Journey for Grace

My Dragon Age addictions comes to life in writing... Deal with it!

[journeyforgrace]

Just a GIF

[redredribbon]

hey guys, i’m not sure, but i think the devs are hinting that there might actually be more to do in the game than the hinterlands. could be wrong though.

[becausedragonage]

I’m not sure. I think they’re being a little vague there. And there’s so much to do in the Hinterlands…

[delicorne]

Change is coming to the world. Many fear change and will fight it with every fiber of their being. But sometimes, change is what they need the most. Sometimes, change is what sets them free.

[journeyforgrace]

I'm really nervous about Inquisition but I still can't help but to get REALLY excited to step into a new part of Thedas. Sometimes change is what sets us free... If Inquisition doesn't work out we'll always have amazing Origins to return to but from what I've seen Inquisition has been recieved as a great game. Let's enjoy it! Hype!

[dakkun39]

ハロウィン用で描いた浮世絵風(ukiyo-e style)、思いがけず沢山の方に気に入っていただき驚いたのなんのって、ありがとうございます。 そんな訳で他のキャラも描いてみました。

[journeyforgrace]

Amazing.

[ageofdragon]

The Last Court is now available on the Dragon Age Keep! Go check it out, it will be under your Tapestry sidebar and you may need to logout out and log back in.

Play as an Orlesian Noble and decide the fate of Val Royeaux, in The Last Court. 7 days worth of game to keep you busy in your slowly decreasing wait for Dragon Age Inquisition.

(Note: Because of this release, the servers may be taxed and you may encounter the Queue It function of the Keep, but it should be a worthwhile wait.)

[journeyforgrace]

Very interesting... I see a familiar face.

[fuckyeahvarric]

Supportive Tiny Varric

Because I know I’m not the only one feeling sad right now. <3

[journeyforgrace]

She branded her face and dyed her hair on the second night after leaving her home in Highever. The realization that everything around here was quickly changing did not evade her and she was a smart enough girl to know that she would be forced to change as well. It scared her. Nothing was the same, and would never again be that way. Her home lay in ruin, her friends and family was cold as the grave, just as she now felt. There was no warmth radiating from her eyes as it always had been before. Too much pain and agony wrestled her heart into submission and she felt the cold grasp of grief upon her shoulder. She decided that dyeing her golden hair would reduce the risk of being recognized and it would help her to distance herself to that which she identified herself with. It would bring her farther from herself and right now that was what she needed. She could no longer be who she had been, there was too much baggage connected to her sense of self so she had to leave it behind. The thought of the branding had come from one of Aldous' lessons about The Dwarven Caste System. She had remembered that those named “Casteless” by the rest of the society had their faces branded so that they could be kept apart from the rest. She had lost her family and everything that she knew, even her purpose. That is what made her consider herself casteless. Dyeing her hair was something that would make her fit in, while branding her face were something that would make her stand out. The searing iron hurt, but she did not scream when she pressed it against her skin. The exterior pain was a welcome change. She had severed the connection to her past self as much as she could before she arrived at Ostagar. Her heart was filled with anxiety and dread for that which was to come. She could not know what to expect but knew that even though the future was uncertain and filled with unimaginable terrors she had survived this long. The cold enveloped her and even though her heart was cold as ice she had never felt more fragile in her entire life.

[journeyforgrace]

"The first time I faced one I wasn't prepared for how monstrous it would be..."

[ankalime]

everybody stop what you’re doing and think of Zevran as a father

[journeyforgrace]

Really... Stop what you're doing right now and think of it. O.o

[journeyforgrace]

Can't decide what picture to use for the next part of the story. Any opinions?

[journeyforgrace]

Grace Cousland had in one night lost everyone that she knew, almost everyone. Fergus, her elder brother, was still alive as far as she knew, she had prayed to the maker every night since they had fled the castle, that he would keep her brother safe from harm and whatever the treacherous arl might have had planned for him. Fergus could hold his own against any opponent in single combat at tournaments but between the darkspawn and the arl, both foes he'd never faced before, praying seemed pivotal. There was nothing else she could do for her beloved brother now, it was in the maker's hands. It felt strange – Knowing that she would never again get to hear her mothers voice or be called to her father's side, but she could not dwell on those thoughts for long, she had a task ahead of her. She had promised her father vengeance and nothing had ever before clouded her mind as it did. Before she fled her home she had taken the family arms from the treasury, she knew that she could not receive her vengeance with Temperance strapped to her wrist. The family sword and shield would be a means to an end; an end to arl Rendon Howe.

[journeyforgrace]

Playing with Fire

History would remember that night. The night that Ferelden lost one of it's two teyrns to a treacherous arl who thought to advance himself as the land was plunged into chaos by the threat of an approaching blight. Grace could not think of the events that had transpired just a few nights before, the screaming echoed in her head, the sound of a piercing arrow rang in her ears and she woke up sweating but not because of the heat radiating from the campfire. Duncan, Commander of the Grey, who had helped her escape with her life to make sure that arl Howe's treachery would not go unnoticed, patrolled the small campsite but was not present in mind. He looked deprived of strength and fortitude, as if he had been awake for weeks on end. They hadn't talked much since their escape from Cousland Castle, they did not feel the need to and both were preoccupied with trying to subdue their own tormented thoughts.

Ostagar was not far of on the horizon. The chill in the south crawled along Grace's spine as she gazed into the campfire and saw the fires of war raging within, the same flames burned within her, but no flame of fire could ever hope to scorch one as the flame of vengeance.

[journeyforgrace]

[journeyforgrace]

Way of the Sword

Grace Cousland trained hard every night out in the castle's courtyard. Not a single day went by that she didn't wield Promise and Temperance as she honed her skills as a warrior. So dedicated was she to training that her blade and shield became a part of her being. Nobody could remember seeing her without them. The common folk: cooks, gardeners, masons, servants and maidens believed her to be obsessed, or worse, possessed by the blade.

How a young girl could spend most of her waking hours practicing her sword work in the courtyard, fiercely striking her opponent and deflecting blows with her shield, was beyond most to comprehend. She knew about the whispers and rumors that spread around the castle among the commoners but she did not heed any of it. They were not warriors, thus they could not hope to understand the vast amount of discipline and dedication that she had to invest in her craft.

She did not wield a sword because she dreamed of striking down terrible foes or to gain fame nor glory, it was not about that. She wielded her blade because she became confident by doing so. Her blade belonged to her as much as she belonged to it, this was one of the first lessons that she was taught as a young lass in training by the way of the sword and shield. Her father, Bryce Cousland, had not hesitated to teach even his young daughter how to take up arms but always made sure to remind her why.

“There might come a day when you'll be forced to take up responsibilities way above what you believe yourselves to be capable of. Knowing how to wield the sword will not help you how to rule, but it will give you the confidence to face any and all challenges, no matter their magnitude. You'll be a warrior equal to the best of Knights, pup. If you can achieve that, you can achieve anything! So strike down your fears and doubts just as you would strike down anything that threatens our home, then you'll be a grand leader one day, pup. Never you doubt your abilities.”

He'd said to her on that faithful day that she was presented with her first suit of leather armor with the Cousland crest inscribed on the chest piece. Donning that light piece of equipment for the first time were one of the few moments in young Grace's life that she felt the touch of pride upon her delicate skin, and did not shudder.

[journeyforgrace]

The dog that bit.

“Before our fathers' fathers came down from the mountains a warhound was born to the elder bitch of a tribal chief. They named him Hohaku and gave him everything. He grew up a fine, strong pup, destined to be the partner of the chief's eldest son. Hohaku grew prideful. The young hound became arrogant, taking food from his kin and warning them – in the way of dogs – that the chief's family would punish them if they tried to attack him. Years passed, and the time for the chief's son to take a war hound came closer. Hohaku's pride swelled, and many people of the tribe came to the chief, quietly whispering of his dog's bullying. With each complaint, the chief saw only Hohaku's strength and pride, and sent his people away. But as his son grew, the chief watched more closely. The day might come when his boy's life would depend on this dog. If the humblest of his people would not trust Hohaku, how could he?

When the day came, Hohaku sat proudly, waiting to be called. But the old chief chose Hohaku's brother as his son's hound. Hohaku was shamed, but felt no remorse. So great was his rage that he darted across the fire pit and bit the chief's hand. The chief and his son struck at Hohaku, cursing him. The hound ran into the village, seeking shelter in the tents and kennels. The other dogs snapped at him, and the tribes people threw stones at him. Before the chief could reach him, the tribe had torn Hohaku apart."

She had heard the tale many times as a young lass. It was Nan's favorite story to tell around bedtime. She knew that the young Couslands needed to understand what price one could pay for their pride. They would one day lead men and women in battle, they would rule over their banns and care for their people. If they lost the faith of their people because of personal pride then they would have lost their legacy. She knew the children had grown tired of hearing the same story time and time again but boring them was a small price to pay to make sure that the moral of the story would never be forgotten by the young Couslands. Fergus named his mabari Hohaku but did not contemplate the meaning of the name. Grace however would always think about what consequences could come out of abusing the power that she one day might wield. She promised herself never to take advantage of her position and let others pay for her deeds... Thus she named her blade: Promise. Instead of pride she wielded it with Temperance, her trusty shield.

[journeyforgrace]

Dreams of Grace

The battle of the larder was over with and the cobblestone floor within Highever Castle ran red with blood, rats' blood. Grace Cousland and Ser Gilmor had to make due with slaying rats instead of battling darkspawn as the rest of the castle's soldiers soon would, when the army marched south to assist the king's forces at the fortress of Ostagar. They both dreamed to be more than pest controllers... Ser Gilmor dreamed of joining the fabled Grey Wardens, but Grace? That's another story entirely and as the coming events sealed her fate – What she wanted did not matter. She had a higher calling.