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Ves’ Detailed Choices and Timeline: DAO

THIS... is a very long, quite unnecessarily detailed step by step guide to Ves’ choices in Dragon Age: Origins. I will make another one for Awakening and then a third (far simpler) list of major choices for both just for ease of reading.

AEDUCAN ORIGIN - Had Bruntin killed, not an unusual choice for her reputation within the Assembly. - Did not fight in the provings but was seen and spoke happily with the armsmaster, interested to hear of the recent gossip especially in regards to casteless winning a proving. - Challenged Lord Dace for his attempt to trick her into supporting his financial burden, a truly desperate and foolhardy thing for him to do. Ves defeated Mandar Dace in an honour proving but did not kill him, congratulating him on his prowess. - Did not believe Bhelen’s assertion that Trian wished to kill her, chalks up the accusation to his youthful nerves and political inexperience, framed for Trian’s murder. - In her conscription to the Grey Wardens, Ves sees how far she had strayed from Paragon Aeducan’s virtues, how that lead to this outcome for her family and people. She resolves to not make that mistake again, the Darkspawn are the only enemy of concern to her now.

OSTAGAR - Spoke with Loghain and learned of the tension between him and the King, with some trepidation. - Finds the resolution not to meddle in politics to be quite a difficult one for her. - Did not give the deserter food. - Gave the flower to the houndmaster and later names the Mabari ‘Mandar’ - Found Missionary Jogby’s box.

LOTHERING - Killed the Bandits. - Avoided a confrontation with the Merchant, not her business. - Calmed the Chasind through shaming him for his cowardice. - Sent Loghain’s men away with the message ‘Let’s talk first’ - Agreed to help the Blackstone Irregulars. - Persuaded the revered mother to release Sten. - Avoided the mob whilst leaving Lothering. - Did not complete most of the chanters board quests, just enough to pay for supplies and have some funds left over.

REDCLIFFE (Alistair, Leliana, Sten) - Begrudgingly agreed to help the villagers and so fully prepared for the battle. - Paid for Bevin’s sword. - Happily lied to Owen in her intent to search for his daughter to persuade him to restart work. - Got Dwyn to fight through intimidation. - Got Lloyd to fight through intimidation. - Learned of Berwick’s mission and got him to fight for the village. - Lead the village in it’s defense, thoroughly accustomed to commanding soldiers in such hoard-style engagements and everyone survived the night. Gifted the Helm of Ser Ferris the Red and is intrigued by it’s dwarven craftmanship. - Left Jowan in his cell. - Found Valena, much to her own surprise. - Listened to the suggestion of sacrificing Isolde for a blood ritual, but when told that it put Morrigan at risk alone in the Fade with little ways to help her, she resolved to kill Connor. Knocked Isolde out to do it. - Has little time for the request to seek out the Urn of Sacred Ashes, considers the whole Redcliffe fiasco a waste of time.

CROW ASSASSINS (Leliana, Morrigan, Sten) - Attacked after briefly returning to Orzammar’s gates, upon seeing Loghain’s forces there alongside Mercenary companies, she left and so ran into the Crows. - Met the merchant with Shale’s control rod along the way. - Thoroughly questioned Zevran. - Quite easily allowed him to join her in defeating the Blight.

MAGE TOWER (Morrigan, Wynne, Alistair) - Initially agreed to clearing out the tower for Greagoir but upon finding Wynne she agreed to seeking out Irving. Ves is already thoroughly tired with mages. - Ignored most magical sidequests on the way up, except when Morrigan noticed the Black Grimoire. She also read about the multiple copies of the ‘rare’ tome, which she found very funny. - Was not convinced by Fade Duncan. - Had trouble with the confusing passages of the Fade and got thoroughly frustrated but did eventually succeed in freeing her company and defeating Sloth. - Saved Irving and ignored Cullen’s angry concerns in the face of Greagoir’s reassurance. - Grudgingly allowed Wynne to join then.

DENERIM (Leliana, Zevran, Sten) - Upon running out of provisions and needing much of their equipment repaired or replaced, those least recognisable snuck into Denerim. - They take jobs from Kylon, the Mage Collective and a few from the Chanter’s board to make enough money to stay in the city discreetly and get what they need. She also agrees to look into assassin contracts for the Crows. - Ves is reunited with Gorim as they return from their labours. To see him alive lays her heart to rest and she is happy to hear of his fortune on the surface, but she does not ask him to join her, not when she failed him. Too dangerous for him and his family to be seen conversing with her long, she takes the letter and shield back to their rooms in a backwater tavern. She reads it there and does not sleep for the storm of thought that it inspires in her. - Levi Dryden finds them here by chance, though Ves is noncommital about his request initially. - They are accosted by Ser Landry the next day and, though Ves talks him down from a duel, she determines that they need a proper base of operations and accepts Levi’s request.

SOLDIER’S PEAK (Sten, Morrigan, Zevran) - Before arriving, Ves pointedly avoids wading into a confrontation between Gwaren and Bannorn soldiers. - Slays the Demon within Sophia Dryden. - Drinks the Blood Concoction. Anything that will give her an edge over the Blight. - Allows Avernus to continue his research, insisting on ‘sensible’ methods, not necessarily ‘ethical’ ones. - Finds Asturian’s Might, gives it to Alistair when they get back. - Encourages Levi to make the Fortress habitable in exchange for supporting their endeavours, supplying them and doing what he can to hide their movements. - Stays until Mikhael has outfitted the company with proper Warden equipment, which Ves now agrees they have enough security to bare, staying hidden now less important than staying relevant. Let people see them doing their job. Ves herself modifys the blighted armour taken from Sophia Dryden to fit her, destroying the makeshift forge she used to do so and discarding the tainted tools as well.

Ves takes them from Soldier’s peak to Redcliffe, pausing at Lake Calenhad to search for Sten’s Blade. They also encounter the Kingsguard here and Ves is given the key to Cailan’s chest containing secret documents, still in Ostagar. She puts this at the bottom of her list of problems. Upon arriving in Redcliffe and seeing that Arl Eamon is still unconscious, she frustratedly acknowledges that none of the other Nobility of Ferelden will speak with her and in order to settle the Civil War she will need Arl Eamon’s connections. She begins to plan the journey back to Denerim, but seeks out the Golem first.

HONNLEATH (Alistair, Zevran, Morrigan) - Tricks the demon into releasing the girl. - After being surprised by Shale’s free will, she asks for her help against the blight. - Upon returning to camp, Morrigan reminds her of her continuing worry for Flemeth’s looming treachery. The trek to the cabin is riddled with darkspawn but Ves’ sense of loyalty to Morrigan as a part of her company wins out and she goes with Sten, Wynne and Zevran to kill Flemeth, which she succeeds at, to Morrigan’s surprise and delight. - From here they begin the journey to Denerim, but first go to find the Dalish. - On the road they find a newly struck meteor and Ves is taken with the strange metal.

BRECILIAN FOREST (Sten, Morrigan, Zevran) - Is somehow not surprised that (upon finding them, which took some time) the Dalish are also in some immediate peril. She agrees to help them with an air of resignation, realising that nothing will be easy for her from here on, and prepares to enter the forest. - Zevran calms the Halla, Ves asks him about his relationship to the Dalish and hears about his mother. - She does not involve herself with Cammen and Gheyna. - Does not agree to seek out Danayla but still hears her husband out. - Does ask about Wynne’s apprentice, Aneirin, more for curiosity’s sake than anything else. - Finds the hunter and returns him to the Dalish camp. - Tries to reason with Swiftrunner when it turns out he can speak. - Speaks with the Poetree and agrees to find his Acorn for him, begrudgingly. - Finds the dalish gloves after discovering the demon campsite and gives them to Zevran. - Does discover more about the elven ruins by completing the ritual, too damn curious about history for her own good. - Frees the Arcane Warrior. - Does agree to speak with Zathrian, though not before making sure the Spirit of the Forest and Swiftrunner understand ‘This is not my problem! You all understand? This! Is not my business or my problem!’ She convinces Zathrian to undo the curse, her motive purely being that ‘I would like to have one less sickness that turns people into mindless monsters to worry about’ - After returning to camp, she allows Alistair and Leliana to escort Wynna back into the forest to find Aneirin, though she does not go herself.

DENERIM (Alistair, Leliana, Wynne) - On the road, they are attacked by Assassins hunting for Leliana and upon arriving in Denerim Ves seeks out Marjolaine and convinces Leliana to kill her. - She also eventually agrees to go with Alistair to see his sister, when it becomes clear he will not go by himself. Afterwards she is quite harsh, asking Alistair what exactly he expected from a woman he had never known. - Finally they find Genetivi’s house and the false Weylon is discovered. Resigned to the fact that this is apparently something she is going to do, she notes down the village’s location. - She recieves a letter from the Blackstone Irregulars before she leaves, apparently the son of it’s leader wants his father killed. She finds Raelnor and tells him to get a grip on his company, she can’t clear up every mess.

On the road she stops at Soldier’s Peak so that Mikhael can take a look at the Meteor ore. Recieves Starfang. They also briefly camp near Orzammar’s gates to re-assess the situation. The large numbers of forces are gone, but a representative is still there harassing the doorman. Ves quietly asks after Sten’s sword before moving on.

HAVEN (Sten, Shale, Leliana) - She was no less happy about the situation than Sten was, but he acquiesced to her arguments. - The whole town, civilians and all, turning on her was certainly not what she had expected, but it did sound right. - She convinced Genetivi to return to Denerim, beating him in stubbornness by a hair’s breadth. - Kolgrim’s offer had been tempting, but Sten’s word convinced her against trusting him, he was right after all, no one in their right mind would believe this all a good idea. - Encountering Trian’s ghost, she resolutely told herself that this was all some magic/spirit/fade trick. But still, she could not help but treat him as the brother she lost. - She passed these trials and took a pinch of the ashes. All of it seemed easily explained by ‘Magic’ but she was glad Leliana at least enjoyed herself. - She absolutely leaves the dragon well enough alone.

RETURN TO REDCLIFFE (Alistair, Leliana, Morrigan) - Before going to the castle, she went to Dwyn and wrangled him out of Asala, to give back to Sten at Camp. - Ves is immediately wary upon Eamon’s waking. Putting Alistair forward for the Throne seemed unnecessary and yet another play of the political game. She struggles to find the neutral path here, vieing between the wrongness of a Warden as a King, versus the undeniable political gambit of actively manipulating the situation herself. She stays quiet, for now. But remains neutral in her tone and excuses herself to continue about her business. Finally time to return home, no matter the situation she finds there.

ORZAMMAR (Sten, Zevran, Morrigan) - Seeing little has changed, she accosts the door ward’s accoster. Persuaded the Ambassador to leave, once again asking for Loghain to speak with her. - Did not help create the chantry in Orzammar, and was particularly derisive about it. - Agreed to take Dagna’s request to the circle tower, no matter how much it bemused her. - Sought out the Assembly, immediately rebuffed Bhelen’s representative without care, not glad to hear that Harrowmont was vieing for the throne but determined to plow on. - Met Harrowmont’s representative outside of the Assembly and was ready to pledge to his cause, despite her own misgivings. But Zevran’s lack of faith in Harrowmont’s leadership was not only well founded, it rocked her surety in her decisions. - She went to the Shaperate to think, and was surprised to find Czibor’s lack of acknowledgement of their past relationship quite grounding. After the disorientation of seeing her home so at war, she remembered she is not a dwarf of Orzammar any longer and her motives must only be in aid of the Grey Wardens. - She took to the Provings as a Grey Warden in order to settle her indecision the good Dwarven way, taking her win as a sign of the Stone’s favour and in the end dedicated her win to Bhelen. - Returns the documents to the shaperate. - Returning to Vartag Gavorn, she takes the documents (obvious forgeries to her) and does as she is bade. The meeting between her and Bhelen is ice cold, she gathers her mission and goes to Dust Town, picking up the lyrium deal on the way. - Routing Jarvia completed, she returns to Bhelen and his surprise at her actions. And she does tell him, you forced my hand, Harrowmont has no backbone. Your inflated sense of self confidence and righteousness is marginally better than that. Bhelen has his own venom to offer and Ves has to constrict her replies before it gets out of hand. Branka is missing and her vote is necessary to break the stalemate. Into the Deep Roads it is. This is almost a relief to Ves, the Deep Roads has always been her battlefield.

THE DEEP ROADS (Oghren, Alistair, Morrigan) - Ves reluctantly agrees to Oghren’s company, agreeing that he will know Branka’s mind better than her. Shale she considers taking, but eventually the worry that exposure to Lyrium and (potentially) the forge of Golems itself will effect her newly regained free will dissuades her. Ves simply promises to return with whatever she can find about Shale’s past. - Kills Ruck, tells his mother he died heroically. - Finds the records of Orta’s noble house. - Finds the records of the Legion of the Dead’s noble status. - Finds the topsider’s blade. - Meets Kardol and is quite warmed by his more familiar greeting, though he remembers her exiled status a moment later. Helps push the line back to Bownammar’s gates with great zeal, seeming to gain strength and conviction the further they treck into the deeps. - Ves is not surprised by encountering a broodmother, though is surprised that Alistair had not been told of them before. Branka’s explanation for the horror is sickly logical to Ves. Finding out how Golems are made lights a fire in her, but not the kind Caridin wanted. And whilst it is painful in the extreme for her to kill a Paragon, she preserves the Anvil. In this moment her choice for King is even more solidified, Harrowmont would never have the enduring stomach necessary to keep the Anvil. Bhelen did. - Bhelen is elected King and Ves lives with the twinge of guilt she still feels to see Harrowmont slain when he had been her supporter, even if it had been for his own political machinations. - She ignores Bhelen’s intent to reinstate her as a member of house Aeducan, but giving her Trian’s Maul is a step too far and she leaves promptly. - Persuades Kardol and the Legion of the Dead to fight on the surface.

She takes the company back to the Tower, firstly to complete a tidy lyrium deal since their funds had begun to run dry what with the army now being fielded, but she also manages to remember to ask after Dagna’s request. At this point, she also haggles a boat out of the Circle Tower, making the subsequent journey back to Orzammar and then to Redcliffe far quicker than it might have been. Whilst in Orzammar, she makes another trip into the Deep Roads to find Cadash Thaig.

Back at Redcliffe, Ves tries to covertly question Arl Eamon on whether it would not be more prudent to simply acquiesce to Loghain’s regency in order to make him more amenable to discussion on the darkspawn threat. But this is firmly rejected and Ves puts Eamon under the ‘unreliable ally’ catagory. The board is set, the Landsmeet is called and Alistair is put into the firing line, something that worries Ves more and more as the days go on.

DENERIM She is relieved to see Loghain so early. The impromptu meeting solidifies his position in her mind, which she is grateful for. Yes, Wardens are politically conniving and a dangerous unknown in his eyes, they took advantage of Cailan’s naivete and are conspiring with Orlais. Knowing his opinion gives Ves the final puzzle piece to understand all the events leading up to this, which leaves her in a good mood, much to Eamon’s confusion.

RESCUING ANORA (Zevran, Leliana, Wynne) - Eager at the idea of (at worst) gaining more information about her opponents and (at best) gaining Loghain’s daughter as an ally, Ves happily sneaks into the the Arl’s estate. - Finds the Arl’s son. - Finds Imminric and promises to give his ring to Alfstanna. - Releases Soris. - Releases Vaughan on condition that he supports the Wardens in the Landsmeet. - She makes it all the way through the palace and kills Howe without alerting the upper story guards and it is only with Cauthrien’s confrontation that she is caught. She does not give up Anora, instead surrendering to Cauthrien without a fight. - She waits a little time, hoping that perhaps her capture might allow her to speak with Loghain more privately and come to some kind of arrangement. But Sten and Zevran break her out before that can happen. - With the revelation that Anora no longer trusts her father, Ves is even more relieved. Keeping the current Queen on the throne is not only the smoothest solution, it is also the most neutral. She isn’t accustomed to having her moral dilemmas so easily tied up. Anora finds not just a willing but a glad ally in Ves.

THE ALIENAGE (Sten, Zevran, Wynne) - Breaks into the Tevinter base of operations and is not in the least bit surprised to find a slaver operation running. - Has Devera take them to Caladrius. - Rejects the initial offer, intimidates Caladrius into leaving with his life. She knows how to fight Tevinter Magisters far more dangerous than him after all. - Picks up the letter, releases the elves and returns to Eamon.

THE LANDSMEET - Before the Landsmeet, Ves takes Alistair aside and tries to impress to him the danger he is in. He has been pushed into a game with rules he doesn’t understand and with penalties he has no idea about. She tells him he has to remain verbally clear that he doesn’t want the throne. Anora will be Queen and he can continue in the Wardens, but he has to keep singing that tune. She cannot protect him and remain neutral if he doesn’t. - Persuades Cauthrien to step aside - Focuses on issues of the Blight and avoids accusations surrounding Ostagar. - Nearly unanimously supported, including the Antivan crow’s illicite support. - Duels Loghain herself, which turns out to be quite the difficult fight. Loghain is far faster than she expects and she takes some blunt hits in the time it takes for her to compensate. But she wins out in the end through sheer strength and durability. - Things somehow go downhill dramatically from there. She does not address Alistair’s veherment rejection of accepting Loghain’s surrender, does not really have time. She was not aware Riordan had acquired the cache of Archdemon blood to induct new Wardens and kicks herself for not spending more time winning his trust so that he might have informed her beforehand. - Inducting Loghain into the Wardens seems prudent and a fine way of enforcing Warden pragmatism and neutrality. Alistair’s anger, she expects, but before she can really talk him down he has already claimed the crown in front of all the gathered nobility of the Landsmeet. - Suddenly she can no longer protect him. Anora is queen and she calls for Alistair’s head, just as any sane ruler of a tenuously peaceful country should and Ves cannot find words to save him, especially not when he has denounced being a Grey Warden anyway. - But the Landsmeet is won, the country behind her and Loghain survives the Joining.

RETURN TO OSTAGAR (Loghain, Wynne, Zevran) - With time enough to spare ahead of the Army and a new recruit they all need to get accustomed too, Ves finally follows up on the key to Cailan’s chest. - Finds Maric’s sword and gives it to Loghain. - Finds the documents. - Defeats the worrying darkspawn necromancer and the risen ogre. Takes Duncan’s weapons. - Gives into her own wishes just once and does not give Cailan a King’s burial, leaves him to the wolves.

REDCLIFFE - The answer to how an Archdemon can be killed seems like the last piece to a puzzle she hadn’t known she was pondering until that moment. And there is a moment of gallows humour as she looks at Loghain realising what his stance on Wardens might have cost them. But that mellows quickly, if Riordan does not succeed then she has to consider which of them would be the better sacrifice. It is a narrow thing, but in the end she internally agrees it should be Loghain’s price to pay. Still, this seems like one loss on top of the other, and a sad one when she had been truly starting to like having him at her side. He had fit into the battle-roll of her second so well too... - Morrigan, as always, surprises her. And at this point she truly trusts that, whatever this end goal of hers might be, it will not be an unbearable one. Morrigan is her friend, after all. She persuades Loghain to take this course only a little easier than she expects too and they have an awkward morning.

THE FINAL BATTLE (Loghain, Zevran, Morrigan; Sten as Leader at the Gates) - The Blackstone Irregulars under Raelor were holding out within the city and join Ves’ ranks. - Both of the Darkspawn Generals are defeated. - Ves leads the armed forces well and specifically calls on the dwarves to hold key positions about the city. - Slays the Archdemon herself.

EPILOGUE - Requests of Anora that Ferelden send more forces to help Orzammar push back against the Darkspawn. - Is quite nonplussed at the suggestion of being made a Paragon, but makes some preliminary organisational plans with Gorim before he tells her to leave the administration till later. - Initially assumes she will stay in Ferelden and oversee the rebuilding of the Wardens. - However, in a stroke of melancholic desire to just have a month of... something else, she agrees to go with Sten to see his homeland and invites Zevran to go with them on the trip. - Asks Loghain to lead the wardens whilst she is away. - Returns six weeks later and joins him at Soldier’s peak to help him wrangle the arrival of Orlesian Wardens before going to Vigil’s Keep to take up the Arldom there and, of course, it can never be that simple.

#;;canon

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