Dragon Age: Revengeance
ACT I
Chapter 1
Hawke awoke in bed and stared up at the ceiling, blinking. Had it all been but a bad dream? Trapped in the Fade, single-handedly facing down the Nightmare demon to buy time for the others to escape … and yet here she was, in her bed at home in Kirkwall. She sat upright. It was her home in Kirkwall. Which was odd, as she hadn't set foot in the place since the Chantry had blown up, what with the whole mage uprising and all. She'd fled the city with Bethany that night, the Templars biting at their heels.
She got up out of bed, and was further surprised to find that she was dressed for combat. Armour, weapons, pouches stuffed with potions and bombs. Not exactly proper attire for a good night's rest. What was going on? Had she been dreaming? Everything felt very strange. Head filled with fog, Hawke stumbled over to her bedroom door and pushed it open. And then she gaped at what lay beyond.
It was the Fade. She hadn't been dreaming, it had all been real. There had been a battle, they had fallen through a rift and physically landed in the Fade itself. Beyond her bedroom door lay fragments of her home, drifting through a sea of sickly green light. Hawke stepped out and gazed around. Sure enough, the Black City hung above her, looming like a dark sun. It was closer than she'd ever seen it. Ominous didn't even begin to describe it.
"The Chantry teaches everyone that I once had my throne there," said a voice. "As if I ever needed a throne."
Hawke spun around, and was astonished to find herself face to face with her father, Malcolm Hawke. At least, it looked and sounded like him. The expression on his face however was not one she'd ever seen on her father, bordering on a sneer of disdain.
"Your instincts are correct, Hawke; I am not your father. I merely took this form to speak with you."
Hawke drew her blades. "And just what might you be? Some kind of demon?"
He vanished in a swirl of black energy, reappearing upon the floating chandelier above her with his arms crossed. "Perhaps. Though if I told you who I really am, I doubt very much you would believe me."
"Try me."
He smiled. "I'm the Maker."
Hawke scoffed. Then she laughed. "I knew demons were pretentious, but you're the first I've ever met with the ego to make such a grandiose claim. The Pride demons must be green with envy."
"Believe me or don't, I don't particularly care." He teleported again, appearing beside Hawke, whereupon he began to pace around her with his hands clasped behind his back. "All I ask is that you listen to what I have to say, and then decide for yourself what course to take."
Hawke sheathed her weapons with a sigh. "Since I'm trapped in this place, I suppose I have nothing better to do. So tell me, what does the great and powerful Maker want with little old me?"
He stopped pacing and fixed her with an unnerving stare. "I want you to destroy the Chantry."
Hawke stared back, trying to find the words to respond. Finally she cleared her throat. "Well. That wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Any special reason why?"
"Because everything it says is a lie. The Andrastian faith is nothing more than a tool, created by Emperor Drakon to justify his conquest and subjugation of Thedas. The Chantry has caused immeasurable suffering and death in my name. It's time it was stopped."
Hawke shrugged. "Then why don't you stop it? If you're the Maker as you claim, then surely it would be far easier for you than anyone else."
He leaned towards her, and Hawke had to resist the urge to pull away. "Do you know what I am?" he said.
"A demon with an overinflated sense of importance?" she offered.
"I am the Fade. The Fade is alive, Hawke, and I am its will given form. I am the Fade personified. That is what the Maker is." He finally leaned back. "The Chantry teaches that I turned my back on the world because mankind sinned. I did no such thing. Fen'Harel created the Veil to spite his fellow Evanuris, and in doing so he sundered me from the mortal world. I cannot simply strike the Chantry down, not as long as the Veil exists."
Hawke scowled, still not sure she bought any of this. "Then at least tell the Chantry they have it all wrong. Set the record straight."
He chuckled at that. "Oh really? I saved you from certain death at the hands of a nigh-invincible demon, and yet I can't even convince you that I am the Maker. What makes you think the Chantry, or any Andrastian for that matter, will listen to what I have to say? Especially when what I have to say contradicts their entire faith." He shook his head. "No, I would be branded a demon and utterly ignored."
He vanished again, this time reappearing perched upon the door-frame to Hawke's pseudo bedroom. "A lot has happened while you have been trapped here. Inquisitor Trevelyan vanquished Corypheus, returned the Chantry to its former 'glory', and put Cassandra Pentaghast on the Sunburst Throne. 'Divine Victoria' they call her. She has restored the Circles, the Templars, the Seekers, and more. Put everything back to the way it was. Everything that you, Anders, Fiona, and so many others fought and bled for? It was all for nothing. Even as we stand here chatting, mages are rounded up like cattle, imprisoned, abused … many even continue to be made Tranquil. Your sister being one such example."
"What?!" Hawke snapped to attention. "What are you talking about?"
He gestured helplessly. "What did you expect? With the Circles reinstated, Bethany had to return to her cage just like every other mage. She was sent to the Gallows in Kirkwall. Cullen Rutherford was appointed Knight Commander of Kirkwall by Divine Victoria. He is every bit the tyrant Meredith was before him. Is it any wonder? This is a man who thinks that mages are not even people, and that I personally gave Templars divine right to rule over them. He made your sister Tranquil when she stood up to his abuses of power. Now he rapes her each night, pretending she is Solona Amell."
Hawke screamed in incoherent rage. "You're lying!"
"You'll see soon enough that I'm not. Perhaps then you might be motivated to try and bring down the Chantry again." He placed his hands on his knees, his expression turning ugly. "If you do, endeavour to make sure that it sticks this time. Close doesn't cut it when people's souls are at stake."
"What do you mean, 'I'll see soon enough'?" she snarled.
"I'm sending you back to the mortal world, Hawke. I'm giving you a second chance. The chance to finally do something right for a change. To make an actual difference. Do you think you can manage that?"
Hawke threw out her arms in exasperation. "Is it even possible?! You're asking me to kill a faith!"
"It has been done. The Chantry has crushed many other faiths through overwhelming force. If you spend a little less time hiding and a little more time fighting, you might have better luck than you had before, 'Champion'." He snapped his fingers, and Hawke watched as the door-frame transformed into an Eluvian. The Maker vanished, reappearing at her side, smiling ever so slightly. "So many people have faith that I am on their side, but you, Hawke? You don't need faith. You know that you're carrying out my will. Go forth and smite our enemies. Become my wrath. What do you say?"
She thought about it.
"It's time to smite some bastards," she said, and stepped through the Eluvian.