Here be Dragon Age

Fics and Dragon Age. Focus on DA2 (all characters/pairings, especially Fenders, Fenhawke, Handers and Merribela) but also lots of Origins and Inquisition. Prompts/questions are always welcome. Main blog: @livelychatterinthedistance.

[hehearse]

we both know how it ends

[hehearse]

i am once again thinking about warden mage sacrificing themselves for the world they have never seen due to living their whole life in a circle tower. they spent a year falling in love with this horrible horrible outside world and—

[hollyand-writes]

I was tagged this week by @morganlefaye79 and last week by @starsandskies, @laniardraws, @ashalle-art, @rusted-pipe-of-wisdom – thanks so much! ❤️ 

This week, I’m going to share the M!Hawke/Arishok crack fic I started for my Qunari Exchange assignment and then had to abandon. Title, fic summary, and then fic snippet below 😁 

——

An Unlikely Coupling

The reason Varric left out the actual duel Hawke had with the Arishok in The Tale of the Champion? Well, because no-one would believe it.

.

.

‘Maraas toh ebra-shok. You alone are basalit-an,’ was what Varric would later tell Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast when recalling the ‘true’ Tale of the Champion, before going on to tell her about the duel that Garrett Hawke and the Arishok had fought. But in truth, Hawke’s ‘duel’ with the Arishok had looked… very different to Varric’s tale.

Varric certainly had the Arishok’s respect for Hawke down right – the Arishok did indeed declare Hawke basalit-an, the one human in the city he respected, the one human he had any time for. And ‘You alone stand above the struggle’ was indeed what the Arishok had told Hawke in Qunlat. But the rest of it?

Well.

Any storyteller worth his salt knew damn well that when telling a story, you had to make it believable. And Varric Tethras was a storyteller worth his salt, which was why he would later write in his book (and recite to the Seeker) that Hawke defeated the Arishok in single combat. But truth was often stranger than fiction, and it was certainly the case here.

Hawke’s one-on-one encounter with the Arishok had gone… very differently.

The Arishok and his men had simply left Kirkwall as soon as Isabela had returned with the Tome of Koslun – no duel had needed to take place, with the Tome returned and the Arishok’s purpose in Kirkwall finally fulfilled – and so the only ‘sword-fighting’ Hawke had challenged the Arishok to, was one final face-off in the Arishok’s tent in the Qunari Compound before the antaam departed for Par Vollen for good.

‘Shanedan, Hawke,’ the Arishok rumbled, for the second time that day, as the jaunty, dark-haired human man turned up in his tent, grinning with gleaming neat white teeth through his dark beard at the sight of the huge Qunari leader. ‘I was expecting you.’

‘You were wise to,’ Hawke replied cheerfully, settling down his weapons and closing the red door-flap for some privacy, as Qunari soldiers packed their things outside. ‘Well. I’m sure you know by now what I’m here for.’

The Arishok scowled, but gestured resignedly for Hawke to come further into his tent.

In Par Vollen, the Arishok once explained to Hawke, when his respect and trust for this odd and curious human had risen high enough, there were tamassrans who you could visit for some… relief, whenever you needed it. But with so long away from their homeland, with so long since the Arishok and his men had seen the familiar sights and people of Qunandar, it was understandable that they were very… frustrated, in more ways than one.

Hawke had looked at him keenly then. I’m no Qunari, Hawke had said, brave and bold and fearlessly forthright as he always was, and obviously I’m no tamassran. But these are unusual circumstances, and desperate times surely call for desperate measures. If you’re willing, I’m willing.

Hawke was lucky. Any other bas and those words might have been their last. The Arishok, as much as he hated to admit it (it was far beneath the dignity of his position), was desperate – and Hawke could tell. An arrangement, therefore, was proposed. The Arishok, as per the Qun’s dictates, had no further interest other than sexual relief every now and again – with the tensions rising between him and Kirkwall, it did not help if he himself were tense and frustrated for his own reasons – and this suited Hawke just fine, even if none of his companions (especially Varric) seemed to approve.

But the Arishok had said no.

Until now.

‘You are basalit-an; you are worthy,’ the Arishok repeated with a frown, as if he was mulling it over, before finally making his decision. ‘Meravas. So shall it be.’

Varric’s disapproval and incredulity might well have been a factor in the dwarf later making up that an epic single-combat battle had been fought, all clashing swords and steel and honour and a fight to the death. For now, however, armour fell with a clatter and clang to the ground; underclothes followed soon after; and presently the Arishok stood naked before an equally naked Hawke, who looked the other man up and down in approval, taking in his huge, muscular grey frame, and the enormous cock between his legs. 

—— 

I tag everyone who tagged me who hasn’t done it yet, as well as: @noire-pandora, @vixiak, @dismalzelenka, @hobo-apostate, @midnightprelude, @charlatron, @ser-thirst-a-lot, @faux-fires, @vonuberwald, @storybookhawke, @hechizero-emplumado, @factorykat, @pikapeppa, @cartadwarfwithaheartofgold, @pinkfadespirit, @cleverblackcat and anyone else who wants to do this! ❤️

[tuinendraws]

Inktober day 11 - Cruel

The boy who was forgotten. Super rushed because I had places to be at today.

[eluvisen]

Speedpaint of Kinloch Hold, Ferelden’s Circle Tower

2011

[dovabunny]

Anders: my therapist started crying midway through our session

Fenris: I think that means you win

Hawke: ...

[sapphire-rays]

had this thought a few days ago and it wouldn’t leave my head until i made it a reality

[kemvee]

Leliana approves

[tokutenshi]

You gotta read the fine print on sugary cereals like this

[hollyand-writes]

Writer’s Tag

Thank you for tagging me @in-arlathan, @morganlefaye79, @pinkfadespirit and @noire-pandora! ♥︎ 

Just finished writing my NaNoWriMo words for the day, and thought I’d get this done before I leave for my friends’ wedding celebration later today 😄 

_____

Most popular fic: By kudos, hits and comments on AO3, it’s the Regency AU Carver/Merrill longfic WIP, A Chance Engagement. 

Best fic: Like Rina / in-arlathan said, this is a tough one because “best” is such a vague term. And like she said: “I feel like every new fic I write is my best fic because I’m constantly learning and progressing.” Same here! 

I suppose some could argue my “best” fic is the one that has the most kudos or hits or comments (A Chance Engagement), and there’s a lot that I’m really proud of about that fic. It’s probably the hardest fic I’ve written, partly because of the Regency setting, partly because of the Regency-esque language I chose to write in, partly because of the ways I’ve tried to blend Dragon Age with Regency England (or a Regency-fied version of Thedas with elves and dwarves and Qunari but no magic), but it’s also the fic that’s the most “me” out of everything I’ve written, I think. I’ve been really loving the challenge of writing it – and I’ve really enjoyed diving in and doing all the research for it, as well as re-reading all my favourite Jane Austen novels and everything I can get my hands on about Regency England history! 

Favourite fic: It’s a toss-up between two Garrett Hawke/Anders crackfics: Local Man Returns From Trip, Discovers Boyfriend Adopted 25 Cats, and A Shit Time To Be A Templar – simply because of how much fun I had writing them. I’m pleased that so many people found them just as humorous as I did!   

Least favourite: I feel guilty admitting this, but my least favourite fic(s) are the first ever ones I wrote about seven or eight years ago, when I was new in fandom and didn’t really write as well. I often do re-read my own fics (because, let’s face it, I wrote the fics I wanted to read because no-one else was writing them at the time), but I find it difficult to re-read The Morning After (Garrett Hawke/Anders canonverse one-shot), as well as the first three or four chapters of The Templar And The Blood Mage (Templar Carver/Merrill canonverse longfic that opens with smut) because, well, the writing in them is… really not good 😅 Both were very much a beginner’s “fandom baby” fic – but while I can’t re-read them without cringing, I am glad that both fics have their fans and I am eternally grateful to everyone who showed their love in kudos and comments despite the quality of the writing at the time. Thank you all for giving me a chance ❤️  

_____

I tag: @inquisitoracorn @queenaeducan @dismalzelenka @aria-i-adagio @blarfkey @factorykat @cartadwarfwithaheartofgold @midnightprelude @faux-fires @mikkeneko @ser-thirst-a-lot @laraslandlockedblues @a-shakespearean-in-paris @charlatron @jentrevellan @ayantiel @storybookhawke @venatohru @vonuberwald @ziskandra @thejourneymaninn and anyone else who wants to do this! ❤️ 

[caramelkask]

The last Hawke

[vonuberwald]

Elveses

Please credit if using. I can also do one of your OC for a ko-fi, see my comms page for more info or DM me.

[icantthinkofanythingcreative97]

Our battle will be legendary

The battle:

[nesrinwildrose-deactivated20210]

Marian Hawke ～ Blood Mage

[elevanetheirin]

Kirkwall

[emotionalwarmth]

Sorrow

[james-march]

Dangerous Thing Acrylic on paper

[pauvre-lola]

sister by the side of the sea

[mllemaenad]

Do you have any thoughts on "Good Guy Greagoir"?

I do! They’re not favourable thoughts, but I doubt that would surprise anybody who’d seen my opinions on Templars. :)

I think Greagoir is a better example of why Templars are bad than Meredith. Meredith was a known extremist. It’s easy to look at her and her officers and say ‘Those were all bad people doing very bad things, but they’re nothing to do with the good Templars’.

I don’t think Greagoir is a particularly sadistic individual, nor do I think he harbours a greater hatred of mages than is usual for his culture. It’s indicated that the Kinloch Hold Circle was ‘one of the most liberally run’, and it’s held up in that Codex entry as a counterpoint to the Kirkwall Circle.

It’s not that Greagoir is inherently a particularly evil man. It’s that Chantry culture is itself poisonous, and it’s not really possible to be a Templar without participating in abuse.

In Greagoir’s case, specifically, I would say that once you’ve called for the Rite of Annulment, you can no longer make any reasonable claim to being a good person.

I mean – can you think of any situation to which ‘Kill them all and let the Maker sort it out’ would be a reasonable response? Regardless of what, exactly, has led to the Templars invoking the Rite, there are going to be innocent people in a Circle: children, and people too elderly or infirm to be involved. If there are demons loose in a Circle there will be survivors. If it’s a rebellion, even the Templars are going to have allies in there: there will be Loyalists, who come down on the side of the Chantry. But the Rite of Annulment empowers Templars to kill everybody, including ‘screaming apprentices’ – meaning defenceless children.

I’ve always found the Broken Circle quest disturbing, because it’s presented as an even choice. On the one hand – sure, it’s preferable to save the mages. But on the other – well, the situation in the Circle is pretty messed up, so it’s not as though the Templars are calling for an Annulment for the fun of it.

But.

The ‘nice’ Templars will say that their function is to protect mages. Loyalists like Vivienne and Minaeve will say that too. Templars create a safe space for mages to practise their craft. They fend off outside dangers, and they deal with demons and maleficars. Set aside for the moment the fact that the outside dangers were largely created by Chantry teachings, and just take that at face value. Mages effectively spend their whole lives as wards of the Chantry, and the Templars are their guardians. Their wellbeing is the Templars’ responsibility.

So where the fuck were Greagoir and his men when the mages needed them? Oh, that’s right. Hiding outside the damn door plotting to murder them all.

The game sidesteps how disturbing this is. Greagoir claims to be unhappy about calling for the Annulment but can see no other option. He describes a panicked retreat when the Templars were overwhelmed by demons – which might be part of a case for Templar incompetence, given that this is their function, but not for villainy.

But then … when you walk into the Circle tower, there are no mages taking refuge with the Templars. Some Templars were left behind during the retreat, yes … but no mages made it out at all.

The crisis began at a meeting of senior enchanters, when one of Uldred’s spells went horribly wrong. The demons and the carnage spread out from there. In a situation like that, what would happen? Some people would fight the demons, yes. Other people would try to hide. But a lot of people are going to run for the exit. There should have been a large gathering of mages at the bottom of the tower. Note also that the apprentice quarters and library are at the bottom of the tower, so the youngest and most vulnerable people could be expected to be gathered there even before the crisis.

All those people, ready for an orderly evacuation, and none of them got through the doors. You can point out to Greagoir that the reason the mages are likely dead by now is because he shut them in, but he will object that the alternative was to let demons and abominations come through. That makes it sound as though the mages were all in some far off place, and the Templars would have had to just leave the doors open indefinitely. But that can’t be what happened. They didn’t just shut them in. They must have forcibly prevented mages from leaving when they did. They probably killed panicked people who were just trying to get out the door.

That’s the heart of it: Greagoir doesn’t consider the mages to be people, any more than Meredith and the worst of her cronies do.

It is the innocent folk of Ferelden who matter. I would lay down my life, and the life of any mage, to protect them.

Note that the mages aren’t innocent folk. Those little kids Wynne and her colleagues are protecting? Not innocent. Because they’re mages. The Rite of Annulment assumes that every mage is inherently guilty. Maybe some of them aren’t possessed, or maleficars, maybe some of them are devout Andrastians. But they’re still mages. Better that all such people die than risk one ‘bad’ mage getting away. Because blacksmiths and farmers are framed as innocent, whereas the mere fact of having magic demonstrates that a mage is sinful.

All Greagoir’s protestations that it’s just so awful but there’s no other way are a smokescreen for that. Because there always was another way: they could have enlisted the help of the mages. Had their procedure been to evacuate as many mages as possible, rather than to lock them all in to contain the threat, they would have had a much larger force to deal with the demons. It’s funny, but once you get into the Circle you find that the mages are handling it much better than the Templars left in there. There are quite a few non-possessed mages running around (some of them are hostile, but they’ve clearly been holding their own against the demons), but there are no free Templars about. Mages are the key to saving the Circle: Wynne and Niall, and the people following them, are the ones who’ve figured out how to resolve this crisis. More such people would probably have been alive and free earlier, and could have helped.

Greagoir never considers the mages as potential allies, nor does he consider them as people for whom he is responsible. They are a menace he keeps away from the rest of the world.

Beyond the Annulment – it’s worth noting that two transfers were made to the Kirkwall Circle during Greagoir’s time as Knight-Commander: Karl and Cullen. Both are, in different ways, troublemakers.

Sending Karl there is effectively a death sentence. Kirkwall is notorious even before Hawke arrives there, and dropping even a mildly rebellious mage there is as good as putting him in an incinerator.

But it’s the thing with Cullen that’s truly terrifying. Cullen is dangerous. Greagoir is aware of this and ‘troubled’ by it. The Codex entry makes sending him away sound like a good deed, but … he sent him to Kirkwall. To serve under Meredith. He sent him somewhere where his views would be appreciated. Greagoir has a nice, orderly Circle that doesn’t give him trouble (most of the time). Cullen is an extremist, and he’s going to cause trouble in Kinloch Hold, but if Meredith wants to run her Circle as a concentration camp – well, Greagoir knows just the man for her staff.

Sending Cullen to Kirkwall is convenient for the Templar Order, because it allows the Knight-Commanders to maintain the Circles as they see fit. Greagoir doesn’t give a shit about the Kirkwall mages, because they’re not his problem. He just doesn’t want Cullen making his job any harder.

So I’ve no love for Greagoir. The Fereldan Circle is less obviously awful than the Kirkwall one, because Greagoir has found that a lighter touch works for him. But mages are never people to him, and the (attempted) Annulment in Ferelden is as much an atrocity as the one in Kirkwall.