Oh, for those of you who mightn't know. Lethallin and Lethallan are Dalish terms meaning "Friend of mine." One is for males, one is for females.
And Vir Adahlen is from the Dalish code, meaning: "Way of the Forest" - Together we are stronger than the one.

This all comes from the Dragonage Wiki.


They chose the night of her joining, finally. Set a few days after the injury, just to be sure all healing magic would have taken effect. She had to be her strongest to reduce the risk of death. The hours that round the Joining are slow, as though manipulated to give more time for contemplation. Did she really want this? The obvious downside was the way that doubt crept into the mind. There, in what they would call her chambers, she sat. Then stood. Then paced. "Is it always this difficult?" She had asked herself, unsure of why she felt so unsure. She had previously convinced herself that this was what she wanted, for the sake of her sister. This life.

"Lethallan," A voice from behind her calls softly, "You're nervous?"

"No." Velanna refused to turn, to meet his gaze. Only one person in this Keep had the place to call her such a thing. "I am ready. It is the waiting that pains me."

"Why?"

"I wish to have it over and done with. This waiting only builds the moment's suspense." She spoke far too quickly to be her usual self. And so, to avoid questioning, she shot her own question out. " Is the Keep always this quiet?"

"I wouldn't know. I had barely settled in before we found you." Theron responded, seeing her tactics and allowing her to use them. He moved towards her slowly, "But on the days the others, Oghren, Anders and Mhairi took their joining, the air was similar. It seems to affect everyone. What few Grey Wardens we have left remember the feeling of apprehension. The others are caught by the fear of rushing into death."

"And of the three-?" She began.

"-Two survived. I assumed you gathered as much."

"Yes, I did."

"I had travelled here with her- the fallen. She seemed overly eager to join. It is unfortunate to think that the thing she wanted to badly is what killed her." Velanna's mouth pulled into a frown. It seemed almost foolish that nothing else had driven this girl. The mentality of the Shems was ridiculous.

"Surely one aspires to do and be more than a Grey Warden." Velanna commented.

"To each their own," He shrugged, "There was probably something driving her that we'll never know."

In her hatred for the Shemlen, Velanna judged simply on what she knew. It was a welcomed distraction. Finally she turned to face him, finding Theron just before her. He had waited for her to look back.

"Have you truly made your mind up?" He had asked. She felt cornered again by his serious tone.

"Yes. I wish to join you."

"Velanna-" He spoke to object.

"Lethallin." She spoke sternly. But as she moved to continue, he reached over, grasping her forearm with his hand and pulling her inward slightly.

"Don't do it. Don't ruin your life like this."

"Stop this. Let me go." Her gaze shot to the grip he had, controlling and gentle in a confusing mix. She tried to break free with little force, but he held her firm.

"I didn't have a choice in the matter. And here is yours. You have what I wanted; a life longer than thirty years and the freedom to do whatever you wish." In staring each other down, Theron revealed more than he thought best. It was always painful to watch others take the Joining. Mhairi's sacrifice made it all the more real.

"This is what I wish for," She fought against him, "A life devoted to destroying those that took my sister." But he shook his head.

"I agreed to your joining because I wanted you to come with me." He confessed harshly.

"Take back your word and I take back mine. You won't be able to force me to stay here." She shot back, with as much force as she could muster. She would attack him head on, if need be. He knew there would be no hesitation in that. So he tried a different route.

"Find your clan." He said. She seemed surprised, pulling her resistance back.

"I can't go back to them." Her gaze averts the scrutiny of his own.

"Why?" But she didn't answer, it was clear she didn't want to. Theron waited, standing on the Keep with her as watching Guards did their best to avoid the area, especially after their last encounter. "Why?" He repeated, this time with less force.

"Exile. All that's left for me is Seranni." She spat the word. "That's all you need."

"How does the First to the Keeper find herself exiled?" He asked, unintentionally loosening his hold on her arm.

"There was a disagreement. The humans near where you met me were trying to drive my clan away. For a while, we resisted. Then they tried to burn us out. They would have destroyed the entire forest just to keep us from their farms. The others were afraid. Keeper Ilshae said that if I wanted to fight the Shemlen, I would fight them alone." She explained, with an overly blunt tone that suggested the ordeal still pained her. "Ilshae wanted to run, I wanted to fight."

"So you were exiled?"

"These aren't your questions to ask!" She called, snapping the conversation shut. Theron was beginning to notice a pattern in that the closer he got to the truth, the more she would pull back. "Don't sound so surprised. Are you not putting me in the same position Ilshae had?"

"What?" Subconsciously, his form pulled forward.

"You ask me to run, I beg you to let me fight. Will this result in exile if I defy you?" It angered her to no end; he could feel the barriers that held her back breaking under his order. Independence was a difficult thing to reign in. "Were someone to place you in that position, where would your loyalty fall?"

He let her go, slowly. Velanna could feel the tension in her body release, no longer under pressure from his questions. He took a step forward, turning his body away from hers. She rolled her injured shoulder, feeling little pain; the healing had worked. "Take the Joining, the choice is yours."

"Do you get confused by how quickly your morality changes?" Velanna asked. She was beginning to miss the back and forth banter that made this easier to deal with.

"I wouldn't want you to regret it."

"I won't. And if I perish, I trust you to honour our tradition." A tree in the ground. He nodded in understanding.

And later she stood; chalice in hand with worrying eyes on her form. She caught his gaze again. He looked deeply troubled, nerves hanging off every one of her movements. As she lifted the chalice, she saw his throat tighten, his breath freeze. She looked to the dark liquid threatening to breach her lips.

"From this moment forth, Velanna, you are a Grey Warden."

"Then let it be."

She drank. And fell. Theron broke from his regal posture to reach for her, but Varel stopped him.

" She yet draws breath, Commander. She will recover."


Two small parts of dialogue here are taken from the game; the end and the part explanation of Velanna's exile. Weaves into the story that way. More to come.