DAO: Whispers in the Dark - Prologue

Whispers in the Dark
A Dragon Age Origins fanfiction
By: Jessica Foltz
Edited and occasionally co-authored by: Erik Stephens (e_delta88)


Prologue




“Dumat,” Toth began as he looked at the Dragon of Silence, “Re wux jaunus zahae nomeno (Are you sure about this)?”

“Coi ui shio yth shilta tir, Toth (It is all we can do, Toth),” Dumat informed the Dragon of Fire. “astahii re sventir stoda hesi vraktor, jikahshir batobot astahii re blasphemers ihk xoair ekess annish hefoc udoka. Astahii geou xikin ihk nomeno ilyandrosa Wux shilta qe khru di batobot! (They are killing off our children, believing that they are blasphemers for attempting to appear like us. They will pay for this treachery. You can be certain of that!)”

“Shar svabol sjek nomeno tiric ti gethrisj wer idol wux nadot? (But what if this does not go the way you plan?)” Urthemiel chimed in.

“Pok scaduir, Urthemiel! (Stop complaining, Urthemiel!)” Zazikel scolded. “Coi zklaen qe authot. Sjek astahii tira ti tuor nomeno ekess shinalt, hak astahii jalla tepoha zulf algbo aurthon loaw. (It must be done. If they did not want this to happen, then they should have left well enough alone.)” The Dragon of Chaos looked to Dumat. “Si mi mrith wux, Dumat. Origato udoka show astahi vis l'gra ihk sventir stoda hesi vraktor, de juvenile ekess udoka jennu ithael. (I am with you, Dumat. Let us show them true fear for killing off our children, from juvenile to us great wyrm.)”

“Hak yth shio iaco (Then we all agree)?” Dumat inquired. Looking at the other six Great Wyrms.

Zazikel was right. They should have known to leave well enough alone. For things were going to take a drastic turn that no one would have thought possible.

“Axun, Dumat (Yes, Dumat),” the elders chorused.

Dumat nodded. “Hak origato coi qe authot. (Then let it be done.)” he said softly, his deep voice echoing in the hall. “Spol lex ekess Sathira ekess kepla'nas wer doraanar… Si zklaen xurwk kepla'naslei. Veyet'toon sia thurirli (Send word to Sathira to prepare the prophet… I must make preparations. Goodbye my friends).”

“Ha! Coi ui wux batobot geou tepoha ekess itheik ihk udoka while yth nap vur visit hesi thirhe acht nomenoi hofibai, juanth thurirl (Ha! It is you that will have to wait for us while we nap and visit our vengeance upon these fools, old friend)!” laughed Zazikel. “Zhin mrith wer Shio Opsola, Dumat. Yth geou demak wux soon aurthon (Walk with the All Father, Dumat. We will join you soon enough).”

Dumat simply nodded gravely to his old friend before he turned and left. Heading for his temple in the Tavinter Imperium to seal the fate of Thedas.


- - -


Years passed since that day Dumat lead the Tavinter Magisters into the Fade to conquer a “golden city” and take it for their own. Those magisters who had dared to go through with it were transformed by what they had found, and then cast back onto the earth. Becoming the first darkspawn. With Dumat leading them as a corrupt and tainted creature. The First Blight had begun. Attacking the Tavinter Imperium without warning, drowning it in blood and fire. Those who ingested the blood of these foul creatures fell to the taint it carried and were transformed into ghouls, eventually becoming the same mindless beasts that had attacked them. It took years before Dumat was killed and the first Blight ended.

It was then, in the middle of a small fishing village--that would one day become the city of Denerim--that a women stood on a wooden platform. An Alamarri woman slave who had escaped the Tavinter Imperium, with her husband. A woman who would change the course of history for the world of Thedas. She had long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, tanned skin, and wore a white dress that came down to her ankles.

As a child, she had always dreamed of a godly figure who would come to her. The dreams at first seeming to be nightmares, but as she had gotten older, with the help of a close friend, she began to realize that these dreams weren’t nightmares. They were a message that the Maker was giving her as an answer to her questions about the world and all that was in it.

And now it was time for her to use the knowledge she had been given. It was time for the world to see the truth about what the Tavinter Imperium had done.

“Everyone!” Andraste shouted as she stood on a platform. Looking down at the people who had gathered. “These Tavinter Mages have ruled over us long enough! They treat those without magical talent like filth that they can walk on! They slaughter innocent children, enslave those whose blood is no different from your own! Stand with me! For the one true God, our Maker, has shown me the way!

“They believe in false gods!” Andraste continued. “In false deities who are now attacking us as twisted and distorted creatures that must be destroyed at all costs! They brought these...these darkspawn into existence! It is their fault that we are plagued with a fate worse than death if we are subjected to their...their taint! They have blackened the Maker’s Golden City with their sin! They cannot be allowed to continue their ways! They must be stopped!

“Who will stand with me?” the woman demanded. “Who will help the Maker and me in the fight against the Tavinter Mages?”

Without any hesitation, a tall, muscular man stepped forward from the crowd. His dark eyes showing the belief he felt in the woman’s words. He wore heavy armor and had a large sword resting against his back. His beard a dark brown color. As was his short hair. He had his helm tucked under his left arm.

“I will,” Maferath announced.

“As will I,” Shartan announced. Stepping out from the crowd. He was the leader of the elves enslaved by the Tavinter Imperium in the Alamarri lands. He was bald with long pointed ears--a trait all elves had. With piercing green eyes and tanned skin from having to work the fields and other labors his human mage masters forced him to do.

“So will we,” a feminine voice chimed in. From the crowd of Alamarri humans came a group of fourteen people. All of them wearing cloaks and various types of armor--all ranging from light to massive. However, their armor was made out of dragon scales. Their eyes, though were all different colors, all bore a slitted pupil instead of a round one. They looked much like the Alamarri people, only their eyes gave away what they truly were. Not that anyone noticed this. If anyone did, it would have been the Magisters--and other mages--of the Imperium.

“The Maker has returned to us!” Andraste announced. “After years of torment and suffering by these false gods, that lead Him to turn away from us, He has returned to help us in restoring belief in Him. The time to act is now. May the Maker watch over us all.”