Hey guys, been a hot minute hasn't it? So here's the deal, I'm gonna stop doing Duneyrr's POV in first person. I wanted to try something I haven't done before and see how I did with it. Given how often this fic switches perspectives I have decided that an attempt at a 1st person POV is not suited here. Just to let you guys know!

Solas stood awake in a dream he did not recognize. He had chosen the path to this college to retrieve their ambassador due to the many sites for interesting dreams along the way. The path they rode along held many ruins, and landmarks, one of which they chose to camp near.

Solas had admitted to his group why and even told them he chose to sleep in the ruins. It was a decrepit old place with walls that could collapse if given even a tiny push. The stone had been battered and weathered over countless centuries and any wood that may have existed had since rotted away completely. Vines grew along the walls and moss covered almost every stone.

He had hoped by sleeping there he could see the fortresses story. Who had occupied the place in it's infancy and how many times it exchanged hands. How many battles has the place seen and how often did its residents share drinks with one another.

While at first he had a wonderful time watching the spirits reenact the many battles of the land, a single strike of lightning took him away scene he witnessed.

Now he stood in a field of corpses, all emaciated and carved apart by swords. Among them he could not find a single one with all of their body parts attached. Fire singed the grass and the sky was black with smoke. None of these bodies had weapons of their own, or even armor to protect them

Lightning struck again and once more he was somewhere else. Before he could see where he was he could hear the creaking of wood and feel himself rocking back and forth. A fog covered anything and everything as far as his eyes could see.

Solas began to travel forward, attempting figure out the layout. He never got the chance to take another step when lightning struck again and the landscape had once more changed.

It didn't take Solas long to figure out that the lightning strikes were the catalyst of change in this twisted hellscape. What made it hard to properly predict when he would be transported to another place was the lightning's erratic nature. It clearly had magical properties, but he could not sense any magic within it.

He began to question if he was still in the dream or somewhere else entirely. He was sure he was still dreaming, but all those sights and all those feelings felt more real than any previous experiences.

Lightning struck again.

Now he stood in front of a stronghold made of steel. It's towers were covered in spikes and decorated with flesh. Hundreds of bodies were displayed along the walls, all with their faces removed. Everything from humanoid, Qunari, Dwarven and even some races or creatures he had never seen before.

In front of the castle gate was a large totem. One that rose to an impossible height with a large throne sat atop it. The throne was covered in flesh as well, with bone sticking out from the top. He recognized the flesh and where it had likely came from. He recognized where they were removed from, and a distinct feature of scales on the armrests.

On the throne sat a middle aged woman – likely a mage at that – wearing a flowing purple robe and full sleeves that almost covered her hands. In her left hand was a wicked looking staff with a strange skull at the top. In her lap was a scryer's orb which sat on a red cushion. Her hair was a dark black and long, reaching to the top of the totem past the throne.

She looked down at him with a small, sinister smile and her eyes in a calm state. She said nothing and cocked her head to the side.

"Who are you!?" Solas demanded, waiting for a response. The woman did not answer. "Are you a mage?"

"No," she simply responded.

"Then what are you? Where are we?"

She tilted her head upwards to the sky and her free hand began to play with her unusually long hair. She did not answer Solas's question, clearly choosing to ignore it.

Solas felt curious in that moment. He too decided to look upwards at the sky to see what she saw. When he looked up he stared at a swirling black mass not too unlike the hole to the fade. In fact, it was eerily similar to it. It rotated in a swirl in the middle of a dark purple sky where no stars were seen.

And lightning flashed across the sky.

He now stared at the ceiling of a room. He looked back down, seeing the exact same woman as before sitting in a regular wooden chair. Her staff now leaned on one of the sides of her chair and in that hand was a tiny ceramic plate while the other held a small tea cup.

This time he chose to ignore her to marvel at the room around him. Dozens of black crystalline shards – all the size of himself – lined the walls around him. They glowed a blueish-purple and let out a small sound that sounded scarily close to screams. The walls were lined with human skulls adorned with precious gems.

Solas's attention was brought back to the woman who loudly sipped her drink. Maybe this time she was willing to answer him.

"Who are you?" He asked in a demanding voice.

Again she refused to answer him. She put down her plate and cup on her arm rest and grabbed her staff which on the opposite one. She stood up and Solas stepped back in response. Solas activated a spell on his staff, ready to cast it if provoked.

"You aren't that strong," she said, staring at his staff in amusement.

"And you are?" Solas retorted.

Her smile stayed the same as ever. "Yes," she answered. "It's time for you to wake up, Solas."

...

Solas immediately shot up from where he slept, breathing heavily and panicked. He scanned the area around him, grateful to still be where he was. The only thing that changed was the moon was vacant from the sky and replaced by a bright sun coming up on the horizon.

He let out a deep and shaky breath before getting up from the ground. Solas had decided it was best to get back to the rest of his group. Bringing only his staff to the ruins it didn't take any time at all to get ready.

It only took him a few minutes to get back to camp. Lady Trevelyan and Iron Bull were asleep, with the only one awake being Varric Tethras who was in the middle of reading a book.

Varric took the time to look up from his book at Solas. "What's the matter Chuckles? You have a bad dream?"

"Y-yes... no? I... I don't know..."

Varric cocked an eyebrow at Solas's behavior. "You okay?"

Solas was quiet for a moment. Was he okay? No, clearly not. He had been transported through five different layouts, one of which he wasn't even paying attention to. All of them were either grotesque or unsettling, with half of them probably being able to mentally disturb most people.

Solas was still unsure if he could trust anyone in this inquisition. While they all seemed to be nice people, with Cassandra mainly being more abrasive than rude, it wasn't a gamble he was willing to take.

"I will be fine, Varric. It was just a bad dream."

Varric waved him off and went back to his book. Solas had chosen to sit on a nearby log next to their campfire from last night. He stared into the charcoals, reminiscing on that harrowing black swirl and thought about the fade.

Their trip towards the college took the rest of the day to arrive. They had passed many sites which Solas wished to dream near at some point, but last night's experience worried him in some way. He found it best to focus more on the destination than his previous nightmare.

A small encampment of soldiers was posted outside. Their horses were tied to wooden posts and they had tents set up just a ways out from the main entrance. A few of them sat around a fire with something spit-roasting over it.

The college was rather large. It was taller than Halamshiral yet covered only half of an area as it did. The stonework looked to be ancient (probably older than most kingdoms Thedas has seen) and kept in remarkable condition, if one were to ignore the bridge. Though work was actively being put in to repair the bridge as was seen by the many mages using their gift to effortlessly move stone across the plains.

Just outside the bridge we're two large statues the size of the archway – which was probably a dozen meters tall – resembling heavily armored knights, each with a sword the size of their body. Compared to the rest of the college and its aged complexion these statues had to be relatively new. The large glowing runes on their chest-plates gave the mage an insight to their nature.

It exuded a grand presence which almost overcame Solas, as if the whole academy was enchanted. Solas stared towards the entrance where a single man in blueish-gray robes stood nose deep in some novel he didn't recognize. On his back was a staff and at his waist was a pitch black sword decorated with smooth engravings.

Lady Trevelyon stepped forward towards the entrance, leading the party to the man. "Hello there!" She exclaimed.

She caught the man's attention who initially spoke to her until something obvious caught his attention. "Hello- holy shit," he cursed. "What the fuck are you?" The man asked, staring up at the Qunari in their group.

"You never seen a Qunari before?" Iron Bull asked with a smile on his face.

"Seen? I've never heard of you people before."

"That's... unusual," Trevelyon stated. "Not once have you seen a Qunari?"

"No," the man said. "Never once. Now who in oblivion are you people and why are you here?"

"Apologies," said the Herald. "I am lady Evelyn Trevelyon of the newly formed Inquisition. These are my companions, Solas, Varric Tethras and Iron Bull."

"Archmage Duneyrr of... this place," the man introduced, gesturing a hand to the college behind him. "I assume you're here for Josephine?"

"Yes, you would be correct," Evelyn answered. She then began to walk up to the man, who had put his hand on his sword before she fully make it up the stairs.

"What are you doing?" He asked. "If you think you're entering this building only mages are allowed. Or anyone of decent enough magical aptitude."

Solas stepped forward, removing his staff from his back. The Archmage's eyes turned towards the elven mage. "I am a mage, if you will at least accept my presence."

"Can you prove it?" Asked the Archmage, taking the party by surprise. "For all I know you could just be some hermit with a stick."

"Of course," said Solas who prepared a spell on his staff. A small spark of electricity flickered at the tip his staff and Solas swung it around himself sending a large wave of harmless static in a circle. He planted his staff in the ground, covering himself in a small barrier.

"Let me see the staff?" Duneyrr requested.

"Was that not enough?" The Herald questioned.

"How do I know the staff isn't enchanted and not a focus?" He countered.

"Here," Said Solas, handing over his Staff. "It is alright Inquisitor. He only wishes to keep himself and everyone in the building safe."

They watched the Archmage analyze the staff, caressing the entire piece gently and inspecting every inch of the handle. He stuck the staff outwards, likely in hopes of activating a passive enchantment. When nothing came he swung it twice in the direction of the bridge and appeared satisfied when nothing else came.

He turned around and handed the staff back to Solas who holstered on his back. "You may enter but your friends will stay here."

Duneyrr opened his hand and curled his fingers in a way where they laid flat on the edge of his palm. A purple orb formed in his hand and his fingers shifted around it to grasp it like a ball. He then shot it outwards towards the decorative floor piece – an upside down star with an eye in the middle – and a purple void appeared. From the void emerged a creature: a feminine woman made of flames, held together by solidified magma and floated almost a foot above the ground.

"Make sure they don't enter the college," Duneyrr commanded.

"Understood," Replied the creature, having an unexpectedly smooth voice for a being made of fire.

"Solas, follow me," Duneyrr instructed.

Solas did as instructed, but lost in a trance while staring back at the creature. It was no spirit he had seen before and its form had seemed to be unchanged, as if its nature had not been perverted. While it is possible to summon a spirit in an uncorrupted form, that would only be possible with contractual agreement. That in itself would have solas wonder what type of spirit it was.

What's more was that in casting, Duneyrr's spell did not pull at the fade. It was clearly magic, but Solas did not feel anything from it.

"If I may ask," Solas began, "what schools of magic do you practice?"

"Now or for my entire career?" The Archmage asked as they passed the first Brazier.

"Whichever you wish to answer," Solas offered.

"Hmm. Over my whole career I've dabbled in all of them. Though as of late I've been specializing in Alteration and practicing in Illusion."

"I don't think I've heard of either of those schools before," Solas commented. "Could you tell me about them?"

"No, but the Arcanium – our library – should have some books on the subject."

"What else can I find in your library?"

"Some artifacts," Answered Duneyrr. "Also history books of both the college and the country it was from. And fiction, but I can't do anything about that."

"Are you not from Fereldan?"

"No. Due to an accident with an ancient artifact our college was displaced from its homeland."

"How did that happen?" Solas asked.

"Not a damn clue," Duneyrr answered. "However, we're hoping that by replicating what happened we can get back."

They passed the second brazier and began to head for what looked to be the building's courtyard. From where Solas stood he could see the beginning of a large statue and some decorative plants. Over the two main towers was heraldry with the same symbol as before sewed into it.

They began to get closer to the courtyard where they could see one of the mages appear at the entrance. It was a woman with bright golden skin, taller than both him and the Archmage, and had angular facial features. Her ears were pointed like an elf's and her hair was set in a ponytail that hung over her shoulder.

"Faralda, this is our guest's escort. Solas, this is Faralda, master in Destruction."

"Pleasure," greeted Faralda. "Your ambassador is in the lecture hall with one of the other teachers. If you would follow me..."

...

Solas followed Faralda to the lecture hall where a mass of students were held in fixed seating. Students of many different races, from human, to beast-like and elven sat among each other. All of them sat still intently watching the elderly teacher go on about the fundamentals of the subject he taught.

It excited Solas to see so many young mages free to practice as they please and all of so many different races. There seemed to be a pair of students a bit too distracted with one another, silently talking amongst themselves to listen to their teacher. One human and one a strange cat-like creature. Eventually one of them did their best to suppress a laugh which immediately caught the attention of their teacher.

"You two boys in the far back," the elderly mage called out. "If you wish to talk and make jokes that is fine, but please do that outside. These lectures are entirely optional and you do not have to come. If you wish to talk instead, then don't bother showing up. Also, your conversation may be distracting and too loud for those close to you."

"Sorry, Master Tolfdir," said the human student.

"This one also apologizes," added the feline race.

"It is alright," Tolfdir said. "Just be mindful." Tolfdir then went back into his lecture, apparently going into a subject which allows one to harden their own skin.

He saw Josephine sitting in a dining chair next to Tolfdir on the center stage. She sat with on leg resting on the other with her writing board on her lap and her eyes focused on what the mage had to say.

Even Solas was interested in the subject at hand. Transmuting ones skin to metal or stone was not a technique he was familiar with, or even heard of for the matter. Of course he had heard of petrifying a person, but not partially doing it to oneself.

"Faralda!" He happily exclaimed, noticing her and Solas at the door to the room. "Is this one of the Inquisition members?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "He's here for Lady Josephine."

"It can wait for you to finish your lecture," Solas assured him. "May I join the crowd, if that is okay with you?"

"If you wish to," Said Tolfdir. "Find an open seat, there are a few."

Solas took the opportunity and sat in the front row next to an elven student in the crowd. The student didn't seem to mind his presence as he was more focused on the lesson.

Faralda left the room shortly after. Solas paid close attention to the lecture, hoping to gain insight into how me one day be able to preform this spell himself.

The lecture lasted about another hour before Solas could catch up with Josephine. They had met in the library and Solas got the chance to meet the book keeper for the first time, as last he came through he was out. It was his first time seeing what Duneyrr's people referred to as an 'Orc', which was apparently a corrupted elf.

Josephine had the pleasure of getting to know him over the week and a half she was here. Solas didn't need to hear from Josephine what the librarian was like. Within the first few minutes of meeting each other he threatened Solas's life if he damaged anything in the library.

Solas took the time to gaze around the library and look at its contents. There were various types of skulls of different types of animals stacked at the tops of their book shelves, some even being humanoid. Some tables displayed valuable magical bobbles, and in display cases were large elephant tusks and dragon skulls.

The back of the room even had some armor on display which seemed impossible to create as well as impractical. One set was made entirely of ice shards and another which appeared to be made entirely out of glass. There were even weapons placed above them which matched their design: above the ice armor was an ice shield with two ice swords beneath it and the glass armor had a glass-made battle axe hanging above it.

An entire dragon's skeleton even hung from the ceiling like a chandelier!

"Well..." said a voice from behind them. Both of them turned to the source, Josephine appearing to be more familiar with the woman, "you two can be on your way out. I'll escort you to make sure you actually leave and don't poke around in places you shouldn't be in."

"Of course, miss..." Solas began, hoping the woman would introduce herself.

"Mirabelle Ervine, Master Wizard of the college itself," she said. "Your name is Solas, correct? The Archmage mentioned you."

"I see. It would be much appreciated," Solas agreed. "Let us go then."

Mirabelle walked to the front of the room where both sets of stairs were. She opened the doors and led them downwards to the Hall of the Elements.

Solas had seen it before, but didn't know if he should ask about it. Perhaps it was company at the time which made him hesitant to ask, so this time he did. "Miss Ervine, if I may ask, what is that thing?" Solas pointed to the only thing of significance in the room.

"We've taken to calling it the Eye of Magnus. We don't know what it is, or what it does, and the only way to find out is not very safe. For the past decade or so we have made attempts into understanding its nature, but none have succeeded."

They soon left the hall and entered the courtyard. It was at this point he wished the college had windows. The sun beamed directly in his face, temporarily blinding the elf as his vision readjusted. When it did he could continue following Ervine.

The trio of walked through the courtyard, down the bridge and eventually met up with Duneyrr and the Inquisition. Duneyrr was back in the exact same book as he was before. He looked up at the three and closed his book, then putting in one of his robe's pockets.

"Took you long enough," he said. "What were you doing in there?"

"Solas wished to sit through Toldir's lesson on the fundamentals and origins of the stoneskin spell."

"Hmm," the Archmage hummed. "Grim petrify himself again?"

"No, he was not in attendance for that lesson."

Duneyrr shrugged in indifference and faced towards the group. "Well, seeing as your ambassador has come and has finished what work she needs to do I don't see any point to keep you-"

"If I may interrupt you with a selfish request," Solas said.

"That depends," Began an agitated Archmage. "What is this request?"

"While I have the two most important members of this academy and two of the leaders of the Inquisition present, may I ask if it would be fine with you if I were to stay here for awhile?"

"Why do you ask?" Mirabelle queried, raising a curious brow from the Archmage.

"It is mostly for personal gain I must admit. I wish to educate myself in your people's magics and understandings of the world, perhaps gain some newer insight's into concepts I may not fully understand," Solas explained. "Though at the same time, I am hoping that if I am able to stay I would be able to give the Inquisition information on your people's culture and beliefs Josephine would not have had the time to gather. This may be able to assist in the cooperation between our two groups in a more peaceful manner."

"Solas, we can't just let you go," Evelyn spoke out. "You're a dear friend, but most importantly you are the inquisitions most knowledgeable person on magic. If you stay here we won't have anyone to help us should someone with magical abilities be needed."

"Then I propose a trade," Solas offered.

"We haven't agreed to let you stay yet," Duneyrr reminded him. "Don't open a door that hasn't been unlocked yet."

"Apologies, Archmage Duneyrr. But if you would let me, would a trade be acceptable?"

Duneyrr looked to Mirabelle hoping to get an input. "Perhaps I wouldn't mind it, but you would be under everyone's watch. Not to mention your access to most places would be restricted for awhile."

"That is disappointing but understandable," Solas replied.

"Duneyrr?" Mirabelle inquired looking up at her superior.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt, but we don't have anyone to trade-"

"You could go," Mirabelle interrupted.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sure it would be fine. Now that we're out of Skyrim we don't need to worry about your local Nord Kings-"

"Jarls," Duneyrr corrected her.

"We don't need to worry about your Jarls deciding we're too much trouble for the country and having the college sacked."

"I understand that, but I do teach classes and give out lectures-"

"I'll take some time out of my schedule to substitute for you. I will see if any of the Adepts can help me review the Apprentice's and Novice's work while I take on the extra workload."

Duneyrr tensed his shoulders and took a deep breath in. "Let's continue this in private," he suggested, leading her to the back of the bridge.

Mirabelle obliged and followed her superior to the first brazier on the bridge. The stood there arguing back and forth, Duneyrr sometimes getting loud while Mirabelle maintained a calm temperament.

As the conversation dragged on at a distance, Mirabelle began to speak to her Archmage uninterrupted for once in the few minutes they spoke. As she droned on her Archmage began to calm down and eventually went down to a lower his tone.

Eventually it came to a close, with the two heads of the college approaching the encampment.

"I managed to convince him it would be a good idea for him to go as a sort of... cultural liaison," Mirabelle had told them.

"He'll be staying in the Hall of Countenance, where the teachers sleep. Mirabelle if you would show him," he said, leaving Solas to follow the master wizard. He followed and left the group behind. "She managed to convince me it was a good idea for the time until a positive level of trust could be established. Until then, I am at your disposal."

His stay had just begun and Solas immediately decided to spend the rest of the night in the college's library. He had decided to spend the entire first few days learning about these people's beliefs, history and culture. What he could not learn from questions he would learn from books. Books he was grateful to have come from all across these people's home.

From his questions he learned the most about the place where the college was from: a harsh and frigid land named Skyrim – in the land's old tongue it would be called "Keizaal". The language apparently came from their home's dragons, who were vastly more intelligent compared to the dragons of Thedas. They were also more brutal.

One of his most interesting reads was a book called "The Night of Tears". It described the founding of a city by the ancestors of the men who called themselves Nords. Saarthal was its name, and was among the first cities to be founded in the wave of immigration. He learned of a local elven population which the Atmoran people initially peacefully coexisted until the elves sacked the city. It seems even in far away lands man and elf struggle to get along.

He put the book away after reading that last bit, hoping to finish it at some point later. At that point he had asked the librarian, an Orc named Urag, about his people and their culture.

The Orcs, sometimes but rarely referred to as Orsimer, are a widespread people across their home continent who practice a monotheistic religion. Not to say they don't believe in other gods, but they only worship theirs. His name is Malacath, patron of the ostracized and scorned. According to their folklore, he was tricked by another god named Boethiah and wound up being eaten and defecated out of her.

Solas asked Urag if that last part was literal or figurative and Urag wasn't sure himself.

Aside from learning about their practice of polygamy and a culture valuing individual strength over all else, it was mostly things that could be sidelined.

When Urag spoke of the gods of his homeland Solas was inclined to ask for any books on the subject. He sat at a nearby table close to the librarian with a few different books beside him. Multiple subjects of these powerful primordial being called Daedra and Aedra. Out of the first two names he heard of from Urag, Boethiah was brought up the most.

The Daedra was a subject that drew him in the most. Currently he was stuck on a Daedra known as Vaermina, a Daedric Prince who presided over dreams and nightmares. Of all the gods from their home land it was this one that worried him the most. If his plans were to go correctly, he needed to be sure they would go unimpeded. If she presided over dreams then who's to say she wouldn't be able to invade a place where dreamers go in their sleep.

Someone with a power to rival the elven gods. If his research was right, she alone could likely wipe out the entire Evanuris and she wasn't even the strongest Daedra. The ability to invade people's dreams and frighten them to insanity. If she ever entered the Fade she could be a threat Solas never imagined having to deal with.

Aside from her domains of influence, she herself was associated with one of the primary figures in their mythology and folklore named Magnus, who they believed to had created the world. Aside from that she had her own little plain of existence which all Aedra and Daedra had. Hers is called Quagmire, which was described to be a shifting nightmare realm. Every so often a bolt of lightning would strike and the place could shift its appearance entirely. Some stories from her real had told of being on a boat filled with brutalized corpses, or being trapped in a dark and demented castle.

That much stirred up recent memories in Solas's mind, none more so of what he read next. Vaermina was often depicted as a female mage wearing a flowing robe with deep sleeves and carrying a staff. She also had two artifacts associated with her. One was called the Orb of Vaermina which was used for scrying and the like. The next was called the skull of corruption, which was Vaermina's signature artifact.

The Skull of Corruption was capable of targeting a person to make a clone of them which would attack the victim at behest of the caster. It took the appearance of a horned skull with a strip of metal bolted over the eye sockets, attacked to a long metal pole with a spiked base.

He remembered back to his 'dream' from last night. He remembered the lightning, the layout shifting, the staff, the orb...

The woman.

AN: Done! I have a new hyperfixation on this story that I didn't have before, so it's probably gonna get updated more than my other shit. I do have other stories in the works, so my attention may be a tad bit divided.

Idk if having Duneyrr going with the inquisition makes sense or is even the right call, but I had to something to get Solas into Winterhold and that was really my main goal. He isn't going to be staying permanently, but he will be for awhile.

No replies for now, but a small message for Monshroud if you are reading this. I was hinting at Hermaeus being the first Daedra to be revealed but clearly my plans went a bit sideways and now someone else is here.