She'd heard that a small shrine had popped up since they'd gone to the Temple of Mythal. Fascinating when one thought about it, that it hadn't happened sooner actually. There weren't many Dalish in the ranks of the Inquisition, but there were certainly some. Making her way over, she saw the elderly elf kneeling in front of it.

Every now and then he would stop by the chambers of the only other ancient elf who’d deigned aid the ‘Herald of Andraste’— but that always seemed to end with a deep sorrow settling over them both. A mourning silence the elderly elf found he’d rather avoid, sometimes. Of course, he’d also tried to aid the Knight-Commander in training his troops— their form was hardly as well practiced as those he’d trained alongside when he was young,Myndilon had explained before attempting to demonstrate… and after toppling practice-dummies and a young foot soldier, was promptly expelled. Other friends of the Herald were similarly odd: the spirit-boy and the author… the little brat called Sera had even threatened to put an arrow between his eyes for the sin of speaking to her in what should have been their shared language!

❛  that thing is cursed! don't let it touch you!  ❜ ❛  i'm afraid this is very bad.  ❜ ❛  is there no way we can stop it?  ❜ ❛  do we just sit here and watch them die?  ❜ ❛  you cannot alter your fate. however, you can rise to meet it, if you choose.  ❜ ❛  you must take it with you. please, i want you to have it, so you won't ... forget.  ❜ ❛  don't you even think of thanking me. it was my pleasure.  ❜ ❛  easy there. you don't want to make your injuries worse, do you?  ❜ ❛  i was starting to think i'd done something wrong by bringing them back home.  ❜ ❛  why are you here, if you don't mind me asking?  ❜ ❛  follow me if you wish to learn my secret.  ❜ ❛  how much more hatred and pain do you think we need?  ❜ ❛  if it's me you want, here i am.  ❜ ❛  why did you stop me from killing them? tell me while you're still alive.  ❜ ❛  that's enough! i'm not listening to you anymore!  ❜ ❛  don't be shy. i won't hurt you.  ❜ ❛  you can go wherever you want to. you're free now.  ❜ ❛  you'd risk everything on one last battle?  ❜ ❛  what if something goes wrong and we're stuck here? we can't help you.  ❜ ❛  even if you were a woman, you'd still be an idiot!  ❜ ❛  why can't we stop this fighting now?  ❜ ❛  it's a trap and a stupid one.  ❜ ❛  you know that boy wanted to share his life with you.  ❜ ❛  i'll try and bring you some help! can you hold out?  ❜ ❛  i'll be back! i promise!  ❜ ❛  you'll have to stay here. wait for me. i'll come back for you.  ❜ ❛  it's really you? you're still alive?  ❜ ❛  i was right in the front line. i saw everything. everything!  ❜ ❛  everything started happening so fast. it was like a nightmare.  ❜ ❛  take it easy. i'm trying to get you out.  ❜ ❛  you're on their side, aren't you?  ❜ ❛  here. take this. where i'm going, they won't be of any use.  ❜ ❛  you'll have to hurry, or it could mean the end of all of us.  ❜ ❛  you must fight it! don't let yourself become a demon!  ❜ ❛  what proof is there this isn't a lie?  ❜ ❛  i'm sorry. i tried to stop it.  ❜ ❛  nothing is over. the two of us are still alive. now, will you help me, [name]?  ❜ ❛  don't force me to kill you.  ❜ ❛  i'll always be near. i will come and visit you ... whenever i can, all right?  ❜ ❛  well, i give up. you can't win against fools.  ❜

BEING LEFT ❛  wait! you can't just leave me here alone!  ❜ ❛  i don't know how to live in a world where i'm all alone.  ❜ ❛  everyone i've ever loved has either left or died.  ❜ ❛  i'm not yet ready for it to end.  ❜ ❛  will we ever see each other again?  ❜ ❛  please! you promised! you promised you'd never leave.  ❜ ❛  if you leave now, i'll never forgive you.  ❜ ❛  are you really going to leave after everything we've been through?  ❜ ❛  how am i supposed to keep on like before when you're not here anymore?  ❜ ❛  i knew this day would come, but i hoped it wouldn't be today.  ❜ ❛  please don't go. not yet. just stay a little longer ...  ❜ ❛  don't just walk away. say something, anything, before you go.  ❜ ❛  so that's it? you're just ... gone?  ❜ ❛  you can't just walk away like none of this meant anything!  ❜ ❛  why does everyone i love always leave?  ❜ ❛  i should've known better than to think you'd stay.  ❜ ❛  is it really that easy for you to walk away?  ❜ ❛  you said we'd face the world together. now i have to face it alone.  ❜ ❛  if you're going, at least look me in the eyes and say goodbye.  ❜ ❛  i don't have the strength to watch you walk away again.  ❜

LEAVING ❛  i'm sorry, but i cannot stay here any longer.  ❜ ❛  for once, i'm trying to do the right thing.  ❜ ❛  you don't need me here anymore. you've always been stronger on your own.  ❜ ❛  i wish staying was enough. i really do.  ❜ ❛  don't look at me like that. if i don't walk away now, i never will.  ❜ ❛  one day, you'll understand why i have to walk away.  ❜ ❛  i wish i could stay, but this isn't my place anymore.  ❜ ❛  don't wait for me. i don't know when ... if i'll be back.  ❜ ❛  i wish there was another way. but there isn't.  ❜ ❛  this isn't goodbye because i don't care. it's because i do. too much.  ❜ ❛  this goodbye is the hardest thing i've ever had to do.  ❜ ❛  i'm leaving because i love you too much to keep hurting you.  ❜ ❛  i'm sorry i couldn't be what you needed me to be.  ❜ ❛  i have to go find who i am without all this.  ❜ ❛  just because i'm leaving doesn't mean i stopped caring.  ❜ ❛  i'm not running. i'm just done waiting.  ❜ ❛  every step i take away from here is breaking me.  ❜ ❛  i can't keep pretending this place feels like home.  ❜ ❛  the hardest part isn't leaving. it's knowing you'll be here when i'm not.  ❜ ❛  sometimes goodybe is the kindest thing we can say.  ❜

@veilxjumped sent: “Does that make me a dumbass?” From Nelgorn!(either arlathan or veilguard!)

~ A smirk threatens to cross Solas's lips at the boy's crudeness. " I would not say that, " he asserts, managing to keep a neutral expression. The Dread Wolf certainly knew of Nelgorn, but had never met the young prince in person; never would he imagine Elgar'nan's grandson arriving at his doorstep, begging to join his rebellion. ~

Norrim studied the old elf as he closed his eyes by the fire, took the chance while he wasn't paying attention to really get a good look at him. His vallaslin were much darker than other Dalish of a similar age, looked like they hadn't had a chance to fade with time.

And when he spoke of his past, however brief, she nodded sympathetically. She'd never experienced what he must have gone through, based on what she'd heard of Seheron and Qarinus, but she knew it couldn't be good. The weight of his words sunk in, and her expression shifted, becoming serious as she turned her gaze to the fire. She had a potential solution, but she wasn't sure if the old man would want to hear it.

"We know little of the Creators in Minrathous," he continued, taking a bit of tinder from his traveling pack and tossing it into the fire. The flames licked just a tad too close for the old elf's comfort— like they were reaching out for him— but he said nothing of it. "But the Keeper of my clan, for however long I had it, said that after all I'd endured, the markings of the All-Father would suit me best." A soft snort, and he shook his head. "Rather on the nose, but I suppose I should be complimented. I got them so I would not stand out. I wanted to be like them... but it simply was not meant to be."

Serious and scary, a soft exhale from his nose as he offers another nod, an amused look on his face as he keeps his eyes on the ground for a moment. Yes, he was certainly both of those things when it came to his role and his god, probably more so than necessary given his feelings towards the other.

❝I would be glad if you did.❞

Gesturing towards the other to follow, only going a small distance away to a hopefully more comfortable spot. Sitting down to speak across from one another always seemed to soften meetings, ease the nervousness, perhaps because it often had some object between them- this time a table. Joining his hands together to rest upon the table in a display to ease what may linger, no weapons, no sudden movements, only him leaning back a bit in his seat.

❝I've since thrown that position away, hard to serve a god that's locked away, hard to serve a dead one as well.❞

The word "dead" netting a soft sigh from him before he continues on.

❝That's not my life anymore is all I mean. I no longer act in blind devotion, it's been drilled into my mind to question, even the leader I follow should be questioned when needed.❞

'Course it would serve to irritate Viago if he was questioned, but the fact that he was willing to now was a big change in his mind.

❝This said, I'm using my past to serve the future, I want to ask about Elgar'nan. I'm sure I'm not the first to ask, but having lived during that same time, and served an evanuris myself, I believe I am best to understand.❞

Sure, the people of today were smart, but it was different. He had lived it, references that might be vague or questioned further he would understand immediately- probably. He knew the other evanuris, not as closely, but small things that might be lost in conversation he could pull on if they were important. And of course, relate. A conversation is best when understood, right? Bringing up a hand to push hair back out of his face just to rest on the table once more.

"You're lucky, at least, you found a place like this after you awoke," the boy said with a sigh, gaze shifting to the casino below them; it hummed with the sort of merriment he'd only seen at fine parties in Arlathan. "I like the Veil Jumpers well enough, but I do wish they'd try to dig up an old palace or two. You never really appreciate a bed until all you've got to sleep on is the ground." He gave a nervous little laugh, but quieted quickly.

Ah, of course. That's what this servant of Falon'din wanted— information. "I don't think you know any less than I do," he said with a helpless shrug. "The last time I saw my— Elgar'nan— I'd just turned seventeen." He paused, eyes shifting to the table. "About a year and a half before I entered uthenera. We didn't speak at length, it was my Mamae he needed to talk to. It seemed like a normal conversation, for a bit— they talked about my training, he seemed... well, not displeased. If he had been, I'd probably be ash." The young mage paused, brows furrowing.

‘Why aren’t we interacting?’

😿 - I’m too shy to reach out

😥 - I’m a little intimidated by your writing length / style / formatting

😵 - I don’t know how to approach you

⌛️ -  You seem really busy

👥 - I don’t know which of my muses you’re interested in

📝 - It would help if you could fill my interest checker!

❓ - I’m not familiar with any of your current muses

📩 - I’ve sent you asks / written you starters, but you never replied to them

📤 - We have threads, and I’ve been waiting on your replies

💬 - I have a plot in mind for us, but I haven’t found the right way/time to reach out

💞 - I ship our muses, but I don’t know if you’re interested

✒️ - I usually interact through memes / open starters and you don’t post a lot of them

🥇 - You followed me first and I’m waiting for you to make the first move

🥰 - I’m following you because I love your writing and content and I just want to read your stuff

recently i’ve noticed that the rpc seems to have trouble interacting with eachother–and i’ve seen a few of these memes go around, but i thought i’d make another!