Luma’s Top Ten Inquisition Fics
In no particular order, a fic rec, in ten (10) parts. Mostly for @penthesilea1623, because I said I would, but also to celebrate some awesome Inquisition pieces that make me cry. Or laugh. Or both. Both? Both is good.
Only True in Fairytales by @dragonflies-and-katydids
This is the fic that got me shipping Cullen and Dorian. It’s a modern AU military fic, where Cullen is a POW and Dorian and his partner are sent to rescue him. The majority of the fic actually takes place at home in the States, and is a brilliant character study of two men who have sacrificed and struggled through a lot to get where they are. Main pairing is, of course, Cullen and Dorian, but there is some strong Cassandra/The Iron Bull in the second half that is actually kinda awesome.
READ. THE. TAGS. BEFORE. YOU. START.
It is a military AU, and while the only graphic scenes are the smut and the few battle scenes, a lot of serious stuff is referenced or happens offscreen.
Rating: Explicit Word Count: 110,149
The Heraldry Series by @mirabai0821
The series itself is a WIP, but the first two pieces are complete. Think novel-length works, with amazing characterization and one of the most poignant, heartbreaking backgrounds I have ever read for an Inquisitor. Main pairing is Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan. I think the series is abandoned, which kinda sucks, but I absolutely adore the completed works. Pretty much all of what Mirabai writes is fantastic.
Take a gander at the tags before you read.
Rating: Explicit Word Count: 161,878 (Length of the first fic, Into Darkness Unafraid)
All That Glitters by @loquitorlatinae
Basically, the only Actors!AU you will ever need, featuring struggling actor Dorian Pavus and stunt team coordinator The Iron Bull. Beautifully written, with all the Chargers featured at one point or another. It’s a fun, fun take on a Modern Thedas universe. There is DRAMA, ANGST, SUSPENSE... and that’s just in the movie they’re filming, never mind what’s going on behind the scenes.
*eyebrow waggle*
Rating: Mature Word Count: 67,390
Dreaming Red by @lizzledpink
Do you like Varric and Cassandra? Do you like crying? Do you like slow-burn romance? Do you like angst? THEN THIS IS THE FIC FOR YOU. You will have to work for this ship, but it’s well worth it. The story is a Cassandra POV, where she deals with some of the lingering effects from the In Hushed Whispers quest, and comes to understand the bond that formed between herself and Varric in the future that never happened.
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Word Count: 94,688
Strange Bedfellows by @theorilliaorange
DO YOU LIKE VARRIC AND CASSANDRA. DO YOU LIKE CRYING. DO YOU LIKE SLOW-BURN ROMANCE. DO YOU LIKE ANGST. Then this is the fic for you. It is the roommates fic, in a modern Thedas, with plenty of DA2 characters to go around as well. This is always my go-to Varric/Cass fic, because of how gosh-darn good it is. The characters, the plot, the way their relationship builds... I need it to live.
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Word Count: 17,081
imago by twigcollins
I’ve always liked this fic, and it breaks my heart that it’s been abandoned. It’s a Dorian/Male Trevelyan piece, and paints a realistic and breathtaking Dorian. I was rooting for Trevelyan from the first time we met him, and for an Inquisitor, he really shines as well. This story also shows Dorian adjusting to Inquisition life, as well as people in the Inquisition adjusting to him. This is probably one of the best Dorians I’ve ever read. His voice is so lifelike, it’s kind of hard to remember that this is fanfic and not straight from Dorian’s writers.
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Word Count: 88,699
She Did Exist and I Lost Her by TheClicheInLife
This is one of the shortest fics on the list, a oneshot under 2500 words, but it’s... magnetic. I’ve re-read it so many times, and my heart always breaks a little. Lara Cadash returns to Skyhold with her party in tow, only to find that members of the Carta are threatening Varric in her own castle. I adore this Inquisitor. She comes across as more hardened than other Cadashes I’ve read, but with the same soft heart underneath. I root for her every time.
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Word Count: 2,343
I’m Only Sleeping by dragonflies-and-katydids
I know it’s not Inquisition, I’m doing it anyways. Where a war-hardened Alistair is kicked while he’s down, and after a mistaken phone call, Zevran helps to pick up the pieces, both metaphorically and literally. It’s a lovely piece, and probably one of my favorite Alistairs in fic. Takes place in Modern Thedas.
Rating: Explicit Word Count: 22,249
Muffin Tops by orphan_account
As it says on the tin, it is ten THOUSAND PERCENT sugary fluff. Dorian needs catering for an art show he’s putting on, and The Iron Bull just so happens to own a bakery, known for its, shall we say, wide range of product themes. It’s exactly what you think, and it’s great.
Rating: Explicit Word Count: 16,341
Strangers When We Meet by @bookishmoose
This is an Inquisition fic, with two familiar Origins characters. Morrison and Alistair meet after ten years, after the birth of their son. They talk about how things have changed. They talk about how they have changed. Then they have sex. But I promise this is actually a really sweet piece, and ends with just the right amount of bittersweet. It’s hard to find a good Alistair/Morrigan fic where both are in-character and yet also not nasty to each other, but this fic ties everything together perfectly.
Rating: Explicit Word Count: 6,490
