History Sandbox / Octoya

The [[https://archiveofourown.org/series/3263040 entire series]] is available on Archive of Our Own in chronological order (though not necessarily release order). In addition, the author has written a number of works which are not strictly "canon" to the events of the series but which nonetheless involve the same characters, including:

* All This Venatori Nonsense - An AU where Dorian begins the story as an agent of the Venatori, which [[Fanfic/AllThisVenatoriNonsense has its own page]] and is in fact the first story written to feature Alexiel.
* The Definition Of Suffering - Another AU where Trevelyan is merely a companion in the inner circle, and still hopelessly in love with Dorian... who is dating an Inquisitor Adaar.
* Overly Sour When Raw - A fic where Alexiel is made to lose his memories by the Venatori, which explores in more depth his relationship to Dorian and the rest of his inner circle.
* Impurity, Humanity - A oneshot fic taking place in an AU where Alexiel's sister Evelyn is the Inquisitor, regarding her relationship to Cole.

* ParentalFavoritism: Evelyn is described as being the only one Bann Trevelyan father loved out of his seven children, and always treated her ''far'' more kindly than the rest of his family when he visited her growing up. Evelyn herself becomes distraught when she realizes that her father treats her so much better than her other siblings, [[spoiler:and eventually comes to conclude that she is his favorite because, unlike her other siblings, he can ''completely'' control her life since she's trapped in the Circle.]]

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/series/3263040 a black arrow in the fog]]'' is an ongoing series of Dragon Age fanfictions written by Checkerbox on [=AO3=]. They serve to novelize ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' and the author's own (rather [[MoralSociopathy atypical]]) Inquisitor, Alexiel Trevelyan; this is done largely by expanding and providing alternate takes on events from the game.

Current stories (in chronological order, though not release order):

* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/43744696/chapters/110002318 Blessed Be the Peacekeepers]] - An alternate take on what happened during the quest Champions of the Just
* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/23401768 Meeting the Sublime]] - A oneshot covering Alexiel's escape from the destruction of Haven.
* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/42554457 Beacons in the Dark (These Demons are Clever)]] - A oneshot wherein Dorian and Alexiel get to know each other better in the Fallow Mire.
* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/46807990 Antivenom Requisition on the Coast]] - A oneshot in which Alexiel and Dorian fall down a well.
* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/50970451/chapters/128771305 Monster Mash]] - A Halloween-themed fic taking place after the events of the Trespasser DLC. Alexiel ends up getting cursed, and horror hijinks ensue.
%%* Needa put more here

In addition to the series list, the author has written a number of works which are not strictly "canon" to the events of the series but which nonetheless involve the same characters, including:

* AmnesiacResonance: In ''Overly Sour When Raw'':
** Alexiel has lost all of his memories of the Inquisition (and then some,) and he's accordingly lost all of his CharacterDevelopment and relationships, back to being a suspicious and hostile young man. He treats Dorian with particular hostility at first because underneath the magic, a part of him ''knows'' he loves him and this freaks him out. Later he even learn he can't sleep alone because, physically speaking, he's still used to sleeping with Dorian.

* DiseaseByAnyOtherName: The "wasting disease" that Evelyn Trevelyan develops [[spoiler:which eventually leads to her becoming an abomination]] has all the hallmarks of Type I Diabetes. She never gets nutrients so matter how much she eats, always feels exhausted, has sweet urine, and even being healed by a spirit healer doesn't permanently solve the problem (as it is at root an autoimmune disorder.)

* DiseaseByAnyOtherName: The "wasting disease" that Evelyn Trevelyan develops [[spoiler:which eventually leads to her becoming an abomination]] has all the hallmarks of Type I Diabetes. She never gets nutrients so matter how much she eats, always feels exhausted, has sweet urine, and even being healed by a spirit healer doesn't permanently solve the problem (as it is at root an immune disorder.)

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/series/3263040 a black arrow in the fog]]'' is an ongoing series of Dragon Age fanfictions written by Checkerbox on AO3. They serve to novelize VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition and the author's own (rather [[MoralSociopathy atypical]]) Inquisitor, Alexiel Trevelyan; this is done largely by expanding and providing alternate takes on events from the game.

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18604696/chapters/44108263 All This Venatori Nonsense]]'', written by Checkerbox, is a WhatIf AU fanfic for the game ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', in which Dorian Pavus, one of the game's companions who canonically opposes the Venatori, is now [[AdaptationalVillainy one of their commanding officers]].

Roughly following the events of the game, the story begins with Dorian being captured by the Inquisition at Adamant Fortress following the quest "Here Lies the Abyss". From there, the story follows the developing relationship between him and a male Trevelyan Inquisitor, while also providing it more context with [[AnachronicOrder flashbacks to their earlier skirmishes]]. Along the way, it's also revealed what events, exactly, led to [[NiceGuy Dorian]] of all people becoming a follower of [[BigBad Corypheus]] himself.

The fic was finished in October of 2019; the author has also published a [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/21266102 one-shot]] in the same AU which takes place before the game proper.

* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: Trevelyan is more noticeably traumatized by Therinfal's Envy demon (and what being inside his own head taught him about himself) than the Inquisitor is allowed to express in-game, with him admitting months later that he's only ''nearly'' over it.
* AdaptationalVillainy: In this fic, Dorian went along with Alexius' plans to lead the Venatori instead of opposing them, attacking countless innocents as a result. [[spoiler:It's subverted, however, as he would have never agreed to it in the first place if he'd been in his right mind at the time, and later only continued because he thought opposing Corypheus outright was hopeless.]]
* AintTooProudToBeg: Despite all the pride and bluster he shows during most of their meeting, [[spoiler:when implicitly threatened with Dorian being made Tranquil for his crimes Halward breaks and begs the Inquisitor to spare him, offering whatever he wants.]]
* AnachronicOrder: Roughly half of the fic alternates between a flashback chapter and a "current events" chapter, with the flashback chapters having their own chronological progression. The chapter concerning the Inquisitor's trip into the Fade at Adamant also has a series of flashbacks to his time with the Envy Demon in Therinfal. The final chapter, concerning the Trespasser DLC, shakes this up with a series of flash-forwards to the events of the DLC [[spoiler:while Dorian and Trevelyan happily catch back up after being away for so long.]]
* TheAtoner: After [[spoiler:he becomes a legitimate member of the Inquisition, part of Dorian's motivation is to right the damage he did as a Venatori lieutenant.]]
* BrokenPedestal:
** Much like in the game, Dorian's view of his father was shattered by the blood magic ritual he'd planned, [[spoiler:even more so because Halward ''actually attempted it''. Similarly, he readily agrees that Alexius "failed him" by brainwashing him to his cause in the aftermath.]]
** A point is made of how Trevelyan and Rainier get along terribly compared to how they did when the latter was Blackwall. After some pressing, it's shown that they are broken idols for ''each other''--Rainier being disgusted that the "Herald of Andraste" would have him continue to lie and be Blackwall ([[MoralSociopathy among other things]],) and Trevelyan being angry that the idealistic Grey Warden he'd seen Blackwall as was all a lie.
* {{Deuteragonist}}: The story puts equal focus between Dorian and Inquisitor Trevelyan, with the two alternating [=POVs=] roughly every chapter.
* DontYouDarePityMe:
** Once the whole truth comes out, [[spoiler:Dorian reacts harshly to any notion that he's a "mental invalid" as a result of the ritual his father forced on him. He also refuses to deny responsibility for his subsequent actions, since his mind ''did'' heal and he still chose to work with the Venatori.]]
** The Inquisitor is uncomfortable with anyone showing him pity for his awful childhood, especially because he's so emotionally detached that he doesn't usually get upset over it himself.
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** Even though he self-professes to be an "evil mage from Tevinter", Dorian is nonetheless disgusted with the needless sacrifices and demon-summoning his fellow cultists practice. This is ostensibly because it draws too much attention to their activities, but it's shown it really does bother him on a moral level as well.
** In the prequel fic, [[spoiler:Alexius is outraged to see the damage Halward has done to Dorian's mind over something as petty as breeding an heir, not that it stops him from taking advantage of it.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** Trevelyan notes early on that when Dorian is hit with Mind Blast, it seems to effect him more heavily than is normal. [[spoiler:Dorian was literally mentally scarred by the ritual his father attempted on him, leading him to being more vulnerable to such attacks.]]
** During Cole's first meeting with an imprisoned Dorian, he mentions that Dorian's hurts are particularly loud, and alludes to [[spoiler:the blood magic ritual that messed up his mind.]]
* FixFic: Aside from some things changing according to the premise of the AU, the fanfiction alters certain elements of the game's story to better suit the author's liking (most prominently, that the Warden ally in the quest "Here Lies the Abyss" is not Alistair, Loghain, or Stroud, but the Hero of Ferelden.)

* HeelRealization: [[spoiler:Dorian]] explains himself as having a gradual one [[spoiler:after meeting more Venatori outside of Alexius, most of whom did not have nearly his charisma or intellect and so could not win him over even in his addled state.]] By the time the story starts, [[spoiler:he had already accepted he was working for extremely powerful villains and could only hope to direct the Venatori towards true reform from the inside.]]
* HeroOfAnotherStory: The author's version of Hawke, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', and their version of the Hero of Ferelden, the protagonist of ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins]]'', both make cameos in the fic. Much is made of how familiar they are with the kind of trials Trevelyan has to face as the leader of the Inquisition, like Warden Mahariel taking [[spoiler:Dorian's HeelFaceTurn]] in stride because that's how she met some of her own friends in ''Origins''.
* {{Irony}}:
** After being [[spoiler:subjected to a traumatic blood magic ritual by his own father and left mentally broken, Dorian escapes to his former mentor Alexius, believing he'll keep him safe. Alexius immediately proceeded to take advantage of his broken mind to groom him into a Venatori.]]
** This version of the Inquisitor is an atheist who doesn't believe in "gods", despite everyone practically venerating him as one.
* MirthlessLaughter: Following the events of the Trespasser DLC, when Trevelyan [[spoiler:comes back out of the Eluvian and Dorian asks him what happened to his arm and where Solas was,]] all he can do is laugh hysterically in response.
* MoralSociopathy: Inquisitor Trevelyan shows little to no empathy for strangers, has murderous impulses in response to discomfort, and finds killing (of people and animals) a form of stress relief. This on top of a litany of other violent and inappropriate interests. Despite this, he's far from a villainous character. He doesn't truly ''like'' hurting innocent people, and he cares deeply about his friends and (eventually) his followers in the Inquisition, even if he struggles hard to relate to the latter. He also genuinely admires people who do the right thing--his moral standard being that if you ''have'' a conscience, you should follow it. It's pointed out that even his killing for stress relief is mitigated by the fact that a large number of things he kills are trying to kill ''him'' first.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
** [[spoiler:Dorian explains that partway through the ritual to change his sexuality, his father "lost his nerve" and put a stop to it, though it was too late to keep from damaging Dorian's mind.]] Since that point he's been evidently wracked with guilt, [[spoiler:especially as this led to Dorian becoming a Venatori and then imprisoned by the Inquisition.]]
** It's subtle, but Dorian expresses guilt from seeing plans for the memorial honoring the refugees slain at Haven, before quickly telling himself they're just "[[AMillionIsAStatistic numbers]]". [[spoiler:As he becomes a willing ally to the Inquisitor, his inner narrative reveals he's had many such moments of self-loathing for what he's done under Corypheus.]]
* PointOfDivergence: The premise of the story is that everything is about the same as it was in the game's canon, including Dorian himself. The biggest change is that [[spoiler:Halward actually attempted the blood magic ritual that he was only planning to use on Dorian in canon, to predictably disastrous effects.]]
* RewatchBonus: During the assault on Haven, Dorian [[spoiler:cheerfully apologizes for having to "crush" the Inquisition, saying it can't be helped. Cole's confused muttering of "he's sorry?" afterwards initially comes across, to the reader and to Trevelyan, like him not picking up on Dorian's sarcasm due to being a spirit.]] But after the truth is revealed, it's more likely that [[spoiler:Cole was surprised to sense that, when Dorian said "sorry", he meant it.]]

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18604696/chapters/44108263 All This Venatori Nonsense]]'', written by Checkerbox, is a ForWantOfANail AU fanfic for the game ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', in which Dorian Pavus, one of the game's companions who canonically opposes the Venatori, is now [[AdaptationalVillainy one of their commanding officers]].

* ForWantOfANail: The premise of the story is that everything is about the same as it was in the game's canon, including Dorian himself. The biggest change is that [[spoiler:Halward actually attempted the blood magic ritual that he was only planning to use on Dorian in canon, to predictably disastrous effects.]]

** Even though he self-professes to be an "evil mage from Tevinter", Dorian's nonetheless disgusted with the needless sacrifices and demon-summoning his fellow cultists practice. This is ostensibly because it draws too much attention to their activities, but it's shown it really does bother him on a moral level as well.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Trevelyan notes early on that when Dorian is hit with Mind Blast, it seems to effect him more heavily than is normal. [[spoiler:Dorian was literally mentally scarred by the ritual his father attempted on him, leading him to being more vulnerable to such attacks.]]

** [[spoiler:Dorian explains that partway through the ritual to change his sexuality, his father "lost his nerve" and put a stop to it, though it was too late to keep from damaging Dorian's mind. Since that point he's been evidently wracked with guilt, especially as this led to Dorian becoming a Venatori and then imprisoned by the Inquisition.]]

* {{Deuteragonist}}: The story puts equal focus between Dorian and Inquisitor Trevelyan, with the two alternating POVs roughly every chapter.