#fairelden

“What made you start studying the fade?” The moment her first question burst forth though, so did her hands. Finally escaping from where she’d kept them clasped behind her, as Lokita spoke she began gesturing for emphasis, tiny flakes of snow swirling between her fingertips in her excitement..

Solas’ amusement was plain to see in his soft gaze. It wasn’t laughter aimed at Lokita though, but at the enjoyment of her enthusiasm. He answered her slowly, pausing regularly to ensure she was still paying attention, and only continuing once he was sure she was still interested in the tale.

“I grew up in a village to the north. There was little to interest a young man, especially one gifted with magic, but as I slept spirits of the fade showed me glimpses of wonders I had never imagined. I treasured my dreams. Being awake, out of the fade, became troublesome.”

‘Kita found herself nodding in agreement. She’d learnt how to summon veil fire from a spirit in the fade when she was very young and had spoken with spirits often until their clan’s keeper had told her of the dangers, and to avoid drawing the attention of demons.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” she asked gently. This wasn’t the first time Solas’ knowledge had contradicted what she’d been taught, but considering her clan’s reactions to her sister’s naturally entropic abilities, Lokita was more than willing to consider an alternative viewpoint.

Solas had survived this long, after all, without succumbing to possession.

“Did spirits try to tempt you?”

The elf before her shrugged one shoulder, before shifting his weight slightly, “no more than a brightly coloured fruit is deliberately tempting you to eat it,” he answered lightly, and Lokita blinked, head tipping slightly as she considered this new perspective while Solas continued.

“I learned how to defend myself from the more aggressive spirits and how to interact safely with the rest. I learned how to control my dreams with full consciousness. There was so much I wanted to explore…”

There was a wistful note to Solas’ voice that softened Lokita’s enthusiasm, and she wanted to drag him off then and there, back to the Hinterlands. To the ruined tower he’d expressed an interest in exploring. To Calenhad’s Foothold where battles had been fought long past. Instead, she wet her lips nervously and continued her questions. 

‘Kita was unsure how long he was going to let her ask her questions and was determined to make the most of being able to commandeer his full attention.

“Clearly, you woke up... I gather you didn’t spend your entire life dreaming,” she teased gently, eyes sparkling when he smiled in response, some shadow in his soft grey gaze lifting at her playfully posed inquiry.

“No... Eventually, I was unable to find new areas in the fade-”

“Why?” Kita asked, head tipping to the other side, this time in confusion. The Clan’s Keeper had always taught her that the fade was limitless, an endless realm shaped by demons and a mage’s will, but apparently that wasn’t the case.

In the time it took her to realise she believed Solas over the Keeper of her own clan, and blink in surprise at her own thoughts, Solas had been studying her features. Whatever he’d been looking for when she’d cut off his explanation, he apparently found because he simply took a steady, deep breath in and answered her.

“Two reasons,” Solas said slowly, his voice no longer light and casual, but slow and firm. A teacher lecturing a student, and his gaze had grown sharp and watchful too, as though judging her reactions to his words and something in Lokita’s gut made her pray she passed the silent test.

“First, the fade reflects the world around it. Unless I travelled, I would never find anything new,” Solas said and paused as Lokita frowned, but when she nodded a moment later he continued, still cautious but there was something slowly easing in his stance as she absorbed his words without discarding them.

“Second, the fade reflects and is limited by our imaginations,” Solas paused a moment, before the corner of his mouth twitched into what was almost a smile, “to find interesting area’s, one must be interesting.”

Despite the fact his flash of amusement only lasted a moment, Lokita found herself responding with a small grin of her own, “is that why you’re here? Is this why you joined the inquisition?” she asked, while her stomach did flips.

She didn’t quite know what answer she wanted him to give, but when he responded quickly, his tone light, she wasn’t entirely surprised by the flash of disappointment that shot through her.

“I joined the inquisition because we were all in terrible danger,” Solas answered, pausing a moment, grey eyes skimming across her face before he continued, “if our enemies destroy the world, I would have nowhere to lay my head while dreaming of the fade.”

“Ah…” Kita said, nodding her head once and wracking her mind for something else to say, something that would distract from the completely illogical disappointment staining her mind. She’d only known Solas a matter of weeks, she had no reason to expect…

“Inquisitor...” the elven mage said gently, snapping her clear gaze back to his in a heartbeat and letting her absorb the small twitch to the corners of his mouth before he continued, “that is why I joined, not why I stayed.”

There was a moment of silence between them where Solas smiled slightly and Kita stared, waiting for him to reveal the reason he’d stayed, before all the pieces clicked together in her mind and she felt her cheeks heat against the cold mountain breeze.

She knew she should say something. Something interesting, or witty, or maybe just a gentle thank you, and she took a steadying breath before attempting to stammer out a response.

“I… wish you luck.”

Lokita winced slightly. It was possibly the most ridiculous response she could have uttered, but Solas just inclined his head slightly and thanked her, his voice sincere and Kita let out a soft sigh of relief that she hadn’t made a huge mistake, or at least not one he was going to call her on.

“In truth, I have enjoyed experiencing more of life to find more of the fade,” Solas was saying, and Kita bit her lip, wondering just how far she could push the conversation after making an idiot of herself.

“How so?” she asked softly, and Solas eyed her for a moment, before continuing.

“You train your will to control magic and withstand possession,” he said, “your indomitable focus is an enjoyable side benefit of that training… you have chosen a path whose steps you do not dislike because it leads to a destination you enjoy... As have I,” he explained, 

“You like my side benefits?” Kita asked, a small smile creeping back over her face, even as she felt one eyebrow raise in query and wondering where she’d found this sudden confidence “My indomitable focus?”

His complimentary words had restored her spirit simply because they hadn’t seemed intended to do so, Kita realised as she smiled at Solas, and something shifted in his grey gaze, his expression shifting swiftly through expressions ranging from amused, to an intense stare as he held her gaze with his own.

“Presumably,” the taller elf said, voice smooth, “I have yet to see it dominated. I imagine  that the sight would be… fascinating.”

Kita’s breath caught in her throat at his words, and she let her eyes seek out the teasing glint that had to be hidden somewhere in his features but when she saw nothing there but the intense honest and steel like focus of his gaze she felt herself flush again, a small shy laugh escaping her.

Was he… flirting? Genuinely flirting?

Kita cleared her throat, but couldn’t quite wipe the small grin from her features as she took a single step back.

“Uh… thank you, Solas… but... I should be going,” she managed not to splutter over her words this time, but her pink cheeks were just as obvious a sign that he’d flustered her, and the coating of frost across her fingertips a dead giveaway for her swirling emotions.

“Of course, until later,” Solas said kindly, letting her escape with good grace. Kita let herself turn and walk away around the side of a building and out of sight before she sped up into a jog and made her way through the small village of Haven, back to the wooden house that she and her sister had claimed.

Bursting through the front door, snow still coating her boots, Kita leant her back against the door to close it and groaned softly, chilled fingers raising to press lightly against her flushed pink cheeks. She could hear Nel over by the fire, and feel her sister’s intense golden gaze settle on her questioningly.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.... Nothing important…” Kita corrected softly, but when she opened her crystalline eyes Nel was right in front of her, staring at her face with narrowed eyes before the blonde began grinning.

“Your face is all red,” she pointed out and Lokita immediately scowled, “I know who you were with!” Nel almost sang and Lokita sighed.

“It wasn’t like that… we were just talking…” Lokita groaned, pushing off from the door and moving to slump in a chair by the fire, snow soaked boots stretching out towards the crackling flames.

“So? What happened?” Nel asked, sinking back into her own chair and leaning forward, ready to listen to her dark haired sister’s exploits but Kita just sighed.

“I sounded like an idiot, and then when he complimented my… indomitable will, I ran away, like an even bigger idiot,” Kita repeated, sinking down into the chair further when, after a moment’s pause, Nel began laughing.

Watching the blonde laugh, Kita could feel herself beginning to pout, and after a moment she groaned again, crossing her arms and sinking into an outright sulk before declaring that she was never leaving the cabin again.

Despite that though, the intense hold of Solas’ grey eyes held her attention, painted into her mind with vivid clarity, and Kita was quietly honest with herself that she had to agree with the Elven apostate; imagining someone with the strength to dominate her, admittedly, formidable will was a mental image that was… delightfully fascinating.

Link to Kita’s Masterpost 

2) Cone of Cold - Age 9

Cone of cold produces a blast of ice in a 90 degree angle, with the caster as the point of origin, reaching out 4 meters (13ft). Cone of Cold is more effective against larger targets than Winter’s Grasp, but similarly to Winter’s Grasp, Cone of Cold can freeze targets causing them to give off waves of cold that cause discomfort to nearby enemies, and take additional shattering damage from melee attacks. Cone of Cold can also be used to freeze environments such as stones, puddles or put out fires.

Kita used to use this spell to create paths across ponds, or to create small area’s covered in snow for her baby sister, Nel, to play in.

3) Chain Lightning - Age 11

A bolt of lightning hits a target of the caster’s choice within 2 meters (6ft). It then splits into two (2) bolts, each jumping to another target, within 2 meters (6ft) of the First Target, and doing half the original amount of damage. Each of those secondary bolts then splits into two (2) more bolts, jumping to different target, within 2 meters (6ft) of the Second Targets, and doing a quarter of the original damage. Overall, Chain Lightning can hit a maximum of seven (7) targets, and 300% of the base spell damage.

Kita learnt this spell instinctively after watching a bolt of lightning hit a tree in the Emerald Graves during a summer storm. The hot and muggy weather that followed the rainfall brought many biting insects to the clan’s camp, and after growing tired of batting the offending creatures away from herself and her sister, she sent small sparks of chain lightning at the insects.

4) Hand of Winter - Age 13

Hand of Winter sends of a blast of ice and snow in every direction for 7.5 meters (24ft), with the caster as the point of origin. Since this direction also includes up and down, this spell can be used to partially freeze lakes, or create a floating glacier-like structure. It is almost guaranteed to freeze any living target in it’s path, unless the target is a magic user of exceptional will themselves, able to resist and overcome the spells effects through sheer willpower.

When Kita was twelve (12) years old, she fell through the ice on a lake and drowned. Her five (5) year old sister, Nel, summoned spirits that lifted her sister from the icy lake, and resurrected her by guiding her departed spirit back to her body from beyond the veil. For almost a full year after the event, Kita practiced her ice based spells over and over. They grew stronger, but not enough that she felt safe enough to use them crossing lakes and ponds as she had as a child, until her mana exploded in a wave of ice cold. She learnt Hand of Winter through practice and determination, and with a stubborn desire to no longer be afraid of the water. While her spellcasting was a success, Kita still doesn’t love water above her waist, or swimming in water where her feet can’t reach the bottom.

5) Telekinetic Burst - Age 15

A simple defensive spell, Telekinetic Burst sends out a wave of magical energy, with the caster as the point of origin. Anyone within 1.5 meters (5ft) of the caster is either stunned and left staggering, or physically knocked back by up to 3 meters (10ft). The strength of the blast is determined by the spellcaster’s willpower, and the amount of mana thrown into the spell.

Kita and Nel often explored the area’s near where the Clan camped, running off alone in the Brecilian Forest or exploring the grasslands of the Exalted Plains. On one such occasion, they stumbled upon a group of hunters who didn’t take kindly to the teenage elf or her eight (8) year old sister, threatening to cut off their ears or send them to the nearest Alienage. Desperate to get the grown men, with weapons, away from herself and her sister, Kita’s will manifested in the form of a Telekinetic Burst, giving the two girls the chance to run and lose the hunters in the wilderness. She had to tell her grandmother, Keeper Deshana, about the encounter and the Clan moved on quickly, but it did bring about the Keeper’s decision to officially name Kita as her First.

Keeper Taught - Learned as the Clan's First

Chosen to be the Keeper’s First at Age 16, Kita spent a year learning how to use a Mage Staff correctly. The Keeper refused to teach her any new spells until she could manipulate a staff as a weapon in it’s own right as well as being able to pass her small repertoire of spells through the wood correctly. Kita shattered many training staves, before learning to regulate the flow of her mana.

B) Arcane Bolt

One of the first lessons Deshana gave Kita was how to use a staff to form an Arcane Bolt. An Arcane Bolt can be used even when a caster’s mana is near depleted because it relies less on the caster’s mana, and more on the power infused in whichever Rune is crafted into the Mage Staff. While it needs a mage to activate the Rune, it draws power from the energy infused in it’s crafted form, not the mages abilities. Because the spell doesn’t draw from the caster’s mana, it’’s ability to cause damage is weak, but it’s range is exceptional. Able to hit a target up to 30 meters (100ft) away, the Arcane Bolt is best used on either a retreating enemy, or as a way to redirect an enemies attention away from an injured companion. Arcane Bolt is also useful in teaching a young mage accurate aim, casting techniques and staff movements, because there is little chance of them causing damage with a miscast Arcane Bolt.

1) Spellbloom - Age 18

Spellbloom creates a sphere of revitalizing energy that can span up to 10 meters (32ft) in diameter, with the caster as the point of origin. When touched by this restorative energy, mages find their mana pool replenishing faster, and fighters find their stamina bolstered, while the weary traveller might find the strength to continue their trek for several more hours.

One of the first spells Keeper Deshana taught Kita, this spell is a staple of Dalish Clan life. Sometimes the Clan is not in a position to stop and make camp when the Halla are tired, or their warriors begin to flag, and the Spellbloom spell allows the Clan to continue on until they can find a safe place to spend the night.

2) Energy Barrage - Age 20

This spell sends a group of small orbs of magical energy at up to four (4) targets. Energy Barrage produces no less than eight balls of energy that attack either a single target, or up to a maximum of four random targets, depending on the caster’s intention. The maximum number of energy sphere’s created is determined by the strength of the caster, and the amount of mana poured into the spell making this a potentially draining cast. For a Circle Trained mage, the magical energy takes the form of whichever elemental type their staff is crafted to best attune to. In the case of a Dalish Elf or an Apostate Mage, whose (often makeshift) staves have no such elemental alignment, the energy takes it’s type from the power-type that the mage is most proficient in.

In Kita’s case, this spell takes the form of a mixture of lightning & ice blasts. This is unusual, and after spotting the puzzled expression on her grandmother’s face at the sight of the two elements mixing, Kita limits this particular spell to Lightning only. It uses more of her mana to limit it in this way, but to the teenager, it was worth the additional effort to avoid standing out.

3) Fist of the Maker aka Veilstrike - Age 22

This spell, known as the ‘Fist of the Maker’ among Circle Trained Mages, is taught primarily in the Circles located in the Free Marches. An elf who escaped the circle taught Deshana, and Kita, the spell in exchange for being allowed to stay with the Clan. Fist of the Maker draws energy from the veil, and uses the force to slam enemies against the ground. The spell can target a single enemy for massive damage, or span an area 4 meters (13ft) in diameter to stun all targets caught in the area of effect.

Kita first used this spell in battle when the Clan stumbled across a nest of corrupted spiders in the Brecilian Forest a couple of years after the end of the 5th blight. In an attempt to stop the spiders overwhelming the Clan’s warriors, and potentially infecting them with the blight, she used Fist of the Maker to crush the arachnids, the force of the spell shattering the creature’s legs and stopping their advancement. Once Kita begins discussing magic with Solas post-Conclave, she discovers that, among Apostates, and Rift Mages, this spell is also known as Veilstrike. Since Kita has no affiliation with the Andrastian faith, she begins referring to the spell by the much more neutral name.

4) Stinging Swarm - Age 24

Stinging Swarm summons a cloud of stinging insects that converge in an area of approximately 2 meters (6.5ft) in diameter, attacking any enemies within that space. If the mages will falters, the swarm will disperse harmlessly.

Another staple of Dalish Keeper’s, this spell is often used to fend off local wildlife, such as wolf packs or gurguts. Most animals will leave an area where a wasp nest resides for a few days before venturing back, and this often allows a Clan to camp safely without having to put the clans hunters at risk. Once Kita meets, and gets to know, Sera she often helps the young elf play pranks by summoning swarms of bee’s for Sera to bottle up. When Sera claims not to remember how she got bee’s inside of Commander Cullen’s training dummy, it was to keep Kita’s involvement in the prank a secret.

5) Fade Shroud - Age 26

Fade Shroud is an advanced version of the spell Arcane Shield. While the Arcane Shield uses mana to deflect incoming attacks, increasing a mages chances at avoiding weapon attacks and projectiles, Fade Shroud allows the mage to briefly become spirit-like and incorporeal.

Kita finds this easier than funnelling her magic into a physical barrier that deflects attacks, and when Deshana questions her about the unusual technique, Kita describes it as pressing up against the sail of a ship that is blown full with a strong breeze. You can press against it, and into it, but the veil is constantly pushing back to force you out again, which is why Fade Shroud can only be used in short bursts of up to five (5) minutes at a time. While active, however, the rush of energy from the Fade energizes the mage and replenishes their pool of mana.

6) Nature’s Blades - Age 29

Vines grow up from the ground, wrapping around the caster’s ankles and immobilizing them for the duration of the spell. Additionally, thorny vines then sprout from the ground for 4.5 meters (15ft) in all directions, with the caster as the point of Origin. Enemies caught within this field can be knocked back up to 10 meters (32ft). Any enemies not knocked away from the caster by this spell have to contend with reduced maneuverability, and the constant slicing attacks of the sharp thorns as the vines whip at and wrap around enemies within the spell’s range.

This is a spell that Kita created herself. It is a blend of the ‘One With Nature’ and ‘Thornblades’ spells that Keeper Deshana attempted to teach her. To this day the Keeper still believes that Kita simply casts the two spells in quick succession, and only Nel is aware that her sister crafted an entirely new spell to merge the two magical attacks.

7) Lightning Bolt - Age 31

A powerful lightning strike arcs down from the sky striking a single target, causing massive damage and paralysing the target for up to a minute. Up to four enemies within 2 meters (6.5ft) of the target can be blasted away from the target by up to 4 meters (13ft) from the force of the Lightning Strike.

When news reached the Clan about the Chantry of Kirkwall being blown up by an apostate mage, Keeper Deshana encourages Kita to study the Lightning Bolt spell. In addition to causing damage, and stunning an enemy, Lightning Spells also drain a warrior’s energy (stamina) and the Keeper wanted her First to be able to defend against potential attacks from Templars or Town Guards now on the lookout for Apostate Mages.

Learned Throughout Inquisition

1) Barrier - Age 32

3) Fireball/Flashfire - Age 32

4) Crushing Prison - Age 34

5) Lightning Cage - Age 34

Specialization Spells - Rift Mage & The Anchor

1) Stonefist/Fadefist - Age 32

2) Pull of the Abyss/Devouring Veil - Age 32

3) Mark of the Rift (Open Small Rifts in Inquisition/Parts the Veil post Trespasser) - Age 32, 34 & 36

4) Aegis of the Rift - Age 36

5) Magical Discharge (Weaker post Trespasser/Uses Mana not the Mark) - Age 36

Post Trespasser/Arbor Blessing

1) Blizzard - Age 36+

2) Tempest - Age 36+

3) Firestorm - Age 36+

4) Custom Spell - foci based magic TBD - Age 36+