Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Dragon Age.
The author's note at the bottom addresses something I left out of the last chapter regarding the Tranquil, which has since been fixed.
"You need to wake up, my love."
Harry knew that voice. A smile lit up his face even before he opened his eyes.
"Enough of that now," she chided him.
He could see the smirk on her face in his mind... and he had missed it so much.
"Daph-"
"Get up, Harry, we don't have a lot of time."
He opened his eyes and forced himself to his feet. If he could stop staring at the blonde in front of him, he might have noticed the hazy green tint to the air, or the fact that they were standing on some twisted chunk of land that was floating. But the strange qualities of the Fade didn't matter nearly as much to Harry as the vision of his long lost love.
Before he even knew what he was doing, his arms were wrapped around her and his face was nuzzled in her hair, trying to drink in the slightly flowery scent... or what he remembered of it anyway.
"I know, Harry. I know," she soothingly cooed into his ear as sobs wracked his body. "But you can't dwell on this. You know this isn't real."
"It's real enough for me," he moaned. "Please-"
"No." She pulled back out of his embrace and forced him to let go of her. "I will not let you fall into that abyss again. You are a better man than that. Don't you remember what happened in 2085?"
"You know I can't," Harry snorted as he wiped at his eyes.
"The memories might all be a fuzzy mess, but you do know what happened," Daphne replied. "I counted all of the illicit substances you tried. I saw every night that you tried to drown yourself in a bottle or swallowed every pill you could get your hands on. Not again, Harry."
"I know," he sighed.
"Good," she nodded before giving him a smile. "Now, conjure us a couple of chairs. We need to have a little chat before you go back."
"How about a love seat?" he countered with a grin.
"Right now, your actual body has pieces of a demonically possessed mage strewn across it and a splash of sticky nearly-black blood pooling around your feet. If we take too long, it will spill further towards you and you'll feel like you've pissed yourself. No dream world hanky panky while something that gross is going on."
"Fine." He did as she asked and they took their seats.
"Besides," Daphne's face lit up with that teasing smirk he loved so very much. "I know that if I want you to actually pay attention, I'm going to need you looking me in the eye."
"Alright, I'm listening."
"Good." She reached out and took his hand. "You're doing well so far. There are things you will have to learn, things you will have to overcome, but I am very pleased that you have found people to be with again. It had been far too long that you had been alone."
"I know," he agreed.
"Let people in," Daphne added. "Let her in."
"Morrigan? I'm trying to."
"Try harder." Daphne squeezed his hand. "I know it won't be easy. The poor thing is like a combination of all the terrible baggage you and I both had when we were young. But we turned out alright, didn't we?"
Her smile dazzled him and made Harry nod. "We did. And I will."
"Good. The road won't be easy, but her path is likely to be intertwined with yours."
"Oh come on, not that fate crap again," Harry groaned.
Daphne held up a hand to stop him. "I'm not talking about destiny or anything of that sort. Morrigan has the potential for magical greatness- you must realize that Flemeth chose her for a reason, yes? When you come across a powerful witch, to ignore her would be foolish. Especially when you can help her to grow-"
"That's what I'm trying to do," Harry interjected.
"I know," Daphne smiled. "I'm proud of you for it too. Just don't give up."
"You know I'm too stubborn for that," Harry chuckled.
"Yes I do," Daphne replied. "Now, you need to know a couple of things before you wake up. First off, do not be afraid to let anger power your spells. The Dark Arts are powerful for a reason, and sometimes people fucking deserve it."
She had growled out that last bit and Harry knew why. They had seen way too much evil over the last few years of her life, those years when it had been just the two of them. Humanity was far too good at destroying itself, and the years of war and death had taught him that lesson again and again.
"I assume you're saying that for a reason," he raised an eyebrow.
"I have a feeling that you're going to run into someone that will make you want to cast an Unforgivable or two pretty soon," Daphne said. "Maybe several people over the course of trying to keep Ferelden from falling apart, actually, and I don't want you to get all broody and guilty about it. There are far worse ways to die than the killing curse."
"True," he nodded.
"Good." Daphne stood up. "You're going to have another chance, Harry, and I want you to grab onto it."
"Another chance?"
"Love," she smiled as he stepped close to her. "A family. Children. All that you ever wanted. Everything you had."
"Everything I lost," Harry whispered.
"You can have it again." Daphne leaned in and he couldn't wait to close the distance and kiss her. He hoped that his memories weren't playing tricks on him, but he would swear that she tasted like that lip gloss she used to wear. A moment later, she pulled back, chuckling. "I want you to find that happiness again, Harry."
"With Morrigan?"
"Perhaps," she shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me as much about who it may end up being, as long as you're happy. You deserve it."
Harry sagged in spite of her words. "Do I?"
Daphne snorted. "Don't be stupid, Harry. When I tell you something, you're supposed to take it as the undeniable truth."
"Right, I forgot," he sighed.
"Don't do it again," she scolded him.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good boy," she teased. "Ready to wake up?"
"If I must."
"Want the hard way or the easy way?"
"Which one's quicker?" Harry asked.
"I love you, Harry," Daphne answered. And before he saw it coming, she slapped him.
"Ow," he muttered as his eyes fluttered open. Looking down, he saw the filth from the demonic thing he'd killed that had splattered all around him. Daphne was right, as usual. He scooted back and climbed to his feet, vanishing the mess and then began rubbing his jaw. "God, I miss that woman."
Harry looked around the room and saw that all of his companions were unconscious. The stone statue had gone completely still, his charm likely failing when he had been knocked out as well. There was also another man in the room, behind where the abomination had been standing, and he too appeared to be asleep on the floor.
"Where to start?" he wondered to himself aloud as he surveyed things. "Defense first."
Wand in hand, he closed and locked the doorway they had come through as well as the one leading onward. A quick bit of transfiguration sealed them up even tighter. Feeling more confident, Harry walked back over to Morrigan and tried to awaken her with a spell.
Simplicity was not on his side though.
"If they fell into some sort of dream world like I did..." he leaned down over Morrigan and peeled back her eyelids, noting the rapid eye movement. "Then they may be stuck there if they don't have anyone to help get them out. Dammit. I hope this works.
"Here goes nothing- Legilimens!"
Once again, Harry found himself standing on a surreal chunk of land floating in the hazy green world of the Fade. He looked around and saw Morrigan standing just on the other side of a twisted, withered tree. Standing next to her, was Flemeth- or at least, a spirit trying to impersonate Flemeth.
Harry hoped that the ancient witch couldn't infect someone else's dreams like that, anyway. Or that she wouldn't be bothered to when they were in the middle of an adventure that she had personally sent Morrigan off to participate in.
"Away! Away with you! I shall have no more of your pestering," Morrigan disdainfully waved off the dream Flemeth.
"I am your mother... do you not love me?"
Yeah, definitely not the real Flemeth, Harry thought with a snort.
"You are as much my mother as my little finger here is the queen of Ferelden," Morrigan replied. "I know you fade spirit, and you cannot fool me."
"Are you more clever than your own dear mother?" the false Flemeth asked. "Surely such pride must be punished."
She slapped Morrigan and Harry drew his wand... at least it looked like his wand. He supposed it was really just a manifestation of his magic, trying to focus in the spirit world. Shaking off his confusion, Harry saw Morrigan step forward and sneer. "That is far more like the real Flemeth, but it is also too little, too late, spirit."
Morrigan noticed Harry walking towards her and turned to greet him with a nod. "'Tis you at last. Come and help rid me of this vexatious spirit. I am weary of being prodded. It cannot even read my mind well enough to form a decent copy, and yet still it prattles on."
"It would be my pleasure to be of assistance," Harry threw a wink at her and turned on the spirit. "I would suggest you leave now while you still can."
"She doesn't even acknowledge her own mother," the spirit complained. "My heart, it breaks!"
"Oh slay it, and quickly," Morrigan scoffed. "Even the true Flemeth was never as annoying as this."
"As you wish, my dear," Harry nodded. "Incendio!"
The supposed Flemeth began to shriek before dissolving from sight. He chuckled and turned back to Morrigan. "At least the spirit was committed to playing the part, I suppose. Hopefully, you'll wake up now."
"Then I shall see you-"
"-back in the real world." Morrigan felt her eyes fluttering open before she realized that she was out of the Fade. Harry was leaning over her, staring at her. Very, very close to her. At least this time he didn't smell quite so distractingly pleasant. She shook the thought away. "How did you do that?"
"The spell I use to peer into someone's mind," Harry answered as he stood back up and helped her to her feet. "Apparently, it can even follow a dreamer down into the Fade. I'm just glad that we both were able to return so easily. Getting stuck inside your head while monsters were bearing down on us would have been... troublesome."
"Indeed," she said, looking around at the room. "I see that you barred the doors at least."
"Seemed like a good idea," he shrugged. "Will you watch over things while I try to wake the others?"
"I will," Morrigan agreed. "Will you need any help?"
"I hope not." Harry scratched his chin. "I'm not exactly sure how long that took. If I'm still inside one of them and something happens, you'll have to wake me."
"How?"
"Good question," Harry murmured. "Probably try pulling me away from them. If I lose eye contact, it should cancel the spell, hopefully. If not, try something more physical."
"You're giving me permission to slap you?" Morrigan asked with a smirk.
"It wouldn't be the first time today," Harry chuckled to himself before kneeling over Sirius. "Hopefully, I'll be right back."
"Good luck."
He nodded. "Legilimens!"
Harry was getting used to the Fade by now, although it still bothered him how small the chunks of land were. He knew that he'd had plenty of dreams that took place in much larger areas, but maybe it was all supposed to be illusionary. With this being the land of spirits, perhaps things were even that much less tangible than he had thought.
Whatever the case may be, he saw his godfather sitting on a chair in what looked to be some cozy living room. Of course, a couple of the walls were missing, but the couch and table were clearly meant for people to gather around. It took Harry a moment to realize exactly what living room it was- but then, he hadn't been back to Godric's Hollow in decades.
James Potter was sitting on the couch, and Lily Potter came slowly walking down the stairs carrying a baby. "He's had a nap, so now he'll have plenty of energy for you, Padfoot."
"Padfoo'," the baby Harry giggled.
"He's getting so big!" Sirius chuckled as Lily carefully handed over his godson. "Before you know it, he'll be chasing all the little girls around."
"Don't be a bad influence on my boy, Sirius," Lily scolded him.
"Nonsense," he smiled. "I'll be a good influence on him. That's why the witches will be flocking to him. You don't think Prongs could teach him that sort of thing, do you?"
"I don't see you with a witch in your arms," James teased as Lily leaned against him.
"Yeah, well it's not the best time for it, eh?" Sirius sighed as Harry reached up and poked at his chin.
"Things must be really bad if they're interfering with the love life of Sirius Black," Lily laughed. "Either that, or it's just another excuse."
"I can always pop over to London. Muggle night clubs are just full of women needing a little Sirius loving."
"Merlin, Padfoot! That was terrible," James groaned.
Forcing himself to interrupt, Harry walked into the middle of the living room and stood just on the other side of the table from his enchanted godfather. "I'm sorry to interrupt all this, but I need you back in the real world, Sirius."
"Harry?" Sirius looked between the baby in his arms and the man staring at him. He shook his head and stood up. "What the hell is going on?"
"You're experiencing some sort of delusion," Harry replied. "Apparently it was caused by that last demonic thing we came across in the Circle Tower. Remember, we were trying to secure the aid of the mages? The darkspawn were causing a Blight, trying to destroy the world and all that."
"That does ring a bell," Sirius agreed. "So this is...?"
"Spirits trying to keep you distracted," Harry shrugged. "At least yours are a lot more pleasant than Morrigan's was."
"You went after the girl first?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Good man, Harry!" Sirius laughed.
"You don't want to stay with us?" Lily Potter interrupted.
"Yeah, come on Padfoot," James added. "You just got here."
"I would if I could," Sirius sighed. He walked over and handed the baby Harry back to his mother. "But your little guy doesn't need me the way the big one does. I've got another chance to keep an eye on him, and I'm going to do a better job of it this time."
"But we miss you, Sirius," Lily argued. "We're stuck in this cottage all day long-"
"Please stop, spirit," Harry interjected. "You may be using the form of my mum, but I will destroy you if I have to." He pointed his wand at her. "For your sake, don't make me do it."
"You can go, Master of Death," the fake James Potter replied as it shifted into a blurry, somewhat gaseous form. "Unlike some of my brethren, I know when I am outmatched. It would take a truly gifted mortal to stand up to a being like Sloth. But then, we both know you're no longer mortal, don't we?"
"You should have enjoyed your time with us, Harry," the spirit Lily said with a sad smile. "It is closer than any other chance you've had."
"The real Lily would understand why I won't," he answered.
"Let's get out of here then." Sirius put a hand on his shoulder. "How do we do that, exactly?"
"Farewell dreamers," the spirits said as they faded away.
"Well, last time, I had to destroy the one that was keeping Morrigan busy, so..."
"Ah, that was much easier," Harry finished as he found himself back in his actual body.
Sirius began rubbing his back as he struggled to sit up. "I apparently didn't land as softly as you did."
"Back are you?"
The two of them looked over at Morrigan who was peering down at them. Unsurprisingly, Sirius glanced at her cleavage before moving up to her face. "If I didn't say it before, you made a good choice Harry."
Harry just snorted and pulled his godfather back to his feet. "Come on, mutt. Time enough for that later."
"For a bit of good news, 'twas only a few moments that you were gone," Morrigan said. "Hopefully the others will be just as quick."
"That is good news," Harry agreed as he stepped over towards Leliana before turning back to Sirius. "Did you ever learn legilimency?"
"No, I didn't have the patience for it," he replied. "Or the finesse, maybe."
"Alright, then I'll be back soon." Harry knelt down over Leliana and peeled back her eyelids. "Legilimens!"
The other two watched as he stared into the redhead's eyes. Disliking the silence, Sirius cracked first. "That is bloody creepy to see him just frozen in place like that."
"I saw the same thing when he performed the spell on you," Morrigan shrugged. "If anything, 'tis an interesting magical concept, to delve into another's dreams. One wonders what secrets could be discovered under the right circumstances."
"That is what the spell is typically used for, although not necessarily tied to dreams. I never liked the concept myself. A person's mind should be private." He turned to smirk at Morrigan. "Unless you'd like to see the types of naughty fun someone gets up to."
"Naughty?" Morrigan asked with a scowl.
"It's the naughty nun stereotype," Sirius chuckled. "I just can't stop thinking about it. I'd blame Lily, but I was sneaking off into the muggle world long before we became friends."
"You'll have to explain what a naughty nun is."
"I guess they don't call them that here, huh?" Sirius shrugged. "I'll have to try to get used to that. What did she call herself? Sister Leliana? I guess that's close enough to back home. But come on, look at her. I mean, just get a load of that lithe, sexy body. I never knew I'd think archery was so hot, but when she puts arrows through these monsters' eyes, I am more than just impressed. I really hope she packed up those robes and brought them along."
"For one thing, I am not attracted to women," Morrigan rolled her eyes. "But even if I were, I would not be interested in someone foolish enough to believe in the Chantry's drivel. 'Tis the sort of thing meant for simpletons. I have no need for such nonsense."
"That's alright," Sirius grinned. "I'd hate to try to come between two sexy ladies anyway. Besides, I don't need the competition."
"I suppose that could keep the two of you distracted and, therefore, out of my hair."
Sirius barked out a laugh. "Yeah, and it will also give you plenty of time to spend with Harry."
Morrigan's mouth snapped shut, and she did her best to keep her thoughts to herself.
Sirius grinned but let her be- too much teasing could hurt Harry's progress, and he was determined to be a better wingman than that. He'd been there when one generation of Potters had gotten together, yet he'd heard only fragments about Harry's first girlfriend, and much of it second hand; this time, he was going to watch, cheer on, and hopefully congratulate him whenever Harry might succeed at winning over the prickly witch.
Plus, it was simpler this way- it could be a pain when two friends were interested in the same girl.
Once again in the Fade, Harry found himself spotting an older woman wearing the robes of a priestess with that starburst pattern of the Chantry who was standing over a kneeling Leliana, hands clasped, eyes closed, and head bowed as she prayed. "Blessed art thou who exists in the sight of the Maker. Blessed art thou who seeks His forgiveness. Blessed-"
"Sorry to interrupt," Harry smiled, not really sorry at all. "But Sirius and I could really use your help back in the real world."
"What?" Leliana looked around in confusion. "Who are you? Why does that name sound familiar?"
"I beg you, do not disturb the girl's meditation," the faux priestess said.
"Revered mother, I do not know this person."
"Please do not vex her," the spirit continued. "She needs quiet and solitude to calm her mind and heal her heart."
"If that were true, she would have stayed back in Lothering instead of getting involved in my quest," Harry argued. "She sought my group out; so you, spirit, are keeping her from her purpose. While I don't share her beliefs, I know that Leliana would not want to cower here with you when people are in danger. She's more idealistic than that. Why don't you let her be before I'm forced to do something more drastic?"
"I remember... there was a sign," Leliana said in a daze.
"Leliana, we have discussed this sign of yours," the spirit disguised as a Revered Mother replied. "The Maker does not care to interfere in the lives of mortals. Whatever this vision was, it was likely the work of demons."
"Okay, getting bored now," Harry sighed, drawing his wand. "Last chance- leave the girl alone, demon."
The sight of a spark starting to form at the end of his wand was enough to get his point across. "Your time will come, outsider. You do not belong here."
Despite the resentful words, the spirit faded away.
"She wasn't real," Leliana muttered. "I remember the real Dorothea, and she nurtured my hope. She would not have tried to force me to change my mind like that."
"We're in the Fade," Harry shrugged. "If you can't tell. Does it look all green and hazy to you?"
"No, things... everything looks normal enough," Leliana answered. "We're dreaming?"
"Of a sort," Harry nodded. "It was some type of enchanted sleep caused by the last abomination we came across. We were climbing the Circle Tower to try to help the mages. Does that ring any bells?"
"It's starting to, yes." Leliana looked around again and Harry was beginning to consider what else he might need to do when she disappeared.
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked as the sexy redhead walked over to them while Harry went to work on the elder witch.
"I believe so," Leliana replied with a small frown. "It was a strange thing; a spirit tried to make me doubt myself and the path we're on. I am glad that Harry came when he did."
"He's a good lad," Sirius said. "The spirits in my mind were trying to distract me as well, showing me visions of the past. Back when my life was simpler, or at least part of it was. Strange as it may seem, I'm not sure if things were more dangerous then or now. I've been stuck in a war in both cases."
"A war?" she asked.
"When Harry was born, there was a very evil wizard who was hell bent on taking over the world," Sirius explained. "He gathered a bunch of idiots around him and basically caused a civil war in our country. They were really no more than crazed, blood thirsty terrorists, but they did a lot of damage. It didn't help anything that some of them were from my own family."
"And what happened?"
"The evil wizard tried to kill Harry when he was a baby. He failed, somehow, and most of his followers fled or lied or bribed their way free," Sirius scoffed. "Of course, then I got framed and sent to Azkaban by the damn traitor that sold Harry's parents out to the madman and caused their deaths. Fucking Wormtail. I hope he suffered before he died." Sirius shook his head ruefully and turned back to Leliana. "Anyway, it was no real shock when the evil wizard came back and all the same old followers lined up to cause problems again. That was the war that was going on before I got here. There was a battle that Harry and some of his friends were in; I went to help and got knocked through this strange veiled archway. Then I found myself lying in the middle of a swamp and on another world. Not the strangest way I've woken up, either."
Leliana giggled at his last remark. "Perhaps you should tell me the tales that were even stranger."
"Well, they might have often involved drinking too much," Sirius grinned.
"I may have done that a time or two as well," Leliana smiled in return.
Harry found Wynne standing in the middle of a circle of bodies, all apparently slain mages judging by the robes they wore. "Maker forgive me. I failed them all. They died and I did not stop it."
"Hmm, visual trickery instead this time," he said as he walked towards them. Harry scratched his chin. "I wonder... Finite!"
The 'bodies' all disappeared.
"What...?" Wynne stared at him. "What did you do?"
"This is nothing more than a dream," Harry answered. "Nap time is over; we've got a Tower to finish clearing out."
"The Tower," Wynne muttered before her lips drew tight. "I should not have fallen prey to this. Help me wake up. You're right; we do have work to do."
"That's the spirit!" Harry chuckled. "Try to focus on..."
But she faded away too before he could finish his thought.
"Help me up please, young man," Wynne said as she noticed Harry leaning over her.
He chuckled in response, but held out his hand. "Of course."
Once she was standing, Wynne motioned over to the final man laying on the floor. "That is Niall, the one Owain mentioned that had taken the Litany of Adralla and was going to try to put a stop to all this chaos. Can you return him to his body as well?"
"I can try."
"Do so, please."
Harry nodded and went to check on the other mage. Unfortunately, when he got close, he noticed something off about the body. There was an intangible yet unforgettable shroud of death hanging about it. Shuddering briefly, Harry shoved down the thoughts of previous times when he had seen and felt that terrible miasma in the past. Checking for a pulse, and Harry found that it was there but faint. "I don't think it will work."
"Why not?" Leliana asked. "Is the process not the same?"
"I think he's been stuck in the Fade too long," Harry replied as the others all came to gather around him. "I'm willing to give it a shot, but don't be surprised if this one can't come back the way we did. Sirius, be prepared to zap me with a spell to awaken me if anything goes wrong."
"Alright."
"So, I suppose I won't be slapping you today then?" Morrigan smirked. "A pity."
Harry grinned back at her. "You never know- the day isn't over yet."
"Be careful, alright?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah, I know," Harry nodded. "Legilimens!"
"I hope he's wrong," Wynne said as they waited. "Niall was a fine young mage and it would be a shame to lose yet another to all this madness."
"Maybe you should check to see if he had that-" Sirius stopped and scratched behind his ear. "A litany or something?"
"The Litany of Adralla," Wynne finished, pointing to a scroll laying next to Niall's body. "It looks like he may have been trying to use it to protect himself."
A moment later, Harry stirred and pulled back from Niall, then slid down his eyelids. "He was too far gone. I'm sorry, Wynne."
She sighed and picked up the scroll. "At least we now have the Litany. I will keep it in hand. If we come across another powerful demon or any other mages, I shall recite it. Hopefully, that will be enough for us to overcome any further attempts to enthrall our minds."
"We've got a plan then," Sirius said as he offered a hand and pulled Harry to his feet. "Let's get moving again."
Harry nodded and began to undo the transfigurations he had done to solidify both of the room's doorways.
There were a few more monsters they ran across as they traversed the fourth floor, as well as a group of blood mages who were yelling at each other. When they broke out into a fight amongst themselves, it was easy for Harry's group to finish the rest of them. Thankfully, none of it slowed down their group too much. However, as they reached the stairway leading up to the Harrowing chamber, they came across a templar surrounded by some sort of purple barrier made of magic.
"This... this trick again?" the templar asked, clearly delirious. "It won't work. You can't... I will stay strong."
"I wonder why they've kept him trapped like that," Harry mused. "If all this is the work of blood mages, you would think that they wouldn't have any need to keep a templar alive."
"Perhaps they wish to perform some experiments on him," Morrigan suggested. "Templars are known for their resistance to magic. 'Tis possible overcoming that defense would be-"
"Blood mages are not known for their sanity," Wynne interrupted with a scoff. "If anything, they would more likely being toying with this young man- Cullen, I believe his name is. Cullen, can you hear me?"
"I will not fall for your lies, demons!"
"It doesn't look like we'll be getting through to him any time soon," Sirius said. "Maybe we should just move on?"
"As long as he isn't any danger to us, I agree," Wynne added. "Defeating whoever has cast the spell trapping him here should hopefully free him as well."
"Hopefully he won't try anything once he is free," Harry replied. "We don't need a mad templar trying to kill us on the way back down."
"You have to kill them all!" the templar cried out. "All of the blood mages! Wipe them out, or we'll all die!"
"He's out of his mind," Sirius said. "Maybe we should try to knock him out, just in case."
"I'm not familiar with this type of magical barrier," Wynne said.
"Nor am I," Harry added. He tried dispelling it with the spells he knew from his original world, but there was no effect. Shaking his head, Harry turned back to the others. "I don't think we should risk trying to cast any spells through whatever this is. We'll just have to be prepared to deal with him when we come back."
"Fair enough," Sirius nodded.
A terrible scream came from the top floor.
Harry turned back to Wynne. "Be ready with the Litany. It's time to put an end to this."
Author's Note: That's right, I skipped almost all of the Fade! Yay for fanfiction!
But seriously, I actually enjoyed that section of the game the first time I played it, although admittedly the backtracking got way out of hand, especially when trying to track down all the ability boosts.
The characters stuck in the various visions was the most interesting part anyway, in my humble opinion.
So, I realized that I left out an important detail in the last chapter that I have since corrected, which my readers unfamiliar with Dragon Age would need to be made aware of- the Chantry's branding of the Tranquil. When a mage's connection to the Fade is severed and their magical abilities are lost, they literally brand the Chantry's symbol right in the middle of the mage's forehead. It's pretty fucking nightmarish really- not only do they lose their magic, but also much of their personalities and emotions via a pseudo-lobotamy, and then they get a nice permanent reminder marking the fact that they are no longer fully human. That's not even taking into account some of the horrors we see in the second game where a female mage has this done to her just because a templar wants to make her into his sex slave- and then she no longer even knows why she should try to resist him.
Needless to say, if I ever get to the second game, Harry will not stand for heinous shit like that.
While Bioware sometimes tries to do a bit of a 'both sides have valid points' thing with the conflict between the mages and templars, there's a damn good reason the vast majority of the fan base tends to side with the mages when given a chance.
Also, I've closed the poll about the mage origin characters. I'm a little surprised that Amell didn't get more love. But you'll see the beginning of that little plot thread in the next chapter, which I'm currently working on.
Anyway, this chapter would have likely been finished sooner if there weren't record breaking cold, snow, and ice making me shiver even while staying indoors for most of the last two weeks. Intermittent water and power problems aren't fun either. Hope you're all staying safe out there!
