DISCLAIMER: This will serve as the entire story's disclaimer from this chapter on. I do not own Dragon Age, the games, books, comics, or any other media format Dragon Age has been published in. All credits go to Bioware and EA. I only own Original Characters, aka characters you do not recognize from the game. Some characters you may recognize but they were referred to by their title or name only, and some characters you may not recognized because they were referred to by name only and never seen. I am talking about characters you do not recognize both in description and name, those are the ones that are mine. So until further noted, Mercy is the only one that belongs to me.

NOTE: This story starts off with shorter chapters but gets longer in length. As of 27 February 2015, it now includes all original chapters with no censoring or chapter cuts.

This is a Slow Build and Slow Burn story. The plot will take a long long time to develop and will be spaced out with fluff and exploration of the more mundane aspects of the world of Thedas. The "Final" romance will take a long time to develop as well. This story will also feature singing and modern music, so if that isn't your thing here's a warning but I should note they will be spaced out so it isn't too much.

"Don't swallow the ocean water." I remember that being said, somewhere. In some safety book or health class. I don't remember where. But it seemed important. Especially as I tried to float on the poor excuse for a flotation device that was my suitcase as the stormy waters pulled me under and I swam up to take a breath before it began again while I was sputtering out any bit of water because I remember that line from somewhere.

I knew I was dead the moment the waters dumped me overboard.

I don't remember how I got so far and separated. I didn't wonder too long because the waters probably drew me far away under the surface and the survivors sailed further and further away in the storm. This didn't mean I was going to just give up. I heard tales of just letting the flow pull you along and went it stilled to get up and breathe, so I did that. It was hard and many times my vision darkened and blurred because it was too long.

Yet now, I was tiring. My muscles ached, my throat was sore and raw from forcing all water out, and I was freezing despite being in Caribbean waters. But the stormy water wasn't as bad as when I got dragged out. It was calming. I could see the sky was beginning to lighten and in the distance I saw something. It looked like land with mountains in the distance. I was exhausted but survival pushed me.

Could be a mirage.

My legs were sluggishly moving, propelling me forward.

You could have swallowed some saltwater and not even know.

I was panting now and it didn't seem like I was even moving at first.

You could be dying.

I felt a wave pull me back, fresh tears coming to my eyes as my progress was erased.

You could be hallucinating.

I stopped paddling as exhaustion took over. My vision blackening as the wave picked up speed.

I remember feeling my feet hit rocky sand, my fingers clutching my luggage. My eyes peeled open and I saw the shore. The tide was coming in and my feet were gripping against the rocks and pushing forward. I pulled myself forward, crawling against the sharp sand.

I didn't stop until I hit grass where I promptly lay to dry off. It was relatively murky and low lighting and it was raining again.

Time passed and the sky lightened up. But the light rain didn't stop, not until I felt the chill and saw a single spot where the sun lit up.

Shivering I moved to it and lay in the sun. It warmed my skin and the bits of clothing that still clung to me. It was then that I let the exhaustion take me.

I woke up retching. Salty vomit flooded my mouth just as a bucket was presented to me. A hand rubbed soothing circles onto my back as my stomach emptied and settled for now. I sat back against the bed or cot pushed against the corner.

There sat in a chair was a man. He wore a simple tunic shirt with threadbare pants. His hair was very obviously ginger in the low light and he was saying something.

"Sorry... what?" The man smiled and pat my knee, which was bare. I sat in a simple white tunic that dwarfed me.

"You swallowed a lot of ocean water. It tends to make people sick." So you were right about that.

"Thank you... for taking care of me." I rasped out while licking my lips. "Do you have water?"

He rose and walked toward a table in the small wooden cabin where a jug sat. Instincts told me I shouldn't drink it but the man clearly had no intent to harm me or else he would have let me die.

Gulping it down, I noticed the hearth and wooden shelves that housed food. The man watched me and took the cup from my hands when I was done.

"I've been caring for you since we found you this morning on the shore." We? "Our leader decided to take you in as it is what Andraste would have done. And at the insistence of those under him, like myself. You were unwell." Andraste?

"I'm sorry... where am I?" Had I stumbled upon a reenactment? Was this a LARP community?

"We're on, what is referred to as, the Storm Coast along the Waking Sea." At my no doubt confused expression he paused and peered at me. He furrowed his brows and his blue grey eyes looked at me suspiciously. "Ferelden?"

The name was very familiar but...it couldn't be. "Thedas?" At the shake of my head he withdrew back and crossed his arms.

Could it?