Shallow's space

a Tumbler with no purpose

[shallow-life]

[shallow-life]

When Solas is taken to see the Prisoner; the lone survivor of the blast that left a breach in its wake. Litte did he know that he would be left with a world changing mystery.

A one-off fanfiction.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[shallow-life]

Its been a while since I talked Lily/CD Call.

But I just found out...

She's going to do a video on the incest mod.

The mod she owns...and plays.

The mod that was the birth of the "Married Siblings"

[shallow-life]

So, I have been doing a side by side playthough of Dragon Age

Basically, I am playing my Cannon Playthough, along with Alternative/ Non Cannon World state

So far, I have completed Dragon Age Origins and Dragon age 2. Both Alt playthoughs have surprised me in meny ways.

For the first ( and only time) in the decades I played this franchise: I made Loghain a Warden....it hurt to have Alistair get so angry.

Seeing how completing the Rite of Annulment in the Broken Circle quest, affected further questions was interesting.

Actually Romancing Merrill and being surprised how much I like the romance, and the complex relationship Ayden Hawke developed with Fenris was fascinating to see unfold...

Anyway

Here is what the Alternative world looks like so far:

Warden Caris Tabris

City Elf

Rogue

LI: Zevern

Killed Witherfang

Sided with the Templars

"Sophia" freed

Flemith Dead

Isolde Scarificed to save Connor

Liliana hardened

Killed Genativi

Left the ashes alone

Harrowmount king

Anvil saved

Killed Cauthreian

Anora is Queen

Loghain is a Warden

Alistair exiled

Died in the final battle

Champion Ayden Hawke

Warrior ❤️💙

Mages

LI: Merrill / Fenris (slept with)

Carver died (prologe)

Killed Wesley

Mercenary

Bethany circle

Merrill friendship

Avaline and Donnic married

Bartrend dead

Isabela ran off

Didn't fight the Arishok one on one

Varric kept the Shard

Merrill's clan Killed

Helped Talis

Sided with Liniaus

Killed Anders

Killed Fenris

I'll update this once I've completed my Alt playthough of Inquisition and Vailgaurd. I'll also post pics of my alt heroes, once this whole crazy is done.

[shallow-life]

I have made Caris the city Elf to romance either Leliana or Zevern

....he then proceeded to flirt with Morrigan

The question becomes: who to romance?

Who should Caris romance

Liliana

Morrigan

Zevern

Voting ended onApr 2

[shallow-life]

Me: I can surely turn a 100+ hour video game into a single story.

*starts outline*

Me:...ok...this is getting long...maybe if I split this into parts?

*breaks story into 4 parts*

Me: There! much more manageable

* outlines part 1, 2 and 3. gets part 4*

Me,: I am almost done outling! ....wait...this part seems a little long....

Oh god, I am going to have to add a 5th part to this!

[merrinla]

Fake dagger - Cut content

This version is different from the one in the game. Not only because the fake was created after the Blood of Arlathan quest, but also because the original dagger was crafted by Mythal herself, while in the game it was crafted by Solas.

This is mentioned in cut conversation, parts of which are in the script. The lines are sorted manually, but I didn't assign speakers here. I can only share my opinion. Bellara is the one who suggests blocking Solas' magic with a fake dagger so he can be defeated almost on equal terms. Neve can use her contacts to get what is needed for this. Emmrich suggests improving the trap by giving the fake a similar aura to the original, and making it only work if Solas turns against them. Harding believes Solas can still be persuaded. And the best person to do so is someone connected to Mythal - either the Inquisitor or Morrigan, depending on who drank from the Well of Sorrows.

We can't afford to miss anything. Like Solas. When Elgar'nan raised his Archdemon, the Veil got a little... well, wobbly. Thin. Thin enough for Solas to reach out from his prison. Any more and... He'll escape. Probably when we kill one of the gods. I'm betting it'll weaken the Veil. He's going to turn on us, right? That's what the Dread Wolf does. He's sneaky. We'll be dead tired, no shape to stop him. He'll go for the dagger. He needs it to kill the last god. But he's still going to let the Veil collapse, which will drown us all in demons and kill a bunch of people. Then don't fight on his terms. Fight on ours. How can we take away his power? Not power. Magic. We need to block his access to the magic of the Fade. Like Veil Jumpers shutting down an artifact. Bellara? I could dampen the magic... if I had the right components. I'd need pure lyrium, and the enchantments are complex. Lyrium's not a problem. I can find us the perfect piece. I did some work for the best enchanter in Minrathous. She'll give us a deal. Dagger's easy enough to duplicate, at least visually. And as Solas created the Veil, I can tie the effect to his unique resonance, to ensure it affects him. Then give him what he thinks he wants... Let him steal a fake instead. Well. It'll definitely block his magic. But it'll dampen ours, too. So. Evenly matched. Mostly. I'll take those odds. I believe I can improve our trap. Mythal crafted the original dagger herself. The fragment of her essence we recovered from the dragon will give our forgery an identical aura. I can rig some nasty enchantments to fire when he tries to use it. If Solas doesn't betray us, no harm done. But if he does... he's betrayed himself. Solas would never stand down because we gave an order. But what if we gave him a choice? Could he stop then? Yeah. It's his responsibility. He's gone too far and done too many terrible things to stop now. No. Not for us. He's doing this for Mythal. She's his family. And family gets you all twisted up. He needs to make it right... what he did to the Titans. And if family led to this, then maybe family can help. We need Mythal... the Inquisitor picked up a piece of her at the Well of Sorrows. We need Mythal... and we have her essence from the dragon, as well as someone with her memories.

There is an alternate version with the fake dagger where Solas imprisons Rook, but I'm not sure if it's related to this version.

[cerawin]

If you haven't seen this video of Zach Mendez talking about the almost-kiss in the pantry...

"Does Spite say something to make Lucanis pull away during the almost-kiss? The very presence of Spite is the reason Lucanis pulls away. He knows he's got a darkness inside him he can't control, and what is he gonna do? Entangle this person who just saved his life in all of his darkness? I think Lucanis convinces himself that he's doing it out of an act of generosity to Rook. Like, you know, 'You don't want to get involved in my stuff right now.' But in actuality, I mean, I think he's being- he's deceiving himself. He's terrified. He's terrified of the feelings he's building for Rook. So that pull-away, I think it has something to do with Spite. I don't think Spite- I think the presence of Spite makes him pull away. But I don't know specifically if Spite said anything that made him do that."

[shallow-life]

....excuse me while I go rewatch this scene with this context in mind....

[shallow-life]

so, here is a question: Which Companion Quest do you deem the most Important? not your favourite, but Important to the story of Inquisition?

Blackwall - Revolations

Cassandra- Promises of Destination

Cole - Subjected to his Will

Dorian - Last Resort of Good Men

Sera - The Verchiel March

Solas- All New, Faded for Her

Iron Bull - Demands of the Qun

Varric- Well Shit

Vivianne - Bring Me the Heart of Snow White

Voting ended onFeb 23

[cerawin]

Fill in the info about your Rook and reblog!

[shallow-life]

[luna-azzurra]

forget plot holes. give your antagonist a weird hobby like competitive bird watching. make your mentor character allergic to something stupid like cotton. spend 2 hours deciding if your mc would be a morning person. create a family tree for people who died before page one. know your character's Myers-Briggs type, enneagram, and star sign. will this help the story? no. will you do it anyway at midnight? yes.

[shallow-life]

While working a project non DA related...I may have spent a good 2 hours after dinner working on what types of magic my main three characters can use. How it ties into their personalities and family dynamics, how their star signs influence this...and trying to decide if " My Sharona" by the Knicks would make a fun background song for a magical fight scene.

[bleeding-star-heart]

If you could remake Dragon Age but only change ONE writing decision regarding a character, which would you choose?

Rewrite Anders's storyline so he isn't painted as the villain of DA2

Have Cullen actually be held accountable for the things he did as a templar

Have it so that Morrigan DOESN'T become Mythal's vessel

Let Alistair find out that Fiona is his mom/ big Fiona-Alistair reunion

Rewrite Solas's Veilguard storyline so that he isn't painted as the villain

Make Davrin's storyline about something other than an adorable griffin

Have Merrill's DA2 plotline treat her as an archeologist and not a naive fool

End Sebastian's story with him breaking away from Elthina

Other (write it in your reblog)

Voting ended onFeb 19

[shallow-life]

So, while there are changes I would make to Solas's plot in veilguard, make it some things had more of a pay off, make some things more coherent.

The biggest Change I would make is this:

Make Sebastian Corpyphous's right hand on the templar path. Not Sampson.

I know that it would VERY dependent on player choice. But I think that DA2 was the perfect villan origin story for him.

He is a man of faith, a prince of Starkhaven. When he lost his family, he immediately sort out Vengeance. When Elthrna dies in the chartry boom, he once again is out for Vengeance, and promises to raise an army to get it.

In Inquisition, they kinda turn this into nothing but a war table mission. And a few references by Varric and Cass about his failed attempt to take Kirkwall.

But say, Corpyphous finds Sebastian.

A Sebastian who has lost his faith. He couldn't avenge Elthena, lost respect of his people and peers, and lost faith in the maker

Promises him an army to get his Vengeance? That Anders (if alive) will face justice and all those who helped him will too. The Veal line and Starkhaven will no longer be a joke, or a people to dismiss.

All Sebastian has to do, is agree to become his vessel...

Boom! Sebastian's threat at the end of DA2 has real weight, Varric and Hawke could have some diologe about it. And it gives us a tragic side villen that we can get give redemption too if we choice.

[shallow-life]

Since it's 💕Valentine's Day💕

Here is a random head cannon post about how each of my DA couples spend the day:

Rhea and Alistair:

Rhea and Alistair would definitely be the type to go on a hike and camp overnight somewhere secluded.

Not only to escape the day to pressures of Ruling...but just to remind themselves of how they fell in love.

But minus the darkspawn, assassins, giant spiders.....

Theodora and Anders:

Theodora would be the kind to take Anders to a Taven, steal a pricy bottle of wine, run off to a spot with a view.

Where they would drink...then Anders would suprise Theodora with some new...chains to enjoy 😉

Afterwards they would eat whatever is in the kitchen and just be happy.

Ailsa and Solas:

Alisa and Solas would explore a long forgotten ruin. While Ailsa would look for artifects and setting wards, Solas would take time to draw the ruins (part of my headcannon for him) they would then, fall asleep in each other's arms. And see what secrets they could find in the fade...

Katari and Lucanis:

Katari would try and make Lucanis the most perfect meal.

But she isn't the best cook, and things quickly grow chaotic.

Lucanis is the kind to appreciate the thought behind its action, and he ends up teaching her. Complete with flirty little touches.

But, no matter how the meal turns out, they do just end up hanging out in Katari's room. Just being in each other's company.

That is all

[shallow-life]

So, I need to get something off my chest.

I am a hard core Solvellen. I loved the story between my Lavellen, Ailsa and Solas.

A love story that starts with a mix of mutual curiosity and respect. That builds into something so incredibly deep, that you know its inevitable.

Combine that with the bitter-sweet tragedy of them torn away by their needs to fix the world ( Lavellen form the Breach/ Corpyphous and Solas form his own guilt)

And you have something beautifully tragic.

And while, objectively, i loved their reunion in Vailgaurd. ( The way Solas pauses, says "Vhernan" but can't bring himself to look at her...it lives rent free in my head.)

I can help but feel the build up to it was...lacking.

You have Lavellen making a speech about how much she loves/d solas. The complicated feelings of if she even would take him back....

And then you have Solas boiling it down to " she's a good woman"

Like, Solas, honey. This was the woman you were literally going to give up everything for! A woman who, while dying, was racing against a squad of Qunari to find you.

She's more than a "good woman"

If we had gotten a few extra lines form Solas. To show that he still loves her as much or more than Mythal ( don't even get me started on her!) ...it would have made the build up to their reunion hold so much more weight....

I still stand by the notion that this is one of my favourite romantic plotlines in gaming. But I also feel there should have been more to it.

Anyone else feel that way?

[shallow-life]

That moment when you're in the middle of a outline, and an idea you previously dismissed as not necessary, comes back into play....

[shallow-life]

Since it will be 2026 soon

Here is a list of all the work I've done on my unpublished DA fanfiction.

Mostly to prove to myself that, yes, i have done work on it.

1) I started writing draft one

2) I got a notebook

3) used notebook for the following things - random ideas/notes, writing out random scene ideas, bare bones outline,

4) recorded my cannon playthough of all 4 dragon age games - for reference

5) started working on a more detailed outline (part one and 2 are outlined, started part 3)

6) realised I couldn't find an organic way to introduce certain characters or all compaion quests -thus had to cut them

7) realised i need to split the story into four parts - and what point to split them

8) worked out an overall title for the series, and each part

9) worked out a timeline of my cannon (including the books)

10) reserched how long the travel between locations would take

11) started writing part one

12) got a copy of the dalish lexicon of the DA wiki for reference

Combine all of this standard writing doubt, reading fanfiction, life getting in the way... Yeah....that's it.

Hopefully, next year, I can get to a place where I feel confident enough to start publishing

[shallow-life]

Something I have noticed whenever people discuss Dragon Age 2, is the true prospective of the game.

When people talk about the characters, such as Fenris, Anders, even Merrill. They tend take everything in the game as fact:

Fenris is broody mcbroody pants

Merrill is lost and neive

Anders is only cares about the Mages.

But people never seem to consider one important thing:

Varric Tethras.

Aside from the scenes with Cassandra, the entire game is Varric's Story. Which means that the characters we grew to know, love and murder knife. Is 100% Varric's peresption of them.

A good example of this is Merrill.

She appears in Dragon Age Origins, we meet Merrill is the Dalish Origin.

She's only there for like 5 minutes. But the Merrill we meet is serious, doesn't go against the Keeper, and trusts her word.

In DA2, she's awkward, optimistic, defiant of her Keeper, a blood Mage, and a lost soul almost everyone treats with kid gloves.

Is this how Varric saw her?

This question is something I think more people need to consider.

Was Fenris really that nasty to Merrill?

Did Aveline and Isabela really fight that often?

Was Anders really that manipulative?

This also makes me question scenes we players witnessed that Varric was clearly never a part of.

Did Hawke really tell Varric that Fenris threw a bottle of wine at the wall? Or about how their mother blamed them for Bethany/Carver's death?

There is nothing to suggest that those conversations didn't happen But we know that Varric is prone to exaggeration. Especially if it tells a good story.

So, it makes sense that the characters in DA2, are exaggerated versions, of people Varric knew. How he saw them.

It also applies to the romance scenes. How did Varric know that Fenris pushed Hawke against the wall? All the knives Isabela hides? I don't think Varric was watching two friends of his hooking up. ( that would be creepy) but I do believe he made up those details.

Why? Well, every scene ends with a fade to black. A pan to a flickering torchlight or candle. Which is a common writing trope. Also, as much as I love the writing in Dragon Age 2.... the romance lines come across as melodramatic.

Like a stereotypical romance novel.

Again, we know form DAI, that Romance is a genre that Varric struggles with when it comes to writing. So it makes sense that the Romances come off that way.

My point is I feel like people should keep this in mind when talking about DA2.