History Fanfic / SkyholdAcademyYearbook

* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Both played straight and averted in the first story. Everyone's aware that Cullen really wants to be with Evvy and isn't letting himself, although no one knows why. It's also implied that everyone knows Dorian and Bull are a thing, though they keep it fairly low-key in front of other people; as the series progresses, they become more open about things. Averted with [[spoiler:Varric]], who is a lot better at keeping secrets than anybody realizes.

* FirstKiss: In the first story, the cast practically celebrates when the school's resident OneTruePairing finally has theirs, based heavily on the one from the game. Later, another pairing combines this with ShutUpKiss.

* ItsAllMyFault: In the first story, this is how Varric feels about [[spoiler:Bethany's illness]] - since the situation which led to it was his idea, he's convinced he's to blame.

* MySisterIsOffLimits: Subverted. [[spoiler:In the first story, Varric ''thinks'' this is how Hawke would respond to his feelings for Bethany.]] On the contrary, no one could be more on board with the idea.

* SecretKeeper: Several in ''Skyhold Academy''. Cassandra is this for Cullen about his heart condition, and later for Varric about [[spoiler:his ImaginaryLoveTriangle]]. Varric himself is this for Hawke for a large part of the first story. And all of the senior teachers are this regarding the truth about the school itself.

* PerspectiveFlip: ''The Year of the Unicorn and the Emerald Princess'' is the plot of the original story told in the format of text and Facebook messages exchanged between three of the students.

* EatingTheEyeCandy: It's mentioned a few times, usually as a joke between Evvy and Dorian. When the school visits the Exalted Age faire, Bull is particularly amused by a bookseller doing this with Dorian; he doesn't mind it, because as he tells his ''kadan'', he likes that other people can appreciate Dorian too.

* DeathByChildbirth: Evvy goes into labor early, leaving the staff (and Cole) worrying about her. Fortunately, Varric has just the thing to distract everyone.

* HowIsThatEvenPossible: In ''I Must Be Going'', this is Evangeline's basic reaction to everything Cullen tells her about his life as the Dread Pirate Blackwall.

* WackyMarriageProposal: [[spoiler:Varric]] makes one under the effects of a sedative. Naturally, the rest of the staff has a field day - especially Hawke, who records it on her phone. [[spoiler:He makes a second one when stone cold sober, and in its own way it's even wackier than the first one.]]

* BouquetToss: At the wedding in the original story, it's caught by [[spoiler:Bethany, much to Varric's shock]].

* WithThisRing: [[spoiler:Varric proposes to Bethany by slipping the ring onto her finger while she's asleep. He later points out that [[ExactWords while she said she wanted ''him'' to be alert and in possession of all of his faculties when he proposed, she never said that ''she'' had to be]].]] Her response is to demand that "you get down on one knee this instant!"

* ''The Red and Gold Dossier'', a prequel to the prequel, is something of a take on ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins''. It shows how the characters from that game became acquainted prior to the events of ''Ordinary Chaos''.

[[folder:A-F]]

* AcademyOfEvil: Venatori Prep
* AccidentalMarriage: As the title would suggest, Jim and Rory's tale "Accidentally in Matrimony" centers around this as its plot.

* AffectionateParody: When the {{drama club}} puts on a stage version of ''Beauty and the Beast'', before beginning proper dress rehearsals, Dorian has them do a completely silly run-through of the show to get the giggles out of their systems. The way they treat the dialogue, and even one of the songs, is clearly this.
* [[AllThereInTheManual All There in the Fanfiction]]: Jim and Rory have written quite a collection of fic about their teachers, but only "Accidentally in Matrimony" appears in the series; they do, however, make reference to some of the other stories. WordOfGod confirms that the other stories actually do exist and may eventually be made public. One, in fact, already has; see SeriesResemblance on the Trivia page.

* ArrangedMarriage: Part of the reason Evvy left the Free Marches to teach at Skyhold is because her family was trying to push her into one of these. Given the modern setting, she finds the entire notion particularly archaic.

* AscendedFanon: An in-universe example with Jim and Rory's fanfic; as noted below under GeekyTurnOn, Cullen loves hearing Evvy read about the Korcari Wilds in Genitivi's book. The real Cullen and Evvy are so amused by this that it becomes something of a RunningGag for them, as revealed by Cole in ''I Must Be Going.''
* AuthorPowers: Referenced by Varric in ''I Must Be Going.'' He notes that as an author, he has both complete control and none at all, because ultimately the characters will defy him if they feel it necessary.
* AudienceSurrogate[=/=]NaiveNewcomer: Evvy, to a large extent. She has no idea what she's going to find when she arrives at the school, starting with the fact that it's in a castle, and the reader learns about Skyhold as she does.

* BackStory: "Pas de Deux," in ''Where the Sky is Held,'' has Hawke and Fenris detailing the history of their relationship for the rest of the staff.

* BandOfBrothers: Invoked at the Exalted Age faire in "Favors and Fortune," part of ''Where the Sky is Held'', when the grand melee comes down to four of the Skyhold adults; rather than fight one another, they put their swords together and shout the credo of Literature/TheThreeMusketeers, much to the audience's amusement.

* BirthdayEpisode: "You Make Me Live," the second chapter of ''Where the Sky is Held,'' celebrates Evvy's birthday and also the anniversary of her arrival at Skyhold.
* BlandNameProduct: Usually averted, but in ''I Must Be Going,'' Varric specifically requests "Viscount Cola" when ordering pizza.[[note]]It's a bit of a riff on Royal Crown Cola, or RC Cola as it's more commonly known.[[/note]]

* BouquetToss: At the wedding in the original story, it's caught by [[spoiler:Bethany, much to Varric's shock]].
* {{Bridezilla}}: Played with; during the shopping trip for her wedding dress, Dorian teases Evvy that she is terrible at being one of these so he has to do it for her - and he ''does.''
* CallBack: Later installments in the series frequently reference the earlier ones, but Varric drops the trope by name in ''Skyhold Academy Seasons'' when Cullen remarks, "I must be going."

* CannotSpitItOut: Cullen can't bring himself to tell Evvy that he's in love with her, even after he admits it to his sister. This leads to her giving up on him because she's tired of him pulling away.

* CastingGag: Used in-universe in Dorian's production of ''Beauty and the Beast,'' which is a stage version of the [[Film/BeautyAndTheBeast2017 live-action film]]. He casts Cullen as Maurice (because he's so good at being a dad), and at Varric's suggestion he then has Evvy playing the flashback role of Belle's mother. [[spoiler:Baby Skye furthers the gag as baby Belle.]]

* ChekhovsGunman: By the time [[spoiler:Coach Pheus makes good on his threat toward Evvy]], everyone has pretty much forgotten all about him.

* ChristmasEpisode: Well, more accurately, Wintersend Episode. In ''Where the Sky is Held,'' the students are allowed to stay at Skyhold over the winter holidays for the first time since the school was founded.

* CinderellaCircumstances: Played with. Evvy is by no means impoverished (she belongs to the old aristocracy in the Free Marches), but an odd series of events leaves her with nothing appropriate to wear on the teachers' outing to the nightclub, prompting Dorian to call her his Cinderella. They continue to call each other "Cinderella" and "Fairy Godfather" for ''years'' afterward.
* CleavageWindow: Mentioned jokingly while preparing for the school play. Bethany comes to Skyhold to assist with the costumes, and she and Varric have a bit of playful banter where he insists she design him something that shows off the chest hair.
* CodeName: The [[spoiler:Grey Wardens]] who come to Skyhold are identified solely by these. The leader is called Commander, but the others are Second, Rogue, Braid, and Brand. [[spoiler:''Awakening'' players can probably guess that these are Velanna, Nathaniel, Oghren, and Sigrun, respectively.]]
* CompoundTitle: In ''Where the Sky is Held,'' the last three chapters riff on the in-game FactionMotto of the Grey Wardens. The two chapters about the Wintersend celebration are titled "In War, Victory" and "In Peace, Diligence." These are followed by the final chapter of the installment, titled "In Teaching, Sacrifice."

* CoolMask: In ''Seasons'', Bethany designs a series of these for the Beast and the enchanted objects in the school play.

* CutenessProximity: Rory, in ''Seasons'', is almost incoherent with her love of a baby druffalo at Redcliffe Farm.
** More universally, [[spoiler:Skye Rutherford]] has this effect on pretty much everybody. Evvy finds it particularly endearing that even Varric fawns (but only when he thinks no one's looking).
* DamselInDistress: Evvy, when she's [[spoiler:kidnapped by Venatori Prep]].

* DeadGuyJunior: [[spoiler:Eleanor Skye Rutherford]] is named for her paternal grandmother.
* DeathByChildbirth: Evvy fears this may happen when her favorite sister goes into labor prematurely. [[spoiler:In ''I Must Be Going,'' Evvy herself goes into labor early, worrying the staff for similar reasons.]]
* DeclarationOfProtection: Cullen makes one to Evvy when Coach Pheus threatens her after the game against Venatori; he assures her that anyone who wanted to hurt her would have to go through the entire teaching staff - and he'd be at the front of the line. [[spoiler:When he's unable to actually uphold this promise later, he feels terrible.]]

* DeusExMachina: Cassandra describes herself as a "gym teacher ''ex machina''" at one point when trying to help Varric.
* DontYouDarePityMe: How Bethany feels about [[spoiler:her illness. She's crushed by the idea that Varric is just humoring her feelings for him because he feels sorry for her.]]
* EatingTheEyeCandy: It's mentioned a few times, usually as a joke between Evvy and Dorian. When the school visits the Exalted Age faire, Bull is particularly amused by a bookseller doing this with Dorian; he doesn't mind it, because as he tells his ''kadan'', he likes that other people can appreciate Dorian too.
* EmbarrassingRingtone: He seems only mildly embarrassed by it, but during the shopping trip in ''Disorienuptials,'' the male teachers are amused to learn that Varric's phone plays "You Are My Sunshine" when he receives a text from Bethany.
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Both played straight and averted in the first story. Everyone's aware that Cullen really wants to be with Evvy and isn't letting himself, although no one knows why. It's also implied that everyone knows Dorian and Bull are a thing, though they keep it fairly low-key in front of other people; as the series progresses, they become more open about things. Averted with [[spoiler:Varric]], who is a lot better at keeping secrets than anybody realizes.
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: Evvy gains the nickname "the rainbow of Skyhold" due to both her art and her bright disposition.
* [[EvilUncle Evil Aunt]]: Lady Lucille Trevelyan, Evvy's great-aunt, comes to Skyhold in an attempt to meddle in Evvy's affairs. It's a case of AdaptationalVillainy; in the game, she's only mentioned a couple of times in a Trevelyan playthrough, and her personality is undefined beyond a love of opera and a talent for throwing parties.
* FairyGodmother: Gender flipped; after he devises a dress for her to wear on the teachers' trip to the Fade nightclub, Dorian dubs himself Evvy's Fairy Godfather and calls her his Cinderella.
* FairytaleWeddingDress: Evvy knows she has a winner when [[spoiler:Dorian starts ''crying'']].

* TheFashionista: Bethany's hat in this universe. She went to college for fashion design and manufacture; it crops up occasionally in the narrative. Among other things, she runs a blog about the subject and helps with the costumes for the Skyhold school play.
* FictionalDocument: In addition to his other books, Varric composes an epic saga about ''The Emerald Princess and the Bashful Knight.'' He gives parts of it to everyone at Wintersend, and promises that the completed opus will be available during the following year's term.
* FilkSong: A pair of them are seen in ''Skyhold Academy Seasons,'' as part of the ongoing joke war between Varric and Dorian. First, Varric rewrites the lyrics to "Coat of Many Colors" (from ''Theater/JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat'') to be about Dorian; Dorian turns it back on him by rewriting the lyrics to "Blunt the Knives" (from ''Film/TheHobbit'') to be about Varric.
* FilmFic: ''I Must Be Going'', which is a Skyhold-themed spoof of ''Film/ThePrincessBride'', falls into this.
* {{Flashback}}: The chapter "Pas de Deux," in ''Where the Sky is Held,'' flashes back to before Skyhold's establishment and shows how Fenris and Hawke met and fell in love. {{Lampshade}}d by present-day Hawke, who dryly quips that she remembers it all as if it were a carefully constructed flashback.
* FirstKiss: In the first story, the cast practically celebrates when the school's resident OneTruePairing finally has theirs, based heavily on the one from the game. Later, another pairing combines this with ShutUpKiss.
** In ''Seasons'', Rory has some anxiety when she and Krem are cast in the lead roles in ''Beauty and the Beast,'' because she realizes that their first kiss is going to be on stage in front of a ''live audience''. Krem figures out a workaround to spare her embarrassment.
* FlowerMotifs: In ''Seasons'', Krem presents Rory with a daisy on their first date and notes that they make him think of her, being "rather unassuming and sweet."

[[/folder]]

[[folder:G-M]]
* GeekyTurnOn: In Rory and Jim's story "Accidentally in Matrimony," Cullen is enamored of the way Evvy reads Genitivi's ''Walking the Earth'', particularly the passage about the Korcari Wilds. It becomes an in-universe case of AscendedFanon when Varric reads the story to the other teachers, and they goad Evvy into saying the line; as it turns out, it really ''does'' have that exact effect on him.
* GenderFlip: Used in Dorian's stage production of ''Beauty and the Beast''. He casts Dagna as [=LeFou=], and changes the enchantress to an enchanter and puts Varric in the role.

* GiveAwayTheBride: In the original story, Dorian is so intent on having this role that he's prepared to fight Evvy's father for the honor. [[spoiler:This ends up being unnecessary, but he does graciously agree to share the duty with Mahanon.]]
* GondorCallsForAid: During the school's major crisis in the first story, the teachers try to keep the problem in-house because of the potential problems it could cause if it's known. However, they agree to call in Mahanon, and later the President [[spoiler:sends the Grey Wardens]] to help.

* GreenEyedMonster: Invoked by Jim in ''The Year of the Unicorn and the Emerald Princess''; when Rory tells him about the look on Cullen's face during Michel's visit to Evvy's class, he asks if it was "a green-eyed monster sort of look."
* GreenEyes: Evvy's most notable physical trait is a pair of dark green eyes, leading Varric to nickname her "Siren." It's also for this reason that she becomes "the Emerald Princess" in his epic poem.

* HairstyleMalfunction: Seen at the Exalted Age faire in ''Where the Sky is Held.'' [[spoiler:Bethany's hair is slowly growing back, but]] she wears a wig for the faire. Near the end of the day, a man accidentally pulls it off while flirting with her.

* HowIsThatEvenPossible: In ''I Must Be Going'', this is Evangeline's basic reaction to everything Cullen tells her about his life as the Dread Pirate Blackwall.
* HowWeGotHere: "Pas de Deux" was written in response to a reader's inquiry about just how Hawke and Fenris got together.
* HumiliatingWager: Remember the game of Wicked Grace in ''Inquisition''? Remember how it ends? It happens here too. It's a little different, but not much.

* IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: One of the excuses [[spoiler:Varric]] gives for not pursuing his LoveInterest.
* IHaveYourWife: Inverted. When [[spoiler:Evvy is kidnapped, Cullen]] reacts by blurting that "they have my wife!" Everyone is a bit gobsmacked (and heartbroken for him) since the two aren't even ''engaged'' at this point, but now they all know it's definitely on his mind.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler:Oh, Varric.]]
* IllGirl: It's eventually revealed that the real reason Hawke has taken a sabbatical is [[spoiler:because Bethany has the potentially fatal North Llomerryn virus]]. Gender flipped with Cullen, who has a touchy heart condition from his time in the military.
* ImaginaryLoveTriangle: Two of them. Cullen thinks he's in one with Michel de Chevin and Evvy, while [[spoiler:Varric is convinced he's on the losing end of one with Bethany and Sebastian]]. Michel is in fact charmingly oblivious to the whole thing for a long time, and [[spoiler:Sebastian actually turns out to be a ShipperOnDeck for Varric and Bethany.]]
* ImpossiblyAwesomeMagicTrick: PlayedForLaughs in "Is This Your Card?"; Krem and Rory do a number of "tricks" which are ''not'' impossibly awesome - but they act like they are.
* ImpossiblyTackyClothes: Cullen's collection of historically-themed ties are both a RunningGag and a recurring source of pain for Dorian. Cullen retaliates for the jokes by getting all of the teachers their very own ugly ties as Wintersend gifts.
** Krem's costume in "Coat of Many Colors" is either this or Impossibly Awesome.
* IncrediblyLamePun: Varric makes one, quite unintentionally, when he says that his typewriter Bianca is "the jealous type." He immediately calls himself out on it.
** Hawke also makes a deliberate one in the backstory of her romance with Fenris. When he observes that the chief of police deputizing an artist and a writer (Hawke and Varric) to assist her with the gang problem is curious, she replies, "You have to admit, it's a ''creative'' approach."
* IncrediblyObviousBomb: Subverted. [[spoiler:There are explosives hidden in a part of the school that's been sealed off for ages, and by the time the teachers find them, the bad guys are getting very close to setting them off.]]
* IneptTalentShowContestant: Krem rescues Rory from being one of these in "Is This Your Card?" when she panics onstage.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: In ''Skyhold Academy'', Sebastian visits the school and, quite unintentionally, rubs it in Varric's face that he recently visited Kirkwall and speaks with Bethany regularly over Skype. Varric's just glad he has a good poker face.
* InsecureLoveInterest. Cullen, in ''spades'', although he gets better. It's eventually revealed that [[spoiler:Varric]], of all people, is also this - though for wildly different reasons.
* {{Interquel}}: ''The Year of the Unicorn and the Emerald Princess'' is more or less this, as it takes place concurrent with the first story in the series and fills in some tiny gaps in the narrative.
* IntoxicationEnsues: ''Disorienuptials'' has Varric getting his wisdom teeth surgically removed. Hawke almost kills herself laughing as she uses her phone to record his sedative-induced ramblings afterward, including failing to recognize [[spoiler:Bethany - and then promptly proposing to her]].
* ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdeaAtTheTime: The logic offered for one of Bull's action choices in ''I Must Be Going.'' He didn't have a better plan, so he went for something which fit this trope.
* ItsAllMyFault: In the first story, this is how Varric feels about [[spoiler:Bethany's illness]] - since the situation which led to it was his idea, he's convinced he's to blame.
* KingIncognito: Almost nobody - not even Leliana - knows that the Commander of Ferelden's Grey Wardens is also [[spoiler:the First Lady of Ferelden]]. TheReveal shocks the heck out of the school staff.
* TheLadysFavour: Abundant in "Favors and Fortune," where several of the teachers participate in various activities at the Exalted Age faire and their significant others tie ribbons to their arms as this trope.
* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: The penultimate variant is seen in ''Disorienuptials,'' when Leliana subtly slips it into the morning announcements that [[spoiler:Varric's getting married]]. PlayedForLaughs when Rocky, of the Chargers, pretends to get excited about the ''last'' item on the list - that there will be pudding at dinner.

* LemonyNarrator: Used to humorous effect in ''I Must Be Going.'' The narrator (presumably Varric, since he's the author) often makes remarks about what's going on in the story, and/or why. For example, when talking about the betrothal of Prince Samson to Evangeline, the narrator observes that it happens "for reasons that really don't get explained very clearly because I couldn't think of them".
* LetsPlay: In ''Unicorn'', Rory, Jim, and Nessa are astonished to learn that their teachers dabble in various social media, but easily the biggest surprise is that Solas is the SecretIdentity of popular Let's Player "The Dread Wolf."

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Evvy, regarding the truth about Skyhold, for about the first half of the original story; this is also the case for Michel de Chevin, until he returns in the second year.
* LongDistanceRelationship: Mahanon and Cassandra maintain one of these. Hawke and Fenris also have one, even after they get married, because he travels a lot with his dance troupe; however, he takes some time off at the same time she takes sabbatical because of [[spoiler:Bethany's illness. As she explains to Varric, they basically take turns sleeping so one of them is always awake if she needs them.]]
* LongingLook: According to Dorian in the first story, Cullen does this a lot when Evvy's not paying attention. According to some of the students, he does it even when she's not ''there''; it's later admitted that the kids delight in finding excuses to mention her name in front of him just to make him adopt the expression.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Powerful attraction, at least, if not love; Evvy doesn't deny it. Cullen does, although he later admits it was quite mutual.
* LoveInformant: Dorian and Cullen's sister Mia both straight out tell him to stop toying with Evvy's affections, because she's in love with him ''and'' because he's in love with her and needs to stop running away from it.
* LoveLetterLunacy: Factors into the chapters in ''Where the Sky is Held'' which cover Wintersend of Evvy's second year. It's all quite benign, but they have fun with it.
* LovelyAssistant: Played with in "Is This Your Card?"; when Rory decides to do a magic act, she invites Krem to be this, invoking the trope by name.
* MementoMacGuffin: Evvy's locket is a Wintersend gift from Mahanon, and used to house Cullen's good luck coin. [[spoiler:When she's kidnapped, it's left behind as a deliberate "calling card" so the Skyhold staff will know that something has happened to 'the rainbow.']] In ''Where the Sky is Held,'' she gets two more tiny tokens to keep inside, so she has all four of "her boys" with her.

* MistakenForRomance: Cullen asks Dorian to teach him how to dance. Evvy walks in on one of their practice sessions. HilarityEnsues.
* TheMole: The teachers are horrified to learn that [[spoiler:some of the support staff are actually spies for Venatori]].

* MusicalEpisode: In the first story, the chapters about the school concert and the wedding count as this, although the lyrics are shown only sparingly. Some of the sequels also have bits of this to them.
* MustHaveCaffeine: Cullen is a coffee addict, in part because it keeps him from sleeping and thus having to deal with nightmares. [[spoiler:After his heart condition sends him to the hospital, he's forced to give up caffeine entirely.]] Later, Varric starts doing the same thing, and Cullen is able to talk to him about it because he understands.
* MySisterIsOffLimits: Subverted. [[spoiler:In the first story, Varric ''thinks'' this is how Hawke would respond to his feelings for Bethany.]] On the contrary, no one could be more on board with the idea.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: N-S]]
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Evvy's youngest nephew is named for Sebastian Vael, who is also his godfather. The Vael and Trevelyan families have a much friendlier relationship here than is implied in the games.

* NonAnswer: In ''I Must Be Going,'' the man in black's tendency to give her these is what lets Evangeline realize his true identity.
-->'''Evangeline:''' Your mild indifference and lack of specificity reveals everything! You’re the Dread Pirate Blackwall - admit it!

* NotTheFallThatKillsYou: Inverted by Bull during [[spoiler:the storming of the undercroft. When Varric starts wigging out because he killed one of the Venatori,]] Bull points out that "Technically, it was the fall that killed him."

* PairTheSpares: In "Is This Your Card?", Krem becomes "the greatest wingman ''ever''" by helping to introduce Michel de Chevin to Cullen's sister Mia.
* ParlorGames: The ladies of Skyhold (and some guests) play "Truth or Dare" while helping Evvy move into new digs at the school. It gets about as silly as you might expect.

* PerspectiveFlip: ''The Year of the Unicorn and the Emerald Princess'' is the plot of the original story told in the format of text and Facebook messages exchanged between three of the students.
* PickACard: Factors into "Is This Your Card?" (as the title implies).

* PlatonicDeclarationOfLove: Evvy has one with each of her adopted brothers on her wedding day. Dorian reiterates it with a FriendshipSong in ''Where the Sky is Held.'' Rory, Jim, and Nessa do this to each other occasionally as well.

* PlausibleDeniability: In "Coat of Many Colors," it's outright stated that the rest of the teachers know that Varric and Mahanon are up to ''something'', but most of them don't know what and don't ''want'' to know for this reason. Cass and Bull both invoke the trope by name.
* PlotHole: {{Lampshaded}} in ''I Must Be Going.'' Lacking for a better idea on how to resolve the story, Varric literally ''opens a plot hole'' and sends Dorian through it to collect a necessary weapon.
* PoeticJustice: When Nessa teasingly points out that the teachers might start writing fanfic about her and Krem, Rory reluctantly admits that it would be this if they did.

* PoorCommunicationKills: Or at least, kills a relationship that's been in existence for all of twelve seconds in the original story. Fortunately, Hawke and Cassandra are able to intervene.
** Jim invokes the trope by name just before the final dress rehearsal of the school play, in ''Seasons''.
* {{Portmantitle}}: ''Disorienuptials'' is a portmanteau of ''disorientation'' and ''nuptials.'' Also counts as a OneWordTitle.
* PreciousPhoto: Varric has a framed photo on his desk of his and Hawke's group of friends back in Kirkwall. [[spoiler:He really keeps it there so he can look at Bethany's face, but using the group photo helps to hide his intentions during the original story.]]

* {{Prequel}}: ''Ordinary Chaos'' serves as this, being set a few years before ''Skyhold Academy'', and ''The Red and Gold Dossier'' is a prequel ''to'' the prequel.
* {{Protectorate}}: Invoked by the [[spoiler:Grey Wardens]] once the main crisis of the original story is resolved.
* PutOnABus: Vivienne departs the school very early in the story, owing to a personal emergency.[[note]]This is a reference to her personal quest in the game.[[/note]] Michel de Chevin becomes a guest professor as a result. Later, it's revealed that she leaves the school entirely in order to oversee her late beloved's estate in Orlais, and Michel transfers permanently to the Skyhold staff.
* RealPersonFic: ''I Must Be Going'' qualifies as this in-universe, since Varric takes the teaching staff and puts them into ''Film/ThePrincessBride''. To the reader, however, it's a {{crossover}} fic.
** Jim and Rory's fanfics about the teachers also qualify as this in-universe.

* SchoolPlay: In ''Seasons'', Dorian establishes a DramaClub and directs a stage production of ''Beauty and the Beast''. Considering the setting and the characters involved, it's every bit as over-the-top as the reader might expect.

* SecretKeeper: Several in ''Skyhold Academy''. Cassandra is this for Cullen about his heart condition, and later for Varric about [[spoiler:his ImaginaryLoveTriangle]]. Varric himself is this for Hawke for a large part of the first story. And all of the senior teachers are this regarding the truth about the school itself.
* SelfInsertFic: ''I Must Be Going'' manages to be both this trope ''and'' a {{Crossover}}. It's a crossover from the reader's point of view; within the story itself, though, it's this trope to everyone listening to Varric reading because ''they're'' the ones in it.
* SerialKiller: Much as in the [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII second game]], Hawke and Bethany's mother is murdered by one of these, about four years before the start of the series. Because of the non-magical setting, Quentin's motivations aren't included; the detail of him sending white lilies to his victims is, however, and the crime spree is colloquially known as the White Lily Murders. The only other confirmed detail about the murders is that Hawke killed the killer. The tale is told as part of the backstory for her relationship with Fenris.
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: In ''I Must Be Going,'' the listening kids object to Varric using the word ''smaragdine'' to describe the color of Evangeline's eyes. He explains that he got the word from his Word-A-Day calendar, and that it means something which is emerald green in color. Cole's response sums up the authors' feelings about the adjective (which they deliberately used because it's so odd).
-->"I don't think that's a real word. Or if it is, it ''shouldn't'' be."
* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: When Varric refers to Evvy as being Cullen's girlfriend at the Venatori game, he makes this exact rebuttal. It's the truth, but as Varric then grumbles, "She ''would'' be if you'd quit sitting on your hands about it."
* ShedTheFamilyName: Played with. It's explained that when Fenris married Hawke, he took her surname rather than otherwise. Of course, the logical reason for this is that in the games, he doesn't ''have'' a surname of his own; the reason given in the story, however, is that it was a sign that he had put his past behind him.

* ShutUpKiss: [[spoiler:Varric]] gets an absolutely ''hilarious'' one at the wedding in the first story, with several of the teachers laughing about how it's the first time anyone has ever managed to shut him up. Also doubles as the pair's FirstKiss.

* SnowballFight: In ''Where the Sky is Held,'' a school-wide one of these is held as part of the Wintersend celebration.
* SnowedIn: It's mentioned that Skyhold is somewhat this during the above-mentioned Wintersend celebration, with some of the party only barely managing to arrive ahead of the storm. Justified in that the school ''is'' located in the Frostback Mountains.

* SpeakNowOrForeverHoldYourPeace: Played for laughs as Dorian gets up and glares at everyone attending the first story's wedding, wordlessly threatening anyone who might object - not that anyone would.
* {{Squee}}: The students are frequently prone to this, especially when it comes to {[shipping}} their teachers. Blackwall, at one point, jokingly nicknames the school "Squeehold Academy."
* StagParty: In the first story, Bull calls dibs on planning one of these practically the second he finds out there's a wedding in need of one. The groom is terrified, especially when even ''Solas'' starts talking about the strippers {{jumping out of a cake}}. [[spoiler:They're winding him up. There are no strippers, only drinks and food and a storytelling game in which they all do their best to embarrass the groom.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: T-Z]]
* TakeBackYourGift: When she grows tired of Cullen running away from her in the first story, Evvy returns his good luck coin.
* TakeThat: In "Pas de Deux," Dorian makes a crack about "Fifty Shades of whatever ghastly monstrosity against literature that thing was." Varric responds by growling and declaring, "We do not speak of ''that''."
* TalentContest: The premise of "Is This Your Card?" - it was written in response to a reader request for "more musical numbers please."
* TapOnTheHead: Invoked in ''I Must Be Going''; when Bull "jogs the memory" of Solas in-story, it's described as this and also notes that it knocks him flat on his face.

* TerminologyTitle: In a sense, ''Where the Sky is Held'' is this. Veterans of ''Inquisition'' know that the phrase is the translated form of the Dalish name for Skyhold.
* TheseHandsHaveKilled: [[spoiler:Varric]] reacts this way after, well, exactly that happens.
* ThisIsNotADrill: Invoked by Dorian when [[spoiler:Evvy gets kidnapped]] in the original story. He gets on the loudspeaker and announces that the entire school is on lockdown and all teachers are to report to the staff room for an emergency meeting.

* TwiceShy: Cullen and Evvy have this going on a bit; she's pretty encouraging, but he responds to her flirting by running in the opposite direction - sometimes literally.
** Later, Rory and Krem fit the trope even more accurately, and it's actually her fanfic about the teachers which gives him an opening to move past it and ask her out.

* WackyMarriageProposal: [[spoiler:Varric]] makes one under the effects of a sedative in ''Disorienuptials.'' Naturally, the rest of the staff has a field day - especially Hawke, who records it on her phone. [[spoiler:He makes a second one when stone cold sober, and in its own way it's even wackier than the first one.]]

* WeddingDay: How the first story ends. No prizes for guessing whose.
** ''Disorienuptials'' focuses on a different wedding altogether.

* WithThisRing: In ''Disorienuptials,'' [[spoiler:Varric proposes to Bethany by slipping the ring onto her finger while she's asleep. He later points out that [[ExactWords while she said she wanted ''him'' to be alert and in possession of all of his faculties when he proposed, she never said that ''she'' had to be]].]] Her response is to demand that "you get down on one knee this instant!"
* TheXOfY: ''The Year of the Unicorn and the Emerald Princess''

* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Both played straight and averted in the first story. Everyone's aware that Cullen really wants to be with Evvy and isn't letting himself, although no one knows why. It's also implied that everyone knows Dorian and Bull are a thing, though they keep it fairly low-key in front of other people; as the series progresses, they become more open about things. But until Cassandra sees something she wasn't meant to see, absolutely ''no one'' in the main cast knows that [[spoiler:Varric is very quietly in love with Bethany. (Almost no one. Hawke has figured it out, but that's not revealed until later.)]]

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Varric, as in canon; Rory and Jim are even more blatant about it, not even bothering to change names.

* WackyMarriageProposal: [[spoiler:Varric]] makes one under the effects of a sedative in ''Disorienuptials.'' Naturally, the rest of the staff has a field day - especially Hawke, who records it on her phone.

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Varric, as in canon; Rory and Jim are even more blatant about it.

* TheStationsOfTheCanon: To an extent. The different premise naturally changes the nature of the events, but several

* LemonyNarrator: Used to humorous effect in ''I Must Be Going.'' The narrator (presumably Varric, since he's the author) often makes remarks about what's going on in the story, and/or why. For example, when explaining the betrothal of Prince Samson to Evangeline, the narrator observes that it happens "for reasons that really don't get explained very clearly because I couldn't think of them".

* LongDistanceRelationship: Mahanon and Cassandra maintain one of these.

* MementoMacGuffin: Evvy's locket is a Wintersend gift from Mahanon, and used to house Cullen's good luck coin. [[spoiler:When she's kidnapped, it's left behind as a deliberate "calling card" so the Skyhold staff will know that something has happened to 'the rainbow.']]

* MythologyGag: Several, usually with [[MetaGuy Varric]] as the culprit.

* LongingLook: According to Dorian, Cullen does this a lot when Evvy's not paying attention.

* MySisterIsOffLimits: Subverted. [[spoiler:Varric ''thinks'' this is how Hawke would respond to his feelings for Bethany. She's actually been aware of it for some time and is completely on board with the idea.]]

* OhCrapThereAreFanficsOfUs: Subverted. InUniverse, the teachers are ''very'' surprised to learn that Rory and Jim have been writing RealPersonFic about Cullen and Evvy, but don't mind. In fact, it becomes a RunningGag and they're all highly amused by it. When the kids turn in "Accidentally in Matrimony" for a writing assignment, Varric gives them an extremely good grade in part because the story made everyone laugh so much; he also requests a sequel.

* CoolTeacher: All of them, in one sense or another, fall under this. Dorian is arguably the coolest; ''he'' certainly thinks so, anyway, and Evvy sometimes soothes his ruffled ego by appealing to that mindset.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Cullen, as in the game, although given the non-magical setting it's given a different spin here. It's later explained that many of the Skyhold students have these as well. It's implied that Dorian has one, but he doesn't talk about it much until ''Seasons'', when at least some of his past catches up to him. Varric and Fenris are also each implied to have one, but Varric talks about his even less than Dorian does; Fenris, however, does give some details about his in "Pas de Deux," only because they explain why he was initially reluctant to get involved with Hawke.

* PermanentElectedOfficial: Alistair is the rare heroic variety of the trope. He's the last surviving member of the Theirin family, which used to rule Ferelden when it was still a hereditary monarchy; but he (and his wife) helped to reform it into a democracy instead. The people, who dearly love them, compromised by electing him President for life - he will hold the job until he decides to step down.

* PlatonicDeclarationOfLove: Evvy has one with each of her adopted brothers on her wedding day. Dorian reiterates it with a FriendshipSong in ''Where the Sky is Held.''

* PlotHole: {{Lampshaded}} in ''I Must Be Going.'' Lacking for a better idea on how to resolve the plot, Varric literally ''opens a plot hole'' and sends Dorian through it to collect a necessary weapon.

* RescueRomance: Played straight and subverted. In the straight example, Cullen decks a drunk at the Fade nightclub who's verbally harassing Evvy. In the subversion, he would be more than happy to [[spoiler:storm Venatori Prep single-handedly in order to rescue her]], but the other teachers won't let him since it would be a SuicideMission.

** Hawke and Bethany are "Varric's girls." Even Fenris - Hawke's husband - calls them that.

** Never subject a woman to attentions she doesn't want, or you'll find yourself on the wrong end of Cullen Rutherford's fist. This is seen both in the original story itself and also in Fenris's recounting of the day he met Cullen.

* DemotedToExtra: Sera, rather than retaining her in-game position within the inner circle, is instead one of the students and mostly appears only by mention. Cole is also demoted to student, but has a larger role due to his relationship with Evvy.

* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Both played straight and averted. Everyone's aware that Cullen really wants to be with Evvy and isn't letting himself, although no one knows why. It's also implied that everyone knows Dorian and Bull are a thing, though they keep it fairly low-key in front of other people. But until Cassandra sees something she wasn't meant to see, absolutely ''no one'' in the main cast knows that [[spoiler:Varric is very quietly in love with Bethany. (Almost no one. Hawke has figured it out, but that's not revealed until later.)]]

* TheFashionista: Bethany's hat in this universe. She went to college for fashion design and manufacture; it crops up occasionally in the narrative. Among other things, she runs a blog about it and helps with the costumes for the Skyhold school play.

* AFriendInNeed: The teachers are this for each other - even the ones who seem like they don't particularly like each other will drop everything to help in a time of need.

* GondorCallsForAid: During the school's major crisis, the teachers try to keep the problem in-house because of the potential problems it could cause if it's known. However, they agree to call in Mahanon, and later the President [[spoiler:sends in the Grey Wardens]] to help.

* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Evvy's newest nephew is named for Sebastian Vael, who is also his godfather.

* OhCrapThereAreFanficsOfUs: Subverted. InUniverse, the teachers are ''very'' surprised to learn that Rory and Jim have been writing RealPersonFic about Cullen and Evvy, but don't mind. In fact, it becomes a RunningGag and they're all highly amused by it. When the kids turn in "Accidentally in Matrimony" for a writing assignment, Varric gives them an extremely high grade in part because the story made everyone laugh so much; he also requests a sequel.

* OneTruePairing: In-universe, the students often refer to Cullen and Evvy as being one of these. When their engagement is announced to the school, one student responds by crying, "''My OTP is canon!''"

* ''Disorienuptials'' features another staff wedding done with a surprise twist.

** Since "Nightingale" is Leliana's actual last name in this iteration, he instead nicknames her "Songbird." Fenris, meanwhile, is usually called "Elf" in-universe, but since he's human here, it's been changed to "Broody."

* [[AllThereInTheManual All There in the Fanfiction]]: Jim and Rory have written quite a collection of fic about their teachers, but only "Accidentally in Matrimony" appears in the series; they do, however, make reference to some of the other stories. WordOfGod confirms that the other stories actually do exist and may eventually be made public.

* ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/12371808 Skyhold Academy Seasons]]'' is another collection of short adventures taking place between ''I Must Be Going'' and the following autumn.

* LikeBrotherAndSister: Evvy has this relationship with Mahanon, whom she's known since they were toddlers, and develops a similar bond with Dorian; both men clearly adore her, and she them. Later, since they both regard Dorian as being effectively their adopted brother, Varric and Evvy agree that they are this as well.

* LoveInformant: Dorian and Cullen's sister Mia straight out tell him to stop toying with Evvy's affections, both because she's in love with him ''and'' because he's in love with her and needs to stop running away from it.

* ''Disorienuptials'' features another staff wedding done with a surprise twist.

* BigManOnCampus: Cremisius "Krem" Aclassi is arguably the most popular student in the entire school.

* LikeBrotherAndSister: Evvy has this relationship with Mahanon, whom she's known since they were toddlers, and develops a similar bond with Dorian; both men clearly adore her, and she them.

* {{Poetry}}: Varric's ''The Emerald Princess and Her Bashful Knight'' is described as an epic poem, and what little is shown of it suggests a rhyming scheme. It's noted that Rory is the founding member of the school's poetry club, leading Varric to nickname her "Sonnet," and Cole's singsong way of talking is attributed in part to the fact that he writes poetry too.

* PreciousPhoto: Varric has a framed photo on his desk of his and Hawke's group of friends back in Kirkwall. [[spoiler:He really keeps it there so he can look at Bethany's face, but using the group photo helps to hide his intentions.]]

* {{Prequel}}: ''Ordinary Chaos'' serves as this, being set a few years before ''Skyhold Academy''.

* CallBack: Later installments in the series frequently reference the earlier ones.

* FilkSong: In ''Skyhold Academy Seasons,'' as part of the ongoing joke war between Varric and Dorian, Varric rewrites the lyrics to "Coat of Many Colors" (from ''Theater/JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat'') to be about Dorian.

* MythologyGag: In "Favors and Fortune," Varric has one where he picks up a crossbow at the faire and shocks everyone with his immediate proficiency. He guesses that one of his ancestors must have been a crack shot with such a thing. Later, in ''I Must Be Going,'' he mentions that he bought a replica and has it displayed over the fireplace in his Kirkwall residence.

* OhCrapThereAreFanficsOfUs: Subverted. InUniverse, the teachers are ''very'' surprised to learn that Rory and Jim have been writing fanfic about Cullen and Evvy, but don't mind. In fact, it becomes a RunningGag and they're all highly amused by it. When the kids turn in "Accidentally in Matrimony" for a writing assignment, Varric gives them an extremely high grade in part because the story made everyone laugh so much; he also requests a sequel.

* OrphanageOfLove: Skyhold Academy's big secret is that it basically functions as this. It's not really a secret from the reader, as there are hints dropped throughout the narrative, but it's a very big secret in-universe. Even among the school staff, only the senior teachers and their significant others (who are regarded almost as extended staff) are aware of the truth. It finally gets explicitly stated in-story when they decide to tell Evvy.

*** GoodParents: A very few students (including Rory) have these, but the families have fallen on hard times, financially or otherwise.

* {{Poetry}}: Varric's ''The Emerald Princess and Her Bashful Knight'' is described as an epic poem, and what little is shown of it suggests a rhyming scheme. It's noted that Rory is the founding member of the school's poetry club, and Cole's singsong way of talking is attributed in part to the fact that he writes poetry too.
* PoorCommunicationKills: Or at least, kills a relationship that's been in existence for all of twelve seconds. Fortunately, Hawke and Cassandra are able to intervene.

* RescueRomance: Played straight and subverted. In the straight example, Cullen decks a drunk at the Fade nightclub who's verbally harassing Evvy. In the subversion, he would be more than happy to [[spoiler:storm Venatori Prep single-handedly in order to rescue Evvy]], but the other teachers won't let him since it would be a SuicideMission.

* SchoolPlay: In ''Seasons'', Dorian establishes a DramaClub and directs a stage production of ''Beauty and the Beast''. Considering the setting and the characters involved, it's every bit as over-the-top as the reader might expect. In particular, the final dress rehearsals are preceded by an all-out ridiculous "fun run" where the cast is encouraged to get the silliness out of their system.

* SerialKiller: Much as in the [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII second game]], Hawke and Bethany's mother is murdered by one of these, about four years before the start of the series. Because of the non-magical setting, Quentin's motivations aren't included; the detail of him sending white lilies to his victims is, however, and the crime spree is colloquially known as the White Lily Murders. The only other confirmed detail about the murders is that Hawke killed the killer; the tale is told as part of the backstory for her relationship with Fenris.

* GenderFlip: Used in Dorian's stage production of ''Beauty and the Beast''. He casts Dagna as a female Lefou, and changes the enchantress to an enchanter and puts Varric in the role.

* RunningGag: Sequins.

* SchoolPlay: In ''Seasons'', Dorian directs a stage production of ''Beauty and the Beast''. Considering the setting and the characters involved, it's every bit as over-the-top as the reader might expect.

* ShutUpKiss: [[spoiler:Varric]] gets an absolutely ''hilarious'' one at the wedding in the first story, with several of the teachers laughing about how it was the first time anyone had ever managed to shut him up. Also doubles as the pair's FirstKiss.

** Later, Rory and Krem have a similar dynamic, and it's actually her fanfic about the teachers which gives him an opening to move past it and ask her out.

* ShutUpKiss: [[spoiler:Varric]] gets an absolutely ''hilarious'' one at the wedding in the first story, with several of the teachers laughing about how it was the first time anyone had ever managed to shut him up.

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: At no point in the series is there so much as an allusion to Anders. It's open to reader interpretation as to why; either those who knew him refuse to mention him, or he simply never existed at all in this AU. According to the authors, there's such a wide schism in the fandom about whether or not his actions in the second game were justified that they didn't feel there was any way to include him to everyone's satisfaction.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Cullen, as in the game, although given the non-magical setting it's given a different spin here. It's later explained that many of the Skyhold students have these as well. It's implied that Dorian also has one, but he doesn't talk about it much except to make some occasional derisive comments about his father. Varric and Fenris are also each implied to have one, but Varric talks about his even less than Dorian does; Fenris, however, does give some details about his in "Pas de Deux," only because they explain why he was initially reluctant to get involved with Hawke.

* DemotedToExtra: Sera, rather than retaining her in-game position within the inner circle, is instead one of the students and mostly appears only by mention.

* NonAnswer: In ''I Must Be Going,'' the man in black's tendency to give her these clues Evangeline in as to his true identity.

* AudienceSurrogate: Evvy basically serves this role in the original story, since the reader learns about Skyhold Academy as she does.

** Hawke also makes one in the backstory of her romance with Fenris. When he observes that the chief of police deputizing an artist and a writer (Hawke and Varric) to assist her with the gang problem is curious, she replies, "You have to admit, it's a ''creative'' approach."

* NaiveNewcomer: Evvy, to a large extent. She has no idea what she's going to find when she arrives at the school, starting with the fact that it's in a castle. In many respects, she also functions as an AudienceSurrogate, since the reader learns about Skyhold as she does.

** In ''I Must Be Going,'' he dubs Rory "Sonnet," Jim "Bishop" (after the chess piece), and Nessa "Lyric." This prompts Rory to remark that "Bishop and Sonnet" sounds like TheyFightCrime.

* PlausibleDeniability: Cassandra steers clear of whatever Varric and Mahanon are plotting in "Coat of Many Colors" so that she can maintain this.

* SerialKiller: Much as in the second game, Hawke and Bethany's mother is murdered by one of these, about four years before the start of the series. Because of the non-magical setting, Quentin's motivations aren't included; the detail of him sending white lilies to his victims is, however, and the crime spree is colloquially known as the White Lily Murders. The only other confirmed detail about the murders is that Hawke killed the killer.

* ShipperOnDeck: The ''entire school'' for the assorted pairings, especially Cullen and Evvy; Evvy herself is this for Cass and Mahanon. Later, Cass and Cullen [[spoiler:and Sebastian become this for Varric and Bethany]].

* SoapOperaDisease: Sort of. Descriptions of the North Llomerryn virus are relatively vague, mostly because the authors didn't want anyone to think they were being disrespectful of a RealLife condition. It's actually meant to be a non-magical variation of the Blight from the games, as suggested by the scenario in which [[spoiler:Bethany]] contracts it.

* ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/12262920 I Must Be Going]]'' is a straight-up crossover, read aloud by Varric, putting the cast into a spoof of ''Film/ThePrincessBride.''

Upcoming installments include:
* ''Skyhold Academy Seasons'' is another collection of short adventures taking place between ''I Must Be Going'' and the following autumn.

* CovertGroup: Given the non-magical (and therefore darkspawn-free) nature of the AU setting, the Grey Wardens function as this instead of their usual purpose. They're an extremely selective covert ops organization which has jurisdiction over all of southern Thedas, and only the Divine herself has authority over them. They're so covert that almost no one outside the agency knows who's in it.

* FriendlyWar: Varric and Dorian's friendship has this vibe.

** Later, Rory and Krem have a similar dynamic.

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Vivienne is written out very early in the original story and never properly returns. The authors admit they were just never quite sure what to ''do'' with her.
** At no point in the series is there so much as an allusion to Anders. It's open to reader interpretation as to why; either those who knew him refuse to mention him, or he simply never existed at all in this AU. According to the authors, there's such a wide schism in the fandom about whether or not his actions in the second game were justified that they didn't feel there was any way to include him to everyone's satisfaction.

* FandomNod: Jim Scout is, well, named after the scout whom the fandom has collectively dubbed Jim. He also makes an observation, in one of the side stories, that "Professor Harel looks like an egg."

* TheNamesake: Despite the series being named for it and it receiving one or two mentions throughout the various narratives, the actual Skyhold Academy yearbook never appears.

* AnotherSideAnotherStory: ''The Year of the Unicorn and the Emerald Princess'' is the plot of the original story told in the format of text and Facebook messages exchanged between three of the students.