A man cloaked in the very shadows themselves slammed a hand on the ground. The earth shook and split apart, lava spewing from the ground and giving birth to a voluptuous woman made of flames. The man called upon the Fade and cooled the lava, it's now stony surface giving birth to a golem who commanded the very winds itself, lightning spawning from between the rocks and cracking in the air around it. The man breathed and the shadows concealing him chilled his breath, freezing it solid until a golem of ice loomed over its master. The three elemental warriors bowed to their master as a woman felled an ogre behind him. "You took your time," said the man.

"Sorry," said the woman as she flicked the tainted blood from her blades. "His skull was thicker than I anticipated."

"Well, if you're quite done…" The man gestured behind his three elemental warriors at the massive army of Darkspawn between them and the coast. "We have some pests to deal with."

"If you're done making it harder for them."

"Almost." He inhaled and let forth a mighty roar, sending the first line of Genlocks flying into the sea as two dragons, one spawned from the clouds and burning as red as fire and the other climbed from the ground, flesh rotting and bones exposed to the air as the undead beast shook years of dirt from its body. The Darkspawn, undeterred, charged and the two beasts and their master unleashed their mighty roars…

"Bullshit," said an armored woman as she sat across from a smirking dwarf. "That's not what happened!"

"You wanted to know the story of the Hawke and the Dragon, Seeker," said the dwarf with a shit eating grin. "You've probably heard it as often as I have."

"What I want from you, Varric, is the truth. You were with both of them, almost from the beginning! You know them, I know you do!"

"And what if I do? What is it you want with me?"

"I want to know the real story. Not the story passed around in bars and gossip among the nobles."

"Alright. But just so you know, it's not nearly as grand as the real thing."

Ravonas Indulis dropped to a knee and panted as his magic healed his body. Miraak, the last of the Dragon Priests and once faithful servant of Hermaeus Mora, dropped, his body drained of all life and his soul absorbed into the Last Dragonborn. The Dunmer sighed as he used his Restoration magic to heal himself, his wounds inflicted from the Priest and the dragons he controlled sealing up as the Daedric Prince of Forbidden Knowledge congratulated him on his fine accomplishment. Compared to fighting Alduin, Miraak wasn't much of a challenge. Hell, the Ebony Warrior was more of a threat and he was just a man seeking Sovngarde. The Dark Elf ignored the Daedric Prince, to Oblivion with the consequences, and opened the book that would bring him back to Solstheim and his love, Serana, who was protecting his body.

He shook his head and snapped the book closed before tossing it and the other Black Books into the fire in the village they were in. "By the Nine," he said. "Why couldn't I have learned that Shout when hunting for Alduin? I would've been done ages ago."

"Something interesting happen," asked the former Vampire Lord.

"Nothing more than usual," came the raspy reply. "Though Hermaeus Mora may want me dead for denying him a new champion. But my life is devoted to Azura, Boethiah and Mephala, not to him."

"And Nocturnal, and Sheogorath and Sanguine."

"Sanguine is a drinking buddy, I'm not devoted to him. And Sheogorath… Well it's best to let him believe what he wants."

"And Nocturnal?"

"The shadows have aided me well. How can I not pledge myself to her. And not to mention how well you look in the Nightingale armor, my love." Serana smirked before nudging him. "How much gold do we have left over from protecting the Emperor from the Dark Brotherhood?"

"About 2,000 Septims."

"Truly? Then we can get Sophie some new clothes in Solitude."

"I hope she hasn't been giving Lydia a hard time."

"You know Lydia sees her as a little sister. There's not much the little one can do to annoy her. I'm just glad the Civil War is over. The thought of the war putting her in danger nearly gave me a heart attack when Ulfric was ready to attack Whiterun."

"She's lucky to have you as a father."

"And she could have a mother too." Serana sighed before taking his hands in hers as they stopped by the boat heading to Skyrim.

"We've been over this."

"I know, I know. You do not want to get married just yet. You've only just become human. But you and Sophie are already so close. She still asks why we haven't married yet."

"I know. And I don't want to hurt her. But it just…"

"I know." The Dovahkin placed a kiss on her head before they started the journey home. "Come, let's get home. I've been away long enough. I don't like it when she worries." And with those words, spoken, the Slayer of Alduin and the daughter of Lord Harkon sailed back to their home in Skyrim.

After making a quick trip to Solitude, the Dunmer and Nord returned to the central city of Skyrim and in their quaint little home. A small gasp could be heard as they entered from up the stairs and a small pair of feet ran down and to them. "Papa," exclaimed the little girl as she ran for the Dunmer. Ravonas smiled and knelt down to hug his adoptive daughter and rubbed her back. "You're back from another adventure!"

"I am indeed, and with some new souvenirs as well, little one." The Dovahkin reached into a pouch and pulled out a small blue dagger that seemed to glow with blue, red, and purple energy. "This is a special dagger. It's made of a special ice found only on Solstheim. It's called Stalhrim and this is enchanted with Chaos Magic."

"Chaos Magic?"

"Fire, Ice, and Storm. All of the forms of Destruction Magic in one blade."

"And you're giving this to me?" The little girl took the dagger and held it lightly in her hand.

"Me and Lydia have been training you with your wooden sword long enough. It's time you got a real blade. One worthy of my daughter."

"Thank you, Papa!" Sophia smiled before hugging her father which was reciprocated as an armored woman came down the stairs.

"Welcome home, my Thane," said Lydia as she nodded to him. "Serana."

"Thank you, Lydia," said Ravonas. The small gathering was shaken from their happy reunion as the house shook. "What in Oblivion?!"

"Papa, what's going on," asked Sophia as she hugged the Dragonborn.

"Stay close to me, all of you!" Serana hugged Sophia from behind as Lydia placed her hand on her Thane's shoulder. "Feim, Zii, Gron!" Ravonas turned himself and those he was connected to ethereal as the second floor of the building began to fall, a loud wind sounding outside of the home. He moved them to the staircase where there was less of a risk of anything else falling on top of them as they returned back to normal and held them close as the house continued to shake. Their bodies returned to normal just as the shaking stopped and Ravonas looked at his daughter and love. "Both of you, stay here. Lydia, let's see if anyone else is alright outside."

"Of course, my Thane." Ravonas kissed Sophia and Serana on the head and lips respectively before Thane and Housecarl left the building. They paused as they found themselves outside of a burning town that wasn't one they recognized as the walled city of Whiterun. "Where are we?"

"I don't know. But these buildings don't seem like they are Nordic in nature."

"Darkspawn," shouted a voice nearby. The two warriors turned to the shout and saw a group running from the burning town, chased by… they resembled the Falmer, but these were not the Snow Elves left blind and deranged beneath Skyrim.

"Lydia, get back inside. I'll go help them."

"I'll protect Sophia. Be careful, Ravonas." The Dunmer nodded before pulling out a black bow and aimed at the creatures chasing the group as one of the younger members, a young woman with a pair of curved blades turned and fended off one of the larger beasts. Ravonas loosed an arrow, taking out a shorter creature as it was burned and shocked at once before advancing and shooting more on the chasing horde. One of the other two younger members of the group turned around and waved a staff before the last creature was frozen solid. The Dark Elf loosed one last arrow and shattered it to pieces before nodding to the rogue and mage as they looked at him.

"Thank you," said the rogue. "We'd have probably been goners without you."

"Think nothing of it. What were those things?"

"Those things? Have you never heard of Darkspawn?"

"I'm afraid not. I don't even know where I and my family have ended up."

"We can talk later," shouted a young man in front of an older woman. "We need to leave now before more come!"

"I need to get my family, the more of us there are, the more we can fend them off!"

"Celeste," said the female mage. "We can't just leave them behind. Not when he just went out of his way to save us!" Ravonas wasted no more time and went to his now broken home.

"We should leave them to themselves and get moving," exclaimed Carver. Bethany ignored her twin and followed after the man in black leather armor.

"Dammit," said Celeste. "Carver, Mother. Come on!"

"What?! Maker…" The middle of the children helped their mother up and they followed after the mysterious man in the unusual black armor. Serana looked up from calming Sophia down as the Dunmer opened the door to the now ruined home.

"What's going on," she asked. "Lydia said we've wound up somewhere new?"

"I don't know where we are, but we seem to have arrived in this place at the beginning of a war or invasion. Something that prompts the burning of an entire village. I just saved a family from these strange creatures they call Darkspawn. More are supposedly coming. We cannot remain here and must go."

"We'll gather what we can," said Lydia. Ravonas nodded and picked up Sophia after clipping her Stalhrim dagger to the waistband of her dress.

"Little one. We need to pack everything we can carry, ok? Food, clothes and your doll and blanket, ok?" Sophia nodded before moving to her room beside the staircase and packing her things. Lydia removed her normal iron armor and replaced it with a set of Ebony armor, carrying the spare ore and crafting materials her Thane may need to repair and upgrade their weapons and armor down the line while Serana and Ravonas packed the spare enchanted weapons that the Dunmer kept in the house along with the weapons they had claimed during their adventure in Solstheim.

"We can't carry all of it," said Serana. "We need to leave some of them behind."

"We can't just leave them lying around for looters to take." He sighed. "I hate to do this, but we need to leave nothing behind for anyone to take." Sophia came back out and Serana picked her up. "Go. I'll do what needs to be done." Serana nodded and followed Lydia out with Sophia and their packs. Ravonas sighed and knelt on the ground before removing a floorboard and pulling out the four items he had hidden beneath. The Ebony Blade, the Star of Azura, the Ebony Mail and the Skeleton Key gifted to him by Nocturnal for fulfilling his duties as Nightingale and Guild Master. With it returned to the Twilight Sepulcher, the Thieves Guild was returned to strength and luck and the Artifact was gifted to him for as long as he needed it or until he passed to whichever world his soul was bound for. He placed them in his bag before inhaling. "Yol!" Flame left his mouth and lit the building aflame. Ravonas sighed and left the building after grabbing a bag of food and adjusting his cowl. Ravonas frowned before meeting his family outside.

"At least it can be rebuilt," said Lydia.

"True. But until then, we don't have another home." He looked towards the burning village and frowned before knocking an arrow. "More of those… things coming!"

"This way," shouted the rogue. Ravonas loosed an arrow and turned to Serana.

"Follow them. Lydia, help protect them, I'll hold these things off!"

"Don't be stupid, man! There's too many!"

"Papa can do it," said Sophia. "No one can beat him!"

"I know you must think the world of him, but…"

"Fus," started Ravonas as the rogue and her family turned to him. "Roh, Dah!" Those not familiar with this covered their ears at the sudden blast of sound and the Darkspawn were hurled away.

"Maker's Breath…"

"Go!" Ravonas loosed an arrow hitting one of the smaller ones in the head before turning to follow the others.

"What the hell was that," shouted the young man with the large sword. "Was that magic?!"

"We can discuss it later," said the rogue. "Move!" Ravonas swapped his bow for Auriel's Shield and Chillrend before moving to the group.

"Where are we going," asked Ravonas.

"Yes," said the mage. "Where are we going, Carver?!"

"Away from the Darkspawn and to the docks!"

"You don't even have a destination in mind," asked Serana. "That's not a sound plan!"

"Kirkwall," said the older woman beside the warrior, Carver. "We can go to Kirkwall. We have a family home there!"

"The City of Chains," exclaimed the mage. "Mother you can't be serious!"

"Hold on," said Ravonas. He spotted a man and woman fighting a group of the Darkspawn and hurried forward, throwing Chillrend and catching one of these… cursed beings in the head, turning into ice instantly. "Wuld!" He sped forward and grabbed the hilt of the sword before kicking the frozen corpse into another of its brethren and knocking it off its feet.

"Th," started the man he'd just saved from being run through in the arm. "That was magic! You're a mage!"

"Archmage, actually… down!" The red headed woman gasped before tackling the man to the ground as he held out his hand and sent an ice spear into the head of one of the taller Darkspawn. "I suggest you start running. I can hear more coming. Serana!"

"Right!" She handed Sophia to Lydia and pulled out a scroll before reciting its incantation. The scroll burned up and an armored being appeared with a roar before fighting another of the tall creatures. "That'll hold it off." She took the child again before moving to her love.

"Th-," said the armored man who the Dovahkin just saved. "The Chantry demands that…"

"Whatever you're spewing," said Ravonas. "It can wait. Survival is more important here! We're going to the docks. I suggest you come along!"

"Wesley," said the armored woman. "He's right. The Darkspawn are too numerous. We can't do anything more than run!" The man, Wesley, frowned before cursing.

"Fine," he said before aiming his blade at Ravonas. "But when we're safely away from the Darkspawn, Apostate, you will submit to the Chantry!"

"What is the Chantry," asked Sophia as she looked at Serana.

"I don't know," she responded.

"Is he going to hurt Papa?" Wesley and the woman looked at her and the man hesitated slightly.

"We need to move," said Carver. "Celeste…"

"This way," shouted the rogue as she aimed one of her twin blades down a path.

"I'll bring up the rear," said Ravonas. "You, warrior. Your name is Wesley, right?"

"That's right," said the man, reluctantly.

"You and your friend take the lead. Lydia, with me!" The group traveled down the path with caution, eyes looking out for more of the odd creatures they'd been fighting.

"Ravonas," said Serana as they came to a clearing with several walled off paths around them. "I don't like this. This is a prime ambush site."

"I'm aware…" The man whispered a word and paused as he looked around. "Wall of flames behind us, now!"

"You got it!" Serana set Sophia down before making a gesture and closing off their exit behind them as Ravonas did one to their right. He turned to the mage.

"If you can do the same to the path to our left, that would be preferable."

"I," said the girl. "I think so." She brought her staff forward and waved it around before another wall of flame erupted down the third path, leaving the fourth open.

"Why did you do that," asked Wesley.

"Because we're surrounded," said Ravonas. "Funnel them into a choke point and they can be picked off easier. One point of conflict is easier to manage than four." He stumbled as the ground shook below them. "What in Oblivion was that…" He turned around and spotted as massive horned beast coming towards them, brushing off the flames as if they were nothing more than an annoyance. "By the Nine… what is that?!"

"Ogre," shouted Carver as he protected his mother.

"Stay back, warrior!" Ravonas charged forward and absorbed a punch from the Ogre using Auriel's Shield, his knees buckling slightly. He grunted from the force of the impact and shouted as he bashed the shield into the beast. The Ogre stumbled backwards from the impact and roared in pain as a Flame Atronach burned it from behind before floating around Ravonas with a soft song escaping its lips. "How many times must I tell you about summoning yourself, Fira?"

The Atronach smiled before planting a kiss onto his forehead and sending a glare to Serana who glared back. Ravonas shook his head before turning to the Ogre, as Carver called it. "I don't know what you are, but you are no ogre. Despite that…" He removed the Nightingale armor on his chest, revealing the grey skin underneath, and replaced it with the Ebony Mail in his bag, before replacing his sword and shield with the Ebony Blade. "It's clear to me you share a fate with that of the Falmer. So allow me to end your suffering, great beast." The Mail's normal black wisps came from the armor and the Ogre shook its head as it started feeling weak. "Wuld, Nah, Kest!"

Celeste Hawke watched as their masked companion shot forward with speed that should be impossible, even for a mage and sliced his long thin sword into the large Darkspawn. Shadows seemed to come off his armor and trail behind him as he did so. Whoever this man was, he was more a monster than the actual Darkspawn. Speaking of which, she noticed a second Ogre come from the path her sister, Bethany, had sealed off with fire and charge straight for her brother and mother. Without thinking, she met the Ogre and impaled her blades into its eyes before kicking off of it, unintentionally breaking her blades in the process.

She pushed her family to the ground as the second Ogre thrashed its arms around, attempting to crush the human who blinded it. She kept her mother and brother covered as Bethany stayed beside the child of the group with a barrier spell up while the woman who had been carrying her, her mother, she assumed, pulled out a sword and tossed her a pair of daggers. "Finish it," she shouted.

"Carver," cried the mage. "More Darkspawn are coming!"

"Blast it all," said the warrior. "Ser Wesley, I could use some help!" The Templar frowned as he glanced at the mage girl but resolved himself as he looked at the child hugging her robes.

"Aveline, come on," he said. Aveline nodded before they moved to fend off the Darkspawn alongside Carver. Celeste weighed the unusual, jagged daggers in her hands. They seemed to be made of bone fashioned with some metal for structure. Shaking her head, she moved with the pale skinned mage as she carried a strange black blade. She cut the bone daggers along the Ogre's legs and leapt as it slammed its palm where she had been. The pale woman sliced her black blade along its arm and held up her hand before red magical energy came from the Ogre to her hand, only to stop as she felt something wrong. She glared at the creature before she moved backwards, slamming the flat of her blade against its hand, shouting to draw its attention to her and allowing Celeste to maneuver behind it and drive the bone daggers into the back of its head. Both Ogre's dropped at the same time as the masked man killed his Ogre, several slashes lining its body. She looked to her brother and the Templar and knight as they cut down the Darkspawn coming in from their exit to avoid the flames.

"Ravonas," shouted Serana. The masked man, now named Ravonas, turned around and spotted the incoming Darkspawn. She watched as he inhaled deeply.

"Tiid," said the man softly before his voice bellowed. "Klo, Ul!" Celeste blinked and the man was gone. Several bodies falling drew her attention to the Darkspawn where he suddenly showed up, thin black sword in hand and dripping with blighted blood. "May the Nine show mercy." He flicked the blood off of the blade before placing it on his back and lowering his hood. Celeste blinked as she saw the ashen grey skin and pointed ears under black hair tied in an unusual fashion. He turned around and revealed blood red eyes before kneeling as the child her sister had been protecting ran for the man. He hugged her and smiled before looking up at the clouds. "By the Nine, not again…" Celeste looked up and gasped as she spotted a dragon flying overhead.

They watched as it landed on the elevated land in front of them and peered at them. Ravonas glared at it and nodded to Serana who reached into her bag and tossed him Dragon's Bane. The blade hummed with lightning as he stared up at the dragon, taking note of its four legs as opposed to the ones he'd faced recently which only had two. He looked at it, countless dragon souls interacting with his own in the face of a rival. "Luft lu'u, Dovah! Luft fin laat Dovahkin!" The strangers his family had encountered covered their ears as his voice thundered in the small clearing they were in. The dragon's haunches seemed to shift up and down, almost as if laughing before its body shone like a star. In its place an old woman stood and laughed as she stared at the people below them with a grin, her arms crossed.

"I'd hoped to see what could be so great as to defeat an Ogre by its lonesome. And you do not disappoint, odd one," she said.

"Who are you, Hagraven?!"

"Hagraven? Hah! I've never been called that before! Hahaha!"

"Answer my question!"

"So eager to get to the point. But I'm not without compliance. I go by many names. To your kind, I am sometimes known as Asha'bellanar. But you may call me Flemeth."

"I do not know an Asha'bellanar."

"Nor should you, Dovahkin. You are, after all, from lands not of this world."

"Is that true," asked Celeste.

"You would do well not to believe her words," said Wesley. "I know the name Flemeth. She's the witch of the Korcari Wilds! There are no other worlds!"

"And yet there is the Fade," said Flemeth. "Is that not a world beyond our own? One where the souls of the deceased go when they have passed from this world? One where your Maker and the Elven gods dwell?" Wesley sneered at her before averting his gaze as the woman laughed. Ravonas and Serana were at a loss for words. What was the Fade? Who was this Maker and these elven gods. Did she mean the Aedra? The Tribunal? And what did she mean other world? And most importantly, how did she turn into a dragon?! "And while you ponder that, Templar, did you not feel something odd about the Dovahkin's magic? How there was no pull from the Fade? His magic is older. It is the magic of the dragons."

"Dragons do not have magic," shouted Carver. "They're nothing but beasts!"

"Are you sure about that, boy? What if I am a dragon and simply took the form of, as the Dovahkin called me, a Hagraven, eh?" The young warrior's words fell short as he glared up at the woman.

"What is it you want," asked Celeste, calmer than the men. Flemeth's gaze turned to her with a smile.

"Ah. A calm voice among those who seek violence first. Refreshing, even after all my time on this world." She floated down to them and landed in front of the rogue. "What I want is simple. An exchange. The path to the docks and your passage to safety is laden with Darkspawn and bandits from the late king's army who fled the field. Much like that boy there barely hanging on to his sword." Carver tightened his grip and glared at the Witch of the Wilds before feeling a hand on his shoulder. A glance back showed that Ravonas had moved to stop him from doing anything rash. "I offer to bring you to the docks so you may find refuge, all I ask is that you bring this to the top of Sundermount once you reach Kirkwall, when you find the time to, of course." Celeste looked at those around her, namely her siblings and Ravonas.

"We cannot keep fighting forever," said the Dunmer. "Eventually they will overwhelm us if their numbers continue to increase. If we want to get to safety, we may need to consider her help."

"The Chantry forbids colluding with Apostates," said Wesley. "And the Witch of the Wilds is the worst of them all!"

"What is the Chantry," asked Sophia.

"More than likely the basis of their religion," said Serana. "They seem to worship one god instead of many."

"One god? But how can one do what the Nine are supposed to?"

"I don't know." Ravonas turned to the pair of warriors.

"What is more important," he asked. "Your life or your religion? Right in this moment with those… things bounding down on us?"

"Wesley," said Aveline. "Please. We should consider this. The Darkspawn are too numerous. And they did help us fend them off." Wesley frowned before hearing the roar of another Ogre off in the distance.

"Maker's breath… fine," he said. Ravonas nodded before turning to Celeste. The rogue gulped slightly as all eyes fell on her before she turned to Flemeth.

"We agree," she said. Flemeth smiled before handing her the object. She turned to Ravonas.

"You may want to summon the Ancient One, Dovahkin. I can sense his presence connected to yours. I'm afraid even in dragon form, this many people is too much for my back."

"What is she talking about," demanded Wesley. Ravonas handed Sophia to Serana before moving to the larger part of the clearing.

"Dur, Neh, Vir," he shouted, voice thundering once more in the clearing before a black portal opened in the ground. The strangers backed away as a mass of flesh climbed from the ground and a dragon climbed up to the surface before shaking his head.

"Well met, Qahnaarin," spoke the dragon, making the warriors aim their blades at it in surprise. Never had a dragon spoken before, let alone addressed someone as an equal as it seemed to do the one who summoned it.

"Durnehvir," exclaimed the little girl as she ran to the seemingly undead dragon, the strangers reaching out to stop her as she hugged its snout.

"Greetings, Hatchling."

"Andraste's tits," said Carver. "I swear I've seen everything now. A talking dragon…"

"Durnehvir," said Ravonas. "We need your assistance getting to some docks nearby." The Dunmer paused as he saw the dragon look around. "Are you alright, my friend?"

"We are not on Nirn," said the dragon. "How did you come to be here, Qahnaarin?"

"I do not know. Perhaps one of the Daedra Lords finally had enough and decided to be rid of me to stop from losing more followers. Boethiah knows I've killed enough of them."

"If you're done conversing," said Flemeth. "We must be off. Unless you'd prefer being the Darkspawn's next victims."

"Lydia," said Ravonas. "Hold onto Sophia." He helped both onto Durnehvir before helping Serana onto him as well. He turned to Celeste. "Where are the docks?"

"To the east," said the rogue. "I'm sure Flemeth will lead the way." The old woman nodded before shifting into a dragon once more and letting the larger group climb onto her.

"Follow her, please." Durnehvir nodded and took off, following the four limbed creature that resembled his kin.

"You expect me to believe that Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds, a mere story we tell children, helped the Champion and the Elven Dragon," asked Cassandra, interrupting the dwarf once more.

"Need I tell you the Story of the Warden as well, Seeker?"

"No. There's no need to address that mess." The Seeker turned to the dwarf and glared. "But I find all of this hard to believe. Other worlds, magic not derived from the Fade, undead dragons who can speak like a human. You realize how farfetched this all sounds, yes?"

"You wanted to know what I knew, Seeker. This is what I was told. I wasn't there for those events."

"And you're doing a piss poor job at doing so, Dwemer," said a raspy voice behind the Seeker. Cassandra Penderghast gasped and turned around to see a black cloaked figure with shadows moving around him. He stood up, revealing the ashen grey skin and blood red eyes. "I told you I don't like anyone but myself recounting my endeavors. They always get things wrong or shine me in a less than savory light."

"Because we all have a squeaky-clean reputation, right?"

"You're Ravonas," asked Cassandra. The Dark Elf bowed.

"At your service," he said. "Though if you're representing the Chantry, that may soon change. I have nothing against you personally, but if your people try taking my family again, I will live up to my name."

"Oh, right," said Varric. "Almost forgot about that. Just after the Deep Roads."

"Captain Cullen was unconscious for a week if I remember."

"Hold on," said Cassandra. "You attacked Cullen?!"

"He gave me no choice. He was trying to take my daughter from me after she started showing signs of my type of magic. Not that of the Fade." Ravonas gave her a deadly look, making the Seeker backstep a bit. "Now. I believe you were telling a story, Dwemer?"

"Keep your britches on, Shadow," said Varric. "I was getting there."

"Just how long were you there," asked Cassandra.

"About when I started telling the actual story. He missed the abridged version." Ravonas scoffed.

"The idiotic version," said the elf. "Never once has Fira and my other Atronach's ever gotten along, let alone created one another. That's just foolish. Get on with it, Varric."

"Alright. No flare for the art of storytelling." Varric shifted in his seat as Ravonas stood nearby to correct some of Varric's wilder embellishments. "Now… where was I…?"