Bannon & Zevran: Book I: Origins: Recap
Author's Note:
If you just happened by, this is not the start of the story (okay, saga :X). Look for the previous parts, if you want to start at the beginning. (Yes, it is LONG!) (But I hear it can still be devoured in only one weekend!)
The story so far...
Origins: Part 1: Prelude -
Bannon, a plucky street rat from the elven Alienage in Denerim, braved the wrath of the local human noblemen to rescue his cousin Shianni and other women from Vaughn Kendells' grasp. With help from Shianni's brother, Soris, he killed Vaughn and four other noblemen, but not before Shianni is raped. Soris was taken prisoner for the murders, but a man named Duncan recruited Bannon into the Grey Wardens, to combat the coming Blight.
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Origins: Part 2: The Grey Wardens -
The Grey Wardens and King Cailan went into battle against the Tainted darkspawn horde, but General Loghain Mac Tir, the Hero of River Dane, retreated from the battle and left them to die. Alistair and Bannon, now initiated as a Grey Warden, were rescued from the Tower of Ishal by Flemeth, a self-proclaimed witch of the Wilds. She sent her daughter, Morrigan, to aid the last two surviving Grey Wardens in bringing their treaties and promises of aid to their allies.
Joining this trio are Leliana, a former bard of Orlais and Sister of the Chantry, who was sent a vision from the Maker, and Sten, a qunari from far-off Par Vallon, who was sentenced to die at the claws of the darkspawn after he murdered a family of farmers.
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Origins: Part 3: A Wolf in the Fold -
The Wardens and their companions travel to Redcliffe to secure the aid of Arl Eamon against Loghain, who has set himself up as regent to rule Ferelden while blaming the Wardens for the king's death. However, Redcliffe is held in the grip of a nightmare, spawned by a demon possessing the arl's son, Connor. The companions fight a ghostly undead army, then rescue Connor at the price of his mother Isolde's life. Arl Eamon remains in a coma, and the Wardens begin the search for the legendary Sacred Ashes to cure him.
Zevran, a saucy assassin in the Antivan Crows, was hired to kill the Grey Wardens, but failed. He pled for his life, intending to escape from his bonds of slavery by joining the only people in the world who are tougher and more dangerous than the Crows - the Wardens.
The group made their way to the Circle Tower of mages, where a Blood Mage was staging a coup. With some help from Niall, a mage trapped in the Fade in the form of a mouse, the companions defeated both the Sloth demon and Uldred, the Blood Mage, to secure the help of the mages in the upcoming battle.
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Origins: Part 4: Partners in Crime -
The companions follow the trail of Brother Genitivi, a scholar searching for the Sacred Ashes, back to Denerim, where Bannon discovers the Alienage is sealed off because of plague, after being harrowed by a Purge. Helpless to do anything to aid his family or people, he returns to the Wardens' mission.
Along the way, they aid Levi Dryden in reclaiming Soldier's Peak, an ancient Grey Warden outpost, inhabited by Avernus, a mage doing hideous experiments with the Taint to prolong the Wardens' shortened lifespan. They also discover a former royal guard being held and interrogated in the Bannorn by Loghain's allies, who imparts information to them about incriminating evidence against Loghain still left in Ostagar.
Finally, they discover Haven, an isolated and sealed-off town where the inhabitants have been guarding the Sacred Ashes since they were brought out of Tevinter, ages ago. The companions rescued Genitivi from a dragon-worshipping cult, made a deal with the cult leader, Kolgrim, to mingle dragon blood with the Sacred Ashes, entered the holy sacristy and passed the tests of the Guardian and the Gauntlet to earn the right to depart with a pinch of Ash.
Leliana persuades Father Eirik, a rival of Kolgrim's, to reconsider the sacred duty of the townspeople. Meanwhile, Bannon betrays Kolgrim and gets the dragon (who is a little peeved to find her babies killed and an egg stolen) to kill the cult leader and attack the cultists. The companions escape out of town with help from Eirik and return to Redcliffe, where the Ashes bring Arl Eamon out of his coma.
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Origins: Part 5: Friends and Lovers -
Zevran finally offers to have sex with Bannon who, interested in pursuing their relationship further, agrees. Zevran is a total ass the morning after, and both elves agree it's just sex. It was really good sex, so Bannon continues, to the various states of dismay, disapproval, incomprehension, and/or just plain annoyance of the other companions.
In Honnleath, Bannon, Zevran, Leliana, and Morrigan discover the golem that goes with the control rod. They are able to rescue the town from a demon, but fail to save the little girl said demon was possessing. They then manage to activate the golem, which calls itself Shale, but the control rod doesn't work. Nevertheless, Bannon convinces Shale to join them.
They travel on into the Brecilian forest and meet the Dalish, who are plagued by attacks from Witherfang, a massive spirit wolf, and a pack of werewolves. The Wardens are grudgingly pressed into service to help, and they break a curse instigated many years ago by the Dalish leader Zathrian. Dakorian, the Hunter of the clan, is not impressed with the 'flat-ear' city elves, and Bannon gets fed up with his prejudiced attitude.
From there it is onward to the Frostback Mountains and the undermountain kingom of Orzammar. The group discovers "King" Loghain has sent emmissaries to Orzammar's doorstep, but none are admitted. Only the Warden Treaties get them in.
The kingdom is in turmoil, embroiled in a political deadlock over who should be voted the next king: Prince Bhelen, the king's son and possibly his murderer, or Lord Harrowmont, who claims the king named him successor on his deathbed. Of course, the Wardens get drawn into the political machinations and retrieve a book of lineage that was stolen and taken into Dust Town, the dumping ground for both Orzammar's sewage and its casteless, branded as criminals from birth.
The book indicates Harrowmont is not really a noble, though Alistair prefers him to be the next king. Meanwhile, Bhelen tasks them with a mission in the Deep Roads to find Paragon Branka's lost expedition. Led by Branka's estranged husband, Oghren, Bannon, Alistair, Wynne, and Shale travel into the darkspawn infested Deep Roads. They meet the Legion of the Dead and help them retake the fortress known as the Dead Trenches. They also witness the Archdemon summoning and herding the horde away from Orzammar, to launch an attack on the surface.
After encoutering the nightmarish Brood Mother, the group is forced to aid Branka in disarming Caridin's traps to enter the cavern that houses the Anvil of the Void, Caridin's invention for creating golems. They also find the ancient paragon, himself turned into a golem. Caridin explains how dwarves were forced to die to become golems, and begs them to destroy the Anvil. They agree, and Branka is killed in her bid to stop them and take the Anvil for herself.
During a fact-finding mission, Bannon discovers that Bhelen is intent on reforming the dwarven caste system and eliminating Dust Town, while Harrowmont, a staunch traditionalist, would prefer to seal Orzammar off from the surface entirely. Alistair agrees Bhelen is the better choice, at least for his people, and the Wardens aid Bhelen in taking the throne.
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The Relationship:
Bannon took pity on Zevran, who was only a slave to the Crow Masters and wanted to be free. Plus, the thief was tired of being the only elf in the group. Zevran, being born in a whorehouse and trained by the Crows to seduce his targets, tried to use his charms on... well, everyone. He found the women unswayed, the qunari just impossible, and Fereldan men rather dense. But where Alistair would would go into chaste Chantry-boy conniptions whenever Zevran began coming on to him, Bannon would remain cool and calm.
As they traveled with their would-be assassin, Bannon came to know him better, the damaged and vulnerable person behind Zevran's suavity and braggadocio. He saw Zevran tortured by Crow trainers in the Fade, and got glimpses of the story of his mother selling him into slavery. Zevran truly wanted to be free, and Bannon was determined to help this elf who had become his close friend, and 'partner in crime.'
The two elves were closely matched, in physical prowess, in fighting skills, in quick thinking, in thought and opinion. Bannon mused it would be fun to travel the world with the assassin, living by their wits and their blades. Then he stole a pair of Antivan leather boots as a gift, and Zevran showed his appreciation with an unexpected kiss.
Bannon had to confront the possibility of a relationship with Zevran beyond friendship. It wasn't something he'd even contemplated (Bannon had plenty of women and liked them very much, thank you!). But... what if it could work?
He decided to try it, and he enjoyed it very much. However, Zevran made it very clear that he was just a passing fling, and they were together only for the sex. Bannon agreed, to not look like a total fool. They have spent many nights together, but their feelings are buried. Zevran might have changed his mind about a more serious relationship, but he is sure Bannon is not interested. Sometimes, Bannon is too good of a liar.
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Now...
The group, joined by Oghren, is heading east from the Frostbacks back towards Redcliffe, to rendezvous with Arl Eamon and go to Denerim to start the Landsmeet. After that, it is the final battle, should the Wardens live that long.
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