It’s story time! Hello and welcome again, after a bit of an awkward pause, to Well, That Just Happened. This time around I’m going to tell you a little story about something that happened to me while playing Dragon Age: Inquisition (as you’ve probably already deduced from the usual bad pun title that may or may not have anything to do with the story… hehe). But, without any further ado, let’s get on with it. So I was playing Dragon Age: Inquisition when… well, this just happened…
The world of Thedas, or rather the continent of Thedas, has had a lot going on throughout its history. From overzealous Tevinter mages corrupting Heaven itself, from betraying a prophet, to fighting hordes of darkspawn, from fighting for power within and between countries, to fighting among and between mages and templars. Each of these events grander in scope than the other. Now, as rifts appear in the sky and I’m either being called the Herald of the Prophet Andraste or the heretic, I’m pretty sure I’m witnessing such an event.
While it is certainly amazing that I get to be involved in events that will change the fate of Thedas as a whole, sometimes it’s just as great to take pleasure in the smaller things in life. Such a thing happened just a few days ago. I was roaming around the Hinterlands doing my best to help the people who are involuntarily caught in a war which is not theirs. A refugee whose wife was ill approached me and told me to help him as his wife was having breathing problems. “Like cobwebs in her lungs” he told me, as he begged me to find his son who could make a potion that would help her. His son was a mage and he had taken refuge with a bunch of cultists further uphill in a keep. He handed me the potion and instructions on how to make more, in case his mother would fall sick again, without a trace of hesitation.
I brought the potion and recipe back to his father, everything ended well and then I headed back to the headquarters of the Inquisition in Haven to send my advisors on missions throughout Thedas. Afterwards, I thought “you know what? I should probably talk to my companions. See what’s on their minds, what’s their story.”. I started with Solas. There are many stories a mage, who has explored the Fade in the company of spirits, can tell you. He described to me the battle of Ostagar, which is always interesting to hear (Dragon Age: Origins references hazaa!). I moved on to Sera, a more… special elf, innit?
Sera I found in a nice little tavern in Haven called the Singing Maiden. A few tables here and there, a small bar off to the side, a nice little fireplace right in the middle of the back wall and quite a few barrels on each side of said fireplace. It felt and looked like all the troubles and worries of the world evaded this one tavern. It was nothing too fancy, but I still liked its quaintness. There was this bard who at the time I entered the tavern was singing a song for Sera. She wasn’t too impressed, but I thought it was nice. I went on to talk to Sera, but I just couldn’t take my mind off of that bard. She was such a good singer (shout out to Elizaveta Khripounova for her awesome performance). So I ended my conversation with Sera and I just stood there in the tavern listening to bard Maryden Halewell.
She was so good, I spent the next 20 minutes just standing around doing nothing but listening to her tavern songs. And I regret nothing! I liked all the songs I heard. “Empress of Fire”, “Enchanters”, even “Sera Was Never”. It reminded me that even though fighting demons and fanatics or saving Thedas can be fun and exciting, there’s fun and enjoyment in the smaller things too. The Singing Maiden is one of those little things.
