Companions as the MC recap
So over my twitch (twitch.tv/ADLegend21) I did a Dragon Age series where I played a world state where companions were the main characters of the various games. I didn’t want and overlap where said companion was in the same game or was elsewhere in a game so no DAO companions were eligible to be Hawke since Hawke leaves lothering in DAO which also meant that no DA2 companions could be the HOF since the games overlapped.
I went with the roster of Blackwall/Thom Rainer as the Hero of Ferelden, Vivienne De Fer as Hawke, and Zevran “Lavellan” Aranai as the Inquisitor.
Warden Rainier
For the headcanon, Rainier fled to Ferelden since that’s where Blackwall took him to join him and he was in Highever when the Couslands were attacked. Howe did manage to get the family, but Rainier met up with Duncan who continued what Blackwall wanted and brought Thom to the joining, while Thom was set on avenging the Couslands because they showed him a kindness when he deserved none. He survived and recruited Morrigan and Leliana after leaving Ostagar with Alistair. Rainier is big on peaceful conflict resolution and redemption because of his backstory. He’s been on the bad side of politics twice now with his own mistake and seeing the Cousland’s fall to Howe in a similar way to the Caliers. This lets him recruit Sten in Lothering so he can offer the Qunari the redemption that he himself is also after. When finding out news in Denerim he stumbles upon Genetivi and pursues the Urn of Sacred ashes first and a clash with Sten. The two come to respect the others abilities and they rescue Genetivi and obtain some of the ashes as a reward for protecting them from the Cult.
Zevran is also recruited as a means to gain the upperhand on Loghain and a way to watch out for more Crows. Shale is also recruited and Morrigan starts to complain about her tent being “cold”
Rainier then goes to recruit the Mages since their near Redcliffe and having mages will give more help in recruiting the Arl, only for Broken circle to happen. At first he goes in with some intent to help the annulment, but Wynne convinces him to rescue as many mages as possible and they are succesful. The fade is actually a walk in the park for Rainier because of his combat focus. He and his companions defeat Sloth and gain the Litany which helps recue Irving and the other mages. Cullen isn’t regarded for his opinion on the mages.
With the Mages and the Ashes, Redcliffe is a cake walk. Rainier defends the town from the undead onslaught and with the Mages, Wynne is able to defeat the Demon possessing Connor and with the Ashes in hand, Eamon is healed.
While Eamon recovers, the Dalish are found and their conflict with the werewolves really plucks at Rainier’s heartstrings. His desire for peaceful conflict resolution rally comes through and he manages to get Zathrian to end the curse.
When it comes time for Orzammar, Rainier initially is against Bhelen because of the news from Harrowmont of Bhelen’s coup against his siblings. Harrowmont wants to keep Orzammar’s traditions intact and not let Bhelen run roughshod. That all changes when he meets Zerlina in dust town. Seeing a mother and child left to scraps all because of the caste system hits the same nerve that his story about the Dog does. An infant being left to die when there’s something he can do about it spurs him to eventually side with Bhelen because of his feelings on the casteless He defeats Branka and gives Shale the backstory she needs to find herself and also brings Oghren along, unfortunately. Bhelen is crowned King of Orzammar and he promises his army and the Legion of the dead.
Morrigan and Rainier become official official after he gives her Flemeth’s Grimoire and she gives him a ring to find him. They had found love in the middle of what felt like the End of the World. Those poor Fools.
The Landsmeet saw a rout of Loghain politically. Rainier avenged the Couslands with intent, killing Howe after declaring his mission to do so as complete. The Landsmeet ruled in favor of Rainier and he defeated Loghain in the duel.
However, he agreed with Riordan that Loghain should be submitted to the Joiining. Alistair hated that. It became the dealbreaker for him and he forsook ruling with Anora to see Loghain killed, but left with his life instead as Rainier refused to allow Anora to execute Alistair instead. Loghain survived and became a Grey Warden.
Morrigan and Rainier made love on the even of battle and completed the dark ritual as a byproduct. Together they slew the Archdemon and parted for a time.
Rainier enjoyed his time as Warden Commander of Fereldan. Building the wardens back to the respectable force they were and was able to protect both Amaranthine, and Vigils keep. He ultimately vanished as he began to search for a cure for the calling the Architect.
Vivienne Hawke
For the Headcanon, Vivienne was a friend of Malcolm’s while they were both in circles and she receives a letter from him after he arrives in Lothering when Bethany is born (no older Hawke sibling, the twins are born ‘first’) She comes to Lothering to help get Bethany some training when the Darkspawn win at Ostagar. She flees with the family, though Bethany perishes when the Ogre attacks them. Vivienne sticks with the family to help Flemeth in exchange for passage to Kirkwall and becomes a Hawke in Lieu of returning to the Circle after she hears that it’s thought that she perished in the Blight.
Vivienne contemplates joining the circle at the Gallows, after all she was first Enchanter, but after meeting Anders and seeing what was done to Karl, she resigns herself to remaining an apostate because she knows her time away from the circle would cause Meredith to use the brand on her and that is unacceptable. She has no issues controlling her power and she’s invested in returning the Amell estate to the Hawke family and Leandra even offers her a place in it.
Despite her own feelings toward Meredith, she does encourage other apostates to return to the circle. Their fates are closely watched by Vivienne, especially when she leaves Carver off the expedition team to take care of Leandra and he joins the Templar Order.
A few years into living in Kirkwall she helps Sebastian Vael avenge his family and they become as close as a dashing rogue and a mage can be. She does her best to help mediate the situation between the Qunari and the Viscount, evening earning the title of Basilt-An from the Arishok until he attacks the city.
Vivienne can no longer hide her magic once the rest of the nobles in the city see her face the Arishok in single combat and come out victorious after Isabela returns to Kirkwall. when Meredith learns of this, they stand in unison to anoint Vivienne as the Champion of Kirkwall, thus making her untouchable to Meredith without a Viscount.
Vivienne still plays it safe when dealing with matters of magic. She doesn’t abide by blood mages and tries to keep people from turning to it at any cost, especially after Leader was murdered by Quentin. She is duped by Anders because she wanted to help him seperate from Justice but despite her willingness to aid the templars, she stands firmly against Meredith when she calls for the rite of Annulment when Anders, a Grey Warden, destroys the Chantry. She immediately comes to the aide of the circle in it’s hour of need and is ‘betrayed’ by Orsino (Varric lies to protect him and says Vivienne killed him) and she slays Meredith at the Gallows
Because of her connection to the Hawke family, the Carta mistakes her for a blood Hawke and she and Carver eventually uncover Corypheus and kill him the first time which then sends her on the run and out of Cassandra’s clutches.
Zevran “Lavellan” Aranai
After eliminating most of the Antivan Crows, Zevran takes up with a Dalish clan in the free marches in between DA2 and Inquisition. For the headcanon he helps protect Clan Lavellan from bandits and they offer him a place in the clan. When they hear of the Mage Rebellion and the conclave, they send him to investigate since he has knowledge of the situation and of human cultures so he can fit right in. This leads him to Corypheus’ ritual and gaining the anchor in the explosion.
For the headcanon, Leliana recognizes him which prevents Cassandra from killing him and she vouches for him which allows them to close the rift partially and work the with Inquisition.
He immediately hits it off with Josephine as she works to clear his name of killing the Divine with magic since he is no mage.
A funny thing happens after Val Royeaux.
Zevran finds his old friend Thom Rainier in the Hinterlands under the name of a different Warden and runs into the Champion of Kirkwall at an Orlesian Ball. In the headcanon Rainier is working with Avernus on the cure and stayed in Ferelden with the Drydens and Vivienne returned to court under her previous name claiming to have stayed with the Avaar to help them fight the Blight. Cassandra was almost none the wiser until Varric needed Vivienne to talk about Corypheus. Leliana was also overjoyed that her friend was still alive.
Zevran chooses to side with the Mage rebellion, having rebelled against an institution himself he can sympathize with their blight and doesn’t want to leave them in servitude to a Magister like Alexius. He gives them their freedom because he’s seen what mages can do when they work for a common cause.
He happily accepts the position of Inquisitor and works with Leliana to understand The Game to make sure Corypheus can’t overthrow Orlais for the moment. Halamshiral’s wintersend ball ends with a public truce between Gaspard Briala and Celene and Florianne as the Jester at Skyhold.
Vivienne and Loghain team up to track the Wardens to Adamant Fortress and there Loghain finally receives the death Alistair wanted for him all along, but this time it is to slay an enemy of the Wardens in the Nightmare.
Zevran took a liking to the Dalish Culture, finally seeing the things his mother believed in and felt a kinship to it, so when he learns about the Temple of Mythal and the well fo Sorrows, he takes it for himself after following the rituals, unlike the Red Templars and Samson. He partly does this to needle Morrigan and he boasts about it to her until they meet Mythal who happens to be Morrigans mother.
Zeveran also falls head over heels for Josephine a woman who feels like home to him because of their Antivan heritage and because she’s just plain wonderful to be around. Leliana is of course very protective of her friends and in the headcanon warns them both, but they just laugh and tease her for caring about them, lovingly of course. After Corypheus is defeated Zevran meets the previous Inquisitor in the Frostback mountains and it gets in his head that the world has taken much from him in both the fifth blight and the fight against Corypheus. He doesn’t know ho much longer he can stay in the spotlight and be the hero.
When Leliana calls the exalted Council two years after becoming Divine, Zevran and his mark dutifully step up to stop the Qunari invasion and after losing this left hand to Solas, he disbands the Inquisition as it is finally time for him to just live.
Conclusion
All in all this was an interesting Run. I was surprised that characters got along when I didn’t expect them to. Vivienne was maxed friendship with both Merrill and Anders somehow despite their opinions on Circles and Magic. I was surprised that Blackwall and Morrigan both ended up together, but knowing how he is in Romance made it all fit for them. Zevran and Sera got along great despite him being Elfy and of course he got along with the companion versions of the MC’s he knew. He obviously would want Leliana as Divine since they were friends and his appreciation for Dalish culture ends up having him be the vessel for the well of Sorrows. I might end up doing this kind of series again with different characters just to see how things pan out. IF you read this far, Thanks! Also gimme a follow over on twitch for more fun streams!
