#warden constable blackwall

[salroka]

After you pick up the codex about Blackwall being in Val Chevin during the blight, I wish there was an option to be like "hey bud why'd you lie to me?"

[thewardenisonthecase]

hum....now that I've been made aware that *apparently* Blackwall dies if you make him a Grey Warden what if I add even more tragedy to Asala's story....

[revvethasmythh]

blackwall's whole situation is hilarious to me because he's posing as the warden-constable of orlais and this is never interrogated by anyone. what the fuck do you mean the warden-constable of orlais is chilling in my adventuring party after apparently being no-contact with any other wardens for multiple years and was found living in fereldan for some reason. leliana has a file of warden-constable blackwall's speech to his soldiers (in orlais!) during the fifth blight when blackwall outright tells you he was in fereldan during the blight and then after the truth comes out cullen is like "yeah even leliana didn't know blackwall was lying because she has a blind spot when it comes to the wardens". girlfriend that is not a blind spot that is a black hole. do we not communicate did i not tell you that blackwall said he was in fereldan. what breakdown in communication had to occur to allow this ruse to continue

also if he's the warden-constable of orlais that means he's clarel's second in command and this NEVER comes up. you leave the warden contact behind in the fade and some junior warden scuttles up to you like, "but we have no one left of any significant rank!" okay well the guy claiming to be warden-constable is literally stood five feet to my left, how's that. no one's ever like "hey blackwall wanna take over command of the remaining wardens" despite the fact that his own cover story outright makes him their commander. like the way blackwall lies is hilarious but also he should NOT have feasibly been able to get away with this. claiming to be the warden-constable is a level of audacity rarely witnessed in nature. what the fuck even happened here

[felassan]

Note: Silverite Wings of Valor

"Silverite Wings of Valor Not all stories must end in sacrifice. For an act of selfless bravery and on the recommendation of Alisse Fontaine, Commander of the Grey, we award the Silverite Wings of Valor to Warden Gordon Blackwall. Where seven of our own might have perished, all now live."

A reference to Warden-Constable Gordon Blackwall - the man who recruited Thomas Rainier - and his heroism after the Fifth Blight, from the Library at Weisshaupt Fortress.

[unreadpoppy]

inquisition thoughts

ok who decided to make this game open world. Just why. There's too much shit to do and i don't like it.

i've had dorian for 5 minutes and i'd die and kill for him. He's perfect.

KING ALISTAIR AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Nice to be back at redcliff but it looks so different than in Origins. Or maybe i'm misremembering.

anyways, corypheus showed his ass and haven was destroyed but now we're at Skyhold and i'll say, the establishing shot of skyhold was really good.

That musical scene tho....look, on it's own, it's quite something, but in context it makes no sense. Like, for me, for that to have worked, they should've established the song BEFORE because then when literally everyone began breaking into song, it'd make more sense. I have more thoughts on the song itself but it's hard to explain it in text form.

Jesus ok skyhold is big.

Cole is so precious. Cassandra and Vivienne STOP CALLING HIM A DEMON-

I love it when Blackwall is lying through his teeth, this bastard (affectionate) doesn't know shit about the wardens

once again I must bitch about the character creator because I had to ugligy my beautiful babygirl Hawke because of it and I feel so terrible. HAWKE YOU'LL ALWAYS BE THE BIGGEST HOTTIE OF KIRKWALL FOR ME 😭

Cassandra fighting Varric bc he lied about Hawke but then Varric said he did it to protect Hawke, VARRIC 😭😭😭😭😭

Blackwall grabbing the warden-constable thing and being all like cough yeah definetly its mine obviously who would have thought otherwise /sweats

STROUD! and blackwall going "i don't fear the calling" you don't even know what it is my dude

oh my god ok there's like a gazibillion companions quests that i need to do (there's solas spirit friend, there's rhys and evangeline, there's the seekers, there's dorian dad, there's samson, there's whoever the fuck is messing with josie's family)

also i hate that i know solas's reveal cause i'm actually liking him, this bastard

AYYYYY I GOT BLACKWALL ROMANCE SCENE HEHEHEHHE

everytime someone talks shit about Kirkwall I enter champion of Kirkwall mode and i1m like STOP THAT'S MY HOMEEEE

[dragon-age-codex-entries]

Codex entry: Blackwall (2/2)

"Constable of the Grey, Silverite Wings of Valor—hardly relevant now. They are Warden Blackwall's achievements, and the man we thought to be him was someone else entirely. It explains why I had scant information on Blackwall. He must have been lying low for years.

I compiled everything I had on Thomas Rainier. Read on.

Leliana"

What follows is a history of Thomas Rainier, prepared for delivery by Sister Leliana:

"Rainier was born in Markham, a city-state in the Free Marches. There is little information on his early life, but he was already a skilled warrior by the time he turned eighteen. Hoping to make his fortune, he joined the Grand Tourney, that great Marcher contest of arms. He won the melee, proving himself and earning a substantial sum of gold.

What happened to the coin Rainier won in the Tourney is a mystery. Two years later, he appeared in Orlais, no richer than at eighteen. Still, he leveraged his abilities and lingering fame to gain a place in the Orlesian army.

Rainier excelled as a soldier, rising through the ranks quickly to become a captain with a number of men under him. Rainier's men were fiercely loyal. Our sources believe that many would have gladly defied a higher command at his word. On the surface, Rainier safeguarded his men's interests, but further investigation reveals that he was primarily concerned with his own advancement and profit.

Rainier's desire to amass a fortune likely explains his involvement in the massacre of Lord Vincent Callier and his family. Our sources tell us that Rainier was approached by a chevalier: Ser Robert Chapuis. Ser Robert supported Grand Duke Gaspard's claim to the throne and wished to enter into his good graces by eliminating Lord Callier, one of Celene's staunchest allies. Chapuis hired Rainier to assassinate Callier, and offered him a great deal of coin for it. We have no reason to believe his actions were politically motivated. In the spring of 9:35, Lord Callier and his family were traveling to their summer home on Lake Celestine when their caravan was ambushed. It is unknown if Rainier realized that Callier would be traveling with his family. Rainier and his men slaughtered Lord Callier and his entourage; they spared not even the children, all four under the age of thirteen.

It seems that none of Rainier's men were aware of the true reasons behind the lord's killing. They simply followed Rainier's orders. Rumors of Rainier's connection to the murders began swirling through the upper ranks of the army, and must have given him forewarning; he was gone when guards came to arrest him. His men, however, were not so lucky. Almost all were charged with treason, save a few who managed to get away.

Thom Rainier was labeled a traitor and a criminal, but remained at large until now."

[wyvernscales]

Rita was born in Orlesian-Occupied Denerim in 8:82 Blessed. When she was still very young, she was relocated back to one of her family's many estates in Val Chevin to keep her 'cultured'. Her father was a Chevalier and remained in Denerim to maintain control over Ferelden. She idolized her father, and he encouraged her to the path of becoming a Chevalier even when her mother did not. She spent much of her childhood and early adulthood training to go to the Académie, but her mother forbade her from attending. Her magic erupted particularly late, after she heard of her father's death at the hands of the Hero of the River Dane. His death hit her hard, she gradually became disillusioned with the Chevaliers entirely after seeing the way they behaved in Orlais.

Her family was wealthy and could afford to hire tutors that kept her out of the Circle. She was a quick student. The discipline she had forged in herself while training with a sword helped her immensely. Her magic was never particularly strong though, and she mostly focused on buffing her combat abilities. Because of her magic, she was discouraged from marriage, and she spent her 20s and 30s a spinster who travelled around both Orlais and Ferelden.

She was eventually recruited by the Warden-Constable of Orlais, Alisse Fontaine in 9:18 Dragon. Being part of the Order gave her a sense of purpose again, but she remained generally distant from her fellow Wardens. Her unique blend of swordsmanship and magic was invaluable in the never ending battle against the spawn. She inspired many mages in the order to learn combat skills, including one Clarel de Chanson.

When Alisse Fontaine became the Warden Commander of Orlais in 9:28 Dragon, she selected Warden Blackwall to become the Warden-Constable of Orlais. However when the time came, she nominated Rita to become the Warden-Commander of Ferelden. Her time at Vigil’s Keep reinvigorated her and showed her that she didn’t need to keep everyone at arms length. She began correspondence with de Chanson and they later became romantically involved.

[lcgacyofages]

I actually need to DISCUSS the relationship between my Arik Tabris and Eliana Mahariel.

So, in my world state, Eliana romances Alistair but he becomes king. And Arik romances Morrigan and she, well, she runs off. They're both the remaining Fereldan wardens, with Eliana as the Warden Commander of Ferelden and Arik as the Warden Constable of Ferelden. They've both lost their chances with their loves and now they both are tied to a duty. A duty they both throw themselves into.

They've got a sibling-esque support for each other, Arik making sure Eliana doesn't overwork herself to forget any regrets or second guesses she has on her choices. Eliana makes sure Arik keeps his temper in check and keeps a cool head.

They need to work together to rebuild the Fereldan Wardens. They travel around, looking for recruits after Amaranthine (Nathaniel can handle things back home while they look for wardens).

There is definitely a false rumor going around that they're involved romantically.

When Eliana goes seeking out a cure for the Taint and to stop the Calling, she entrusts Arik with being the Warden Commander of Ferelden. And then Clarel's stuff and Arik tried to stop that, but he gets locked up and can be rescued by the inquisition and joins as a warden advisor (looking at you Blackwall). And that's fun when Morrigan shows up.

But they're writing letters back and forth. They have become each other's number one support system through everything.

And by VG, they probably are feeling the Calling even stronger than before. But dammit, they're not going to let Ferelden be overrun. They're not going to let all their work they did go to waste. So they stay, they stay to fight the Blight in the South so the heroes in the north, being lead by their own handpicked Recruit Ogden Thorne, and then when the Blight changes, when the Calling ceases...

The hug the two shared was unrivaled.

[baku-usagi]

In death sacrifice

Blackwall fic!

contents: they day warden Blackwall is reborn and Thom is buried.

(authors note. Just wanted to write more content, wanted to write how I imagine this went down.)

It was a change of thinking.

A slow but sure shift in how he referenced himself. 

Dying slowly was Thom Rainier, Just like the body of the Warden constable, a man who’s eyes even in death seemed to pierce through him with empathy, and something else it would take Blackwall years to recognize as hope.

The storm coast lived true to its name and never stopped raining. That day had been much the same. Lighter than normal with the suns rays occasionally breaching through clouds like cotton curtains over a window 

The older warden had laughed and told stories of his time slaying dark spawn, and his second hand stories he’d heard of the hero of Ferelden.

Blackwall, then still Thom, hadn’t spoken as much, but had felt lighter than he had in years moving toward a goal that held honor, being part of something bigger than himself. 

“Now, Just like the hero, you have to go and collect dark spawn blood for the first part of the ritual, fret not, I’ll be close behind.” the older man had given him a slow wink, and Thom had let out a small laugh. 

“I know you can handle yourself with a blade” the warden said softly, “but blight sickness can get you if you’re careless, so we go together” he extended a hand and Thom took it, being pulled in slightly as the warden Blackwall jerked there hands in a shaking motion, a feeling of comfort for Thom.

“We’ll see you a proper warden, son”

The entrance to the deep roads felt cold, even before setting foot inside,and the smell was foul.

Thom walked in with no fear now. His cowardice before had caused suffering, this was his chance to be reinvented, and he would gladly pursue the machinations to get there.

He paused to rustle out a torch, which he lit, hearing Blackwalls tinder box click in unison with his own. 

“Together then”

He couldn’t remember anymore if it had been him, or the real warden who’d spoken the words, but they had ventured forth into the dark, lighting each other's way.

Thom knew it could take hours to get deep enough to find dark spawn, but it wasn’t more than ten minutes in, that the warden paused.

“Something isn't right, I sense something- stand ba-” before he could finish Thom watched An Ogre come barreling out of the shadows. It was huge, bigger than he could have imagined, its eyes wild and angry, so very angry. 

It crashed into the warden, knocking the breath from him.

“Warden Blackwall, no!” Thom had cried out, even as he raised his weapon to follow.

He heard the warden take a deep raggedy breath in and cry “It’s -an an-ambush, Get out!’

Thom wanted to argue but heard the clattering of armor and the awful chittering and groaning of more darkspawn just ten feet back.

He turned in time to catch the blade of a Hurlock on his shield, he dropped his shield arm, causing the beast's own driving force to push it forward stumbling, giving Thom the chance to pivot stance, and lop its head off. The dark cursed blood splattered, and in its mist another dark spawns blade came lashing out. 

“Warden!” he called again. Hearing the clattering of blades out of eyesight.

He blocked again, and then again as two more blades jolted into his shield, feeling the force jam his bones.

He Braced, stabbing out from behind his shield, he felt contact with one and some of the pressure on his shield relieved for a moment.

He peered up past his shield at a Hurlock snarling at him from the other side, before watching a beautiful silverite sword slash through the creature's head from ear to jaw. The warden looked injured and angry. 

“Get out, that's an order boy!” 

Thom wanted to protest but the tenacity in the man's eyes silenced him, 

He went to block an oncoming blade, but the warden had moved before Thom had even seen the swing.

A moment of silence passed, only a second or two he was sure, but it felt like forever as he watched the warden turn in slow motion to catch the next blade.

Thom turned and ran, fear gripping him, but not as much as the choke hold that he was still a coward even now. 

By the time he got to the entrance of the cave it was pouring heavier than before, and he stumbled out into its cold embrace, feeling it mingle with his sweat and choke out his heavy breaths.

He stood holding his knees to catch his breath, sword resting in his palm against his thigh.

He looked back over his shoulder, debating to go back, but feeling the fear hold his legs.

“Warden!” he called finally, feeling an odd sense of hysteria bite at his voice. 

“Warden Blackwall!”

There was silence, and Thom sank to his knees, facing the cave mouth.

 He should get help, but he was instead watching his mens horrified faces as the hands of murdered children lulled from the rubble of the carriage.

His breathing sounded like whimpers, heavy and burdened with the attempt not to cry.

“Oh maker” he whispered. 

“Off your knees!” he heard the warden's voice, the older man wounded and limping out with a coy smile. “You didn’t think they’d take me that easy did you?” “Oh maker!” he gasped again, rushing to his feet to hold steady the wounded man.

“Not often I get ambushed like that” when the warden spoke his words were heavy and labored.

“Guess my age is catching up with me. I’ll hear the call soon I’m sure.” 

He said it light, halfheartedly but Thom felt his heart sink.

“C’mon old man. You’ve still got some fight in you. Not often you get rammed by an ogre and survive, right?”

He offered, his face remaining pinched with effort as they worked their way up the hill.

“It happens more than you’d think” he wheezed a laugh. 

They sat at the top of a hill, breathing heavily.

“maker , we will have to try that later,” Blackwall smiled, still gripping his sword.

“Aye, I suppose we will” Thom managed to smile back.

“You still sure about wanting to be a warden? Not that you’ve a choice but-” the old man gave him another slow wink. 

Thom laughed a real laugh now. “I ran! Like a coward and you still want me for the role?” 

“No, you watched me get rushed by an ogre and you drew your blade.” 

The silence hung for a moment. “You followed orders when you turned and we both lived for it” 

The words were so authoritative Thom barely noticed himself nodding.

He closed his eyes for a moment, resting his forehead to the back of his hand, and as he looked up the world stopped.

Blackwall had a sword piercing through his shoulder, pushing through the armor. 

Slow motion again as the Alpha Hurlock behind him pulled the sword out. 

The hurlock was severely wounded, black blood oozing between his teeth as he snarled at both of them.

Blackwall fell forward and Thom tried to stand, a scream tearing from him. 

The Hurlock raised his blade again, and Thom knew he wouldn’t make it to his feet in time, he could feel the prickle of the cut to come, trying to raise his shield.

Everything stopped. 

Blackwall had moved between Thom and the Darkspawn without either noticing, the sword through his chest this time, but his sword through the Hurlocks throat.

“Warden no! Oh maker no” Thom caught his body as it fell, kicking away the corpse of the last dark spawn.

Blood pooled metallic, thin and sticky into Thoms hands. He could see Blackwall trying to speak, the fire and kindness in his eyes burning into Thom.

He cried now, tongue heavy in his mouth. 

As Blackwall slipped away Thoms dreams of a better purpose, of redemption, slipped with him.

And in the mud and the blood Thom was once again a killer and a coward. 

 He rested his head on the older man's body and wept in frustration for a moment before trying to gather himself. 

He paced in the rain, “You stupid old man! It should have been me!” he yelled, unable to hold the corpse's gaze.

“I should be dead here, not you, Maker not you!” 

He stifled another frustrated yell, shakily slicking back his hair.

“I should be..”he paused. 

“I Can be.” he managed to choke to himself, half hysterical. A good man like Blackwall deserved to live, Thom could carry the legacy, Thom could lay down Rainier, and pick up the mantle of Blackwall, not just the name, but the kindness, the honor, the hope.

And so it was a change of thinking. A slow shift in how he referenced himself. 

There was some day he lived the lie so well he forgot Thom ever existed. 

He forgot the bleeding corpse in the storm coast wasn't his own failed recruit.

This, he knew, could be his redemption. This he knew could be his hope.

[wolfsong-the-bloody-beast]

With this Inquisitor, I take him everywhere, and yeah, I imagine him screaming internally the whole way through all the Grey Warden business. 😂

Why don't you give your fellow Grey Wardens a rousing speech, Warden Blackwall of Val Chevin, Constable of the Grey, bearer of the Silverite Wings of Valor?

Goddamnit, Alistair, you're not helping at all.

[autopotion]

i’m making progress in my blackwall romance and oh. zoe and i were getting emotional about BLACKWALL. i used to hate this dude, i found him stupid and boring and nasty, but the older i get the more i appreciate the nuance and subtlety in his writing? sheryl chee you did it again. also of all the straight dude romances i’ve done in DA (which are....alistair and solas) blackwall is by far the most endearing. a lot of the story beats of his romance are similar to solas’s, but have such a different tenor? solas tries to back off but doesn’t because he knows he has power over the inquisitor and thinks that, while she’s smart and clever, he’s smarter and cleverer, and it just feels so skeezy. blackwall is like... the opposite. the inquisitor has power over him, and the inquisitor makes him feel like he has the ability to be a good person when, deep in his heart, he thinks he’ll never be a good person ever again and he’s just evil and wretched, so the inquisitor terrifies and inspires him at once. it’s really emotional ;-;

[iamthescalesofjustice]

yknow what...anders was so fucking concerned the wardens would hunt him down for deserting but like. anders. have you fucking met the grey wardens? 100% some folks out in weisshaupt got a report that you had fucked off, had a good laugh, and updated their ledgers to read ‘warden anders between posts at own discretion’ and when you turned up in kirkwall some warden clerk just marked you down as ‘liaison to kirkwall’ and that was the end of it bc being a warden is for life

[felassan]

Now in the BioWare Gear Store: Blackwall Statue

WARDEN-CONSTABLE GORDON BLACKWALL

“At the heart of it, all a Warden is a promise. To protect others... even at the cost of your own life.” - Blackwall

How does a man manage to free himself from the crushing rubbles of a collapsed tunnel, navigate through a darkspawn-infested cave, and singlehandedly save seven of his stranded grey wardens? We’re not sure how, but the effort’s worth the Silverite Wings of Valor for sure. Whether it’s recruiting new wardens, protecting the village-folk from demons or blights, or staying devoted to his warden duties, Blackwall has always been an ally that you could count on. And with this statue, we immortalize this valiant warden.

He stands on a circular base with a realistic desert surface that is detailed with a goblet and other abandoned wares. His stance seems ready to strike as he holds his embossed sword. His signature slicked-back mane and forked facial hair are detailed with streaks of grey. His leather gauntlets, tunic, and boots are recreated exactly like in the game.

The Blackwall statue is limited to just 1,000 pieces worldwide. Get yours before they’re all sold out! [full product description, source and product link]

You can get 20% off in the BioWare Gear Store on certain items til September 19th using my latest discount code BWFELLYEAH. After that date check back here for a new code! alternatively, you can use my >affiliate link<.

✧d(•̀ v•̀ )~~♪

[daitranscripts]

Revelations Pt. 1b

A Drink (Romanced)

Blackwall Masterpost

The PC approaches Blackwall in the barn.

Blackwall: Want a drink? I’ve a hankering for company.

They enter the Herald’s Rest and sit.

Dialogue options:

General: What’s wrong? [1]

Flirt: I’m liking the tormented look. [2]

General: Had enough? [3]

1 - General: What’s wrong? PC: You seem troubled. What’s on your mind? Blackwall: It’s nothing. PC: You know I’m here for you.

2 - Flirt: I’m liking the tormented look. PC: You’re brooding. Blackwall: I am not. PC: I like brooding.

3 - General: Had enough? PC: Done with the company and all the chatter, I see. Blackwall: There’s value in silence. If one says nothing, one says nothing incriminating.

4 - Scene continues.

Blackwall: I was thinking about when we went to the ruin, when we found the badge. Everything seemed clear then, like I could do anything with you at my side. “Anything.” That’s a hard word, you know? Means a lot.

Dialogue options:

Flirt: Celebrate with our friends. [5]

Flirt: Let’s go somewhere private. [6]

5 - Flirt: Celebrate with our friends. PC: We’ve good company and each other. “Anything” is just the beginning. Blackwall: Not for me. I want you to know… if there is any good in my life, it came from you. You’ve been an inspiration… and… and so much more.

Blackwall places the Warden-Constable’s badge on the table.

Blackwall: I want to be the man you think I am.

The PC looks up, and Blackwall is gone.

6 - Flirt: Let’s go somewhere private. PC: You mean a lot. Let’s get out of here.

The scene fades to the PC and Blackwall in the loft of the barn.

Blackwall: You need to know that I’m not worthy of you.

Blackwall: There’s no future for us with me as a Warden.

He hands her the Warden-Constable’s badge.

Dialogue options:

General: I want to share your burden. PC: I’m here for you no matter what comes. ㅤㅤ ㅤ

General: So live in the present. PC: You don’t know tomorrow any better than I do. One moment at a time. ㅤㅤ ㅤ

General: Don’t waste time worrying. PC: Forget tomorrow. We have tonight. Don’t waste it.

Blackwall: Then, for now, let there be nothing else. No one else. Just you and me.

They kiss, and Blackwall backs the PC up to the bed (??). The PC wakes up in the middle of the night alone.

PC: Blackwall?

Next: Missing

[dalishious]

The original Blackwall's initial job was recruiting, wasn't it? I remember that being a part of the dialoug and tbh it would make a lot of sense, since warden-commanders would have a wide variety of responsibilities and couldn't alot all their time to just recruitment. Any good leader knows how to deligate tasks to those who are more qualified after all so I would imagine that, though a warden-commander could recruit, there would also be others specifically designated with that job.

From WoTv2 (and this is about the real Blackwall, not Rainier):

In 9:28, after over a decade of service, Blackwall assumed the position of Warden-Constable, taking over for close friend Alisse Fontaine, who became Commander ofthe Grey in Orlais. After his promotion, Warden—Constable Blackwall was put in charge of operations in northern Orlais, while Warden-Commander Fontaine maintained control of the South.

Any warden could bring forward a recruit. For example, Anders vouching for Carver or Bethany in DA2 and accepted by Stroud.

[dragon-age-codex-entries]

Codex entry: Blackwall (1/2)

"I do not have much on Warden Blackwall. We know he became Constable of the Grey in Val Chevin after Warden-Constable Fontaine assumed the position of Commander of the Grey from her predecessor. He also bears the Silverite Wings of Valor, an honor bestowed upon Orlesian Wardens for deeds of great daring. The details of the act for which Blackwall earned the Silverite Wings, however, are sketchy. Grey Wardens hide their secrets well. The medal was likely awarded for a campaign to secure Deep Roads entrances within Orlais, shortly after the Fifth Blight. Several Grey Wardens lost ther lives on that campaign; perhaps more would be dead if not for Blackwall.

According to my sources, Warden Blackwall has been traveling alone for several years now. The last anyone saw him at the keep in Val Chevin, it was 9:37 Dragon. It has been completely abandoned, along with all other Warden outposts. I believe Blackwall is as curious about this disappearance as we are.

Perhaps in time, we will find answers.

Leliana"