Disclaimer: I do not own the DragonAge stories or have any affiliation with Bioware or its associated entities. This story is my own interpretation and adaptation of the events of the Magi Origin centering around my character which I created. I thank Bioware for their amazing games and cannot wait for more additions to their DragonAge series! I hope, dear readers, that you find amusement in my ramblings. Thank you!
Prologue
And now is the golden city blackened,
by each step you take in my Hall,
Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting,
you have brought sin into heaven,
and doom upon the world.
- Canticle of Threnodies 8:13
The Chantry teaches us that it is the hubris of men which brought the darkspawn into our world. The mages had 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 over and over, 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 sacrificed everything to stem the tide of darkness – and prevailed. It has been many 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. It may even be too late, for I have seen with my own eyes what lies on the horizon. Maker help us all.
- Excerpt from the Diary of Duncan, Grey Warden
~oOo~
On a cliff overlooking the dark waters of Lake Calenhad, stands the tower fortress that is home to the Circle of Magi. This tower is the only place in Ferelden where mages may study their art among others of their kind. Within the high stone walls, the Circle practices its magic and trains its pupils in the proper use of their powers. But the Circle Tower is as much a prison as a refuge. The ever vigilant Templars of the Chantry watch over all mages constantly alert for any signs of corruption. This gilded cage is the only world Jezreel knows. Found to be very sensitive to magic at a young age, she was torn from her home and grafted here as an Apprentice. Having been found to have exceptional magical ability, she has been raised to an Accepted, a mage who has mastered both basic and advanced forms of magic. As an Accepted, she should now be concerned with choosing a specialization and perfecting her magical abilities in that discipline – the final stage of a mage's studies. Fate, however, seems to have a different plan…
~oOo~