#dirthamen

Dirthamen. Keeper of Secrets and the Master of Ravens.

I think Dirthamen could have turned into a flock of ravens. And his supporters also turned into ravens.

This is a series about evanuris, before they became tyrants. This is a golden age Arlathan .

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You exhale raggedly as you continue your climb up the crumbling skeleton of stairs that runs along the mountainside. When it seems as though your thighs cannot take another step and your lungs wheeze unevenly with each new breath, you reach a landing. You collapse to the ground. After a moment's rest, you right yourself with trembling limbs - only to find yourself facing a skeleton, its lower jaw dropped in a silent scream. You scramble backwards, your back hitting a jagged rock jutting from the mountainside. You cower against the stone, your fear surpassing the sharp flare of pain, but the skeleton does not move. It sits slumped by the edge of the landing. A ragged cloak pools around the bones of its body and clutched in its lap in a bony grip is a book.

The book slides from its grasp easily. The binding is a dark green leather - plain with no embellishments or markings. Two copper clasps keep it closed, but there is no way to unlock them or open the book it seems. You run a finger along the cool metal as you shuffle backwards, keeping a wary eye on the skeleton. Its empty sockets stare back at you.

Codex Entry: A Book Without Title

Material: Simple leather binding with no title and an ornamental clasp with no visible way to unlock and open the book This object is not for use in combat. A plain leather book. The visible page edges appear to be simple parchment. An intricate and ornamental clasp keeps the book closed, but there is no keyhole or visible way to unlock the clasp. To unlock the book you must whisper it a secret. Once opened the pages appear blank, but ask the book a question aloud, and it shall be answered in the reader's own mind. But beware for the cost of knowledge is a memory. The book takes no physical toll from the reader apart from the snatches of memory it takes. Yet the more it is used, the more the hunger for knowledge grows within the reader. The reader will be compelled to continue asking questions. The craving for knowledge will become insatiable until the reader has no memory left to offer. Without memory, no knowledge can be gained. The reader will wander, aimless and without memory, protecting the book with no knowledge of how to open it or what it is until it is taken from them or until death.

A secret, long-forgotten comes to mind. You run your finger along the copper clasp again, the pad of one fingertip catching on the sharp point of one end. What knowledge lies in this book? Might it help you find what you seek?

You are faced with a choice. Do you:

⟡ Share a secret with the book and see what lies within its pages

⟡ Return the book to its previous owner

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Developer Notes Below!

keeper of secrets

Day1 ✦ Day2 ✦ Day3 ✦ Day4 ✦ Day5 ✦ Day6 ✦ Day7 ✦ Day8 ✦ Day9

Dirthamen — Keeper of Secrets🤫

Rated: T | Dirthamen, Falon'Din, Fear & Deceit, Solas | Length: 2.7k, oneshot.

Dirthamen, like the Empire, was born of a dream that has long since been corrupted. It is the beginning of the end. A god makes amends.

As the Empire crumbles around him, Dirthamen reflects on how they got here, and he says goodbye. I was so excited to write for fellow Evanuris enthusiast Zaahvi and explore some more headcanons for the fall of Elvhenan <3

Written for the all-elves-celebration of the annual Arlathan Exchange! Check out the 40+ fanworks made for this year’s exchange and 270 works over the past few years (since 2022)! Chances are, your favorite DA elves are featured in the collection somewhere.