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Thedas AU: liner notes for Sabriel
DETAILS
• The Abhorsen line has an obligation to the Grey Wardens. It is an old treaty, and one still enforced, that one of the line must be a Grey Warden at any one time in Thedas. Protection of land, old noble bloodlines, Mortalitasi connections... no one has the answers as to why except Weisshaupt's archives (spoilers it's blood magic, it's always blood magic). The only caveat lies that they must specifically undertake the Joining - if the Abhorsen family member dies in the attempt, it still counts as fulfillment of conscription for roughly a ten year period or until the next chosen comes of age (this doesn't happen very often. Out of 53 Abhorsens, only twice). Should an Abhorsen die, the transition is as-soon-as, though again, the Wardens will wait if the next chosen is too young. Successors to a current Grey Warden are usually named in their youth. In Sabriel's case, it was an automatic inheritance as her line has near been wiped out - she is presently the last surviving member of the family (or so she thinks).
• As there is always a member of the line as a Grey Warden, the line member takes up the mantle of "The Abhorsen". It is a badge of office, an identifier of an old treaty and the expectations of all those that came before the current bearer - far more than just a surname. (In parts of Nevarra, it's what the family is most known for. Others focus on Terciel's somewhat radical opinions.) For Sabriel, she feels she has done little to earn it, and prefers use of her first name.
• She is the daughter of a member of the Mortalitasi. Prior to taking up his Wardenship, Terciel was a refound member of the elite guild. He passed on his knowledge of the craft to Sabriel, or at least the basics of binding as well as banishing a spirit. (Sabriel is theoretically capable of binding spirits to host corpses, but she will not be trying that out anytime soon.) Terciel's expertise (and task) within the Mortalitasi was in making sure the spirits they did not want coming through the veil (those more than wisps) didn't make it through.
(This banishment of spirits; harmless to the spirit? Done via blocks? Generally a good practice. Line speciality. The Wardens liked making use of it, because it was good for solving problems with demons and wraiths, possession, practices on burning dead and dealing with plagues to avoid the dead raising in the first place etc. I'll word this better at some point.)
• At Sabriel's Harrowing, a demon of white-fire took the form of a little white cat, and introduced itself as Mogget. (He might have had a spirit form at one time, but had long since lost it, many, many days before counting). Sabriel bested him easily enough by not succumbing to his temptations, but his strength and raw power due to his age meant she could not defeat him, as most apprentice mages do. Call her paranoid, but she could swear she's seen tricksome white cats in the waking world watching her in the circle tower from time to time, and in her first few months of the wardens. If he is following her, she's not seen him since the conclave's explosion.
• Death sense. As well as sensing dark spawn, Sabriel has a strong affinity with death. She has an uncanny ability to know it before she sees it, in a place where someone has died recently, or many have died on a specific spot in the past. (It's possible she's reacting to tears or the thinning of the Veil, but she has never truly discussed it or described it in such a way for someone to prompt it.)
• She is not Andrastian, and does not worship the maker to any capicity. She believes in no God, but what she does believe is (generally) in line with the rest of Nevarra - that souls pass across into the Fade when they die, but not the specificity of the "displacement" of spirits (given that the Mortalitasi deliberately call wisps, and not sentient ones). She does think spirits are drawn to death and can fall through the Veil because of it, but they should be sent back whence they came before their corruption, or this should be avoided entirely by giving them nowhere (no host body) to go to. Spirits should exist across the Veil where they can remain themselves. Essentially, inviting spirits across the Veil is not a good practice - what if one that cannot survive the world is called upon? Likewise, she also agrees with Chantry custom of burning corpses to avoid reanimation and possession. This soul may have left the person, but their physical remnants should not suffer such a fate.
• Blood magic is bad. If pressed, she would never call it evil, but it leaves a bad taste in her mouth and is not something she would fall to - nor like being in the presence of - no matter the pressure.
• The mage rebellion. Sabriel is taken from her circle prior to events of Asunder in the White Spire, and so was not present (and nor did she have a say in) the vote for/against Circle dissolution. However, her personal feelings on the matter is that the Circle should have remained - the Templars were not a threatening presence in Nevarra, but Nevarra gives a mage a lot of freedom, and she's aware it's not the same elsewhere. Horror stories will likely shock her, but she won't argue against it. If pressed, she would say that the politics should be more like Nevarra, and that not all mages are capable of handling their magic alone. Sometimes they do need protection - not the people around them, but from something that is dangerous and shouldn't be trifled with, because, in the end, magic can lead into dangerous unknowns.
SABRIEL'S PARENTS
Terciel Abhorsen (Nevarran, Mortalitasi turned Grey Warden, Cumberland Circle. (DOB/D) 8:85-9:41, age 55. (GW) 9:12-9:41, 29yrs)
Born 8:85 Blessed in Nevarra, Terciel spent much of his youngest years at the family estate along the rivers' edge north of Hunter Fell. When he came to magic, he was sent to the Cumberland Circle (as was tradition), and later became a Mortalitasi (also tradition). Though a member of the guild, he was loathe to perform that type the necromancy himself and was wary of raising the dead, even "safely" (Sabriel shares the same views; see above). This made him somewhat of an oddity before he became a Warden and lost most of his political power and sway. What he did do for the Mortalitasi - and a talent the Wardens continued to make use of - is bind demons, and banish unwanted spirits that could possess a host body. They may intend to bring forth a non-intelligent wisp, but mistakes could be made, and Terciel was there to clean up those mistakes. He severed his ties to the Mortalitasi once becoming a Warden.
Eloise Abhorsen née de Cœur (Orlesian Nevarran, Perendale Circle. (DOB/D) 8:91-9:19, age 27)
Born 8:91 Blessed, Eloise was the daughter to a family of bakers in Perendale - both her parents were Orlesians, having lived in Perendale prior to it being conquered by Nevarra, who saw their new status with disdain. The only bright side of her coming to magic was that Perendale's circle was lenient enough to allow visits from family members. Elouise was quick minded and a studier of runes and lore over magical practice - save her Fire spells, her magical prowess was rather low. Had she decided not to take her Harrowing - which she did not fear, despite the odds - she would have made an excellent candidate for Tranquil. Worked closely with them for much of her life.
ABHORSEN CONSCRIPTION
Just some thoughts as to what this could be for a potential quest later on.
There's clearly something that is bound through all of this, and it requires the blood of an Abhorsen to do so. This has likely been going on for a very long time (perhaps the second blight, or earlier? Link to the Western Approach so there could be some information there that makes her curious). It is, however, linked to the line, so even it's less about wards and the renewal of them and more about the existence of the blood line. Living blood magic! When successors are named a vial of their blood is added to the wards so their blood is recognised. That's why one is always named and that even if someone should fail the Joining or the successor is too young they are able to "trick" the wards for a time because it acts as a leighway and a grace period. It's not always perfect though. During the current Abhorsens lifetime they visit the place where Astarael is sealed and place their own wards, which renders the vials moot, but can act as a fail-safe.
However, once the current Abhorsen dies, these wards begin to decay. With each Abhorsen, this decaying is swifter -in some cases it can be ten years, in more recent times, only one or two or less if something else has taken an interest in what's on the other side.
Sabriel's blood has been added as she is the successor. It's why they came for her because the long term plan was to get her over there asap but the false calling happened instead, but these decay has set in and it will be imperative for her to go soon before the thing that's been kept inside escapes. Already, it has begun to start warping the reality of the area.
Where? tbd.
What is it? A very old demon that might have once been a spirit but unlike most spirits or demons that are bound because they are too powerful to destroy, or because they cannot be and are put into slumber (such as Corypheus and Malcolm Hawke), this one has a terrible power - to warp reality.
She could also potentially corrupt those who are not Wardens (blight).
By reality warping I mean there is no distinguishing between the two realms of the Fade and Thedas. Think of how the world was before Fen'harel sundered the two apart; they are as they were. It is not doing this purposefully but because that is what she does. Reasons why? No one knows. Very dangerous for everything to suddenly work as if it were the Fade and a crossing over to dreams and death and something that cannot be understand? Not good. She is impossible to destroy because she is not really a demon or a spirit. Just something that is very old from the time before the Fade was sundered.
She is called Astarael.
Potentially the reason she does this could be that she was one of the elvehn who found themselves in Thedas and, no longer immortal, was the first to die from naturally from old age? Or something along those lines.
PROPOSITION: Astarael came through into Thedas when Solas raised the Veil. Astarael is neither spirit nor demon; just something very old that holds an elven form. With the Veil in place, she couldn't interact with either world, so she hid in someplace remote.
Years, and years, pass. The blight happens. She sickens. Her sickness means the reality around her begins to warp when she is present; there is no distinguishing between the two realms of the Fade and Thedas, and it is as it was before the Veil was put into place. Spirits who wander too far end up in Thedas and turn to demons. Humans/etc who wander too far are trapped in the Fade and never wake up.
Eventually the Wardens hear about it and find her. Sort of stumble, really. She cannot be banished. She cannot be destroyed. But they could bind her. Bind her and go. Let her suffer. Keep records and have unrelated mages come back to bind her again. Simple.
But the first Abhorsen takes pity upon this being after sensing the blight within her, even if they cannot interact, even if they cannot make no deal. She is not doing this because she is bad. She isn't a demon. Just something that suffers from the blight. Should they not be kind? Should they not let her live as she was before the corruption settled (ties into her not-existing unless people come that way. She gets to dream again)? The Wardens know a way to seal her to a single place where she cannot harm others, but it would require a living vessel, a Warden, to counteract that. When that vessel dies, a new one must be named and the wards renewed otherwise she begins to seep out. The blood has to stay the same.
It is done, and the Abhorsens are to be forever conscripted.
(In canon, Astarael is one of the Nine, and one of the Seven who made the Charter. In the beginning Orranis tried to destroy the world and so they bound him. Her physical essence exists below the Abhorsen house. Astarael's existence in the tunnel is dependent on whether or not anyone enters the tunnel; after their encounter with her, the Dog says 'If we had not passed this way, she would not have been, and now we have passed, she will not be', which suggests that Astarael is not actually in the tunnel but somewhere else, or may possibly be somehow non-existent except under certain circumstances. Furthermore, Astarael's conscious presence dampens and diminishes the Charter: "It is her fate, that her knowing self will be forever outside what she chose to make, the Charter that her unknowing self is part of.". SO, I think this would rather well with Fade equals the Beginning and Astarael brings the Fade/Beginning with her.)
TIMELINE
9:02 [T: 17, E: 11]
• Terciel formally becomes a member of the Mortalitasi.
9:06 [T: 21, E: 15]
• Terciel leaves the Cumberland circle and moves to Nevarra City.
9:07 [T: 22, E: 16]
• Terciel makes a visit to the Perendale circle and meets Eloise for the first time.
9:12 [T: 27, E: 21]
• Terciel becomes a Grey Warden.
9:14 [T: 29, E: 22]
• After several years of courtship and letter writing, Terciel and Eloise are wed. Eloise remains at the circle to appease her parents, as they do not approve of the marriage.
9:16 [T: 31, E: 24]
• Eloise's parents pass. She moves to the estate.
9:18 [T: 33, E: 26]
• To Terciel's surprise and delight, Eloise falls pregnant.
9:19 [T: 34, E: 27, S: 0]
• Terciel returns to Nevarra to spend time with his wife in her final months of pregnancy. Eloise surprises him by coming to meet him north of Ghislain.
• On the journey back to the estate, after passing through a village, they come upon a caravan of dwarven/human merchants who are attacked by bandits... and apostates, including summoned demons. Terciel stops to help.
• As the fight heightens, Eloise goes into labour. She dies in childbirth.
• The caravanners make Terciel, and his newborn daughter, Sabriel, an offer to travel with them. Terciel accepts.
• One of the summoned demons, though banished to the fade, takes an active interest in Terciel. It starts a long, quiet, distant watch that will last near twenty years.
9:19-9:26 [T: 34-41, S: 0-7]
• Terciel takes "leave" from the Wardens in order to raise his daughter (he still performs his duties, but he does not actively seek out darkspawn; only if it coincides with where the caravan is going next, and he'll leave his daughter for no more than a few days at a time).
• Terciel and Sabriel travel extensively with the caravan of merchants. They pass through Nevarra often, but collectively, they spend a lot of time in the Free Marches and their city states.
• In the latter years, Sabriel learns the basics of fighting with a weapon from her father instead of a staff (as he does).
9:26-9:27 [T: 41-42, S: 7-8]
• Whilst in Nevarra, the caravan is tracked down by Terciel's fellow Grey Wardens in Orlais as they need his help with something big and ominous, as Wardens always do (rumours of darkspawn and archdemons, the prelude to the Fifth Blight, as it were). Terciel resolves to join them once his affairs are in order.
• Around the same time, Sabriel comes into magic. Terciel's decision is made for him (they are the only surviving members of the clan, and though the merchants aren't afraid of her, but she can travel freely through Marcher states no longer).
• In early 9:27, Sabriel is taken to the Perendale Circle.
9:27-9:36 [T: 42-51, S: 8-17]
• Sabriel's study in magic begins.
• Despite many within remembering her mother and how bright and excellent a study she was, they are also aware of her father and his outspoken views of the Mortalitasi and their core belief on death. Some respect her, others treat her with disdain.
• Sabriel also receives an education in mathematics, history, and literature, as well as the infrequent lesson of ladyship and running a household, as she is the sole inheritor of the Abhorsen clan. Nevarra is much more leniant on magic than most, after all.
• Sabriel takes well to two schools of magic, creation and spirit. Though she excelled in healing and defense, and like her mother, very badly at ice and lightning, her fire spells are noted to be excellent.
• Terciel's visits are intermittent, his travels taking him far and wide in the aftermath of the Blight when the Order has more involvement thanks to The Hero of Ferelden and Alistair's efforts. Sabriel doesn't miss him as much as her tutors would expect, though. He always writes, long and detailed thoughtful letters, and teaches her about Wardens, about the Mortalitasi, about Demons and Spirits and the dead - about the world beyond the circle walls and a merchant's caravan.
9:37 [T: 52, S: 18]
• Sabriel undergoes her Harrowing at age eighteen. This goes smoothly, but not without incident. She attracts a much stronger demon than expected, one of pure-white fire, that tries to tempt her by taking the form of a little white cat, calling itself Mogget. Sabriel is wiser and smarter than that - she doesn't fall for it, but she isn't strong enough to entirely dispose of such an old, talented creature.
9:39 [T: 54, S: 20]
• Terciel's visits cease. Unbeknownst to Sabriel, he completely disappears from the Wardens.
9:40 [T: 55, S: 21]
• Terciel is declared dead by the Wardens.
Haring 9:40 - Guardian 9:41 [T: 55, S: 21]
• The Wardens arrive at Perendale and conscript Sabriel late in the year. Sabriel protests that he is not dead. She doesn't know how she knows. She just knows he is not. The Wardens say nothing.
• In the Nevarran countryside, Sabriel undergoes the Joining. The Wardens reveal their task; finding Terciel, who they suspect isn't dead, much like Sabriel does. They hope to find some clue as to what happened to him, and so take a detour to the Abhorsen estate.
• The estate is empty, and has been for some time. Though the garden is overgrown and wild, the interior is pristine, kept so by enchantments and the tranquil that occasionally visit to renew it. Terciel's study is undisturbed, but his personal quarters are disturbing. Scratched all over the walls are nonsensical letters and numbers and patterns, many of them spelling out 'help me' and the like. The writing is in blood, the stone charred underfoot. One other word stands out - the name of the village close to where Eloise died.
• Sabriel and the Wardens head for the village, which has long since been abandoned. There, they find Terciel. Struck by the actual Calling as well as some weird blood magic ritual (not that Sabriel knows this), the demon took advantage of him and possessed him.
• Sabriel banishes the demon with her fellow Wardens, with her learned experience. It is too late for them to save Terciel, however. Sabriel shares one last embrace with her father before she is forced to take his life.
9:41 [S: 22]
• It is on their way to the Orlesian order that the conclave explodes.
• After many detours, darkspawn attacks, the occasional mage and templar skirmish and the noise in her head that seems all far too loud for only being a Warden for nine months, Sabriel finally arrives in Orlais.
• A week or so later, Clarel makes her deal with Severis.
• Clarel announces her decision to all the Wardens in Montsimmard, where they have gathered. Sabriel is unhappy about this. There's word one of the senior wardens, Alistair, is too.
• Sabriel joins the shortlived Warden underground who want to talk Clarel out of her decision. Sabriel feels strongly about the possession side of things, Alistair about the blood magic, and Sigrun for the, yeah, I was there with the Architect, I mean really.
• A meeting is disrupted before it begins, with only Sabriel, Alistair, and Sigrun in attendance. They have to present their case to Clarel then and there. She brands them as traitor and they are forced to flee, leaving the other members behind.
• Enter Scipio and Rafael, in the right place at the right time, who are picked up on the way out.
• The group looks for help. The only help is the Inquisition.
(Present day.)
INQUISITION CAPS
• The Abhorsen line has an obligation to the Grey Wardens. It is an old treaty, and one still enforced, that one of the line must be a Grey Warden at any one time in Thedas. Protection of land, old noble bloodlines, Mortalitasi connections... no one has the answers as to why except Weisshaupt's archives (spoilers it's blood magic, it's always blood magic). The only caveat lies that they must specifically undertake the Joining - if the Abhorsen family member dies in the attempt, it still counts as fulfillment of conscription for roughly a ten year period or until the next chosen comes of age (this doesn't happen very often. Out of 53 Abhorsens, only twice). Should an Abhorsen die, the transition is as-soon-as, though again, the Wardens will wait if the next chosen is too young. Successors to a current Grey Warden are usually named in their youth. In Sabriel's case, it was an automatic inheritance as her line has near been wiped out - she is presently the last surviving member of the family (or so she thinks).
• As there is always a member of the line as a Grey Warden, the line member takes up the mantle of "The Abhorsen". It is a badge of office, an identifier of an old treaty and the expectations of all those that came before the current bearer - far more than just a surname. (In parts of Nevarra, it's what the family is most known for. Others focus on Terciel's somewhat radical opinions.) For Sabriel, she feels she has done little to earn it, and prefers use of her first name.
• She is the daughter of a member of the Mortalitasi. Prior to taking up his Wardenship, Terciel was a refound member of the elite guild. He passed on his knowledge of the craft to Sabriel, or at least the basics of binding as well as banishing a spirit. (Sabriel is theoretically capable of binding spirits to host corpses, but she will not be trying that out anytime soon.) Terciel's expertise (and task) within the Mortalitasi was in making sure the spirits they did not want coming through the veil (those more than wisps) didn't make it through.
(This banishment of spirits; harmless to the spirit? Done via blocks? Generally a good practice. Line speciality. The Wardens liked making use of it, because it was good for solving problems with demons and wraiths, possession, practices on burning dead and dealing with plagues to avoid the dead raising in the first place etc. I'll word this better at some point.)
• At Sabriel's Harrowing, a demon of white-fire took the form of a little white cat, and introduced itself as Mogget. (He might have had a spirit form at one time, but had long since lost it, many, many days before counting). Sabriel bested him easily enough by not succumbing to his temptations, but his strength and raw power due to his age meant she could not defeat him, as most apprentice mages do. Call her paranoid, but she could swear she's seen tricksome white cats in the waking world watching her in the circle tower from time to time, and in her first few months of the wardens. If he is following her, she's not seen him since the conclave's explosion.
• Death sense. As well as sensing dark spawn, Sabriel has a strong affinity with death. She has an uncanny ability to know it before she sees it, in a place where someone has died recently, or many have died on a specific spot in the past. (It's possible she's reacting to tears or the thinning of the Veil, but she has never truly discussed it or described it in such a way for someone to prompt it.)
• She is not Andrastian, and does not worship the maker to any capicity. She believes in no God, but what she does believe is (generally) in line with the rest of Nevarra - that souls pass across into the Fade when they die, but not the specificity of the "displacement" of spirits (given that the Mortalitasi deliberately call wisps, and not sentient ones). She does think spirits are drawn to death and can fall through the Veil because of it, but they should be sent back whence they came before their corruption, or this should be avoided entirely by giving them nowhere (no host body) to go to. Spirits should exist across the Veil where they can remain themselves. Essentially, inviting spirits across the Veil is not a good practice - what if one that cannot survive the world is called upon? Likewise, she also agrees with Chantry custom of burning corpses to avoid reanimation and possession. This soul may have left the person, but their physical remnants should not suffer such a fate.
• Blood magic is bad. If pressed, she would never call it evil, but it leaves a bad taste in her mouth and is not something she would fall to - nor like being in the presence of - no matter the pressure.
• The mage rebellion. Sabriel is taken from her circle prior to events of Asunder in the White Spire, and so was not present (and nor did she have a say in) the vote for/against Circle dissolution. However, her personal feelings on the matter is that the Circle should have remained - the Templars were not a threatening presence in Nevarra, but Nevarra gives a mage a lot of freedom, and she's aware it's not the same elsewhere. Horror stories will likely shock her, but she won't argue against it. If pressed, she would say that the politics should be more like Nevarra, and that not all mages are capable of handling their magic alone. Sometimes they do need protection - not the people around them, but from something that is dangerous and shouldn't be trifled with, because, in the end, magic can lead into dangerous unknowns.
SABRIEL'S PARENTS
Terciel Abhorsen (Nevarran, Mortalitasi turned Grey Warden, Cumberland Circle. (DOB/D) 8:85-9:41, age 55. (GW) 9:12-9:41, 29yrs)
Born 8:85 Blessed in Nevarra, Terciel spent much of his youngest years at the family estate along the rivers' edge north of Hunter Fell. When he came to magic, he was sent to the Cumberland Circle (as was tradition), and later became a Mortalitasi (also tradition). Though a member of the guild, he was loathe to perform that type the necromancy himself and was wary of raising the dead, even "safely" (Sabriel shares the same views; see above). This made him somewhat of an oddity before he became a Warden and lost most of his political power and sway. What he did do for the Mortalitasi - and a talent the Wardens continued to make use of - is bind demons, and banish unwanted spirits that could possess a host body. They may intend to bring forth a non-intelligent wisp, but mistakes could be made, and Terciel was there to clean up those mistakes. He severed his ties to the Mortalitasi once becoming a Warden.
Eloise Abhorsen née de Cœur (
Born 8:91 Blessed, Eloise was the daughter to a family of bakers in Perendale - both her parents were Orlesians, having lived in Perendale prior to it being conquered by Nevarra, who saw their new status with disdain. The only bright side of her coming to magic was that Perendale's circle was lenient enough to allow visits from family members. Elouise was quick minded and a studier of runes and lore over magical practice - save her Fire spells, her magical prowess was rather low. Had she decided not to take her Harrowing - which she did not fear, despite the odds - she would have made an excellent candidate for Tranquil. Worked closely with them for much of her life.
ABHORSEN CONSCRIPTION
Just some thoughts as to what this could be for a potential quest later on.
There's clearly something that is bound through all of this, and it requires the blood of an Abhorsen to do so. This has likely been going on for a very long time (perhaps the second blight, or earlier? Link to the Western Approach so there could be some information there that makes her curious). It is, however, linked to the line, so even it's less about wards and the renewal of them and more about the existence of the blood line. Living blood magic! When successors are named a vial of their blood is added to the wards so their blood is recognised. That's why one is always named and that even if someone should fail the Joining or the successor is too young they are able to "trick" the wards for a time because it acts as a leighway and a grace period. It's not always perfect though. During the current Abhorsens lifetime they visit the place where Astarael is sealed and place their own wards, which renders the vials moot, but can act as a fail-safe.
However, once the current Abhorsen dies, these wards begin to decay. With each Abhorsen, this decaying is swifter -in some cases it can be ten years, in more recent times, only one or two or less if something else has taken an interest in what's on the other side.
Sabriel's blood has been added as she is the successor. It's why they came for her because the long term plan was to get her over there asap but the false calling happened instead, but these decay has set in and it will be imperative for her to go soon before the thing that's been kept inside escapes. Already, it has begun to start warping the reality of the area.
Where? tbd.
What is it? A very old demon that might have once been a spirit but unlike most spirits or demons that are bound because they are too powerful to destroy, or because they cannot be and are put into slumber (such as Corypheus and Malcolm Hawke), this one has a terrible power - to warp reality.
She could also potentially corrupt those who are not Wardens (blight).
By reality warping I mean there is no distinguishing between the two realms of the Fade and Thedas. Think of how the world was before Fen'harel sundered the two apart; they are as they were. It is not doing this purposefully but because that is what she does. Reasons why? No one knows. Very dangerous for everything to suddenly work as if it were the Fade and a crossing over to dreams and death and something that cannot be understand? Not good. She is impossible to destroy because she is not really a demon or a spirit. Just something that is very old from the time before the Fade was sundered.
She is called Astarael.
Potentially the reason she does this could be that she was one of the elvehn who found themselves in Thedas and, no longer immortal, was the first to die from naturally from old age? Or something along those lines.
PROPOSITION: Astarael came through into Thedas when Solas raised the Veil. Astarael is neither spirit nor demon; just something very old that holds an elven form. With the Veil in place, she couldn't interact with either world, so she hid in someplace remote.
Years, and years, pass. The blight happens. She sickens. Her sickness means the reality around her begins to warp when she is present; there is no distinguishing between the two realms of the Fade and Thedas, and it is as it was before the Veil was put into place. Spirits who wander too far end up in Thedas and turn to demons. Humans/etc who wander too far are trapped in the Fade and never wake up.
Eventually the Wardens hear about it and find her. Sort of stumble, really. She cannot be banished. She cannot be destroyed. But they could bind her. Bind her and go. Let her suffer. Keep records and have unrelated mages come back to bind her again. Simple.
But the first Abhorsen takes pity upon this being after sensing the blight within her, even if they cannot interact, even if they cannot make no deal. She is not doing this because she is bad. She isn't a demon. Just something that suffers from the blight. Should they not be kind? Should they not let her live as she was before the corruption settled (ties into her not-existing unless people come that way. She gets to dream again)? The Wardens know a way to seal her to a single place where she cannot harm others, but it would require a living vessel, a Warden, to counteract that. When that vessel dies, a new one must be named and the wards renewed otherwise she begins to seep out. The blood has to stay the same.
It is done, and the Abhorsens are to be forever conscripted.
(In canon, Astarael is one of the Nine, and one of the Seven who made the Charter. In the beginning Orranis tried to destroy the world and so they bound him. Her physical essence exists below the Abhorsen house. Astarael's existence in the tunnel is dependent on whether or not anyone enters the tunnel; after their encounter with her, the Dog says 'If we had not passed this way, she would not have been, and now we have passed, she will not be', which suggests that Astarael is not actually in the tunnel but somewhere else, or may possibly be somehow non-existent except under certain circumstances. Furthermore, Astarael's conscious presence dampens and diminishes the Charter: "It is her fate, that her knowing self will be forever outside what she chose to make, the Charter that her unknowing self is part of.". SO, I think this would rather well with Fade equals the Beginning and Astarael brings the Fade/Beginning with her.)
TIMELINE
9:02 [T: 17, E: 11]
• Terciel formally becomes a member of the Mortalitasi.
9:06 [T: 21, E: 15]
• Terciel leaves the Cumberland circle and moves to Nevarra City.
9:07 [T: 22, E: 16]
• Terciel makes a visit to the Perendale circle and meets Eloise for the first time.
9:12 [T: 27, E: 21]
• Terciel becomes a Grey Warden.
9:14 [T: 29, E: 22]
• After several years of courtship and letter writing, Terciel and Eloise are wed. Eloise remains at the circle to appease her parents, as they do not approve of the marriage.
9:16 [T: 31, E: 24]
• Eloise's parents pass. She moves to the estate.
9:18 [T: 33, E: 26]
• To Terciel's surprise and delight, Eloise falls pregnant.
9:19 [T: 34, E: 27, S: 0]
• Terciel returns to Nevarra to spend time with his wife in her final months of pregnancy. Eloise surprises him by coming to meet him north of Ghislain.
• On the journey back to the estate, after passing through a village, they come upon a caravan of dwarven/human merchants who are attacked by bandits... and apostates, including summoned demons. Terciel stops to help.
• As the fight heightens, Eloise goes into labour. She dies in childbirth.
• The caravanners make Terciel, and his newborn daughter, Sabriel, an offer to travel with them. Terciel accepts.
• One of the summoned demons, though banished to the fade, takes an active interest in Terciel. It starts a long, quiet, distant watch that will last near twenty years.
9:19-9:26 [T: 34-41, S: 0-7]
• Terciel takes "leave" from the Wardens in order to raise his daughter (he still performs his duties, but he does not actively seek out darkspawn; only if it coincides with where the caravan is going next, and he'll leave his daughter for no more than a few days at a time).
• Terciel and Sabriel travel extensively with the caravan of merchants. They pass through Nevarra often, but collectively, they spend a lot of time in the Free Marches and their city states.
• In the latter years, Sabriel learns the basics of fighting with a weapon from her father instead of a staff (as he does).
9:26-9:27 [T: 41-42, S: 7-8]
• Whilst in Nevarra, the caravan is tracked down by Terciel's fellow Grey Wardens in Orlais as they need his help with something big and ominous, as Wardens always do (rumours of darkspawn and archdemons, the prelude to the Fifth Blight, as it were). Terciel resolves to join them once his affairs are in order.
• Around the same time, Sabriel comes into magic. Terciel's decision is made for him (they are the only surviving members of the clan, and though the merchants aren't afraid of her, but she can travel freely through Marcher states no longer).
• In early 9:27, Sabriel is taken to the Perendale Circle.
9:27-9:36 [T: 42-51, S: 8-17]
• Sabriel's study in magic begins.
• Despite many within remembering her mother and how bright and excellent a study she was, they are also aware of her father and his outspoken views of the Mortalitasi and their core belief on death. Some respect her, others treat her with disdain.
• Sabriel also receives an education in mathematics, history, and literature, as well as the infrequent lesson of ladyship and running a household, as she is the sole inheritor of the Abhorsen clan. Nevarra is much more leniant on magic than most, after all.
• Sabriel takes well to two schools of magic, creation and spirit. Though she excelled in healing and defense, and like her mother, very badly at ice and lightning, her fire spells are noted to be excellent.
• Terciel's visits are intermittent, his travels taking him far and wide in the aftermath of the Blight when the Order has more involvement thanks to The Hero of Ferelden and Alistair's efforts. Sabriel doesn't miss him as much as her tutors would expect, though. He always writes, long and detailed thoughtful letters, and teaches her about Wardens, about the Mortalitasi, about Demons and Spirits and the dead - about the world beyond the circle walls and a merchant's caravan.
9:37 [T: 52, S: 18]
• Sabriel undergoes her Harrowing at age eighteen. This goes smoothly, but not without incident. She attracts a much stronger demon than expected, one of pure-white fire, that tries to tempt her by taking the form of a little white cat, calling itself Mogget. Sabriel is wiser and smarter than that - she doesn't fall for it, but she isn't strong enough to entirely dispose of such an old, talented creature.
9:39 [T: 54, S: 20]
• Terciel's visits cease. Unbeknownst to Sabriel, he completely disappears from the Wardens.
9:40 [T: 55, S: 21]
• Terciel is declared dead by the Wardens.
Haring 9:40 - Guardian 9:41 [T: 55, S: 21]
• The Wardens arrive at Perendale and conscript Sabriel late in the year. Sabriel protests that he is not dead. She doesn't know how she knows. She just knows he is not. The Wardens say nothing.
• In the Nevarran countryside, Sabriel undergoes the Joining. The Wardens reveal their task; finding Terciel, who they suspect isn't dead, much like Sabriel does. They hope to find some clue as to what happened to him, and so take a detour to the Abhorsen estate.
• The estate is empty, and has been for some time. Though the garden is overgrown and wild, the interior is pristine, kept so by enchantments and the tranquil that occasionally visit to renew it. Terciel's study is undisturbed, but his personal quarters are disturbing. Scratched all over the walls are nonsensical letters and numbers and patterns, many of them spelling out 'help me' and the like. The writing is in blood, the stone charred underfoot. One other word stands out - the name of the village close to where Eloise died.
• Sabriel and the Wardens head for the village, which has long since been abandoned. There, they find Terciel. Struck by the actual Calling as well as some weird blood magic ritual (not that Sabriel knows this), the demon took advantage of him and possessed him.
• Sabriel banishes the demon with her fellow Wardens, with her learned experience. It is too late for them to save Terciel, however. Sabriel shares one last embrace with her father before she is forced to take his life.
9:41 [S: 22]
• It is on their way to the Orlesian order that the conclave explodes.
• After many detours, darkspawn attacks, the occasional mage and templar skirmish and the noise in her head that seems all far too loud for only being a Warden for nine months, Sabriel finally arrives in Orlais.
• A week or so later, Clarel makes her deal with Severis.
• Clarel announces her decision to all the Wardens in Montsimmard, where they have gathered. Sabriel is unhappy about this. There's word one of the senior wardens, Alistair, is too.
• Sabriel joins the shortlived Warden underground who want to talk Clarel out of her decision. Sabriel feels strongly about the possession side of things, Alistair about the blood magic, and Sigrun for the, yeah, I was there with the Architect, I mean really.
• A meeting is disrupted before it begins, with only Sabriel, Alistair, and Sigrun in attendance. They have to present their case to Clarel then and there. She brands them as traitor and they are forced to flee, leaving the other members behind.
• Enter Scipio and Rafael, in the right place at the right time, who are picked up on the way out.
• The group looks for help. The only help is the Inquisition.
(Present day.)
INQUISITION CAPS
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