of Treviso.

[thefadecodex]

Cultural Views and Interactions with Spirits Across Thedas

The cultures of Thedas have vastly different relationships with spirits, shaped by history, faith, and tradition. While some societies embrace spirits as allies, teachers, or even deities, others regard them with suspicion, fear, or outright hostility. These views often reflect each culture's relationship with magic, the Fade, and the Chantry's teachings.

Broadly speaking:

Northern Thedas tends to demonstrate more openness and integration with spirits.

Central Thedas is likely influenced by both Northern and Southern Thedas, resulting in an amalgamation of cultural beliefs.

Southern Thedas is heavily influenced by Chantry doctrine, enforces stricter separation and suspicion. 

The significant exceptions, such as the Avvar tribes and the Dalish elves, whose unique spiritual beliefs set them apart.

Then, we have the Circle of Magi.

Northern Thedas

Tevinter Imperium

Cultural View: In Tevinter, spirits are seen as tools, allies, and occasionally even advisors. Magic and spirits are deeply integrated into society, and the Chantry's warnings are largely...interpreted differently than southern Thedas in favor of practical application. Tevinter mages will often bind spirits and compel them into service.

Key Spirit Interaction Example: In DAI, Dorian speaks openly about spirits with respect, showcasing Tevinter's pragmatic—if morally gray—approach to spirit magic.

(source: Tevinter, Spirit)

Rivain

Cultural View: The Rivaini people, heavily influenced by their Seers, view spirits as part of the natural and spiritual order. Spirits are seen as protectors, teachers, and sacred presences.

Interactions:

- Seers: Rivaini hedge witches, known as Seers, communicate directly with spirits. Southern Thedas believes that Seers often allowing themselves to be possessed willingly for the benefit of their communities. However, in the codex entry ‘Riviani Seers and Spirits,’ Taash notes that the Seers aren't possessed at all. The Seers simply open themselves up and share their body. - Spirit Amulets: Seers craft "Amulets of the Unbound," magical talismans that protect spirits from blood magic and binding rituals. - Spiritual Integration: Spirits are welcomed into villages and trusted to guide important decisions or provide aid in crises.

Key Spirit Interaction Example:  During Taash's personal quest, a Rivaini Seer allows a spirit to speak through her rather than fully sharing her body. The spirit, having spent considerable time around the Ancient Qunari, respected the Qun's beliefs about possession but still wished to offer its assistance.

(source: Rivain, Spirit)

Antiva

Cultural View: The Fade Codex is theorizing that it appears that in Antiva, spirits are neither overtly worshipped nor deeply feared but are instead accepted as a natural part of the world. The Antivan people generally remain untroubled by the occasional presence of spirits.

While Chantry teachings are widely followed in Antiva, they seem less rigid compared to the stricter interpretations in the South—likely a result of Antiva's origins as a nation founded by pirates and mercenaries, who valued pragmatism and adaptability over dogma.

Key Spirit Interaction Example: The Treviso marketplace, there are spirit cats lounging around, which reflects Antiva's relaxed approach to spirits, to some degree.

(source: Antiva, Spirit)

Central Thedas

Nevarra 

Cultural View: Nevarrans have one of the most unique relationships with spirits in Thedas, deeply intertwined with their cultural views on death and the Fade. Spirits are seen as natural caretakers of the dead and necessary intermediaries between the mortal world and the afterlife.

The Mourn Watch (an elite group of Mortalitasi) avoids using the term "demon." Instead, they refer to what most of Thedas would call a "demon" as a "maligned spirit."

Interactions:

- Mortalitasi Mages: These spiritual leaders interact directly with spirits, often guiding them in rituals surrounding death and the Fade. - Guardians of Tombs: Spirits are sometimes bound to tombs or structures, protecting the dead and ensuring the Fade remains undisturbed. - Rituals of Passing: Spirits play an essential role in guiding souls to their rest.

Key Spirit Interaction Example: In DATV, we see a number of different interactions in the Grand Necropolis regarding spirit interactions. Such as benign spirits being placed in skeletons to help with the upkeep of the building, Curio and Keepsake helping with the return on Manfred, etc.

(source: Nevarra, Spirit)

Southern Thedas

Ferelden and Orlais

Cultural View: Both Ferelden and Orlais follow strict Chantry teachings, viewing spirits with fear and suspicion.

Interactions:

- Spirit interaction is largely confined to the Circle of Magi and heavily monitored by Templars. - Any uncontrolled interaction with spirits is viewed as dangerous, with possession considered an abomination.

Beyond the Chantry's Reach: The Avvar and Dalish Spirit Traditions

Avvar

Cultural View: The Avvar revere spirits as "gods," integrating them into their culture, mythology, and daily lives. Spirits are not merely distant entities but active participants in Avvar society, deeply interwoven with their survival, rituals, and spiritual guidance. Unlike the Chantry's fear of spirits, the Avvar see them as powerful allies deserving respect and proper rituals to maintain harmony.

Neither the Chantry nor its Templars are welcome in the Frostbacks, as Avvar rituals often involve spirits speaking through their casters—practices the Chantry would deem heretical. However, the Avvar are deeply aware of the dangers of spirit interactions and have developed rituals to safeguard against corruption and possession.

Interactions:

Augurs – Spiritual Leaders: 

The Augur, chosen from the hold’s mages, serves as a mediator between spirits and the hold, interpreting omens, guiding rituals, and advising the Thane. They appease spirit gods through ceremonies to protect the hold and drive away malevolent spirits. Augurs allow apprentices to host spirits temporarily, teaching mages patience and control over their magic. If an apprentice fails to release the spirit through ritual or risks corruption, they are quietly executed to prevent harm.

Spirit Bonds:

Spirits actively participate in Avvar life, guiding warriors, aiding mages, and protecting the hold from harm. These bonds are built on respect and reciprocity, with spirits offering blessings, wisdom, and strength in return for proper reverence.

Combat and Spirits:

During ritual combat, spirits are drawn to Avvar warriors, enhancing their reflexes, strength, or endurance. This bond resembles the connection seen in Spirit Warriors, with warriors embracing spirits as sacred allies in their battles.

Ritual Safeguards:

The Avvar use structured rituals to ensure spirits do not linger in mortal hosts or become corrupted. These traditions, developed long before the Circle of Magi, reflect a deep understanding of spirit behavior and the Fade.

Spiritual Duties:

Augurs also prepare the dead for the Lady of the Sky, interpret omens from nature, and preserve the old songs and lore of their people.

Key Spirit Interaction Example: In DAI, Avvar shamans openly invite spirits to aid their people, fostering deep trust and cooperation. Warriors receive spiritual blessings during combat, and mages learn magic through spirit guidance, reflecting the Avvar's balanced and structured approach to spirit interaction.

(Source: Avvar, Spirit)

Dalish Elves

Cultural View: The Dalish hold a deeply cautious view of spirits. While they do not inherently view demons as evil, they see all spirits as wild and dangerous, comparable to untamed animals.

Interactions:

- Dalish mages are expressly forbidden from using spirit magic, as spirits are considered unpredictable and inherently risky. - Felassan's Insight: The Dalish believe demons are not evil but are dangerous if treated carelessly. - Merrill's Perspective: In DA2 Merrill reveals that the Dalish believe "there's no such thing as a good spirit."

Key Spirit Interaction Example: Merrill's attempts to interact with spirits and her controversial use of blood magic highlight the tension between Dalish caution and the pursuit of knowledge.

(source: Dalish, Spirit)

The Circle of Magi: Doctrine, Control, and Spirit Interaction

Spirit Healers

Cultural View: Within the Circle of Magi, Spirit Healers represent a unique and often controversial branch of magical study. These mages form bonds with benevolent spirits—typically those embodying fortitude, compassion, hope, or faith—to channel restorative magic that far exceeds the capabilities of traditional healing spells.

While the Chantry acknowledges the value of Spirit Healers, particularly in times of war or crisis, the Templars remain deeply suspicious of their practices. Spirit Healers walk a precarious line in the eyes of the Circle, seen as both invaluable assets and potential risks, as their reliance on spirits is viewed as dangerously close to inviting possession.

Interactions with Spirits:

Benevolent Bonds: Spirit Healers summon and form connections with spirits of compassion, hope, or fortitude, persuading them to lend their power to heal wounds, restore vitality, and alleviate suffering.

Spirit as an Ally: The spirit does not typically cross the Veil fully but instead channels its power through the mage, acting as an ally rather than a master or servant.

Advanced Healing: While standard healing spells can mend physical injuries, Spirit Healers can cure grievous wounds, cleanse diseases, and even stabilize those on the brink of death with their spirit’s aid.

Role Within the Circle:

Desirable Yet Distrusted: Spirit Healers are highly valued for their unparalleled healing abilities, especially in times of war, plagues, or crises. However, their reliance on spirits causes them to be monitored closely by Templars for any signs of corruption or possession.

Rare Practice: Few mages pursue this path due to the intimate bond required with a spirit and the risks associated with such relationships.

Templar Suspicion: Templars remain wary, fearing that the line between collaboration and possession is dangerously thin for Spirit Healers

(source: Spirit)

[flowersforthemachines]

found a spirit (?) cat in Treviso!

can't get close enough to pet it, though :(

[hyperions-light]

Rook’s notes on the Lighthouse/Caretaker for the codex ask!

Thank you for asking! [Codex prompts here] These are very fun so far!

- This place is alive? Moves to accommodate guests, changes layout. Many places accessible using acrobatics. Some inaccessible currently (tried, dangerous).

- Seems to have assigned me Fish Room. Think they are watching me (good?). Able to rearrange furniture but not request more. Annoying.

- Solas lived here? Depressing. No wonder he’s so miserable. Found weird, sad little room with his stuff in it. Going to ask him if he’s bored in the Fade Jail next time. Maybe he will be less annoying if he has something to do? Can try to mentally recreate books, maybe.

- There’s a. Ghost? Demon? Spirit? Asked Bellara, she says spirit. Very turquoise, many eyes, bad clothes (do spirits wear those? Ask Solas). Seems helpful? Provides gondola rides and is more polite than gondoliers in Treviso. And it’s free!

- Spirit is in Lighthouse now. Very cryptic, even more than Solas. Wonder if that was a requirement in Arlathan (ask Solas). Still not dangerous. Seems to help with accessing new parts of Lighthouse. Asked why I couldn’t just go everywhere now, got vague nonsense. Ugh.

- Should bring random Crows + civilians here to see if it does anything. Viago? Might be funny!

- Found out Library is covered in depressing murals of things Solas regrets. Probably impolite to bring up. Does he like being miserable? I don’t cover my walls with all the missions I fucked up. Strange, sad, bald man. Going to ask him if he wants to play cards next time. Maybe letting him win would cheer him up.

- Manfred is my new best friend. We’re exploring the Lighthouse together.

- Who’s Felassan?

- Solas says to stop contacting him about unimportant things (no).

- Spent indeterminate amount of time trying to convince Lighthouse to replicate animal habitats. Did not work and Davrin looked concerned.

- Was having Davrin show me how to carve animals (looks fun) but got distracted by Assan and impaled my hand. Davrin was upset about this. Said it was fine, but he insisted we visit Emmrich. Discovered Lighthouse speeds magical healing. Worth it.

- If I start bringing cats here will it make a room for them?

- Tried bringing cats. One almost floated away. Do NOT bring Neve’s favorite.

- Bellara and I were using the magical floating ornaments above her room for target practice, and one of them suddenly exploded! Practical applications?

- How come no one else ever visits Varric? Tried to ask Harding if she’d been to see him, but she didn’t hear me? Strange. Visit more-- maybe others will come with? He must be lonely in there.

- Remember to ask Solas if he needs to eat. Think I could manifest Lucanis’ paella if I tried hard enough.

- Taash and I are going to try and build some traps. Borrowed explosives from Antoine. Think Lighthouse is sentient enough to identify intruders if I talk to it.

- Tried to ask the fish about Solas. Maybe they saw him while he was here?

- One of the wisps left Neve’s room suddenly, so we followed it around-- they are DEFINITELY the ones moving people’s stuff. Also maybe causing books to appear? Neve says we need more evidence.

- Emmrich said Harding made the plants grow because she loved them (of course she did). Going to ask her to make me taller via caring about me.

- Sat in the pantry for a while trying to talk the Lighthouse into manifesting a new bed for Lucanis, now that Spite isn’t a problem. Convinced nobody can sleep on that thing. No luck. Try carrying couch from library?

- MANY, LOUD objections to Taash and me building traps. Still think it could work, but promised Davrin I’d return explosives. No one here lets me have any fun (except Taash, Bellara, and Spite).

- Spent a while trying to see if the Lighthouse would let Harding move any of the giant floating chunks of rock. Also attempted exploding arrows + asking politely. No luck.

- Emmrich brought Johanna’s skull here! Amazing! Asked Emmrich to carry my skull around with him after I die so I can see new stuff. Did not understand the reasons he said he couldn’t. Will keep bothering him.

- Friends keep leaving things in my/the fish’s room. Need more drawers.

- Lace says Taash and Bellara can put up memorials to Cyrian and Shathann in her garden, if they want. Think it’s a good idea. Emmrich agrees.

- Made it to the top of the Lighthouse! Made Assan promise not to tell the others how to get up there. Reminds me of the rooftops in Treviso.

- Makes sense now, why Varric never got his own room. Going to put his stuff in Lace’s garden. I think she would have liked that.

[mythals-whore]

ASSIGNING THE MEMBERS OF THE VEILGUARD A TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM BECAUSE I CAN!!!

Harding - Debut

Obviously she’s our Ferelden farm girl so this just makes sense, but let me elaborate anyway. Harding is VERY Tied Together with a Smile/ The Outside to me?? Not to mention i feel like she would love the angrier songs Picture to Burn/ should’ve said no. We know how she gets when she’s angry. And you can’t convince me she wouldn’t LOVE Our Song.

Neve - Midnights

Do i even need to explain this one?? Neve gives such Midnights vibes, vigilante shit/mastermind/midnight rain???? Also SO yoyok coded. i feel like her romance is very Labyrinth/Snow on the Beach. And the woman who pets all of docktown’s stray cats is very “karma is a cat” of her idc.

Bellara - Red (TV)

This one was hard! It was between Red and 1989 to me. I just think Bellara would love the high energy pop beats (22, WANEGBT, Starlight). But i think she would LOVE Treacherous/State of Grace as well. Will help with the fanfic writing 100%. I put TV here specifically bc Better Man & Forever Winter could very much remind her of Cyrian??? And you can’t convince me Bellara wouldn’t be obsessed with ATWTMVTV.

Lucanis - Speak Now

Purple vibes, obvious. But he’s like, very Enchanted to me. AKA loves reading romance novels and the concept of romance but doesn’t know much about it/has never experienced it but wants it badly. Which is also why Electric Touch/Sparks Fly apply here. Don’t think about Lucanis listening to Castles Crumbling when he gets back from the Ossuary to find that Caterina is gone (+ later if you don’t save Treviso). Also Innocent was written about him, Taylor told me.

Shout to passenger princess Spite which i feel Taylor embodied when she wrote Dear John (iykyk)

Davrin - Lover

First of all, he is SO The Archer. “Ive been the Archer, Ive been the prey” “i jump from the train and ride off alone i never grew up its getting so old” “i cut off my nose just to spite my face and hate my reflection for years and years” its so Davrin (also one of my favorite songs maybe ever so this is big news). Also as @pinayelf pointed out, Assan as the Arrow?? Dying. But also Davrin’s romance is so Its Nice to Have a Friend. I saw someone talk about this not that long ago, but he’s very much a friend first?? Like he gives the vibe that as your LI you just hang out and rib on each other. I just i feel like they laugh a lot. + Lover as an album is soft but very anxiously attached?? Which i feel is the whole inner life of “i am a Grey Warden and im not supposed to get to attached bc it can’t last.” Honorable mentions go to Daylight/I Think He Knows/Cruel Summer/ Cornelia Street

Could also be convinced he is Reputation bc Reputation seems hardcore but is secretly very soft.

Emmrich - Tortured Poets (The Anthology)

Emmrich would LOVE the flowery language in this. Would love analyzing the lyrics with his besties. He’d love The Albatross (which, coincidentally is one of my favs, guess he just has good taste) and The Manuscript. Also tbh i don’t know much about his romance but “you know how to ball, i know Aristotle” feels like Emmrich with a much younger Rook (shout out to But Daddy I Love Him as well). Idk i think he’d secretly love it. Also relating Robin to Manfred bc that is his son??? On the sad side i feel like Emmrich is very the Prophecy/Peter because he has that dialogue about how he ‘once thought he’d get married’ like he always wanted love but never found it.

Taash - evermore

This was very difficult but i think the general witchy vibes are very “I’m Rivaini, we’re cool with spirits”. Also Tolerate It feels like when their mom comes to visit and no matter what Taash does it’s not good enough. Laash specifically is Dorothea/Ivy to me. And then of course (endgame spoilers) Marjorie after their mom dies and RWYLM if Harding is also gone. As a fan of the ‘pots and pans’ of Closure, they also get this one assigned to them. Just feels right.

[fuschiarulerinthebluebox]

Hi Folks! I thought it’s time I finally shared my Rook Sabine!

While she is a technically a City Elf, being raised in Nevarra, she frequently seeks out the Dalish so she can keep records of the different oral traditions between clans. Growing up in the Necropolis did not affect her the way growing up amongst humans does for most city elves, presumably because of the close proximity to spirits, and she retains excellent dark vision (her pupils do appear vaguely cat like in low light conditions).

Her style tends to be typically Nevarran, with frequent adornments of oxidised brass, and a dark color palette of black, greens, and burgundy. She does really love the contrast of bone white though… Like most Mourn Watch and corvids she loves shinies.

While she doesn’t have a “birthday” Sabine was found on the last day of a week long Hunt Ball, which ended on Wintersend. This celebration day stuck, and she has maintained an intense love of weaselling her way into any Hunt Ball she can manage (invites or not), and keeps an unreasonably large wardrobe of gowns and formalwear.

During Veilguard she:

Had an established pen pal/ friendship with Bellara because of her records of oral histories. She’s also fast friends with Davrin for similar reasons and writes down all of the songs he’d sing to the Halla

Sabine had an intense crush on Professor Volkarin during her time in the Necropolis and frequented several of his conference lectures. At the Lighthouse she spent a lot of time swinging wildly between flirting and being awkward, then dishing to Bellara.

She cooked meals organised girl dinner for the group before Lucanis came, and had to win kitchen privileges from him later with a batch of orange cardamom braided sweetbread. She immediately developed a crush when she tried the first meal he made

Sabine, Emmrich, and Lucanis (and Spite) form a series of self care checks and balances for each other in their relationship. They’re all equally hopeless romantics and exchange small casual gifts, often just trinkets like a pressed flower, nice rock, or colourful feathers or scales

Neve and Sabine spend an inordinate amount of time going over logistics to “adopt” a cat for the Lighthouse, and seriously debate the finer points of trying to get the ghost/cat duo in Treviso to come live with them

During their travels Harding started teaching Sabine different embroidery stitches and techniques, and they’d spend time together at the lighthouse keeping that routine. Lace’s favourite technique for Sabine is goldwork, and she gifted them a vest with bullion worked in glittering wisps

Sabine’s favourite hobby is trying to recreate rules for “lost” games they’d encounter in the Necropolis tombs, and introduced a game night to go along with their book club

Bonus of a fantastic piece of art I got of Sabine from LaLaLaurenBoyle!

[ladyinquisidork]

Found this spirit cat in Treviso. Name that spirit in the tags. Wrong answers only.

[the4rcanist]

Thanks @ofcrowsanddragons !, askbox wasn't toggled on for some reason lol

The Witch of Treviso

Lucanis x my Crow Rook Adryn, possessed by a spirit of Disruption, her power on the wheel would be to communicate with animals, based on that one single instance where Aneirin said he could talk to animals on Origins. This is part of what's going to be (if I finish) part of the chapter from Davrin's recruitment mission.

"The Wardens were right, the camp is not far. But the darkspawn are not the only thing roaming around and scaring the birds though."

Rook stood from her place perched on the rocks and released the bird back into the sky. It made a full circle, happily chirping, and returned to the treeline.

"So, it is true. I was curious."

Adryn turned around at the sound of his voice, face blank, motionless like a cat poised to strike. He noticed something. Disruption growled, coiling around her hands. The assassin had recently started to wonder if that was a reflection of how he was seen by the others.

"What?" the elf asked, tilting her head a little. It was a simple gesture, but the way she and the spirit moved together, so slowly and at the same time so swiftly, was unnervingly unnatural to him.

"A rumor. That Viago has a witch on his estate." Lucanis said, calmly. Adryn De Riva smiled, and he couldn't tell if it was genuine or a threatening show of teeth. Her eyes a pool of gold, an indication, he came to notice, that the spirit was listening too. "She can use blood magic to scry on his enemies. That's how he always knows everything that's happening everywhere he goes. They only confused the methods, it seems."

The woman cackled, bending over herself while losing completely her posture. The tension dissipated a little, and she beamed another smile. "Oh god, it got worse. I swear they keep adding things each time I hear it!" She came back, passing by him, giddy and flighty towards a low hollow tree on the rocky path beneath. "I guess...if we're working together, I should tell you." The elf whistled, and a small Jerboa came down from the tree towards her extended hand. "Do you have pets, Lucanis?"

Even for someone who wasn't used to talk about himself at all, that sounded like an odd question. "A snake".

Rook widened her eyes and giggled, musically, and the color returned to her eyes. "You too?" He, however, had to bite his tongue to not react to the appreciative sound the demon made in his head in response. "Do you refrain from talking about important things near it?" She cradled the small animal on her both gentle hands and brought it towards him.

"No" he stood stiff.

"On your last contract, do you remember every cat, every bird, every horse that came your way?" He frowned.

"I...don't".

"No one does" The woman sighed softly, running a thumb on the rodent's head. "This, however, is not blood magic" She extended her hand to him and the man simply stared back, puzzled. "Your hand. It's safe, I promise."

Lucanis took a few seconds to offer it. He didn't actually believed Rook meant any harm at him but couldn't shake the weariness he felt around magic, reflexively, sometimes even at "his" own.

Adryn gently cupped the small animal between both of their hands. Warm. A fleeting thought passed, somewhere, but he was fixated in listening, quietly, while she whispered a few unintelligible words. From such close distance, he could see her ice-colored eyes glowing softly with a yellow rim, the critter responded with a chittering sound, and the assassin remembered to breathe.

It is the spirit. She doesn't know. Spite added, with a tone much more contemplative than he thought possible.

"It was a witch, she lived in the slums at the docks, many many years ago, and taught me how to listen to them" The elf knelt again and released the little animal back into the tree "It's like talking with spirits, with emotions, impressions and fleeting glimpses of memories. I can see what they see, and they can tell me what they know. I still have to ask, so it figures why Viago drags me everywhere."

"What did it say?" Lucanis asked, indulging his curiosity.

"I saw our three Wardens, one of them was a mountain of armor!" She flailed her arms around, twirling. The assassin had to avert his eyes and bit back another smile he felt creeping in on the corner of his mouth. "They were accompanied by something that terrified the poor little guy, looked like a lion but he couldn't properly see. Let's go, Rowan must already be there."

"That's how you tracked the Dread Wolf to Minrathous?" He added another question.

"Part of, I gave what information I could to Harding, she connected the dots and made sense of everything. They don't realize it yet, but she and Neve are very much alike in this way." The woman returned to the path. "We quickly figured that even a god and his spies are at the mercy of the eyes of the vermins that everyone makes the point to look away."

"It sounds useful in our line of work" He shook his head, accompanying her pace towards the mountainside. A lot safer too. He could only imagine not having to rely on people for information and getting it twice as quickly. The Fifth Talon was right in keeping her out of sight. "Would surely save me a lot of headache".

"Looking to hire?" She didn't care to prevent her giddiness from bleeding into the question.

Yes. Spite shouted, coming to view at her side. The memory of the warmth he felt off her hand came back hitting him like a horse on gallop.

"If I was" His tone became a little lighter and Rook couldn't help but feel a little relieved. "What would be your cut?"

"If you keep making enough of that coffee for both of us, I'd do it for free" Adryn looked back playfully and, all of sudden, The Demon of Vyrantium, a feared legend by all of her fellow fledgelings, flustered if only by a little, started finding his feet much more interesting to look at.

[possessiveandobsessive]

A Cat for Her Crow

Pairing: Lucanis x fem!Rook

Synopsis: Lucanis Dellamorte has a soft spot for two things: cats and a certain red-headed elven mage that goes by Rook

Part 3: Chasing Cats in the City of Crows

When Rook walked into the Cantori Diamond, the full weight of what she was here to do hit her like a ton of bricks. She paused in the entryway. Was she really going to walk up to Teia and ask her what would make Lucanis feel better? What she could do to make him smile? The thought made her feel mildly ill and she nearly turned around, but Rook was doing this for Lucanis. For him, she could face embarrassment. She'd faced worse for him. 

Forcing her legs to move before she could chicken out, Rook suddenly found herself standing in front of Teia, clearing her throat to get the other woman's attention. Teia looked up at her, her expression one of surprise.

"Rook! What a surprise! What are you doing here? Lucanis should be back to your base by now, is he okay?" Teia stood as she spoke and kissed Rook on both cheeks in Antivan fashion. Rook smiled at Teia. She loved her fire and strong spirit, and she hoped that after all of this craziness with the gods and blight was behind them, Rook could get to know her better. 

"I'm not looking for Lucanis, I actually came because I wanted to ask you something." Rook told Teia, trying desperately not to sound shy or nervous.

Teia quirked an eyebrow in surprised interest. "Ask away. You are an honorary Crow in my book. I'll help however I can."

Rook felt warm hearing Teia say she was an honorary Crow. She knew that the things she had done for them were no small feats, but she never expected most of them to welcome her as family after it all. Regardless of how they felt about her, she had readily answered Treviso's call each time they needed aid before, and she would again and again without hesitation. Gaining a flock in return was just a pleasing side benefit. 

Steeling her nerves and cementing her resolve, Rook met Teia's eyes and asked, "How do I help Lucanis? I want to do something for him. He's exhausted and not sleeping. And I can tell he's sad. I just... I want to help him but I don't know how. He deserves more. I figured if anyone would know, it would be you."

Teia stared at Rook in mute shock for a moment. At her gaze, Rook felt herself blush and start to stutter an excuse of some kind, but Teia just tipped her head back and laughed. Rook's mouth fell open as she watched Teia full body laugh for what felt like an eternity but was in reality probably only a few seconds. Never in her life had she felt so embarrassed. Her cheeks were on fire and she started trying to escape the situation when Teia collected herself and grabbed Rook's hand to stop her.

"Rook, I'm sorry. I just couldn't help it. You looked so terrified over your question, and then it was about doing something nice for Lucanis! You're actively hunting and planning to kill gods, with the look on your face, I thought the question was going to have to do with some insane new revelation about how screwed we are." Teia laughed again briefly before sobering and meeting Rook's wide eyes. 

"Lucanis is a difficult person to know. He was trained as a Crow from the time he could walk, and he's done nothing but work his whole life. He doesn't let people get close and he doesn't share the most important parts of himself because of his lifestyle. Lucanis has never let anyone in. Illario, Viago and I are the closest things to friends he has, and even we know very little about how that man's mind works. There's no one who could give you insight into that man... except me." Teia flashed a wicked smile at her and leaned forward to whisper something into Rook's ear. Rook's expression morphed from confused, to surprised, to a soft smile and crinkles around her eyes.

"Thank you Teia. I owe you for this." Rook told Teia smiling. 

"Just let me plan the wedding when it's time and you can consider us even!" Teia grinned at Rook, who was now spluttering again. "Go! Go and make the big bad Demon of Vyrantium smile. Pouting and moping is unbecoming for a Crow."

* * *

Catching a cat was so much harder than Rook anticipated. After Teia told Rook about Lucanis's love for cats and how petting and being around them relaxed him, she had decided she was getting the brooding man a cat. 

The strays of Treviso were not easily tricked though, and they didn't know or trust her. Most of them allowed her to pet them, but when she went to try and hold any of them, they shot out of her arms faster than she could react. Rook was getting impatient and frustrated. How long had she been out here doing this? The sun had long since set, and she'd been chasing stray cats in the dark for hours. Rook collapsed onto a box in a random alley to rest. Wiping sweat from her brow, Rook panted lightly as she tried to get her heart rate back to an acceptable level. She was exhausted and feeling defeated. How was she supposed to save the world if she couldn't even catch a cat to make the man she- 

Rook slammed on her mental breaks. It wasn't the right time or place to dissect THAT thought and the accompanying emotions. 

As she sat still trying to restart her brain, Rook heard a soft "mew" from behind her. Slowly, she turned her head over her shoulder and was shocked to see that behind the box she was sitting on, was a black cat and 6 black kittens. 

Her eyes widened as she met the mother cat's narrowed, golden-yellow eyes. She racked her brain for what to do in order to show that she was not a threat, and finally decided to very slowly put her hand out a short distance towards the cats. She didn't infringe of their space and didn't meet the mother's eyes again, just let her hand hang in the open space between them.

Her grandmother's voice echoed quietly in her mind, "Some creatures take longer to trust, and if you want to earn it, you have to go at their pace Nya. Meet them halfway. You cannot tame a predator with force, you have to show them that you're worth their loyalty." It was funny how much her grandmother's advice for approaching the mountain lion that lived near their clan applied to these stray city cats. And to Lucanis himself she added as an afterthought.

After what felt like an eternity, she felt a soft nose on her fingers. Rook sucked in a breath and tried to stay completely still, not wanting to ruin the progress. Finally Rook felt the mother's head run on her hand and wrist, and heard a soft purr leave her. Grinning in triumph Rook pet the beautiful black cat. Her smile fell when she realized however that this did not solve her cat problem. No way she was gonna steal a kitten from this mama, and she couldn't take SEVEN CATS (could she????). No, Neve and Davrin would never allow that...

Suddenly, the mother cat jumped back down to where her small nest of kittens lay and stuck her head between the box and the wall. When she pulled her head out, she held a tiny black kitten by it's scruff. This one was smaller than the rest, and it's hair stood up in pointed tufts instead of laying smooth and straight like the others' coats. It's eyes were different too. They were violet in color, unlike the rest of the litter and the mother's golden-yellow eyes. 

Rook stared in astonishment as the kitten squirmed and fought against what she assumed to be it's mother, but was not sure anymore. It was pissed off, that was for certain. The mother struggled to hold onto its scruff as she made her way back to Rook. The cat stared deeply into Rook's eyes before depositing the world's angriest ball of fluff onto her lap. She followed this with a single, meaningful meow and jumped back down to join her other spawn. 

Rook stared down and met the gaze of the angry kitten. Violet eyes were narrowed and the hair on its back stood up extra in warning. "I..... guess this works?" Rook spoke our loud, bewildered at this turn in events. She had heard that every litter had a runt, and that sometimes the runts had difficulty surviving and thriving like the others in the wild.... Rook decided to give up and stopped trying to puzzle the odd situation out. She'd quit while she was ahead, as she knew literally nothing about cats. 

Rook briefly wondered if she was holding a baby panther instead of a kitten. It certainly seemed much fiercer than the other sleeping beans in the nest. Whatever, cat is acquired. She thought before shrugging and going to put the baby, Lucanis's new baby, into her small bag she carried. Suddenly, and faster than Rook could comprehend, her hand was slashed open on two places by the tiny demon kitten. She gasped in pain and tried to get the kitten to just lay down in the bag. It was lined with a blanket and prepared for a feline occupant.

Rook ended up with 6 more scratches on her right hand and wrist as well as her gods damned NECK, before she was able to get the menace into the bag and close it (leaving an opening for air, she wasn't an idiot). Rubbing her hand down her face in exhaustion, and wincing slightly as the scratches on her hand and neck throbbed painfully, she sighed and got up. Time to go give Lucanis his present. Though, she was starting to question whether this was a gift, or a punishment.

Part 4 Coming 11/18/24!

Part 1 here

Part 2 here

[therookandthecrow]

I headcanon that Lucanis found my Rook, Lethanavir to be extremely attractive right away, in a manner of, "Oh no, he is hot.", when he rescued him from the Ossuary, but he really began to fall for him after seeing how thoughtful, principled, reflective, compassionate he is - but firm where he needs to be, and how he owns up to his mistakes.

I think it also helps Lethanavir's case that he was kind to Spite from the get-go, because, for one, he is a Mourn Watch, and accustomed to dealing with spirits and with people in general, so he was already a good fit for becoming a group-therapist, he already has a shrink-couch. 💀

Lucanis witnesses how Lethanavir stops for each of the beggars that the team passes in Minrathous and in Treviso, and how he pets every single cat and dog that they come across. While he was a tad unnerved as an understatement, when Lethanavir showed him where he grew up - he grows to appreciate the catacombs.

Another thing, apart from that, is Lethanavir doesn't care that Lucanis is a rich, nepotism child of the Antivan Crows. He didn't care for the prestige of the position of his birth when he fell for him, but for the kind, thoughtful man that he is, and Lucanis liked how patient he was with the situation with Spite.

Spite also liking Lethanavir, and, in my headcanon, it is partially due to how he is good with spirits in general, gave Lucanis a lot of peace of mind. I like to think of some off-screen discussions that they'll have about Spite, and about how Lucanis feels about getting involved with a Mage.

Eventually, Lucanis feels comfortable in the Grand Necropolis. Not only has Lethanavir been greatly helpful to Lucanis accepting the demon within himself, but he's also helped him to be comfortable with spirits and general and the Nevarran attitude towards death.

Both Lethanavir and Lucanis have dealt in death all their lives, but amidst an apocalypse, they found one another. Lethanavir helped to dissipate Lucanis' carefully curated clouds of doom, and learned to trust, while Lethanavir, who was not looking for a relationship, outside of flirting, caught feelings for Lucanis.

[murdasblog]

I found a spirit cat in Treviso!

[luzial]

Since it was very relevant to my current interests, I had to go back and snap a few photos of these two.

[teine-mallaichte]

WIP Wednesdsay - 29/01/25

So... I found a spirit cat in Treviso and this led to an idea and now a new (hopefully shortish) fic has begun for Storm 'Rook' Hawke 😂

"I have returned."

Anders sighed, wiping his hands on a nearby cloth. Here we go again. Ever since they discovered that Justice could separate from him for short periods and travel across Thedas in the form of a cat—using the Fade to cover great distances—a habit had formed. Justice, ever the dramatist, insisted on announcing his comings and goings. "You know I can feel it when you’re back, right? You don’t have to be so... Dramatic."

"My apologies," Justice's voice resonated in his mind, calm and deliberate. "I have located the firstborn."

"Storm," he corrected sharply, resuming his task of slicing the carrot in front of him. "Just call him Storm. Or my son. Not ‘your firstborn,’ like it’s some kind of title."

"He is your firstborn," Justice countered, unperturbed. "A fact you should not ignore, regardless of how complicated your relationship may be."

Anders’ knife paused mid-slice. He exhaled through his nose, "Just- How is he?"

"He is in Treviso, in Antiva. Traveling with companions—an elf, a human, and… a demon. The human is its host."

The knife clattered against the cutting board as Anders froze, his chest tightening. "A demon?" he hissed. "And you didn’t think to lead with that?"

"I deemed the sequence of information appropriate," Justice replied, unruffled. "The host shows no signs of instability or loss of control. There is no immediate threat."

"Stable. Right. That’s what I said about us before…" He shook his head, his voice dropping to a mutter as he cut himself off. "And Varric?"

"I did not see the dwarf," Justice said. "If he was present, he eluded me."

Anders closed his eyes, exhaling a slow, measured breath. His fingers tapped against the counter as he tried to piece things together. "Let me get this straight: Storm is traveling with a host to a demon of Spite, and Varric - the one who was supposed to keep him out of trouble - is nowhere to be found?"

Justice offered no response.

Anders pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead. "Maker help me. How does he even find himself in these situations? It’s like he’s cursed to stumble into chaos."

"It is not chaos he seeks, but purpose," Justice said. "What seems like chaos is, in truth, the ripple of larger forces at work."

Anders let out a bitter laugh. "Great. My son’s a magnet for destiny. How reassuring."

Justice said nothing, and Anders returned to slicing the vegetables. "We can’t tell Autumn about this."

"Usually, no," Anders admitted. "But in this instance? Absolutely. Because if she finds out, she’ll have us packed and halfway to Antiva by the end of the week."

"You would have us lie to her?"

[blackbutterflyrift]

Rook Headcanons

Damari “Rook” Ingellvar

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Here are some general headcanons of Damari that like to bounce around in my brain. I wanted to share them with you all so please bear with me. They’re kind of all over the place and this went on a bit longer than I intended but I hope you enjoy them~

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

- Community raised by the Watchers but was usually Myrna or Vorgoth’s responsibility. So they’re the closet thing to parents she has.

- Generally a calm child overall but was often giving the Watchers a run for their money when she would disappear into the Necropolis again.

- “Has anyone seen Damari?? Don’t tell me she disappeared again! She was supposed to light the candles in the Memorial Gardens!”

- The Watchers usually found her by following the sound of her singing echoing through the Necropolis.

- The spirits like to listen to her singing/music so she’s usually being followed by a bunch of wisps.

- Sometimes the spirits will hide her from the Watchers looking for her just to hear her music a little longer.

- One little spirit of kindness has been attached to her for as long as she can remember so she helped build a body for it ultimately becoming Marrow. Her pet skeleton cat. The two were inseparable until the day the Watchers sent her away with Varric.

- Though she’d rather spend her time in the gardens or with spirits, Myrna made sure she was well trained in etiquette and dancing. Had to make sure she’d be able to hold her own at any of Nevarra’s fancy parties.

- While she wasn’t really a fan of all the posh and glamour, she did enjoy the dancing and desserts; and she could handle intrigue when it came her way. At the very least, she knew when to be discreet.

- Marrow was still waiting for her at the Necropolis when she came back to recruit Emmerich for the Veilguard. Of course she took her back to the Lighthouse after that.

- Spite tried to eat Marrow the first time they met. Rook instinctively slapped him in reprimand only to immediately apologize profusely to Lucanis as it was his face that got slapped.

- Marrow can talk but usually prefers not to. She’ll speak only to those she trusts and hopes won’t react poorly.

- So far that’s only Rook, Emmerich, Myrna, Vorgoth, and Lucanis/Spite. Rook totally teased Lucanis the first time Marrow spoke to him.

- Definitely uses necromancer humor to her advantage.

- “Back off! I’m armed! *whips out a skeleton arm to slap people with*”

- She absolutely adores Assan and dragons. She will hug Assan any chance she gets. Every time the team has to face another dragon, Rook will definitely be starry eyed for a second.

- “Mierda! Not another dragon!” “*excitedly* Another dragon!! 🤩”

- On that note she definitely stops to pet the stray cats in Treviso and Minrathous whenever she can.

- For some reason wisps change shape around her. Most commonly into butterflies. Especially when they stick around her for a while. (There actually is a reason but I’m not going into that just yet ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ)

- The Watchers thought it was strange at first but after a little research they realized the change wasn’t hurting the wisps so they paid it no mind.

- Rook doesn’t knowingly change their shape. It just happens. She thinks it’s really cute though. She likes dancing and playing with them regardless of whatever shape they take.

- She can’t see Spite yet but she can feel when he’s around. Especially when he’s hovering close to her.

- Although she was raised on a vegetarian diet, she is not vegetarian herself.

- She wasn’t a fan of Nevarra’s obsession with tea either. Sure she eventually figured out which tea she liked most but she always preferred coffee or cocoa.

- She has a major sweet tooth. The day Lucanis made that hazelnut torte paired with her favorite drink, she nearly burst into tears. It tasted like home.

- A bit embarrassing in the moment cause she hates crying in front of others but she let it slide since they were happy tears.

- Speaking of which she is extremely emotional. Usually she has a pretty good handle on her emotions and can laugh off the serious ones; but a lot of the time she gets teary eyed when her emotions become overwhelming.

- If she feels like she’s about to start crying, she will step away for a moment to recompose herself. Very few people get to see her at her most vulnerable.

[jazzmckay]

davg day 6:

if anyone needs me i will be over here lying on the floor

i'd already collected all the wolf statuettes apparently so as soon as i got the last from the inky (!!!!!!) i was able to view all the regrets back to back to back to back....

so yes. the floor. im a fun mix of excited and overwhelmed and heartbroken. stunned to find a ton of my headcanons are now actual canon. how intense. poor solas, jfc, but also shiiiiiit the dagger and the titans, thats so damn rough. i understand why lace is as angry as she is. the dwarves absolutely got the worst deal ever here. they are, after all, the ones who have to deal with the darkspawn all the time, not just during a blight. i took so many screenshots during all this.... i loved that the whole team got together like a damn book club to discuss solas' worst memories omg... rip to solas he's been mega exposed. the mortifying ordeal of being known. but my rook is absolutely sympathetic. i'm constantly wishing i could go talk to him whenever i want :( solas :(((( (id REALLY like to write a missing scene where rook goes to talk to him after minrathous vs treviso because who the fuck else would understand the weight of dooming innocents on such a scale? part of her sympathy is because i, the player, am sympathetic, but i also think the harder being a leader gets, the more she understands the complexity of the choices he made)

the topic of curing the titans came up..... houghhh is it really possible? will it happen in this game? aAaAAA

and then im meeting someone in the crossroads with morrigan, who she called "she". am i about to meet mythal? in spirit form after solas took her power at the end of dai??? i realize i can get this answer as soon as i want lmao but theres soooo much i want to do at the same times always!!!!

TAASH. i need to know everything about you RIGHT NOW

during all these sequences, i found myself so intrigued by everything taash had to add. theyre actually... really fucking smart? brains AND brawn? my DUDE thats hot. i got this vibe from the "taash talks" stuff as well. there is so much to them beneath the Brutal Warrior vibe

also i got a giggle out of taash immediately being like "they were fucking" about solas and mythal, and i got approval for agreeing "oh they were definitely doing it" sdfgmf incredible

i did indeed get a continuation about taash's gender issues and i'm so in love.... it's actually really wonderful to see a character still figuring it out instead of already knowing. cathartic. the struggle of feeling "not normal" and having a different response to gender things than others. simply not having the frame of reference or the terminology, just knowing theres this Feeling. can't wait to see how it plays out

the way solas was responsible for this with the titans and then when he woke up in the current world with the veil, he felt like it HAPPENED AGAIN.... ACCIDENTALLY. TO HIS OWN PEOPLE im going to scream. the way its linked to tranquility. screaming and screaming and

honestly all of this was delicious in a ton of ways, including lace, bellara, and davrin just being present, leaning all this about the dwarves, the elves, and the blight. bellara and lace relating over the need to reevaluate so much of what they understood..... hhh and davrin probably now understands more about the blight than any other warden ever.

when bellara mentioned that solas might be able to possess someone to escape the fade my pupils went blown like an excited cat lol literally instantly "POSSES ME, SOLAS....."

yes yes we're supposed to be wary, we're expecting him to betray us of course of course but listen. rook and solas could be in one body fighting this together as a little treat. im just SAYING

so after this i did emmrichs personal mission in the necropolis gardens, which was fucking beautiful. i do actually find cemeteries really peaceful, personally. ive been to some old canadian ones and had a great time sitting in the grass between the headstones and writing in my journal. so i loved this very much. walked around quite a bit, not sprinting at all, just taking it in and doing the side quest there

also emmrich and bellara are team "upbeat and kind, reveal their traumatizing backstory, then go back to normal like that never came up!" omg they.... i wish there was a "hug companion" button

i went to the anderfels after but i was feeling a bit overstimulated with all the stuff i learned! but i will def play more later because i am dying to find out more

[rom-e-o]

So, if she's got a sweet relationship with Manfred, I suppose I have to bring in Neve.😅

Give me her deets!

Ohhh, I'd be delighted! So Neve (and Emmrich) were actually both introduced in a book first, not a game. It's called "Tevinter Nights." Lucanis was also introduced, as were Teia, Viago, Antoine, Evka, Strife, Manfred ... lots of people in Veilguard got their start in a little book from 2020, haha.

When the first Veilguard trailer dropped, I went, "...WAIT A SEC, I KNOW THOSE NAMES" and DUG this book out from my shelf, haha. Emmrich's last name was 'Volkahrin' in the book, to give you an idea.

So, Neve. Neve Gallus is a private detective in Dock Town, which is basically a 'slum' in Minrathous (Tevinter's capital). She's like a people's detective - when the authorities won't help (or you can't pay them to) she'll take on your case. Minrathous is also a mage-centric society. If you're not a mage, or a wealthy one? People don't care. For those people in need, Neve is like Sherlock meets Batman. She's also a member of the Shadow Dragons, who hunt Venatori agents to stop their abuse and attempts to resurrect their false gods/prophets to make Tevinter the ultimate paradise and destroy/enslave everyone else. (One of those gods was Corypheus, who was once a human Tevinter Magister by the name of Sethius Amladaris. He is defeated in Inquisition, and Elgar'nan takes his place in Veilguard and begins to recruit Venatori cultists for his cause.)

We learn from "Tevinter Nights" that Neve is a detective tracking down members of the Venatori (particularly a Venatori agent named Aelia) with Rana, Jahvis, and Brom. All three are Templars she tipped off and recruited to help. A mission goes wrong, and Brom dies.

In Veilguard, she is in your party from the start. Rook, Varric and Harding get Neve's help because she knows inside info about Solas from her investigations in the city.

Later in the game, Rook can choose to 'harden' Neve by saving Treviso over Minrathous, and even encourage her to become a member of the Threads (an underground crime syndicate) OR to work with Rana as a team to continue solving cases in Dock Town. Emmrich approves of staying with Rana, and disapproves of her allying herself with the Threads.

So, why does Manfred like her so much?

Neve's office is FILLED with wisps. Wisps are curious entities, and she's a detective. She asks questions. She notes details. They're drawn to her energy. Manfred, a spirit of Curiosity, also senses it. He frequently goes to her room to look for and play with wisps. He also does tasks for her like helping mend her clothes. She also nicknames him 'Fred.' Manfed has never liked nicknames (Nadia, in a the V&V podcast, gets hissed at for the nickname, and Emmrich says he doesn't take well to them). But Auntie Neve is special, haha.

If you romance Emmrich, Manfred even brings Neve the dinner menu from the romantic dinner he takes you on, haha.

At first, she's wary of Emmrich and Manfred. She warms up to Manfred and Emmrich both, even recruiting Emm to help her solve a murder case. BUT if Emmrich becomes a lich, she openly disapproves, and routinely comments on missing Manfred.

Other fun facts: She also LOVES fried fish. It's all she eats. And she makes TERRIBLE coffee. Neve can also date Lucanis if you encourage them. Some don't like them together, but think they're a cute couple! If you ask Neve to do the wards at the end of the game, Lucanis is SO PISSED and worried for her. And Spite misses her too.

And you can get approval points with her by petting cats.

I adore her, haha.