Trying a different format this time. The first part of the chapter will focus on Origins, while the second half (.5) will focus on Awakenings. I will also have one or two chapters eventually with DA 2. Meet Cassandra Amell, my ultimate playthrough, and rebel mage. Alistair/Warden and Anders/Warden. I love me some snarky men.
Mages' Pride
Chapter 1: Harrowing Event
Cassandra Amell stared at the gathering in the Harrowing Chamber: There were a few Senior Enchanters, quite a few Templars, and First Enchanter Irving himself. "Do not be afraid, child," he said, motioning to her. "Please come here." She nodded, stepping carefully away from the Templars who had brought her here. They had pulled her out of bed in the middle of the night, not telling her anything except to get dressed. But now, staring at the lyrium font in the center of the room, she felt more fear and anxiety well up within her. Everyone knew of the Harrowing, but no one knew what it entailed. Those that had been through it were forbidden to speak of it, and apprentices could only make wild guesses as to the needed secrecy. Cassandra knew that some mages did not survive this process, while others feared it enough to ask to be made Tranquil. She shuddered at the thought of losing her identity and magick. Whatever was coming, she'd face it and triumph, like any other test.
"First Enchanter, what is it I must do?" She tried to keep her voice as even as possible, but it still cracked a bit.
"You are to be tested," he replied. "In the Fade."
"The Fade? But why?"
"Because it is the only way for you to show true restraint," Knight Commander Greagoir answered, coming up behind Irving, a scowl on his face.
"Forgive me, Knight Commander, but what do you mean?"
"You will face a demon in the Fade, my dear," Irving explained. "And you must resist whatever temptations it throws at you. If you fail, you will become an abomination, and the Templars will be forced to kill you." Cassandra took an involuntary step back, but she only ended up bumping into one of their armored jailers. She looked up, but saw only shadows behind the helmet. No, there would be no friendly faces in here but the other mages, and even they seemed slightly fearful.
"So if I resist temptation, I am considered safe?"
"You are considered less of a liability, yes," the Knight Commander said. "No mage is ever safe." She bristled at the comment, but nodded slowly, walking towards the font. The mages all held their breaths, and she turned to Irving, smiling.
"I'll see you soon then, First Enchanter."
"May the Maker watch over you," he told her, as she reached towards the font and fell into unconsciousness and the Fade.
Cassandra blinked a few times, trying to gain her bearings. She was in the Fade, that much she could tell from the landscape. Quickly calling a bit of mana to her hand, she conjured a small flame, and none too soon. A wisp came at her, but she easily drove it off with her magick, and she smiled. "Well, now to find this demon."
"Find a demon? Are you insane?" a small voice at her feet demanded. She looked down, hardly believing what she saw: A mouse was sniffing at her shoes, and she bent down to get a better look. However, a moment later, it stood up in the form of a man!
"What by the Maker are you?" she wondered, stepping back.
"I was once like you," he replied, a sheepish grin on his face. "A young mage forced to endure the Harrowing. Only, I never made it back."
"Wait, you accepted a demon's offer?"
"No! Nothing like that! I just took too long, and the Templars decided I had become an abomination, so they killed me. But my consciousness remained here, in the Fade. Now every so often I see other mages like you coming here. All of them fail."
"All of them?" The fear was back, like a heavy knot in her chest.
"Well, I suppose there's still hope for you," he said with a shrug. "My name's Mouse, by the way. Or at least, that's what I call myself now."
"I'm Cassandra. Tell me, Mouse, where is the demon I need to face? Have you seen it?" He looked around, like he expected an attack.
"There are a few demons here in this realm, but I think the one you need to face is a rage demon. They're very aggressive, and love to just burn mages to ash."
"I thought I was supposed to be tempted?"
"You trust the Templars to tell you the truth?" he asked bitterly.
"No… I suppose not." She hated being confined by them, even if it was "law". Not all of them were bad, but the good ones were usually reassigned before they could acquire too much "sympathy" for the mages. It infuriated her that she needed to tiptoe around them, when in all honesty; she could probably take on most of the initiates herself. "So, I just need to fight this demon and win?" Mouse stared at her.
"You make it sound so easy! Have you ever fought a demon before?"
"No, but I don't have much of a choice, do I? It's either fight it, or be killed if I take too much time, like you were. No offense, but I'm not cut out to spend the rest of existence as a spirit, Mouse."
"Well, maybe you could get help. There's some sort of benevolent Spirit roaming around here, somewhere."
"Then let's go find him." Again, he stared at her.
"Wait, us? You want me to come with you?"
"Why not? You already warned me about the danger I'd be facing, might as well come with me to see if I actually succeed."
"You talk as if you'll win." She quirked an eyebrow, one hand on her hip as a smirk curled her lip.
"I will." He shook his head, assuming the mouse form again as she headed off, looking for the other Spirit. She found him a short time later, near what seemed to be a forge, with weapons sitting on various racks. It appeared to be a man in armor, much like a Templar, and she hesitated. Finally, pragmatism won out, and she approached. "Greetings, Spirit." It turned, but she could see no face beneath the helmet it wore.
"What's this? Another mortal sent to do battle against a demon? Can your people not think of a better way than this?"
"You've seen others like me?"
"Yes," the Spirit replied with a nod. "Many times. Always it is the same thing, though. They come here, they fight the demon, and then they die."
"No one has ever bested the demon that lives here?"
"Well, there are a few that live here, but not the main one. Not the one whose realm this truly is."
"And why are you here, Spirit?"
"Please, call me Valor. I am here to try and aid those seeking to kill the demon. Though I must admit, you are the first who has approached me."
"But, why? Surely my fellow mages would've sought help?"
"They thought they could triumph on their own." Cassandra ground her teeth for a moment, frustrated by the lack of common sense her previous fellows had shown. If it won you the battle, where was the harm in asking for help? They were not armored warriors, and even a squad of mages needed protection every so often.
"Well, I'm not stupid. Spirit, is there any aid you can offer me against the demon?" Valor tilted his armored head, and she felt like she was being assessed.
"I can offer you a weapon of my own creation to better focus your power. However, you must defeat me in combat, so that I may know your worth."
"Defeat you in combat?" Cassandra couldn't keep the surprise or scorn out of her voice. "Valor, if I thought I could defeat you, I wouldn't need to ask for your help."
"He's not going to do anything for you. Let's leave," Mouse suggested, scampering back and forth.
"Not yet, Mouse. I do need help, whether he's willing to give it or not."
"And what would you suggest then, mortal?"
"I would suggest that you simply aid me, without any tests. I cannot beat you in combat, and you are a fool to have thought otherwise." The Spirit seemed to not like that comment, but she pressed on. "I am fighting for my life: For my very existence, Valor. If you are a benevolent Spirit, like Mouse says you are, help me because it is the right thing to do. Otherwise, you will just watch me walk to my death, like the others before me." The Spirit sighed, which she found mildly amusing. Walking back towards the "forge", it pulled a staff off a rack of weapons, and handed it to her.
"Take this then, and face the demon properly armed. It is the only thing I can do."
"It will have to suffice then," Cassandra said, taking the staff. "Thank you."
"Do not thank me yet, mortal. Only time will tell if you succeed." Cassandra and Mouse headed off, and she soon spied what looked like a bear lying in the middle of the path. Closer inspection revealed that the "bear" was covered in spikes, and had patches of fur missing, showing the muscle underneath. "What is that?" Mouse was hiding behind her, squeaking softly.
"Another demon, but not the one you need to face. I don't trust it."
"And I don't like being disturbed," the demon replied with a yawn, stretching out its front paws. "Are you a morsel, come to offer yourself to me, little one?"
"I should say not!" he shot back, becoming human again.
"Well, now that is a neat trick you've picked up," the bear said, opening one eye.
"What are you?" Cassandra asked, trying not to get too close.
"I am Sloth, or at least, one of the Sloths. Why do you disturb my slumber, mortal?" She swallowed nervously, and Mouse stayed behind her.
"I am looking for help to fight the demon that rules here."
"Well, you seem to have the morsel, and that weapon. What more help could you possibly need?"
"Well, having a mouse fighting isn't exactly the best idea. A bear would be better." The demon snorted, and Mouse looked hurt.
"It's not my fault I'm so small."
"Then change your form." Both of them stared at the demon, puzzled.
"Change his form? Is that possible?"
"Of course. Not easy for you, but for someone that let go of his natural form long ago, it wouldn't take much."
"Can you teach him?"
"No. Too much effort." The bear rolled over, putting its head on its paws.
"You can't just give us hope and then refuse to give aid!" Again, it lifted its head and stared at her with one eye.
"I can't? I am a demon, little mortal. I do what I choose, when I choose it. And I am choosing to take a nap and ignore you." Mouse tugged on her robe, but she ignored him. There was no way she was leaving with nothing.
"Is there any way to convince you to teach him?"
"Maybe we should just go-" Mouse started.
"Wouldn't you like to become a bear? It's definitely better than what you are now." He sighed, and the demon got to its feet, both eyes open.
"Very well, mortal. If you wish me to teach your friend, you must entertain me. Answer three riddles correctly, and I shall do what you ask."
"That's it? Three riddles, and he becomes a bear?"
"Or I get to devour the both of you if you answer incorrectly." Cassandra rolled her eyes. Of course. There was always a catch, wasn't there?
"Ask your questions then, Sloth."
"Very well. My first question is this: I have seas with no water, coasts with no sand. Towns without people, and mountains without land. What am I?" Cassandra thought for a moment, and then smiled.
"A map." Sloth didn't even appear fazed.
"Hmph. Correct. The second riddle: I am rarely touched, but often held. If you have wit, you'll use me well. What am I?" Her smiled turned into a smirk.
"Too easy, demon. My tongue."
"Yes, your witty tongue. Fair enough. One more try, shall we?" The demon still hadn't moved, but Cassandra thought he seemed bothered by her answering correctly. Well, he was going to have to teach Mouse after this last one, so it meant he actually had to work at something. "Often will I spin a tale, never will I charge a fee. I'll amuse you an entire eve, but alas, you won't remember me. What am I?" She stared at the bear, folding her arms across her chest. She'd heard this one since she'd been a child.
"A dream."
"You are correct. Rather apropos here in the Fade, no?" The demon stood, staring at them, and Mouse shrunk back a little. "You have won my challenge, and proved yourself an amusing distraction. Now then, little one: I shall teach you my form…" It took a little while, but Mouse was eventually able to turn into a black bear, though without the spikes and patches of fur missing.
"Did I do it?" he asked, sounding happy. "I feel heavy."
"Close enough," Sloth replied. "Now begone, both of you. I must go back to my rest." The two of them crept away from the sleeping demon, and Cassandra knew it was now or never.
"Time to face this rage demon, so I may be done with this place."
"I'll show you where it normally is," Mouse said, assuming his normal, small form again. She followed, hoping that the Templars would indeed give her enough time to finish her test. Things just weren't adding up in her head, but there would be time to sort everything out later. They came to a clearing, and the demon was waiting for them, it seemed. It looked to be made of living flame, or maybe lava, and she could feel the heat from where she stood. Fire spells weren't going to help her now, but she had her staff, Mouse, and another trick up her sleeve if need be.
"So, the Mouse has come again," the demon said, sliding closer. "What tasty treat have you brought me this time?" She wasn't horribly surprised by all this, but Mouse took on human form, standing in front of her.
"Not this time, demon," he told it. "I'm through helping you. This woman gave me something to hope for, and I will pay her back."
"Oh? Mouse betrays me? What a charismatic mortal you must be. Or perhaps just very strong?" She took up a fresh grip on the staff, pointing it at the demon.
"Both," she shot back, firing a bolt of mana at it. The demon was knocked back, giving Mouse time to assume his new form. The two of them attacked the rage demon without mercy, and soon it collapsed in a pile of embers. Cassandra stared at her "guide" as he became human again.
"I… Suppose telling you that I had no choice but to betray those others wouldn't suffice, would it?" She shrugged, folding her arms across her chest.
"If it were anywhere but the Fade, I'd say no. I can understand what one has to do to survive in a place like this. But why choose me?"
"Because you gave me hope, like I said. Hope that maybe… You can help me again." Her eyebrow went up, and he continued. "I think you're just the kind of person who can help me get out of here. Help me get a foothold in the world." Her suspicions were rapidly becoming more fact, and she took a step back.
"Were you ever really a mage like me?" she demanded.
"Of course I was! Or at least, I think I was." Cassandra narrowed her eyes, bringing the staff up in front of her.
"I think that rage demon was only a small part of this test. Show me your true form," she demanded. He grinned then, and her blood ran cold.
"Maybe they are right about you." His voice was deeper now, and had an added echo to it. She froze, watching as he changed form again, but this time to one she didn't know. It was tall, with purple skin, spikes on the shoulders, eyes all across the face, and sharp teeth in a wide mouth. "Simple killing is a warrior's job. The real dangers of the Fade are preconceptions, careless trust… Pride." She could not hope to defeat something so powerful, but she tried not to show fear. "Keep your wits about you, mage. True tests never end." In a flash of light, the demon was gone, and she slipped into darkness. When she awoke, apprentices were gathered around her bed, smiling.
"You did it!" one of her friends said, taking her hand. "You're a true mage now." Cassandra smiled at the girl, curling her fingers around hers.
"That wasn't so hard after all," she lied, still feeling the fear from seeing that demon. Nothing would ever be able to chase that memory from her mind.
Chapter 1.5
"The Keep isn't far now, Commander," the warrior at her side said. Cassandra nodded, wanting to be out of the cold before the rain hit. The whole day had been overcast, but the night had just gotten colder and damper.
"This place certainly is in the middle of nowhere, Mhairi" she replied, leaning on her staff for a moment. A feeling of unease was starting to settle on her, and it was a feeling she'd come to know only too well. But that should not have been possible. She should not be sensing darkspawn so close to-
"Help!" a frightened voice chased any tiredness from her, and a man came running down the road towards them, followed by a group of darkspawn.
"Maker's breath!" Mhairi shouted, drawing her sword.
"Get down!" Cassandra commanded, shooting a ball of flame towards the man. He hit the ground hard, and the flame exploded in the middle of the darkspawn, sending charred bits of them scattering everywhere. Those that weren't immediately killed were cut down by the young warrior's blade. Cassandra quickly pulled the man to his feet, her senses now on full alert. Something was very wrong here. "What happened?"
"Oh Maker, thank you for saving me! It was awful. The darkspawn just surged out of the Keep, cutting down anyone in their path. I was headed for patrol when I heard the screams, and ran as fast as I could to find help."
"Darkspawn attacked the Keep? That doesn't make sense," Mhairi said skeptically, starting to sheath her sword. Cassandra put a hand on her arm.
"Keep your weapon out," she advised. Then she turned to the Keep soldier. "Go find a regular patrol, and quickly. We're probably going to need backup."
"Yes ma'am!" He ran off, and the two women looked up the path, where the outline of Vigil's Keep stood against the darkness.
"We need to hurry."
"Yes Commander. I'm right behind you." Racing towards certain danger, they were at the gates in record time, only to see the common soldiers trying to fight off groups of darkspawn. Fire and lightning crackled on her fingers as Cassandra vented her frustration on the closest groups. The soldiers saw her and Mhairi, and quickly rallied to press what little advantage they had. It took a little while, but eventually they had taken care of any of the blighted creatures that were outside the walls. One of the soldiers came up, looking both fearful and relieved.
"A-Are you the Warden Commander?" he asked. She nodded, allowing a small smile to poke through her serious countenance.
"I am. Gather everyone who was outside and defend the wounded. We'll be going in to look for any survivors." He nodded, calling out to the others, who quickly found a fortified spot by a wall, laying out the wounded as best they could. Cassandra felt bad that she wasn't skilled in healing, but that had never been her forte. Sure, she knew how to generally heal, but she wasn't as good as- She shook her head, stopping herself from remembering. That person was long gone, and she had a Keep to search. "Mhairi, let's go." The warrior nodded, following the mage inside the Keep. Almost immediately, they heard screams from down the hall, and saw a man, probably a servant, trying to outrun some hurlocks. A blast of fire blocked their path for a moment, but the mage did not let up her assault, firing blast after blast from her staff, and adding a lightning bolt in for good measure. Mhairi barely had time to blink before the darkspawn lay dead, and the new Commander leaned heavily against the wall, anger in her eyes.
"Get to safety!" the recruit shouted to the servant, who nodded and fled the way they had come. When they were alone, she faced the mage. "Commander-"
"I'm fine," Cassandra cut her off, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I just… I wasn't expecting to run into this many. To have darkspawn coordinate an attack on a Grey Warden base is… Well, if you'd told me this morning this was going to happen, I would have thought you insane."
"Something else is wrong, though. You seem very tense." She smiled and gave a short laugh, pushing away from the wall.
"Tense is a good way of putting it. Wardens can sense darkspawn, Mhairi. It's like there's an itch in your mind, and no matter how much you try to ignore it, you can't. But for every one of those damned things that you kill, the itch gets a little less noticeable. Right now, I feel like my head is going to grow its own set of legs and walk off on me."
"So we press on?"
"We press on," she replied with a nod. "Hopefully we'll find some help." Down the hallway was a door that led to another section, and they made sure all the adjoining rooms were empty before continuing on. No sooner had they opened the door, than a blast of cold air assailed them. Looking at each other in confusion, the women ran forward, only to see a mage freezing a darkspawn solid. He was standing in front of a pile of bodies, which contained quite a few darkspawn, but also two Templars. Cassandra grimaced, but raised an eyebrow when the mage turned around. Surprise was on his face, and his brown eyes went wide for a moment. With a sheepish look, he put a hand behind his head and smiled nervously.
"Um, I didn't do it," he swore, glancing at the bodies. She folded her arms across her chest, not saying anything. "Hey, I recognize you from the Circle!"
"You do?" She was trying to place his face, but just kept coming up blank. He hadn't been specifically in her class, but perhaps a year or two off?
"Well, I remember seeing you in the halls every so often. Amell, right? That idiot Cullen had a crush on you." Cassandra stared harder, wondering how she could have overlooked him, if he'd noticed her. "Oh, but I can see that I didn't warrant nearly as much attention from you. So, allow me to introduce myself: I am Anders: Mage, and wanted apostate." The way he said the last part made it seem that he was proud of the fact that he'd run from the Circle, and she couldn't help but smile.
"An apostate? At Vigil's Keep?" Mhairi asked out loud.
"Well, it was only supposed to be temporary. A quick stop on our way, and then back to the Circle. And now they're dead. Such a shame."
"So those two were Templars?" Cassandra asked, pointing to the armor-clad men.
"Well, that's what they told me before they clapped me in irons and started dragging me back to the Tower. I mean, if they were just bored knights, they certainly picked the wrong time to be helpful." He grinned, and the two mages shared a smile.
"Well, I'd ask you to stick around, but I imagine you want to get as far away from here as possible." He bowed, still smiling.
"It's been a pleasure ladies, but the open road does call. Good luck slaughtering the darkspawn, though. Maker knows they won't start killing themselves."
"We could only hope." Anders slipped out the door, and Cassandra turned to Mhairi again. "You're not going to ask me why I let him go?"
"It's not my place, Commander. Besides, you're a mage yourself, so you can sympathize with him." The warrior smiled, and the mage found herself liking this girl more and more. If she survived the Joining, she would make a fine Warden.
"Let's go, we've got more Keep to search." Going as quickly as possible, they encountered more servants to save from darkspawn, and just more of the creatures in general. Cassandra was getting rather fatigued with all the fighting, when she heard more commotion from another room. Mhairi threw open the door, charging in. However, she had to duck to avoid the body of a genlock as it smashed into the wall.
"Come at me like you mean it, ya lazy nug humpers!" Cassandra poked her head into the room, eyes wide when she recognized the Dwarf at the far end.
"Oghren!" she called out. He turned, waving, before two genlocks charged at him, and he swung his axe, taking out their legs. She and Mhairi helped him mop up the rest of the bunch, and then the Dwarf came over, smiling.
"Well shave my back and call me an elf! It is you, Warden!" She patted him on the shoulder, shaking her head and grinning. Truth be told, some part of her had missed the crass, drunk warrior.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to join the Order."
"Oh yes, the drunk Dwarf. He was here when I was sent to get you, Commander. I'm surprised the other Wardens didn't throw him out," Mhairi said in annoyance.
"Well now, if it isn't the recruit with the nice rack." Oghren eyed her up and down, and Cassandra rolled her eyes and tapped his head with her staff. "What?"
"Focus, Oghren. We've got darkspawn to kill."
"Heh, right you are, Warden. Let's go introduce some of those beasties to my foot being up their arse!" He took off down another hallway, and Cassandra gave Mhairi an apologetic smile.
"He grows on you."
"Like a fungus, I'm sure." More fighting, more darkspawn, and a few more survivors counted down the next hour, as they fought upwards towards the roof. Pausing at the door to the outside, the mage again leaned on her staff. Her mana was running low, and she hadn't prepared for an extensive assault. "Commander?"
"I'm tired, as I'm sure you both are. We need to make sure that whatever is out there, we take it out as fast as possible."
"You're speaking my language," Oghren said, hefting his weapon. She nodded, opening the door, and they ran out onto the battlements. However, at the end of the wall, she noticed someone standing there. Getting closer, she realized it was Anders. What in the Maker's name was he doing here? Why hadn't he run? He turned his head as she walked towards him, but now he looked nervous.
"Just between you and me, you might want to be careful before going around the corner," he warned. "The darkspawn that led the attack is over there."
"It is?" She peeked around quickly, seeing a soldier forced off the edge of the roof by a hurlock in fancy armor. Or at least, fancier than she was used to seeing on them. It was standing in front of a human, who was on his knees with a sword held to his neck. "So it is." Then she turned back to the apostate. "Not that I'm complaining, but weren't you supposed to be halfway to the city of Amaranthine by now?"
"Yeah, I'm not so good at this whole "fugitive from justice" thing. See, when I got to the gates, I just… Well, I felt bad about leaving, so I came back to help. And if that means having to kill darkspawn, them just call me a junior Grey Warden."
"I appreciate the concern, Anders."
"Well, I'm no slouch when it comes to magick, so you'll be glad I came back." He pulled back a moment later as she wreathed herself in flames.
"Good to know. Oghren, I'm taking a page out of your book. We hit them hard, fast, and don't let up until their heads crack open. Anders and Mhairi, you two get any others, and keep their hostage alive." Everyone nodded, and Oghren grinned.
"Now we're talking!" Launching a surprise fireball, Cassandra stepped into full view as the Dwarf charged forward, axe already coming down. The normal hurlock holding the hostage found itself sans an arm, and a moment later was burned to ash. Mhairi pulled the older man to his feet, keeping her sword and herself between him and the darkspawn. It only took a few minutes for the normal darkspawn to die, and then the one in fancy armor looked at her… And spoke.
"Do not be thinking this is over, Grey Warden. He will find you yet." A moment later, its head was severed from its body, and Oghren kicked the corpse over.
"That'll teach you to start talking, ya sodding darkspawn." The man whom Mhairi had been protecting now cleared his throat, bowing to Cassandra.
"Commander, I owe you my life. I am Seneschal Varel, stationed here at Vigil's Keep to aid you in ruling the arling."
"I'm just sorry I couldn't get here sooner," she apologized. He nodded, his gaze suddenly fixing on something below them.
"There's a patrol coming up the road. Looks like well-armored soldiers. Hopefully they're more hospitable than our last guests." Cassandra turned, seeing the soldiers as well, and feeling her curiosity rise.
"Let's go meet them then, shall we?"
"As you wish, Commander." The group left the roof, and she cast one last glance at the headless corpse. A talking darkspawn? Now she'd seen everything.