#chantry boom

[elvenforestwitch]

I feel like people forget that the Kirkwall Chantry was the place where Anders found out they lobotomized his boyfriend for the main purpose of capturing Anders. Honestly I don’t know how he made it six years WITHOUT blowing that place up

[sulky-valkyrie]

fenris/anders/nate: post-da2, nate is sent by the warden to find anders, and finally finds fenders. bonus points for unrequited emotions and belligerent (temporarily) unresolved sexual tension between all three of them.

Happy Friday, Vee! For @dadrunkwriting and a sequel to this.

Velanna and Sigrun had helped them out of the city through the cunning tactic of covering Anders with a cloak big enough for the Arishok and just walking through the gates.  Velanna glared haughtily at anyone who tried to question them and snapped, “Warden business,” and, shockingly, it worked.  The Templars were in shambles at best, and the guard had their hands full trying to organize putting out all the fires in the city, so stopping two obvious foreigners, even with one of the Champion’s known associates, was the least of their worries.

They camped just inside a cave, and Anders woke Fenris when the light of dawn was barely peeking through the entrance.  “We should go.”

Fenris glanced at Velanna, sitting ramrod straight and frowning.  “Where?”

“Away.”  He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Just… away.”

“Aedan will –” Velanna started.

“No.”  Anders shook his head as the blue faded from his eyes.  “I – we appreciate it, but no.”

She shrugged sourly and watched them finish packing.  “He'll be pissed.”

“That's on him.”  Anders pulled his bag over his shoulder.  “Tell Sigrun I'm sorry.”

They set out.  Fenris kept a wary eye on the surroundings as they walked.  Whatever initiative Anders had displayed at camp faded away almost immediately once they were back on the road, and Anders seemed in a daze as soon as he'd picked a direction.  Whether it was because he was still surprised he’d lived through it, or because the loss of so many lives, however necessary, still pained him, Fenris couldn’t tell.  

A week passed, then two.  Every sundown, Fenris led him off the path as he hunted for a more secure spot to camp, and every dawn, Anders woke him with tea and hardtack, then they set off again.  If pressed, he’d make conversation, but otherwise, he simply walked, lost in thought, or regret, or both.  It was unnerving for Anders to be so quiet for so long, but he’d been a man of action and snap decisions most of his life; Fenris could shoulder that burden for the time being while he drifted.

It was sometime in the third week that the instincts of a life spent as a fugitive made the back of his neck tingle.  He suggested they take a short break, and, with a slight frown of confusion, Anders agreed.  As he stopped to pull out a waterskin, Fenris went down to the river's edge, then shimmied his way up a tree, careful not to rustle the branches.  Once he reached the top, he peered through the leaves, scanning the way behind them for anything out of the ordinary.

There.  A lone traveler.  Not particularly unordinary, really, unless one considered the way they moved.  Everything about their pace was purposeful, but cautious.  Fenris had seen it enough to know that this person was a hunter, and most likely hunting them.  He slid down the tree as quickly as he dared, then headed back to Anders.

"We're being followed."

"I know," Anders sighed.  "Wardens again.  Well, one Warden, at least."

Fenris pursed his lips in aggravation.  "How long have you known?"

“Two days.”

“Two days?” he asked in annoyance.  “When were you going to tell me?”

Anders shrugged dully.  

Fenris tried again.  Sigrun and Velanna hadn't meant them harm, but could the same be said if the rest?   “Should we wait?” 

“May as well; they’ll catch up regardless, and we’ll be less tired.”  Anders moved to the side of the path, waved a hand to cast a spell that reshaped the ground up into a large faintly chair-like lump, then sat down.  It had been a surprise the first time Fenris had seen him use Dalish magic, but now it was part of their new normal of trekking through the wilds of the Marches.  Merrill had always taken care of such things like leaching the water from the ground and smoothing it out or occasionally encouraging a tree to move a bit to the left.  She was better at it than Anders; he had yet to move a tree, and his dirt furniture was a bit lumpy, but it still made their campsites far more comfortable than they would be otherwise.  He pulled his sword off his back, settled in next to him, and wrapped an arm around his waist.    

The sun was low in the sky when a lone figure appeared through the patchy tree cover.  In the pink light of the sunset, the colors of his armor looked more red and purple than blue and grey, but he was unmistakably a Warden.  And one that Fenris had met before.  He squeezed Anders’ hand.  “It’s Nathaniel.”

“Shit.”  Anders’ voice was heavy.  “Of course it is.”

Fenris frowned.  Their last parting had been bittersweet, but amicable.  Hadn’t it?  “Did something happen?  Before he left last time?”  

He shook his head.  “Not a chance Vel or Siggy reported back that quickly.  So either Aedan knew I’d leave anyway or Nate’s deserted too.  Don’t know which is worse.  For him or us.”

“We shall have to find out.”

°°°☆☆☆°°°

Nathaniel joined them wordlessly a few hours later.  Anders seemed more at ease with him around, a fact that Fenris was both grateful for and irked by.  Was it because he was simply a fellow Warden?  He didn’t think so, but it was hard to gauge.  Anders had been too little like himself since Meredith’s call for Annulment to compare his response to Nathaniel compared to Sigrun and Velanna.

It didn’t make sense.  No matter how intense or torrid their affair before Anders had fled to Kirkwall, it had lasted less than a year.  Fenris had to know him better by now, had to be more adept at comforting and caring for him.  

But he’d never known just the man now, had he?  Anders had been possessed for years by the time they’d had a civil conversation.  What parts of Anders had he lost that only Nate knew of?  What hopes and dreams had been pushed aside by Justice?  For that matter, what parts of Justice had been scattered in the maelstrom of Anders’ fears?  Did Nathaniel know those as well?

The more Anders relaxed, the more Fenris couldn’t.  He watched them both, watched the way Nathaniel stared and opened his mouth to say something, then turned away, watched Anders’ eyes droop, either in guilt or relief.  Was he glad Nathaniel had nothing to say or preparing for the moment he would?  

Much like Fenris himself, Nathaniel chose his words carefully, and, if he wasn’t sure of the correct ones, often chose silence over imprecise conversation.  Any other time, Fenris would’ve been glad for it, but after days and days of Anders’ own unnatural quietude, of being trapped with little company but his own thoughts, he hated it.  

He missed his mage’s inane chatter.  He missed the regretful sighs into his hair as the sunlight filtered through broken windows of this mansion, waking them both and signaling a new day and new challenges.  He missed holding him.

Did Anders miss him at all?  He’d been ready to die for his cause, to lose everything to give mages everywhere anything.  Had he been so wrapped up in his martyrdom he’d already sacrificed their love before he’d even lit the fuse?  Was Fenris simply a burden to him now?  A loose end of string on a tapestry that he’d thought he’d burned?

Was that why he was so lost?  Was that why Nathaniel made him smile that soft shy smile that Fenris hadn’t seen in weeks?  

He picked up his sword and paced around the camp, ignoring their curious looks.  He had nowhere to escape to, but simply sitting there watching them have those unspoken Warden conversations hurt too much.  He’d lost him, and he’d accept defeat gracefully, if begrudgingly.

The moons crossed half the sky before Nate finally put his thoughts together.

“It shouldn’t have been you.”

[brennacedria]

How far away do you think the Chantry explosion was visible, even the slightest bit? How far would the smoke travel, even if the explosion was too far to be seen? Asking for a friend.

[becauseanders]

ANDERS WAS

right

fuck the chantry

✨boom✨ (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ 💖

what if we kissed over elthina's approximate ashes

ily anders marry me

ALL OF THE ABOVE 🥰💥

Voting ended onFeb 18, 2023

everyone was correct that i fucked up on my last poll by forgetting the very important final choice here, so here's a redo!

[my-dumb-obsessions]

You know, I started saying “Meredith did 9:37” as a joke but the more I think about it, the more I genuinely think that the chantry explosion was an inside job.

Ok, now I am sure my man Anders definitely did the thing, but now I want to hear this theory. I mean, yes, Meredith used it as justification for the Rite of Annulment that she already wanted to do anyway. And yes, it did get Elthina - the only authority figure above her, who had publicly embarrassed her - out of the way. And yes, she was already a raging psychopath made worse by the influence of red lyrium. And... I mean, not saying I believe it, but... alright, let's hear it. 😅

[justcallmecappy]

When you first finished DA2, were you surprised by Anders's endgame actions? Before finishing the game, I felt that he's going to do something drastic at the chantry and remembering so many NPCs who was killed there, I was actually worried that he was going to be next. During the Justice quest, he was such a bad liar and even I was starting to doubt about what the ingridients are for, then after telling me it was a lie and I need to distract Elthina at the Chantry, I became afraid for him. I was like, "if he dies, I'll just redo this quest because I can't live w/o my only healer". Then there's the pillow giving scene and I was like, "oh no". I already assumed that Anders was written to be a mentally ill character by then because of his behavior during Dissent (questioning himself whether or not he's just being paranoid about the Tranquil Solution, wanting to isolate himself because he felt like's a danger to everyone, and the "trash, trash, keep" scene made him look like he's about to fall apart from distress). I was just worried for my companion's welfare even if he's not my romance back then. At the end, I was waiting for another chantry scene but I didn't expect for the building to explode. I always figured out Meredith was unreasonable so her declaring an annullment wasn't a surprise but I was kind of expecting that she'll kill Anders on the spot and I have to fight her to defend him. All of a sudden, I have the choice of whether to execute him or not. Obviously, I spared him because he's my only healer and I always felt like the chantry was a corrupt institution ever since Origins. Then after 2 and was fixing was my keep save for DAI, I searched Anders online and to my surprise, the game's narrative is actually against him and a lot of players hate him. I thought people love an underdog fighting against opression. I guess that doesn't apply in this series. So in the end, I was kind of right that he's going to do something at the chantry and someone will die there. I just didn't expect the explosion and that I have to be his executioner. 😭

Hi anon, thank you for the ask, and sorry for my late reply! 😅

Thanks so much for sharing your excellent perspectives on Anders' character and DA2! 💖 I really, really wish more players had your level of compassion and understanding when playing these games. I think a bit of empathy would have given many players more a more nuanced appreciation for these games, and especially Anders' character.

You are right in pointing out Meredith's hypocrisy in walking right past Anders (who literally just confessed to being the sole person responsible for the destruction of the Kirkwall Chantry), to slaughter all the mages in the Gallows, who had nothing to do with it. Anders was willingly submitting himself to retribution. Why didn't Meredith try to execute Anders herself, if she truly believed in delivering justice? I think it's in that moment that we see the hypocrisy of the Chantry and the templar order: Meredith was never interested in justice, she only wanted to kill mages.

And your insight: "I thought people love an underdog fighting against opression. I guess that doesn't apply in this series" is so, so apt! 👏👏👏 To me, Anders is like Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games, or Luke Skywalker from Star Wars: the protagonist character who is fighting against great injustice and oppression, a champion for the downtrodden, a force of positive change.

Usually in stories like this, these characters are the heroes, and for good reason. Sometimes, people need stories that give them hope that they can overcome insurmountable odds (“Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” ― G.K. Chesterton). BioWare trying to force a "grey morality" narrative by villainizing Anders, I think, was a bad call. There are many great ways to push a morally grey narrative. However, making someone who was trying his best to improve conditions for a marginalized people (something that resonates so strongly with people in the real world) into a villain and de-legitimatizing his cause his is not.

Thanks again for sharing your insights, friend! 🥰💖 I do love hearing about appreciation for Anders' character, because all the flak he gets from haters online can get exhausting and disheartening, sometimes! I'm happy and grateful for perspectives like yours. 🥰

I'll talk about my own experience with DA2 and Anders' character behind the cut (in case anyone is interested, lol!):

I have to confess: I got into DA only very recently (I only started playing the games in 2020), so when I started DA2, I was pretty much spoiled on Anders' actions in destroying the Kirkwall Chantry, so it didn't exactly come as a surprise when it happened, unfortunately! 😅 I guess this happens when you join years-old fandoms, haha~

My first DA2 playthrough was a Fenrismance. And I also confess, I was rushing through that playthrough (I was creating my first World State and wanted to get to DAI as fast as possible lol), so I didn't pay much attention to other characters outside of the romance and Hawke's family.

However, in that first pt, my relationship with Anders was pretty good: he saved Bethany's life in the Deep Roads, I brought him around a lot because he was my healer, I got him to full 100 Friendship, and even though I couldn't totally understand his motives at the time, I spared his life in Act 3 and we fought to save the mages against Meredith's templars.

When I replayed DA2 for my second World State, I decided to romance Anders, and pay more attention to the world and the characters this time around.

And let me tell you, friendship romancing Anders was — no exaggeration — life-changing. It was like a switch flipped in my head and a bright light came on, haha~ 😆 In my first casual pt, the hardships that mages face in Southern Thedas weren't immediately obvious. However, in my second World State, I happened to roll a Warden Surana in DAO, and in DA2 I romanced Anders as a Mage!Hawke ... and it opened my eyes, lol~ Mages have it tough. They're dehumanized, othered, stripped of equal rights by the Chantry. As someone who has been 'othered' before, and as a minority in the industry I work in, the narrative quickly became important to me.

And now that I was romancing Anders and paying more attention to him, all the wonderful things about his character I overlooked previously now became crystal clear to me. He's so, so devoted to romanced!Hawke, and he doesn't take their love for granted for a second. He loves so carefully and deliberately, with all his heart, despite all his struggles, and the world demanding so much from him.

I never thought it was possible to love a fictional character with as much enthusiasm and ardor as I do now, but here we are, haha 😂❤️

Anders' cause became just as important to me when I saw how noble and necessary it was. My Hawke supported him, fully and wholeheartedly, with zero inhibitions. I would say my Hawke "forgave" him for his actions in Act 3, but honestly, there was nothing to forgive. When you spare Anders in Act 3, the surprise and relief he shows when being shown mercy and understanding is so heartbreakingly palpable. He never expected to be treated with empathy; never expected to be worthy of being listened to with compassion. When you reach your hand out to him, it's a rare kindness he's hardly ever been shown.

(Playing the Andersmance was also pivotal to me shipping Fenders, and realizing how perfect Fenris and Anders are for each other, but that's a story for another time, haha! 😂❤️)

Thank you for reading this far, I hadn't expected this reply to turn into an essay, lol! 😂

[greensaplinggrace]

Wish I could’ve helped Anders blow up the chantry damn

[freedoms-call]

apparently I have a friend who got into DA who is convinced anyone who remotely likes Anders is excusing or romanticizing mass murder, and he’s so upset he wants to bug Bioware devs on Twitter about it until they officially say the company does not condone genocide or terrorism. I’m utterly stunned

Oh wow, that’s a bit of an overreaction! Especially since Dragon Age is set in a middle ages-ish society where modern ideas of law are not directly applicable (otherwise we should start with arresting the player character from any of the games for killing a whole lot of people with or without provocation.) Also Anders’ story is not the only controversial one in the series, there is Isabela who is literally single-handedly responsible for the whole qunari problem in Kirkwall that I believe had caused more death than the chantry explosion. About genocide, we could talk about the whole chantry that declared an Exalted March on the Dales more or less because they were bothered that the elves had their own religion (and probably because Orlais wanted the lands.) And I didn’t even start on how they treat the mages just because they are what they are.

Personally I have thought a lot on why people treat Anders so differently from these other cases but I can only guess. One guess is that he is the only one whose actions are directly shown. Isabela confesses causing the qunari issue but she also comes back to help you fight it and you get to be the hero. The chantry is just doing what it has always done. But Anders? He even asks you to help but doesn’t tell you why (though I’ve found it quite obvious from the ingredients but maybe not everyone does) and while Isabela never meets the consequences of her actions (who would fault her? The poor late viscount surely won’t…) we get a direct show of everyone blaming Anders and you get to judge him. We don’t even get an option to agree with his goal, only to forgive or not forgive. Now I am not saying that blowing up a building with civilians in it is a good thing, because it is ultimately bad. I’m just saying that throughout history, such actions against institutions of political influence has been labeled either acts of terrorism or the acts of freedom fighters, with the only difference being is which side ended up judged to be right by history.

Another reason I think is that Anders is further portrayed as a bad guy by the dialogues in Inquisition - no other character is so ultimately framed by the developers. Sten who murdered an innocent family is forgiven. Empress Celene who had murdered a lot of elves, Briala’s family among them, and many other innocents out of manipulation, is forgiven (and most of her crimes are not even mentioned, only in her book The Masked Empire.) You are rewarded in the game if you forgive Blackwall who literally had children murdered and then lived in hiding to avoid responsibility for years (though it’s important to note that he regrets his actions, but that doesn’t mean they never happened.) Isabela (whom I absolutely love by the way, she’s just a great example) doesn’t need to be forgiven because she is never even really called out. Loghain, who betrays his country and causes the death of his king and half of their army, can be forgiven. You can even forgive Solas, who literally wants to destroy the world, not caring who gets hurt in the process. Seems to me this game is very much about forgiving bad actions, even regardless whether they were committed for a legitimate reason or not. Yet Anders, who we can all agree had his very good reasons, not hitting, but hitting back at the chantry after almost 10 years of trying to improve things peacefully, he is portrayed as someone who cannot be forgiven.

Finally, this is just something I personally think based on some discussions I had about the matter, is that I believe it also doesn’t help his reputation that his target was a religious institution. People seem to be very sensitive about this, somehow seeing the chantry as an ultimately good establishment that has its minor faults (like imprisoning innocents, legal slavery and magical lobotomy, you know, small stuff) and some bad apples (like Meredith &co., or Petrice, and many more, so just your usual stray lambs) instead of realizing that the whole institution seems to be based on bad ideas. Personally I think if Andraste was any sort of idealist, she would cry if she saw how the chantry is at the time of the games.

Uhh, this turned out to be very long and I am sorry for writing an essay on the topic. I will just forever be salty about the double standard how this game treats Anders and how a lot of people just fail to see that even if you disagree with his actions, he was in no way worse than many other characters who are shown and seen in a much better light. He was trying for 10 years with diplomacy while his people were tortured, maimed and murdered. Then he decided to hit back. And now he is supposed to be the horrible person for it. Yeah….

Anyway thanks for giving me a chance to write all this salt out, and maybe don’t ruin your friendship over this but I hope your friend will eventually realize the hypocrisy in their statement because Dragon Age is pretty much a game with _lots_ of cases of mass murder, sometimes the player character committing it (for example in DAO where you can choose to kill all the mages in Kinloch Hold, or all the Dalish elves.)

So yeah, thank you for your message and good luck with your friend (and also I don’t think Bioware will change their storytelling much because of this.)