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As Ver Trevelyan lay dying he was happy that he had succeeded in killing Corypheus, but he felt that it was ironic that he wasn’t going to make it out of here alive, already he could feel light headed from blood loss, he was having trouble breathing.
Ver stumbled and fell to the ground, turning onto his back, he saw the sky, funnily enough the moon was shining brightly, not a cloud in the sky, Ver almost thought that it would be pouring rain and thundering when he finally died, hell he almost wanted that to happen, so that maybe his death didn’t feel so underappreciated.
He didn’t want to die, but he could already see the black at the edges of his eyes, at least he died saving that world, but was it really worth it? Did everything that he had gained on his journey outweigh all the bad that had happened? All the death that he had witnessed, all the people that he had killed.
But the one thing he regretted the most was that he had been too scared to let anyone too close because he had been scared. Scared of being hurt, of being betrayed, and that all his life he had been told that liking men was wrong, first from his parents, then from the Templars.
During his time in the Inquisition he slowly learned that it was alright to be yourself, but now it was too late, he wished that he could see his friends one last time, but he couldn’t move and he didn’t know where the others were. Maybe they were trying to get to him through all the Darkspawn and Demons.
Just when he thought that he took his last breath, and there was nothing but darkness. Not long after that the battle that was happening outside was over and the Inner Circle of the Inquisition came to the courtyard where Ver and Corypheus battle took place, they all stared in horror at the sight that greeted them.
Ver was lying in a puddle of his own blood, multiple wounds all over his body, but the big hole through his chest was the obviously fatal wound.
They all just stood there in shock, their leader, the person who had cheated death so many times they almost thought it was uncanny, was dead. Cassandra was the first to come out of her shock and ran to his body, trying to find any sign of life. Nobody said anything, not knowing what to say, finally Iron Bull went to the body and picked him up bridal style, "We'll need to have a proper funeral for him." Bull said, and with that they started walking away from the sight where the Leader of the Inquisition, the defeater of Corypheus, had died.
Meanwhile in the Fade
Ver took a shuddering gasp of air as he suddenly woke up, looking around wildly he noticed a woman right next to him, thinking she might be an enemy he tried to move but found that he couldn’t.
At second glance he realized that she had a slight glow to her, "Shh, calm down you're safe, we are currently in the Fade," She said when she realized that Ver had woken up. Ver forced himself to sit up despite the pain that he felt all throughout his body, and looked around almost frantically. Despite what she said he almost expected for an enemy to pop up from seemingly nowhere and kill them.
Not seeing anything or anyone life threatening he took a deep breath to try and calm his racing heart. Ver knew he needed to think calmly and rationally, otherwise he would get nowhere fast.
"So it's true, you really do pass through the Fade when you die." He asked looking around, it didn’t look or feel like the time he went there at Adament. He looked at the woman.
"Yes, it's true, but this isn't the normal Fade, I have brought you to a protected part where no one can over hear us and the demons can't get here." He raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what she meant about being over heard, but then thinking back to how the Nightmare demon had seemed to know their every move, sometimes even before they made it.
"Who would want to spy on us and why?" He asked, and the woman started to look nervous, the glow around her became slightly dimmer in her distress,
"We don’t have a lot of time, I can only keep you here for so long before it'll be too late to send you back. You have to listen carefully," she said with such a serious look on her face that he didn’t interrupt her even though he had questions, "there is a danger out there, one that is even worse than Coryphes, I can't say much, but he's lurking in the shadows until the right time to strike, when the world is at its weakest. He's been waiting and watching for the perfect time, gathering his strength." She paused to take a breath,
"He knows everybody's strengths and weaknesses and he knows how to exploit those weaknesses. If he succeeds in his plans then he will bring death and destruction, if you think the Blight was bad or what Corypheus did, then He will be worse, much worse."
"If that’s true, why are you telling me this? What can I possibly do about it?" Ver asked puzzled. "Who are you exactly? And who are you talking about? How can anyone be worse than Corypheus?" Ver was extremely confused by this time. And he was beginning to get annoyed.
He had just fought against Corypheus for the last time and even though Ver had killed him, he himself had died because of his wounds, and now some random woman in the Fade was telling him that someone worse was out there and wanted to possible destroy the world.
"I can't tell you much, if you know too much you could do more damage than good, all I can say is that you are the only one who has the power, the knowledge and the willpower to defeat him. Or redeem him. I can only say that he is called Fen'Harel, that’s all I can say. Now one last thing, I'm sending you back to Thedas, back to a pivotal time in your life, you will have to find out about Fen'Harel, only you can stop him,"
The woman or spirit looked pensive for a moment and then almost as if she had made a tough decision she stared into Ver's eyes looking for something. Apparently she found what she was looking for.
"I know this is tough but you will need to become the Inquisitor again, but I will give you a boon, as you might know the Mark was slowly going to kill you over time, I will give you power to overcome that. Power enough that you will be a god amongst men. Do not abuse that power, but I have watched you and I have decreed that you won't. I have seen your Heart and judge it worthy of the Gift I am about to give you."
Ver just stared at her in wonder and confusion. He was confused as all hell.
"What? Why me? What do you mean you're sending me back to a pivotal time? I never asked for this! And who the fuck are you? Why would you even think about giving one pwerson that much power." Ver couldn’t control his anger and annoyance. Just then Ver noticed the woman was starting to go brighter and brighter.
"I know you didn’t but you still stepped up and was willing to make the decisions that no one else will make or could make, which is why you have to do it. You are the only one who has the strength of will to do what needs to be done and not abuse that power. As for who I am, that doesn’t matter but if you really want to know, I am the called Mythal and I am an Evanuris."
Just then the Light came right at him, and all he could feel was pain ripping through him, almost like when he first got the Mark, but thousands of times worse. He felt like he was dying over and over and over again.
And with that the Fade disappeared.
Ver opened his eyes, he could immediately feel the difference in power in his magic. Before he could feel it like a gentle breeze in his limbs if he focused on it, but now it was like a hurricane in his veins and body and heart. Ver noticed that he was in his old room in the Circle. Maker he hated this place
Ver was afraid that the Templars would notice and come take him and make him Tranquil, but then he remembered that they could sense magic but not how much there was in someone.
Ver knew that the first priority was to focus on his magic to get it under control or to at least to relearn his magic.
Closing his eyes he tapped into his magic and followed it back to his core. Ver was right the main ball that signified how much magic someone had was at least 3 or 4 times bigger and stronger than they had been when he was fighting Corypheus.
Just doing magic by himself would cause more damage than most Staffs would do. He took deep breaths calming his mind and his emotions, which in turn turned his Magical Hurricane into a strong breeze. Ver figured that with the amount of Magic he had at his disposal that was going to be the best he could get it until he took the time to Meditate everyday.
He hadn't known what to expect but waking up in the Circle wasn't one of them. Granted Ver hadn't expected to wake up at all except in the Afterlife whatever that would have been.
But it wasn’t to wake up in his room in the Circle Tower. Ver just laid there, trying to wrap his mind around everything that had happened in the last 24 hours.
He turned over in the bed and closed his eyes, all he wanted to do was rest, he felt so tired at the moment.
Ver was woken up by the sun shining in his eyes. He got up immediately, as much as he didn’t want this, he knew he had his work cut out for him. But the first thing he had to do was to escape the Circle, he didn't expect any information on Fen'Harel to be here, he couldn’t do anything from here, and he supposed he could be an apostate for a few years as long as he got his phylactery and kept a low profile.
Stretching he looked around the room. Luckily he was in the Apprentice dorms which meant that it was before his Harrowing which meant his Phylactery was still here, thank the Maker for that as it would have been near impossible if it had been afterwards.
He quickly made his way into the basement being careful not to be seen picking the lock on the door, glad that Varric had taught him how to lock pick. He quickly shut the door behind him and looked down the corridor. There were 2 doors, one that had a barrier around it that he knew he wouldn’t be able to get past.
So with that he made his way to the second door, as soon as he opened Templar guards attacked him, he pulled forth his magic and sent a bolt of lightning towards them, quickly knocking them out, he could see the smoke coming off of them.
'hmm, maybe I put in a little too much.' As much as he hated Templars if he killed any of them today it would just make life that much harder tomorrow.
Swiftly going through the basement and dispatching any and all enemies that he came across. Coming into another room it was filled with artifacts, but what really drew his attention was a wall covered with Staffs, hovering his hand over them all one at a time, he picked up the one that called to him the most. The moment he had it in his hand he could feel the connection to his magic blossom to even stronger than what he felt like he could easily control.
Examining the Staff he saw that it had some Elven ruins on it. He couldn’t understand them at first, then after a moment of looking he started to understand. It read "To Those Who are Worthy" Ver almost felt that Mythal had made it special for him but, how was that possible?
Ver destroyed the wall that should be connected to the Phylactery room and stepped into it, quickly trying to find his own. He found it on the top shelf and took it. Casting a spell he double checked that it was his and threw it on the ground, breaking it. Then, he took a deep breath, mentally readying himself for the fight ahead. He knew that he was going to face the Knight Commander and the First Enchanter, plus others. He didn’t want to kill any of them though.
He was ecstatic to find that he still had his Knight Enchanter blade hilt. Knowing full well he wouldn’t have an issue getting out into the world. As soon as he stepped out of the basement he was confronted by half a dozen Templars and the Knight Commander and the First Enchanter.
The Commander stepped forward, he looked like he was going to say something, probably along the lines of 'kill him' but before he could Ver spoke "I will not be used and abused any longer by Templars! I choose to be free!" Ver shouted and knocked everyone back before opening a portal to Redcliffe Village as it was the first place to come to mind. He stepped into and disappeared from the Circle forever.
Ver stumbled into the village, slightly winded but that was it. He realized that he didn't have anything to his name but the clothes on his back. He shrugged he could handle it.
Tevinter
Ver figured that going to Tevinter wouldn't be the best idea especially considering that everyone would flock to him or try to use him due to his power but he had to start somewhere in his search for Fen'Harel and the Evanuris. Tevinter was the oldest Empire in Thedas. He hadn't figured out much, just that FenHarel meant Dread Wolf and that he had fought against the Evanuris, but that was only after they had betrayed and killed Mythal and enslaved everyone else.
Then he was approached by a Mage byt the name of Edmund, at first it started out as an acquaintance, then as a friend until it became something more. Ver knew that he would never love Edmund but he did care for him, so it came as a surprise when Edmund had betrayed him.
Ver may have been powerful but he wasn't infallible especially when you aren't expecting it. He felt hurt and like he had been stabbed in the back. Edmund took him to his father, who it turns out had been looking for strong and powerful individuals to experiment on.
Matthias, Edmund's father had used Black Lyrium and put it into the skin of others to try and see if it made them magically stronger, (he took the idea from Fenris and his master).
Ver heard that he was the only survivor of the experiment.
But he called it blck Lyrium because it was a form of Lyrium but it was black. Matthias liked to brag that it was the metal from the Black City in the Fade, but how that was possible he didn’t say.
Ver couldn’t say what it was or where it came from except that it had strong magical properties that made doing magic that much easier. Ver often wondered how bad of a threat this Dread Wolf how strong he will be if Ver already has this much power first from Mythal and then from the experiment.
He wondered how much stronger he could be if he just had the time and opportunity to practice his magic without consequence.
Free Marches
Months after the Experiment he had finally managed to escape the Mad Scientist and his Army of followers. Ver figured that he should try and find a Dalish camp to learn about their gods and anything else that might be useful.
It took him months alone just to find a clan, that just happened to be t Lavellan Clan. It took him longer to gain their trust but he did, and eventually they made him an honorary member. He learned about the gods more than he ever did before.
He came to realize that Dread Wolf had locked his people up because he thought they had done wrong and that he was still wandering the world now. Ver suspected that what Dread Wolf wanted to do was to bring back his people, especially with what it would take it could mean the worlds destruction just like she had talked about in the Fade.
Ver just then realized that not only would he have to defeat Corypheus again but make all those heart wrenching decisions all over again almost made him want to vomit, but also having to defeat another world ending threat made him want to give up now, just not even deal with any of it.
Wondering if saving the world was even worth it. Ver had to stop thinking like that because if he didn't then he knew he would fail before he even really started.
One night Ver went into the Fade by accident. It looked like it did in the real world but with the exception that there were actual spirits walking around, without them being demons. In the distance he could see a building that definitely wasn’t there in the waking world and decided to go towards it.
It looked Elven and nature. He saw that there were spirits around. He remembered what Solas had once said about seeing the memories of the past and went looking for those memories. He found them relatively easily and watched them.
These memories lead him to travel all over Thedas to find them in the Fade, and after years of searching he finally found what he wanted. What he needed. That it was Solas who was the threat and watching how powerful he was made Ver nervous.
But he realized that with training and doing his best to become stronger then he could defeat Solas before he even started taking down the Veil. Before he became strong emough to do it. It also helped that he knew that Solas needed the Orb/ the Anchor to do what he needed to do.
But he also realized that he may not have been too close with Solas but he didn't want to kill him. Ver decided that he would do anything in his power to redeem Solas. Another thing he realized was with his knowledge of the elves and their history and even his magic that in a way he had become an Evanuris himself and maybe that would be enough for Solas to stop. To realize he wasn’t completely alone.
Ver didn't have high hopes of that happening. No matter how much he wished.
It was quite coincidental, Ver went into the Fade not looking for Solas but for the Spirit of Wisdom as he had some questions for her that hopefully he could have helped with. When he did find the Spirit there Solas was talking with the Spirit.
Ver stopped and just watched them. Not in hearing range as he wasn’t as asshole like that. Solas noticed him after a while.
Solas looked surprised for less than a second and then turned his full attention to Ver as he had rarely come across a mortal this deep in the Fade without being attacked by demons or already being possessed.
Solas noticed the air of nonchalance and was even curious as to who this mortal could be. He could feel the magic on him but was almost blocked like his magic was being suppressed, even though that wasn’t the right word for it because if need be he could use his full strength. Solas almost thought there was something familiar about the magic but just turned it to the fact that he missed his people and hated what was being done to the Elves of this world. Solas had decided that he would want to see the world burn just to get his people back.
Solas took in the thick black marks that seemed to run down the man's body starting at each cheek on his face and one on his chin, they went down past the man's armor and he could see them on his hands and suspected they were all down his body.
Solas knew without a doubt that this human, this mortal was special, from the way he held himself, like he has seen horrors but still somehow found a way to live on. The he was strong magically as well. It wasn’t that the magic was similar, the strength of the magic was something he hadn't sensed in what felt like centuries.
Solas had felt the strength of magic dwindling in the people of Thedas, since the imprisonment of his people, because there wasn’t anyone to teach them thr strength of true magic, and humans didn’t have the creativity to fully explore their magic. Instead they feared and hated it, kept it locked up in towers to keep them from being to powerful.
Only mages in Tevinter could be considered powerful but even they didn’t see the true potential. Solas felt that this man might be different. Solas planned to see, wanted to get close to this man, maybe he could be convinced to help in his plan, but at the same time maybe not. In the end everyone and everything in this world would die.
Ver was starting to get unnerved by the Way that Solas was staring at him, especially as Solas had never looked at him with such an intense look of both curiosity and interest. Not even when he had the Mark on his hand.
Even in his old life Solas had been friendly once they got used to each other and got to know them, but Solas had never been this intense.
Ver walked towards him but stopped a good few feet away both to not spook Solas and for his own safety.
"I'm Ver," he said not really sure what to say or if he should just go, Ver wasn’t sure he really wanted to deal with him at the moment. Didn’t want to show his hand too soon. Wisdom decided that it was time to go, she wasn’t needed here anymore.
Again minutes went by without a word spoken. Ver decided then that he was going to go and started to walk away, he would have kept going if not for the fact that just as he was about to be out of earshot Solas spoke for the first time.
"Wait, Just call me Solas" Ver turned around and looked at Solas, who was looking at him still so intensely. Ver started walking towards him, maybe getting to know him better, not just as an advisor or the respect they had for each other but as a friend. They hadn't been friends just friendly with each other.
Ver was almost tempted to just go, but didn’t think that would be the best idea. Hell might even draw more attention to him than he wanted right now. Solas created a fire for them to sit at.
Ver sat down across from Solas, not fully knowing what to say or do, or even think about all this. He hadn't been looking for Solas, and yet he did. Was this a coincidence or fate? Or the Maker's plan, or more likely Mythal's plan. But if it was her plan what did she gain from this? What did Ver himself have to gain from meeting Solas like this?
Neither said anything. They just sat there, Solas just staring at Ver, trying to see into his soul, it felt like. It felt like hours they sat there looking for something in each other, even though Ver wasn’t even sure what it was he was looking for.
Ver tilted his head feeling the pull back to the world of the living. "I'm leaving now, maybe we'll see each other again." and Ver woke up.
Back in the Fade Solas watched as the man faded from view, he promised himself that he would keep an eye on this man. He seemed interesting to say the least.
Ver decided then that it might not be a good idea to continue his search for answers. He knew who the problem was, now he just needed to figure out how to stop him and he wouldn’t find that answer in books or memories. Also he didn’t know what would happen with Solas, Ver didn’t want Solas to figure out what he knew.