141 réponses à ce sujet

[Sandtigress]

Oh yeah, I think there are lots of ways to help Zerlina out. You can talk her parents into taking her back in (but her son is still casteless, what will his future be like?), you can get Brother Burkel to take them in, or tell them to go to the surface. I think there's lots of ways to do the situation.



As far as the timeline goes, Amelia hasn't met the Broodmother yet. She's still wandering in the Deep roads, probably between Ortan Thaig and the Dead Trenches, I would say. We'll hear more about the Deep Roads tomorrow!

[Sandtigress]

10 Firstfall

Dearest Fergus,

At long last we have fought our way out of the Deep Roads and won the dwarves as our allies. It is a joy to see the sky again – I had begun to think it was but a figment of my imagination. We have departed Orzammar following Bhelen's coronation. I am glad that this business is done, but it was a terrible thing. Bhelen has sentenced his rival Harrowmont to execution, eliminating his opposition. I tried to interfere, but I had no say in the matter, despite having done all they have asked and more.

During the coronation it was not Bhelen, but Alistair that I watched. There was fear in his eyes, knowing that it could be him, some day soon, receiving the crown upon his head. The idea of ruling terrifies him so, but I know in my heart he will be a fine king. He would not put an innocent man to death simply to solidify his position, in case the man turned against him. He is not so ruthless, or so cowardly. I wish that I could give him the confidence he needs to see how wonderful he could be, but I fear that doing so might entangle us further than we already are, and that if we get too deep, we might not be able to do what must be done at the Landsmeet. But it is hard to keep my distance, Fergus, it is so very hard, and I think it only confuses him further.

But you do not want to hear about that, do you? I am sure you would be more interested in Caridin and the Anvil of the Void, the secrets of the golems and Branka the mad Paragon. It is truly the most fitting name for her. The woman sacrificed her entire house in pursuit of the Anvil. She went as far as to give the women of her house, including her lover, to the darkspawn to become a nightmarish creature, a broodmother, whose only purpose is to birth more darkspawn. It was a horrid sight, Fergus.

Branka trapped us in a maze of traps, traps that she herself had exhausted her house upon. And so she used darkspawn, birthed by her friend. And when they failed, us. Of course it would surprise you that we succeeded where she did not, wouldn't it? I jest, I know you have always believed in me. At the end of this gauntlet of trials we found the Paragon Caridin himself, who had created the Anvil and the golems. He was long thought dead, but in truth had hidden himself away to protect his terrible secret.

Caridin created golems by sacrificing living beings, dwarves who volunteered their lives to become invincible creatures of stone and metal. Rather, they volunteered at first. When the king saw how effective the golems were, he began to order dwarves to their deaths and Caridin could bear it no longer. Then he himself was put on the Anvil, turned into a golem, and he determined to hide it away forever. He needed us to destroy it, no golem could, he said.

Branka tried to stop us, and though I tried to find another way, we had to fight and kill her. I don't know how Oghren can bear to stay with us, after what we did to his wife. She was mad, I know, but still. I think about you, and Oriana, and I feel guilty, even if he seems to have forgiven me. He has given up his life in Orzammar to join us on the surface – sacrificed his house and his caste to fight the darkspawn with us. In some ways, I suppose though, he has not given up that much, since he is the last of his house remaining. We have that in common, it seems.

Fergus, we have finally completed our mission. We have gained the aid of the dwarves, the elves, the mages, and we head now back to Redcliffe and Arl Eamon's forces. I can hardly believe we have come this far, but you knew all along that we would, I am sure. You have ever had more confidence in me.

I will need your continued belief in me, brother, wherever you are. We face Teyrn Loghain soon, the Hero of River Dane himself. Despite all that we have accomplished so far, I am still afraid. It seems an impossible task. It is Ferelden's best hope though, and so we must do it.

Pray for me, brother. I am ever praying for you.

Your sister,

Amelia

[Sarah1281]

I'm not sure I'd agree that Bhelen putting Harrowmont to death was cowardly. Ruthless, yes, and a horrible thing to do but it seemed to spring more from hatred of Harrowmont and annoyance at being kept off the throne for so long than any fear of him, particularly since Harrowmont's traditional enough to respect Bhelen's rule because a Paragon/you picked Bhelen.

[Sandtigress]

Sarah1281 wrote...

I'm not sure I'd agree that Bhelen putting Harrowmont to death was cowardly. Ruthless, yes, and a horrible thing to do but it seemed to spring more from hatred of Harrowmont and annoyance at being kept off the throne for so long than any fear of him, particularly since Harrowmont's traditional enough to respect Bhelen's rule because a Paragon/you picked Bhelen.

Yeah, but Amelia doesn't know him that well.    She sees it more as a preventative measure on Bhelen's part so that he doesn't have to deal with a potential uprising.  I think she'd think that Harrowmont was a nice enough guy and more trustworthy than Bhelen, and that it was relatively unlikely that he'd go against the decision to make Bhelen king, so to her mind it's not all that likely that an uprising would occur.  So for her, it's a cowardly rather than pragmatic action.

[maxernst]

I think you're correct that Harrowmont isn't likely to fight your decision...but I'm not sure Bhelen would believe that. I can see Bhelen being paranoid enough to want to get rid of anybody that might possibly be put up as a rival. I always assumed that the reason Bhelen tries to take the throne by force if you crown Harrowmont (rather than biding his time and waiting until the Warden leaves Orzammar) is because he expects to be executed if Harrowmont is crowned king.

[Yankee23]

Great, as usual! I really enjoy how it seems as if I am reading my own HNF's story.

[Sandtigress]

15 Firstfall

Fergus, is love always so complicated? Things were not so hard for you and Oriana, were they? I have tried to stay away, truly I have, but it appears I have not been so successful. My distancing has not changed my heart, nor his it seems.

I am writing you this letter from my bedroll, from which I have been forcefully reminded not to move until further notice after finding myself injured on the battlefield. First, do no worry, it is not serious. Perhaps it is more correct to say that thanks to Wynne it is not serious – had we not been so fortunate as to have her as a traveling companion and friend I might well be with my family at the Maker's side now. And while it would bring me no small joy to see my dearest ones again, there are many things which hold me here, not the least of which is my duty against the Blight. I will admit though that the idea of being with you all again kept much of the fear from my heart.

Loghain has changed his tactics, or added on to them, perhaps. Or maybe it is just that the common folk must find other ways to collect his bounty on Grey Wardens. In this case, sabotage, or at least that is Zevran and Leliana's theory – they are confirming it now, backtracking to the village we passed through. It is certainly the most likely explanation for why armor that I asked to be repaired would simply fall apart instead during a battle against the darkspawn, isn't it? Yes, I know that we just left Orzammar, home of the best smiths in Thedas, but it didn't seem like it was a problem then. And you have never traveled with two Grey Wardens and a dwarf, we were in need of a resupply anyways. But now you are teasing me again…

It was a truly terrifying experience, nearly dying, I will be honest. But then, I guess you know that, don't you? So many things flashed before my eyes in that moment – images of you teaching me to use a sword and convincing Ser Roderick to give me lessons, of playing chase throughout Highever, saying goodbye to you when you left for Antiva and your wedding day, playing with Oren as a baby. And beyond that, of my last night at Highever and Duncan, meeting Alistair, and events along my journey as a Grey Warden. How is it that so many things can fit into such a short time that nevertheless feels like an eternity? Is it strange that other than my family, Alistair occupied the foremost of my thoughts?

I don't know if it should please me or not that it was he who was waiting by my side when I awoke. It thrills the heart, but unsettles that part of me that knows that we cannot be together. The way he watches me now, as though I were something precious and valuable that he were afraid of losing…it is both exhilarating and frightening. And he kissed me Fergus, he kissed me! It was all that I could have dreamed of a first kiss being, disregarding my injuries and the impossibility of our situation. I will never forget the words he whispered to me, burned as they are into my heart and soul now. "Have a care for my heart, my lady, for surely it fell when you did."

Oh Maker, Fergus, I am so confused. What is between us is real, I know that it is, but that does not change duty – he to the throne and me to the Grey Wardens. Every day that passes makes it more difficult to face our inevitable separation. This coming Landsmeet cannot happen soon enough, or I fear that he or I will do something foolish and doom us all. We will leave for Redcliffe as soon as I am well enough, and from there I can only hope that Arl Eamon will be ready to leave soon.

Keep me in your prayers, big brother. The days ahead grow ever more difficult.

Your own,

Amelia

[Sagar DKar]

Love the concept. Very good.

[Khalara]

Oh my this girl needs a hug... badly..
And the line you had Alistair use....:wub: (sigh/squeee)

[Sandtigress]

15 Haring

Dear Fergus,

Things are already not going according to plan, and the Landsmeet has not even occurred yet. The Maker has a sense of humor, it seems, or quite the belief in our abilities – I would have thought defeating the Blight was a challenge enough but he seems to disagree. Where should I start?

When we arrived, we were almost immediately approached by Anora's lady-in-waiting who brought news of the Queen's capture by Howe. It seemed very suspicious, but it was an opportunity to gain Anora as an ally, and so we went to rescue her. It was, of course, if not an outright trap, a convenient opportunity for Loghain's men to capture us.

I should not have risked the future King of Ferelden in such a risky venture, I know, but I was selfish. I knew that I would have to face Howe, and I could not refuse Alistair's desire to be present, knowing that I would want his strength by my side in that fight, and afterwards. I thought for so long that when the day came I would take pleasure in killing him, after all that he had taken from me. When the time actually came though…I do not know. My feelings are mixed, nowhere near as straightforward as I thought they would be. There is relief – that our parents and you and your family are avenged, that Howe can no longer perpetrate his evil on other families like he did on ours. His death did nothing to alleviate all the pain and the loneliness that I have lived with since that day at Highever though. I thought it would make me happy, but I miss you just as much as I ever did. And in some ways, I feel sick, knowing that it is yet more human blood on my blade, another death to my name, knowing that I would go so far as to kill a man because he hurt me. I know that Howe is far from innocent and that he forced our final confrontation, but still, brother. Where does it end? How much insult or injury is enough to justify the slaying of another man?

After Howe's death, we freed Queen Anora but encountered troops loyal to Teyrn Loghain on the way out of the estate. Would Loghain's men truly hurt his daughter? I doubt so, but so much has been twisted and confused that I do not know who to trust anymore beyond my own companions. We fought back instead, hoping to at least keep Anora safe, and we succeeded in that much, though Alistair and I were taken and thrown into Fort Drakon to await Loghain's judgment. Yes, I knew that would amuse you, hearing of your sweet, obedient sister locked in Drakon like the most heinous of criminals! Truthfully though it is an awful place, saturated with misery and despair and I would not wish it upon my worst enemies. Well, perhaps it would have been a fitting place for Howe, rather than allowing him to befoul my blade.

We escaped with the aid of my companions – Oghren and Zevran if you will believe. I am told they put on quite an entertaining show, the famous "Brohma brothers" or some such nonsense, they said. It was certainly quite a laugh to see them enter the prison cells in clown outfits! The Maker blessed me when he sent these men and women to aid me against the Blight, he truly did. We fought our way free from there – yes, just the four of us. Did you ever imagine your baby sister becoming such a formidable force, escaping from Fort Drakon with such little aid? I know that I could not have foreseen it.

We returned to Arl Eamon's estate, where Anora immediately begged us to investigate rumors of trouble in the Alienage connected to her father. Always one thing after another. One would start to think we weren't doing everyone a great service in defeating the Blight as it were!

I have never been in an alienage before, not like the one at Denerim. The elves there live in such squalor, Fergus. I am glad that Father never allowed such things at the castle, and I can only hope that the alienage at Highever is a happier place to live. As if things were not bad enough for the elves, Loghain, it seems, has gone so far as to sell men and women off to slavery. Slavery, in Ferelden! The very idea is unspeakable, I cannot imagine what has driven the Hero of River Dane to fall so very low. He must be stopped, of that I am certain. Surely the Landsmeet will agree with us on that account, with all the evidence that we have uncovered. Would that we could find another way rather than put Alistair on the throne…but we will do what we must, he and I are of the same mind on that.

Alistair and I have received word of a survivor from Ostagar who is seeking our aid. Arl Eamon says that the Landsmeet will not be for some time yet, with First Day soon approaching and the winter snows slowing the nobles, so we will make our way to Bann Loren's lands and see what might be discovered. There is good news, however. In Howe's estate we discovered another Grey Warden, senior of Jader. His name is Riordan. It is beyond relief to have a senior Grey Warden on our side at last. The archdemon has remained hidden thus far as we sort through Ferelden's civil problems, but I cannot continue to hope that our luck will hold out. There is so much still about being a Grey Warden that we do not know, that Riordan can share with us.

But we are about to leave and so I must draw this letter to a close. I will write to you again soon.

Your sister,

Amelia

[Sandtigress]

Sagar Dkar wrote...


Love the concept. Very good.

Thank you!

Khalara wrote...

Oh my this girl needs a hug... badly..
And the line you had Alistair use....:wub: (sigh/squeee)

Ha, yeah, it was another original scene that I had in mind while I was playing her game, and I wanted to use it so badly and just waffled over whether I should or not.  So that was definitely thanks to SurelyForth and jenncfg who encouraged me to go ahead and do it!  I do like that line though.  :wub:

[Sandtigress]

A/N Spoilers for the Return to Ostagar DLC ahead, just in case you haven't played it yet and don't want to be spoiled.  You have been forewarned!  As always, thanks so much to everyone who is reading and especially reviewing!


1 Wintermarch

Dearest Fergus,

Happy First Day, big brother. I have little to gift you with, out on the road as we are, unless you would like to pick amongst our collection of weaponry or armor, though truthfully you would probably find that a fine gift indeed.

We are two days out of Ostagar, on our way back to Denerim for the Landsmeet. Why Ostagar? Our information from King Cailan's man pointed us to a chest of vital information that was left behind when the army was slaughtered. We discovered that and more upon our return. Darkspawn, of course, but also the remains of King Cailan. It was a pitiful sight, Fergus, his body, put on display like a gruesome trophy by the darkspawn. We gave him an honorable burning when we could – it was the least we could do for him, after Loghain's treachery sealed his fate. Would that we could have done so for all the poor soldiers that Loghain doomed, but the darkspawn have seen to their corpses. It is another thing that Loghain will have to answer for.

The chest contained several of King Cailan's documents, letters from Empress Celene of Orlais to him, and of a familiar and intimate nature, inviting the Orlesians to join Ferelden in the fight against the darkspawn. Is this perhaps why Loghain abandoned the king to his fate? Especially this mention of a permanent alliance, and Arl Eamon's talk of putting Queen Anora aside. It is this that troubles me the most, Fergus. Not talk of uniting Orlais and Ferelden – that might be a prudent route given Ferelden's weakened state, though I know it would be near treason to suggest it to men and women of Father's time. No, that is not it at all.

Fergus, Arl Eamon had been encouraging the king to put aside his wife in favor of a woman who could give him children, heirs to the throne. It is true, they had been married some time and yet their union had not been fruitful. Why, do you ask, am I concerned with this? I fear what I am about to tell you, but you will keep it a secret, won't you? At least until I have decided if it is the route that we should take.

We face the Landsmeet soon and the Hero of River Dane, second only to Maric the Savior in the regard of the people, and we seek to depose his daughter to place Alistair on the throne. I know that it will not be looked upon kindly by the Landsmeet and I hear the talk amongst the nobles, the skepticism in their voices. There is a solution to it all, that will raise Alistair's claim to the throne above any complaint. If Alistair and Anora were to wed, or at least agree to it, then their mutual claim would be beyond objection. It is perfect, and it breaks my heart. But I knew we could not be together, that he would have to marry another. Perhaps it is better for both of us that it happens sooner than later.

No, I have not told him of this plan yet. I am afraid to face him – afraid he will object or outright refuse, even more afraid that he will agree and leave me behind. Perhaps something else will present itself, another solution. Perhaps by then the nobles will accept Alistair on his own. And perhaps I am trying too hard to fool myself, holding on to the best part of being a Grey Warden for me.

I am trying to be strong, to put Ferelden's needs before my own desires, but it is so very, very hard. Would that you were here to share your advice, brother. But I know that you will be looking out for me from where you are.

I miss you terribly,

Amelia

[Sandtigress]

15 Wintermarch

Dearest Fergus,

Tomorrow is the Landsmeet, when all our fates will be sealed. We will confront Loghain before the assembled nobles and we will put an end to his misguided leadership and set Ferelden back on course to defeat the Blight. We must, it is our only hope for a united front behind Grey Wardens, and only in such a manner will the archdemon meet its end.

The deed is done. Anora and Alistair are set to wed, and the Landsmeet is sure to support their combined claim to the throne. It was agreed to reluctantly, most of all by me, but all three of us realize that this is Ferelden's best chance. Or rather, Alistair and I realize this. Anora, I think, realizes mostly that it is her best opportunity to remain in power.

As much as it breaks my heart to send him off, I grieve more for him now than for me. Alistair has a sister, a half-sister, in Denerim, and he asked me to come with him today when he visited her. I have never seen a man who longs for family as much as he does. Under other circumstances, it would be quite endearing. In this case, though, his sister is…the politest word I could call her is a harpy, and that would not approach the contempt I feel for her, that she would trample over his hopes for money. And now I have convinced him to marry a woman who will never love him, and turn his back on the one whose heart belongs to him alone. Fate could not have designed a more sorrowful hand to deal us.

Am I making a mistake, Fergus? Is there an option I am not seeing, a course that we could take that would not end in heartbreak for us all? If there is, it is hidden from me, and I cannot find it.

But it is late, and tomorrow will be a big day. I will let you know what the nobles decide.

All my love,

Amelia

[Khalara]

  Get over to the Alistair gush thread and get this girl a hug...

[Sandtigress]

Khalara wrote...

  Get over to the Alistair gush thread and get this girl a hug...

Alas, Amelia is a PS3 character!  No hugs for her! 

[Yankee23]

*wrings hands waiting for the next letter*

Great job!

[Thoron Draugohtar]

Wow, such a great story. Your character feels more alive than any of my characters and the relationship between Alistair and Amelia is fantastic.
I "always" play human noble (because I'm a sucker for the Cousland origin story) and despite my characters being male, most of them develop some kind of  brother-in-arms relationship with Alistair. The story of Amelia and overcoming her own problems along with Alistair instead of just overcoming her companions personal problems is just quality.

Also, when Amelia writes these letters does she just keep hold of them? And I can't wait til Amelia meets up with Fergus at the end(unless she happens to die fighting a certain Old God)

 Well done!

Modifié par jojojordmeister, 16 août 2010 - 08:55 .

[Sandtigress]

@Yankee23 lol This week will be one for hang-wringing, I think....Glad you're enjoying them though!



@jojojordmeister Thank you for the compliments! She does indeed just hold on to them for right now. I imagine she's got a lockbox in her pack that she keeps them in, since they're very personal, almost diary like. As to whether she gets to see Fergus again at the end or not....we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? ;-)



Thank for reading guys!

[sabreene]

I'm so loving these Sandi! I love to see your interpretation and view events from Amelia's eyes. Her personality is so different from most of my Couslands, although the end of her story sounds like it will be much like one of mine. Very bittersweet. It's just intriguing to get behind her mind and thoughts with the letters. It was a wonderful idea -- I don't think I'd told you officially in writing yet!

[Sandtigress]

sabreene wrote...

I'm so loving these Sandi! I love to see your interpretation and view events from Amelia's eyes. Her personality is so different from most of my Couslands, although the end of her story sounds like it will be much like one of mine. Very bittersweet. It's just intriguing to get behind her mind and thoughts with the letters. It was a wonderful idea -- I don't think I'd told you officially in writing yet!

Thanks Sabreene!  I've actually had a ton of fun writing these, and they've kicked my muse back into action, so that's a very good thing!  Thanks for reading!

[Sandtigress]

16 Wintermarch

Fergus, I think I may have done something incredibly foolish. It was, at the very least, impetuous and impromptu and…I do not think there are words to describe it. But for your sake, I will try, to the best of my ability.

We stood before the Landsmeet yesterday, and all eyes were on me to choose Ferelden's next ruler. All on me – I trembled under the weight. Loghain forced a confrontation, before all the nobles. Alistair finally had his revenge after defeating Loghain in single combat – I wonder if he is any more satisfied than when I slew Howe. But none of this is the foolish part.

Ferelden looked to me to choose its next ruler, to choose between Alistair or Anora or honor the agreement between them and raise them together to the throne. And I…Fergus, I thought of Alistair and his disappointment in Goldanna and in family, of Cailan and Anora and their lack of children, and how could I possibly condemn the man I adore to a loveless life with no family to call his own? And so I stood before the Landsmeet and I announced Alistair as king, with me by his side.

The Landsmeet approved, Fergus. I thought they would shout me down for my slip of the tongue and declare its impossibility, me just a Grey Warden. But they do not believe it is contrary for me to be both Warden and Cousland, and perhaps they are right. At his side, I can provide for Alistair the political background he lacks, the guidance he needs until he finds his own feet – it is what Mother and Father taught me to do, after all. And perhaps together we will be the pair that Ferelden needs, not just to stop the archdemon but for the future as well.

Queen, Fergus. Your little sister is going to be queen. I can hardly believe it. And more glorious than that, I will marry the man that I love. Of course there are ever complications. Some of them are…personal, that I am not ready to discuss yet, even with you. Not just yet. As to the rest, the army is gathering in Redcliffe and Arl Eamon has already departed for home. We leave tomorrow to join him. Alistair has declined the throne until the threat of the Blight is passed, with Anora named as his heir should he fall against the Blight. But that is not today, and I will do everything in my power to see that such precautions remain unnecessary.

For tonight, I think I will simply be astonished at the wonder of it all.

Sweetest dreams to you, dear brother.

Your sister,

Amelia

[Yankee23]

 Yay, no giving the poor boy to Anora! 

Now on to the dr...

Great work.

[Sandtigress]

The DR indeed....Alistair and Amelia have no idea what's in store for them!

And it will throw everyone off, but just for the fun of it, since I finally got her profile picture to upload yesterday - that's Amelia!  (the blond Cousland in armor...if we're back to the Dalish..that's not her)  Yay!

Modifié par Sandtigress, 17 août 2010 - 07:10 .

[Sandtigress]

Fergus, oh Fergus, tell me what I should do. I know that you cannot really hear me, and that you can't answer back, but how I wish I could talk to you. Perhaps this letter will suffice – will you find a way to talk to me?

The archdemon is on its way to Denerim now and Riordan has revealed a most awful secret – a Grey Warden must die to stop the archdemon, and there will be no other Grey Wardens in Ferelden when the time comes, we cannot wait for them. I am not so foolish as to imagine that somehow Riordan will land that final blow. It will be Alistair or me, I know it. How can I let my heart slay itself for me? But I would be naïve to think that he would let it be any other way.

But there is more, Fergus, there is more. Morrigan has offered a way out, at a terrible price. We have become close, she and I, like the sister I never had, but was it all for this? I do not know what to think. She asks me to convince Alistair to lay with her this night, to conceive a child with an Old God soul, and this will spare the Grey Warden who kills the archdemon. But Fergus, a child, not our own, and he with another woman…

We may never have children, Alistair and I, because of the taint. And now to save us from that taint Morrigan seeks to steal a child from him, his only child, and who knows what will become of it? We are doomed whichever way I choose. And how can I ask him to take as his first a woman that he hates to save the woman that he loves? It is impossible, Fergus, but I cannot bear the thought of life without him, not after all that we have already been through for each other.

Tell me what to do, big brother. Do I send my beloved to Morrigan and hope she is telling the truth, or do I take myself to his room and spend one night in his arms, possibly the only night we will ever have? Please Fergus, please help me…what should I do?

[Yankee23]

 The hand wringing has started again.

It hadn't occurred to me that there was no tent time mentioned, what a choice...first time = last time or first time = Morrigan ...you are an evil woman.

Excellent, as always!