A Gaming Afterlife

by Hebisama

I won the reincarnation lottery and became the Gamer. Yep, it exists and I'm fangirling about it too. Fangirling hard. Who cares about getting dead once when now you can live around the multiverse being all OP. Sure, there is some grinding to be done first, but no true gamer is a stranger to that. (Will be yuri harem down the road, darkgrey MC; Current universe: Dragon Age)

7. DA Winter

Happy new year!

And thank you for all the follows and favorites, and especially the reviews or PMs. Feedback is always welcome. One thing I have to discolse though is that I have some parts of new chapters already written so implementing some of the things will have to wait a bit. But this should help me to be able to post monthy - this year, especially after June, I will be super busy at work so my writing could slow down...

But onto the chapter!

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Chapter 7: Dragon Age Winter

Looks like the Starks were right, winter is coming and it has indeed come. Not that it really changes anything for me, only that my 'plan' of abducting myself some population will get easier – plenty of half-freezing people on the streets of all the major cities, willing to relocate just to get some food and warmth. The warden party though finished another 'quest' and started on a new one – Amell and her posse succeeded in getting the Sacred Ashes, Leliana survived it and after getting it to Arl Eamon, he woke up. Just like canon. I was already visiting his brother from time to time, now I just check on both, using Mind Mage to keep their attention firmly on Loghain. Let them think they can deal with us later once Ferelden is whole once more. Ha. As if I'd ever allow that.

After sleeping beauty woke up and decided/agreed to lead their side of the civil war, the wardens went back to the mountains and are now dealing with dwarven politics, good luck to them. Once they leave Orzammar I'll intercept them, meet them once more as they go back to Redcliffe to finally launch the campaign against Loghain.

But alas, I am not free of politics either. As winter sets in and the civil war is seemingly on-hold, I have much work to do. It is time I finally made my presence known to the local lords. Bann Sighard is first on the list.

Bann Sighard actually figured in the games, he is the father of the 'tortured noble' which was part of a quest. Said tortured noble is his son Oswyn and someone that was rotting in Howe's dungeon until me and Shianni paid a visit to it. No need to say it but I rescued him and put him back together at Ostagar. I don't want anyone not firmly with me knowing about my teleportation ability so he thinks he went by ship with the elven population of Denerim's alienage. Naturally Oswyn, once coherent enough, become something of a supporter of mine. And I wasn't Mind Maging all that much either. It's pretty much all him, being a hothead and militant in nature. He already hated Howe, and Loghain by extension, was appalled by the attempt at selling Ferelden people to slavery even though it was 'only' elves, and turning him against the Chantry was surprisingly easy. He was resentful of the faith since nobody saved him but me, a heathen, and the Chantry is tacitly supporting Howe and Loghain. He also became fast friends with another freed captive of political interest – Irminic Eremon, the brother of Bann Alfastanna and from the quest 'Lost Templar'. Irminic was suffering from serious lyrium withdrawal and Howe's tender mercies and he too painted a grim picture of the Chantry's practices, namely the dependence on lyrium for their templars to keep them on a short leash.

Both men, along with some other freed captives though of lesser import, were also mightily impressed by our victories over the darkspawn as well as our ability to stay safe from them. 'Liberating Ferelden' they called it. Ok, they called it because I suggested it to their minds but whatever, right? I also made them very accepting of Avvar religion and attitude towards magic – that was pretty easy since their own disillusionment with the Andrastian faith as presented by the Chantry.

All in all, those two will serve me well in eventually delivering Ferelden to me. But first things first, they need to return to their noble families and become active in the resistance against Loghain. Which brings me back to Bann Sighard of Dragon's Peak.

Though only a Bann, Sighard is influential, almost as much as Arl Eamon. Canon Eamon did not contact him about rallying against Loghain, waiting for shortly before the Landsmeet while shuffling forward Alistair, so I assume I will be the first to speak to him about it.

Being accustomed to short travel times it is a bit of a hassle to actually go somewhere by horse. Well, I once again mounted my hart but I granted Oswyn a horse. I also assembled a small escort, putting on a bit of a show. I would've loved to simply teleport to Dragon's Peak but I didn't want to give anything away, right now I want them to think we are completely normal. I did cheat a little to speed things up and buffed the animals to the max, more than redoubling their stamina and increased their gallop speed. The Fereldan noble did notice but simply thought it was superior steeds, he was very impressed by our breeding skills. He was also impressed by my and my peoples' efficiency in dispatching bandits that tried to ambush us one time as well as several smaller bands of darkspawn.

Beside that, the journey went without incident though Oswyn was quite heartbroken about the state of the lands we rode through. Ostagar and my lands stood out in sharp contrast, something I encouraged.

"Here we are" Oswyn exhales, his voice full of emotion, "Our castle. We'll need to circle to the east gate if you insist on not being seen."

I nod "It would be better, I don't want any spies getting wind of us, or your return. Let the Bann determine who can be trusted."

"My father won't be overly happy with all this cloak and dagger" the noble sighs but looks on determinedly, "But he will understand. Especially after I tell him all about Howe."

"Hm" I nod simply.

Following Oswyn's recommendations, I leave my soldiers in what probably is the bann's hunting grounds and only me and him proceed to the side gate. Both hooded and rather conspicuous we would probably draw some attention but I help out once again, decreasing our presence. It is only when Oswyn recognizes a knight to be trusted that he breaks the spell to reveal himself and secure the knight's help in discreetly entering the castle.

After leading us to a storage room of some kind, the overjoyed knight goes to fetch the lord and inform him of his son's return. I already did some work on Sighard beforehand but the bulk of it will be done here and now, and then by Oswyn when I leave. The son I can already call one of mine but his father will take some time to bring to my side properly.

"Oswyn!" is predictably the first thing Bann Sighard says and the lord rushes to embrace his son, only sparing a suspicious yet grateful look to me. I actually kept my Avvar paint, not only it boosts CHA, I want it crystal clear who I am.

Despite the attempt at a manly hug both nobles are near tears. It should be a heartwarming sight but I resist rolling my eyes, wanting to get on with it.

It is Oswyn who finally ends the hug and he immediately starts explaining what happened to him – from being captured by Howe, his excruciating stay in the dungeons, his rescue along the almost-enslaved elves, and then finally the wonders of Ostagar. A lot to process indeed but Sighard chooses his priority quickly.

"Howe" the Bann hisses venomously, his right hand closing over the dagger at his belt.

"And Loghain" Oswyn growls, "Even if he hadn't known, Howe is his right-hand man. He gives him title after title and free reign to do as he pleases. Hero of the River Dane he may be, he no longer has any right to call himself protector of Ferelden."

"No" Sighard nods slowly, teeth still bared, "His 'strategic retreat' at Ostagar alone robbed him of that title, his heavy-handed method to corral us when we voiced doubts at his regency even more so. Ferelden is heading for a civil war, despite the Blight ravaging our lands."

"I saw the darkspawn myself and Lady Fia here too thinks it is a true Blight" Oswyn quickly adds, "I know Loghain denies it, you believe though?"

"As if I'd trust Loghain on anything now"

"The Blight is true" I decide to make myself heard now that Oswyn has created a positive picture of me, "The Archdemon sings to them. He will come in the spring, I'm sure of it."

Sighard's eyes bore into mine, clearly trying to get my measure "Good then that Loghain did not manage to kill off every warden, should the bounty hunters be believed."

I nod "He did not. The new Warden-Commander of Ferelden is gathering allies from the old treaties. And we too have pledged our support in the coming fight against the darkspawn."

"They have amazing fighters, father" Oswyn adds, "The Avvar have cleared most of the south of the vermin and they're using magic to keep them out, I saw it myself. I also saw the mages, or augurs and shamans they call them - I'm no templar but they looked in control to me, nothing like the Chantry warns."

I see the Bann turn skeptical, the Chantry doctrine firmly ingrained, so I shrug with deliberate lightness "We keep an eye on each other. Also, regular use of magic builds control."

"Like alcohol" Oswyn laughs, "That's how one shaman said it! He actually called our Circle mages 'lightweights' and 'abstinents', and that it is no wonder some fall if they go straight to hard liquor!"

Sighard turns pensive but clearly relegates the matter to secondary concern. His true focus is Howe and Loghain, as well as the safety of his people. But that is completely alright, understandable even. Oswyn will bad-mouth the Chantry after I'm gone anyway and I will be making some more Mind Maging visits. Besides, the son is already convinced I'm Andraste reborn or similar, something his new best friend Irminic came up with during his delirious state of the lyrium-withdrawal. It stuck though, everything he saw afterwards reinforcing this idea. Which is amazing for me, naturally.

I shift the conversation back to our plans against the darkspawn, plans the wardens might have and what Loghain might intend to do. Sighard has a keen political mind but he would clearly follow Arl Leonas Bryland of South Reach in military matters. That is a bit problematic for me as I took a huge chunk of Bryland's territory in my conquest. Land I have no intention of giving back. He could rule it similarly to before but only should he pledge himself to me. That would be fantastic actually, after the late Bryce Cousland and Loghain himself, he is the best military mind of current Ferelden.

Still, Sighard in an excellent resource. Without any prompting he promises his men against the darkspawn and Loghain both, as well as to speak with other Banns he is good friends with. Arl Bryland too, though there I am given a scathing look for taking his lands. Hey, if he didn't want to lose them then he should've protected them better. Besides, after the war there will be a lot less lords so he can get some other land. When he won't be too busy commanding an army against Orlais - I really want him on my side.

Anyway, a shortish meeting but I got a tentative alliance out of it, as well as regard of a very grateful father though he, to both my annoyance and respect, did not let it influence his position as a Fereldan lord all that much.

He did perk up slightly when I told him I would be returning Irminic Eremon to his sister as well as talk to her about this little rebellion too. That he would not be the only one advocating allying himself with barbarians to remove Loghain Mac Tyr from power. He well knows he needs our army, especially since we would be fighting on two fronts, but he isn't enthused in the least about tacitly approving of our conquest. Also his honor would be a little strained should he betray us immediately after us helping him against the regent and his bastard of a right hand. Precarious position that.

Damn, do I love honorable people. Predictable and easily manipulated. Sure, Sighard is wilier than most of the honorable lords of Ferelden but Mind Mage makes up for the difference. My telepathy also picks up that Sighard is already planning to have his son cozy up to Anora when her father falls. Without the knowledge of a potential Theirin heir, the queen is the way to go. Well, should she denounce her father and her story is spun correctly. I have plans of my own there.

All in all a very fortuitous meeting. I'll be probably sending some letters, to 'keep in touch', but I can leave the rest to Oswyn.

With a warning about possible spies working for Howe, I encourage to end the meeting - it's already dark and we are only rehashing what has already been discussed. Also I have lost enough time on the road and I have to do it again with Irminic. For that reason I also decline the invitation to stay at the castle for the night, though it was mostly extended to me for politeness-sake only. It just isn't practical. I bid a friendly farewell to Oswyn, do a last-minute reinforcing of what positive feeling both nobles have about me and soon I'm rejoining my riders.

My squad has been chosen carefully, those that Margit felt would be best, so I have no qualms about teleporting all of us home though the logistics is a little iffy. Still, I'm glad to be back at Ostagar so soon and my men feel the same.

One noble down…

X

Bann Alfastanna Eremon of the Waking Sea, sister to Irminic, is a whole different kettle of fish than Bann Sighard has been. She's one fierce lady and she wanted to punch both me and her brother after her surprise and elation has passed. Irminic is apparently an overly-pious log-head and I should've come sooner. I'm actually rather delighted about her attitude. She's much more gun-ho than Sighard, ready to march to Denerim on the spot, and also far far less impressed by the Chantry. Faith has been a point of contention between the siblings for quite some time and Alfastanna was overjoyed when Irminic confessed his newfound reservations.

In a surprising turn of events Alfastanna is also less grateful than Sighard has been but much more open and approving. She has accepted a lot of refugees on her lands, all of them speaking about the horrors south. The fact me and my people have reclaimed the lands, no matter who they formally belong to, has her quite impressed. It made for a less tense and less formal meeting. Not that Alfastanna is any slouch in politics, simply more… assertive. Yes, let's call it that.

With all that I couldn't help myself and started flirting with her. Irminic was red in the face but his sister matched me word for word – definitely a better meeting than with old and boring Sighard. Her I even invited to Ostagar should she find the time. And maybe instead of letter I could visit her in person… Maintaining good communications with the leaders of Ferelden is key after all. Wink.

This time I'm genuinely regretful to leave but Irminic has to speak with his sister a little more. And she has to make contact with Sighard and start working together. After that, I will visit again, check on the progress and maybe Mind Mage things along.

Once more I teleport my little honor guard back to Ostagar but this time it is only a short stop for me. I have another noble to visit now that I have laid groundwork for the resistance against Loghain, one independent of Arl Eamon. For now, I will defer to Sighard if he wants to contact that old stiff or not.

Denerim's Royal Palace is a place I already know just as well as my own keep, having spent quite some time in it. I stop to check on the two men nominally leading the country to see if anyone has had any new bright ideas and then I break into Anora's rooms, my true target of this visit.

What to do with the widow queen is something I thought extensively on. I realized that it would be best if she remained in charge, if I took Ferelden by force and without any claim to the throne, it would be too abrupt. Fereldans would not have it. But if the queen, one imprisoned by her own father after he killed her husband, would claim me a friend and ally she counted on when the country was in need… well, that is a whole another matter. It would make the eventual transition so much smoother. And I wouldn't mind her in charge of our 'sister kingdom', one that will eventually melt into mine.

With that in mind, it is time to make some more friends.

"That's some work ethic for being effectively deposed" I say airily as the wards around the room snap shut, making it soundproof and impossible to enter or leave.

"Show yourself!" Anora demands firmly despite sheer panic making its way into her voice. And expression. To be honest it is rather pleasing, "Guards! GUARDS!"

I melt out of the shadow and uncaringly drag a nearby chair towards her desk "Perhaps you could offer your guest some tea?"

The queen does not reply or make any moves against me, rather grips the wood of her table and casts a very complex look to the doors. Doors that remain firmly shut. I let the silence be, allowing her panic to rise until the cold realization that nobody is coming settles in. During all this I sit calmly in my seat, smiling at her pleasantly, making no moves to threaten her. Well, outside of infiltrating her castle, isolating her and preventing guards to even hear her call for them.

Anora is not a fool, something I determined during my previous stays at the palace, and today she does not prove me wrong. She is scared, terrified and understandably so, but when not even a semblance of help comes, her voice is firm and at least superficially calm. I knew I liked her for a reason.

"What do you want?" is what the queen finally settles on.

"How about we start with that tea?" I put all my will behind resisting the urge to smirk and instead speak neutrally.

Eyes narrow and for a long time we are silent once more. Anora finally purses her lips in supreme reluctance and reaches for the teapot she has on a tray near one of the highest piles of paper on her desk. In the absence of another cup Anora improvises and takes one of the clean glasses she has standing near a pitcher of water. With practiced grace yet with an affronted look she places the half-full glass before me.

I take a sip, again avoiding a smirk. The tea is lukewarm at best. I heat it up with a simple fire spell, making the queen gulp, her body leaning even further into her chair in an attempt to be as far from me as possible while maintaining her composure. Relatively speaking.

"Would you like for me to heat up your tea as well?" I ask courteously.

"No" is the curt reply.

"As you wish"

Anora's fingers dig into the wood of her table "What I wish is to know who you are, how did you get here, and what do you want."

"My people call me Fia Sky-Chosen" I smile, throwing the queen a bone, "Pleased to make your acquaintance Queen Anora."

I can practically see the wheels turning in Anora's mind. I leave her to it, curious what they will spit out. I am not disappointed. The blonde's brow furrows the tiniest bit "The appellation would suggest those people are Avvar."

"So they are"

"I heard father mention there is some other than darkspawn activity in the south. Chasind, or Avvar, were a possibility"

"Your regent is correct"

Anora damn near growls at the insinuation. But she does know her situation and she hates it. Something I helped fuel during my previous visits though I probably needn't have bothered. Loghain, her beloved father, is now more her jailer. And less spoken about that creep Howe the better.

"Ferelden has abandoned the south so we cleansed our ancestral land"

The noble bristles "We haven't abandoned anything! We…"

"Is it 'we'?" I raise an eyebrow, "Does regent Loghain share his battle tactic with you? Does he even have one? And I would like to mention we have been holding the south for quite some time, seeing no hide nor hair of any soldier of the Ferelden army." Ok, a little lie there but to my defense those soldiers we killed were not Loghain's.

"I don't need to explain matters of state to you" Anora wisely chooses deflection rather than defending a position where she has no leg to stand on, or better yet, no idea about, "An intruder, an Avvar mage to boot. I demand to know how you entered my palace and what did you do to my guards."

I take another sip of my near-steaming tea and shrug "You needn't worry, they are perfectly fine. As will you, I have not come here with the intention to harm you."

The look given to me is incredulous, suspicious, angry, resigned, annoyed and amused. All at the same time. "Which brings me back to my initial question – what do you want."

This time I do smirk, raising the glass of tea in salute, that was witty."To meet, to talk. I have heard a lot about Loghain Mac Tyr, even more about Rendon Howe, but next to nothing about you."

Anora's expression sours at that even further than before. Oh yes, needling her is fun.

"Your disappearance from the public eye and your father's… forcefulness and actions, have managed to shield you from most of the hate that is leveled at the regent and his right-hand-man. People question whether you too are a victim of Loghain as they themselves are, or Cailan has been. Should Loghain fall you might just retain your power" I lay down my thoughts, "But for that to come to pass you can't hide forever."

I expected the pale blonde to either rage or scoff, maybe even try to slap me or something but instead Anora simply cocks her head to the side and asked calmly "What's it to you?"

"We help you and you help us" I speak plainly, "We have the south and we are keeping it. With our new territory here we naturally want the Blight defeated just as much as you. The biggest obstacle in Ferelden for that happening is the Lord Regent. So I offer help in both those matters and you, queen once more, will celebrate our shining new alliance born in war but kept in peace. Fact is Ferelden doesn't have the resources to do this alone. We'll come to help, but only to defend what is ours."

"And by 'ours' you mean my southern territories" Anora raises both eyebrows but once again refraining from erupting in anger.

"You don't hold them anymore, we do" I shrug, "You could attack us, sure, but we come back to your lack of resources. And after the Blight the situation won't be different, not for some time, after which we will be firmly entrenched and even trying to get us out will be beyond bloody."

"So you just want me to give away a big piece of my kingdom and betray my father" the queen says dryly, "Charming."

I smile "To sweeten the pot I have one more offer to give."

"Oh?"

"I can get you out of this castle" I say despite knowing she will refuse. She will come around, she already fears Howe, both for her virtue and her life, and Loghain is not making it easy to love him either.

Anora's posture grows tense "Why would I leave my castle?"

"Is it still even yours?" I arch and eyebrow, "I have taken a look around before coming to you, you know. I could take you to a Ferelden noble in position to actually do something and you could be leading a resistance from there, winning the loyalty and the hearts of the people."

A flash of something that my Mind Mage recognizes as ambition appears in Anora's eye and it is followed by a slew of other emotions.

But those will take some time to untangle so I put the empty glass on the table and slowly rise from my seat, wanting to present no threat "Think about it, queen Anora. I'll come back when I can. Or you can send a bird to Ostagar, if you manage."

"Ostagar?"

I nod "Ostagar. Cleansed and under our control."

"I see" Anora's mood turns melancholy for a moment – while she wasn't in love with Cailan, they were very close friends and partners for a long time. Ostagar is naturally a sore point.

A short silence follows. I use it to drop my wards and to open a window. Anora looks at me quite unimpressed but then I wave at her cheekily, the words "See you soon, neighbor" falling from my lips. The twisting of her mouth is funny. I quickly heft myself up and once I am out of sight I simply teleport away.

It might've been a little dramatic for an exit but the doors have guards so not like I had that much choice. Anyway, while I'm in Denerim I might as well troll for some people to join our budding nation or some idiots whose draining could give me Stats.

Ooooh, I see templars. I guess STR and END is on the menu today…

---

Aaah. As always stepping into the pirate dungeon is a balm on the soul – sunshine and heat in contrast to the progressively more dreary Ferelden. I do love snow, don't get me wrong, but a tropical paradise is a tropical paradise. Especially since I don't have the time to go here much. Too busy hopping around, looking for possible spies, Mind Maging and a little abduction here and there.

Alright, I'll admit it, a lot of abductions, mostly from Orlais and the Free Marches this time around. Turns out considering yourself above the dog country of Ferelden doesn't mean you somehow lack the scores of men, women and children freezing out on the streets. Quite the contrary, what a surprise. Please note my sarcasm. And elves, I do have a lot of city elves now. Thankfully though Shianni seems to have a handle on them, even the foreign ones. There is a bit of a language barrier at times but an apostate is apparently taking care of it. Either as a go-between or teaching them, I'm not sure – Shianni says I don't have to worry about it, so I don't.

But that is business, Dungeons are pleasure! …even the not-sex kind. It's the [Sin of Greed] and [Battle lust]. And the lack of people wanting something from me when I'm not in the mood.

Anyway, I have a plan for today. So far I only went around the 'normal'-level zones, and boy there is a lot to sail, the vastness of this ocean still surprises me. Very pleasantly so. Still, so far I encountered a lot of ships, some famous pirates too - Henry Morgan, Anny Bonney, William Kidd, even Francis Drake, though he's more a corsair - and all of them yielded more exp than the run-of-the-mill captains, but I have not encountered the dungeon boss yet. Hence today I sail to the high-level part of the dungeon.

I say sail, but I'm flying. The ship is cool and all (and Margit loves it) but since flying does not trigger the Dutchman, it's more convenient than going around in a wooden thing that relies on wind for speed.

A ship passes under me and I ignore it, this is not today's target. Besides, it's only small, that's not enough exp for me today, if it were big or even medium I might've considered it. No, today I follow the map and go south-west to the first highlighted section.

The flight is enjoyable as ever, the wind and the sun so comfortable on my skin as I whistle a half-forgotten shanty. After a while a consult my map again, I haven't received any notification about entering a high-level area but I'm pretty sure that I indeed have. The map agrees. Oh well, guess no notification is forthcoming. Or could it be that I was wrong and this is not the high level area? But what else could it be?

An enormous tentacle bursts out of the water right under me. My spidey-sense warns me well in advance and allows me to veer to the side. And then doge one the tentacle tries to swat me.

"What the fuck…"

Once again I evade, another tentacle targeting me. I zig-zag trough the air, dodging all opposition until I can finally count eight pinkish-grey tentacles attacking me. Peering down into the water I see a large squid-like head and a malevolent pair of eyes.

A kraken. Of course.

Briefly thanking my foresight for not bringing my ship here, I evade once more as the sea monster tries to catch me. I quickly take the Sword of the Creator out of Inventory and slash the nearest limb.

To my surprise I make a deep gash but that is all, the mighty relic not severing the limb completely. Not by a long shot. Resilient bastard.

The kraken lets out a deep howl, distorted by the water it is a truly frightening sound. Once more I lash out with my weapon, this time faster and I activate all my melee buffs. Damn it to hell, I have to go physical or else that fucking ghost ship will start hunting me again.

I quickly [Observe] the monster, focusing on its HP. Swinging at the pinkish mass of attacking flesh with all my might lets me calculate just how much damage I'm doing. The result is actually better than expected but before I attack it head-on I need to get rid of the tentacles.

A barrage of strikes and some quick flying injures one of the limbs deeply but before I can lop it off, the kraken withdraws it back into the water. I sigh, well at least he didn't go deeper into the water himself, I'm not ready for under-water combat yet. I only have a small rebreather but that is all.

Wait a minute… While evading another attack I sheathe the sword and take out a high-powered sniper rifle I stole from somewhere in My Hero Academia. It's bordering support gear, all high tech and all. I studied it as Engineer as a base for a line of weapons for myself, but the original was to my dismay still better.

Putting eye to scope I target the black glaring eye. Just before my spidey-sense warns me of another incoming attack, I fire.

The kraken reels back, letting out another horrible roar. His tentacles flail a little and he tries to swat me blindly. I grin and quickly reload with a useful MHA Skill, [Bullet Creation]. I knew it would come in really handy when I sucked it out.

I fire again, and again, and again, the kraken's HP dropping significantly. Oh yes, much better than a sword.

Suddenly the tentacles retract and instead the bulk of the beast propels itself out of the water. Not high enough to swallow me or anything, but the kraken is smarter, spewing a dark purple mist right at me.

Despite all my DEX and forewarning I'm not fast enough to escape the entirety of the cloud.

Poison Resisted!

Thank fuck! This stuff looks really nasty. I quickly enter Inventory and pick up one of my helmets, those I can use as a gas mask.

The kraken tries again, the already dark cloud darkening as it pumps more poison at me. This time I fly right through it and take aim again.

I grin viciously under my helmet, I struck his other eye and that is a critical strike so even more damage. I don't hesitate and shoot again, each time generating another bullet in the chamber, abusing the gun Skill to the max. It's only a moment but the kraken loses a huge chunk of his health bar.

The poison cloud dissipates and my enemy is down to a third of his HP. As any smart being the kraken starts his retreat, going deeper into the water.

I can't allow that, not when I'm almost done with him and when I can't follow him down.

Yet again Engineer gives me an idea on how to win without triggering the Dutchman. One could say it's not sportsman-like but a big bad bomb solves a lot of problems. And I have a couple that have no trouble with water and depth, why one could say they are even more lethal than usual there. As to why I even have it, well, a villain commissioned them from me since he wanted to take out Gang Orca. I kept a few because I'm a bit of a hoarder.

Droplets of salt water and very small chunks of kraken shower me from below a moment after the charge detonates with an ominous whooom. I grin and take off my helmet as the monsters health bar reaches zero.

You have felled the sub-boss Leviathan

+ 1.000.000 exp

YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!

Oh my, that's a lot of exp in one go. Then again, I got this big fella so easily only because I can fly and despite my magic focus I can pack some serious firepower the old-fashioned way. Well, if bombs and guns can be considered such. Good fight though! Thanks. GG.

Now let's see what did a legendary beast like him drops.

Gacha, always an excellent reward, especially with my Luck. And a scroll? I inspect the scroll thoroughly and can't help but hum appreciatively - it's a summoning scroll. A one-time permanent summoning of a Leviathan.

'System? Just to be sure, one-time permanent summoning means I get to drop this Leviathan somewhere and the scroll is consumed but the beast stays put?'

Yes, he will fight for you until he dies and he can't be resummoned. And if you change universes he stays behind, not like your permanent summoning such as Servants

It didn't even occur to me that Servants could be left behind. But good to have it confirmed. Still. 'When I resummon Servants in a different Universe, they still remember everything, right?'

Yes. But to be clear, should a Servant die, their catalyst is destroyed as well. So 'permanent' can be a bit of a misnomer

'Right, right. Thanks' I nod gratefully. It is as I thought but again, a confirmation is good to have. I take good care of my Servants.

Oh, and while I have System on the horn… 'Could you spin the gacha for me?'

Item acquired

Bilbo's Mithril Shirt (Lord of the Rings)

Impervious to most physical attacks

And now I'm hyperventilating. Mithril! And I have the Blacksmith Class! A new substance to study as well as very nice-looking under-armor. This is amazing!

Now I have two legendary materials, mithril and vibranium. And a legendary forging method too – I'm pretty sure System and I can recreate Valyrian-style forging from that one unnamed sword I got in my very first dungeon. This is very very very good.

Oh yes. Time to get back and take a good look into my newest reward.

I frown, lately there has been much traffic in the forge. Perhaps too much to study this in peace. And I do need a space to try summoning my dragon to run the Valyrian steel experiments… Perhaps it is time to dust off Skyhold. I know how to set up a forge of my own now and I could rob blind some Orlesian bigot smith to get all I need for a personal workshop.

Yes, that's the new plan. Me, Margit and Haku will return to Skyhold to build my new workshop. It is time.

With a grin I stash my gacha pull into Inventory and exit the dungeon. Time to go shopping!

---

"The darkspawn what?" I exclaim as I try my hardest not to gape, that's not very ruler-like.

"They are trying to breach the boundary" one of my scouts wheezes, clearly having run all the way back to Ostagar - it's not far but damn he has good lungs.

"Are they succeeding?" I ask with a growl, already on my feet and striding towards the window.

"No, Sky-Chosen. They seem to be getting burned by contact and none has passed them so far" the scout replies, awe coloring his tone, "But there are hundreds of them! They opened up a tunnel not far from the northern boundary."

From the north, I did not expect the darkspawn to attack us from the north! South, from the Wilds? Sure. From the Brecilian Forest? Sure. From the mountains? Damn sure. But the north? That was the one boundary I thought was reserved for human adversaries.

I vault over the windowsill and halt my fall with [Flight], accelerating at maximum speed as soon as I can without risking my new windows. As I go I see my people scrambling but as I fly further north outside of the fortress proper I'm heartened to see Rila and a good chunk of my warriors already marching north in something resembling a formation.

With my goggles on I soon spot the dark mass of bodies so I Flash Step there to save some more time. Not that it's that urgent as my wards are still holding. As I survey the situation from up high I note that the darkspawn have clearly tried to collapse one of my warding trees, clever little buggers. This has Archdemon-level intellect written all over. A great cause for alarm but as I count the enemies, I calm back down – this isn't an army, nothing like Cailan encountered. No, this is a probing expedition, aimed to see how my wards could be breached.

My heart freezes for a moment – will the final confrontation happen here instead of Denerim? Will my shiny new city be attacked once more instead of the canon destination? Hopefully the Archdemon will choose the easier target, right now my wards are holding and keeping his filth out. Holding extremely well for that matter. Both myself and the Game have done a great job with them, even if I do say so myself. Still, maybe reinforcing them even further could be given a higher priority on my list, just to be sure.

Here I thought I was being paranoid when I grew the warding trees as tough as I did. Big, sturdy, towering trees but that is only what can be seen. Aside of being mostly magic-proof as well as fire-proof, I grew a massive expanse of roots just as hardy as the rest. I anchored them so very deeply and sprawlingly, that even the darkspawn digging under it didn't break their hold. Mokuton is king here, the default wood being something close to alive and magical. The tree itself knew it was being attacked and sought to protect its purpose.

But I can pat myself on the back later, now I need to kill the vermin. My army will be here relatively shortly as this boundary is only a few miles out, Ostagar being almost the northernmost point of my territory. And Rila can really hustle.

It would be rude of me to deprive them of the chance to defend their new home, I better concentrate on containment. If the situation stays as it is, I won't even have to pull out any of my aces. Although summoning a dragon to torch them would be amusing.

But yeah, containment. On it. Best tool for the job is naturally Mokuton. I can also multitask and reinforce my boundary – it cannot fall. I promised protection and I can't be seen to fail.

The alert about the darkspawn came pretty fast but the dark mass managed to spill over a large area. It thinned out as the horde impacted my wards, making the area even larger. Thankfully my [Flight] is wicked fast at MAX level.

I start with vines, fast and easy to grow, not to mention ideal for herding and grabbing. They won't have any wards on, I just need something quick to keep the darkspawn from spilling further or escaping. Quick and deadly, the thorny vines already snapping at the closest blighters. I quickly loop around the horde, producing more and more mokuton constructs, growing and animating them draining my Mana at a rather respectable rate. Hashirama's blood limit truly isn't for beginners with no reserves. Now as I am I have no fear of my Mana running out before the darkspawn are killed even in spite of my stalling. My vines are slaughtering any that come near but the bulk of the horde is still intact, still mulishly attacking the invisible wall created by my wards despite the burns it I s giving them. But I already see my men in the distance – with no heavy armor and a lifetime of hunting my Avvar make for speedy troops. And the rest are being trained by Rila. Yeah, nobody is slacking off there.

Returning my attention to the 'invasion' I once more inspect all the mokuton constructs. With no wards on they can be easily attacked, something the darkspawn mages eagerly do by setting them on fire despite that not working very well as my Mana continues to flow through them. The corrupted mabari, wolves or whatever are actually worse. Their powerful jaws, big mass and a running start make for a fairly efficient battering ram. But none have managed to breach my wall of thorns.

Hm… now that I think about it, this kinda reminds me of the kingdom of Sleeping Beauty. That too was overrun by thorny vines though no prince can whack his way through these.

The darkspawn are no princes though, and it seems they are trying a new strategy. Or old, burrowing is how they got here in the first place. I'll have none of that.

A ball of searing light splashes at the back line, completely obliterating the diggers. I sigh in satisfaction at a job well-done.

I conjure some more light but the darkspawn are not deterred, constant in their single-mindedness on trying the wards. To be honest I'm not sure what precisely they're doing other than obeying their master. What the Archdemon hopes to gain… Can he somehow analyze my boundary as he throws pawn after pawn at it?

No matter, Rila and the fastest of my own troops have come. Soon this little show will be over.

I grin widely when I note that all the warriors, some more reluctantly than others, switched weapons. From their favored axes and swords to bows. The shamans and their apprentices have too come forward. Excellent, seems like Rila will make our people fight at range rather than idiotically charging in. This is exactly why she is in charge and not some meathead.

As darkspawn begin to get peppered by arrows, some of my own make actually, I make a mental note to call the civilians here too. To help with the clean-up. I want them all to see what is out there and what I'm protecting them from. I want them to see that no darkspawn has passed my barrier and I want them to see that thanks to my magic no warrior of mine was even injured.

Which they shouldn't but ok, I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch.

In that vein I conjure more light, this time my favorite spears which I multiply to a veritable rain which pelts the undead below. My vines are not forgotten though, not by a long shot. I slowly tighten the oval around the horde, keeping them close to the boundary they so wanted to test, which also means close enough to be sniped off.

Some of my warriors stashed their bows and cautiously approach the invisible barrier, hacking with blades the darkspawn nearest to them. Fortunately all of them have enough brains to stay safe. And cover their mouths as I taught them. Sure, there could be infected even then, but the chance is quite a deal lower.

Killing the darkspawn is taking quite a lot more time than I anticipated, being it only a few hundred, so I decide to charge up a bigger spell. This one should obliterate most of the back line, allowing me to shrink the vines so much that all remaining blighters should be in range for my archers.

The resulting carnage elicits cheers and excited calls, and coupling with the usual barbarian enthusiasm we make short work of the rest. Relatively short. Ish. Anyway, we're done.

Or almost, I still need to check the tunnel they came in and deal with that. Before that though I check in with Rila, mostly so that she can get a cleaning crew here. My warriors deserve some rest and it's better that they guard the clean-up crew anyway. After all, the corpses are beyond the boundary. I also tell her to send a scout to spread the news about the victory and tell somebody to organize a feast. In this instance it's practically mandatory.

Truth be told, I could do with some nice alcohol even though I can't really get drunk. It's festive. And I'm sure Margit will compensate that sobriety for me…

I do so love Avvar celebrations.

X

Turned out I had to make due with a private celebration as clean-up went deep into the night. As such, the revelry is scheduled for today. Which is actually much better as the civilians had the opportunity to see just what we are celebrating. Rila and my other officers whole-heartedly approved of cycling the newcomers through the cleaning crews, and all our efforts have ultimately resulted in…

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that please?" I ask politely, trying not to let my utter surprise show.

Rila arches an unimpressed eyebrow but it is another Avvar officer that answers me "It's good timing. The battle proved our might, even the lowlanders are downright proud of our victory. And it's not like we haven't discussed it before. You yourself did say you wanted unity."

Shianni, my newest addition to the council and someone that still bears a little grudge about me not telling her I'm the head honcho, shoots me a mild glare "We need a sense of community here. My people rallied to you for protection and now you've shown you can deliver. But it's not enough, we need to belong."

I smile conciliatorily "Yes, yes, this has been something we have been aiming for, I merely not expected it so soon. As far as I'm aware, no one pitched any official idea."

This time Rila does speak, her tone as dry as ever "Just decide it yourself. You've heard what ideas float around the camp, pick one if you're undecided."

Most of my officers nod at that, looking at me expectantly. Only Haku leaning on the wall in a corner winks at me, showing that he has a grey fabric bundle under his arm.

Oh… looks like this is really happening. I mean at last… but you know, still a momentous occasion for me.

"Very well" I clear my throat and let my proud grin show, "Then, after I announce it at the feast, let our alliance and this land, this new nation we have forged and will grow, be known as the Alamarri Dominion!"

No hippie applause breaks out but my officers hum and nod. I like that they don't accept it outright but appear to think about it. And I do love that they appear to like the name – I heard it in passing during one of my telepathic camp sweeps and it reminded me of the Aldmeri Dominion from Elder Scrolls. I have been thinking about that name ever since.

That is the Dominion part, the Alamarri one is fairly obvious. And it was pretty much the only thing in play – the Avvar and the Chasind being the 'founders' and the historical connotation, not to mention the clear connection to the faith that we will be usurping.

My right-hand, Rila in this context, finalizes the name with another firm nod "A solid choice. Returning to our roots as we return to our land."

Haku subtly clears his throat and steps forward, interrupting the quiet approving murmurs. As all head turn to him he smiles "Similarly to the name, the issue of a flag has been discussed as well. Taking in the history of the Alamarri and the connection to the Lady of the Skies, this has been crafted."

I like the flag immediately. The pale grey clearly references the body paints of my people and is very similar to the original Alamarri colors, at least according to Brother Genitivi, the foremost historian. The Alamarri also had a bird as a symbol though skeletal. My new Dominion has a stylized eagle in deep blue with golden highlights. Well, I say eagle but it's more like the Hylian Crest from Legend of Zelda. As I said, I love it.

"Great job, Haku" I grin widely.

"You flatter me, Fia-sama"

This time my officers, mostly the Avvar ones decide to be vocal though approving. They mostly wax poetic about the Lady of the Skies and how we're going to conquer Ferelden now that we stand united. Normally I would be right there with them, directing the conversation for my purposes but this time I have something far, far more pleasurable to think about.

[World Quest Completed!]

My land, my crown

You have become the undisputed ruler of the newly founded Alamarri Dominion

Award: [World Jump], 50 000 credits, [Dungeon: Arlathan]

Perk [Surprise Boost] activated!

+1 WIS

Yep. At last. Not that I intend to do anything with it, the Jump will go neatly into my Inventory for now. Still, this is a big milestone for me. And rewards are always welcome. I might actually have some Credits to spend this time around, though that Flashback Jumper might be a priority… If I go somewhere else for a change of pace, I would definitely want to return to Thedas.

Speaking of a change of pace, getting new dungeons is always great! Good for grinding and good for rewards. They're fun too, I'm having a blast with the pirate one still. And Arlathan? That might be really interesting. The capital city of the immortal elven empire of old, the one the Dalish whine about. It might even give me something I can use against Solas and Flemeth - Fen'Harel and Mythal.

And maybe something to get the Dalish on my side too, be a prophet of the Creators or something. That could be fun.

And that is not the end to my current rewards! But that clearly has to wait, I'm still in a meeting and the discussion seems to be winding down.

"Haku," I address the Mist nin once all of my people said their piece, "Please arrange more flags to be made and then fly this one over the Tower of Ishal after I present it at this evening's feast."

"Hai, Fia-sama" Haku bows and rolls the flag back up.

"Was this the last issue to be discussed?" I look over my officers, hoping they say yes. I have notifications waiting for me and we already had a long meeting indeed. Everything should be in order…

My people shake their head in the negative and a smile makes its way onto my lips "Very well then. I will see you all tonight."

Even though the meeting is now over some of my officers still swarm me, hoping to speak to me one-on-one. Like Shianni, her people still so new to our new Dominion. It takes forever but finally I'm left alone in the map room which doubles as the meeting room. With a sigh I withdraw a comforting/celebratory beer from Inventory and call Margit through our bond to stop by when she's free. No need to rush, I have things to do.

'System?'

Without further prompting or a comment, a notification pops up.

Achievement Unlocked!

Monarch: Some poor sods gave you a crown to wear, what were they thinking…; Achievement Reward: Item [Custom Crown]

Oh? That looks interesting. Not the stupid flavor text, the item. Of course.

I thought it amusing. And quite apropos

'Of course you did' I roll my eyes and click on the crown in Inventory.

A new display overlay pops up, giving me a selection of ten separate blue squares, each with a picture off a very different crown.

Cool.

'So I get to choose?'

It's your crown

I don't know how but I definitely feel System shrug.

Inspecting the squares makes me realize that it's just the cosmetic appearance I get to choose, each crown having the exact same properties. A little less cool but I'll gladly take it. It's still an excellent feature.

One image sparks joy, as Marie Condo would say, and that is the antler-like crown from Game of Thrones. It looks pretty wicked. But it's not that one I go for – second to last is a very tasteful circlet that reminds me of the eleven champion from the Elder Scrolls Online promos. That one does not only spark joy but it tickles my reference bone. Already I have drawn a parallel between Aldmeri Dominion and Alamarri Dominion, so this would be perfect. The crown is also very refined and elegant and I frankly like it. Pity I won't be wearing it anytime soon, right now my [Leader's Paint] is much more appropriate.

Still, I won't hurt to try it on.

Alamarri Crown

+30 CHA, +30 WIS, +10 LCK

Fetching. Damn, I look good with this thing on. Might forge myself some appropriately elven armor just for fun. And maybe for later, might come in handy in a different universe. Good exercise too, I'm still working up my way through the Blacksmith tree. And fyi, enjoying myself immensely in the process.

But that can wait for tomorrow, more notifications now. I frown as the next one appears with the usual festive chime accompanying it.

'System? Why am I not getting the Achievement for clearing this Universe? I got it back in Highschool of the Dead and My Hero Academia both'

Are you going to be changing universes now?

'No'

Then you get it when you do

'Oh. Okay' I blink in disappointment. I like rewards.

Instead you get to choose your new [World Quest]

'Aw'

Cheer up, continuing will mean double Credits upon completion of the new World quest

I grin widely, my disappointment forgotten. Yay!

You are such a kid sometimes

'Well, I am spending all of my time playing games…'

Decent comeback

+1 CHA

'Haven't seen one of these in a long time' I remark, happily taking the free point.

Wouldn't want to spoil you. And we talk less now that you have 'real' people around you

I blink at the truth in that comment. I clear my throat, suddenly a little uncomfortable 'I'm sorry. You really kept me sane in the HotD. I never thought I would miss people in just fifty days.'

You could've left at any time. And I thank you for the acknowledgement

'There was grinding to be done!' I mentally exclaim, 'And profit to be had!'

Of course, what was I thinking

I grin 'Precisely, you should know me by now.'

Anyway, no stalling – either leave the universe or choose a new World Quest

'Show me what you got then'

Enjoy perusing

I make a sliding motion with my hand, letting the list roll. To me it looks like I actually have a few more options this second time around. Cool. Most of the choices are what I already considered though, from outright conquest to curing the Taint. There are some more area-specific quests though, mostly for the Imperium or Qunari land, nothing that would overly interest me.

It's a tough choice but in the end I make my selection. Something I was planning on anyway.

[World Quest Alert!]

Elf off the Shelf

Eliminate either Mythal or Fen'Harel

Award: [World Jump], 100 000 credits, ?

I absently take a sip from my beer, thinking about this new quest. My musings are interrupted by a sharp rap on the door and a tug on my mental connection with Margit.

"Come on in"

The red-headed soldier promptly opens the door, closes it behind her and stands at attention. She eyes me questioningly, mostly focusing on the new crown that I still have equipped. I grin.

"Margit, how would you like to fuck a queen?"

She almost manages not to blush. Adorable.

---

The darkspawn attack made me a little paranoid. I've done some communication experiments with Margit and Haku to see if distance impacts our bond but fortunately it does not. What instead does affect it is me going to a Dungeon. Haku heard me all the way to Tevinter but one step into the pseudo Caribbean, and we could not communicate. Since then I kept the visits to my training grounds short and I always leave at least one Servant behind. Similarly, I also have either Haku or Margit keeping an eye on Ostagar when I go to my shiny new workshop at Skyhold. Ok, not shiny, it's a smithy, but you get my drift.

I also set up an engineering corner though I kept most of the materials in Inventory. After all, those materials are precious and impossible to find here in this approximately medieval/renaissance time. Naturally I stash my prototypes as well, like right now I'm intermittently working on that under-water kit to finish up the pirate dungeon so that I can take a peek at the elven one. Yep, I promised myself only one dungeon at a time. That also means my new level 30 dungeon is off-limits for now, though I am very tempted. The elven dungeon is the same, there I'm tempted even more.

Pirates are almost done though, even though I have not set foot in the underwater part. After all I already defeated the boss (probably one of two) and two sub-bosses. The Kraken had a stepbrother in the form of Leviathan, but as tough as he was, he went down just as the kraken did. Via the wonders of modern armaments. It almost felt like cheating, but fuck it, the dungeon nerfed me via the Flying Dutchman. Which one day I'll bring down too, just watch me.

Anyway, by killing the two legendary sea monsters I apparently completed a hidden quest which not only gave me Credits, sweet sweet Credits, but also a new Title - 'Monster Hunter'. It's a pretty neat Title actually, it raises all my Stats when against legendary monsters. Not sure against which it precisely applies but I'm sure it will be pretty evident. The other aspect of the Title is much more mundane in its use, brilliant though – it boosts positive Rep gains. As such I'm having this Title on when not in battle.

Killing the Leviathan also yielded the same reward as his brother – gacha and a one-time summoning. The summoning scroll went into my Inventory and the gacha has rolled me a new armor set, [Auditores' Armor]. Being taken from Assassin's Creed it has some impressive boosts, mostly centered around stealth and a rogue build, and I look very good in it. It's now my go-to disguise for touring Thedas' cities.

Aside the two beasts I also managed to find Blackbeard, the Dungeon's boss. Compared to the two sub-bosses he was disappointingly easy. The exp he gave me was lackluster too but then again, he was no Leviathan. His drops though, now that's when it got interesting. I got a ship. A summon ship. It's a spell and not a scroll so I have a ride whenever I want, which is pretty cool and might come in handy. I already tried it and it's way better than the ship the Dungeon gave me to go around inside. And amusingly enough, both ships have my new flag now as default.

Aside the spell I also got a crate of rum bottles, clearly System was amusing itself, and a flintlock pistol. At first I scoffed but [Observe] told me a very interesting thing about the pistol – for some reason it's apparently 'super-effective' against casters. I still have to test that but I don't have my hopes up about it hurting the likes of Flemeth. Still, nice thing to have I suppose. Jury's still out on that.

The last reward was the customary gacha, so far I got one out of every boss. The pull was pretty brilliant and it felt kind of appropriate – a Pet Stone. Yep, I have a familiar now. It's no dragon but I can summon that so no hard feelings. No, it's a snowy owl I couldn't resist but name Hedwig. She's adorable. And beside her cuteness she can enter stealth, do some auditory illusions attacks and communicate telepathically with other people, though she's really choosy about the last one. Makes for a great messenger. And it really jives with the Lady of the Skies thing. My bet is it won't take long for her being practically revered by my Avvar.

And have I mentioned she's adorable? Because she is. All white and fluffy and… Ok, she can be cranky too, I think the name Hedwig is really spot on. But she's cute enough to get away with it.

Pirate land has been really good to me reward-wise so I can't wait to go diving. Despite that want my kit is not ready yet, mostly because I finally made contact with some dwarven merchants and managed to buy some raw lyrium on the slide. Yes, I know these guys are Carta but I think a good working relationship with the underworld is important.

That lyrium brought back my focus to enchanting and blacksmithing. I'm almost done with steel, looking forward to the level 3 materials. They are a lot of them in Thedas, practically any ore that is not one I know from the periodic table. Steel, gold, and bronze for some weird reason, all those are level 2 but local things like drakestone, paragon's luster and veridium are level 3.

Aside from the new materials I have progressed with the forging methods. Without needing to unlock it I got the Damascus steel method by maxing level 1. It really surprised me that I got it for free but it's not like it is a massive improvement to my woks. It's better sure, but not by that much. Plus it won't work on any of the exotic materials, the description was quite clear on that. Still, the parameters are better forged this way and the distinctive ripples are very cool indeed. I already stated distributing Damascus-steel daggers and spear-tips to my people and they noted the difference immediately. In a very amusing turn of events they started calling it Sky-Steel as I apparently learned the method directly by the gods.

Naturally I didn't say anything to disprove it.

Besides, I can't wait to see what they'll call Valyrian Steel. No, I don't have it yet but my experiments with dragon fire make me feel like I'm really close. There is some magic involved, probably even blood. Get it, fire and blood? I just have to find the right combination and the Game will do the rest. I hope. So far System has always pulled through for me.

But apparently some other day. Today I yet again failed at replicating the Valyrian-style forging so I decide to take a rest and let my HP regenerate. Yes, I have used my own blood since I doubt the blood from some peasant from BokuHero I keep in a jar will do the trick. For that reason I also dispel the dragon I summoned. Pity I can't really make the dragon smaller, already the Skyhold's courtyard is a tight fit and it doesn't help the dragon's temper. Fortunately being a summon and all it is very obedient but still, no need for animal cruelty.

Instead of continuing my slow grind to maxing the Skills I decide to pick back up a project I work on and off on. A sword that would move by its own, directed by my thoughts or according to the standing orders I give it. Orders like 'protect me' or 'attack that target' or more minute work if I manipulated it personally. I think it's a really cool concept and it would essentially give me another summon. At least that's the thought, I'm far from getting it into practice. So far the only thing I determined is that it needs to be an enchantment rather than a spell.

Speaking of enchantment, maybe the autistic dwarf could help me? Sandal, was it? Something to consider.

'Fia-sama' comes through the mental link, interrupting my work before it can really begin.

'Yes' I sigh, containing my annoyance.

'I have found Marian and Bethany Hawke'

I lower my hammer, my thoughts leaving blacksmithing behind. I hum and decided to stall a little 'What are they doing?'

'Smuggling'

'Ah'

Smuggling or mercenary work, it doesn't really matter which, I'm merely curious. But I did pick the Aethenril route more often than not. But that's not the issue, the issue is very much Flemeth. After all, in the game Hawke got that horcrux amulet from the witch in the prologue but doesn't release her until the DA II properly starts. Ergo, Hawke is currently in possession of a piece of Mythal's soul. I have precisely zero doubts that this isn't Flemeth's only failsafe but it should give me a leg up on my elven godship. I want my divinity and I want to complete my new world quest.

That's the good part, the bad part is that stealing that amulet, and doing something to it, will unequivocally make myself an enemy of Flemeth/Mythal. And I'm not really ready for that – I can kill her body, I think, but her soul? Plus she's cunning and quite an adversary to have.

'Fia-sama? My orders?'

In canon Hawke didn't fulfill her part of the bargain until the start of the Dragon Age II proper, and we are still in prologue right now… I do have time to come up with some more firm countermeasures and steal the amulet later. But…

Fuck it. I'm taking it. I am a cautious individual, I like to think, but there is something as overcautious.

'Haku? Take it. The amulet we spoke about, it should be easy to recognize. But if anything weird happens as you take it or carry it to me, drop it and flee'

'Hai, Fia-sama. Only the Hawke mother is home right now, I shall look for the amulet there. Though if the elder sister carries it with her, it will take a little more time'

I nod though the Mist nin can't see me 'Just be careful.'

'As you command'

I feel the communication end and our bond is calm again. Boy, I really hope everything goes well. The amulet, or rather the soul inside, shouldn't really notice or feel anything. Sure, it might have some security measures on but Haku is both strong and smart, he can withstand plenty and if worse comes to worst, he can abandon the mission.

And after… Well, Inventory should keep the anchor from doing anything weird, right? I shouldn't be even detectable should Flemeth, revived by some other method, came around, right?

I snort and put away all my tools, time to go back to wards and enchanting, I need that thing contained at all costs. And/or leech it of its power, fast.

Mokuton wood is a given for a container, it has nature chakra absorbing properties. Hmmm…

X

Ninja speed and a flight attachment to Haku's rogue armor gave me only a so much time to come up with something for the horcrux but I think I'm satisfied. For now.

I focused on containment rather than absorption, that can only be done after I [Observe] the shit out of that amulet and probably some experimenting. After all, I don't want to get possessed by a millennium old elven slaver queen with a chip on her shoulder. Even though I kinda like her as Flemeth, though that might be the resemblance to Captain Jeneway talking. Still, she's a quest now and my path to divinity, so she's going down. And the Dread Wolf is next. Never liked Solas even before her revealed himself to be an enemy.

The slight tug at the bond lets me know that Haku is inbound and I can't help but feel anticipation. I have chosen Skyhold for this, my new workshop. I don't think anything will go badly, after all this is only a small piece of Flemeth's souls (I think) but I'm not willing to risk my city. Especially now that my people have come together so well.

The creation of our new nation has gone down exceedingly well – the Avvar were never just one people, but many tribes, tribes that proudly claimed Alamarri heritage and the Chasind were much the same. With me, and the new Dominion, subscribing to their shared customs and religious basis, both warriors and civilians alike declared themselves Almarri without any qualms and with chests puffed out with pride. It was the will of the gods after all. The new elven community had no real ties to Ferelden despite having been born and raised is the capital city – they knew they were different and humans had never let them forget it. The foreign elves conformed without much difficulty as well. Here they were still 'lowlanders' but as their near-enslavement still fresh in memory, they sought to help and my budding nation responded to that with quite a lot of positivity.

Sure, I had to knock some heads together and kick some assess, but now everybody is welcoming. Or if they weren't they stayed quiet about it. I also helped that the formerly Denerim elves were rather flexible faith-wise. The Chantry had done nothing for them and once they saw that the mages here were in control, no demons roaming the streets and all, they were quite neutral towards religion. Oh, they did invoke the Creators in exclamations or curses but that was only sporadic and largely reflexive, that too though has begun to taper off. Shianni and some of the elders were surprisingly on board with integration rather than maintaining a separate community, something I fully approved of and encouraged with some Mind Maging. The elves were not that numerous and I have taken my time to peek in each of their minds – I don't want any spies or disruptive elements here, plus this bunch will be setting the benchmark for all other elves who might come.

And they will come. There is actually a small procession of refugees coming my way, almost a hundred strong. Mostly humans but a good chunk of elves joined too. All these people are desperate – they fled from darkspawn but weren't accepted anywhere to stay as resources were tight. With winter here, they threw caution to the wind and went south where rumor said there was a chance of being welcomed.

Naturally I sent a platoon to intercept them and escort them here, that will cement me as their savior in their minds. They in turn might help me with other human Fereldans. Though I have to say, I expected more push-back from said humans. Not lately though – our decisive victories over darkspawn and fair treatment have bought us a lot of goodwill and I got rid of much suspicion via my influence trees. Yes, they work. To my utmost jubilation. I already went on a planting spree all over Ferelden. When I make my move in the spring, the common people will be mostly amenable as long as I'm careful.

Speaking of careful…

"I have completed my mission, Fia-sama" Haku phases into visibility before me, presenting a small bundle of cloth to me.

I smile at my Servant, glad to see him alright, in full possession of his faculties and with no elven god playing around in his head or body. At least [Observe] says he's clean and his thought patterns seem normal. "Thank you, Haku, you have done well. Please put it on the table over here" I indicate the place I cleared up in preparation.

Haku nods and obliges, unwrapping the amulet and stepping to the side.

First move is always [Observe].

As expected it is a finely crafted amulet of elven make and it indeed serves as a soul anchor for Flemeth/Mythal. From what I remember form the lore, Flemeth and Mythal had been separate beings once upon a time but have long since merged, System seems to be using their names interchangeably also. The amulet before me speaks of Mythal but I know precisely who is hiding inside. Or sleeping inside more like, there is no indication the amulet can interact with its surroundings. Well, right now, it might change once I use magic around it. But… now having Observed it and thinking on it, I believe Flemeth simply relies on the fact that sooner or later the amulet would make its way into Dalish hands who would recognize its significance and do the appropriate ritual that will release her. Besides, this is just a fragment, a contingency plan at best if not plan D or further.

Still, I can use this. The amulet has a mana bar, a vast one too. Nothing compared to me but damn respectable for only a piece of a soul. Surely bringing it to zero, draining it, should destroy it and power me up…

But first, containment. Let's see if it stays inert.

Under Haku's curious gaze I use mokuton limbs to pick up the amulet and put it in a small similarly-made box, one I prepared beforehand and warded heavily. Mythal did nothing. Once more without touching the thing directly I close the box and complete the circuit to make the wards active.

I wait, heart beating fast in both nerves and anticipation. Metaphorically though, Gamer's Body and Mind do work. Still, Mythal once more does nothing. I felt the urge to pop some champagne I keep in Inventory but that is quickly smothered – a small victory so far, there is still more to do.

This time I use my bare hands and put the warded box into another, bigger and with different wards – those mostly against the outside rather than the inside. With only a little pause to check I plopped the entire thing in my Inventory.

Nothing happens. It is almost anticlimactic but reassuring all the same. Haku waited those few minutes with me and didn't even raise an eyebrow. Good man.

Well, looks like containment works. Phase two.

The box went back out of Inventory and I once more unpack it. I open the lid to peer at the amulet inside and once more nothing happens.

Ok, I'm beginning to feel a bit like an idiot, but better be safe than sorry.

Leaving the soul anchor in the box I reach towards it with a different type of mokuton-made wood, this one exactly opposite in nature than the one before. This one is meant to conduct and drain. It's much more involved than that but now that it's a named Skill so it doesn't really matter, what matters is the result.

Mana starts trickling. The amulet's Mana bar lessens by the smallest amount but no violent reaction follows. I feel the Mana pour into me, quickly topping me from the small expenditure from the mokuton and then simply dispersing. Still, I feel the flow and it goes through me, leaving a peculiar buzzing sensation. Nothing harmful though. Dare I say it?

"Is it working, Fia-sama?" Haku asks.

"So far" I hum, still alert on any changes, "Do you feel the flow?"

"I can feel the chakra, but it is very muted"

"Settle for a long wait then, the Skill is new and it goes very slow. But nothing is amiss. At least no irate white-haired witch has come knocking"

"Hopefully that will remain the case" the hunter-nin smiles softly. He falls into a pensive silence which he breaks a moment later "Though I am unsure why she necessitates such weariness."

I hum, carefully maintaining the drain "Well, she is no Hashirama or Madara, that is true. I actually know little about her ability but she is wily and damn near immortal. I'd rather take her down in one blow and catch her by surprise than letting her plan against me."

"I see"

"It would also be good to talk about her with Morrigan and to read her grimoire, gain more information on her" I continue, "Defeating her in combat should be easy given how the warden party managed, though I think she took a dive on that one. She did need them alive, both the wardens and her daughter. Though she could've probably killed some of their companions… Hm, I don't think we'll ever know the truth on that. Still, she was defeated but she is far from eliminated. And my intention is exactly that, eliminate her."

That is what the Quest says exactly after all. And I'd rather have her off the board too. The Dragon Age games made her out as a mysterious figure so there is not that much information on her, that makes her dangerously unpredictable. Not something I want to have at my back when I'm trying to conquer Thedas. Plus I am definitely getting some power out of this.

Eventually. I sigh and settle down for the moment – if anything were to happen it would've happened already, or right before that Mana bar hits zero. And that is some time off.

So we wait, and wait. Wait until even the sun gets tired enough to set.

My draining Skill just pings the notification about leveling to 38 when the amulet, mana just falling under five digits, starts to shudder suspiciously. I don't pause the drain but I'm suddenly doubly alert, ready to respond to whatever comes. I feel Haku shift beside me as well, he too ready to fight.

The shuddering doesn't stop but nothing else outwardly happens either – the amulet though starts rapidly regenerating mana, sucking it from the surroundings. Me, Haku and Skyhold included.

Well, that's inconvenient. I'm missing a couple of Skill levels to outpace the regeneration so it looks like I have to bring something else to bear. Not that it isn't easy, warding has already proven just how useful it is in this world. In this instance I just have to erect a ward I already perfected – a MP regen block if I put it in Game terms. This one I devised against Flemeth, or any other powerful spellcaster, the only problem is that it blocks my own regeneration too if I'm within the perimeter. Which right now I am not. So I get to watch the amulet shudder helplessly and wait for anything more malicious to happen.

It does not. It might've should the amulet manage to get enough mana but I think it was just meant to be 'indestructible'. Which is not. I grin when the bar finally hits zero.

You have absorbed a shard of Mythal's soul!

Perk [Mythal's Boon I] received!

I finally relax, taking the notification as a sign that there is nothing to fear from the amulet now. Observe also denotes it as an empty trinket and nothing more. Still, I chuck it into Inventory as well as my containment equipment, making Haku relax as well.

Next up is the new Perk I received. I'm actually surprised about that, I have been expecting a quest update or nothing at all. But this is good, I like rewards. Plus this reward is clearly upgradable, presumably by absorbing Mythal's soul in full. Still, even tier 1 is not bad at all as it boosts to all defensive actions by 10 %. I imagine the term defensive actions to be rather broad, from my favorite [Barrier] to my passive boosts. Still, that has to be tested but it is a good upgrade no matter how far it reaches and it jives with the Mythal the Protector aspect.

Hmm… will the next boons continue the same aspect? Because Mythal also has also the love aspect, the motherhood aspect, the justice and vengeance aspect. Guess I'll see. Right now I'm just glad the motherhood aspect didn't show…

"Well, excitement over" I smirk at Haku who is far too polite to roll his eyes at me.

"Yes, Fia-sama. Should I return to Ostagar?"

I hum, looking around my workshop "I'll come with you, I'm not really in the mood for any work right now."

Yeah, I think I'm actually going to take a nap. Maybe summon Wolfy to snuggle, the weather is getting rather chilly and he's the best pillow ever. Plus I have missed him, far too busy with things and flying high up in battles and dungeons. Hm, maybe I should take a peek at that new 'regular' dungeon I got at level 30 after all, see if I can't take him there. We do need some quality time together slaughtering monsters.

But that is for tomorrow. Today is for snuggles.

---

The majority of my newly named Alamarri is of the loud, active boisterous sort, that is no secret. Many are rather eager for battle, both with the Fereldans and the darkspawn, or any other force for that matter. And I did promise them conquest, so the lull in the fighting is making my warriors a bit restless. Oh sure, Rila kept them training a lot but it isn't the same. Once I build a fortress near the Brecilian passage, just in case Loghain's native Gwaren causes any trouble, I think I might send the army to Edgehall Arling. It's pretty empty anyway, close to the Frostbacks and ravaged by darkspawn.

That sounds like a plan but it's still a few weeks off. In the meantime though I have come up with the perfect idea on how to occupy my adorably bloodthirsty and devoted followers – sports. Well, sport. Singular. The rest are more like common competitions of a more warrior nature – archery, duels, throwing, stuff like that. Ja'La dh Jin is a sport though – taken from the Sword of Truth book series it is appropriately violent and competitive both with really easy rules and minimal equipment. The author has clearly taken inspiration from some Earth sports but here in Thedas it was very novel. Basically you have a ball, called a broc but whatever, that is really heavy because why not, and the aim of the game is to score as many points as possible by getting said ball to a goal. Only one player, the 'point man', is allowed to score though and the rest of the team is there to protect him from the inevitable assault of their adversaries. Since the teams take turns attacking and defending after a certain amount of time has passed, you have the entirety of the team after one man and that makes for a very violent game. Especially since there are not too many other rules in play – sure there are some things like one-point scoring and two-point scoring, but no 'fouls' aside from not being able to play in armor or with weapons of any kind. Here I did step in and forbidden killing and crippling blows that the original Ja'La not only allowed but celebrated. Speaking of celebration, the new sport was also heavily appreciated by many civilian women as it involves a bunch of pretty buff dudes running around bare-chested tackling each other and sometimes beating each other up as well as performing some impressive evasions and sometimes even acrobatics.

To say my people welcomed the challenge and distraction of Ja'La would be an understatement. We already have a fanbase and several teams, though I had to fiddle with the second one a little – I didn't want any purely Avvar or purely Chasind or purely anything teams springing up and dividing what I have just brought together. So now we have teams according to the army placement more often than not – the scout team is a favorite of mine, having crushed the vanguard team in a surprising turns of events. Several people who mostly serve as cooks banded together too, making a pretty good team to the amazement of the more warrior teams. All in all pretty fun. It isn't really a game of finesse but more brute force with a decent dose of strategy but that only makes it more popular among my barbarians.

Though not only them, as punctuated by Shianni sitting in the 'stands' with me, watching some of her own elves trying to prove that speed is superior to strength as part of the archers' team.

"You should stop scowling, you'll get wrinkles" I smirk at the red-headed elf, deliberately annoying her.

Shianni growls "Chosen or not, you can fuck right off."

"How hurtful, here I was concerned about your fair face" I continue in the same tone.

"Can you not? I'm watching the game here"

"Why the sudden interest in Ja'la?"

"Since I really want to see someone punched in the face. And balls. Or kicked, I'm not picky"

"Why the sudden interest in violence?"

"Since that muscle-bound moron," pause to point out which one of the players exactly, "has apparently been going around talking about me"

I peer at the Chasind in question and try to contain my frown and thunderous expression – Shianni is not a random nobody, she's both a named character indispensable to me. And her paperwork skills are surprisingly beyond excellent. "In what way?"

"How I'm going to fall into his arms and his bed. Apparently, he is quite irresistible to women" the elf says dryly.

"Him?" my eyebrows damn near jump off my face. Yuck. Aaand somehow I focused on his looks rather than the fact my friend that is a rape victim might feel. That won't do.

Shianni snorted "You don't agree?"

"I don't" I say seriously, "Just say the word and he can have an accident of some sort. Or I can simply tell Rila to send him the most distant border we have."

The red-head looks taken aback, opening her mouth but closing it in short order. Then her head cocks to the side and her face takes on a contemplative look "You know what, the border thing sounds nice. It's just words, and the Chasind don't have any aggressive tradition some of your people have, but if you're offering to make him go away… Well, I'm sure a braggart like himself might appreciate getting some glory fighting against darkspawn or something."

I nod while activating my [Telepathy]. The vastness of the feeling of relief startles me but I soon settle and peer into the guilt and appreciation. Guilt because the man was just being exactly that – a man. An arrogant macho man who likes to brag, but so far nothing more. Still, the thought of sending him away caused that wave of relief. The appreciation was for me, that I would do something slightly unreasonable just because she was uncomfortable. That I had her back and didn't even ask anything for in return. That I was a friend, someone she could perhaps could rely and someone who held actual power. After her previous experiences with leaders, this was having a big impact.

Then a twinge of disgust appeared, Shianni directing it at herself most of all. That she is still not past what happened. That she is weak.

Which of course is nonsense. But how do I get that across? Boy, I really need some therapists for my kingdom. I'm kinda useless at this stuff. Well, at least my idea of sending the muscly idiot away is truly well received.

I nod again "I'll arrange it then."

"Thank you" Shianni murmur is accompanied with a twinge of shame, the same reasons as before apply.

I say nothing more, letting our attention to be consumed by the game.

"So, about the north" ever the workaholic Shianni speaks up again.

"Nope, you wanted to enjoy the game, so let's not bring work in here.

"That might be but…"

"Sky-Chosen" a different voice interrupts. I would be happy to be saved from work but it appears that I was saved by yet more work.

"Yes, Alana?" I sigh, relying on Observe to supply me with the name. Sure, I know the girl, but more like 'Margit's pseudo-apprentice' or 'the girl whose Blight-infected

father I killed back in Blood Mist'. Speaking of Blood Mist I need to make another stop there soon, I upgraded it to weekly visits after the Alamarri Dominion got founded.

Shianni beside me frowns, not ecstatic about the interruption either. Alana doesn't let it bother her and salutes, a full-on Earth military salute, something she no doubt picked up from Margit "The Commandant asks if you could stop by for the armor fitting."

I cast a glance at the players of the field and then to Shianni. Finally I nod "I guess I have the time now. I apologize Shianni, we can discuss the matter of the north another time, when there is some actual progress."

"We have a meeting about it in three days" the elf arches an eyebrow pointedly, "Can I expect any such progress?"

"So demanding" I smirk, "I will stop by our dear Banns and Arl Bryland tomorrow. We'll see about Anora after that."

"Try not to drool over Alfastanna too much"

"Don't worry, you are just as pretty"

Shianni rolls her eyes so strongly I have a genuine fear of them falling out of her skull.

Young Alana tries very hard to appear stoic, failing by shifting awkwardly. I chuckle at both women and stand up, shaking off the snowflakes that accumulated on my cloak "Let's go then. Is there any trouble with the armor?"

I sure hope not, the four sets of gear I forged for the nascent special ops and Margit's own squad, were pretty masterful. And by that I mean that I have hit level 50 in Blacksmith, though I have still a way to go Skill-wise. I'm some levels short on finishing up level 3 materials and forging but my work is already great enough to outfit the four. I'm continuing with the Skills and I'll probably outfit them again at one point, but right now it's good enough for them. After all, they are only third in line for gear – I'm priority one and my Servants are two, the yet-to-be-named squad is that aforementioned three and the rest is my general forces. I don't think I'll ever do anything special for the army grunts but I guess I can reward my officers and some who distinguish themselves in some manner. It would actually make for a great reward, better than any medal.

Still, being a blacksmith means I need to collaborate some regarding leather and some assembly. Especially concerning light armor. I hope to mitigate some of this by progressing in the smith tree and lightening the gear weight even further but it will still be worth it to learn it as well. I also did get the appropriate Skills but haven't had the time or the mood to progress them. Leather-working and tailoring can wait.

Especially now that I managed to crack that Valyrian-style forging, fucking finally. It's really low level right now but that will grow as soon as I can get another grinding session in. Can't wait. Still, having maxed Blacksmith it was time to get another Class, though smithing is still a priority.

Being it a placeholder Class in a sense, I chose the second level of Sky-Chosen. I have an eye on Alchemist but since I'm not done with one production Class, it seemed silly starting another. Also, with that conquest of Ferelden slowly coming together, it seemed like the best option to get all the benefits from it. I was also tempted with some mage options but Sky-Chosen it is.

The new Class is called the same but being it a level II, but it's even better. Like before it gave me a point each in INT, VIT and LCK plus a +2 CHA at every class level, now though I get the same but the INT gives two points. Already the Sky-Chosen was a massive boon to my Stats, now it is even more so, especially since INT is a priority for me. I'm not sure what level is max now, but I'm still going to get a shitload of Stats.

Skill-wise though, I get nothing new. After all, this is return Class. Instead I get an Item - [Halo]. I can put it on and off and it's a legit looking halo. It doesn't really do anything though, it's just cosmetic. And it apparently does not occupy 'helmet' space as it goes above it. Cool prop I guess… Would've liked even more Stats instead, or a cool spell, but ok.

Choosing Sky-Chosen again did unlock an Achievement though, but nothing overly exciting. For taking a 'return class' I got a few Credits. Guess the Class itself is the reward. Which it is, don't get me wrong.

Still, outside of a fight I'll be still leveling my Blacksmith Skills. For one, I'm a completionist, and for two, it is great fun. And hella useful.

"Your gear is excellent. The Commandant will explain"

I am definitely curious what the matter is. As I said, my gear is not perfect but damn impressive and the best I can currently do. And it's just four sets, Alana's included and she seems ok with hers. Margit has more people she trains personally, some twenty warriors she considers better than the rest, but these four she chose for her personal squad. That made them elite, hence my armor – they better be grateful for it.

I also sincerely hope Haku manages to find some people for his own squad as well but so far no luck. He trains with the scouts but no special spy/assassin force has sprung up. Ah well, when, not if - when, I get Leliana on board, it will be a good start. She might make a better spymaster actually, I know Haku would prefer being a solo agent. Well, eventually. The game did not give much away about the ten year gap between Origins and Inquisition that forged Leliana into that harsh Left Hand of the Divine. We'll see how it goes.

Alana finally leads me towards the smaller courtyard Margit claimed for her own training, as well as the training of those she found worthy. The young Avvar girl falls into the line, presenting all five squad members to me. Hm, maybe they could be Pack or something? Margit being the Hound and all… Food for thought.

"My lady" Margit salutes, her underlings following her with a snap.

I nod at the group but focus on the red-head "I hear that there's a problem with the armor?"

"Not precisely, my lady" Margit shakes her head, "We already put the gear through several stress-test and it holds up beautifully. The only issue is that since it is custom-made for us as individuals, it feels a bit disjointed squad-wise. Not uniform."

I raise an eyebrow and look the group over "Looks good to me, especially since you took the initiative to give them matching cloaks to yours."

The Servant smiles proudly at the compliment but continues with a small shrug "Actually, Jall here really hates the cloak but I think he can learn to live with it."

"I feel like a pussy" said Jall, the easily biggest member of the group both in height and width complete with massive warhammer, grumbles sotto voce while tugging at said cloak.

"That's the pink face paint you slapped on" a much smaller Chasind woman snorts, inspecting her bow in a bored manner to needle the man further.

"It's red! Not. pink."

"Pale red" a different member, a surprisingly sturdy elf chimes in.

As the group starts arguing, the fourth member still utterly silent and looking placidly at the proceedings, I eye Margit. The Servant is clearly torn between embarrassment and fury. Though to be fair, I expected something more disciplined out of her squad.

Margit's temper bubbles over and I make a show of looking elsewhere when she gets her people back under control. With some yelling and many threats. And punishments. Only when the four despondently jog to the side to do push-ups or something, I return my gaze to Margit.

The red-faced red-head, those things clashing terribly but making her look rather adorable, straightens her back to stand at attention again "I apologize, I thought we were further along. Perhaps we can discuss symbols of unity some other time."

"Mayhaps you can start with a name" I shrug, "Also, while I do like the cloaks, let them fight without them if they prefer. I want them to be the best, you can hardly do that if you're uncomfortable."

"We'll see" Margit frowns, clearly disagreeing but refusing to voice it, "Again, I do apologize for their unprofessional behaviors. It will be rectified. I'm sorry to have bothered you for nothing."

I smirk "You can make it up to me tonight but it's not like I was doing anything particularly productive. Just… networking. Yes, let's call it networking."

Margit arched an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Ah well" I shrug, "Since you don't need me and I already made my excuses to Shianni, I might as well go for a dive."

"The pirate dungeon?"

"Yes, I think I might finish it today. Maybe do some sunbathing afterwards. I don't have any underwater gear for you but I can leave you at the beach to catch some sunshine, I know you love that"

Margit is clearly torn but her sense of duty ultimately wins "Unfortunately I cannot, I have work to do here. A lot of work." That last part is said darkly and with a pointed glare at the lightly sweating foursome in the corner.

With a shrug and a wave I walk away from the courtyard and make my way to the keep proper. I decided against porting in my room in favor of actually walking there, showing my face around. It's a habit I got into lately after I very very belatedly noted that the main keep actually has servants now. To my defense though, no Avvar or Chasind would consider being a servant but our population now numbers many classic Fereldans – many tend to new fields and stuff, other ply their trade, but there are some that have no real marketable skills so they gravitated into the servant role. They were probably doing something similar before so it was an easy fit. I still wonder who actually let them in, who is managing them and who's paying them. Probably Haku or someone he directed… Boy, I really have to start taking more of an interest in matters other than military and my personal growth.

But that is for tomorrow – right now it is all about that personal growth. The pirates fear me already but the mermen and critters living underwater have barely met me yet. Fun fact – 'underwater' is the high level area the dungeon warned me about. Not that I have any trouble or anything, but it is harder and the gains are better. Though most of that harder part is that fighting underwater is really different. Good news is that whatever happens 'below' does not trigger the Dutchman, so ya, magic is a go. Bad news, merpeople are actually pretty magic-resistant. This is really a magic-hating dungeon, but sure, I can deal with that. In the end I took the [Impaling Spear] out of my Inventory and used it as a harpoon. It's pretty fun actually.

A little less fun is the fact I have to take off my armor – I just finished my new set, I didn't even tested it properly and I'm already taking it off. It's a nice set, built for both aesthetic and function. A deep indigo and impressive plate for the first, my top smithing, enchanting and hidden engineer elements for the second. I'm quite proud of it. Scratch that, very proud. I also really like that I managed it to be in the blue spectrum, to match our new Alamarri colors, though that was a little coincidental. I simply worked with stormheart and nevarrite, both of which I stole from a smith near the capital. I expected something lighter in color but I'm eminently satisfied as it is. But I did keep the bear cloak, the enchantments on it making it as tough as any normal armor. Plus it's pretty. And warm. And it fits my Avvar aesthetic. In short I love it, but I'm already working on furthering my craft. Gotta love Skill trees.

I semi-reluctantly get into my diving gear. It offers far less protection that I would like, I'm pretty spoiled in that area these days, but it's still enough for to kill of Ariel and her posse.

Not that there is an Ariel, I think, but there is an Atlantis and there is a king residing there. So far I mostly dealt with normal soldiers and only a few 'royal guardsmen'. Those have not just the classic tridents but magic as well. Not that regular mermen are easy – they have shark-like pets and those pack a wallop especially since I can't really use [Barrier] to its fullest potential with water pressing on it non-stop and draining my Mana. Also insta-kills by snapping their neck or stopping their heart are negated by their magic resistance and their 'water area bonus'. A bit stupid if you ask me, it's not like the merpeople could actually function out of said water.

Anyway, after entering the dungeon I find myself on the deck of my ship as always. In preparation for the final push and the final boss (I'm guessing but it makes sense) I parked on the edges of merpeople territory so I won't have to lose time by finding it again. Now it is only a matter of securing my gear tight and dive into the water, spear in hand.

After marveling at the view through the clear water, truly a spectacle no matter how many times I see it, I head straight towards the palace.

Grunts, guards, pets and beast try to impede my progress, getting more and more numerous and strong as I near the heart of their kingdom. The palace is surrounded by a small city but this is a dungeon so no civilians, only enemies with tridents in hand. Subsequently the houses are empty, devoid of any real loot. Sad face.

While my Greed in not sated, Battlelust is. I still vastly prefer fighting on land but this is still a novelty so I don't mind it but I'm pretty sure that as soon as I get my reward from the boss I won't be coming back. Or at least underwater, this dungeon and its soft beaches and warm sun will definitely remain a pleasurable holiday destination.

And the Flying Dutchman, can't forget that blasted ship. I swear, I will take it down one day. I think I could get it down with a bomb barrage or something but I'll leave that for later. Mainly because while I do have lots of Engineering materials in my Inventory, I need it and I don't have a means to get more at this time. Sure, I'm getting [Flashback Jumper] as soon as I'll feel the need to return somewhere but getting crafting materials ain't it.

Another royal guard merwoman pollutes the water with her blood, making it harder to see. Because of that I almost miss another type of troop that attacks me now that I have crossed into the palace… gardens?

It's seaweed but I think it counts…

Hey, would Mokuton work on them? Or on sea flora in general? I already know that Wood Release is a misnomer since it works on plants, not wood, but I haven't tried it underwater. Might as well.

The 'merman tide-sage' fires another bolt of his magic but fails to hit me. Myself though direct these high and leafy? seaweed pillars towards him with much success. Panic on his mostly human face makes me smirk lightly as I watch him struggle. Despite blasting much of the green away from him, the weed manages to wrap itself around him. My experiment over, I kill the tide-sage with my spear rather than suffocate him, feeling merciful. For a given amount of merciful that is.

Exp from the tide-sage is actually pretty nice so I grin as more of his brethren approach me. Once again the gardens themselves help me but I have to switch back to my Impaling Spear once I get into the palace proper. The space is more confined, thus dangerous, but quite interesting – mermaid architecture, who would've thunk.

The palace is more a maze than anything else, forcing me to withstand wave after wave of enemies as I trudge through what feels like every single room.

When a new type of merman appears before me, I sigh in relief – if I'm getting the 'elite guardsmen' then I must be close to the throne room. Or wherever I'll find the boss. Somewhere suitably dramatic I hope.

The elites put up quite a fight actually and their magic resistance stops being fun. I have an impressive buffing routine before every delve and potential fight and this time it's really earning its worth. The little dastards chip at my HP but nothing dramatic. Still, it is far more than many managed. I actually have to be careful, nothing like those trash pirates above.

DEX has proven to be a very important Stat indeed, carrying me through a lot of the encounters, helping me overcome the heavy handicap water gives me. And then finally, finally, I get to that throne room and see the boss. And Observe him.

Facepalming while under water is hard but I manage –the boss is King Triton and he does fucking look like the father from Little Mermaid. Not the mythological Triton, but very much the Disney version form Ariel.

Ok, he's less… bright and sparkly, but the same dude all the same. System really has a sick sense of humor.

Well, it's settled, no way I'm getting my ass kicked by any character form fucking Ariel. He, and his elite guard posse he has around him, are getting crushed.

Hopefully literally as I again resort to Mokuton that has proven very much effective before. Summoning some helpers is good too, the throne room is big enough for a few sharks of my own. I'd love to fry the mermen with fire or lightning but that is obviously a no go, magic resistance aside, but frost as crowd control works alright enough.

The guards have to go first. Triton is boosting them via sounding a conch shell and they really get in the way. I too boost my own helpers, using them both as a means of attack and a meat shield for any bursts of magic.

My long-time favorite [Enhanced Movement] fortunately works underwater exceptionally well, and just as dealing with the regular troops, it proves to be my main weapon. And defense.

The Impaling Spear is really proving its mettle here, its lengthening and shortening ability being nearly instant means that if I can corral some half-fish with mokuton or frost, the spear can finish them off quite cleanly. Much better than the wood or ice itself as that is still magic – piercing them with my constructs is damned hard and not worth it, and suffocating takes time. They're still the champ in crowd control though.

Fortunately the bodies of my summon animals disappear after their death otherwise the room would be really full. The mermen are not fucking around. But neither am I, I'm taking this one seriously. Even if I have to take them out one by one. Or in one really satisfying instance, two. Heh, fish skewers. Pity I couldn't easily replicate the feat – sure, I can hit two at once but usually the other one is not hit in a fatal spot and keeps coming.

Also, that bitch of a conch-shell also heals.

At least the number of minions does not seem infinite. Triton does call for reinforcements twice but his third call is not coming, despite me almost finishing up with his guards.

Damn I am glad I don't have a stamina bar or something similar, my Skills run solely on Mana and I have very decent regen. Before today I would've said good regen, but I am forced to reconsider. Fighting underwater really puts a cramp on my style. But I have to admit that it's good training, I can't simply spam spells like on the surface and bulldozer over everybody, here I need to be more… creative. And creative is always good, at least when that creativity is on your side and not the enemy's.

One of my stray 'shots' aims at Triton but he moves away with infuriating ease. His second to last minion is not so lucky but my mind is already on the boss himself.

The conch shell changes pitch.

Ok, that is never a good sign, what did it do? I don't have to wait around for an answer, a rather unpleasant and inhumane screech ripples through the water, making me wince. And swim really fast out of the way of the last merman who now gained a faint reddish aura around him as well as glowing red eyes. And also gained a bit of temper.

Some kind of berserker ability, I'm wagering. At least Triton himself is still content not to involve himself personally - provided that holds, I can focus only on the guard. Who is damn sight faster than before. Bugger.

Well, at least he's given up on magic and he's trying to kill me the old fashioned way, with his trident. He's a really quick bugger indeed and manages to score a fairly good hit on me, taking a chunk of HP with it, but to hit me he had to get close. And that means game over for him. During the motion of withdrawing his trident I retaliate with my spear, making a new hole where his brain is supposed to be.

The water briefly colors with greenish blood which makes me grin triumphantly. The grin quickly drops as I refocus all my attention on the king.

Triton finally puts away that blasted conch shell and instead he takes up a trident, this one far more decorated and powerful-looking than the ones his minions used. I Observe it.

King Triton's Trident

A powerful magical trident belonging to king Triton.

Highly informative. Really, thanks for nothing.

Triton slams the butt of the weapon onto the shiny stone ground, a faint boom echoing throughout the chamber. I'm ready to doge or defend but curiously my Spider Senses do not tell me from where should I be expecting the attack.

Suddenly the water pressure around me seems… heavier? More powerful. Nearly crushing. It dips into my HP so I use a burst of speed to try to get out. To my slight surprise it works, it seems the spell is affecting an area rather than a target. Good!

The trident slams again but this time I know what to do, I even have a time to attack as well, commanding mokuton once again.

Triton practically scoffs at it and with a mighty wave of his weapon he makes mincemeat of my constructs. Still, it did occupy his trident with it, giving me an opening. Frost magic has already proven deficient with dealing with him but I still use it to widen that opening, getting myself a clear shot at his chest. The head would've been better but what can you do.

My spear pierces with a very satisfying meaty smack but while it noticeably lowers the boss' health bar, he's far from dead.

Well, when you find a mechanic that works well against a boss you repeat it until he's dead. So this is exactly what I do. Now just to see if there are any more 'phases' to this boss, any evolutions or second-stages.

There are not. Though Triton does try to get me with more water magic. And let me tell you, water magic while under water? Deadly. But this is a dungeon at the end of the day so it is doable. If he was 'real', like Flemeth, I'd been crushed like a grape the moment I crossed into the room.

That is a frightening realization.

But fortunately triton isn't Flemeth. It takes time, but not much HP loss, and there. He's done for.

The cheerful bell-like sound announces that for a fact.

You have felled the boss Triton!

+ 10 000 gold, + 350 000 exp

Award: Item [Uplifting Shell], Item [Trident of Atlantis],[Companion Gem], [Gacha]

Dungeon complete!

+ 1000 credits, + 500.000 exp

Passing over the usual rewards I focus on the shell and the trident. The weapon I mentally dismiss outright – the Impaling Spear is a far better pole weapon and the trident would be worth it should I return underwater again. I don't think I'll ever use it. But fortunately the Inventory is bottomless. Thank System.

The shell is a better reward but nothing game-changing. It pretty much does what it did for the late king of Altantis, boosting allies. Though I get a far longer duration of the boost, a few hours compared to Triton's minutes. I'll have to see how it sounds on dry land but it could be a good addition to the buffs I give my army before battle. Maybe I could give the thing to Margit, if she can use it that is. Yes, I'll try that, it's compact enough to be carried around normally.

Anyway, COMPANION GEM! Ehm, I meant: companion gem. No need to shout, not even in the privacy of my own mind.

Ehem, ehem

The privacy of my own mind.

Whatever helps you sleep at night

Companion Gem. And gacha. Let's do the gacha first, dealing with a Servant can be lengthy.

But first…The dungeon shatters around me, returning me to my room in Ostagar. I quickly unequip my water gear and get into something more comfortable. And dry. In that vein I also get the fire roaring in my fireplace and upon further deliberation I start making myself tea. For two, hopefully my new Servant will be the civilized sort.

As I wait for the water to boil, no need for magic, I'm not in any rush, I set the gacha to spin.

Since I'm alone System does not send my new item into Inventory but right into my arms. In my surprise, and the rather impressive heftiness of the weapon, I have to scramble a little bit to keep hold of it. The moment passes and I roll my eyes at my invisible handler who is laughing at me.

Lifting the weapon to my eye-level, I admire with a smile blooming on my lips. The Black Widow sniper rifle is hands-down my favorite weapon of the entire Mass Effect triology. Gosh I loved that weapon – so easy to get a proper head-shot with its scope and an instakill, shield or no shield, barrier or no barrier. And if you somehow missed? You still got two more shots available to you. Simply the best.

But. I sigh and stash my favorite gun ever in my Inventory. But. Being in Dragon Age, it's useless to me. Ok, I could use it to assassinate someone but what would be the point of playing the game then? Besides, I do have that souped-up sniper rifle from BokuHero, that one is pretty awesome as well. Getting BokuHero enhancements onto the Widow would be a fun project but little else. I guess this weapon will have to wait for some more modern universe. One where they don't are any cool Skills to be stolen.

I also have that bullet creation Skill I stole from that cop back in hero land, that is more useful in a less futuristic weapon. If memory serves, mass effect guns work differently. Again, fun project figuring it out. I just have to be careful about not damaging it…

Briefly imagining splitting Solas' bald head open like a ripe melon from miles away makes me all fuzzy inside. Pity it wouldn't work in all probability. Like Flemeth, he too has some immortal deal going on. Worse, I don't know what precisely that deal is. Better keep him in a body I recognize.

Could I enchant the Widow with some kind on soul trap spell like in Elder scrolls? That… that would be quite a game-changer, wouldn't it? A fantastic idea, sometimes I surprise even myself. Definitely a project for my list. Somewhere up top I think.

My mind still on said project, I take the kettle from the fire, letting the water cool a little before I pour it on my already readied leaves. Hmm, this world does have a nice selection of tea too, maybe I could get Haku to go on another 'shopping' trip with me to get some. I have an entire tab in Inventory dedicated to it but I'm genuinely afraid of running out of it in some backwater universe that doesn't have it and somehow being prevented from jumping to get some more leaves. Yes, I definitely need to build up as massive a reserve as I can.

When my tea is done I pour myself a cup, inhaling the slightly spicy aroma. This one is a tea very liked in Antiva, I think. It's truly lovely. But I guess not the most important thing right now. It's time to summon.

As with Margit and Haku, when used the Companion Gem gets me the Catalyst which can subsequently summon the Servant. And this time I get a full-fledged katana as a catalyst. Another warrior-type Servant it seems.

I [Observe] the sword and my eyebrows shoot up. It is a name that I recognize, thankfully, but someone I don't know what to think about them. Karasuba, the Black Sekirei. My memories supply much more about her, as well as the ecchi harem anime/maga she comes from. To be honest I don't know that much about her, her not being of the main cast but rather an antagonist. Or maybe not antagonist precisely, but close enough. The author gave her some depth and important backstory but that's not really important right now, what is important is that she's a super powered alien, which looks exactly like human because of course, whose only purpose in life is to fight strong enemies. Sounds super Sayian? Yeah, no. She's something more borderline sociopatic. And it is debatable on which side of the border she's heading from.

Brilliant. I sigh. Well, she is strong, stronger than Haku and Margit I can safely wager, but will be definitely harder to control. And far less useful outside the field of battle. On the other hand she's not a goody-two-shoes that will have a problem with some of my more forceful methods. Still, I hope she won't be too much of a loose cannon and that I'll manage to keep her occupied either with spars or my dungeons.

Guess I'll see soon enough.

I select the 'use' option in Inventory and for the third time during my playthrough the Nasuverse summoning circle appears before me. And shortly after it is Karasuba that appears.

The anime Sekirei, where my newest Servant is from, is something I only saw once and pretty much on a whim so I have to admit I didn't remember exactly how the N. 04 looks like – I remembered she had ashen hair and wore a gray haori, that's pretty much it. Still, I am far from disappointed – like all sekirei, being from an ecchi anime and all, she is a true beauty.

As I [Observe] her, she observes me.

It is her who breaks the silence "So you're my new ashikabi."

Oh right. The 'master' of a sekirei. Wait, how did one bond with a sekirei? It was a thing in the anime but I can't really remember…

Karasuba shrugs "I guess you'll do."

I open my mouth to say something back but Karasuba instead decides to demonstrate all her DEX isn't just for show and abruptly grabs the front of my clothes to pull me towards her.

As the sekirei's tongue quite obscenely invades my mouth I feel something happening at my back. And Karasuba's too. A pair of ethereal wings forms for a long moment and then they disappear into motes of light.

Oh, right. That's how one bonds with a sekirei.

---

AN: More about Karasuba the next chapter. Those who want to google her though, feel free. Oh, and 'sekirei' is both the name of the race of all those alien girls and the anime/manga.

So much happening in winter, so much so that I had to split the chapter into two. Will be back to Origins canon by 'spring'.

Also, I have been asked to do a character sheet for Sofia, to keep track of stuff, but I have been surprisingly busy these past two weeks... I will try to get it done before the next chapter