Life on Thedas: Difference between revisions
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{{work}}
'''''[https://web.archive.org/web/20120419234223/http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6403532/1/Life_on_Thedas Life on Thedas]''''' has the basic [[Self-Insert Fic]] setup. Guy plays video game, goes through some unexplained incident and winds up in the world of the video game. In this fic, the narrator wakes up in the middle of the Ostagar battlefield [[Squick|surrounded by mutilated corpses]], is nearly killed by two darkspawn and [[Humiliation Conga|it all goes downhill from there]]. Enter Elisa Cousland, a [[Genki Girl]] with a [[Beware the Nice Ones|darker side]], who quickly becomes the narrator's [[Warrior Therapist]].
There are [[Follow the Leader|similarities to]] ''[[Mass Vexations]]'', obviously, as the writer is a self-confessed fanboy that often reviews Vexations 2 chapters. Then Herr Wozzeck [[Ascended Fanboy|endorsed the fic on Vexations 2]], so that says something. [[Better Than It Sounds]] is in full effect here, something that reviewers have already noticed. It does tend to hang out closer to the drama side of the spectrum than Vexations, but still contains many Crowning Moments of Funny. It does tend to be [[Bloodier and Gorier]], though, in its representation of rather realistic sword fighting, so readers beware.
Be warned; due to a [[First Episode Spoiler]] you should read at least until chapter 6 if you don't want to be spoiled.
{{tropelist}}
* [[Actor Allusion]]: One of the running gags. One of the first instances of it is the discovery that the Warden is [[Suddenly Voiced]], and the narrator is stoked that he'll be [[Kari Wahlgren|adventuring with Elika]].
* [[Action Girl]]: The Warden, natch.
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* [[A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read]]: The narrator experiences Elisa's memories of Howe's attack and it nearly kills him. {{spoiler|Subverted with Malcolm, as his memories give the narrator the strength to fight off the demon.}}
* [[As You Know]]: An odd variation. At first original dialogue was directly transcribed, but further on the author just writes his own by paraphrasing the events of the game. The narrator also tries to avoid slipping up and revealing something he ''shouldn't'' know. For example, Morrigan suspects that {{spoiler|he knows about the Dark Ritual}} because he asks if she'd "[[Heroic Sacrifice|be willing to die for something really important.]]"
* [[Author Avatar]]: Of course, but with a heaping dose of [[Self-Deprecation]].
* [[Badass Abnormal]]: What the narrator is at times.
* [[Batman Gambit]]: The narrator tries one to protect Redcliffe Village during the Arl of Redcliffe quest. {{spoiler|[[Gone Horribly Right|It backfires. Badly]].}}
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* [[Broken Ace]]: Elisa shows a few shades of this, between her almost-bipolar switches from [[Genki Girl]] to [[Tranquil Fury]] - especially when Arl Howe is mentioned, and the revelation that she's {{spoiler|a [[Death Seeker]].}}
* [[Blow You Away]]: For some unknown reason (presumably [[Meaningful Name|thematic purposes]]) the narrator can use wind magic.
* [[Butt Monkey]]: The narrator can't catch a break.
* [[Canon Foreigner]]: Two so far. [[Monty Python and
* [[Cassandra Truth]]: When asked by Elisa, the narrator explains that he's from another world. She thinks he's just making up an interesting backstory and accepts him into the party.
* [[Character Development]]: The narrator is noticeably less timid in the latter parts of the story, and of course his fighting skills improve.
* [[Changed My Mind, Kid]]: {{spoiler|Malcolm returns and defies Flemeth to save the party.}}
* [[Chekhov's Gun]]: The Desire Demon possessing Connor recognizes the narrator. This is left basically uncommented-on until the Circle Tower, when Uldred apparently awakens a demon inside the narrator.
** Not to mention that in the Circle Tower Wynne recognizes the narrator by his assumed name. The narrator then flashbacks to when he met Wynne at the army camp in Ostagar. [[Mind Screw|Despite the fact that he only entered the Dragon Age world AFTER the battle]].
** The fact that the narrator's mind apparently follows [[Inception]] rules in the Fade is certainly not going to be forgotten, complete with a good-counterpart for the Mal figure. [[Mind Screw|Maybe]].
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** {{spoiler|Possessed!narrator}} murders a whole bunch of darkspawn without breaking a sweat.
** Invoked at the conclusion of Orzamamr. {{spoiler|Duran Aeducan}} kills {{spoiler|Bhelen}} without any effort whatsoever.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: The entire fic is a [[World of Snark]] - possibly the only non-snarky character is Leliana.
* [[Death Seeker]]: {{spoiler|Elisa}}, at least in part.
* [[Determinator]]: Despite being {{spoiler|cursed by a werewolf}} Elisa escapes her tent to help the others.
* [[Demonic Possession]]: The narrator. It leads to struggles and nightmare fuel alike.
* [[Development Gag]]: Zevran's actor Jon Curry once described him as 'a sexed-up [[The Princess Bride (film)|Inigo Montoya]]'. He and Elisa later reenact the famous duel, complete with dialogue.
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* [[Epic Fail]]: As the narrator concocts a plan to protect Redcliffe village {{spoiler|and subsequently burns the whole thing down save for the chantry.}}
* [[Eye Scream]]: The demon pulls this on the narrator in one of his nightmares. {{spoiler|Malcolm lands his axe in Dragon!Flemeth's left eye, too.}}
* [[Expy]]: Malcolm is essentially Dragon Age's version of [[
* [[First Kiss]]: The narrator and Morrigan in the [[Christmas Episode]].
* [[Fish Out of Temporal Water]]: The first few chapters include some complaints about Ferelden's medieval trappings, but they fade as time goes on.
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* [[Glowing Eyes of Doom]]: The narrator gets these when {{spoiler|the demon takes full control of him}}.
* [[Hannibal Lecture]]: Bhelen gives a couple of serious ones about Elisa's choice in Orzammar.
* [[
* [[Heroic BSOD]]: The narrator goes through one in the Fade at the Circle Tower where he admits he knew it was a dream the whole time, but wanted to stay because {{spoiler|it's two years ago and his parents aren't divorced}}. It takes Elisa's [[Patrick Stewart Speech]] to get him out of it.
** Elisa goes through a couple herself - first a minor one when her family sword breaks, the second when she and Alistair get a [[Relationship Upgrade]], but finds herself agreeing with Wynne's sentiments.
** The narrator has another one when he loses control to the demon, running away from the party. He needs a [[Cooldown Hug]] from Wynne to get better.
* [[Heroic Self-Deprecation]]: In spades, especially about the Redcliffe incident.
* [[Hot Amazon]]: Elisa. The fic makes no bones about how fit she needs to be to fight like she does, yet she still pulls Alistair rather quickly.
* [[I Am Not Left-Handed]]: Pulled off by Zevran {{spoiler|and Elisa}} during the Princess Bride re-enactment, though anyone that saw the scene could guess the spoiler.
* [[I Warned You]]: Malcolm pulls this on the narrator when {{spoiler|he betrays him}}.
* [[Katanas Are Just Better]]: The narrator's signature weapon is the Green Blade, a katana-like elf sword. Though he gets a regular bastard sword later, regulating the Green Blade to a backup monster-killer.
* [[Meaningful Name]]: [[Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep|Ventus]], which is Latin for wind. When Uldred awakens his powers, wind is a prominent part of the ensuing [[Power Incontinence]]. He also uses it to help kill the Pride demon.
* [[Mental World]]: The narrator has one that he winds up in a lot. [[Empathic Environment|It slowly gets more corrupted as the demon gets stronger]].
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* [[Mike Nelson, Destroyer of Worlds]]: The narrator {{spoiler|burns down Redcliffe village and blows the top off the mage's tower, both by accident.}}
* [[Mind Screw]]: The fic seems to be taking the [[Life On Mars]] bent. Is he in a coma dream? Is he simply a resident of Ferelden gone mad? Or has he really been transported to another world? Evidence for all three of these is starting to pile up. Not to mention his Fade dream, which goes all [[Buffy-Speak|Inception-y]].
* [[Alien Arts Are Appreciated|Modern-Day Memes Are Appreciated]]: [[
* [[The Mole]]: {{spoiler|Malcolm.}}
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: The narrator {{spoiler|burns down Redcliffe village}}. This doesn't go well.
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** Foreshadowed, but in chapter 12 the Persona 3 reference comes right out. There are at least three party members the narrator has started a [[Persona 3|Social Link]] with.
** {{spoiler|Under the demon's control}}, the narrator can kill people by grabbing their heads and exploding their brains. [[Fullmetal Alchemist|Who else have we seen that can do that?]]
** Elisa and Bhelen paraphrase the infamous exchange from the [[Judge Dredd]] film in one chapter.
** [[The Lord of the Rings|"This one breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark."]]
* [[Socially Awkward Hero]]: The narrator to a T, though this improves as he begins to feel more comfortable with the rest of the party.
* [[Supporting Protagonist]]: The narrator shows a lot of this, even edging to [[Overshadowed by Awesome]] considering what a badass Elisa is.
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* [[Tarot Motifs]]: Goes hand-in-hand with the ''[[Persona 3]]'' reference. So far we have Leliana as the Moon, Elisa as Justice, Wynne as the High Priestess and Malcolm as the Tower.
* [[Tempting Fate]]: The narrator internally snarks {{spoiler|after burning down Redcliffe village}} that he'll probably end up blowing up the mage's tower. {{spoiler|Well, not all of it. Just the Harrowing chamber.}}
* [[Throwing Your Sword Always Works]]: Elisa pulls this on Uldred in [[Wham! Episode|Dreams and Demons]]. [[
* [[Tranquil Fury]]: A favoured tactic of the Warden's.
* [[Wham! Episode]]: Both Redcliffe and the Circle tower, though the latter moreso because not only does it throw the narrator's reliability into question it reveals that he's been an abomination the whole time.
* [[Wham! Line]]: "Ven, where's {{spoiler|Leliana}}?"
* [[Wrecked Weapon]]: [[Ancestral Weapon|The Cousland family sword]] is broken, {{spoiler|well, exploded, defeating Uldred.}} It causes Elisa to have a minor [[Heroic BSOD]].
* [[You Are Not Alone]]: Wynne comforts the narrator about his possession with a big hug.
* [[You Are the Translated Foreign Word]]: [[Lampshade Hanging|"And there's the Dragon Age version of]] [[Mass Effect|'siha']]."
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Troper Works]]
[[Category:Life on Thedas]]▼
[[Category:Fanfic]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Dragon Age/Fan Works]]
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