Zevran discussion thread- The Antivan Crows send their regards

Great! Thank you!



source

I will admit, in my very first playthrough of Origins I ended up killing Zevran when he betrayed me to rejoin his fellow assassins. Devastated, I searched on wiki and found out he wouldn't betray the Warden if his approval was high enough... I had to replay about three hours of my game. Worth it.

Zevran was, in part, the reason I bought the game. The first time I saw him - and my first contact with Origins, in fact - was through someone's playthrough over at youtube. My first thought upon seeing him and hearing him in the cutscene was 'They're taking the Inigo Montoya/Puss-In-Boots route... and I love it! '. So the playthrough continued on till the ambush and then the player, after talking to him for a while... up and executed him and all I could do was watch and think 'Why would you do that?!' So I went over to Wiki to see what would have happened if he had been recruited, and I really loved where it went with it - and the rest of the info was really interesting as well - so I figured it's a game that I really have to play myself.

I have written 3 stories featuring him, but they're old, and they need extreme polishing. I'll see if I can set them up at the weekend.

Till then, here's some fanart.



Source: link

That's an awesome how you met Zevran story I only played Origins for the first time a couple years ago and it was my first experience with BioWare game. I romanced Alistair in my first playthrough because he was awwww and I was role-playing a character (my Amell) that had the same sheltered outlook and timid feelings about feelings and sex  It was the first time I ever went through a romance in a video game (Skyrim does not count!) and I found it immensely engaging! I was all ready for a second playthrough as soon as I was done the first and my Tabris soon found herself accepting a massage.... It actually surprised me how deep Zevran's romance ended up being. Out of all the games, even though I've put the most attention towards the Solas romance, Zevran's is still my favorite. His romance was engaging, with drama and "oh noooo" moments, yet it worked out in the end in a more than satisfying way. 

zevran-fanclub.deviantart.com/art/DA-Boys-Schoolmates-Part-1-415942480

I do love this fanart.



Source:link

It's rather sweet, if you think about it. He was so filled with despair after what happened with Rina, he actually threw himself in the Warden's hands in the hopes that he'd die - the only way he believed he would escape the Crows. And yet the Warden gave him new hope and, though he acts all casual about it, it's rather clear that it means a lot to him once you gain enough approval, either as a friend or a lover.

Anders. Cullen. Oh my goodness. Me and blonde men.

If I remember correctly, as long as you've denied the earring the first time, one of the dialogue options when he offers it the second time is 'Is that a proposal?', and he replies something to the likes of yes. That's the closest to 'I love you' as he'll ever say, I think. My memory is rather hazy about it though, so I could have it wrong.

Another option (one that I often go for and shows how much he cares about the Warden) is if, when Alistair/Anora asks the Warden what they'll do next, answers 'I'll stay with the Grey Wardens'. After that, Zevran asks the Warden if that's true, so the Warden has the option to reply 'As long as you're there too'. At which point, he decides to come with you instead. In fact, the epilogue states that though Zevran never joins the Order officially, he stays and helps with the training of the new recruits - at least till the two of them set off again together. 

ETA: Of course, then one has to wonder why Zevran isn't with the Warden in Awakening if you've taken such an option. Shame, but I guess they couldn't have a cameo for that small percentage who took the particular route with the romance.  

Zevran is blonde, too!





Not direct quotes of differing dialogue options for romanced Zevran after the battle.


Zevran: It occurs to me I shouldn't stay in one place... you said you are staying/leaving (Warden's choice) here, is that true?


A. Warden: Only of you are
Zevran: *laughs* naturally, you caught me and now you're stuck with me, sad, but true.


B. Warden: Yes, it's true
Zevran: And would you be in favor of me staying? I've grown quite fond of you, sad, but true.
Warden: If you would
Zevran: Now that would be a request I would be hard-pressed to refuse.
or(if staying): Then let the Crows bring it on. I will mock them as you crush their skulls. And besides, I happen to like you, crazy isn't it?


Staying with the Wardens


Zevran: It occurs to me I shouldn't stay in one place... you said you are going to join up with the other Grey Wardens, is that true?


Warden: Why, are you considering joining?
Zevran: A Grey Warden, me? Oh, no, no, no, there are some bodily fluids even I won't touch. The Grey Wardens seem to be a fun bunch to hang around, however, maybe they won't mind a resident assassin. I'd make an excellent mascot.
Warden:You're good at other things to.
Zevran: So true, but I won't be offering you those skills to other Wardens, not unless they ask very nicely anyhow.


They are disappointingly sparse, and it can seem surprising for him to go back to speaking to the Warden so casually. It might be some writing wackiness or it might just be that Zevran is still trying to save face about how much he cares about the Warden, still. He does have a flock of admirers around him, probably listening in.




More straightforward, yes, more official, phhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, no! Zevran is, without too much consideration, my favorite romance. The balance he has between angst and happy sappy is perfect, and he really reveals himself as a layered and, dare I say, realistic-- since he's an assassin elf, character.


Zevran's progression as a romanced character:


An amoral hired killer who lives in the moment and who takes life's pleasures where he can. He takes up a contract to kill the Grey Wardens-- while actually hoping to be killed. He isn't and he's sparred, so he gives his promise to serve the Warden who sparred him (not that it means much yet).


He flirts with the Warden as he does the other companions, initially asking the Warden if the flirting was okay with them. His respect/attachment to the Warden begins to grow. The Warden expresses interest in getting to know more about him. Flirting continues, as does conversation and companionship. The Warden surprises Zevran with very personal gifts, being the rare person that's ever thought of him enough to give him a gift(s) like that.


The flirting leads to Zevran offering a massage+ package (alternatively the Warden can invite him to the Warden's tent). Zevran says his sex is no strings attached, but he will not get in the middle of any other on-going relationships.


Their companionship continues. His admiration/approval grows, they continue their fun at camp, Wynne complains. I imagine Zevran is starting to feel a connection to the Warden he wasn't expecting.


Zevran attacks his former friend/comrade/maybe lover in defense of the Warden. He tells the Warden he's glad that's over and is free for now, of the Crows, but fighting the Blight is a worthy cause. He'll stay if he's wanted, even if the Warden offers to let him go free of his word. The Warden gives him the choice to make an important decision for himself, something he's not used to.


He offers the Warden an earring he's had as a souvenir from his first assassination. It's just a gift, okay... you can do whatever with it, he doesn't care... yup, that's believable.


The Warden asks for sexy time and Zevran refuses (end of the world). If pressed he'll snap at the Warden and if the Warden apologizes he'll tell the Warden they don't need to apologize and stammers out the last of his sentence. Zevran obviously at this point is very conflicted about his feelings, he refused sex! He will refuse it a second time and then explain why he's acting strangely if asked. Zevran, who was raised by whores then trained/shaped by assassins is having feelings about the Warden and it's confusing him. Is he in love, he doesn't know? How do you know? He just knows he likes being with the Warden and he wants to stay in their company-- he wants assurance of either some type of possible future for them or that the Warden is as attached to him as he is the Warden. (If you had refused Zevran's gift earlier he'll offer it again. You can say it sounds like a proposal and he replies that it can be if the Warden wishes it).




With everything we know about Zevran, his romance arc fits sooo well. He's going through an identity crisis-- everything he knew is gone. He's his own man, he doesn't have to live day by day and keep his relationships shallow. He can have a future with someone, that someone on his mind bring the Warden. But that kind of thinking isn't anything like what he used to think. Attachments, feelings, love!? What does he know about any of that? And what if the Warden doesn't feel the same way? He can leave the party if the Warden breaks up with him post feelings exchanged scene. He's afraid to of what he's feeling and of rejection. The lack of serious love remarks isn't because the Warden doesn't mean much, it's because they mean too much for him and he, Mr. Smooth and Witty Zevran, doesn't know how to handle it. If all your relationships in life had been shallow, no-committment things, what would it mean to find someone who does matter and who you do what to be committed to and selfless for?

No, Zevran never out right says "I love you", but at least for me my Tabris, he doesn't have to. I've watched all of Fluffy's videos for the Zevran romance, and you can really see how important you've become to him going certain routes during dialogue.


In my opinion, Zevran's romance route is the best overall out of all the Dragon Age romances. It's engaging, sexy, moving, with a flavoring of angst, that ends happily (if your Warden doesn't die). He is the only Origins romance that stays with their Warden love in Inquisition. Ironically, though the relationship consists of one flirtatious assassin elf, I find it be one of the most stable out of all of them (Warden Alistair, Josephine, Cullen, and maybe not Divine Cassandra, being the other stable ones). And never forget-- that accent *-*


P.S. Don't think I didn't notice the absence of Solas in your naming of more straightforward and official relationship than Zevran's! >

NeverlandHunter

*holds hands up in surrender*

Okay okay, I lose. Not only have you won me over, I am now also sad from all his sad face break up videos. It's too bad a Warden had to break up with him to get him to say "My love." But that I know it's there in dialogues I never have to see again is enough for me. ^^

Also, I did have a discussion with Morrigan about Zevran. Since my Surana was on cloud 9 that her unrequited love of months had finally been returned, she was shouting to anyone who would listen that they were TOTALLY IN LOVE. And since Morrigan sneers at love, she sneered at me and said something shitty and I got disapproval points and I DIDN'T CARE NYAH.

NeverlandHunter

You know what first got me interested in Zevran? I mean, other than my goal to romance everyone at least once. When BSN prime first announced they were closing down, I got it in my head that I needed to save the Dwarf Thread and spent,oh about 36+ hours on that goal. Now I don't visit the Dwarf Thread (another story) but by reading ALL of the Dwarf Thread,I managed to see a crap ton of Zevran/dwarf warden art work.and it was just super adorable and sweet. So,I had planned to have a dwarf Zevran romance at that point, not one with Surana (but she went and fell for him anyway.) But it's possible that I as a player was more open to the romantic side of Zevran due to that artwork, which created the possibility for Surana to fall for him, cuz she's a romantic at heart, as I've found out.

Now, due to your passionate reply, I'll have to put Zevran on even keel with Alistair. With this extra info I don't have to live in the world of head cannon to know how much he really cared- possibly in a more mature way than Alistair, which one can appreciate. Although, I'd love to hear your reasoning on how Alistair is"more complicated" ??

It must have been some kind of glitch. They seem to be working now, thankfully.

Useless trivia. Awakening was meant to have a letter from Zevran meant for his Warden. Alas, it's not present in the game (unless you mod it, I think).

Here it is.

Greetings from Antiva!

I would prefer to be where you are, my sweet. Antiva is so dull without you to brighten it. Even with the Crows trying to hunt me down, this place lacks the excitement of being at your side. Ah, well. I expect the Guildmaster will agree to meet me soon. Or maybe I should kill him. What do you think?

I hear the darkspawn have still not gone away? They are like houseguests who overstay their welcome, no? I am saddened you have to deal with such business without me. I must deal with the Crows, but when I return to you, not even sharp razors will be able to separate us!

Until then, you remain in my dreams. Especially the naughty ones.

Yours always,
Z.
Source:link

I had played on the PS3 and didn't get the letter. Ah well, I plan to use the Keep Mod for DA2 to make sure Zev is fixed for that. Other than the lack of a letter in Awakenings, and maybe the epilogue slide, not much is missing right?

---