We're moving into act 3! So exciting!

I hope you enjoy!


The days and weeks blur together as Kirkwall rebuilds itself, finding a semblance of stability under the Knight Commander whom it had previously relied on. Although the death of Viscount Dumar has been publicly acknowledged, there has been no action to select a new Viscount. Despite her shortcomings, as many are there are, Meredith is doing her best to unite the city, as its head of power, and dispel any new discord. Still, as Templar control has grown, so has their "rivalry" with the mages and the Circle of Magi. Generally speaking, this did not bother me. Mages as a whole still only evoked distrust and malice from me; I would much prefer the power to be in the hands of those without a direct link to demons. Even so, I must admit that some the Templar's methods have turned unnecessarily cruel. More than a handful of them do not hesitate to take advantage of the young naive mages. Hawke did not hesitate to kill one we stumbled upon in a back alley; he was forcing himself on a girl who couldn't have been older than sixteen. With malice in her eyes, Hawke had kicked him off the girl and crushed his skull in on itself with force magic. We left him there in plain sight, full templar armor, minus his breeches. He got far less than he deserved.

In a narrower view, naturally the increased Templar power makes me quite apprehensive about how long they will continue to turn a blind eye to Hawke and Merrill, though I couldn't care less about the fate of Anders. As the champion of Kirkwall, Hawke is second in power and influence only to Meredith. This would be more comforting if Hawke wasn't a mage and they hadn't grown to detest each other.

This makes me sick. Their duty is to protect the mages from themselves, not force them to live in fear of their guards. All I know at this point is that I'm beginning to despise both sides of this argument. The lines on the issue get blurry, and I've been so jaded by mages in the past that I can't exactly have an unbiased opinion.

Visiting Sebastian has been a daily occurrence, and it is possible that I visited the Chantry once to pray for his recovery. These actions were not in vain. He did make a full, albeit lengthy recovery, and now travels with us consistently with little more than stiffness in his leg. Having Sebastian back in the world of the living is a great weight off of my chest; not only can I not be blamed for his death, but I actually have a person I trust to talk to, outside of Hawke. It isn't that I don't speak to the others, in fact it's quite the contrary. I've taken up playing Wicked Grace with them weekly. I actually do pretty well for myself at it too. Isabela had to learn the hard way that I'm not as easy to read as she had initially believed. Interesting how living most of your life serving a despicable man and pretending you don't think of little else than his death will help you perfect a poker face. At this point, she'll be buying me wine every time I set foot in the Hanged Man for the foreseeable future. Varric on the other hand, remains the master; despite my unfaltering expressions, he can still walk away with every coin from my pocket. Hawke plays with us occasionally, but no real gambling comes from that. She and Isabela pretty much spend the time excitedly screaming about something or other; she's more of a social drinker than one who can sit down and patiently play a game. Despite the fact that I've grown to be more comfortable around the others through all of this, Sebastian is the only other person I feel at ease sharing things with, and he's made it clear that the sentiment is mutual.

After Sebastian was no longer in need of constant assistance, I begin to devote my efforts to locating my long-lost sister, Varania. The thought of her existence has been nagging the back of my mind ever since Hadriana had spoken of her. The process of collecting information on her is slow and tedious as I cannot risk making my identity known. Searching for her terrifies me, and I suppose that's why I've kept it from Hawke, but I also can't bare the thought of never having the chance to see and remember my sister's face.

Three years is a long time.

As our nights pass, spent entangled in each other, the bond that Hawke and I share changes into something more. We understand how the other works, what they think, feel, need. We're becoming a unit; it doesn't take much for us to know what each other will say at any given moment. Naturally, we still have our moments when we clash, and understanding the disagreement doesn't make it any less infuriating. Still, we love each other. According to Isabela, we are even more nauseating than before; however, I could say same thing to her. Somehow, despite all odds, she and Merrill have remained involved consistently for the entire three years. The little blood mage still gives her moon eyes every time she walks into the room. It's hard to say if Merrill overlooks the filthy comments Isabela makes about others because she doesn't understand them, or if she's confident enough in their relationship to not be bothered by it. Either way, they've made it this long.

Undoubtedly, the highlight of this passage of time was when Anders moved back into his clinic and my everyday life was finally rid of him.


(5) Bloomingtide 13th

"I know you fear us!" Orsino addresses the large crowd before him in Hightown square. "Knight-Commander Meredith used that fear to take control of your city! She opposes every effort to replace Viscount Dumar, and you have seen the chaos of her reign! Will you allow it?"

The crowd murmurs, a few of them shaking their heads no.

Just then, Meredith waltzes through the people and up to the First Enchanter. "Return to your homes. This farce is over."

"Wait!" Orsino calls out. "Perhaps there are some who might disagree with you, Knight-Commander."

Hawke raises her hand and steps forward. "Oh! Pick me, I do!"

I cringe. Here we go again…

"Do not hide behind the Champion. She has no role in this." Meredith scowls.

Hawke crosses over to them, Varric and I following in her shadow; Sebastian moves backwards instead, disappearing through the crowd. "I notice you two are having quite the spicy argument over here."

The harsh blonde woman shakes her head in irritation. "This is not an argument. It's treason."

"I think the Champion's views would be appreciated. Or do you fear what she has to say?" Orsino challenges her.

Meredith waves him away. "I fear nothing. My only interest here is in keeping order and protecting the innocent."

Scoffing, Hawke asks, "Are your templars aware of this? Their actions are atrocious. And you yourself are not exactly receptive to anything that stands in your way."

"I become less receptive each moment this nonsense continues."

The Champion does not back down. "Your methods have grown more and more extreme. Surely you can't see what you're doing as just!"

Don't get yourself too far on her bad side Hawke… I shift my feet.

"And you could do better?" Meredith rounds on her, the façade of calm melting away. "How well did you guard your own mother? Did she not die at a blood mage's hands?"

Fire ignites in Hawke's eyes and I can tell it isn't far from erupting from her hands. "Leave my mother out of this! You—"

I silence her with a hand on her shoulder. She's testing Hawke. Trying to get her to lose control and attack her. "Are you so desperate that you would dig up a woman's deceased mother in spite?" I rake the detestable woman with a scathing glare.

"Cold corpses speak louder than abstract freedoms, do they not?" Her voice softens as if in sympathy. "As long as that's true, Kirkwall needs its templars more than it needs a new ruler."

Orsino steps between the seething Hawke and the Knight-Commander. "And when will that end? When will you stop seeing evil in every corner?"

Bluntly, Meredith retorts, "When it is no longer there."

That's a fair point. As much as I hate to agree with her.

"Meredith." Hawke begins, fighting to maintain her composure. "I can't take your side on this."

Orsino nods to her appreciatively. "Face the truth, Knight-Commander. You are done."

The harsh woman jams her finger in his face. "That is for me to decide! No one else!"

"My, my, such a terrible commotion!" Calls out Grand Cleric Elthina's voice. I turn to see her approaching with Sebastian at her heels.

So that's where he ran off too. Not a bad call. I lift my chin slightly to signal to him that I agree with his decision.

"This mage incites rebellion, Your Grace. I am dealing with the matter." Meredith gestures to the First Enchanter.

Elthina turns her attention to the other side of this argument. "Ah, Orsino. So frustrated. Do you think this is truly wise?"

"I… no, Your Grace." He retreats, dejected.

The Grand Cleric nods. "Of course not. Young men, would you show the first enchanter back to the Circle? Gently, if you please." She instructs the templars. They comply and escort him from the square.

"Your Grace! He should be clapped in irons, made an example—!" Meredith blusters.

Holding her hands up to silence the woman, Elthina continues. "That's enough Meredith. This demeans us all, surely you can see that? Go back to the Gallows and calm down, like a good girl."

Meredith holds her gaze for a moment before bowing and taking her leave.

Finally, we're rid of the pair of them.

"You have my thanks for stepping in Champion. And you as well Sebastian, for informing me of the uproar. If you had not…" The elderly woman's words trail off.

Hawke lets out a long sigh and exchanges a glance with Varric. "I doubt I made much difference. She rattled me pretty badly."

"Sadly, true." Elthina gives her an understanding look.

Sebastian places a hand on Hawke's shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up about it; you prevented blood shed and that counts for a lot."

"Choir boy's right, Hawke. Although I would have loved to see you set that bitch ablaze—uh, sorry Grand Cleric." Varric adds.

Elthina steps away from us, addressing the crowd. "Gentle people of Kirkwall… return to your homes, I implore you. This will not be solved today." The masses mummer but do comply, disbursing from the square. "And now I must attend to the Gallows. They will see reason, if the Maker wills it. Thank you again, Champion. You have chosen your friends well, Sebastian." She nods to each of us and then departs.