Prologue:

One year pre-conclave explosion

A lone warrior sat atop his mighty Fereldan destrier horse as it trotted through the snow covered road. The sun's rays casting a red glow through the tree line as it began it's descent in the west. Casting a warm ambiance upon the forest road.

The warrior himself was dressed in grey and blue armor adorned with the symbol of a golden griffin upon the chest plate. A large great sword was strapped to his back and a steel short sword strapped to his hip. His face was covered with a helmet in decorated with an ornamental griffin's beak upon the forehead.

As the warrior began to contemplate searching for a good place to camp up; the sound of screaming could be heard further down the road. The warrior put his horse to full gallop until he reached a bend around some trees to see an elven peasant woman in torn cloths running up the road towards him. At the sight of the warrior. The woman called to him in a panic.

"Please! Help, the village, it's under attack from raiders!" without a word the warrior quickly nodded and put his horse at full gallop yet again. He looked up and saw a large plume of smoke rising against the evening sky. Soon enough the sound of screaming and the scent of burning assaulted his senses until he reached a small village filled with people running from bandits who were slaughtering, looting, and raping to their hearts content.

The warrior did not stop his gallop as he withdrew his great sword and swiftly swung the weapon to behead a nearby bandit. But as he saw the blade pass through the man's throat, his head did not come off, and his sword did not get stained with blood. He pulled his horse to a stop and watched as the bandits, villagers, and even the burning buildings vanished to reveal nothing but a great expansive clearing within the woods.

The warrior dismounted his horse and looked around in confusion. Until, several yards away, he saw a hooded figure sitting in the snow.

"What is going on here?" The warrior called out to the figure. But the figure did not move. The warrior had not taken two steps towards the individual until he heard the neighing of his destrier cry out accompanied by the sickening sound of rending flesh. The warrior had just enough time to see his beloved horse's headless body fall to the ground. A male elf in ragged leathers and matted furs with dark black hair and a bloodstained longsword standing over the dead animal.

"Who are you?!" The human warrior called out as he gripped his sword in both hands.

The elven warrior held an impassive face as he said, "This is where you die, Adam Cousland,"

Sensing a presence behind him, Adam Cousland turned around to see the hooded figure from several yards away now standing right before him. His hood was down to reveal a tan skinned elven face adorned with a Qunari tattoo upon his forehead, and his lips missing, to show yellowed, jagged teeth and blackened gums.

In reflex, Adam started to swing his sword at the lipless elf. But the elf merely opened his mutilated mouth and a horrid noise accompanied by a powerful force of magic launched Adam several feet backwards before he hit the snow covered ground. The Grey Warden quickly scanned the area for his great sword. He soon found it a few yards off with the longsword wielding elf standing between him and it.

Soon the elf charged and took a downward swing at Adam, who quickly rolled to avoid the strike. He quickly drew his steel short sword and prepared for a fight.

The Grey Warden and the two elves stared each other down, waiting for the other to make a move. Soon the two elves calmly started walking in opposite directions, and soon enough had simply surrounded Cousland.

Adam Cousland shifted back and forth to keep an eye on both, waiting for the inevitable strike. Then without warning, the warrior elf charged at Cousland as the mage elf crouched down to place his palms against the snow on the ground.

Unable to focus both, Cousland fought the warrior, and the two got into a fierce melee. The grey warden soon got the upper hand and managed to shove the elf back. He made to advance, but found his feet had been encased in ice growing from the ground.

The warrior elf was back on the offensive, swinging his sword to try and get a hit on him. But Cousland found an opening and punched the elf in the face to stagger him, he then quickly swung his sword at one of his feet, and broke the ice with the blade.

He soon had the other one free and leapt to the side. As a fireball flew by, narrowly missing him. Figuring the mage to be the greater threat, Cousland charged after the elf. The mage simply stood his ground until Cousland was right on him. He then turned ethereal and rushed right through the grey warden in a flash.

His very energy seemed sapped as Cousland felt a numbing chill overcome him. He turned to find the mage and warrior standing a few yards away from him. Cousland prepared to charge them again only to feel a sharp pain erupt in the middle of his back.

Adam Cousland looked down to see a thin metal blade sticking out of his stomach, he watched as it retracted. He fell forward into the snow, unable to feel his legs. The sound of footsteps was heard heading towards him as he tried to push himself up with his arms. Soon enough, a pair of hands each grabbed his arms to bring him into a sitting position. He looked to his left and found the warrior elf holding him, he looked to his right to find the mage holding his right. He then looked forward to see the elven woman that had warned him about the bandit attack calmly observing him. She had light brown hair and a few scars on her otherwise attractive face and grey-blue eyes. In her left hand was a rapier sword stained with his blood.

Cousland made to speak, but instead coughed up some blood that started to trickle down his chin. The elven woman merely smiled before saying,

"And so your story ends Hero of Fereldan," The woman held the point of her deceptively delicate looking weapon against his jugular, "And ours has begun,"

She then pushed the blade forward ever to gently.