History Trivia / TwiceUponAnAge

* TributeToFido: It's mentioned that Hawke's mabari is named Rikki; Lady Norbert named him after her parents' dog, to whom she is particularly attached.

** Additionally, two of the side volumes of the series are entirely his work, as they were written during the events of the original story in the series and Lady Norbert [[IJustWriteTheThing claims to have had nothing to do with them]] apart from arranging their publication on [=AO3=].

* {{Dedication}}: ''The Skyhold Runner's Guide to Survival'' is also dedicated to [=RoksanaLyasin=], a fellow DA fic author who encouraged Lady Norbert to include it in the series.

* InMemoriam: ''The Skyhold Runner's Guide to Survival'' is also dedicated to [=RoksanaLyasin=], a fellow DA fic author who encouraged Lady Norbert to include it in the series.

** Additionally, two of the side volumes of the series are entirely his work, as they were written during the events of the original story in the series and Lady Norbert [[IJustWriteTheThing claims to have had nothing to do with them]] apart from arranging their publication on [=AO3=].
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* CallBack:
** Much like in the actual game, the narrative contains various call backs to the first and second games in the ''Dragon Age'' franchise. For example, Leliana explains how she knows about the secret passage leading into Redcliffe Castle, and has a silver symbol of Andraste which was a gift from Elissa Cousland; in the first game, this is one of the gifts which the player can present to her.
** Some of the background details, such as Brother Genitivi having been rescued from Haven via a boat on Lake Calenhad, are actually call backs to the author's earliest ''Dragon Age'' [[Fanfic/ShadowAndRose fan fiction]]. Many things mentioned in the prologue were initially planned to appear in a sequel to that story, which never got written.
** In ''The Skyhold Runner's Guide to Survival,'' Varric advises the prospective runners to let him know right away if anyone [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII ever asks them to help gather ingredients they don't recognize]].
* CreatorInJoke: A couple times in ''All This Sh*t is Twice as Weird,'' it's mentioned that Hawke's mabari is named Rikki. This is the name Lady Norbert always gives the mabari when playing ''Dragon Age: Origins'' or ''Dragon Age II'' - [[{{Tuckerization}} it's the name of her parents' dog]].
* {{Dedication}}:
** As stated on the main page, the series was begun as a Christmas gift, and the author and editor note that it's "Dedicated to our most devoted reader."
** ''The Skyhold Runner's Guide to Survival'' is also dedicated to [=RoksanaLyasin=], a fellow DA fic author who encouraged Lady Norbert to include it in the series.

* HypotheticalCasting: Although it wasn't determined very early in the creation of the series, having cast Aidan Turner as Mahanon in [[Fanfic/SkyholdAcademyYearbook a different fan project]] led the author to use the same casting here, with his ''Series/{{Poldark}}'' costar Eleanor Tomlinson filling the role of Victoria. The fact that the actors are really good friends in real life cemented the choice. [[https://i.ibb.co/z6JdbNy/Non-and-Toria.png Exemplified here.]]
* OneSteveLimit: Lady Inquisitor Victoria and [[spoiler:Divine Victoria]] at the end of the first story. This was an accident when the character was created, as the game had just been released and the author didn't know anything about the second character's existence until she reached the epilogue.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot:
** The series was/is being written as a gift for the author's "best friend and self-appointed bodyguard." The relationship between the Inquisitors is heavily inspired by the friendship between the players, although the age difference is reversed. This is likewise true of the Wardens in the prologue; Lady Norbert likes playing human noble swordswomen, while her best friend likes playing male elf rogues. (However, they both play Hawke the same way in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', as a female rogue who romances Fenris, so the story has only one Hawke.)
** Another minor example: Briala's comment about Victoria being a LadyDrunk is something that actually happens in game, depending on where a Trevelyan Inquisitor first encounters the character; when the author played the game for the first time, she triggered the dialogue in question. For [[DarkAndTroubledPast personal reasons]], she was extremely angry about this and made a point of including it just so Mahanon could express that anger for her.

* RetCon: A few details in ''All This Sh*t is Twice as Weird'' had to be changed or corrected after the chapters containing them were released, such as Hawke's age. After ''Across the Waking Sea'' was posted, a couple of chapters were slightly revamped to make their events line up more accurately with the letters which described them.
* ShoutOut:
** To the multiplayer, where it's mentioned that Cullen "smells like elderflower and oakmoss." In chapter 29 of ''Twice as Weird'', Cassandra presents him with an herbal salve containing these exact ingredients; as noted on the Fridge Brilliance page for ''Inquisition,'' elderflower is a pain reliever when applied topically and oakmoss is a restorative, so Cass is hoping that the salve will help with his lyrium withdrawal symptoms.
** In one of his editor's notes in ''Doubling Down'', Varric makes a remark about the sand in the Hissing Wastes. "[[Film/StarWarsEpisodeIIAttackOfTheClones It's rough and coarse and irritating]]."
** ''The Skyhold Runner's Guide to Survival'' contains a number of shout-outs:
*** Varric describes Skyhold thus: "While this castle isn’t of the '[[Franchise/HarryPotter shifting floorplan and stairs that lead somewhere else on Friday]]' sort, it is very large and sometimes confusing."
*** In another part, he claims he can't remember the name of Skyhold's chief herbalist, and calls her "Elon Vi'musk or something like that" in reference to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk Elon Musk]]. (Her name is Elan Vem'al.)
*** The chapter about the members of the inner circle is titled "[[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings The Fellowship of the Thing]]," and Varric makes the comment that nine companions "[[{{Pun}} has a nice ring to it]]."
** ''If Non Can Learn to Do It'' is almost entirely a shout-out to the Broadway version of ''Theatre/{{Anastasia}}'', consisting mostly of a FilkSong based on "Learn to Do It." It also has a nod to Leliana's memetic love of shoes.

** Additionally, two of the side volumes of the series are entirely his work, as they were written during the events of the original story in the series and Lady Norbert [[IJustWriteTheThing claims to have had nothing to do with them]] apart from arranging their publication on [=AO3=].

* HypotheticalCasting: Although it wasn't determined very early in the creation of the series, having cast Aidan Turner as Mahanon in [[Fanfic/SkyholdAcademyYearbook a different fan project]] led the author to use the same casting here, with his ''Series/{{Poldark}}'' costar Eleanor Tomlinson filling the role of Victoria. The fact that the actors are really good friends in real life cemented the choice. [[https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NINTCHDBPICT000466503742.jpg Exemplified here.]]

* RecursiveFanfiction: "[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/9770519 To Rest in the Warmest Places]]," written by the main story's beta reader [=AuroraBorealia=], shows the ball at the Winter Palace from Cullen's point of view.

* HypotheticalCasting: Although it wasn't determined very early in the creation of the series, having cast Aiden Turner as Mahanon in [[Fanfic/SkyholdAcademyYearbook a different fan project]] led the author to use the same casting here, with his ''Series/{{Poldark}}'' costar Eleanor Tomlinson filling the role of Victoria. The fact that the actors are really good friends in real life cemented the choice. [[https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NINTCHDBPICT000466503742.jpg Exemplified here.]]

* HypotheticalCasting: Although it wasn't determined very early in the creation of the series, having cast Aiden Turner as Mahanon in [[Fanfic/SkyholdAcademyYearbook a different fan project]] led the author to use the same casting here, with his ''Series/{{Poldark}}'' costar Eleanor Tomlinson filling the role of Victoria. [[https://static.parade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Poldark-2_Ross-and-Demelza.jpeg Exemplified here.]]

* {{Defictionalization}}: A heartwarming if somewhat unusual example. Mary Kirby, who writes Varric, autographed the author's copy of ''Hard in Hightown'' as Varric Tethras, using the nickname that Varric uses in this story. It's therefore somewhat canon that "Scholar" is Varric's nickname for Lady Norbert. [[http://ladynorbert.tumblr.com/post/177530809459/and-now-that-ive-finally-stopped-crying-i-can Seen here.]]

** Played with. The first story and its sequel are written by Lady Norbert (or as she bills herself, "Lady Norbert, Chantry scholar"), but "Edited for fun and profit by Varric Tethras." Throughout the series, there are "[[NoteFromEd editor's notes]]" in which Varric apparently tries to hold more influence over the narrative; sometimes he even talks to the author there. He's also credited as having written the prologue and chapters 19 and 27.

* CreatorInJoke: A couple times in ''All This Sh*t is Twice as Weird,'' it's mentioned that Hawke's mabari is named Rikki. This is the name Lady Norbert always gives the mabari when playing ''Dragon Age: Origins'' or ''Dragon Age II'' - it's the name of her parents' dog.

** To the multiplayer, where it's mentioned that Cullen "smells like elderflower and oakmoss." In chapter 29 of the first story, Cassandra presents him with an herbal salve containing these exact ingredients; as noted on the Fridge Brilliance page for ''Inquisition,'' elderflower is a pain reliever when applied topically and oakmoss is a restorative, so Cass is hoping that the salve will help with his lyrium withdrawal symptoms.

** Additionally, two of the side volumes of the series are entirely his work, as they were written during the events of the original story in the series and Lady Norbert [[IJustWriteTheThing claims to have had nothing to do with them]] apart from arranging their publication on [=AO3=].
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*** In another part, he claims he can't remember the name of Skyhold's chief herbalist, and calls her "[[UsefulNotes/SpaceX Elon Vi'musk]] or something like that." (Her name is Elan Vem'al.)

* {{Fanon}}: A few times.
** Chapter 19 of ''All This Sh*t is Twice as Weird'' is unofficially subtitled "The Hilarious Misadventures of Inquisition Scout Jim." Jim is the name the fandom has assigned to the hapless scout who interrupts the first kiss between Cullen and a romanced Inquisitor; according to this chapter, he has a talent for stumbling into awkward situations throughout Skyhold.
** Varric, in his letter to Hawke, refers to the Inquisitors' Skyhold outfits as "pajamas," just like the fandom does.

*** The chapter about the members of the inner circle is titled "[[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings The Fellowship of the Thing]]," and Varric makes the comment that nine companions "[[IncrediblyLamePun has a nice ring to it]]."