The Joining: A Grey Warden Exchange

A Dragon Age fanwork exchange celebrating Grey Warden characters and ships! Runs September - December.

[thejoiningexchange]

At last, we come to The Joining...

...a fanwork exchange celebrating the Grey Wardens of Dragon Age!

The exchange is open to works that are character studies (solo), general (friendship, non-romantic/sexual), or ship-focused (romantic/sexual) in nature. Any creator willing to create a new fanfic or fanart piece within the deadline is welcome!

Quick Links

▸ Info & Basics ▸ Schedule ▸ FAQ & Tutorials | Questions Asked & Answered ▸ Meet the Mods ▸ Join the Discord

Schedule

Click on the dates to view in your own timezone!

Nominations Open: September 28, 2025 12p Pacific

Nominations Close: October 12th, 2025 9a Pacific

Sign-Ups Open: October 12th, 2025 12p Pacific

Sign-Ups Close: October 26th, 2025 12p Pacific

Assignments Out: October 28th, 2025 8p Pacific (or sooner!)

Works Due: December 7th, 2025 12p Pacific

Works Revealed: December 14th, 2025 12p Pacific

Creators Revealed: December 21st, 2025 12p Pacific

Contact: Ask • Discord • email: [email protected]

Links: AO3 Collection • Info & Basics • FAQ & Tutorials

[anora-mac-tired]

Wait I don't think I ever posted this here wtf

My piece for @fashionablyfyrdraaca during @thejoiningexchange 2025!

[rsenak]

grey wardens

incredibly late posting here but my gift for @littleladymab for the @thejoiningexchange!

[thejoiningexchange]

hi! do you plan to run this event again in 2026? i missed out and just found out about it :(

We might! It will depend on mod availability when the time rolls around later this year.

If/when the 2026 event launches, it will be announced here on tumblr and also in our Discord server - keep an eye out on both of those to be notified of any updates!

Contact: Ask • Discord • email: [email protected]

Links: AO3 Collection • Info & Basics • FAQ & Tutorials

[summergreen009]

A Good Life

All she had ever wanted was for him to be happy. And what she got was to outlive him instead.

For the prompt: Fiona (Solo) a treat for @ashurautism for @thejoiningexchange Thank you for this prompt! I never imagined that I would write about Fiona but I am so glad that I did. She is a truly fascinating woman.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[summergreen009]

Undoing the Biggest Regret

This is a treat for hellbell for @thejoiningexchange based on the prompt Isseya & Valya, though I must confess that I spent more time in figuring out HOW they could meet, than on the actual relationship between them, which I imagine would be the kind of friendship bards would write songs about. Although Valya doesn't know it all yet, this writer would do anything to prevent Isseya's horrible fate.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[summergreen009]

They Aren't Yours

A treat for crabswithsticks for @thejoiningexchange based on the prompt: Davrin & Isseya. You can't carve what you don't know...

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[summergreen009]

Cool Your Talons

Nothing with the witch was ever just easy, as she veered wildly between hot and cold. Solona just couldn’t keep up anymore! And once again, here she was speaking from two minds. Was she going to teach her shapeshifting or not?

A treat for @rosella-writes for @thejoiningexchange

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[summergreen009]

Two Sovereigns

It is only a brief stop in Denerim, but exactly one stop to many.

A treat for coleheinous for @thejoiningexchange

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[summergreen009]

Singing...

a treat for @youworeblue for @thejoiningexchange

Carver finds himself in Kirkwall, though something else is Calling him…

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[summergreen009]

A treat for @carako written for @thejoiningexchange

The Inquisitor needs to learn to dance, and Alistair grew up with nobles, right?

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[summergreen009]

In Peace... Other Stuff

In War, Victory! And surely after the Blight comes Peace? Right?? But between siblings going missing, family reunions, dealing with false Callings, curing the taint, and falling in love, Vigilance is starting to feel a lot like war again… OR A rather elaborate tale of how Hawke went missing and her siblings went looking.

A gift written for @briannasroger in the 2025 Joining Exchange @thejoiningexchange

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[summergreen009]

The Second Meeting

Cassandra is sent by the Divine to do some Left-Handed things, and meets someone new…

A treat written for the @thejoiningexchange for Toshi_Nama.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[ammoniteflesh]

Violent Reconstructions

Explicit - Morrigan/f!Amell - 2984 words

Eilonwy Amell reaches her fourteenth name-day and finds there is so much she does not know. She does not know why Jowan wakes in the middle of the night, creeping out to wash and change his clothes. She does not know why her arms and legs ache so, nor why hair is beginning to sprout in her armpits, nor why the Templars' eyes cling to her and her fellow apprentices so much more intently than before. In and amongst and between all of this, there is one thing she does know: there is a monster in the Fade.

My fic for @thejoiningexchange, written as a gift for @rosella-writes and featuring their wonderful OC, Eilonwy Amell! I had a lot of fun working on this - it's my first time writing smut and, true to form, the smut includes a lot of complicated emotions and a dash of body horror. >:)

[READ ON AO3]

[inquisimer]

for what it has cost me

Creators have been revealed for @thejoiningexchange, so now I can share my gift for @juniper-and-dragonthorn! I came into this exchange certain I'd be writing something with Isseya or Valya or Davrin, but the Hawke/Stround pairing seized me and would not let go (positive)

Female Hawke/Jean-Marc Stroud | Teen | 5141 words | No CW | divider credit

On the run from the Wardens, Hawke and Stroud dare to steal something for themselves. (It ends just as it was always going to.)

addt'l tags: angst, hurt/comfort, romance, grief/mourning, vignettes, purple hawke, warden carver hawke, hawke left in the fade

“We don’t have to go,” she says, the contents of Varric’s letter hanging between them like storm clouds on the horizon. Her fingers press too hard into the parchment and leave their imprint in soot when she discards it, frustrated. “Maker knows I had to figure everything out on my own. This Inquisitor is already better off. They don’t need me— us.”

“You do not mean that,” Stroud murmurs. He’s reclined against the headboard, eyes closed, gloved fingers pressing idly at his temple.

“Maybe I do.”

“You don’t. Perhaps you wish you did, but you don’t.”

“It would be easier if I did,” she grumbles. A tired smile tugs at the corner of Stroud’s mouth; it twists something in Hawke’s heart, to see it, for how rare it is these days. And for how it throws the lines on his brow, the dark circles stamped under his eyes, into sharp relief.

“Has easier been in the cards for people like us, even once?”

Hawke huffs and settles next to him. Coaxes him sideways so his head is in her lap and her fingers can take the place of his, teasing the headache from behind his brow, offering them both the comfort of skin against skin.

“I’m eternally optimistic.”

read in full on ao3 here!

[flowersforthemachines]

C-plot

Relationships: Davrin/Illario Dellamorte Word count: 5583 (oneshot, complete) Rating: T Main tags: Canon Divergence, Grey Warden Illario, Getting Together

Excerpt and summary:

“What am I supposed to do with you?” Lucanis asks. Why don’t you try asking Caterina? When Illario tries to speak, only a groan comes out, so he puts the vitriol meant for his voice into the eyes instead, hoping it conveys. Maybe she could be the second Dellamorte who sends another one to death. Won’t we sleep better at night knowing it simply runs in the family? “I have a suggestion.” Illario twitches at the sound of a voice entirely unfamiliar. When he raises his head, he sees the heavy-armoured elf Rook and Lucanis brought along, whose name eludes him. The abundance of blue and grey and the gaudy griffon head on his shield suggest he’s another warden. Rook keeps familiar company. “I’m conscripting him into the Grey Wardens.”

Instead of being subjected to Lucanis's choice after his attempt at becoming First Talon, Illario is instead conscripted into the Grey Wardens.

My submission for @thejoiningexchange <3

[themournwatcher]

It’s finally here!!!! My piece that I did for @woundedsoul12 and my submission for @thejoiningexchange !!!! I had so much fun with this piece and I’m glad it’s been received so positively. I may do some more of this pairing since I am now done with school. Anyways enjoy!

Also nsfw below