The People Have Spoken...

Garahel and Crookytail

City Elf Appreciation Week- Day 4- Customs and Traditions

Day 4 -  Customs and Tradition for @cityelfweek

- Andrastian? Dalish? Somewhere in between, or something all new?

I... had a silly idea for a codex for Fenris for this one......

Record what I say. There are no gods. Forgotten, elder, elvhen, andrastian. Spirits, demons, wraiths, yes. But gods, never. Gods are capricious. Too mortal. Too willfully selfish and evil to be anything other than the creation of those hungry from power, or those suffering from their hunger. Men make gods. I rip their hearts out. Steal the life out of them that was stolen from others. I believe in my own abilities. My own will. Stop laughing, Hawke. It is not funny. Don’t you dare show that to Varric. *Then end has a hastily drawn figure holding a stylized heart and a grumpy face* Crumpled note found on a Venatori spy, interrogated by the Inquisition.

Deep Roads I miss you. I miss you Deep Roads.

How about 'pulling them closer into their arms' for whoever you want to feel somft about??

Okay yeah, here’s some tent snuggles for Rhiannon and Zevran. 💚

I could warm your bed.

“Not like that, Zev,” she told him.

“What better way is there?” asked the son of a whore, raised by whores.

Rhiannon thought of his mother — who had never gotten to hold her son, to teach him another kind of touch. The others had tried, she was sure, but there was only so much they could have done. And then the Crows came.

So she pulled his hands away from her hips and looped his arm around her waist instead.

He was only slightly shorter and smaller than she, but she still pulled him close as if he weighed next to nothing. His body was tense, only for a moment, then relaxed as she settled his head on her shoulder and put her nose to his scalp. All his tight muscle, rope-firm under his skin, became soft and softer still as she began to play with his long, soft hair.

What was absentminded for her was revolutionary for him. He didn’t seem to know what to do — it was only when she cuffed his wrist again and pulled it around to her back that he finally let his arm drape over her waist. He seemed like he was holding his breath, but then she scratched at a spot at the nape of his neck and he let out a huff of air beneath her ear.

“There you are, love,” she murmured, so quietly she could barely even hear herself.

He pulled back, but his body wasn’t tense — she turned to look down at him, just to find him looking at her with a soft expression in those amber eyes. It was completely unlike when he wanted to kiss her, or tried to turn on the charm. He blinked slowly, hummed as she continued to rub gently at his scalp, then let his eyes droop shut.

Rhiannon lost track of time. The glow of the fire past the canvas wall of their tent dimmed, and dimmed, then was gone. Only blue light remained to cast shadows on Zevran’s relaxed face and highlight each of his long, pale lashes. She lost herself in touching him — smoothing wrinkles from his forehead with the flat of her thumb, pressing the tips of her fingers into the tight, stressed muscles of his shoulders and neck, scratching her nails down his back, over his shirt, to soothe instead of rile up. At some point he began breathing out happy little hums of pleasure at the touch.

By the time she’d nearly drifted off, Zevran had fully relaxed, with his legs entangled with hers and his hand tucked beneath the hem of her shirt to rest against the warmth of her back. She sleepily pulled back again and looked at him, just to find him watching her from beneath nearly-shut lids.

“What?” she chuckled, then touched her nose to his.

He didn’t respond with words — instead, he smiled, then kissed her. Not on the mouth, despite her lips being so near, but on her cheek, then her chin. Then he tucked his face into the curve of her neck and pressed one last, chaste kiss to her throat before humming a contented sigh.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“And I you,” he murmured, “my Grey Warden.”

City Elf Appreciation Week

~ 5th of August - 11th of August ~

Here are some optional prompts for next week! Please feel free to do whatever you like with them. Remember to tag @cityelfweek or use the tag #cityelfweek24!

Day 1 - Vhenadahl - A pillar of many alienage communities. Firewood in others.

Day 2 - Folklore - Show the folklore that city elves have created over time. Superstitions, stories, heroes, villains... anything!

Day 3 - Community - Close-knit family, or claustrophobic little box?

Day 4 - Custom and Tradition - Andrastian? Dalish? Somewhere in between, or something all new?

Day 5 - Alienage - The only home many city elves ever know.

Day 6 - OC - A day to celebrate original city elf characters!

Day 7 - Free Day - All things city elf!

[original post][divider credit]

this includes fic promo btw!!

I'm absolutely happy to reblog old things next week btw! Don't worry if you can't create anything specifically for next week, tag me anyway! :)

 obscure elven heroes! appreciation. post

The Pale Demon: after Orlais conquered Halamshiral in 2:20 Glory and the Dales fell, one of the Keepers of the diaspora clans became infamous for his vicious attacks on Orlesians. humans came to know him as the Pale Demon, for he set upon soldiers and even unprotected merchants with iceblasts and blizzards from his staff, even in summer. these attacks continued until chevaliers killed the Keeper and then slaughtered his entire clan. the staff he bore was called Yavanalis (it’s curious to me incidentally, that Flemythal named one of her daughters Yavana - any connection? maybe the two words share the same root word in elven).

Wenni di Ladia: a City Elf from Nevarra, she was one of the most famous elven heroes from the Towers Age. directly descended from one of the last Emerald Knights who protected the Dales, she took up her grandfather’s bow, Tenasarin (any relation to the river Tenasir, where shrines to the elven gods stood?), to fight when the Third Blight threatened Thedas. her deeds, skill and beauty inspired entire armies, such that I don’t think it would be a stretch to say Wenni was one of the Heroes of the Third Blight. after the Archdemon was defeated, her name launched revolts and rebellions in the alienages, becoming a rallying cry - mien’harel! human Marcher rulers were angered by this, and Wenni was forced to flee criminal accusations. she vanished into obscurity, not unlike some Wardens in some of the potential epilogue slides, but her legend still lives on in the hearts of City Elves. this is very important, because in the City Elf Origin elven children playing “Heroes and Humans” will tell Tabris that they don’t know any stories about elven heroes. I like to believe that Wenni’s story is one that every elven child knows and takes great pride and solace in, just like Garahel’s is noted to be. 

Rajmael: a great general. the elves of the Dales fought valiantly against the Exalted March, but defeat became obvious. in one last act of defiance, Rajmael threw his dragonbone waraxe, The Veshialle, at the oncoming enemy before committing suicide by jumping from the Forlorn Falls. his weapon is said to rebel against all but elven hands. Rajmael may have been an Emerald Knight. a verse in the Chant of Light insists that he recanted his faith in the Creators, but we all know that’s human bullshit. curiously, his tale bears some similarity to that of Nomaris, one of the last Emerald Knights alive after the Dales were destroyed. he too bore an axe - the Axe of Green Edges. he lodged it in a tree, declaring that it should remain there until his People were free, before flinging himself into a river, presumably to his death.

Iloren: the Keeper of a Dalish clan that wandered the Anderfels during the Second Blight, in a time when Keepers were priests that served as archivists and magical scholars. he was a hunter in his younger days, and as crafty as a wolf. he led his people in their flight from the darkspawn horde, staying always one step ahead by the grace of his wits alone. one night, the darkspawn cornered and ambushed them. but the dark ones fell into Iloren’s trap. he and the other hahrens called upon the old magic, and with lightning set fire to dry grass and kindling that the hunters had strewn around the camp in preparation. the area went up in flames, and not a single creature made it through the blaze to harm his clan. today his tale is preserved in its most cherished form in books.

Willem Trialmont: a City Elf who followed a company of the Legion of the Dead for three days through the Deep Roads, doggedly intent on fighting darkspawn with his family blade - a fine elven sword which would later come to be known as Topsider’s Honor in light of his deeds. he was quiet but insistent; the dwarves, confused at why someone from the surface would care to combat darkspawn underground, initially thought that he wouldn’t last, and threatened to kill him if his actions put them at risk. but he shocked them, for later, they witnessed him fight like a man possessed, with incredibly light, silent strikes and marked precision. they toasted and broke bread with him, and when he died in 7:5 Storm, they extended that which was sacred to them and conveyed him to the Stone as if he’d been born a dwarf. his epitaph reads that he served the Deep Roads better than a native son. many Legionnaires lived to see another day because Willem fought at their side and fell in their place. in death, the dwarves lauded his honor and claimed him as a brother in blood. his story is one of true family beyond kin and taking up arms against darkness.

Alidda of Halamshiral: the most famous elven criminal in all of Orlais. a City Elf, she was arrested in 4:45 Black for killing three knights - a deed which hardly makes sense to pair with the word “crime”, as chevalier initiation practices involve “testing their blades” by entering alienage slums after dark to murder innocent elves who happen to be out after curfew. Divine Clemence I presided over Alidda’s trial, where it came to light that she had actually killed twelve chevaliers, in justified retaliation for the abhorrent graduation ritual. she escaped and killed twenty more chevaliers - two in single combat - before finally being cornered. rather than be captured, she cut her throat with Knightslayer, her own dagger.

Orahn: A Dalish smith known to have created fine weapons such as the Dal’Thanu waraxe that was an heirloom in the possession of Deygan’s family. His grandfather passed it down to him. Family legend holds that it was used to fight in the service of Andraste herself, meaning Orahn may have been a contemporary of Shartan.

Corimae: Presumably a City Elf, she owned a beautiful dagger called the Voice of Velvet. She was an assassin - possibly an Antivan Crow? - and when a nobleman refused to take her as a lover, she used the dagger to open his throat.

Sendis and Iselle: A Dalish archer and blood mage respectively, this brother and sister pair were part of a band of heroes that saved the Free Marcher city of Kaiten, having aided Viscount Ravi in preventing an abomination from destroying the place. Their clan was led by Keeper Tianne. Over time Iselle and Ravi became lovers, and she eventually died bearing their elf-blooded son Eiton. Sendis later saved his clan from blood magic control by calling on Ravi for help.

Embri of Gwaren: A City Elf, she was a mage, though unfortunately one of limited talent. Testament to her brave spirit and selfless desire to help, Embri volunteered of her own volition to be made Tranquil. As a Tranquil she proved to be a skilled enchanter, despite her absent-mindedness. She always kept an array of magical herbs and other ingredients at her belt, and eventually the belt itself came to hold magical properties. Embri died of lyrium poisoning.

Temolai: A skilled craftsman who made The Long Sight, a helm which grants a strange and unnerving acuity. He made one more helm better than it, but that helm allowed him to gaze upon the Black City, and he was lost forever.

Korin: An elven king, from a tall tale Tabris can tell children in the Denerim Alienage.

Tathas: A sneaky elven bandit, from a tall tale Tabris can tell children in the Denerim Alienage.

Blargha: A mighty elven warrior, from a tall tale Tabris can tell children in the Denerim Alienage.

Welcome to dadwc!! I’d love to see “The thrill of knowing how alone we are, unknown we are” from the Hozier prompts for Kallian/Alistair 🥰

Thank you, Ro 🥰💖

I took extreme liberties with this prompt I think lmao

rated g. kallian tabris/alistair theirin for @dadrunkwriting. 245 words.

* * *

Ostagar was different without all the noise. The wind howled through the once-more abandoned ruins, and Kallian's blood sang with the presence of darkspawn. She met Alistair's shining eyes – a barely there blue glow ringing the deep brown. Ciarth whined next to her, nudging her leg. They felt it too, then.

"It is strange to be back," Wynne murmured. Kallian hummed in response, still stuck taking in the place. Crude and filthy darkspawn barriers and pyres dotted the place, marring the once pale white walls with dripping black and red. Ostagar was hardly full of good memories for her, but it still made her sick to see it like that.

Alistair was uncharacteristically quiet beside her. She subtly scratched behind Ciarth's ears to grab his attention, nodding ahead when he looked at her. Without a word needed, he trotted off, pushing a grumbling Wynne in front of him.

"Hey," she said quietly, slipping her amoured hand in Alistair's. It was never enough like that, but it was better than nothing.

"Hey," he replied, squeezing her hand in return.

"You okay?"

"No," he sighed, smiling all the same. "But I'm glad we're here."

"Yeah," she muttered, a small smile toying with her lips too as she ignored the three words that suddenly blared in the forefront of her mind.

They stood alone for a little while longer, holding hands, sharing a kiss; the last two Grey Wardens Ostagar had seen in a long time.

Original post here.

I did consider October, however as we don't know exactly when Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be released outside of "autumn", I thought it would be best to avoid those months just in case they coincide. I know September is an autumn month, but I think it's unlikely to come out then? But maybe not!

Please let me know your thoughts :)