So I wanted to put this up last week, but i never got the chance cause I had a wedding to go to, so here it is! this is what happened at the circle tower not long after Neria left with Duncan to become a warden. This chapter introduces Dylan hope you all enjoy! Btw thank you to everyone who put in input as to what they though Dylan should look like, surprisingly similar to what I was thinking of lol let me know what you all think.
"Dylan, Dylan," the mage groaned and turned away from the voice calling his name, attempting to bury himself further into his nest of blankets and pillows.
"Wake up Dylan." Jowan said jerking the blankets quickly from his friend's sleepy grasp revealing a his tanned skin and messy dark brown hair stuck up at all angles from his head, his friends face turned in to the grimace and small scar on the left of his top lip showing through more clearly as he frowned.
"Maker Jowan, let me sleep." Dylan moaned as he reached blindly for his blanket, failing to reach, he sat up and opened his whiskey coloured, sleep heavy eyes. "How did you even get in here? I thought I locked the door, you better not have broken my lock again."
"That was one time!"
"One time too many, I'm the one that got yelled at by the First Enchanter for it." Dylan said as he threw his legs out on to the floor, carefully aiming for the rug to stop his feet hitting the cold stone floors. "Why did you wake me? I'm not assisting in a class until noon with Senior Enchanter Torrin."
"I thought Anders was doing that?" Jowan asked.
"Well, he was supposed to be, but he asked to swap classes, something about Karl, I don't know I didn't really ask." Dylan said with a shrug.
"Oh well, I- erm I need to talk to you about something." Jowan's hands fidgeted it nervously as he spoke, "Could you meet me in the Chantry later."
Dylan frowned as he looked over his friend, "Jowan, is everything alright?"
"I've been… Troubled, just meet me in the Chantry when you're ready, I'll explain everything." Jowan pleaded.
"I'll meet you there as soon as I'm finished with Torrin's class." Dylan stated confusion and concern visible on his face.
He thanked his friend before leaving his to get ready, a feeling of guilt and dread lying heavily in his stomach as he made his way through the hallways of the tower.
He managed to spend most of his morning studying in the library, before he and the rest of the apprentices went to their mandatory lessons. It was in to the second hour of the afternoon by the time he was able to make his way towards the Chantry. He stood outside waiting for Dylan to join him.
A few minutes later he saw Dylan as he made his way towards the Chantry, "Alright I'm here, what's going on Jowan?"
"Come with me please, and I'll explain." He said as he made his way inside the Chantry. He saw Lilly standing in the corner of the Chantry hall, he felt a smile tug at his lips, her brown hair was pulled back, her face unmarred by paint or powder that many of the women in the tower would buy from the travelling merchants that were allowed to enter the tower.
Jowan noticed the questioning look that Dylan sent to them both as they stood side by side to face him. "Dylan, do you remember a few months ago I told you I'd met a girl?"
"Yes…" Dylan dragged the word out as he continued to watch them.
"Well, this is Lilly."
"Jowan, your dating a Chantry sister?" he asked half in disbelief half in resignation.
"Yes, that's why I was afraid to tell anyone, if anyone found out we'd both be in trouble." He said in a pleading tone.
"Jowan, you are my friend, you know I would not betray your trust, what is the really all about?" Dylan assured.
Jowan couldn't help but feel a lead weight rest in his stomach, he knew he would be breaking his friends trust, but it was the only way. "I know why they're not going to send me for my Harrowing, they're- they're going to make me tranquil." He felt his breath quicken and catch as he spoke again, "They're going to take everything I am from me, my hopes my dreams, my love for Lilly, everything gone. They'll take away my humanity, I'll be nothing more than a – than a husk, living breathing and existing but not truly living."
"Jowan, you might be mistaken, how can you know for sure?" Dylan asked gripping his friends shoulder with his right hand and grasping his forearm with his left to comfort him.
"I saw it, the document on Gregoire's table, it- it authorised the rite on Jowan. Irving had signed it." Lilly said as tears began to gather in her eyes.
"But- but why?" Dylan asked completely confused.
"There's a rumour going around that-that I'm a blood mage, they think making me a Circle mage will endanger everyone." Jowan felt the weight in his stomach move and lurch as he spoke.
"Why? Why would they think that?"
"I don't know, but it's not safe for me here anymore." He took a deep breath, "I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I need to escape, I need to destroy my phylactery, and we can't do this on our own. Please we need your help." He implored.
"Please you must help!" Lilly begged
"What-what have you planned?" relief and guilt washed over him at his friends words.
"I can get us in to the repository but there are two locks on the door to the phylactery chamber, we can't get the keys, but Jowan had an idea about melting the lock." Lilly explained.
"Like how you melted the lock on my door." Dylan stated caught between the ridiculousness of it all and the pure simplicity. "What if the door is warded?"
"We don't have much choice; you could get a rod of fire from the stock room. Owain won't release it to an apprentice but you were the youngest apprentice to be successfully harrowed on records and you've been a circle mage for six years, he'll release it to you."
"I'll get it, just wait here, I'll be back in a minute." Dylan said giving them a sad smile before he turned and left the Chantry for the stockroom.
Jowan and Lilly stayed hidden in the corner of the Chantry as they watched him leave, Lilly quickly folded herself into Jowan, hiding her face in his chest. Jowan wrapped his arms around her as they both huffed out a laugh of relief. They stayed like that until they Dylan returned.
"I've got the rod of fire." Dylan said handing it over to Jowan.
"That was quick."
"To the repository then," Lilly announced with a smile, "Freedom awaits."
"You're doing this tonight?" Dylan asked
"It's the best time, half of the Templars have went to join the Kings army and the rest are away with the circle mages, and the few Templars that they've pulled from the village Chantry's are spread thin. I don't know how much time I have left, we must go tonight." Jowan insisted. "Are you going to help me?"
"Jowan, I got you the rod of fire, you don't need me for the rest. If I get caught helping you, if they even found out that I helped you this much…" Dylan let the implication hang in the air.
"They won't, please Dylan you must help us!" Jowan stammered out.
"Fine, I'll help you." Dylan croaked out before they began the journey down to the repository.
They made it through the first door as planned having to take a detour through the repository after they discovered the second door had been protected against magic. When they finally reached the phylactery chamber they found many of the selves empty.
"Where are the other phylacteries?" Dylan questioned as he looked through the rows and rows of vials containing the blood of the mages within the tower.
"Because of the blight Gregoire was sending them up to the Chantry in Denerim, though only a few have been sent." Lilly replied from another stack of shelves.
"Here, I've found it!" Jowan called, he held out the small vial in his left hand, he eye squinted as he studied the blood swimming in the glass. "I can't believe this tiny vial is all that stands between me and freedom, so fragile and easy to be rid of." With that he opened his hand and watched as the glass shattered when it hit the stone, the dark liquid stain the floor.
"I'm free." Jowan stated as he looked down at the remnants of his phylactery.
"Let's go, the sooner we're out of here the better." Dylan stressed as he pulled Jowan towards the entrance.
Jowan sighed with relief as he felt the excitement grow with each step; he would be free with Lilly, away from the Templars, the Chantry, and the threat of the harrowing and the rite of tranquillity.
As he passed through the doorway back on the first floor of the tower the feeling of relief shattered as he was meet with the sight of Knight-Commander Greagoir standing in his armour, only missing his helmet, his short grey hair and beard on display. He stood with First Enchanter Irving, an older man with a worn face and a mop of messy grey hair on top of his head and a shaggy beard, and a small group of Templars. The three of them stood frozen as they watched them draw closer.
"What you said was true Irving." Greagoir said as he came to stop in front of them.
"Shit…" Dylan breathed out.
"An initiate, conspiring with a blood mage. I'm disappointed Lilly." Greagoir remarked as he looked at Lilly.
"G-Greagoir." Lilly gasped.
Ignoring the woman the templar spoke to Irving, "She seems shocked, but fully in control of her own mind. Not a thrall then. You were right Irving, The initiate has betrayed us. The Chantry will not let this go unpunished" Greagoir turned to look at Dylan as he spoke again. "And you, a senior mage, flouting the rules of the Chantry."
Jowan could see Dylan wince at his words, "it's not his fault! This was my idea."
"I'm disappointed in you, you could have told me that you knew of this plan and you didn't." Irving added.
"You don't care for the mages you just bow to the Chantry's every whim." Jowan spat at the pair.
"You're not helping Jowan." Dylan hissed.
"Enough!" Greagoir shouted, "As Knight-Commander of the Templars here assembled. I sentence this blood mage to death."
"But he's n-" Dylan began to protest but was cut off as Greagoir raised his voice.
"And this initiate has scorned the Chantry and her vows. Take her to Aeonar."
"You can't just take her!" Dylan shouted out as two Templars moved towards her.
"The mage prison, no please. Not there" Lilly sobbed as the Templars moved towards her.
Fear, panic and rage built up inside him as he watched the Templars move towards Lilly, "No! I won't let you touch her." he screamed as he reached into his robes and pulled out a dagger and plunged it into his hand. He immediately felt the power surge run through him as pink mist surrounded him. He pulled the magic up and threw it out at the Templars, knocking unconscious.
Dylan and Lilly stood in shocked silence at the sight of his blood magic, after what seemed like hours, but must have only been seconds, Lilly spoke. "By the Maker... Blood magic! H-how could you? You said you never..."
"I dabbled! I thought it would make me a better mage!" he tried to explain, "I'm going to give it up, all magic. I just want to be with you Lilly. Please come with me" he pleaded, his stomach sinking at the look of horror on her face.
"I trusted you. I was ready to sacrifice everything for you. I don't know who you are. Stay away from me." Lilly sobbed as she backed away from him.
Jowan winched as her words hit him like daggers, he stepped back as he fought back tears. "I'm sorry." He looked over to Dylan, who still stood in shock at the scene, "I'm sorry Dylan." He said before he finally ran out of the tower.
He ran and hid from the Templar's for nearly a week before he reached the village of Redcliffe, a hire rogue found out by chance he was a mage when a messenger came to the Chantry to warn them about the run away from the Circle. He told him of a job in the Castle, how the Arl wife wanted to keep her son by having him taught outside the tower. The next day he began to teach young Connor about his magic. Though the peace was not to last, they found him as he was walking through the market as it was closing, knocking him over the head before he could call upon his magic. When he woke up, he was in a windowless barely lit room, he looked about franticly as he tried to see who had taken him, instead of the Templars that had caught him unaware, four guards stood in unembellished armour. A fifth man stepped out into the light. The flickering flames hide most of his features, but the ice cold blue of his eyes stood out of the shadows.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice quaking.
"I suspect you already know who I am," Teyrn Loghain drolled, "What I am here for is something you should be more interested in."
"Wha-"
"I am going to offer you, your freedom Jowan, freedom in exchange for helping eliminate a threat to the security of Ferelden. This offer is not one that will be repeated, this is your only chance."
"I'll do it, I'll do anything." Jowan affirmed, as he watched a look of triumph settle on Loghain's face.
So there we go, poor Jowan, I always felt really sorry for him in the games, I read once that he was originally meant to be a companion for the warden in the game, kinda wished they'd kept him in cause he was a interesting character filled with moral and ethical dilemmas, so we will be seeing a lot more of Jowan. I've been having trouble with the the chapter I've been writing atm, I have to write two sides of an awkward conversation... Joy!