A/N Thanks for the kind reviews. It's always thrilling to publish something for many eyes to see... So far this story is halfway done *uses handkerchief to wipe brow*
Part 1 will take place in Ferelden lands only and set a nice base for all the magical nerdiness and political stuff later on. All my magical theories are born from my own musings on comments, party banter and codex entries in all three games and several books. If anyone wants to share their particular brand of fade-nerd-knowledge (gotta coin that term) pm me!
Onward brave readers, paperwork, quest related headaches and redheads ahead!
Back in the waking world, work waited for me. If it wasn't the paperwork, it was the steward with a request or a guest of the keep or some traders wishing to gain entry or the soldiers needing training or something else inane, that could be solved without my help. Seriously can nobody here think for themselves… Urgh.
On the bright side Velanna had returned shortly after Theron's departure. She was back earlier than estimated and was just a little surprised when she reported back to me instead of the usual grumpy elf commander.
Her research of Chasind tribal magic had turned out both good and not so good.
She found several interesting runic arrays on her travel, which she wishes to try out. On the other hand she agitated no less than 5 camps of Chasind warriors, now running around like a poked beehive. She made it out fine but the next best traveler will be less fortunate.
After her report I reintroduced myself and talked with her about magic and the Dalish and subtly mentioned Theron's and my training sessions and lectures.
Velanna was similar to Theron in that they were both sceptics, but she seemed much more open to non Dalish ideas and ideals.
We started meditating together and she showed me her Keeper magic. It sung a sad and deep song, resonating in the earth. The side of me that was Hope had the urge to pet the vines and somehow cheer them up. It was slightly annoying.
Velanna was wide eyed when I told her I was an arcane warrior and a proper one at that. She knew of only one other Dalish mage who had attempted to become one. Cillian was his name, a member of another Dalish clan. He had left his Keeper and clan to find the ancient knowledge that led to victory.
Seeing my magic first-hand, Velanna was fascinated. Especially techniques like the Fadeshroud, which I had painstakingly re-perfected. My self-imposed restriction on my magic output seemed to confuse her until I explained to her the importance of will and limitation.
"It is like a stream of water. The wider the riverbed the less force the water will have. If you channel the water through a smaller gap you can create a flood with the strength to crush rock. It is similar to Mana. I choose to restrict myself to channeling Mana within my body alone. It gives my magic a sharper edge and it gives me an incredible amount of control over it."
"So you are saying by specializing in one discipline and consciously choosing not to do anything else our Will, the base of our Mana, becomes more focused? Would that work for anyone?"
"You are a fast learner and yes, it works for anyone. If you, during your meditation, swear to yourself that you will not use any other magic than Keeper magic and Healing spells, you will see a difference in you spell control very soon. It is after all our Will that reaches across the Veil summoning the power to cast spells in the waking world."
"You seem to have much knowledge about the Fade and the workings of magic. I will enjoy learning from you." Velanna's eyes were gleaming with excitement.
Here was a perfect example of an academic.
I chuckled to myself. "Very well, let's begin."
During our lectures I gave her hints and clues to my identity.
I omitted less and less knowledge from our conversations about elvhen origin and magic.
I hoped it would soften the blow of the revelations I was about to unload on her.
By all accounts, when I told her the same things I had Theron, she reacted much calmer. Instead of running of in silent rage, she decided she would prove me wrong by questioning my every word. Of course her approach backfired for her and helped me prove my point.
As more and more of her questions were answered, she became more and more pensive.
Finally she fell silent and looked at me with shiny eyes. She was close to tears.
"Is all I have learned from my Keeper false? Is my knowledge and ambition that useless?"
Her voice broke a little in the end.
"No," I told her in a calm but confident tone. "The drive to learn is never a bad thing. And the validity of Dalish knowledge is not up for debate. Enough people believe it to make it relevant. It may not be true to history, but that was to be expected from a people of freed slaves and servants. You, who have been brought to the brink of extinction through human violence. Do not discard you knowledge. Question it, revise it and teach others to do the same."
A little sniff came from her before she regained her calm.
"I will and thank you for telling me. If you were anyone else… I would not have believed you. I still cannot quite accept it."
"And that is fine. Accept on your own time. If it helps, talk to Theron when he comes back. For now let's move on with training and maybe add ancient elvhen to your curriculum, mhm?" I baited her and she realized it.
Still she smiled again and her thirst for new knowledge won over. Her drive to learn was stronger than ever.
From that point onwards I included her in some of my planning concerning magical items.
I decided to tell her about the Eluvian and I mentioned the part they played in the story of Merill, Tamlen and Theron.
Velanna seemed to have fond memories of Merill. She explained to me that most Firsts knew each other through smaller gatherings of the Keepers of one particular area and of course through the Arlathvhen.
When she mentioned that her eyes became as wide as diner plates. It was her opinion I absolutely had to appear before all the Keepers and explain to them the same stuff I had told her and Theron.
I saw a few problems with that: First I was not Dalish, meaning I had no invitation. Second even if I got in, nobody would believe me and claim I was a deranged heretic. Also I absolutely hated speaking in front of crowds. I was not bad at it, but I just could not see me sitting down and devising a speech.
Velanna insisted I go. I told her I could not. She told me to get in good with a few Clans and I replied I would think about it. She said she would help me and I promised I would talk to the congregation of Keepers and Firsts and Seconds if she became my agent. Velanna agreed and that was the end of that discussion. She was smiling smugly and I had no clue whether I won this round or lost…
As my first official agent I told her, that her position would involve a lot of research and talking. We needed a way to find, fix and activate Eluvian.
I knew from the games we could gain access to the method of finding them very soon.
For that reason alone I told her to prioritize the repair aspect.
My only hint for her was to keep an open mind. Her reaction to my words was to run off to talk to people the next day. "I have some contacts that might know something." was vaguely what she said before she left.
I had two whole days to myself when Theron came back. He dragged himself in through the mud and the rain outside. There was a mountain of dirt resembling a Mabari trotting behind him. Not only that, but a Dalish warrior was following him in through the front door.
The young woman was dressed in appropriately green ironbark and leather armor and donned a great sword. If my memory is correct this would be Ariane.
For the moment I ignored our guest and addressed my friend and commander.
"Right. You need a bath, a meal and then rest. Talk to me tomorrow when you got up and had breakfast, no sooner no later. Understood?" I ordered.
"Who died and made you boss?" he replied, tired and shivering.
"No one died, but you did make me your replacement. Now off with you." I made a gesture in the direction of his rooms.
He accepted my proposal and dragged himself up the stairs, while I asked some of the staff to help him out, draw a bath and get him a light meal.
After all was underway, I turned to Ariane.
"My apology for ignoring you until now. If I hadn't been this decisive he would have ignored me and trudged all that mud into the carpet and up to his office."
"No apology necessary I understand your position. What shall I do until the commander is available again?" she was very controlled, but I could detect hints of her unease.
"Much the same as he is. I will allocate you a room close to my own and you will get a decent meal and rest. We can all reconvene tomorrow, yes?" I put a smile on for good measure. "Very well." Was her stony reply. It will be a long time of trial and error until I could reach anywhere near Josephine's level of diplomacy it seemed.
After Ariane was sent on her way with one of the servants I returned to the office and made sure everything was set for Theron when he returned. For the afternoon I had nothing planned so I indulged in a round of solo exercising.
That night I sought out Diligence and Ambition and accepted their help.
I told them I would value their input and advice, but I retained the right to simply not use it. Both were fine with that and so our partnership began.
My first task for my Fade Force was to find an old spirit of Wisdom. There should really not be that many of them and I wanted to talk to one very specific friend of a certain wolf.
The next morning I was last to appear in the office.
Theron probably had only a short night's sleep before his sense of duty caught up with him. Ariane seemed to think whatever she was here for was more important than sleep or food and so had opted to skip breakfast. How did I know that?
The staff was on my side and told me so. I brought some bread, cheese and fruit to snack on and sat in one of the 4 available chairs in the office.
My offering gained much approval from Theron who gave me a grateful smile. Ariane did take some food, but seemed rather indifferent about my gesture of goodwill.
"When will we set out again? The longer we wait the more difficult she will be to track." Was the first thing out of her mouth... charming.
"Tracking? Who?" my eyes found Theron's across the table.
"Morrigan." He answered slightly wistful.
"The daughter of Flemeth, huh? Not an easy individual to track. What is your involvement?" this time I addressed Ariane.
"She stole a precious relic, which had been entrusted to my clan. Keeper Solan tasked me with retrieving it." She frowned.
"What kind of item?" She was conflicted about telling me I could tell.
"It is a book, filled with ancient writing." Theron answered for her.
"Not just any book! It is an original piece of our history! Have you been removed from your clan from so long you have forgotten such significance?"
Ariane turned red with anger.
"It is an old book, which you cannot even read. For all we know it talks about the progress of making chamber pots." Theron drily added.
Oh dear… Telling him about our history has made him really cynical of all things to do with Dalish Lore…
Oh well, time to defuse the situation.
Before Ariane could get a heart attack on account of high blood pressure I intervened.
"What is that book ostensibly about?" She swallowed some of her anger.
"The keeper said it's about the Eluvian." Her voice was flat.
"Interesting. Is your clan in possession of one?" At this question Ariane for a moment forgot she was angry and looked at me curiously and worried.
"You know… the witch aske the exact same question. I know she must have researched them to even find our clan, but how and what do you know of the Eluvian?"
"I know that the word itself simply means 'looking glass' or 'mirror'.
I also know many people believe they are simply there to communicate across large distances, which is false. It is a rarity to find a working one. Most are broken and many others require a great deal of knowledge and power to activate…. Or a key."
Now both elves looked at me in interest and anticipation.
"How I know those things is not for you to know Dalen, but I would suggest going to the circle of magi. They have the most comprehensive library on all things magic. Perhaps they will have a way to find the closest intact Eluvian."
"Why should we be looking for one?" Ariane asked. "We are looking for a witch, not a mirror."
"Watch your tone please. She is not a bad person despite your thoughts on her way of acquiring the book." Theron said to her sternly.
"She is a thief and she will remain one until she returns what she took." Was the final comment from Ariane on the matter.
Theron sighed in frustration and looked back to me. "How will this help us hahren?" he seemed a little too defeated by his inability to find her.
"Well, why would an ambitious mage like Morrigan look for a book on the Eluvian, if she had no wish to find one and try it out? It seems the logical next step to me."
I could basically see the lightbulbs turning on over their heads.
"If we find the mirror we find Morrigan." Ariane concluded.
"Will you come with us? You are the most knowledgeable in the field of ancient magic and magic items. It will be much quicker with your input on matters."
My young student asked of me. How could I not agree?
"Very well. I shall. Give me a moment to collect my gear and I shall meet you at the gate, lethalin."
Theron glowed under the subtle praise and Ariane did not quite know what to make of me anymore. Before I had been a flat-ear.
Now, I was a flat-ear with much knowledge about ancient elvhen artifacts and a lauded Dalish hero's respect. I also spoke the peoples tongue fluently.
Quite a conundrum.
Theron's good mood and Ariane's skepticism kept up all the way to Lake Calenhad and the Circle tower of Magi.
Unfortunately I was stuck in the middle.
The first time I saw the Tevinter structure jutting out of the still waters of the lake I was impressed. The architectural design was elegant and utilitarian.
Certain elements reminded me of older versions of elvhen temples.
So enthralled was I with the sight, I did not notice the 2 Templars that came up from the lakeside to greet us. I simply let Theron do the talking and followed him onto the boat.
I was amazed at Theron's obvious comfort and authority.
He walked into the tower like he owned the place. As soon as we went over the threshold the 2 Templars turned and walked back to the boat. 3 new ones replaced them.
One of them was slightly taller and had much more grey hair.
Must be the Templar commander Greg….something?
Theron seemed to know him and the commander addressed him with all the greetings and formalities. I just blended in with the background and watched.
When all was said and done we got permission to peruse the circle library.
Ariane was uncomfortable, whether that was because of the many mages, many warriors in shiny armor or the lack of space, I could not tell.
She was however amazed when she first saw the sizable collection of books.
It was tempting to just go off and read several of the more obscure arcane tomes, but alas. We focused on finding anything about elvhen artifacts. It took us a good while but we eventually found a book titled "Catalogue of arcane Relics".
The document was brittle and almost fell apart. Only one annotation talked about elven mirrors in possession of Tevinter magisters.
All of us were frustrated at the lack of useful information. In a moment of rage Ariane knocked over a tall stack of books. One of them caught my eye. It was written in many languages, Tevinter Common, Orlesian and Elvhen among them. As I flipped through the book I picked up on some chapters talking about methods of scrying.
"This one could help us. Theron see if you can find a mage or a codex that can help us translate certain passages of this text." I threw him the book.
He threw me a significant look and took Ariane to find a codex. While the 2 were away I checked for any literature I might want to read up on.
In no time my stack of promising reads included "Dreamwalking", "Fortikum Kadats", "Talismans of Ancient Tevinter", "Guarding of the Mind", "The Elvhen Varterral", "Faith and Justice" and "Seeing beyond Sight".
There was also a blood speckled tome which should not have been openly available in the first place. It had an interesting list of names of spirits and their hierarchy.
I was halfway through that book when Theron and Ariane returned with a wimpy looking mage scuttling behind them. After giving the mageling a once over I was not impressed and it must have shown on my face.
"This is Finn. He helped translate the passages about scrying spells. As long as we have a shard we could use an elvhen place of power to find the closest complete Mirror." Theron mentioned.
"Yes, well in theory. We would need an incomplete piece in the first place." Finn said. He even had a whiny voice…
"I know where we can obtain a piece." Theron murmured and I knew what was going through his head at that moment.
"Do you wish for company Theron?" I asked, concern coloring my voice.
"No need. I shall be fine." He waved me of.
"I know someone who can help with the place of power." Finn fidgeted.
"There is a statue in the repository with great knowledge… We would need to get a permission of the First Enchanter."
This guy was giving me a headache and I had no patience to run around on little side quests. "Urgh. Go do your thing Theron. I will remain here with my new friends. Have fun talking to a trapped spirit." I gestured to my accumulated pile of reading material and then made a shooing motion. The elf commander nodded, used to my oddity.
His two new tag-alongs seemed a bit put out by my rebuffing attitude. However they followed Theron out anyhow.
"Oh and Theron… watch out. The Veil is disturbed in this tower. Too many holes were ripped into it as of late. I will go into the upper levels and see what I can do to stabilize it after I finish my book."
"I will be careful, ma serannas Sylva."
After my interests in my books were quenched, I felt it was time to live up to my word.
I made a note and left it with my pile.
As I wandered the upper floors I found many places in need of warding.
The easiest and safest method available to me was to place warding glyphs into the very stone.
Focusing on my inner power I called forth the memory of arcane fire to my hand.
The Veilfire burned green and blue in my hand. With my index finger I inscribed the sequences of glyphs into the wall. Once the warding circle was completed it flashed green like the sky of the Fade and then became invisible to the naked eye.
And so I went floor by floor. The atmosphere became less oppressive as I proceeded. The entire floor felt clearer, cleaner when I finished my work.
As far as my obscure magical rescue mission went, I was stealthily enough to escape Templar notice. However by watching out for Templars I forgot to monitor the Mages around me.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?" to my shame I jumped in surprise. Turning around I saw a red headed elf with odd tattoos (thankfully no Vallaslin). She glared most impressively too.
"Well hello to you too." Came my sarcastic greeting. Her brows furrowed further.
"You are sneaking about inscribing runes on OUR walls and now you're trying to be smart with me?" she complained reproachfully.
"And I suppose you are the owner of this tower and the official guardian of all things magic-related?" I put my chin up and tilted my head sideways in a charming manner.
"Also for your information, I do not have to try to be smart. I know I am. As for the glyphs, if you cannot tell I am actually helping, you have no business interrupting."
"Prove it!" she almost shouted at me. Her face was as red as her hair.
"Neria what are you doing?" Oh great another one.
"Not now Lysas! This strange mage is doing something suspicious to our walls and…"
"Well now Neria…" I interrupted her newly started rant "if you two busybodies must know. I am inscribing Veilfire runes into your tower to fix ruptures of the Veil. The warding circles increase the stability of the Veil and encourage benevolent spirits to help from the other side. This way the mages of this tower will have an easier time sleeping and working magic again. When I arrived here it was disturbingly fragile. Now will you check yourselves, as any competent mage should be capable of doing, and leave me in peace? I have work yet to do in the lower levels of the tower."
"Well I…" Neria began. "Huh?" escaped the brown haired elf mage named Lysas.
"If you wish to report my activities to the Templars, do so. I will be with the commander of the Order of the Grey of Ferelden." I posed a bit after that for good measure.
"I apologize on Neria's behalf. She can be a little hot tempered and insensitive sometimes." Lysas was much more articulate than Neria, I'll give him that. Also I noticed his Aura was sharp but well contained. He was the type to bow out of conflict for the sake of convenience, not the lack of talent.
"What he said." Neria mumbled, looking at her feet. If my memory serves correctly Neria Surana was one of the possible elf mage wardens. Interesting she should survive long enough to be here now.
Absently I nodded. "Don't let it happen again. You should not let your emotions run away with you. Not until you at least know all of the information of the circumstances."
"Yes mam." She grumbled but accepted my comment. Hesitantly as if in conflict with herself she posed a question.
"What is this Veilfire you talked about?" Lysas looked at Neria with a fond expression.
"If you could indulge us? We are trying to learn, but there are hardly ever new things in this tower to hold our interest."
"Very well. Walk with me then, I still have more glyphs to draw." I mentioned them to follow me.
"Veilfire is the conjured memory of fire. Fire is after all the purest physical form of change. The Veilfire as such, is arcane energy given form and can be used to draw runes and glyphs. Higher proficiency grants you the ability to write texts in Veilfire, which can convey the full memory of your experience. Someone reading it could smell, taste, feel, and even hear what you imagined when writing your text." I kept on walking and lecturing.
Both mages looked like they wanted something to take notes with.
"Fascinating." Lysas breathed out. Both of them had a hungry look on their faces.
"Could we learn it?" Neria asked hopefully. My, my, they were eager.
I wonder what we must look like to bystanders. 3 elves in a row walking down the corridors like a mother duck and her ducklings. The mental image made me chuckle.
"Milady…uh… we even forgot to ask your name or even introduce us." Lysas stuttered.
"I am called Sylvanavir and I know your names are Neria and Lysas. We merely skipped the introductions in favor of a lecture. Do not concern yourself. As to your original question. Yes, you can learn it, but it might take a while."
We approached the last level of the tower.
"Now watch and learn. Open your magic to the surroundings, let your aura feel for my magic and memorize your impressions."
As I spoke I lit the fire in my hand. Burning brightly, it whispered in many voices, tiny little snippets from wispy spirits.
"Now call forth a normal flame you two." Lysas nodded, Neria already had both hands on fire.
"Good. Now extinguish them." I ordered they obeyed.
"The last step is this. Try to re-imagine your hands carrying the fire as it was a moment ago. Feel the heat, hear the crackle, and see the form dancing around your fingers."
As I talked both apprentice mages called forth their Mana. It took a couple of tries for them.
I had enough time to finish the wards. I sent my aura out to check for any spots I may have missed. The mages felt like tiny candles in the dark, bright warm spots in the dark.
The Templars echoed with an unfitting song. The song of the deep earth sounded from their minds and reinforced reality around them. They were most uncomfortable to focus on. The Veil however was mended.
All was well.
When I opened my eyes Neria and Lysas both had arcane fire in their palms. Not quite the proper Veilfire, but it had a whisper to it and a slightly green tint.
"Well done you two. Lecture complete. Keep practicing. Meditate on it sometime. If you wish to speak some more I will be in the library. I would be happy to share my knowledge with you, such as it."
"See you there." Neria dragged a waving Lysas behind.
What a pair.
They had potential, both of them. I suppose they were contacts worth cultivating.
Theron and his troupe caught up with me as I was walking back up to the library.
"You were exactly right about the Veil tears." An excited looking Finn mumbled.
"Yes and your statue was not very helpful because of them." Ground out the grouchy Dalish warrior. Spirits, did this Dalish elf ever cheer up.
"Peace, lethelan. We got what we needed." Ah look at Theron diffusing arguments instead of starting them. He has come so far.
"Care to share?" I grinned at my friend.
"Well our new quest goals are as follows. Collect a shard of the mirror Tamlen and I found in Brecilian. Then we venture to Cadash Thaig, which was apparently once a mixed dwarf and elvhen community called Cal hadagh. There we can find the Lights of Arlathan and use them to boost Finn's scrying ability. And then we can go and find the mirror this will lead us to."
As Theron went on and on with his plans I could feel myself developing a headache.
"I personally do not see the need for the shem mage to join us on this quest. It does not concern him." Ariane threw into the conversation.
"Any bit of magic could just as easily be done by Sylvanavir."
"It shall be fine Ariane. Let Lysas gain some experience outside of the tower. The artifact shall belong and remain in the hands of our people. The same goes for the tome of course."
Switching to address or commander again.
"I will join up with you in Cal Hadagh. I have no desire to return to the forest so soon. This library gives me opportunity to do research. Also I seem to have picked up another two younglings to teach. I will be camping out in the Frostbacks in 2 weeks' time, agreed?"
He regarded me critically for a moment, nodded and rummaged around in his pocket.
"If someone gives you trouble *cough*Gregoir*cough*Templars* then use this."
He handed me a badge. It was about the size of my palm and from the shine of it made from Silverite. It showed two gryphons surrounding a sword, the Grey Orders coat of arms.
His regard for my safety made me smile a bit.
"Thank you my friend. Be safe and good hunting."
"Thank you too, elder. I will see you soon. Come on Ariane, Finn."
Ariane bowed in my direction. Finn waved and with that they left me to my books.