History Fanfic / DragonAgeTheCrownOfThorns

** Alistair gets [[spoiler:Duncan''s Shield]] the first time the party gets to [[spoiler:Denerim]], and this is actually quite a bit after he gets [[spoiler:Duncan's sword, the exact instance being upon ''first'' arriving to Redcliffe]].

Alternatively, this story is what happens when you take a human noble lady, a [[LovableRogue female city elf]], a male [[PhantomThief dwarven]] [[LovableRogue commoner]], a [[TheStoic Dalish]] [[TheArcher young man]] and a [[BadassLongcoat male elven mage]] and, along with the resident HeroicBastard Alistair and the rest of the canon companions, place them under the command of a dwarven prince who, depending on how one looks at him, can qualify as a WisePrince (GuileHero) and/or MagnificentBastard -though it's pretty obvious at this point that he's is the former. His first act was fundamentally changing the events of the Dwarven Noble origin story, although [[WhamEpisode not in a way that anyone would expect]].

* TheArcher: Theron of course.

* HeelRealization: [[spoiler:Trian]] has a very serious one. It takes weeks / months to sink in and pushes him into a depression that lasts nearly as long, to the point where he's unable to sleep unless he collapses from exhaustion, this being the reason why he begins to abuse his own body through frantic workout. And this is ''while'' [[spoiler:Gorim]] was trying to offer some emotional support. Eventually, he manages to get better when he [[spoiler:discovers his talent for sculpting]] but [[ItGotWorse crap hit the vents]] again soon after. Ironically enough, the [[spoiler:nearly fatal accident]] he sustained during this period ended up improving his mood, though [[spoiler:it really was mostly Gorim's doing (the mood lifting, not the accident).]] Quite the mother hen that one.

* ItGotWorse: Even though what the main cast does never stops being awesome, things seem to be getting more and more complicated and, for Raonar at least, [[spoiler:bad enough that he's ''bled from his nose and eye sockets'' two times already.]]

* ZeroApprovalGambit: [[spoiler:What Raonar does before leaving Orzammar, unsure if he'll ever get to return, what with the danger of imminent death and all.]]

** TookALevelinBadass: The only one of the six Origin wardens that hasn't, so far, received one is[[spoiler: Gwen.]]

Alternatively, this story is what happens when you take a [[HotChickWithASword human noble lady]], a [[LovableRogue female city elf]], a male [[PhantomThief dwarven]] [[LovableRogue commoner]], a [[TheStoic Dalish]] [[TheArcher young man]] and a [[BadassLongcoat male elven mage]] and, along with the resident HeroicBastard Alistair and the rest of the canon companions, place them under the command of a dwarven prince who, depending on how one looks at him, can qualify as a WisePrince (GuileHero) and/or MagnificentBastard -though it's pretty obvious at this point that he's is the former. His first act was fundamentally changing the events of the Dwarven Noble origin story, although [[WhamEpisode not in a way that anyone would expect]].

* HotChickWithASword: Gwen and Kallian.

* IKnowYouKnowIKnow: Theron only ''slightly'' plays this for laughs in a recent chapter. The extent of the IKnowYouKnowIKnow has to be seen to be believed though.

* TheWhitePrince: [[spoiler:Trian is this, at first.]]

!!Tropes one might encounter include:

* DoomedByCanon: Subverted hard. The game automatically killed off, more or less, all potential wardens except for the player character. Here, all of them become Wardens, although two of them get the chance only because of the protagonist's direct action.

* FridgeLogic: The author uses this method in order to adapt some talents and spells from the game, as well as to try and explain how the Fade works, among many other things like why two handed weapons are so freaking huge. The fact that [[spoiler:characters end up in situations where such reasoning is required and all the explanations come naturally and become part of the plot itself]] is a nice treat.

* {{Nakama}}: The Wardens and their group, although Morrigan is still her cold self and Sten is mostly devoted to the DN and not so much towards everyone else. Shale is... well, Shale, and Oghren [[spoiler:just recently joined up.]]

* XanatosGambit: The DN does this all the time. Everything he does is probably part of a plan or backup ploy. Chapter 48 is entirely one of these.

* XanatosGambit: The DN does this all the time. Everything he does is probably part of a plan or backup ploy. Chapter 48 is entirely one of these.

* ThePlan: The DN does this all the time. Everything he does is probably part of a plan or backup ploy. Chapter 48 is entirely one of these.

* ShipperOnDeck: The DN sometimes subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) nudges the romances between some members of the party forward. Being Faren's BigBrotherMentor allows him to quite easily help him out, while his approach to the relationship between Gwen and Alistair takes the form of a BatmanGambit inserted into a XanatosGambit. So far, his efforts have been successful and, though he was called out on his Matchmaker's complex, it wasn't in bad spirit, since [[spoiler:his machinations didn't step on anyone's toes, probably because he never actually invaded their privacy (read:steered Faren and Alistair in such ways that ''they'' ended up asking him for advice).]]

* XanatosGambit: The DN does this all the time. Everything he does is probably part of a plan or backup ploy. Chapter 48 is entirely one of these.
* XanatosRoulette: Raonar lampshades this trope during his ShutUpHannibal speech to Bhelen.
--> "And that so-called plot of yours, Stone's mercy, it was so incredibly outlandish that a five year-old could have poked holes through all of it. "You're my elder, I'll respect whatever decision you make" you said when you tried to [[spoiler:goad me into killing Trian]]. If that's the driving force behind your actions, isn't [[spoiler:Trian]] your elder too? Makes your words a huge red flag, doesn't it? The only reason I so quickly made you think I agreed to the whole [[spoiler:kinslaying]] was because I didn't want to risk bursting into laughter if I accidentally made you say something like 'Of course I'll [[spoiler:help you kill our brother,]] you've always been there for me'. And just what the hell were you thinking when you sent that stupid scout spy? What was he supposed to do, start a violent confrontation when I finally ran into [[spoiler:Trian]]? Just how stupid do you think soldiers are to listen to the ravings of a lunatic? And speaking of armies, how in hell were [[spoiler:Frandlin]] and that idiot supposed to have any credibility when it came to [[spoiler:framing me]] if my soldiers were right there, especially since Dugan, that idiot, and his ambush were so obviously not part of your initial plan? Do you even realize how many sodding coincidences your so-called plan actually relied on, even not counting how big the possibility was of any of your 'moles' getting killed in that expedition? Or how the chance of you actually timing your arrival properly was so absurdly infinitesimal! You speak of politics and planning, but don't you even know that any plan which relies on more than 2 or three things going right is doomed to fail! I put more effort into making that scheme work than you did!"

* [[CrapsackWorld Crapsack Nation]]: Orzammar seems to be the third kind [[spoiler:after the succession arc]], ergo Immutable CrapsackWorld. However, the primary protagonist vehemently refuses to settle for anything less than type four/mutable,[[spoiler: [[{{Determinator}} even when saddled with a stigmata-like skewered arm and heart that defies any sort of healing.]]]]

--> "Everything I've done turned out for the worst, and that can ''only'' mean that I just haven't been doing a fucking thing right. It can ''only'' mean that. The only alternative is that Orzammar is determined to commit suicide, that no matter how much I or anyone else struggles, nothing can make any difference anymore, and I just can't accept that. I ''won't''. I ''refuse''!"

* IGotBetter: Stated by [[spoiler:Alim]] in chapter 17 when [[spoiler:Hawke states that no one could have survived casting the blood magic vortex spell that broke Darkspawn lines when they were betrayed by Loghain.]]

Alternatively, this story is what happens when you take a [[HotChickWithASword human noble lady]], a [[LovableRogue female city elf]], a male [[PhantomThief dwarven]] [[LovableRogue commoner]], a [[TheStoic Dalish]] [[TheArcher young man]] and a [[BadassLongcoat male elven mage]] and, along with the resident HeroicBastard Alistair and the rest of the canon companions, place them under the command of a dwarven prince who, depending on how one looks at him, can qualify as a WisePrince (GuileHero) and/or MagnificentBastard (his first act was fundamentally changing the events of the Dwarven Noble origin story, although [[WhamEpisode not in a way that anyone would expect]]).

* BeyondTheImpossible: The sheer length of the fanfic is one thing, but there never seems to be any shortage of new plot twists and ways to slam readers with another development involving [[spoiler:yet another scheme, possibly in regards to the Archdemon and the Fade.]]

The story is already longer than 50 chapters and passed the 600,000 words mark a while ago...and it's only about half-done.

** For Raonar: Desecrating his dead girlfriend's memory does not end well]]. Likewise, don't pick on Faren or harm children. It is heavily implied that the Grey Wardens' near-inability to have children is something that he isn't very happy about. As such, he seems to go into PapaWolf mode regardless of what child is being threatened/harmed, to the point where he [[spoiler:snaps at Isolde for leading to Connor's possession and, later, at Alim for being scarier than the demon itself when he entered the fade to slay it, thus almost traumatizing the kid.]]

** BadassDamsel: Kallian and Leliana.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:Oh boy, Faren's Fade nightmare was him murdering the few people he cherished most. After Raonar backhands him out of his HeroicBSOD, he lapses into a strong case of this before the motherload of all [[BearHug bear hugs]] brings him out of it and makes him realize it was all AllJustADream. WaterWorks are followed by TearsOfJoy and [[TookALevelInBadass taking a level in badass]] soon after.]]

* WaterWorks: [[spoiler:The DC, after being smacked out of his Fade nightmare-induced HeroicBSOD and urged to let it all out by the DN Warden Commander. Faren is probably a shining example of someone breaking down and crying yet still only eliciting readers' sympathy, especially since he totally makes up for it by curbstomping a big bad demon in the same chapter.]] It helps that part of those tears can be classified as TearsOfRemorse and TearsOfJoy.

The story is already longer than 50 chapters and passed the 600,000 words mark a while ago... [[BeyondTheImpossible and it's only about half-done]].