#radas

Nico’s heart sinks. Not for the fact of being denied the righting of his past mistakes, but at the idea that Radas might sacrifice himself for this. Nico’s free hand grips Radas’ wrist, and it’s his turn now to inspect the other’s face. The jumper watches the crow study him and a small smile creeps to his face. For a split second it was Treviso again, before the blight. Before the gods. He could almost feel the sun warming him, even here. 

Nico wants to lean in and touch Radas; To whisper comforting promises to him, but with both of his hands occupied, the ticking of the clock, and some egotistical mage masquerading behind a literal head in the clouds, he can only offer one last chance for Radas to let him shoulder the blame.

“You don’t have to do this.” Nico's whisper is urgent when he unknowingly squeezes Radas’ wrist. Distress weighs heavy on his brow; This was his contract and his burden to bear, “We both don’t have to die.”

Radas doesn’t trust himself to speak just yet. His hand squeezes back to buy an extra breath to compose himself. Exhaling, he leans forward and presses his lips to Nico’s before taking half a step back. But Nico doesn’t let him get away from him, stepping forward with fervor to pull Radas back in. His hand releases the other’s wrist to press his palm against the back of his neck instead. If this were to be the last impression Nico leaves with Radas, he was going to make it count. 

Finally, he pulls back to let Radas speak, ignoring the adrenaline rushing through his veins and the way he’s made even himself a little breathless.

Radas has to steel himself before he replies.

“I’d die a little either way.” His hand drifts off of the dagger and he moves, not behind, but beside the warrior. He looks to Nico and nods. “Let’s take our shot. For Treviso.”

“Rook!” Lucanis shouts, his voice laced with just enough frustration to shatter their dreamland, “The big cloud face in the sky? Remember?”

Nico’s focus is jerked away from Radas as the other crow calls out. He turns to look at Lucanis, and when he meets his eye, Nico’s adrenaline floods into anger. For everything that the dragon had done to their home, right now they were wasting time. He turns back to face Radas, sucking in a steadying breath and nodding back, “For Treviso, courtesy of House de Riva.”

There’s a bounce in Nico’s step as they turn to confront the aforementioned cloud face. As he raises the dagger up towards the sky, his shout carries all of his grief, anger, and hatred for the ancient elf in it.

It's Radas Prime! it's the boy! The only one I can imagine realistically, but we'll see how I do coming up with possibilities for the others lol.

Lost to his family, the Sulavhenas Dalish clan, by way of an old artifact that trapped the 9 year old in a fade pocket. Bonding with two spirits also confined in the bubble, Endurance and Mercy, the three survived being hunted by a duo of powerful Fear and Despair demons for three years.

An explosion in the South that definitely no one has heard of ruptures the fade and sends ripples powerful enough to create tears in their prison. this dumps all five occupants back into Arlathan forest and destroys the artifact. He gets pretty grievously injured but somehow arrives outside the forest, without any memories of the time spent trapped or his clan! how curious! Starts trying to eke out a meager existence as a kid on the streets in Brynnlaw

THINGS HAPPEN from ages 12-23 and it is mostly a sad and lonely existence on the edges of society. Sometime in there he assumes the last name of Aldwir in a panic, pulling a name from a brewery warehouse he slept in as a kid. eventually joins the Veil Jumpers because he knows he had a clan and maybe they're still out there. If anyone could know something it would probably be the people studying Arlathan where his left him. Eventually he saves Varric and Harding and later on he and Varric head to Treviso.

Romances @muqington's Nico, because Two Rooks Radas is the Canon Radas and any actual game states are AUs lol

He and Nico split up for the city decision in an attempt to save both but Radas and the dagger go to Minrathous and Treviso is blighted. They fight Solas and bind him to the Veil.

Across any universe I think Radas' quiet compassion is key. He loves, in many ways, and i think that's important to his character. In a lot of his settings that love is not met in kind until the 'present' in his early 20s. I think they all appreciate music, and beauty, even if that might look a little different across continuities.

Laidir

Radas travels in a different direction after being driven out of Brynnlaw in this situation. Eventually he finds himself in Treviso where he stows away on a ship. The ship gets hit by pirates and one of them finds the young tagalong and brings him back. He spends from 13-23 among friends and doing piratey things. This would probably result in a more confident Radas. A little less quiet. I like to think in this timeline he's actually a mage, and once the Lords form and his crew falls in, he starts learning Seer skills with Rowan. Perhaps thats what leads him back to Arlathan to aid Endurance and Mercy during the course of VG, in a non Two Rooks scenario.

Would probably trick Solas, rescue Treviso, and romance Taash.

De Riva Cantori

After young Radas stumbles out of Arlathan and finds himself in Brynnlaw, he has a hard time of things. Teia, passing through on crow business, witnesses him trying to compromise with another pack of street kids and then escaping when that fails. She picks him up as a fledgling. Best-case scenario for a Crow!Radas i think. He wouldn't do well under Viago's leadership.

If it was still Two Rooks, he would probably head to Minrathous still, since the split is pretty important to their story. Two crows, a warden and Bellara in Treviso while Radas and Harding back up Neve and the Shadow Dragons seems like plenty! In a not Two Rooks state... Probably returns to Treviso and romances Lucanis? If anyone. Definitely tricks Solas.

Mercar Tethras

I see your eyebrow raised at the last name HEAR ME OUT. (look, I have a problem accepting 100% of the canon backgrounds lmao I have To Tweak)

Maevaris is Varric's cousin through a marriage that never happened because said cousin got MURDERED. But everyone, from rival magisters to the actual dwarven Ambassadoria, still treats it as though it happened. For some reason. She inherited his stuff, she has ironclad ties to the dwarves. I don't get it but it's THERE.

SO. Wee babby Radas is a slave, and lives as such his whole life until his estate is hit by a Shadow Dragon strike. Probably fairly early days of the Shadow Dragons, too. My (unscientific) estimates put that at around 9:49/50 so we'll say he is suddenly free at roughly 20.

He doesn't really know what else to do though so he wants to help his rescuers. Mae somehow someway takes a liking to him and as a way of protecting him from re-enslavement basically adopts him as a Tethras. He starts growing his hair out, learns how to do his eye makeup (important to most Radasi), and starts to learn a little bit how to be a free person. A year or two later Varric shows up on Solas' tail, finally meets his surprise 'Nephew' Mae has written about, and they get into some trouble freeing slaves that results in it being safer for Radas to leave with Varric for a time.

Saves Minrathous, tricks Solas, maybe romances Davrin

Aldwir

What if Aldwir wasn't a random name he took from a city that didn't like him and it was his actual name? If he grew up Dalish instead of finding himself alone at 9? He'd get Sylaise's vallaslin for real instead of a fake one that he stops wearing by the end of VG. He'd be more connected to the culture he would share with Davrin and Bellara. But I mean other than rewriting EVERYTHING that happens to him before the events of Veilguard, this is pretty close to OG Radas because it is the background I picked for him. Just with less solitude =] and no spirit bonding =<

Saves Minrathous, romance Davrin, redeem Solas

Ingellvar

Found in the catacombs as an infant, Radas never quite got on as well with the other children in Nevarra. Being raised by the Mourn Watch and the undead will do that to you, probably. His closest friends, outside of Vorgoth, are (you guessed it) Endurance and Mercy and the three of them roam the Necropolis his whole childhood. He doesn't talk much, but he accepts his training with the Mourn Watch and the missions he gets sent on with a quiet optimism. He would really like some living friends though. He just doesn't know how.

Being sent outside Nevarra with Varric is his first experience with almost literally anything.

Probably rescues Treviso, redeems Solas. Doesn't romance anyone but is close with Harding and Taash in any playthrough. And is very happy for all the friends.

AND NOW TO BRING THE MOOD WAYYY DOWN

Warden Sulavhenas

My poor blighted son. =< This one makes me sad.

The Sulavhenas clan accidentally uncovers a Deep Roads entrance along their migration route through the Hundred Pillars. While they put up a fight, and an attempt to escape, they're almost all slaughtered. Too late, a couple wardens who were also in the mountains investigating rumors of Darkspawn come upon the scene. They put down the darkspawn and as they attempt to follow stragglers they find teen Radas injured and heavily blighted. They perform an emergency Joining and take Radas with them, after burying his clan.

Radas is no soldier, and he prefers words to combat when possible. So the life of endless battle with foes that cannot be reasoned with doesn't fit him well. Any friends he makes have expiration dates, as does he. And as someone who was Joined young, his will come earlier than most. He tries to look on the bright side and enjoy the camaraderie he does have. But he's just so tired. Of the fighting. Of people dying. Of the damn Song that has just gotten louder every day since everyone he knew was taken from him.

Every darkspawn he kills is helping someone, somewhere. And he can survive with that. But it's been a long time since he lived. Wilting slowly but surely. At least his new friends Varric and Harding give him some hope.

Saves Treviso, redeems Solas. Love is important to any Radas but I'm not sure he would feel okay romancing anyone knowing how bleak his future was. But with a lot of reassurance perhaps Lucanis could convince him that the time he had was worth the eventual separation.