Author's Notes: Greetings to all! I hope that everyone is having a fantastic year so far! Time to shake off the cobwebs from winter, and plow into a new story. I love the Dragon Age universe, as it has a rich tapestry of lore and fascinating places and people! There is my interpretation of one of the 'elven gods' that are referred to during the DA games.

Disclaimer: Dragon Age is of course the property of Bioware and EA. I can't claim anything other than trying to bring a new idea to the forefront. If Bioware/EA likes, it, would love to see it incorporated into the next DA.

Dragon Age: Spectre of a Dead Empire.

By: Ghost43843

Prologue. Final days of Arlathan, capital city of the Elvhenan.

Many Centuries before.

Falon'Din Lavellan gritted his teeth as the ground beneath his feet heaved upward yet again. The war that raged just outside the door of his sanctuary within Arlathan had his senses on edge. He clutched his battle staff so tightly that he heard the combination of spun silver metal and live wood creak under the stress. The hilt of his spirit blade still lay attached to his belt, and he wasn't about to let it out of his sight. Whatever small rebellion that Fen'Harel had conjured up months before had escalated rapidly into a full scale war among his people. The non-magic elves that made up most of their slave population had been freed by the usurper, and they immediately answered for his call to arms. That wasn't the worst of it though, at least, not until the sudden plentiful appearance of the quicklings from the Imperium…

Falon'Din's eyes flashed as he grabbed his spirit blade as the door to his sanctuary violently burst inward. He felt some relief as it was only Talen'ware, his apprentice, and his wife Norel'Ayn. When they saw him, they flashed a momentary smile of relief. It was quickly again replaced by determination and even a bit of anger. "My Lord!" Talen'ware started. "We must escape! The war rages ever so much closer! Losses have been staggering!"

Falon'Din shook his head. "No! This is our home! What of the numbers that make up the Falonshor? Are they not fighting with all their strength to defend their empire?"

Talen'ware moved back toward the door and shut it as tightly as he could. The apprentice placed the restraining bolt through the door frame. It wouldn't hold for long though if magic were used. Norel'Ayn shook her braided headed at her husband's question, and he noticed grimly that her own battle staff showed signs of recent damage. "Most of the Falonshor fled when faced with the superior numbers of Fen'Harel's forces. The rest were quickly cut down as they stood. There isn't many of your loyal forces left to fight, my love."

Falon'Din's eyes widened slightly. "What has become of Mythal? She has always been allied with me! Has she abandoned us in this madness?"

Norel'Ayn's eyes glistened. "It is rumored that she was murdered, my love. Some have said it was Fen'Harel himself who did it."

Falon'Din shook his head. "No, that isn't possible! He was many things, but a murder? No, I will not believe it unless someone shows me her body! I still don't know what is going through Fen'Harel's mind, but I can promise you he wouldn't have killed her. She protected and cared for everyone, even him."

The Arcane Warrior shrugged. "No matter if he killed her or not, my love, he has banished the rest of the council members."

Falon'Din chuckled mirthlessly. "Banished them? Just where did he banish them to? He wouldn't have had enough power to banish Elgar'Nan! He would have crushed Fen'Harel like he was a gnat."

Norel'Ayn shivered. "Fen'Harel did something, my love. There is something wrong within the Fade. I can't feel the connection with any of the librarians within the Fade!"

Falon'Din shook his head. The great warrior closed his eyes as he stretched his superior senses out toward his own connection with the Fade. Immediately, he recoiled as if struck. He knew something felt very wrong, indeed. He no longer felt his connection to the Fade at all! His eyes popped open as he stared toward the ceiling. "I can't feel anything from our people within the Fade!" His eyes drifted down toward his wife's. "What horrors has Fen'Harel unleashed?" He asked in a haunted whisper.

Norel'Ayn chewed her lip and shook her head. "It is unknown what he did or didn't do. He and his those loyal to him were headed this way. Right behind them are those quickling mages from that horrible Imperium! We have to get you out of here, now!"

Falon'Din spun around and faced the Eluvian that stood sentinel at the back of his sanctuary. He clasped the hilt of his spirit blade, and closed his eyes. He let his desires stretch toward his doorway to what lay beyond, and the Eluvian lit up into a bright light. His eyebrows creased with his efforts. Something was wrong with the other Eluvians, as he wasn't finding an open destination to anywhere else within the inner empire. He couldn't touch the one that was with the Durgenlan in their thaig of Cad'halash! It was as though they had somehow been compromised! His eyes opened as he finally found one that was still open. His brows furrowed. It was one that stood almost at the edge of the empire, surely there were other ones…

Something solid landed against the door that led into his formally tranquil sanctuary. Whatever it was slammed into the door again with even greater force behind it, the violence much worse than before. The restraining bolt was creaking, and the door showed multiple instances of large cracks along the frame. Norel'Ayn and Talen'ware combined their staves and cast a powerful barrier spell, one that protected them and anything behind them. Whatever it was that was coming for them, it was definitely powerful…

The compromised door finally exploded into shrapnel, and the wreckage flew inward toward the hastily erected barrier spell. Falon'Din took a step forward and stopped. He felt prickles of anger and betrayal as the usurper, Fen'Harel haughtily crossed the threshold into his sanctuary. Behind him were numerous elven warriors whom were loyal to him. There were even a few quickling warriors among their ranks, their strange style of dress and armor foreign to the native elven ones. Falon'Din's lip curled in contempt at his fellow elf. "Fen'Harel, what the hell have you done here?"

His fellow mage stood tall and proud. "I did what I must! You and all of the rest of the council abused your privileges when you declared yourselves gods among our people!"

Falon'Din snorted loudly. "You fool! Do you realize what this will do? Our Empire will crumble before the Imperium! I have it on good authority that those mages are right behind you, and on their way here! We won't have the power to stand a chance against them!"

"All good things must come to an end, my brother. The council is long past corrupted! The former purity within the very bones of our Empire is long decayed and crumbling. It must be torn apart and rebuilt again!"

Falon'Din growled lightly. "Because of you, our people will be destroyed! Cast out to the very ends of Thedas! For what? To salve your ego of the 'evils' of our Empire? You have betrayed everything that we stand for, everything that the Empire stands for!" Spittle flew from his lips with his rage. "Your name will one day be a curse, Fen'Harel! You are the betrayer of the Empire and of your people!"

Fen'Harel gave him a pitying look. "Then I am a betrayer of an empire I can no longer believe in. From its very ashes, a new foundation will be created. Our former Empire will be rebuilt into something better and stronger!"

Falon'Din turned and spat his disgust upon the ground. "All you will have left of the Empire will be a handfuls of ashes, fool! There will be nothing left to rebuild, and no one to help rebuild it!"

"Freedom is worth the price of an empire."

Several of the elven mages stepped into the room and cast various attack spells and hurled them toward the barrier. The force and power behind the spells soon caused the barrier to darken as it was severally weakened. Both Norel'Ayn and Talen'ware were driven to their knees, sweat poured down their faces while they put all their mana reserves into their protective barrier. Falon'Din stepped forward to help them, a grim determination upon his face.

"No…my love, you must…not help us. We…are doomed. You, my love…you may still have a chance at escape!"

Before Falon'Din came any closer toward his wife, Norel'Ayn turned and thrust a palm his direction while she hurled a violent wind spell toward him. He was blown clear off his feet, and was hurled backward toward the waiting Eluvian. The last thing he saw before he was enveloped by the light of the Eluvian, was his wife's precious face and that last look to him that conveyed every ounce of love that she felt toward him.

He opened his mouth to scream, but his breath was torn from his lips as he entered the Eluvian.