So far, I've only written for Dragon Age, the hyperfixation is strong with this one! I love canon divergent things, and side-characters, and things that make you go "huh". I also really like the Exchanges and challenges that comes with it. Favourite character is for sure for sure purple female Hawke with Varric a close second, and Cullen, and Kallian, and Flemeth, and Bull, and Sera and just too many others to mention! Oe Cole! I need to mention Cole! And Cassandra....! (See my problem?!)
I wanted to write about an OC that kind of went through the timeline of all three the early games and ended with the longfic (still in progress) The Elven Urchin. The cast for this one is only growing, and writing this is teaching me so many things, including that I like a variety of POV's.
In Peace... Other Stuff was written for the Joining Exchange 2025 (go Wardens!) and I just fell in love with this lot instantly. Influenced by the novel "The Calling" and my deep need to help the Hero in her super-secret mission, and my love of all things Hawke.
If you're not afraid, then neither am I (bonus points if you get the title) was written for Wintersend 2025, and technically the first exchange piece I wrote, thought it was revealed after the warden one. This one really introduced me to Merrill which I am forever grateful for, and also may have somewhat turned me into an unofficial spokesperson for blood magic (seriously, it keeps happening!).
The first real story I ever posted online was A Commission for Lothering . I still don't know which dark part of my mind this crawled out of, but I like the idea that alternative endings (or happenings) may not quite be what we hope they would be.
And then what is a collection without some religious angst found in Horns Up, Spirits High!
I'm not going to list them all, there's some others over here, but these may have been the most significant to me personally for different reasons.
I never knew writing could be this much fun, and I love this vast open library and gallery of just the most awesome writing and art you could ever find, just because writers and artists are so inspired by the characters and lore that they can't stop themselves from letting it out! So let it out! Let it all out, you guys are awesome!!
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Everyone knows the importance of the Empress' ball and the Inquisitor's mission, but the Chargers has a mission of their own… as do Hawke and Varric. But the siren's song of chaos is just too sweet to ignore…
Featuring the Chargers, Varric and @librivore42's very delightful Brennan Hawke!
Written for the Gaatlok & Lyrium exchange for @librivore42. The full fic can be found on AO3 here and the rest of the wonderful works in the exchange here.
“It is a great pleasure to meet you, Inquisitor,” the Duke declared, his Orlesian accent dripping with satisfaction.
And why wouldn’t it, Bull thought. Whether the man and his armies supported the Inquisition was still up for debate, but that this move gave him an advantage could not be denied. One way or another, being the orchestrator that brought the Inquisitor here tonight was a show of power at the very least.
He fought the urge to pull at his jacket again. He was not used to wearing even a shirt, and here he was in a fancy dress uniform of all things. But to be completely honest, he’d willingly wear it an extra day if it meant being spared another argument with Josephine and Vivienne.
Falling in formation, the Inquisition members formed an honour guard behind the Inquisitor as she stepped forward to greet the Duke, united in their goal—and by their smart dress uniforms—even though they were as diverse a group as you could hope to find. And maybe that was exactly what Thedas needed.
Excitement hung heavy in the air, the last sunlight of the day clinging on valiantly as the promise of darkness, celebrations, and machinations enveloped the jovial crowd. Waiting for the conclusions of the peace talks, knowing that tonight would bring either an end to the war or renew it in earnest, added an extra layer of frenzy.
The excitement echoed in Bull’s chest, not for the party or the politics, but for the mission the Chargers had been given. Bull himself was only supposed to act as liaison, since a qunari attending an Orlesian ball would cause a pretty valuable distraction just by standing there. But he knew his guys. They were the best, and they got the job done, but seldom did it happen without some chaos in the background. And chaos called to a veteran merc like lyrium called to a templar.
Scanning the courtyard behind the duke, he identified two couples that were fighting, three hopefuls specifically here to find matches, and two pickpockets. Once again proving that the masks the Orlesians so loved didn’t hide shit from anybody who knew what to look for. Somewhere, his guys were finding their own way in, probably already inciting trouble in that fun way they had.
Their mission for the night seemed an impossible quest, dreamed up by the Vint and the Spymaster, and eagerly accepted by Bull. After all, impossible missions were the reason the chargers got up in the morning. Josephine had only allowed him to bring six of his guys, already too keenly understanding what it meant to have seven chargers under the same ornamented roof, so the rest of his squad had to join Cullen’s men to enter the palace that way.
And all they had was this one chance. When the party broke up with the sunrise tomorrow, their clock would run out, and none of them would likely get the chance to try a second time.
And the chargers did not take to losing kindly.
**********************
“You there, my drink needs refreshing,” Stitches said from where he leaned against a tree in the garden.
Skinner acknowledged him by flipping him off. It had been no trouble finding servant’s uniforms for her and Dalish from the kitchens, the elves working there approving of any mischief managed while wearing it, as long as it didn’t get back to them.
“Nice ring,” Dalish commented as Skinner threw a uniform in her direction, and she immediately shrugged out of her own clothes to put it on, as comfortable with her own semi-nakedness as she was wearing clothes. The Dalish are much more practical about these things, she had declared a long time ago, to which the chief had agreed, the Qunari not being phased by a little skin either.
On her way back to her so-called friends, Skinner’d been called a rabbit twice and asked to find some crazy noblewoman’s ring. She had ignored the people using the slur, since it was either that or break their fingers, something the ambassador had told them not to do for anything less than actual murder. Of course, the ring had been easy to find. It had some kind of seal and was quite pretty. Maybe they could use it for something. If only the tome could be this easy…
They were in a secluded area, away from the main crowd, getting their disguises sorted out and listening to Krem’s instructions for the millionth time. Wearing the servant’s uniforms meant Skinner and Dalish would be practically invisible to everyone but the other staff, and they hardly seemed to care about Skinner’s explanation of being brought by the Inquisition to cater to their specific needs.
Stitches and Grim were dressed as Fereldan business owners, likely to be equally ignored, and Rocky as an independent business dwarf. The person least likely to be ignored was Krem, dressed as a noble and looking extremely handsome, the very reason Bull had insisted that he dress fancy, since “at least one of us should be able to have a conversation with the nobles if we need to.”
“So,” Krem carried on, making Skinner wish she’d stay away longer to miss the millionth time he went through the plan. “Dalish and Stitches will start searching in the Grand Library—”
“I still don’t see why I should play servant, and Dalish gets to sit in the library all evening,” Skinner groused.
“In case one of us needs a mage—”
“I am not a mage!”
“—or a healer, we should know where they are. Rocky and Grim, see if there’s some vault or storage space or something in the guest wing. It’s been a hundred years, but if that’s where the guy was staying, there’s a good chance they would’ve just chucked his shit in a storage room somewhere. Skinner, try and find out if there’re cellars or attics or some place else that might be useful.”
“And what will you do?” Stitches asked innocently, causing the rest of them to groan as Krem launched into the next part of the plan as if Stitches really didn’t know.
“I’m going to wine and dine and charm the palace secrets out of… someone.”
“Right… Two sovereigns says it will be someone pretty and entirely too young to know the secrets of a hundred years ago,” Dalish said dryly.
“Where’s that dwarf with his betting book when you need him?” Stitches agreed.
“If there were someone here a hundred years old, I would have no problem charming them, but since there won’t be, just relax and trust the process,” Krem said, fastening a mask to his face. “Let’s go. You two get to the library and start looking. And don’t go off on some side mission on your own; we need to know where you are!”
They all stared at him.
“What?”
“You have…” Stitches said, tilting his head to the side as if to make sense of what he was seeing, “a little something on your face there.”
“Ha ha.” Krem retorted. “I’m not running around all evening with a thing smothering my whole face, this is better.”
“It doesn’t hide anything. It’s basically a piece of ribbon with holes in it!”
“I don’t need to hide, no one knows who I am, this is fine!”
“I don’t know…” Dalish trailed off.
“It’s fine! Skinner, let’s go! The rest of you… do your thing.”
“Oh, sure, I’m not even in this uniform for three minutes, and you’re already bossing me around. Should I fetch his lordship some ale, then?”
“I’m your lieutenant. I always boss you around.”
“Should be wine, really,” Rocky said. “Ale’s not posh enough.”
“Oh, right! Good thinking.”
“Have fu-un!” Dalish taunted in a sing-song voice as Krem took Skinner by the elbow and steered her towards the courtyard, coming from an angle that wouldn’t seem suspicious.
Behind them, Stitches called softly, “I’ll take some ale! And bring us some food, would you? I’m starving!”
continue reading here...
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
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Writing is about building a connection between writer and reader.
And that's something AI will never be able to do.
I recently read one of my earliest fan works that's published. It's indulgent and sweet but clumsy and overwrought. It chases the same romantic high I felt the first time I'd played the game that inspired it. I wrote it for myself, because I'd always written for myself. In twenty years of writing as an adult, I'd never before had a reader. And while it's clear from the writing that I hadn't once considered the reader, people noticed it. Fan fiction had changed something.
And so my writing began to grow. I wasn't only writing for myself anymore. I had people who were curious about what I had to say. And what did I have to say anyway? What could I say? How could I connect with the person at the other end of my story intentionally?
It completely transformed the way I wrote. For the better. Forever.
For those out there trading their own perfectly imperfect human voice for that of a machine, I would encourage you to search for connection through your own words, your own point of view, your own ideas. Find out what you have to say and find a way to say it that tickles you. Let them connect with you, not some corporation's idea of what the median romantasy reader wants.
What is fan fiction for if not for reaching through those words right into the heart of another person and giving it a good squeeze? And in return, they'll know the shape of your hand, the feel of it.
Write that AU. Write that fix it. Write that rare pair. Write that missing take. Write it badly. Write it excellently. Write it yourself.
Everyone knows the importance of the Empress' ball and the Inquisitor's mission, but the Chargers has a mission of their own… as do Hawke and Varric. But the siren's song of chaos is just too sweet to ignore…
Featuring the Chargers, Varric and @librivore42's very delightful Brennan Hawke!
Written for the Gaatlok & Lyrium exchange for @librivore42. The full fic can be found on AO3 here and the rest of the wonderful works in the exchange here.
“It is a great pleasure to meet you, Inquisitor,” the Duke declared, his Orlesian accent dripping with satisfaction.
And why wouldn’t it, Bull thought. Whether the man and his armies supported the Inquisition was still up for debate, but that this move gave him an advantage could not be denied. One way or another, being the orchestrator that brought the Inquisitor here tonight was a show of power at the very least.
He fought the urge to pull at his jacket again. He was not used to wearing even a shirt, and here he was in a fancy dress uniform of all things. But to be completely honest, he’d willingly wear it an extra day if it meant being spared another argument with Josephine and Vivienne.
Falling in formation, the Inquisition members formed an honour guard behind the Inquisitor as she stepped forward to greet the Duke, united in their goal—and by their smart dress uniforms—even though they were as diverse a group as you could hope to find. And maybe that was exactly what Thedas needed.
Excitement hung heavy in the air, the last sunlight of the day clinging on valiantly as the promise of darkness, celebrations, and machinations enveloped the jovial crowd. Waiting for the conclusions of the peace talks, knowing that tonight would bring either an end to the war or renew it in earnest, added an extra layer of frenzy.
The excitement echoed in Bull’s chest, not for the party or the politics, but for the mission the Chargers had been given. Bull himself was only supposed to act as liaison, since a qunari attending an Orlesian ball would cause a pretty valuable distraction just by standing there. But he knew his guys. They were the best, and they got the job done, but seldom did it happen without some chaos in the background. And chaos called to a veteran merc like lyrium called to a templar.
Scanning the courtyard behind the duke, he identified two couples that were fighting, three hopefuls specifically here to find matches, and two pickpockets. Once again proving that the masks the Orlesians so loved didn’t hide shit from anybody who knew what to look for. Somewhere, his guys were finding their own way in, probably already inciting trouble in that fun way they had.
Their mission for the night seemed an impossible quest, dreamed up by the Vint and the Spymaster, and eagerly accepted by Bull. After all, impossible missions were the reason the chargers got up in the morning. Josephine had only allowed him to bring six of his guys, already too keenly understanding what it meant to have seven chargers under the same ornamented roof, so the rest of his squad had to join Cullen’s men to enter the palace that way.
And all they had was this one chance. When the party broke up with the sunrise tomorrow, their clock would run out, and none of them would likely get the chance to try a second time.
And the chargers did not take to losing kindly.
**********************
“You there, my drink needs refreshing,” Stitches said from where he leaned against a tree in the garden.
Skinner acknowledged him by flipping him off. It had been no trouble finding servant’s uniforms for her and Dalish from the kitchens, the elves working there approving of any mischief managed while wearing it, as long as it didn’t get back to them.
“Nice ring,” Dalish commented as Skinner threw a uniform in her direction, and she immediately shrugged out of her own clothes to put it on, as comfortable with her own semi-nakedness as she was wearing clothes. The Dalish are much more practical about these things, she had declared a long time ago, to which the chief had agreed, the Qunari not being phased by a little skin either.
On her way back to her so-called friends, Skinner’d been called a rabbit twice and asked to find some crazy noblewoman’s ring. She had ignored the people using the slur, since it was either that or break their fingers, something the ambassador had told them not to do for anything less than actual murder. Of course, the ring had been easy to find. It had some kind of seal and was quite pretty. Maybe they could use it for something. If only the tome could be this easy…
They were in a secluded area, away from the main crowd, getting their disguises sorted out and listening to Krem’s instructions for the millionth time. Wearing the servant’s uniforms meant Skinner and Dalish would be practically invisible to everyone but the other staff, and they hardly seemed to care about Skinner’s explanation of being brought by the Inquisition to cater to their specific needs.
Stitches and Grim were dressed as Fereldan business owners, likely to be equally ignored, and Rocky as an independent business dwarf. The person least likely to be ignored was Krem, dressed as a noble and looking extremely handsome, the very reason Bull had insisted that he dress fancy, since “at least one of us should be able to have a conversation with the nobles if we need to.”
“So,” Krem carried on, making Skinner wish she’d stay away longer to miss the millionth time he went through the plan. “Dalish and Stitches will start searching in the Grand Library—”
“I still don’t see why I should play servant, and Dalish gets to sit in the library all evening,” Skinner groused.
“In case one of us needs a mage—”
“I am not a mage!”
“—or a healer, we should know where they are. Rocky and Grim, see if there’s some vault or storage space or something in the guest wing. It’s been a hundred years, but if that’s where the guy was staying, there’s a good chance they would’ve just chucked his shit in a storage room somewhere. Skinner, try and find out if there’re cellars or attics or some place else that might be useful.”
“And what will you do?” Stitches asked innocently, causing the rest of them to groan as Krem launched into the next part of the plan as if Stitches really didn’t know.
“I’m going to wine and dine and charm the palace secrets out of… someone.”
“Right… Two sovereigns says it will be someone pretty and entirely too young to know the secrets of a hundred years ago,” Dalish said dryly.
“Where’s that dwarf with his betting book when you need him?” Stitches agreed.
“If there were someone here a hundred years old, I would have no problem charming them, but since there won’t be, just relax and trust the process,” Krem said, fastening a mask to his face. “Let’s go. You two get to the library and start looking. And don’t go off on some side mission on your own; we need to know where you are!”
They all stared at him.
“What?”
“You have…” Stitches said, tilting his head to the side as if to make sense of what he was seeing, “a little something on your face there.”
“Ha ha.” Krem retorted. “I’m not running around all evening with a thing smothering my whole face, this is better.”
“It doesn’t hide anything. It’s basically a piece of ribbon with holes in it!”
“I don’t need to hide, no one knows who I am, this is fine!”
“I don’t know…” Dalish trailed off.
“It’s fine! Skinner, let’s go! The rest of you… do your thing.”
“Oh, sure, I’m not even in this uniform for three minutes, and you’re already bossing me around. Should I fetch his lordship some ale, then?”
“I’m your lieutenant. I always boss you around.”
“Should be wine, really,” Rocky said. “Ale’s not posh enough.”
“Oh, right! Good thinking.”
“Have fu-un!” Dalish taunted in a sing-song voice as Krem took Skinner by the elbow and steered her towards the courtyard, coming from an angle that wouldn’t seem suspicious.
Behind them, Stitches called softly, “I’ll take some ale! And bring us some food, would you? I’m starving!”
continue reading here...
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
“Life is grand. You know that. The more experienced a person is, the deeper they go into life, the less black and white it is. And that incredibly interesting shade of grey gets to be played. But within that shade, there are infinite varieties, right? So I think that’s just her. The black is the bad guy, white is the good guy. But we all know the true parameters of life lie in between those two. And Flemeth is the absolute exploration thereof.”
- Kate Mulgrew, in “A Shade of Flemeth”
Black Emporium is a rare pair exchange that encompasses everything Dragon Age – provided they have less than 300* completed works on Ao3. Whether you’ve been a fan since the beginning or got in to it via Veilguard– whether you write snappy dialogue or draw detailed scenery – we want YOU to participate!
*Except for Rook; see our post about how we're handling that!
2026 Schedule
All deadlines are as of 9 AM US Pacific / 12 PM US Eastern / 4 PM UTC+0.
Nominations: June 30 - July 7
Signups: July 8 - July 18
Assignments Go Out: When mods are done matching (probably sometime on July 19th)
DAY 05 - ASERADIVA
Goddess of Dreams & Sacrifice ✧ Warden of Unseen Magic ✧ The Last Offering
The Final Dream
Once, a young girl named Mirevas found herself in the Fade as she slept. Each night she wandered through landscapes that were not her own - starless skies of inky black, sunsets in blues and greens, forests that walked with her as she meandered in her dreams.
One night, she finds a path that had been hidden to her - it was the dream of another. There was no sun, no moon, no sky. A dark abyss of emptiness, and inside of it lay a small boy, crying. She asked him again and again, why did he cry? But, he gave no answer. Each night Mirevas returned to the boy’s dream. She shared pieces of herself, fragments of the world she lived - through stories, and laughter. Mirevas gathered each drop of the boys tears until one day the boy smiled.
The next night, Mirevas called out to Aseradiva in the Fade, finding her standing in the middle of a small creek, her fingers trailing through the water, fish swimming around the Goddess’ ankles. Mirevas asked her, “Why is the boy stuck inside an abyss? It is cold, and it is dark.”
Aseradiva knelt in the water so that the girl could see into her eyes, a gentle kindness in her gaze before she spoke, “The boy is one of the Unwaking. Lost in his Dreams until Falon’din sees fit to release him.”
Mirevas shook her head, that could not be. The poor boy was so young. She thought for a moment, swallowing softly. A hushed whisper, “If I give myself to the Fade, could he wake?” A sacrifice, a moment of selflessness to appease the Gods, and grant mercy on the Unwaking boy.
Aseradiva nodded, the girl’s desire to save the boy brought an aching to her heart. “If you join the Fade, I will ensure that he wakes.” Mirevas laid down, giving every small fragment of herself to the Fade - her name, her life, her flesh and bone, until she became the ground beneath her, joining the fabric of the Fade, and the thread that held dreams together.
The Unwaking woke, remembering nothing of his time in the abyss, and nothing of the girl who sacrificed herself for him. Sometimes, on the wind when he closes his eyes, he can hear a soft bubble of laughter, and the threads of the Fade sigh.
The Fade may keep no names, but it remembers acts of love.
From my Forgotten Codex set in a world where the Elvhen gods were... well, actual gods that ended up reincarnating in a modern Thedas.
Here is my Forgotten Ones OC - Aseradiva (her "real" name is Isathe), Goddess of Dreams and Sacrifce - twin to Anaris. She was reincarnated into a Ferelden Field Arcanist.
In my non-reincarnation work, she is the former wife of Daern'thal, and becomes Inquisitor.
The Theory of Being
This Forgotten Binding
The Forgotten Codex
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DAY 04 - GELDAURAN
God of War & Strategy ⚔ Lord of the Turning Tide ⚔ The Unseen General
Verse of Battle
War is both chaos and control,
service and command.
Let blood trail from my hands in honor of another.
This does not come from rage, or fear.
This is what must be done.
I do not unsheathe my blade to sate my own lust for battle -
I bring forth the sword of witness to end the silence of the oppressed.
From my Forgotten Codex set in a world where the Elvhen gods were... well, actual gods that ended up reincarnating in a modern Thedas.
In this instance, Geldauran is my God of War and Strategy, reincarnated into a cowboy Sheriff from Ostagar.
This Forgotten Binding
The Forgotten Codex
One Nug Short of Sensible
A big thank you to @theelderdemon, @elfyroot, @morganaofcamelot and @loreofthedasposts for tagging me!
As usual I'm late to the game, so I'm sure everyone else has been tagged, if you haven't, PLEASE jump in!
Last song: Window Seat by Tintrel (fun fact: my Spotify DJ now also tries to play me brown noise in the car... dude... read the room)
Currently watching: ER (the old one with Noah Wyle)
Current obsession: Cyberpunk
Currently reading: I'm trying to get through all the works written for the HM Mini Bang and Templartations and some of the old DABB's, so I'm delightfully stuck in fanfiction world! I just love the variety, Dragon Age really has so much to offer!
Currently working on: My gift for the Gaatlok & Lyrium exchange, and hopefully some Kate stuff soon!
Currently wearing: Winter Pajamas. It's cold. And also early.
Last Google search: Oe, that would be something for the Gaatlok & Lyrium exchange, so no details!
THM Mini Bang Reveal:
Full Circle by Nastymage & Macchiavato
Full Circle
Written by @nastymageling
Tumblr
Art by @macchiavato
Tumblr | Bluesky
Alim Surana has never known anything but the walls of the Circle and a life of study, prayer and obedience. His conscription into the Grey Wardens kickstarts a journey of personal growth, as Alim attempts to find his place in a world he does not understand.
Or: 7 times Alim experiences something new + the one time he returns to a familiar place.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
THM Mini Bang Reveal:
Greetings from Sunny Antiva! by quixilvr & Bearchuckles
Greetings from Sunny Antiva!
Written by @wardensflight
Tumblr
Art by @bearchuckles
Tumblr
Cybele Surana is avoiding their problems, burnt out from running Vigil's Keep, and needs a break. Zevran suggests a romantic holiday to Antiva to recharge.
Surely the Antivan Crows won't get in the way of those plans.
THM Mini Bang Reveal:
The Storm in her Heart by LunaStarhawk, Captainmagpie-Risha & Vina
The Storm in her Heart
Written by @lunastarhawk
Tumblr | AO3
Art by @captainmagpie-risha (Left)
Tumblr | AO3
Art by @snail-woman (Right)
Tumblr | Bluesky
One year before the Fifth Blight, Nathaniel Howe, serving as a squire in Starkhaven, attends the Tourney and a masquerade held at Ostwick, unaware that his childhood friends, Maisie and Elissa Cousland, are also in attendance. A spark is kindled and a relationship blossoms, only to be put in jeopardy upon the revelation of Maisie's secret.
