Disclaimer: I own none of this. The ideas are mine, though.

I've been on a DA Binge recently, and decided I wanted to write something new. I won't ramble on and on about it, but I hope you like it!

Just saying now that throughout the story, I may use some lines or quotes directly from the games. I won't try to highlight or mark each one, but I figure it couldn't hurt to mention it.

There will be point of view changes. I will do my best to label them so it isn't too confusing.

In dragon age, there is a 'common tongue', or just 'common'. Other languages will be shown in italics

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

Origins – Faren Brosca

'All this for a sodding bet…'

Looking at the pool of water in his cell, all that he saw was his mark. The brand that made sure that no matter where he went, people would know what he was.

"Faren.."

Having just woken up in a cell, being told by his former boss that the three of them were going to die, and having no plan, he just wanted to rip that mark off his face.

Looking over at her, he sighed before standing up. Glaring at his reflection one more time, he looked over at the other two cells in the room. He and his twin, Natia, along with his best friend Leske had been captured after infiltrating The Proving.

"Faren… what are we gonna do? Beraht isn't going to let us out of here. He's already visited once, and I don't think I can survive another one…"

"Another one? What exactly happened while I was out?" Faren replied, trying to make out Natia in the dim torchlight.

"He just came by and… made it clear what we were worth to him now. Please just drop it for now. I'll tell you more later if you really want to know, but I just… I can't right now…"

Shooting her a look of worry, Faren thought he saw a bruise on her face before he focused on the cell he was in.

"I don't know, but whatever we do, we need to do it fast. You heard Jarvia, Beraht isn't going to let us incriminate him any more than we already have." Faren said, frowning again as he looked at the locks.

Before he could try to break the hinge on the door, torchlight appeared at the end of the hall. With a gesture, the other two fell silent. Seeing the guard they were assigned, Faren had an idea. Looking towards Leske, he coughed while jerking his head towards the guard. After a moment, Leske's eyes widened before he caught on and passed on that Faren had a plan.

Coughing again, this time much more violently, the guard came to investigate.

"Hey! Leave off with your noise. You're giving me a headache."

Trying to make himself sound a little hoarse, while slumping his shoulders, Faren looked at the dwarf.

"I can't exactly help it, you know. Had a headache the other day, but Ma said not to worry. Now look at me. I can barely breathe without feeling like I tried to sweep out all of Dust Town." Finishing it out with another coughing fit, Leske started talking right as the guard backed away.

"When that happened to my sister's husband, the healer said it was the blight. Said there wasn't anything for it but to put him down before he turned into a ghoul."

Looking at the two of them with wide eyes, the guard looked closer at Faren, as if he could see whether the blight had taken hold. As he got closer, Faren lurched forwards, grabbing the front of his tunic and slamming him headfirst into the metal cell.

After shifting the guard's body to search his pockets, Faren cursed.

"Bronto Piss! Looks like this just got a little harder. He doesn't have the keys, but he does have a small knife. Beraht is gonna regret deciding most of The Carta needs to know how to pick a lock."

After fiddling with the lock for a minute, as well as making use of a piece of a bone from a… previous occupant of the cell, Faren stepped out of the cell. Taking a few minutes to free Leske and Natia as well, the three of them divided the guard's gear amongst themselves. Taking the small knife as well as two others on him, Leske smirked.

"Well, they aren't as good as my beauties, but they'll do the job."

Rolling their eyes at him, the Brosca twins each took one of his swords, with Faren taking the shield as well. Moving on, they turned the corner right as another guard entered the hall. Before he could react, a knife flew into his throat. Wincing at the noise of the man crashing against the door frame, the trio quickly moved on.

"I thought I heard the last effort of a few dusters too stubborn to know when to die."

Looking across the room they entered, Beraht and two of his men were drawing their weapons.

"Try to leave the twins faces intact. I want to show their marks to Rica later. Maybe then she'll give one of those stonecursed nobles a kid."

Running forwards, Faren caught a slice from one of Beraht's men on the shield. Pushing back, he had a moment to see the surprise from the other dwarf before he got sent to the ancestors. Turning, he only had time to get his shield halfway up before Beraht slammed into him. Crashing down, Faren rolled to the side to avoid the blade that would've ended him. Hearing a triumphant cry from Leske, he knew that it was the three of them against Beraht now. The three casteless thugs against The Crime-Lord of the Carta himself, fully armored and equipped. Before Beraht could try again, Leske and Natia moved in, forcing him away from Faren. Scrambling up, he grabbed his stolen sword and caught a swing meant for Leske's shoulder.

Barely blocking it, the blade was pushed aside long enough for Natia to swing her mace at Beraht's head. Turning towards her and dropping his sword, Beraht caught the mace before wrenching it out of her hands. Before any of them could react, he shoved Leske and Faren away.

"You blighted wretch. You're lucky I'm a busy man, otherwise that throwing knife would've made what was gonna be a quick death long and drawn out. As it is I'll settle for passing your sister around to all the dusters in town. Might even let the-"

Before he could finish, Natia jumped at him with a dagger. Backing up, Beraht and Natia tumbled for second before coming to a stop. Pushing her off him, Beraht growled and slammed the mace into the side of her head.

"NATIA!" "NAT!"

With a cry of anger, Faren jumped on Beraht as well, his knees slamming into the dwarf's chest. Before he could try to protect himself, Faren drove the edge of his shield into his throat. And kept slamming it down.

Leske pulled him off after a few more blows, looking back at the mangled mess that used to be the face of the greatest and most dangerous crime lord in all Orzammar.

"Faren; We need to get out of here. You know Jarvia'll be back soon. Let's get Natia out of here; maybe a healer can help us…"

Looking over at her, it was clear to Faren that there were only two dwarves in a room with some corpses. Standing up, he tried to wipe some of the blood from her face. Looking at his own hand, he growled angrily at the blood on it now. Walking back over to Beraht's body, he slammed his foot into the dwarf. Feeling something snap, he sighed.

"Let's just… we gotta go. I know a trader who doesn't ask questions. He can get us to the surface." Faren muttered.

"The surface? You really don't think we can stay in Orzammar? What about Kal-Sharok? I'm sure our sister city wouldn't notice a few more dusters…" Leske replied.

"Unless you want to cut through The Deep Roads, the surface is our only option."

Walking outside, the two were immediately stopped by a wall of armored guards alongside a noble and that human from the proving.

"I am having the worst day of my life right now. And I wouldn't care if Caridin himself told me to go with you. I'm leaving. I have Carta to kill." Faren said, glaring at the noble leading the guards.

"You do not speak until the shapers have judged you!" The noble shouted.

As he did so, the guards spread out slightly to surround them.

"One moment, my friends. Did you not suggest this Beraht might have arranged their convenient escape? Although I thought you said there were three fugitives…" The human interjected.

"There were. Now there's two of us. And you all are in the way." Faren growled, as the guards began to draw their swords.

"I see. Well, either way that still leaves us with a problem to resolve."

"I fail to see why you insist on talking to these two criminals, Warden. Regardless of what happened in there, the penalty for impersonating a higher caste is death." The noble stepped back, giving the guards less to worry about.

"If Beraht is as influential as you say, maybe he also masterminded this Everd's impersonation."

Before the noble could reply, Leske chimed in.

"Was, you mean. I'm pretty sure most dwarves wouldn't survive a broken neck. And a broken face."

"He's dead? Beraht had many enemies, but also powerful allies. They-" the noble began.

"Beraht would've butchered us to keep us from talking. If he hadn't of taken him out, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Glaring at Leske for his casual admittance of Faren's culpability in Beraht's death, Faren looked back at the human, now revealed to be a Grey Warden, when he addressed Faren directly.

"You managed to take him out, using only a stolen sword and shield? Along with all his guards? We Grey Wardens travel far and wide in search of those with the potential to join our ranks. It seems I have found one worthy of joining our ranks."

"What are you saying?" Faren asked, trying to find any hint of deceit in the human's face.

"Let me make my offer formal. I, Duncan of the Grey Wardens, extend the invitation to join our order."

"This dwarf is wanted for treason! You can't do this!" Turning towards Duncan, the Noble began to shout.

"I can, and I am. It would mean travelling with me and leaving your people. But you could deal a blow against the blight and the darkspawn. Be warned, however. This is not just me saving you from the headsman's axe. The life of a Grey Warden is perilous, and many perish in our fight against the darkspawn." Duncan looked directly at Faren now, which seemed to only enrage the noble further.

Looking again at the guards surrounding the pair of them, and realizing the only way to get his revenge against the Carta was to go with this Warden, Duncan, Faren let his sword slip back into his sheath.

"Could I make one request first? I have the silver to pay for it, I just want to ask while these dusters are still out here and not in there." Faren asked.

"I cannot promise anything, but I won't know if I can help until after you ask." Duncan smiled now, taking his easy acceptance in stride.

"The woman that was captured with us… She was my twin sister. She died in the fight with Beraht. I know she won't be entombed since we're 'not good enough' and would 'pollute The Stone', but could we cremate her?"

Duncan ignored the now apoplectic noble, replying "I don't think that would be a problem. Especially since this is now business between a Grey Warden and his recruit."

"He is your problem then, Duncan. My guards will still patrol the area, but will refrain from the cleanup until after you both have retrieved the body. I need to go handle the warrior families. They will… not be happy about all of this."

With that, the noble walked off. After retrieving Natia's body with Leske and Duncan, the three left for Dust Town. After confronting his mother, Feran left her to her tears and looked to Leske.

"You know how I feel about the old woman. Can you just do right by Nat and Rica?"

Clasping arms, Leske replied.

"Of course, solraka. Now get out of here so I can go disappear. In all this recruitment business, the guards seem to of forgotten I wasn't recruited. I'll disappear after I make sure she knows she needs to cook her own dinner from now on."

Looking at Leske one last time, Faren made his way to the front gates of the city. Walking past the stone statues of the paragons, he felt a shiver go down his spine. He had peeked looks through the doors before when he was younger, but this was the closest he had ever been to The Sky.

'What happens if I don't remember to hold on? Is there a way to rescue someone when they fall into it all?'

Before he could worry himself further, Duncan came into view. Squeezing past a trader that seemed in a particular rush to get out of the city, he stood beside the Grey Warden.

"So… what should I call you? Sir? Boss? Captain? I don't think I could bring myself to call you mi'lord. Never met a noble worth the title."

"You may call me Duncan. Or if you prefer something more formal, then Commander. I am the current Warden Commander of Fereldan.

"Duncan, then."

The smile on the human's face indicated that he much preferred his given name over a title.

'At least I won't be travelling with some stuck-up Noble. Maybe this won't be so bad. As long as I can come back one day and end every duster in The Carta…'

Taking a step outside, he took a long look up, feeling like he was 20 years younger.

"That's gonna take some getting used to…"

Duncan laughed, before replying "I'm told it gets easier with time; and also that it's worse during the day. It's probably for the best that your first trip outside Orzammar is after sunset."

Going a little pale at the idea of it getting worse, Faren shook his head and started walking after Duncan.

'Don't worry Nat… I won't be gone for good. And when I get back… Dust Town is gonna run red.'

Well, that ended up being a lot longer than I meant it to be. I had originally been planning on doing a short intro of each origin, but this just kinda grew and before I knew it there were two origin characters, and I don't want the party to get -too- big that it's crazy. They're gonna face bigger challenges than you do in the game, but I don't want too many main characters. They have one more stop before they reach Ostagar. Try to guess where they're headed next!

Hope you guys liked it!

Ameridane