Blood from Stone [AU]

[Panis zi’Ulthlis]

"August personage... I like that one," Panis says with a laugh. "Very stately. But Panis is fine during dinner, if I might be so bold as to call you Helene?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"Th-this is acceptable," they say, then wince slightly, recalling the earlier conversations. "But no titles except for Seeker. This one is not 'miss Helene'  or 'sir Helene' or 'my dear lady' or 'my good man'."

[Panis zi’Ulthlis]

"Ah. Tulwath heritage?" He pauses, head tilting to the side. "Though I'm not entirely sure how that would have come to pass for a samsaran, now that I consider it."

[Helene Dakesh]

They shake their head. "Merikos Samsaran live only once," they admit. "This one is full Samsaran. This one is known as Helene who was Dakesh who was Avanti who was Eden whose past is unknown."

[Panis zi’Ulthlis]

"Yet another example of your well-known research skills, to have confirmed that many of your past incarnations. I have only met a handful of samaran that can list their history three steps back and only one that could go further." Panis pours himself a glass of wine, then starts to do so for them before stopping. 

"Do you wish to pour your own or..?" It's customary for the male to pour for the female at dinners in this style but...

[Helene Dakesh]

"Thank you, yes," they say, relieved just a touch to be speaking with someone who not only respects their gender, but understands their racial heritage. As they take the bottle and pour, they mention, "Not all rumors about this one are true. This one is fond of research, but this one only knows what this one knows because so much is recorded in the Temples to Alydra that this one has served at."

[Varric]

Next to Helene, Varric snorts lightly. 'Fond' of research. Riiight.

[Panis zi’Ulthlis]

Panis smiles faintly. "Humble of you to say so. However... who recorded those records you used?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"Many Seekers. In the case of this one's heritage, this one relies on primarily manuscripts recorded by Dakesh, and manuscripts preserved by Dakesh that were written by Avanti."

[Panis zi’Ulthlis]

"Does that not count as your own work?" His tone is not smug or victorious, but rather sounds like he is legitimately interested. 

[Helene Dakesh]

"Not... quite," they say, frowning a bit. "Dakesh was a very different sort of individual than this one currently is. And yet, it is undeniable that Dakesh's soul, his true inner self, was identical to this one's, due to the way samsaran reincarnation functions. Still, it is difficult to take credit for something done during another lifetime, in which one was a different person."

[Panis zi’Ulthlis]

"An interesting conundrum. I was aware of the shared soul aspect, even to the point of your eventual judgement being based on all your lives, not just the last, but had not realized that the... personality of each incarnation was so different."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Oh, yes," they say, relaxing as they find familiar ground to tread. "Dakesh was... some have said brash, or arrogant. He did not like remaining in one place for long; he was a Seeker in truth, searching the world for lost knowledge to bring home to Draslina and adventures to encourage the growth of his soul. He had a companion canine named Dogsbody who was his faithful friend, and he managed to recover many journals and records of Avanti's and store them in caches, along with his own writings. Avanti was similarly different: a summoner, one who was determined to recover the knowledge lost when the Sovereignty fell. She was based in Draslina, and journeyed to other planes in search of knowledge rumored to have been hidden away, lost when the planar gate network was destroyed. Eden lived during the last days of the Sovereignty, and little is known of her except through Avanti's writings."

[Panis zi’Ulthlis]

Panis hums softly, also noting the shifting pronouns. "You mentioned that Dakesh was a Seeker- were Avanti and Eden also sworn to Aldyra?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"Yes. There has been no other god for this one than Alydra."