In which they deal with a storm and several delays.
WARNINGS:
- fantasy racism
Bodahn and Sandal quickly became a permanent fixture in their little party. It worked out well for everyone: Sten got his rides on their wagon; Astala got some healing poultices, oil and wax to make more, a spare backpack and some clothing and the (written) promise of armor and suitable weapons for Sten in exchange for her old dwarven coin; and when blighted wolves sniffed them out and came charging out of the trees, Sulri, Alistair and Astala could give everyone enough of a warning to avoid death, dismemberment, and lost cargo. After a while the Imperial Highway merged directly into the hills, sparing them some climbing. Then, however, it morphed into a dirt road with no stones underfoot and so many potholes that Bodahn’s wagon bounced rather than rolled along it. Astala watched the thing trundle along and felt each hole in her spine. That wagon, it seemed to her, was only waiting to break down, or to shake Sten fully off. The rest of her companions didn’t seem bothered. Leliana even remarked how much better this road was compared to the one leading from Ferelden to Orlais. Astala came to the conclusion that this careless attitude and the state of the road was a direct consequence of being so woefully far away from Denerim.
So!! I've been wanting to do this for a while, but life got in the way, so now I'm here to take that thing up again because!!! Fun!!!! This is about the relationships between OCs, and I don't want to impose anything but. Regarding how Novhen and Astala would get along:
What if they HAD grown up together? Maybe not in the same family (although, it would be fun 👀👀👀👀👀👀 they are very similar and very different from each other in different aspects. For example both are very loyal and community oriented, but also Astala is loud and boisterous while Novhen is quieter and more underhanded), but definitely the same Alienage. They'd know each others' quirks and habits. Maybe Novhen got frustrated with Astala because she'd always hide in these really obvious spots when playing hide and seek and Astala in turn would never be able to find Novhen? Maybe Novhen would at some point have stolen a plum tart for her and maybe Astala would've helped him against another kid who made fun of Novhen? Maybe, if we wanted them to meet up later during the Blight, Astala had to move away from Denerim at some point. I think she's a bit older than Novhen; maybe she got married elsewhere. Or, if not, now we gave more elves storming Vaughan's estate, which is alwats fun. I think Novhen would get to lead that one operation until Nelaros's death, because before that, stealth does seem to be the best option.
I think these two would get along well, differences aside. Astala would make an effort to lower her if needed, and having a familiar face to lean on during the Blight year would probably be a big comfort to them both. I think they'd be comfortable enough with each other to talk about the recruitment and how it didn't exactly happen willingly; they could gripe about nobles and politics; they could just. Sit in silence after Broken Circle and try and digest Sloth's nightmare. They could kill the slavers at the Alienage together!!! I think having a like-minded person from the same cultural background would help enormously.
One thing Astala probably wouldn't be on board with is the Cult of Fen'Harel. She'd let Novhen practice alright and defend him if accusations about this were levelled against him, but I think she would either have fallen out of it if she'd ever been introduced to it (it didn't save Adaia after all, so...), or never warmed up to the idea of this elvhen trickster god
These are my thoughts as far as they go. What do you think? Also I hadn't thought of it, but if you want to move this conversation to DMs, they're open ^^
(And if this doesn't tickle your fancy anymore, feel free to ignore ^^)
👀👀👀👀👀 I am eating this ask up like breakfast. Or, er, ramen. Which is the thing i am actually eating atm. But yes yes yes to all of this, i love it so much
Full response under the readmore for length, but i'm realizing now my response is mostly about them as kids 😅 Oops
[Ask Game]
The way i play with companion!Novhen, i'd assume he and Astala are probably either siblings or cousins (i waffle), except this time on their mothers' sides. I don't know Astala's exact age, but Novhen was born in *pulls out notes* Wintermarch of 9:7 Dragon. If we try to stagger them based on Adaia's death, that's probably close to a decade between them which seems a tad bit higher than it should be. We'll just have to dance around that matter
Even if Astala isn't significantly older, there's probably never a single moment where he's taller than her XD Add onto that that girls tend to hit puberty first, there's gonna be quite the height difference around age 10
But yes, their personalities go in very different directions but are probably pretty compatible, especially if given the benefit of a shared childhood! They're both very sociable, but i suspect most people like Astala more, especially authority figures. She's much less of a troublemaker, and Novhen definitely took a while to come into his own as a social mastermind. (This also would make her the ideal candidate for a distraction whenever Novhen’s a-scheming. That’s gonna do her a lot of favors when trying to get him to steal plum tarts for her XD These two are the real blight as far as anyone in the alienage is concerned XDD)
Oh, actually! If they knew each other, i can imagine pretty well him practicing with or studying Astala to get better at social situation! And clearly it worked! (A: "Ok now make an angry face... You just look like you can't find a chamberpot. You have to scrunch your eyebrows like this." *jams her thumb down his forhead*)
Astala seems to prefer her hair shorter during the Blight, but how was it as a child? Because if it were in some sort of puff, i can imagine her child-level object permanence resulting in her hiding in an empty barrel with the puff still peeking over the top! (Artist's Rendition Below)
I don’t think he’d be too frustrated with her poor stealth outside of team games at least! (If they’re partnered is another story…) He does sometimes tease her that she’s not going to be a very good criminal when she gets bigger. Idk, how would she respond to that? Because how does she feels about the fact that she's not going to follow in her mother's footsteps (or how aware of that she'd be as a child) or maybe she would retort about how she’s already bigger or something else? Definitely a lot of ways to take that one lol
But also the idea of Novhen as alienage king of hide and seek is kinda cute. He's usually the last one left (all that damn thief training), so it’s not unheard of to see a parade of Astala, Shianni, Soris, and whoever else they've wrapped into their game (which with Astala could be quite a number) turning the alienage upsidedown to find him. There's probably at least one time he gets found in the first minute, and he thinks he's going to die of embarrassment. Because of that, they almost never let him be a hider in the first round. Sometimes when he’s hiding, they'll accidentally pick up seekers who weren't even playing along the way because they want to see him knocked down a peg XD That's what happens when you win too much!
Astala probably has him beat at wrestling tho! And the game where i imagine they’re most evenly matched would be arm wrestling. As an archer, Novhen has insane upper body and especially shoulder strength, but Astala has insane everywhere strength
On the less competitive side, imagine them as dance partners as little kids ☺️ Astala’s probably the more enthusiastic one about it, but i’d imagine she could drag him into it Easy whether through blackmail or Ole Reliable (puppy dog eyes). There have to be lots of events in the alienage that call for dancing, so it’s good to have a go-to dance partner! And if they ever get a Silly Urge while dancing, the one thing that i’ve found little kids most reliable to do is spin so fast they nearly make themselves sick, and when there’s two of them spinning each other, there’s no stopping them until the centrifugal force throws them both to the ground. At least they’re having fun lol
The Cult of Fen'Harel thing makes sense. I wouldn't expect Astala to be into that. I imagine in this case that Cyrion and Adaia agreed to expose the children to both sets of beliefs, so they could choose once they got older
It's a good thing Novhen's good at keeping matters hush because otherwise Astala would likely get stuck constantly mediating between Novhen and Ilanlas on matters of religion 🤭
Tbh Novhen would slightly begrudge her for choosing the Chantry, but i don't think he'd ever let her know if he could help it. It's just not worth it, and you can't talk about that without talking about Adaia's death which nobody is excited to talk about. Still, it's a potential source of drama, esp as the politics of DA:D are winding up
Back in the present day, if the endgame configuration is one where they live in the same location (which i think could only be the case if they were both companions), Novhen would offer her once for him to educate her child/ren in the way of the Cult of Fen'Harel and/or the Vir Banal'ras fighting style, probably get denied at least on the first one, and never bring it back up. He knows she's Andrastian and also wouldn't expect her to teach them that fighting style herself (too rogue-based), but if he had permission, he'd want to at least try to expose them to their family's traditions, so they could make a choice themselves like Novhen and Astala did
And honestly, if he's present for the origin, once Nelaros dies, Novhen would more than happily hand leadership of the mission over to Astala. Stealth only goes so far, and she has first dibs on revenge #SupportWomen
And with Unrest in the Alienage! As soon as Caladrius is dead, Novhen is scampering over his corpse to pick the lock on Cyrion's cage. Doesn't even wait for someone else to pilfer the key. Astala is free to react to that little scene however she wishes, and we get the whole Tabris family reunion after
Whoever’s Warden, i imagine those two leaning on each other a lot for emotional support during the Blight because not only are they the only alienage elves in the party, they’re family (or at the least childhood friends). Once we personalize the Broken Circle dreams, they get upsetting fast. If either of them get sent into that mission (or Maker forbid both of them), they’re definitely going to need to share a blanket by the fire for a minute
EDIT: the paragraph looks like it's been eaten but also! Novhen would be very cautious about Astala's Zevran romance at first. ("Yes, Stala, he's very dreamy, but let's not forget he's only here because he was hired to kill you.") We know he's very protective, and they're both so eldest sibling-coded
Climbing the wall was harder with one hand full but it was worth it to keep her loot hidden rather than go past the usual guards at the front gate of the Alienage. A self-satisfied smirk turned up one corner of her lips as Kallian threw her bag over one shoulder and then held the broken strap in her teeth to scale the rocky outer wall. Her hair blew in the wind of the warm spring day and caught the sunshine in golden glints. Quickly, she managed to haul herself on top of the wall. From there she jumped, landing with bent knees on dusty ground.
“Father was beginning to wonder if you were coming at all.”
Kallian turned in surprise at the voice. Astala, of course, standing there with her nice dress on instead of work clothes for once.
“I’m not that late am I? Was out gettin’ supplies.” She hefted her bag up in demonstration. “Like hell I’m skipping out on a birthday party, especially not for Soris.”
Astala smiled in approval. Honestly, Kallian would have been more concerned about Astala’s reprimand if she missed Soris’s birthday party. Which she never intended on! She was just… caught up. In some trouble. The usual.
“You have any trouble?” suddenly Astala’s voice fell into a murmur.
She could read Kallian like a book clearly. “Just the pie lady having a fit screaming for guards, no biggie. No one followed me here, I promise,” she added more seriously. So overprotective sometimes. Kallian turned and rolled her eyes, already walking towards the Vhenadahl. “Come on,” she nudged Astala cheerfully with her elbow, “there’s drinks and dancing and shit to be had!”
There was indeed drinks and dancing and music. Anyone who wanted an excuse to join in the merriment came out to sit around the tree of the people and mingle with the community. After Kallian gave Soris his birthday present (a stolen pair of leather gloves), she tugged Astala to come sit with her under the tree too.
“Now this is for you,” she held up a finger and pulled out from her bag… “Oh. Well okay, it kind of looks like shit, but that was before that old hag started calling every guard in the market over a damn strawberry rhubarb pie.”
“I told you to be careful!” Astala protested.
“Shush. Eat your pie. You told me your back was killing you from the work at the docks, and you’re out late with your other job and you never take any time to just do something for yourself.”
Astala’s lips pursed but she didn’t take much convincing once Kallian pulled out a fork. The crust was cracked and crumbled from bumping around in her bag, but the filling was sweet and delicious. Worth the risky chase through the lower markets though.
Kallian tapped her foot to a jaunty jig playing and leaned back against the tree. Some other elves were lounging in the shade and picking flowers to weave into crowns. Any excuse to celebrate. When she looked back over at Astala, she was leaning against the tree with eyes closed, but a smile on her lips. Being surrounded by family - and that meant most of the alienage to her - always put her in a good mood. It was a relief to see after the long hours she had been working lately.
Absently, Kallian began picking some of the flowers that sprouted at the base of the tree. Of course she was drawn to the little pink ones, but she pulled up dandelions just as readily, and little white ones too. With deft fingers she braided more and more together until it was a pretty ring.
“Hey,” she flicked Astala’s shoulder playfully.
“You brat,” Astala said affectionately, cracking open one eye.
“It’s for you.” Kallian held up the crown before arranging it prettily on Astala’s beautiful dark curls of hair.
“Isn’t this supposed to be Soris’s party?” Astala said. Her eyes were warm with a smile already as she gently patted the crown and adjusted it more firmly onto her head without messing up her hair. “What’s gotten into you? Feels like you’re buttering me up before you admit you broke something of mine.” Her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Kallian held up her hands innocently. “I broke a mirror one time and you still haven’t gotten over it. Don’t be dumb,” she again went to flick Astala’s ear, but she caught Kallian’s wrist midair. “Can’t I just be nice to you without some ulterior motive?”
“I don’t know, can you?” Astala teased back easily and let her wrist go.
She scooted closer to Astala and rested her head on her shoulder. Strong, and way too hard working. But also warm, and safe. She turned her face and kissed the bare skin of Astala’s shoulder then murmured softly, “I just miss you sometimes. You’re barely home anymore. And if you’re the one making sure the family has enough coin, who’s doing anything for you?”
Kallian’s big brown eyes looked up and widened with genuine worry and was met by Astala’s strong arm wrapped around her. “Thanks, Kallian. Stop stealing pies for fun though. They’re better when they're not squished up in your dirty bag.”
“I do what I want,” she smirked confidently. “It didn’t even taste bad!”
“I’m pretty sure the blonde hair in my fork was from you.”
“Well I’m pretty sure when Soris puts on his new gloves, he’s going to find strawberry mush in one of them so which would you rather have?”
At Astala’s incredulous look, Kallian started giggling, then snorted and laughed harder only for Astala to join in the giggle fit herself.
Kallian grinned then leaned over and kissed Astala on the nose before standing up to brightly exclaim, “Oh I love this song!” She held a hand out. “Are you joining or what?”
Air (fanfic. Astala has had bad experiences regarding sex; Zevran talks her down from a panic attack)
Before the Beginning (fanfic. slice of life, Astala and her friends at the Alienage)
The Story of One Astala Tabris (longfic about her)
The Matchmakers of Vigil’s Keep (fanfic. the Awakening companions get played by Zevran and Astala)
Transcription of the other texts under the cut
Basics
Class: warrior (dual wielding, archer)
Specialization: Champion (picks it up in Redcliffe), Berserker (her true calling), Reaver (during Awakening; the chronic pain works for her now. This is when she switches to archery)
Age: 23 (born in 9:07 Dragon)
Pronouns: she/her
Sexual/romantic orientation: demisexual, straight
Hair: black, 3B curls,
Eyes: black, deep
Features: hooked nose, strong chin, long and irregularly shaped ears
Height: around 1,67 m (5’4)
Build: broad shoulders, narrow hips, gaunt chest. Starts out scrawny, goes to buff, finally gets some fat on her during Awakening.
Others: starts out with acne scars. Over the course of the Blight she acquires several battle scars. The archdemon scorches the right side of her face and breaks her left hip bone (chronic pain, uses a cane)
Romanced: Zevran
Story
Before the Blight:
Soris gets taken in when she’s 3, Shianni when she’s 5
Her mother disappears when she’s 14, father left in a depressive slump. Astala has to rely on herself, her cousins and the larger community of the Alienage
Starts working at the docks at 15 (stacking crates). Takes on a second job at 16 (night shift at a tavern). Cyrion wanted her to be a servant, Astala refused bc she can’t stand having to suck up to the nobility
Was genuinely excited to get married. Grieved Nelaros for a long time.
After the Blight:
Some months recovering from the battle
Arlessa of Amaranthine (but not Warden-Commander due to injuries) for roughly 10 years
Finds the cure
Gets driven out of Amaranthine
Goes to Antiva, becomes a merchant
6 kids (3 adopted and 3 biological)
Trivia
Loves her friends
Family above everything
Very hurt bc her mom “left” and her dad was too busy grieving to take care of her
Likes it rowdy
Is noisy: loud laugh, loud anger
Very very very aware of the careful balance needed to get your due & not anger the humans
Careful with money
Protective
Actually wanted to start a family; heartbroken that she can’t
i come bearing presents (potions of polymorph self) for your ocs but first ☝️they must tell me their fursonas
except for archie who gets his for free at the cost of his answer being overridden with WORM
This ask has been sitting in my inbox for so long because I wanted to doodle the fursonas. That is NOT happening, sadly. Huge undertaking U_U Please accept this bout of text instead. And just a warning: you are getting all of my ocs (in several reblogs. There is an image limit, sadly)
Astala
Her fursona is a Pacific white-sided dolphin! She has seen the likes of them a couple of times in the Denerim harbor and she thinks they are fun! Her fursona has a ripped fin and the black has a blue-ish tint to it.
Ilanlas
His fursona is a fox! A bright orange one. He lives alone and laughs at people who do stupid stuff and everyone hates him because he's cleverer than they all are.
Sulri
Her fursona is a stoat! Elegant and deadly, and way too cute to be that murderous; just like Sulri herself ^^
Khêd
His fursona is a rat! Treated like vermin and kept out of sight, just like he has been :D
Edmund Cousland
His fursona is a lion! A strong, proud and muscly lion 😌😌😌 All are in awe of his prowess, for sure
Ciar Ainsley
Their fursona is a lynx-condor griphon with moose antlers! They could not just choose one animal! That's just not who they are ^^
Surana
Their fursona is a crow! Everyone ascribes malicious intent and ill omens to them, and frankly they are owning it. Also, they like to shock people and are a trickster
Odile Amell
Her fursona is a lamb! So soft. So white. So innocent. So harmless. Please be kind to her
Marelas Lavellan
His fursona is a hare! Stares into your soul, then turns around and has a panic attack. Also often hunted. He finds some amusement in that (since he's both a mage and Dalish)
Vivial Trevelyan
Her fursona is a Friesian horse! She thinks its a warhorse. It is not.
Rethabas Aldwir
His fursona is an Asian elephant! Looks so friendly. Is very powerful. Embodies many qualities he aspires to. Also, he wanted a fursona with something like horns.
Laertes Ingellvar
His fursona is an African Openbill! This bird belongs to the family of storks, and Laertes was abandoned as a mere infant, but also! The African Openbill is dressed for funerals. Very important.
Fortunato Mercar
His fursona is a striped hyena! Snarky, has sharp teeth, makes a laughing sound. Also, many would consider it ugly, which Fortunato gets a huge kick out of
Ychrakh
His fursona is an Ussuri brown bear! Bears are awesome! Bears will kill you. But people see them as fuzzy and friendly. He wants to be seen the way they see a bear
Guida
Her fursona is an opossum! Pink tail, makes a scene, super committed actors, and when you're little you get to cling to your mama :D Also, it's cute
