A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Emmrich can barely keep himself together while Rook is trapped in the Fade. His routine is in shambles, his heart broken into a million pieces, as he tries to hold on to something, anything, to keep himself from drowning in despair.
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But now… now in the days since Tearstone Island, all he could do was languish over Rook. His darling Rook. The woman who entered his life like a tempest, filling the void in his soul he never knew existed. Or perhaps he always did, but was too afraid, too much of a coward, to admit it had been there in the first place.
Rook who was… who was gone, vanished from his life as quickly as she had appeared.
Emmrich’s heart trembled as he went over the words he so desperately wished he could tell her. What he should have professed weeks ago. These residual emotions weighed the heaviest on his conscience, the pressure nearly crippling him. The quietude he once held so dear was deafening, replaced by the never-ending nightmares of his current reality. Of the aching loss. Plagued by his memories, his insecurities, and how he impetuously wasted his last hours with Rook on a petty squabble.
Series
- Part 1 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Summary
Late one night, Emmrich stumbles upon Rook giving Manfred dancing lessons in the library, coming to the startling realisation that he might have feelings for her. And boy oh boy, does Emmrich fall hard and fast...
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“If you would allow me…” Emmrich began.
Rook spun around, a tinge of shock painting her visage if only for a split second, before it was replaced with a smile. Emmrich reached towards the music box on the table, manually rewinding it.
“It will do Manfred some good to observe how it’s done. I’ve found he learns most effectively when led with concrete demonstrations.” Emmrich bowed, extending his hand in an invitation. Rook curtsied and readily accepted.
The music started slowly, and so did their movements. Emmrich delicately held Rook’s hand as they strode in sync, matching every swing of the foot and light hop with an exact precision. They went through the choreography, coming face-to-face as they twisted and turned under each other, spinning in a small circle, just as Rook had shown Manfred a short time ago.
Series
- Part 2 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Summary
Emmrich and Rook are fighting for their lives in the Hossberg Wetlands, barely escaping a sea of darkspawn. After saving Rook from the brink of death, they share an intimate moment discussing some of Rook's past scars and perhaps what the future may hold for them both.
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“Emmrich?”
As he turned towards Rook, the moonlight filtered in through the broken roof, enveloping her in a soft glittering spotlight. The sight of her caused his pulse to start racing again, a shiver coursing through his soul. There was a shifting feeling in his heart, a pang, that worsened the longer he looked at her. Rook. The most magnificent woman he had ever seen.
“Thank you.”
Emmrich returned her acknowledgement with a bow.
“We’re even now, I suppose.” Emmrich said, beginning to unassemble his makeshift barricade. “Until the next time one of us gets into trouble.”
Series
- Part 3 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Summary
Manfred helps Emmrich prepare a romantic dinner for Rook at the Lighthouse. Things are going pretty good at first, until Manfred accidentally uses one of Lucanis’ very special spices. The kind of spices that are hidden away at the bottom of chests, meant for no one else but a skilled assassin to find.
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Manfred wasn’t sure why Emmrich was getting so upset. He had seen Rook fall a few times when she drank too much of the wine, and they had gone through almost two bottles of it already tonight. Manfred knew why the assassin was mad though, because he took something from him without asking permission.
“Lucanis, might I-I suggest you mark your spices accordingly?”
“How could I call myself an assassin if I left my poisons so obviously labeled?”
“You didn’t think for a second one of us might've accidentally used it?”
“Of course not! None of you know how to cook.”
“What impudence! I’d like you to kn-know I am a perfectly f-fine cook.”
“Spices. Too hot?” Manfred cut in, putting down the cake. He poured some water into a glass, handing it to Emmrich.
Series
- Part 4 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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In a world where Valentine’s Day exists within Thedas, Emmrich ruminates over its meaning as he revisits a past dispute with Johanna. It only takes a generous, and unexpected, gift from Rook to finally shift Emmrich’s perspective on the occasion. And so, for the first time in decades, Emmrich's hope on finding companionship is rekindled.
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“And what do you think of it all?” Emmrich probed, fiddling with a ring box in one of his pockets. A small thing, really, but it would’ve made a nice addition to any of Johanna’s dexterous fingers. Encouraged by the regalia they had used to adorn the dead earlier, Emmrich pinned his hopes that such a befitting gift would catch Johanna’s eye, just as a fresh corpse attracted a curious wisp.
“Of what, Volkarin? Oh. This fool's gambit? It sickens me.”
“The festivities or the actual act of showing affection?” The box burned against his fingertips.
“Love. A mere distraction, at best. Why, pray tell, must there be a day dedicated to it? Of all our sentiments? A waste of effort. Think of all the other things this cursed city could be doing than honouring love. Love! Pah. It is one addiction I want no part of.”
“Duly noted.”
Series
- Part 5 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Taking place after Johanna Hezenkoss’ untimely demise, the failed Lich begrudgingly helps Emmrich through a panic attack when he returns from Tearstone Island, without Rook, his infuriating paramour. Johanna may despise the decrepit professor, but they’re friends after all, until the end.
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Even Johanna’s thoughts halted, her rumination trailing away as if it had suddenly fallen off a cliff. The nostalgia had returned and she was drowning in it, her skull floating away into the vast oceans of regret. Johanna was not used to these long bouts of sentimental longing. When she was a student, she had evaded it whenever she spotted Volkarin moping around the Necropolis, looking like he was about to weep at any second over something or other. His parents. His impermanence. Another corpse he had spoken to. And now she was stuck with it, with Volkarin, for as long as he allowed himself to cling to this mortal realm. She couldn’t take any more of this madness and it had only been a few days.
“What kind of—ugh!” Was the only response Johanna could muster.
Series
- Part 6 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Summary
With Elgar'nan defeated and the Veil closed, Emmrich’s time at the Lighthouse is concluding. And what better way to say his goodbyes than by spending it dwelling on the past?
Split into 4 parts, these snippets of Emmrich include, but are not limited to: Emmrich pining over Rook as wisps of devotion encircle him, random quarrels with Johanna, competing with Davrin over who is the best ‘father,’ and Rook stunning Emmrich with an impromptu proposal as they overlook the blighted ruins of Minrathous.
Part One: Goodbyes
Part Two: Devotion
Part Three: Discipline
Part Four: Elopement-
In the end, it was Rook who proposed to Emmrich, bypassing all the spectacles and formalities that would typically accompany an offer of marriage. She didn’t care much for rituals, she had made that pretty evident upon their first outing in the Memorial Gardens. Rook had appeased Emmrich then as she lit the candles in the mausoleum, but she had lacked the enthusiasm he had hoped to garner from a fellow Watcher, her thoughts preoccupied, overburdened, as they often were in the beginning...
Series
- Part 7 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Fear, What a Terrible Thing by aloofness
Fandoms: Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Video Game)
14 Apr 2025
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Summary
Emmrich Volkarin gets trapped in a time loop after he rescues Rook from the Fade. Somehow Johanna Hezenkoss gets pulled in with him, due to their connection in the waking world. Will Emmrich be able to face his greatest fears? Will Johanna be able to offer any guidance at all?
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“You!” Emmrich barked, charging clumsily towards Johanna, his physicality resembling some sort of drunkard. “Explain yourself. At once!”
He grabbed her skull, fingers tightening around the cranium—he would not hurt her, he would never maim her spirit, no matter how disgruntled he was, or how she pushed him closer to madness. He was on his last legs, clinging to the remaining bouts of vitality. He needed answers. He wanted it to end.
“Oh, come now, Volkarin. Do you really think this is my doing?” Johanna laughed hollowly, her green essence curling around Emmrich’s wrists—the cool sensation comforting, in its odd way, as if she was holding his hands. As she had once done to ease his woes, many moons ago. “It is an acceptable design, by nature, but it’s simply too frivolous for my tastes. I'm almost offended you’d think I’d stoop so low just for the sake of your torment.”
Series
- Part 8 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Summary
No one knew what would happen when Rook and Emmrich finally got together, or the fact their coupling could destroy the entire Lighthouse.
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Emmrich all but blinked and Rook was enveloped in a comforting emerald glow, magic trickling out of the corners of his eyes like trails of smoke. His entire frame shimmered in a similar coloured essence, emitting so much raw energy she felt the life coursing through his mana, rippling into her being.
His eyes had gleamed after their first kiss in the Memorial Gardens, but it had been brief, a mere flicker, and Rook thought nothing of it then—an illusion, the ambience adding to the theatrics of it all, but the same light was back now, and rapidly intensifying. With each breath, it grew brighter, warmer. It was dangerous, blinding, all consuming, like she was looking into the centre of the sun. Her frame shuddered under the weight of his stare, from being in proximity of his power. Rook knew she should look away, stop herself from melting, from disappearing altogether—but she was tethered to Emmrich, committed, ready to follow him down whatever path he led her.
Series
- Part 9 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Summary
Death, it seemed, was Emmrich Volkarin’s oldest acquaintance, and not by choice, but rather, by grave circumstance.
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With Death’s appearances came the sheer terror, the cold sweats and panic attacks that would render Emmrich all but useless in the face of his impending doom. To die. To embrace the unknown. To be forgotten. The accolades he achieved, the knowledge he gained, the relationships built along the way, would ultimately amount to nothing. Gone from this plane with the first gust of wind, receding with the melting snow as spring promised warmth along the horizon. The only proof he had ever lived would be his rotting flesh, the gold sitting atop his bones. And who would come to care for his grave then? It would become a relic, fading into obscurity within the Necropolis’ vast tombs, another ruin for its growing aggregation.
Series
- Part 10 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Summary
Emmrich is tasked with handling Johanna’s remains after the confrontation at Blackthorne Manor, reopening some old wounds of his own regarding their broken friendship.
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Emmrich approached the marble slab in the corner of his laboratory like he was walking to the gallows—though not to his own execution, no, but to Johanna’s—observing the consequences of her reckless pursuit of power, her cursed pilgrimage built upon the foundations of petty grudges and promises of longevity. He stepped with determination, now part of a primeval formality that began the instant he had agreed to be the sole Watcher tasked with her supervision. He set the box in the middle of the slab as he readied himself, elongating his posture with another set of deep breaths.
He unlatched the box and slowly pulled the lid back, letting out what could’ve been considered a pitiful whimper at the state of Johanna’s bones—of what was left of the friend he had cherished, the woman he had spent so much of his life admiring.
Series
- Part 11 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Summary
Set in modern Thedas, Rook is an actress and Emmrich a renowned film composer. Although they live in the same posh apartment complex in downtown Nevarra City, they’ve never spoken. After a frightening earthquake, they both get trapped in a lift for 16+ hours—forming a strong bond that soon develops into something more than friendship.
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The playfulness vanished from Rook, replaced with something dire, frenzied. Her focus swayed between Emmrich's face and their hands, her thumb running along the back of his fingers. His world froze, petrified she would hear his heart hammering against his ribs—each violent thrum giving away his true inclinations—or feel his fingers perspiring, as he held her hand like it was a delicate flower petal.
Rook removed her hold, and Emmrich nearly gasped, regretting the absence of her touch, but thankful, oh, so thankful, not to be subjected to that torture any longer. He steepled his fingers, breathing in steadily through his nose and out again through pursed lips, to keep himself from dissolving into the ether.
Series
- Part 12 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Summary
After one too many shots of tequila, Emmrich confesses his love for Rook and then, whilst she drags him all the way home, proceeds to cry about it.
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Their dance was uncoordinated as they raised their glasses for another toast. Emmrich was cautious with his movements, not allowing a single drop to spill. Rook, however, held her glass crookedly. She appeared uninterested when some of the tequila dripped down her fingers, promptly licking it off her skin.
“Cheers,” they said in unison, and took the first shot.
“Oh...” It was the only word that left his lips, his taste buds alight as he perceived a range of different flavours. The tequila was smooth, but still burned his tongue. There was a smokiness to it, an undertaste, sitting on the roof of his mouth. A bit of spice, perhaps oak, and something sweet, like honey. He hadn’t expected that at all. By the colour of the tequila, he assumed it would’ve been equivalent to drinking motor oil, puncturing holes in his intestines. “That’s quite nice, Rook.”
Series
- Part 13 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Summary
Los Angeles, 1946. Acclaimed Hollywood actor Emmrich Volkarin has faced decades worth of hardships and scandals. He finds unexpected love when paired with Rook Ingellvar, a rising star, in his next feature film. Time will only tell how this budding romance will play out in Tinsletown…
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There was a hidden chemistry between the pair that unlocked the instant the cameras rolled, as they exchanged lines so naturally they might as well have been doing it together from the outset. It was no wonder Varric was a staunch supporter. Rook matched his fervour, easily slotting herself into character, giving him something to work with, to play with. And their rapport didn’t vanish into the ether when Iron Bull yelled cut—the air was still charged, his hair standing tall while they dallied around each other, stealing glances that spoke of their brief moment shared in secrecy.
Series
- Part 14 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Summary
Set a few thousand years after the Sixth and final blight, Emmrich Volkarin adopts his niece, Rhiannon Ingellvar, after her parents perish in an automobile accident.
Or a look into Emmrich Volkarin’s life in Modern Thedas, as a Lich, after being stuck with Johanna Hezenkoss for a thousand+ years.
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The skeleton sang, absorbed in its work, Volkarin's voice ringing from its hollowed chest. Rhiannon should’ve left, skittered back to her room as fast and as quietly as she had arrived, but she pushed forward. She was drawn to it, to the voice, to the poetic lyrics in an old tongue.
“H-hello?” Rhiannon called out, and the skeleton turned, eye sockets blazing.
A flash of green blinded Rhiannon and she moved away, nearly falling over backwards. She rubbed her eyes, the light clinging to her periphery. When it faded, and the room returned to normal, it was Volkarin who stood where the skeleton had been, fingers clasping the same paintbrush.
“Rhiannon…” Volkarin’s face was long, eyes soft, the smile he forced on his lips crooked. He discarded the brush and rushed towards her, but when he got within arms reach, he hesitated.
Series
- Part 15 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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So Much for Courtship by aloofness for Miss_Creative
Fandoms: Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Video Game)
21 Dec 2025
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Summary
Emmrich and Rook get stuck in a horrible storm, and must find a way to keep themselves warm to avoid catching hypothermia.
Series
- Part 16 of A Necromancer's Melancholia
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Summary
After Rook is murdered, Emmrich Volkarin seeks revenge against those responsible. And unfortunately for Johanna Hezenkoss, she's compelled to accompany him.
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The sacrifices. The unremitting toil. The distress to the mind, body, and spirit. All for the sake of Thedas, for their life in communion once the Veil had been sealed. To have had Rook taken so violently in yet another act of selflessness. Of course she couldn’t have just stood idly by. Of course she would’ve charged straight towards peril, lacking any prudence. Of course Emmrich had foolishly assumed her heroics had terminated, that she had left that part of herself behind, floating aimlessly in the Lighthouse’s ceaseless orbit. And what benefits did her sacrifice bring forth this time? No more than a handful of mortals saved, the rest perishing, and the murderers still at liberty. A waste, the capricious fingers of fate always squeezing, taking, having never released their grip from Rook’s neck.
Series
- Part 17 of A Necromancer's Melancholia