#da: sten

[zazrichor]

STEN • THE CHARIOT

two forces pulling in opposite direction • I had the pleasure of painting Sten with the tarot card The Chariot as inspiration for 2026's @dragonageannual ARCANA!

[blearyfog]

three fools does not make a wise man i fear

[aaahple]

They’re besties, your honor (they would be more in my ideal world where Sten was romanceable 😔)

[aaahple]

I think the Warden, Sten, and Zevran would make for a very comedic shoujo love triangle but one of those fake filler arc ones where it’s Sten x Warden all the way and Zevran is just there to reap chaos. Based on the fact that my warden in game did in fact romance Zevran, but only because Sten was not emotionally available at the time

[blearyfog]

God, a Sten romance would just be absolutely crushing and there would be no happy endings. Sten will always put the Qun before himself and any of his feelings. So when he does realize he may in fact love some romantically, and more dastardly, love someone outside of the Qun, he would immediately shut it down. It would tear him up him inside and he’d feel like a traitor to his people. He’d go cold, put up walls, distance himself, anything to ensure these emotions go absolutely nowhere until the ben-hassareth can fix him. And maybe one day the warden asks to join the qun, their eyes filled with hope and affection, and Sten immediately rejects the notion. Their heart is in the right place but Sten knows the Qun is not good for them. They don’t belong in Par Vollen, the people of the south need them. They are the Hero of Ferelden after all. The qun would not allow for them to be together anyways and would change the warden in ways Sten does not wish to see. Bonus points if they’re a mage.

Or maybe the warden tries convincing Sten to leave the Qun, and that is just unthinkable to Sten. The qun is his life, his will, his world. He would be tal-vashoth for even considering the idea. He might even feel offended or angry at the Warden just for suggesting the possibility. If the warden has to love sten, they have to acknowledge how the qun is an inherent part of Sten.

So if you ever catch me posting some sten x warden, know that they aren’t actually a couple but are instead the messiest unrequited pining situationship known on Thedas. They are so doomed

[blearyfog]

au where Sten helps parent the kid the Warden snatched off the streets, aka Imekari later known as Rook

[blearyfog]

Nooo Ru Lavellan don’t dislike Sasha! He brought a FRUIT BASKET 🥲

Honestly I would love to hear more about the opinions each of your characters has on others

oh good, ive been looking for an excuse to long post about my pcs. You've opened a whole can of worms, anon (also peep the younger inquisition era Ru)

Ru personally dislikes Sasha because she sees him as a very hedonistic and selfish person for not helping out the inquisition to pursue his own interests instead. She’s the type to feel that heroes have no retirement age, and that you have an obligation to save the world if it’s within your power. She felt similarly about Hawke to a lesser extent, right up until he sacrificed himself in the fade. Then it was all guilt and regret for the man. Overall, she likes reliable and disciplined people who can take charge, which is why Rook is her favorite. She sees him as her protégé. Though she does feel guilty having put the responsibilities of her mess onto him.

Sasha doesn’t dislike people unless they’ve personally offended him, so he has a pretty neutral to positive view on the other pcs. He doesn’t care as much for authority or leadership as Ru does but rather he respects raw power and feats; he’s kinda surface level like that. Ru is his good books for being a cool dragon slayer lol. He’s particularly impressed by Hawke’s work for the magi rebellion too. And Rook is his son, so even if Imekari fucked up and ended the world Sasha would love him regardless, even if he is a mediocre parent at best.

Hawke really just wants to separate himself from the whole heroes of Thedas business entirely. Like he respects it from a distance but is done with the whole ordeal. It’s part of why he’s so admiring of Sasha, who does whatever he wants really despite everyone’s expectation of him. He’s very impressed of Sasha’s lightheartedness and free spirit in general. Though Ru is the exact opposite of that, Hawke still approves of her because she reminds him of himself early in his career, but he also finds her somewhat forceful and intimidating. They have a very sibling like bond. Lastly, Hawke’s dislike of Rook is entirely personal and irrational; he blames him for Varric’s death.

Rook (Imekari) judges the others by their value to him as a mentor. So he doesn’t respect Hawke very much, though he does feel guilty for Varric. It’s just hard for him to face Hawke in general. He looks up to and is closest with Ru because despite Sasha being his literal father, Ru has been the most present one in instructing and guiding him. Sasha gave him a roof and the means to survive, but was neglectful in many other ways. Imekari doesn’t hold too much of a grudge over it, but still distances himself from his father, seeing him more as a figurehead and a legacy.

[blearyfog]

qunari should have fangs, i think