Since Assan (my canon elf Inquisitor, I talk about way too much to the point he has ran companion content) is pretty fleshed out and at a good place, I’ve been working on putting together my Adaar. And I’m loving this guy.
His mothers are a Ben-Hassarath agent (biological), who respects strength and is a very affectionate, good-natured person, and a Tamassaran (adopted) who is very measured, though curt.
And so most of his stuff that has been built up is his family and his past. Which is basically his biological mother couldn’t quite bear the thought of giving Askaas up, so her Kadan, the Tamassaran (She chooses Kiaas, but called Tama by her children obviously), helps her come up with an elaborate plan to escape the Qun. Both of them smuggling at this baby who was supposed to be put in the Kadan’s care as a numbered child.
And so Vida (biological mother) and Kiaas raise this baby boy in lower Rivain, Vida working as a blacksmith and Kiaas is a scribe. They take in orphans too, mostly taking Qunari children from the northern Qunari settlements that for some reason were left or pushed out. So Kaas has like 2 qunari sisters, a qunari brother (Kaariss), and 2 elven siblings, because Tama is so used to running a house of kids and it almost feels lonely without having all that commotion.
So Askaas grows up in a loving home, until he begins to show signs of magic and it becomes a thing to watch. But Tama, puts the worries to ease and “this is not the Qun”. Taught to control and respect his power things she believes her son will come out stronger for his gift. And Vida gave up so much for her son, no one is taking her away not even a group of southern mage hunters. Her son is to be loved, the term saarebas be damned. Especially since Kaas grows up to be such a kind and thoughtful man, though a bit vain.
Which of course he joins the Valo-Kas (with his brother) and he rises to be a respected member among, so on and so forth. Until he gets cornered and captured by a karataam of arvaarad and Qun saarebas, who threaten his life and break his horns. It puts a fear of his own people (outside of his close friends and merc group) in him, while also breaks his vanity a bit (his horns are snapped, something he was proud of). He is saved by his mercs though and his mothers can only curse the cruelty of their own people, the system and laws that they were raised in and respected for so long.
And that’s how far I’ve gotten, but I’m still working and cleaning things up.
Author: @vanhelsing019
Game: Dragon Age Inquisition
Couple: Romance, Male Adaar/The Iron Bull
Warning: Violence and slight Torture
Notes: So posting this with permission. Vanhelsing019 did an awesome fic for my Adaar a while back before Inquisition even came out and is basically his take on the background for my Adaar (though Kaas has had a few changes, like for one being a Dorian and Bull romance). I decided to post this, since I want to write that family fic for Adaar and in order to do so, needed a public reference of his background. I might do my own take on it later, but for now this works perfectly. And I want to thank Vanhelsing019 just for being awesome, as a person and a writer, and allowing me to share this!
Askaas struggled against his bounds, the rope cutting into his skin and the bark from the tree he was tied to, leaving burning scratches on his back.
“You can struggle all you want, Saar Vashedan, you will not escape those bonds.” jeered the Arvaarad, “Saarebas, make sure to drain away all magic from this bas!”
Askaas had decided to take a stroll along the river his mercenary group had been camping next to. He did not, however, expect to run into a Karataam of his people who followed the Qun.
Askaas’s staff was a dead giveaway as the Arvaarad yelled “Bas Saarebas!!” and the void broke loose. He was able to encase one of his attackers in a pillar of ice, impaling another on a collection of stalagmites and finally set another aflame, before he felt his strength drain from him.
He looked to his sides, seeing two Qunari mages casting their spells at him. The one had a miasma of black and neon blue swirling around his palms as he drained away Askaas’s mana, while the other had a purple entropic cloud around him, siphoning away his strength.
They overpowered him easily after that and Askaas now found himself tied tightly to a tree. “Vashedan, you thought you could defeat those who follow the Qun?” said the Arvaarad, punching Askaas in the face.
“At least I have free will! I do not follow a tyrannical religion, and what I’m told like some Imekari-raas!” Askaas spat, earning him another blow to the face.
“You will watch your tongue, Dathrasi, or I will cut it from your mouth!” yelled the Arvaraad as he drew his blade and held its tip near Askaas’s cheek. The young mage recoiled, turning his face away from the blade. He acted fearless and defiant, but in truth he was terrified. The Qunari Arvaraad was an abnormally large being and the large blade he wielded made him seem even more intimidating.
Askaas’s breathing became rushed and heavy as he felt the blade press against his cheek with an increased pressure. “What’s the matter, Vashedan?” taunted the Arvaraad as he bent down, bringing his face level with his, “No more remarks from that treacherous mouth of yours?” he smiled, the other Qunari laughing at his taunting.
Askaas called upon his power, channeling it to his mouth and spat in the Arvaraad’s face, hitting him in the eye. The large Qunari stepped back, yelling and holding his hand over his eye while the sound and smell of flesh sizzling moved through the air.
Askaas smiled, the acid spit spell having worked, but his small triumph was short lived as another of the Qunari kicked him full force in the stomach. He doubled over as far as his restraints allowed, fighting the feeling of nausea that wanted to overwhelm him.
“Ashkost kata, Dathrasi!” yelled the Arvaarad, a searing burn across his right eye and cheek. “Saarebas-raas, I told you to make sure all magic was drained from this beast!” he yelled, whipping out a control rod and pointing it to the Qunari mage. The Saarebas grunted in pain, forced to his knees as a lyrium blue light encased his body.
As soon as the glow ceased, he got back to his feet and its hands flared with spirit magic once more. Askaas felt the fatigue move through his body, all vestiges his magic being drained for a third time. The young mage caught sight of the angered Arvaarad withdrawing a small dagger from his belt along with a vial of pink liquid.
“No! No please!” Askaas pleaded, trying to back up against the tree behind him. He utterly feared magebane. He had the unpleasant experience of being injected with it once and suffered an excruciatingly bad reaction to the poison. It was not fatal, but his veins felt like they were on fire for days afterwards.
“Begging will bring you no mercy, Dathrasi!” growled the Arvaarad, while pouring the contents of the vial over the dagger’s blade, “If the Saarebas cannot perform his duties then I will rectify the problem.” Arvaarad grinned cruelly, before plunging the entire blade into Askaas’s leg.
“Aaaargghh!!!!” Askaas yelled as searing pain spread from his leg and all the way through his veins and arteries, his breathing becoming heavy and erratic when the poison reached his heart. He chanced a glance towards the Saarebas who was no longer maintaining his draining spell. Askaas gave him a pleading look only to receive another fist to his cheek.
“A true Saarebas’ loyalty lies only with the Qun. Unmoved by the demonic whispering of a Bas Saarebas” boomed the Arvaarad’s voice.
“Hm, Saar Vashedan like you, are not worthy of such remarkable horns.” said the large Qunari, grabbing hold of Askaas’s left horn. Askaas’s eyes widened as he felt the Arvaarad starting to pull on it, “Restrain his head.” said the Arvaarad, causing his burning heart to beat faster within his chest.
Two Qunari came forward, grabbing hold of his jaw and the back of his head. “Cutting these from you is far too merciful for one who has rejected the ways of the Qun,” said the Qunari while giving his horn another tug, “And they would only soil and blunt my blade,” he began pulling harder “Try not to move too much, this might sting a bit.”
Askaas bit on his lip trying to stifle the screams he felt building inside his chest, as the Arvaraad increased his pulling on his left horn. Blinding pain coursed through his head and face as the cracking of what sounded like wood and bones breaking started echoing through the air. Askaas’s mouth filled with the familiar taste of copper as he drew blood from biting his lip.
There was a final crack, before the warm feeling of blood flowing down his face accompanied the searing, throbbing pain around where his left horn used to be. Tears streamed down his face, his whole body tense from the onslaught of pain coursing through every nerve.
Askaas watched helplessly as the giant Qunari lifted his massive blade overhead, before swinging it down towards him…
Askaas shot up from his bedroll with a loud gasp, his skin cold and covered in sweat, while his heartbeat was erratic and his chest heaving with rapid, shallow breaths. He slowly felt over the ragged end where his left horn once was whole, while the other hand felt the scar in his right thigh.
All too sudden, the memories of his nightmare and past experience flooded his mind, releasing tears which flowed down the existing trails that already stained his cheeks. Askaas pulled his knees against his chest and buried his face between them, letting his silent sobs wrack his slender body.
He hoped none of the others were able to hear him. What would they think of him if they knew their leader could be brought to tears by a mere dream?
Outside, though, a very large Qunari felt his heart clench with worry when his ears picked up the distressed sniffles and whimpers coming from the Inquisitor’s tent. This has not been the first time he has heard these sounds coming from Askaas’s tent. He once heard the silent sobs coming from his room back at Skyhold, when he was patrolling the halls.
“What you waiting for? Go see if he’s alright.” Sera’s voice sounded beside Iron Bull.
“I don’t want to distress him any further, Sera, you know how he… how I affect him.” Bull replied.
“I told you it’s nothing personal, you daft tit.” said Sera, placing her small hand gently on his large muscular arm.
He clenched his fist as he recalled the series of events Sera had told him happened to his… their Inquisitor. After that it had all made sense, why Askaas, despite being a powerful and skilled mage, had always seemed to cower into a corner or look as bewildered as a frightened halla whenever he approached him.
“You care for him, yeah?” said Sera, snapping him out of his reverie. “he fancies you too, you know.”
A faint blush spread across the giant’s face, “How is it possible to fancy someone who frightens you?” he asked solemnly.
“I don’t have to fancy men to know you are one fine looking piece of ass, and Askaas knows this as well, if the conversations between him and Dorian are anything to go by,” she smiled reassuringly. “He needs someone who will be there for him, especially now.” she informed after they heard a soft sob coming from his direction. “He needs YOU.”
“What if he shies away?”
“Show him he has no need to.”
Bull gave a contemplative look in the direction of the Inquisitor’s tent. “Go make sure he’s alright, you big lug.” she smiled reassuringly, causing Bull to smile and turn around, making his way towards Askaas. “You old softy.” she chuckled to herself.
Iron Bull paused for a moment outside the tent, doubt creeping into his mind which was quickly expelled when he heard another sob behind the cloth. He silently entered the tent, finding the young Qunari mage huddled in a sitting fetal position, whilst his slender body shook with his silent sobs.
“Askaas?” said Bull, his voice barely above a whisper. Askaas’s shaking ceased and he slowly looked up, his distraught eyes locking with Bull’s concerned gaze. “Everything alright, big guy?” Bull asked, mentally kicking himself. Of course it wasn’t. One does not simply cry if nothing’s wrong.
Askaas shook his head, his lower lip trembling slightly before he buried his face and his silent sobs shook his frame again. “Shhhhh… It’s alright, precious one,” Bull said trying to sound as reassuring as possible, placing his hand on the young mage’s shoulder, causing him to tense briefly before relaxing and leaning into the touch. “I am here for you, always.”
Bull was slightly caught off guard when Askaas lunged forward and wrapped his arms around the giant Qunari, his fingers digging uncomfortably into Bull’s back, but Bull didn’t care. His Inquisitor needed him and there for him he would be.
He gently wrapped his strong arms around Askaas’s slender body, softly rubbing his back and soothingly stroking the back of his head, where the mage’s face lay buried in the crook of his neck. Bull felt hot tears wetting and running down his collarbone as, “I-I’m s-sorry” Askaas’s muffled words sounded against Bull’s neck while he shook with sobs.
“What on earth for, precious one?” Bull asked, while rubbing his large, calloused hands gently over Askaas’s back.
“F-for being s-so w-w-weak”
“Listen to me, precious one,” Bull pulled him closer, “tears are not a sign of weakness, you hear me? Do not let any arsehole tell you otherwise.” said Bull, placing a soft kiss against Askaas’s temple. “I promise you that as long as I breathe, my strength will be yours to draw upon when you feel yours waver. My shoulder there for you when you need one to cry on. My ears here whenever you need someone to talk to…” he placed another kiss on his temple, “… And if you’ll have me, my heart is yours to keep, now and forever,”
Askaas looked him in the eye as his lips formed a happy smile amidst his tear stained cheeks, and leaned his head up to give Bull a soft kiss on the lips as reply. “Will you stay with me tonight? I-I don’t wish to be alone.”
“But of course, precious one, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Bull smiled, holding Askaas tightly against him as they lay down and pulled the numerous furs over them. It was not long before Bull found the young mage sound asleep in his strong arms, his breathing deep and peaceful, and its hypnotic rhythm soon sent bull to sleep as well.
So I'm writing something for my Adaar, who canonically ends up with Dorian. But headcanon ends up with Bull AND Dorian. Which I'm so pumped to write for, because it's a fluff, meet the family thing. But also the main "conflict" is without impact unless you know my Adaar's past. Curse my ability to do one shots and picture moments, but never to do a full-length story in completion (which is the opposite to the problem I used to have, writing Too Long of a story). If I get time tho and ultimately even if I don't, I'm going to have to at least type up a summary of his background. So there is a point of reference of Why there is conflict even before meeting Adaar's parents (hint Bull is the problem, not Dorian).
