AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Before I get into the actual story, I have a few things to say.
First of all, yes, this is one of those Dragon Age fics. You know, the kind that is pretty much a Mary Sue, except the nature of the game forces you into it? And because you have such a firm footing in the story with your character, you feel you have to write about it? Yeah, that.
My format deviates from this in that 80% of the dialogue is taken directly from the game. My whole purpose of writing this was not to sidetrack from the main storyline of the game, but to supplement and add depth to it. The nature of your character is to react to the events inside the game, and your choices as a player affect outcomes. While I was playing, I kept finding myself wondering why Elissa would be making these decisions. I subconsciously developed a personality for her, a background, character traits, until she became so rich in my mind that it felt like injustice to not put her into words. The story of Dragon Age: Origins was so full in and of itself that the necessary hole that was left for you to plug in your own character seemed underdeveloped by comparison.
All of that to say, the purpose of this fic was not to alter or really add any extra plotlines to the story of the game. The purpose of this fic was to add layers to who I thought I was playing. Who I thought Elissa Cousland was. I began with the human noble origin story and continue through the entire course of the game in the order that I completed it.
It may not be interesting to anyone, especially when it is just as easy to play through the game yourself and make your own choices, develop your own character. However, it seemed like such a waste to let Elissa die with my completed save file (expansion aside). I hope it is enjoyable to those few who might read it and I seriously encourage those who play to develop their characters as much as I developed Elissa.
A few side comments: Due to the format of the story, I am pretty liberal with spoilers, even in the very early chapters. This was written on the assumption that those who read it have completed their own game, but if you have not be wary of plot points you may not have reached yet. Secondly, this is still a work in progress and I do plan to carry on until the end of the main story of Origins. Real life is continuing all around me so I do not promise anything, should anyone find themselves attached. Thirdly, I do not claim to own any of the contents of this story. Even Elissa's name was generated upon character creation. As I said above, most of the dialogue is a direct script of the game and I seldom deviate from it. All credit for the storyline of the game - and this fiction - is given to the writers and developers of Dragon Age: Origins. Lastly, constructive criticism is encouraged, and I emphasize constructive. Telling me that I'm a brainless ogre because I ripped off the game does not count as constructive.
Thank you,
Kerry Ann