**As usual, any translations are at the bottom. Enjoy ^_^
Introduction:
The First Blight
"And so is the Golden City blackened
With each step you take in my Hall.
Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting.
You have brought Sin to Heaven
And doom upon all the world."
Canticle or Threnodies 8:13
The Chantry teaches us that it is the hubris of men which brought the darkspawn into our world. The mages sought to usurp heaven but instead they destroyed it. They were cast out. Twisted and cursed by their own corruption. They returned as monsters; the first of the darkspawn. They became a Blight upon the lands unstoppable and relentless. The Dwarven kingdoms were the first to fall and from the Deep Roads the darkspawn drove at us again and again until finally we neared annihilation.
Until the Grey Wardens came. Men and women from every race, warriors and mages, barbarians and kings. The Grey Wardens risked everything to stem the tide of darkness…and prevail. It has been four centuries since that victory and we have kept our vigil. We have watched and waited for the darkspawn to return. But those who once called us heroes have forgotten. We are few now and our warnings have been ignored for too long. We may even be too late for I have seen with my own eyes what lies on the horizon. Maker, help us all.
-Duncan Commander of the Grey
1
Child of the Dalish
The sun had started to set when we arrived at the human fortress known as Ostagar. My muscles felt like they were about to give way from the long journey that the Grey Warden known as Duncan dragged me on from the Bercillian Forest where Keeper Marethari and Hahren Paivel kept the camp up until three days ago when I left. The tall human, Duncan, has stopped at the entrance of the fortress talking to a shorter, blond human in heavy golden armor. He didn't seem at all the serious type like Duncan but seemed important enough to wear such flashy garments. Duncan was wearing his black almost grayish hair in a short, tight ponytail. His beard looked as if it hadn't been shaved in a month or two. His long white and red robes suited for battle with a few armor plating on here and there was dirty from the walk through the forest and the Hinterlands.
I wasn't really paying much attention. The ruins we had arrived at were of human origin and the tall, arching rubble made of weather-worn, grey stone was nothing like what I thought human architecture would look like. This place was clearly magnificent in it's glory days. "And this must be the new recruit?" the light blond headed human asked looking at me with excitement, breaking me from my wandering train of thought.
"Yes, this is Dahlia, a Dalish Elf. Dahlia, this is King Cailan.," Duncan answered, although he seemed too young to be king. He couldn't be but maybe four to five years older than me. Duncan could be trusted not only because he saved my life but because he owes me a cure to the taint that I could feel spreading through my veins like a forest fire, but this king seemed too cocky for his own good. However I am now in their world. I must play nice at least until I am cured and can sneak home.
"Your majesty." I greeted. The words tasted foreign and for me held no meaning.
"Nice to meet you my lady. A brave and noble people the Dalish. I have no doubt the Grey Wardens will benefit from having you in their ranks." Unsure of what to say I just stood there trying to find the right words to say.
"Thank you," was all I could think of. Trust is something these shemlen have yet to earn. This King Cailan sure was different than what I heard about the human nobles though, I'll give him that much. He has yet to give off one hint that he thought low of me or my people.
The king turned back towards Duncan with an amused tone, "Well I better get back to my tent before Loghain gets the notion that he needs to send a search party."
"Farewell your majesty." replied Duncan. I watched the young human king leave with his two heavily plated bodyguards flanking him.
"It is true they have won multiple battles before now against the darkspawn with no sign of the Archdemon. So many are convinced this is not a true Blight we are up against," he stated with disbelief clear in his voice.
"What's an Archdemon?" He then turned to look me in the eye.
"The Archdemon is the one behind a Blight. The one who controls the horde. Legend says it is one of the old gods that are awakened once every couple hundred years or so by the darkspawn and becomes tainted by them. Crawling out from the Deep Roads along with the rest of the horde, it taints the land and thus beceomes the Archdemon," the features on his face turned grim as he said this.
"Yet you don't seem to believe that this is just some random series of attacks."
He sighed, "No, we Grey Wardens can…sense the Archdemon, which is why we know this is a Blight and we Grey Wardens are needed to end it." Sense the Archdemon? "Even so I cannot ask the King to rely solely on my feelings and wait for reinforcements from the other Grey Wardens in Orlais."
I just shook my head, "If he really holds the Grey Wardens at such high regard as he seems to then he should be willing to listen and do good to heed your advice." The humans are still strange to me.
"Dahlia, I have important matters to attend to, so I won't be seeing you till tomorrow before The Joining. Just go across this bridge, keep going straight until you see a red tent and that is yours while we are here in the camp. When you wake up talk to one of the guards on duty and ask for Alistair. He will be your guide around camp to help you prepare for the battle and The Joining ritual." He then turned to walk away. The Joining was supposed to be a test that would make me into a Grey Warden and cure me of the taint the darkspawn had left behind.
Finally some rest. I started across the stone bridge crossing my arms over my stomach to help shield my exposed skin from the icy breeze that was washing over the land. The crisp mountain air smelled of frozen pine. I looked at the ruins that lay before me. Ostagar was what he called it. It certainly had seen it's fair share of battles judging by the marks of weapons in the stone and the side of the battlements and bridges that had been blown out.
As I neared closer to the great archway I could hear the sound of dogs. The only time I had actually ever seen one was at the last clans meet. I remember it because it was the one who stole into the smoke house and Keeper Marethari sent me and Tamlen to chase him down. I looked down at the silver ring that looked like entangled vines intricately weaving around my finger that the Keeper gave me as a parting gift. Tamlen. Keeper. My clan. Dareth shiral.
"Good evening miss." my head snapped up to look at a guard in a heavy chain mail armor.
"Oh. Um good evening." His voice had startled me out of my thoughts.
"You must be one of Duncan's new recruits. Nice to meet you. If there is anything you need don't hesitate to ask." Duncan must be quite renown around here.
"Thanks but I'm good for right now."
He bowed his head in respect, "Fair enough. Good night, miss." I nodded before walking off in the direction I hoped was my tent.
As I turned the curve of the pillar the camp came into full view and all I could do was stare in awe. I had never in my nineteen years seen anything human besides those that had came too close to the Clan's campground. In the corner of my eye something gleamed and flashed, reminding me of Keeper Marethari and Merrill, her First and one of my few close friends. Surrounded by a wall and the only opening being guarded by two fully armored knights was a group of humans gathered in a circle dressed in robes of blue performing a magic so similar to my Clan's but indisputably so different. Their uplifted hands had the same white, blue aura dancing through the air above them in a manner I had seen before when the Keeper or Merrill casted a spell.
I slowly approached the entrance as to get a better look only to be interrupted by one of the men at arms. "Excuse me ma'am the mages must not be interrupted," the guard spoke behind his equally large helm that showed very little of his eyes. I let my annoyance show of their indefensible excuse.
"And why not? What kind of spell are they casting anyway?" This time it was the other that spoke.
"They are preparing for the coming battle against the horde. They need all the concentration they can get without nosy knife ears gawking at them." I could feel the blood rush up to my face as they spoke with such disdain.
But when I opened my mouth to say something another voice intruded except this one was an older more gentler voice, "Excuse me Ser Templar is something the matter?" I turned to my left to see an elderly woman approaching wearing a ruby red robe and her short, snow white hair pulled back into a ponytail shorter than mine.
"This elf was trying to sneak into the Chanting Circle." I shot an icy glare at the armored man to see if his shemlen mind could catch on to how much I would enjoy knocking him on his ass.
"Ah, you must be one of Duncan's new recruits. Why stand here watching something as boring as a Chanting Circle. Come with me." I shot the two men more icy glares as I followed the woman a couple yards away before she turned to face me.
"Duncan is not easily impressed you should be proud. My name is Wynne by the way." Just how famous is Duncan?
"Ma serannas. My name is Dahlia. So what's with those two," I gestured at the men behind me.
"They are Templars sent by the Chantry to keep a close eye on mages and hunt down those who turn to forbidden magic before they can do harm to others." This made no sense to me. But I was too light headed to try and figure out why human mages need looked after like children so I gave up.
"That still doesn't explain their behavior."
Wynne glanced at the Templars before looking back at me, "You must forgive them that. It has been a long time since the battles have started. Morale is low at the time." She sighed. "I'm curious why did you seem so interested in the mages' Chanting Circle anyway?"
I moved the ring on my right ring finger slightly back and forth with my thumb as I spoke, "The Keeper of my clan is a mage. And I was curious to see if it was the same."
The elderly mage looked at me with confusion. "I may not know of the Dalish ways but I do know that the only other kind of magic besides what we use is the forbidden blood magic. But I may be wrong on that assumption too."
I knew that there was no blood in the Keeper's magic so maybe it was the same or completely different. "So what is it you do?"
"Oh me?" She started, eyes softening, "I am from the Circle too, however I seem to be healing injuries and mixing medicine more than anything." So she's a mage as well, I thought my eyes just now falling to rest on the staff resting on the bench next to her with an array of assorted herbs. "If I may ask, is there anything I can do for you my dear? You seem a bit worn."
"No, I'm fine," I said a little too quickly. My nerves jolted as I raced for an excuse, "Just a long trip," I attempted my best smile but her piercing gaze made it difficult to hold. Finally she relented albeit still unconvinced of the condition of my health.
"Here, entertain an old woman for a few moments," I sat in the old wooden chair she motioned to before grabbing a kettle off a small fire and two cups from the table. I watched silently as she cut and ground roots to throw into the water. "So, you are Dalish correct?"
"Yes," I replied.
"How did Duncan manage to find a clan?" she queried seemingly interested.
I hesitated to find an acceptable answer and settled on a half-truth, "He found me while I was away from camp."
One stark white eyebrow quirked up, "Forgive me for how this may sound my dear, be assured I mean this with no offense but I didn't think the Dalish trusted humans enough to bring a one back to their clan. How did that come about if I may? Did you know of the Wardens before meeting him?"
I shrugged, off put by her politeness and new string of questions, "Actually he found the clan after he did me. The Keeper knew of the Wardens enough to allow him to visit."
She reached to the heated kettle and poured a browned tea into the two cups before handing me mine. "As I mentioned before dear, you must be a very talented hunter to catch Duncan's eye," she smiled sincerely.
"Thank you," I replied trying to suppress the memories and emotions these questions were leading to. The tea was just warm enough and although bitter held a slightly sweet flavor. It was a comforting welcome to my empty and slightly churning stomach. "So will you be fighting in the battle too,Wynne?" I asked before drinking another mouthful.
She looked at me with amused eyes and chuckled a little as she replied, "Not exactly. I will be standing back on this one under Duncan's orders, to make ready the camp to receive the injured for when they come back from the battle." I couldn't help but feel a little bit of relief for the nice elderly woman. She didn't look like she could hold her own to those things and I would hate it if anything happened to one of the nicer humans. But I knew I shouldn't make assumptions like that since she looks like she might be the same age as Keeper Marethari and you would have to be a complete idiot to want to face her on your own, "But I'm sure that you have more important things to do than talk to me. Like maybe getting some sleep."
I smiled at the sincerity in her voice indeed feeling the weight on my eyes the tea had brought on. In some ways she reminded me of Keeper Marethari. "Well met. Good night, Wynne. You should rest, too. Sounds like tomorrow will be a busy one," I suggested as I stood looking at her overcrowded table before turning to walk away.
"Will do, Dahlia, good night." Nice humans; three. Humans I wanted to string up like a prized pheasant; two.
As I made way for the red tent not too far from where I was my mind couldn't help but wander back to the Mahariel Clan in which I grew up. We Dalish Elves have been nomadic wanderers since the humans took our land from us, enslaved us for centuries, raped our women, killed our men, enslaved our children and then after fighting with them during the Exalted March, a religious war lead against the Tevinter Imperium, with the help of the human's prophetess Andraste, released us. In that event we have also lost almost all of our culture and arts. The land awarded to us for our service in the war won us the Dales. It is a small section lands in the southern part of the shemlen country of Orlais west of here. But when we refused to convert to the shem's religion they led the Exalted March of the Dales. Those who submitted became flat ears, city elves, and live as slaves. Those of us who continued to refuse became the Dalish wanderers. The Keeper's of our nomadic clans keep what we know written down so we will never again forget while the Hahren of the clan tells it in stories to the young da'len. I began going over the old story in my head that I listened to countless time and helped tell before my leave. How long will it be before I hear another story told by a Hahren in the safety of my clan?
Upon entering my tent I removed my two Dar'Misus, my hidden knife, medicine bag, Assans, and my Bor'assan. I didn't even bother taking off my hunting leathers for the darkspawn taint not only brought on the constant burning in my blood but all the symptoms of a fever and was way too exhausted to do anything but slip under the wolf pelt I had laid out on the ground. Or maybe it is a fever? Oh who cares anymore. I turned over comfortably curling into the pelt still smelling of the forest.
Dareth shiral-safe journey
Ma serannas-thank you
Hahren-elder
Da'len-child/children
Dar'misus-short blades
Assans-arrows
Bor'assan-longbow