City Elf Appreciation Week

Another zevran!

It's WIP WEDNESDAY! Thanks for the tag @merrybandofmurderers @ammoniteflesh and @blarrghe for your recent (and not-so-recent) tags. I promise I'm writing. I've just hit a bit of a block.

Here's an excerpt from No Town More Barren Than Our Town. If I'm lucky I won't scrap it haha. Also tagging @tea42 and @rakshadow if y'all want to share. Sorry if I missed someone! I haven't done this in a bit.

It was Merrill. Surrounded by no small amount of rubble, indicating that the intensity of her knocking may have had magical assistance.  Shocked out of his moroseness, he choked back a laugh.  “Don’t laugh!” She insisted, “I’m quite cross with you.” An acid retort on his tongue, Fenris stopped himself, remembering the way Merrill’s stone fist had careened toward Danarius only a few days ago. They may not agree on much, but she deserved some respect from him. He cleared his throat awkwardly, “Did you want to come in?” “I want you to come out,” she insisted. “Merrill…” She shook her head, “We’re painting the Vhenadahl. You’re tall enough to reach the high branches. Come on.”  For some reason, when she turned on her heel to walk off, he followed. They didn’t speak as the wound their way through the city streets- or, more accurately, Fenris didn’t speak. Merrill muttered to herself, trying to keep track of the directions in the winding city streets.  “Five streets down from the chanters board…” she murmured, tracking the street numbers on her fingers.  Despite himself, Fenris smiled slightly.  The day was bright, the Kirkwall sky uncharacteristically blue overhead. The alienage was wild with activity when they arrived.  Elven children scrambled through the square, streaks of paint color blocking faces and clothes. There was a fry-bread scent in the air and the sound of lutes and drums.  He couldn’t help himself, “Have you brought me to a party?” “It’s a festival, Fenris,” she emphasized, pressing a bucket of paint into his hands,”I’ve been told it’s rather different.” “You’ve been told?” “Well, I haven’t exactly been invited to a lot of parties.” 

hi!! Do you know when you'll be posting the optional prompts? I really want to participate, but I'd love some time beforehand to mull over my ideas because I don't think I'll be able to write things day-of during the week 😅

hi!! thank you for your interest :)

sorry, i had intended to post them by now, but i've been feeling really burned out after work. they're locked and loaded in the drafts, i was just holding off 'cause i wanted to try and make some graphics, but 😅

i'll try and post them tonight! :]

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]

Briala! Illustration I did for Ukrainian Dragon Age zine :)

City Elf Week Appreciation Week - Day 5!

Please remember to tag @cityelfweek or use the tag #cityelfweek24 so your works can be reblogged! Today's optional prompt is alienage - but anything that's focused on city elves is welcome, new and old!

Stories of Thedas: Kallian

🌹ao3🌹

9:31 Dragon

Grey clouds reflected perfectly off the surface of Lake Calenhad until Kallian couldn't tell where it stopped and the sky began. It was a gloomy, frosty day, but at least it was calm. A soft breeze would ripple across once in a while, making the sky dance in the waters until it blew past, and all was still again. 

Growing up in the alienage, she had never seen a lake. Though it wasn't her first time noticing one, it was her first time really looking. Redcliffe was a dim noise behind her; the news of Arl Eamon's sudden good health was rapidly spreading, and with it, hope blossomed. 

Kallian let herself sit there for a while. Orzammar was next, a sprawling underground city. There would be no lakes there, no rivers or waterfalls. They wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow, and so, she let herself rest.

"Kall?" A quiet voice called, and she turned to see Alistair stood nearby, uncertainty clear in the set of his brow.

She smiled and gestured for him to sit with her with a nod of her head. 

He did so wordlessly, knees drawn up to lay his arms across, and Kallian moved slightly to lean her head on his shoulder.

"You know, I think I might be the first person in my family to ever see a lake," she mused. "Well, apart from my mam."

"Really?" Alistair asked in surprise, before chuckling.  "I've always felt like I couldn't escape it."

Kallian laughed in return as he kissed her head, resting his own against hers.

"Just… I know there's a lot of crap," she began quietly. "Death, pain, dirt… but I used to tell stories of places like this. My dad painted them, even though he'd never seen them himself… I wish I could show him, y'know?"

"You will," Alistair whispered, resolute. "One day."

Kallian smiled, warmed by his own determination for her family. She laced her fingers with his, pressing close.

They stayed there, silent, basking in each other's presence as they watched the grey clouds slowly turn orange and pink, the setting sun peeking through until it disappeared beyond the lake.

Inktober, Day 27: Blood Magic (DA2) (prompt) - Creepy Huon

City Elf Appreciation Week - Day 6!

Please remember to tag @cityelfweek or use the tag #cityelfweek24 so your works can be reblogged! Today's optional prompt is original characters - but anything that's focused on city elves is welcome, new and old!