Rakshasa in a Top Hat

Confessions

Chapter 9 of thank fuck it's done 9

It's not my best ending, I admit. A better one would have been having Sebastian break himself out in a Leliana's Song fashion. But the constraints of the storyline I'm working with prevented that. Instead, have some multiple layers. Honestly, this type of thing is the only explanation I can think of for why a rivaled Sebastian would bum around Kirkwall for 3 years between Acts 2 and 3 with Starkhaven right there ripe for the conquering. And it shows the power of any single Grand Cleric, that when necessary they are capable of choosing the same Right and Left Hands that the Divine herself is.

It explains why Elthina sends Sebastian to go meet with Leliana in Act 3. Send the Left Hands to go confer, have the nightingales sing, and each comes away with news. Like so much else in this worldstate, Hawke is only a narrative focus because it's Varric who tells the story.

Also relevant because it delights me right now:

Chapter 8 of 9

Influence

But who is influencing whom. Does Justice still have claws in Sebastian's mind? Or is Sebastian twisting the Templar's image of the Darktown Healer in ways that will turn them all in circles?

Or both.

Probably both.

Most of the torture was confined to last chapter. These interrogations don't descend to the point of requiring physical persuasion.

In case it's not obvious by now, this story is neither Cullen positive, nor Chantry positive, and certainly not Templar positive. But, like Emeric and his investigations, that doesn't mean they're wrong.

Dragon Age magic is a deeper, darker, more eldritch thing than anyone cares to admit. There is a reason the codex cards in Dragon Age Inquisition for magic and magic theory look like this:

like despair and ruin

Chapter 7 of I hope to fuck I can keep this to 8

Penance

Torture! I used to study torture for fun, this was remarkably easy to write. I just needed to get my chromebook to stop fucking off so I could finish the chapter. I think I got all the missing letters added back in but if something looks weird give me a bit I'll fix it later.

Yes, the methods used against Sebastian are the same that were used on Anders in previous stories, in Rule of Three and referenced in Tools of Torment and the Anatomist's Notes. This is not a Templar-positive story, shall we say.

The actual torture is simple and easy, a beginner's torture requiring very little hardware. A whipping against the post. And then sealing the wounds closed with magebane and pinetar.

And the most damning question of all.

"What is the nature of the Darktown Healer?"

Chapter 6 of 8

A Terrible Price

I know, I know. But I also have most of Chapter 7 written AND I have a fucking END to this story. I know where it ends! And I know what happens after, I'm sticking the Legacy DLC soon after this story. And yes, the party for Legacy will be Hawke, Varric, Anders, and Sebastian.

Sebastian makes three Agreements with the spirit before Justice's Fall. The first, the funeral for Leandra. The second, this story, the cure for chokedamp. The Chantry will do everything in its power to prevent the third.

They will fail.

Sebastian has returned to the Chantry over Justice's objections. Whether it is hope or foolishness, Sebastian never believed they'd send him to the Templars.

Chapter 4 of fuck if I know anymore

I tried. I swear I tried to end it at Chapter 3. It was a great ending, it implied things all worked out, our heroes were successful!

But it did not end.

It's all about Vows, I think. Most members of the Chantry swear their vows to the Chantry itself as an institution or to a person or to the current Divine. It seems Sebastian was one of those rare types who actually pledged his vows to the Maker. Now, now that he's followed such a vow to the letter, his Vow of Charity upheld by holding the lives of others above his own soul, that Chantry will fault him for it. Because his soul should be worth more than mere lives. Because their own souls are worth more than mere lives, right?

Because if one Brother is setting this kind of example then what does it mean for the rest of them? Because if Grand Cleric Elthina, master of sitting back and letting the Templars win and then taking political credit claiming it 'just', cannot set an example like this... Then what exactly is the Maker's work?

Chantry critical machinations ahead. Also Justice ate a dude again but it's offscreen. I'm sure they deserved it.

The Templar’s Secrets

Despair has been defeated and Faith remains Entwined with Cassandra. Now they and Trevelyan just have to deal with the little issue of the waking world and Cullen’s dumb ass standing on the edge of the binding circle with a sword.

Grand Enchanter Fiona is not helping.

The Templar stands ready to destroy the threat he sees before him. Nobody is amused.

Cassandra was never very good at bluffing.