What did you do today in DA? [Spoilers]

Does making a long fanfiction and not actually writing it is considered doing something on the DA? I use to daydreaming stories and go play AC Unity and say paris is actually Val Royaux XD Yep I got no life at all, thanks summer, though I really really don't want to do those big exams next year, so I'll tag along summer...

Today, I learned that Uldred thought he'd made a deal with Loghain. I've never played an Origins mage, but I wonder if "You make deals with blood mages" is an option to accuse him of at the Landsmeet. I also learned that the "nameless" mage who randomly barges in on the meeting with King Cailan? The mage that gets shushed by the Chantry Mother? Is Uldred. Never knew, and I've been to that meeting thrice. 

---

The Tale of Dalish Warden Abelas
An archer who received his Vallaslin shortly before joining the Wardens.



After approaching the 7th or so refugee asking for news, Alistair coughed and suggested, mildly, that we would be more successful in gaining new information if we approached those at the "Chantry." Apparently this is where humans gather to hear their religion's stories. Odd idea...but looking over the size of the place, he supposed not all of the humans could fit around one campfire.

Upon approaching, loud shouting from a man distracted Abelas greatly. The surrounding crowd was trying to shush him. Abelas approached and was a little shocked that the man began to rant about him being one of the Darkspawn that people should keep their children from. Could this odd man sense taint? Or...more likely, he just saw Alistair's Warden pendant and knew enough to make ridiculous claims. He scoffed at the man, intending to ignore him and said everyoen else should do the same. Even walked away. However, he couldn't help seeing how the man's words were affecting the people around him. He was making them even more fearful and that just seemed unnecessary. So, setting his shoulders, Abelas approached a second time.

The man accused him of being tainted yet again. Abelas had no patience for a fear mongerer, so he told the man he'd rather be tainted than afraid. The Chasind didn't take well to the insult, and Abelas tensed, reaching towards his blades, in case it turned into a fight. Cautiously, he chose his next words.. He reminded the man that he should listen to himself, really listen, and realize he was just being an idiot. The poor man shouted that he shamed his ancestors and ran away crying.

A Chantry man turned to him and proclaimed the fear mongerer correct; there was no hope. Abelas didn't have much to say to that... He could not promise a better future for them, no matter what they did. Creators preserve them all, no one should die from Darkspawn or their taint. So, a bit aggressively, he told them to disperse and leave Lothering. That would be the smart idea. The Chantry man left, as he would not find solace there.

Abelas approached the Chantry and a man in heavy armor...they were called Templars? right? and the Templar told him there was no more room for refugees. Abelas looked at his companions; all bloodied, one an mysterious looking woman with a staff, another a hound. All with weapons... Did they look like refugees to him? Never mind. He told him they'd cleared the bridge of bandits, which the Templar seemed pleased about, and asked him of news. Abelas learned Loghain's army had passed by... why hadn't the country's main army left behind anyone to clear the town? Upon entering the Chantry, it became clear that Lothering had been left in the hands of the Templars. The ones that happened to be already present. Good; but not enough, obviously, since Abelas and his companions had cleared the bandit problem out.

A random human saw his looking around and asked him if he was there to see the Chantry Mother. uh... who?Leaving that brief interchange, Abelas headed to the human Templar, who had been handing orders out to the other human templars. After introductions, where Abelas cautiously ommitted that they were Grey Wardens, Sir Bryant assumed, quite intelligently, that they were not refugees; guessed they were some knight of Arl Eamon's. Familiar name... Wasn't that Alistair's "friend"? Abelas gave nothing but questions of his own in response to the Templar's questioning. He learned that the Arl was quite ill; so ill that Knights were on a quest chasing "miracles" to cure him.

Guess that took Alistair's suggestion that they go there first down a peg.

The man was disinterested in talking about said miracle, so Abelas probed for more information by making the observation that Lothering wasn't doing too well. The Templar agreed; the Templars there were just trying to organize a swift evacuation at this point, having been unofficially abandoned by not only Teyrn Loghain but the local Bann as well. Abelas didn't know what all these titles meant except that they were applied to those in leadership positions, so he assumed this was a bad thing. A bad thing for Lothering, anyway.

As Abelas wondered what their next step should be, Alistair recognized a human nearby and called out to a Ser Donall. They were pleased to see each other and discussed Loghain, Arl Eamon, and the searching for the fabled Ashes. Abelas also thought this search as foolish as the man presented it to be; shouldn't he and everyone else be fleeing the Darkspawn? But the Ser was committed to his mission, although pessimistic. What made these Ashes so grand anyway? But the Ser was impatient with his lack of knowledge regarding their religion's prophetess and said he could read the books around them if he wanted to know so much. His rudeness made it a little easier to hand over the locket and letter concerning the death of his fellow knight. Ser Donall was shaken by the news and headed off soon after.

Abelas looked around curiously for a bit, but had no interest in talking to the "Chantry Mother." After some Templars started giving Morrigan some uneasy looks, Abelas figured it was best to cut his curiosity short and head out. AS they crossed the bridge over the small stream to the other side of Lothering, Morrigan broke out into a conversation with his hound, Fen'harel. Which wasn't unusual all by itself, even Alistair had been talking to the Mabari. But in Morrigan's case, he had the distinct feeling that she could actually understand every bark and whine his hound uttered. How could she... but never mind. Alistair took the conversation quickly towards mothers. This was the second time Morrigan mentioned a dislike for the powerful being she called, "Mother." Another distasteful mystery, Abelas was sure.

As they passed, the villagers observed that they were not yet more refugees and asked for help concerning a variety of things. Abelas helped with what he could, but his skills lay with the bow and herbalism. There was a building, slightly different from that of the other buildings in that it seemed to have two floors, and Alistair spoke up about it being a "Tavern." Huh. Amusing; humans needed a special place for gathering for every activity, apparently, for this is where humans gathered merely to drink spirits.  Anyway, apparently Taverns also had information about the world, so towards it they went. However, a man warned them that the place was full of "troublesome" soldiers. Abelas politely thanked him for the informaton. Then the man asked about the bandits; Abelas felt no need to hide that they'd cleared them out. But he was startled when the man shouted to the others, drawing attention to them, so glad of the news was he, thanking him sincerely. Mildly embarrassed, Abelas headed inside.
....
Entering the Tavern brought more than information as the soldiers filling it were apparently specifically looking for Abelas. Fen'Harel whined, uneasy, and Alistair remarked that Loghain's men being there couldn't be good. Just as it seemed the soldiers were going to make some sort of violence, either on them or the village, Abelas couldn't tell, a red haired woman wearing the robes of the Chantry stepped up. She was very different from all the other women wearing robes in that she was carrying a blade. The soldiers threatened the woman and Abelas frowned. These soldiers were definitely giving off the same vibe the bandits had given; and he hadn't liked them either. Still, he'd rather avoid bloodshed...besides, the Tavern was too crowded for his bow and he was still learning dagger tactics.They dismissed the idea of a discussion in favor of taking Abelas prisoner and murdering the red haired woman. Abelas reached for his blades; he heard Alistair's sword sliding out, Fen'harel growled, and a chill filled the air as Morrigan began to cast.

The soldiers, however, had not prepared for a group, especially one involving a mage, and the leader soon called for mercy and surrender. The red haired woman seemed to think we could all part happily now. Seriously? They'd just happily been discussing imprisonment and murder, and not just of their inteneded targets! Indeed, there was also this news that Loghain was seeking them out via his soldiers to do violence upon Alistair and himself was troubling enough. But "The Grey Wardens' treachery"? Just what had Loghain been telling the people as he'd marched through? It made him glad that he'd erred on the side of caution in not bandying about their Grey Warden status. He did not want these violent humans going off to report to Loghain. He prepared his blade to strike the final blow; but the red haired woman quite passionately encouraged him to accept their surrender and-- fine. He sheathed his blades.

"Start Running. Now."

Abelas glared at them as the Tavern door closed behind them. Would he regret letting them go more than he would have regretted killing them? Sigh. The red haired woman introduced herself as Leliana; an ex lay sister. She insisted that she tag along on their mission because the Maker told her to. Abelas blinked, startled. Really? And just why should he care what her god wanted? Still, regardless of his disbelief, she insisted that she come along; practically begged. Very well; Abelas would not turn away help so strongly offered; there was always later to ask her to leave if it turned out she wasn't suiting their band of misfits. Alistair and Morrigan both grumbled about Leliana, but Fen'harel seemed pleased. Abelas considered that a good sign. After a quick discussion with the barkeep, where Abelas confirmed that Loghain was specifically looking for them..Abelas recommended he keep the fact of their being Grey Wardens to himself and he headed out.

Now that the people of Lothering had heard about both the bandits and the soliders, they were seeking Abelas out intentionally. Could he make traps, could he make poison, could he take care of some more bandits, how about some spiders and a bear. Despite the urgency of their mission, Abelas had to admit that materials for daily living were running low, and their armor and weapons could use an upgrade. Well, not his bow. It still gleamed despite use, it was so well crafted. Anywho, if they were to travel days to a week in any direction, they needed the trade and they needed the coin. So, he assisted the people of Lothering, although he encouraged them to evacuate as best he could.

---

Poor Abelas; still grieving Tamlen. His emotions and reactions are all over the place. He used to be very patient and not very violent at all. At least he can be talked down from violence still; not likes he's on a rampage.

That happened in one of my playthroughs. After a bit of time, I just said forget it and went about finishing the playthrough. It also happened when I was farming Fade-Touched Silverite (when hit, gain 5 guard) After a while, I gave up and continued the playthrough

Wondered around the Hissing Wastes. It really is a whole lot of nothingness.

The Tale of Dalish Warden Abelas
An archer who received his Vallaslin shortly before joining the Wardens. Naturally cautious; he is no born leader. He is not naturally prone to violence, but is resentful of his Dalish life ending and the death of his unrequited love and childhood friend, Tamlen which makes him quite on edge. Due to these two events, he is suspicious of magic, especially dark themed magic like Morrigan's. He is fluctuating through the various stages of grief. He finds the world outside his Dalish clan to be alien, but he is not inherently racist towards others. His one true flaw; He is good at making money but seems to be a shop a holic, buying all the pretty things as well as actually useful items.

---

Coin in his pocket, they did visit the tavern once more for their resupply. Their time in Lothering was nearing it's end. A human male by the fireplace waved at him to come over. Leaving Alistair to take care of the resupply, Abelas approached to see what the man wanted. The man was in charge of a group called the "Blackstone Irregulars"; and knew that their group contained wardens.An independent mercenary group operating out of Ferelden, they presented themselves as handling odd jobs that either cannot go through "official channels" for legal reasons, or that the officials don't find worth the effort to do themselves. AS it seemed Abelas and company were doing these sorts of activities already, just without pay, Abelas saw no reason not to temporarily ally themselves with such a group. More consistent flow of coin at least.

Heading to the edge of town, the caged grey man once again drew his eye. The caged man at Ostagar had likely been speared through the bars by darkspawn. Hopefully... And this man possibly shared that same fate. Upon approaching the man, he learned that he was a murderer of a human family, children included. Abelas couldn't help but think that was horrible. The man's emotions mimicked his own; angry, depressed, and accepting of his fate. Except his fate was to die of starvation or Darkspawn, whereas Abelas' had been to become a Grey Warden. Leliana was similarly unhappy that this was his fate, Alistair thought he'd make a good companion based on his strength; even Morrigan said the Qunari should be released. Abelas looked at Fen'Harel. His hound sniffed, shcnuffed, and then looked at him quizzically. So, Fen'Harel was holding judgement. Sigh. Abelas would have to talk to that Chantry Mother after all.

As they again crossed the village towards the Chantry, Alistair amused himself by mocking his hound. Abelas gritted his teeth but Fen'Harel growled first and set Alistair straight. Abelas approved; he'd never had an animal companion and he valued the non verbal creature's presence more than he would have ever believed. upon approaching the Chantry a second time, Leliana greeted the Templar from before, Ser Maron. Abelas asked about the Qunari, and Ser Maron just seemed surprised the man was still alive. Abelas shook his head at the oddness; why not just execute the man? Why must any creature suffer before it's death? It was just ignoble.

Seeking an audience with the Chantry Mother was easy; they just walked in. Leliana knew the mother well, apparently, for they greeted each other warmly. Without skipping a beat, the Chantry Mother asked for a donation. uh. Who was she to ask for sush a thing? But apparently a person had to pay to speak to her.... whatever. He gave 30 silver, considering he was about to ask a favor of the woman. But even with what he considered to be a bribe, the Chantry Mother had no interest in freeing the Qunari. Even if Abelas felt he could help their cause. The stubbornness of the woman was irritating... Going silent for a moment, he decided he would try a different tact. If bribing and respectful requests would not prevail, he would simply lie to the human woman. So he told her he'd bring the Qunari to his people. The Chantry Mother seemed to think all that was convenient, Abelas had to admit that is was a pretty obvious lie,  but she acquiesced; if a lie made her feel better about washing her hands of the  creature, then she would accept it, apparently. 

Leliana obviously approved, whether it was due to his lying to her previous leader or merely the key he'd endeavored to receive, he didn't know. And back to the cage they went. Crossing the village once more, and for the last time, Leliana and his hound seemed quite taken with each other. Leliana was apparently taking some notes in a journal about her joining them. Sigh. It'd been a long day, the sun was soon to go below the horizon. Abelas was looking forward to making camp soon. He unlocked the cage of the Qunari, who went by the name of Sten. Sten was surprised he'd received a key from the Chantry  mother. But the Qunari refused to budge in spite of his door being open. Apparently Abelas and Sten had different ideas of freedom. Abelas tapped his foot in impatience. He didn't relish the idea of taking Sten with him; whether he saw himself in the Qunari or not, Sten had openly admitted to murder. He had sounded regretful and accepted his death. The Qunari said he would not be free, regardless of the state of his cage. Sten would only leave it if he could follow them "against the Blight." With everyone's eyes on him, he agreed to the arrangement. 

"In following you, I will find my atonement."
"And what if I do not lead you to your atonement?"
"Then I will find it myself."

Color Abelas impressed at that response.



Lothering's days were obviously numbered. As Abelas, Sten, Leliana, Alistair, Morrigan, and Fen'Harel the dog were leaving the village, for the first time, he sensed... darkness and a sound that he felt, more than heard. Alistair murmured to him that this was what sensing darkspawn was like, and to be on guard.

They found a small troop of Darkspawn attacking a two people on the bridge out of the valley to the north. After dispatching them, the two people introduced themselves and Abelas met his first Dwarf. Quite friendly, even. They suggested they even come along and supply the group. Abelas found the dwarven man so warm, he could not lie; he told him they were better off not following, as it was Warden business they were on. Bodahn agreed that this was best, and proceeded to clean up what remained of his trading cart. 

That taken care of, Abelas idled on the bridge to think. Their group numbered 6 now. Their time in Lothering was complete; and he remained de facto leader. Where to go?
It was still too raw, emotionally, for him to return to the Dalish... he needed more of the distance of time before he wanted to parlay with his people once more. if he went now, it would be too easy to imagine the last ten days had been a nightmare that Tamlen would tease him over. Alistair's suggestion to seek out Arl Eamon was unwarranted at this time, as it seemed he was too ill to offer assistance even if they appeared. It was best to let him regain his health while they went elsewhere.
Regarding the circle... More humans, more magic made him feel uneasy. It was so odd; his entire life, the Keepers had weilded magic on his clan's behalf and it had seemed natural. However, especially with Morrigan in toe, he was too strongly reminded that magic could be as evil as the Darkspawn themselves.  Orzammar? Orzammar may be full of more nice dwarfs, but it would be the most alien
of all his experiences thus far.


Abelas kicked his toe at the cobbles of the bridge in annoyance at himself. Honestly, he was being silly. The Dalish were too familiar and the Dwarves not familiar enough? Pick your poison, Abelas.



They would go to the dwarves.

---

Yes. Outlines for my writing help so much for keeping on track. ^^

The Tale of Dalish Warden Abelas

An archer who received his Vallaslin shortly before joining the Wardens.



Exhausted from the day of chasing errands for village folk and skirmishes with bandits and the soldiers, Abelas called for the making of camp as soon as Lothering was on the horizon to the south east. Two separate fires were made, for Morrigan wished to remain more separate from the group. Sten ignored the fires altogether, although he drank many droughts of water and did not turn down the shared meal. Abelas spoke softly to Fen'Harel about keeping an eye out for Darkspawn and bandits. Even taught him some Dalish and explained what his name meant. Garas, Come...Vallem, do this...Falon, friend.... Ma serannas, I'm grateful, good job. The hound took the language in stride, responding to the Dalish commands just as well as he had in common. Abelas did not know when he slipped into the land of dreams...

A crevasse filled with a molten river of flame...no, an overwhelming horde of Darkspawn wielding torches... bursts of flame from a dragon and..

He awoke to Fen'Harel whining at his side, heart beating quickly. He shook his head to attempt to shift the images from his mind, drop the fear that had clutched him... he noticed that Alistair was similarly awake. His fellow Grey Warden explained these dreams were how they knew it was a real Blight. Abelas was out of sorts, and he could feel the gaze of Morrigan on them as they discussed what the dreams meant. He thanked Alistair for explaining, feeling a bit more camaraderie with the man. But Morrigan?

Maybe it was the fear from the dream, or the darkness of their plight...maybe it was his grief about Tamlen's fate still guiding him... but he wanted no more part of the prowling mage who'd been forced upon them by her own mother. She had been unpleasant near every moment of their travels, and even now, at camp, was determined to be apart from them. It was time for her to go. She seemed agreeable about leaving, although she glared as she left.

"So be it. May you find victory on your own."

Smarter than the bandits, Morrigan went north; away from the Darkspawn Horde, although Abelas would imagine she would make her way back to her mother.  Would he regret that? Abelas did not know, although he did not doubt the sense of relief he felt at her leaving. Alistair seemed to approve of her leaving by not objecting, and the other companions had no attachment to a woman they'd known less than a day. Abelas returned to his bedroll, one hand on Fen'Harel, and returned uneasily back to his rest. 
....

When he awoke, Abelas was greeted with the sight of Bodahn the dwarf, his son, and his repaired cart. Surprised, he approached them. Apparently after more thought, Bodahn had decided it may actually be safer to follow them rather than take their chances on the road unprotected. In exchange for Abelas and company clearing the road ahead, ensuring the merchant's safety, the dwarf would offer a discount and access to goods near any time they needed it. They would both just agree where to make camp in advance, and Abelas and his companions would go forth at their own speed, with Bodahn joining them each night at camp after trading with any passerby. Very convenient for both parties. There was also the added bonus of these dwarven enchantments...which after explanation, was not magic. Exactly. 

Gear packed, they headed out. Being bad at traps was posing problems, as the locals along the road northwest had placed them everywhere in hopes of slowing the Darkspawn. It was slowing everyone down; their momentum forward was severely hampered. Nearly half that as much as the day before just due to looking out for all the leg traps. Fen'Harel helped, as he was closer to the ground to spot them. It was obviously a skill Abelas would need to work on.

They encountered Darkspawn, but that tingling darkness that both Wardens felt gave them plenty of warning. It was the wolves driven north from the Wilds and Bandits taking advantage of refugees on the road that posed more issues. Still, the 5 of them managed. At midday, they ran into a merchant, Felix, who was having problems; many, it seemed, over the last month. Heading towards the Frostback Mountains, as they were. Still, apparently still seeing an opportunity for gain, Felix offered an artifact, a "control rod", for some dwarven made golem in a village, Honnaleth, that happened to be half a day south and west of where they currently were. The gain is that Felix wouldn't be carrying around a jeweled rod that screamed to every bandit in the country side, "Steal me!" Abelas had no worries about theft so he accepted it readily enough. He'd have to ask Bodahn whether it was worth seeking come time to camp that night.

The further they got from larger human settlements, the fewer traps to avoid and, also... actually peaceful.  It was quiet, birds were chirping, his hound was panting happily as they moved along. Hard to reconcile the current peace with the known destruction he'd witnessed to the southeast. Leliana seemed to be chatting with Alistair about their chantry histories, Sten remained stoic as he simply marched forward with his usual stern expression. The Mabari would run forward, perhaps scouting, before running back to check in on the other companions; as if they'd wander off if he weren't there to herd them. Abelas took a breath and realized for the first time, in what seemed ages, he was relaxed. Abelas reveled in the fact that at least, right now, he did not have to think; they could do no more than follow the path before them.

It was hours later, early evening, when they came upon a crossroads. To the south lay Honnleath, the road to it more of a path, as it was not often taken. To the north, a wider more caravan friendly route laid out before them towards the Frostback Mountains and the kingdom of Orzammar carved within. It seemed still early, but Abelas wanted Bodahn's input on whether they should travel south for this "Golem."

So he called to make camp not too far off from the cross roads, so he could catch sight of Bodahn as the dwarf made his way. Sten approached him as the others started making camp. The Qunari was obviously irritated that they had stopped so soon. Said there were Darkspawn to be fought, and the delay unneedful. Abelas raised one brow at the man. Although Abelas did not relish the role of leader, he felt no urge to give it over to this giant of a man either. Sten stated that he had given his word to aid him, and he would do so; Abelas reminded him of that. Challenging him over when to make camp was not condusive. Apparenly his setting the man straight calmed him. PErhaps "who was leader" had needed to be settled after all? some sort of Alpha thing? Anyhow, Abelas took this moment to ask a few more questions of the strange man. He learned that he was a solider. That being a soldier was part of him and not a choice. When Abelas asked more about his people, Sten simply declined. When asked why...

"People are not simple. They cannot be summarized for easy reference in the manner of, "The elves are a lithe, pointy eared people who excel at poverty."

That comment smarted. Poverty? Abelas had felt no lack in his childhood for love, family, community, food, or a roof over his head when the wind blew hard against the Aravels. Abelas asked Sten if he were always so hostile. He replied in confusion; if he were hostile, Abelas would be bleeding. 

"So this is your being calm and helpful?"

"Couldn't you tell?"

Abelas mentally threw up in hands. Whatever. "You know what? Just follow orders, and you'll be fine."

"As you wish."

Abelas helped set up camp, ate a warm meal, and was just feeling like he this day had gone quite well when he heard the wheels of Bodahn's cart on the road. Grabbing a torch, he waved the merchant down in the twilight. After the dwarf had attended to his mule, they discussed Golems. Bodhan seemed quite interested; said they were rare, and quite useful. He recommended that they go and fetch it, if they weren't too short on time. Abelas guess it would be one day, at most, to fetch the thing. There could be no harm in one day's loss, although he could see Sten grunt in disgust at the decision. 

Very well. They would head to Honnleath at first light.

---

That's a good chunk. ^^

What race/class is he? Plans for him specifically?

He's dual-wield rogue elf, you can actually see him as my avatar. I don't yet have any specific plans for him, though, I'm not even sure if I'll keep him as DW or will I make him an archer... so, no. No plans yet.

With this mod, it has a nice skull/skeleton-y complexion and I wanted to test it out.