Greetings to you all and welcome to my very first entry here. Since someone on BSN (Bioware Social Network) was kind enough to point me in this direction, I figured I would share my not so small fanfiction with you all.
It is dwarf-centric, and I understand there is a shortage of dwarf love here. So allow me to assuage this need in some measure.
Title: Dragon Age: The Crown of ThornsCharacters: m!Aeducan, m!Brosca, m!Surana, f!Tabris, f!Cousland, m!Mahariel. The first three are the most prominent and the dwarf noble is the protagonist.
Rating: M (for language, violence and manipulation, as well as torture and a lot of gore, especially in chapter 13)
Word Count: Almost 300,000 (just about 8,000 words short of that figure). And it will keep going for a while. Most recent chapter is 28 and was uploaded on November 7, 2010. Update rate is about one chapter per week, usually on Sunday.
Summary: Bhelen had all bases covered, but didn't consider that his older brother would get himself framed on purpose just to fake the death of a certain someone. AU Fanfiction including all Origins as characters. Different outcome for House Aeducan and Orzammar.
This tale deals with a lot of things, but the biggest change from canon occurs very early on when, instead of being forced into stupidity by game mechanics, the second son of king Endrin Aeducan decides to not play Bhelen's game. What follows is a very convoluted scheme that spans many chapters and, in story time, a long, long while.
The most notable changes, besides using all Wardens, are how certain side characters are given central roles while others are dealt with in more unusual ways.
Mostly this is my vision of what a 'good' dwarven politician is like, and one who has the brains and charisma to do a lot of unexpected and complicated things. I also went into a lot of other matters, like blood magic and its surgical uses, as well as what a real blood mage can do in the middle of a battlefield with thousands of gallons of fresh blood lying around.
People may be interested in this fiction for either of the following reasons:
-they like to read about relationships, and this goes for more than just romance. In fact, friendship and the relationship between brothers have gotten and will continue to receive more attention than pairings.
-They are interested in a character that is both smart and charismatic without being perfect.
-They like reading about smart people being outsmarted while still staying in character.
-They want to see certain things analyzed in detail. For instance, how one can become a spirit warrior, or what a battle would look like if characters are allowed to actually jump (not being able to jump took away a lot from what the game would have been otherwise, in my opinion).
-They like
suspense. I mean it, there is a lot of it here, as those readers that went to the trouble of leaving feedback were kind enough to confirm.
-They are looking for pairings that have not been done (often) before (Brosca/Tabris anyone?)
-They like epic battles (I will assume, based on what reviews I got so far, that I write them at least decently)
-They like character development.
-They enjoy foreshadowing.
-And most importantly, they have no problems with long chapters (they go from over 5,000 words to over 15,000. You have been warned.)
So, to get your interest piqued (or so I hope) I'll provide a few quotes here.
(What to say upon returning from a deep roads expedition) "I'm just a rash young man who ran away from home a few months ago and disguised himself as a soldier when this fine army left for its mission. There I spent my time looking at how grey the stone was, how interesting the cracks in the rocks looked and rushing on ahead of the main force repeatedly, though I always managed not to get myself killed somehow. The ancestors are just funny like that I guess..."
(Same context) "What do you want me to do? Gloat in front of these people like some glory-hungry fool that's had too much to drink?"
(How to berate an Assembly) "A snake does not leave scraps for worms to feed upon. It swallows its prey whole."
(On hatching an insane scheme) "Well, now that that's over with we can finally get this thing going. I'm glad to have fought alongside you all and I hope I don't die like a rat in those deeps and make this all look completely stupid and sadly irrelevant to the larger scheme of things."
(On rituals) " Just in case I do die, and I need not state how much that would suck for me and a drove of other people, I want to duel you at least once."
(When having tea with spirits form the Fade) "Seriously. You're a blood mage. As in, you can control other people's, and, by extension,
women's actions. Need I say more? Don't tell me
you've never had any naughty thoughts yourself."
(On making deals with Witches) "Well, it would definitely be dramatic enough for me to find some wild game after selling out my freedom and wind up wallowing in self-doubt after I agreed to your deal, wouldn't it?"
(On bribing your way to leadership) "And
why are you all looking at me in stunned silence again?"
Keep in mind that these are only some of the more lighthearted moments, There is a fair bit of angst and pain and suffering in this tale, though I think I struck a good balance. Anyway, have fun and, unless it's too much to ask, leave some feedback when you can ;)
Oh, and just to get a visual, these are the characters. (For those that freak out, keep in mind that Genevieve from The Calling also had white hair and eyes, though there is a good explanation for why this particular dwarf ended up like this. He was originally blond and had dark blue eyes. Read chapter 11 and you'll understand).
Aeducan. (
Aeducan 2) (
Aeducan 3)
Brosca.
Surana.
Tabris.
Cousland.
Mahariel.
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elysium_fic
