lafaiette

[lafaiette]

STOP ROASTING ME ON MY "FRIENDLY REMINDER" DA POST, I WAS INNOCENT AND NAIVE, OKAY????

[lafaiette]

I just discovered foodtimeline.org, which is exactly what it sounds like: centuries worth of information about FOOD.  If you are writing something historical and you want a starting point for figuring out what people should be eating, this might be a good place?

[lafaiette]

back from the dead just to say solas is definitely a “my wife” guy. he will not shut up about lavellan.

“ah yes, my wife loves these. i’ll make sure to bring some to her.”

“maybe i should introduce you to my wife. you have a lot in common with her.”

“sorry i cannot stay, my wife is waiting for me.”

solas is a certified yapper. he yaps about the fade all the time. you think he’d ever NOT yap about lavellan? no. he will bring her up every time someone says something that reminds him of her. this lovestruck fool. this silly worm.

[lafaiette]

David Hockney - Dog Painting 41 (1995)

[lafaiette]

Seven deadly sins

Tagged by @emmg! My Rook is a Very Dense™ man, but also very extroverted, the total opposite of my Lavellan.

He was supposed to be the Enasalin from an old fic of a mine (and his first name is still Enasalin), but in the end he became a very different character (also due to the game's roleplaying limitations)

LUST. desire for connection. pursuit of pleasure. emotional intelligence. obsessive. lovesick. one-night stands. seductive encounter. flirtatious conversation. erotic party. seductive attire. revealing clothing. passionate gaze. provocative makeup. sensual expressions. suggestive gestures. flirtatious smiles. lingerie. love letters. perfumes. provocative behaviour. love poems. erotic art.

GLUTTONY. indulgence in experiences. savouring moments. hospitality. generosity. hedonism. culinary expertise. wine-tasting. excessive snacking. overloaded plates. excessive portions. bloated stomachs. messy eating. greasy fingers. full tables. indulgent spreads. overflowing cups. satisfied expressions. wine bottles. just can't get enough. fast food wrappers.

• He grew up as a city elf, so the first thing he did when he found himself in the Lighthouse was robbing Solas' pantry.

Harding: "Oh wow, that's a lot of raisins."

Rook: "OH SHIT, RAISINS, I HAVEN'T EATEN SOME SINCE 9:49 DRAGON"

ENVY. motivation. competitive spirit. strategic planning. observational skills. bitter rivalry. contest. envious gossip. resentment-filled argument. social media jealousy. furrowed brows. clenched jaws. side-eye looks. pursed lips. tense posture. whispering behind backs. crossed arms. gossip magazines. keeping up with the joneses. the grass is always greener. feeling inadequate.

• He's always feeling inadequate - he knows he's not supposed to be in that position, he's just hired help 😂 He's not really envious, more like "Please let this person deal with this" or "I wish Varric was feeling better enough to help me handle this group"

GREED. resourcefulness. entrepreneurial spirit. negotiation. materialistic. aggressive investment. lavish spending spree. resource-hoarding. get-rich-quick schemes. auction-bidding war. property acquisition. piles of money. overflowing wallets. luxury items. locked safes. penny-pinching. rare collectibles. selfishness. unwillingness to share.

• He knows what being poor means. He is a very resourceful man, knowing how to barter or save money, always yearning for a house he can call his own, since things in the alienage were a mess - shared shacks, shared spaces, shared food.

SLOTH. calmness. stress management. nonchalance. relaxation techniques. lethargic. apathetic. inactive. lazy weekend. binge-watching marathon. neglected chores. skipped workout. long nap. lounging on the couch. missed deadlines. unkempt appearance. messy hair. pajamas. blankets. slippers. procrastination station. self-care routines.

PRIDE. confidence. self-assurance. self-respect. dignity. public speaking. self-promotion. arrogant. conceited. egotistical. self-important. vain. boastful speech. puffed chest. raised chin. smug smiles. spotlight. tooting your own horn. showing off. refusing to admit mistakes. feeling entitled. personal branding. leadership development.

• He feels inadequate leading, but he also has a hard time admitting his mistakes. Leaving Solas' prison was so easy for him - "Hey, my friends made those choices, who was I to argue with them? Let me out, thank youuu :D "

WRATH. assertiveness. decisiveness. strength. intensity. boundary setting. courage. indignant. heated arguments. road rage incident. physical altercation. angry outburst. clenched fists. glaring eyes. tense muscles. raised voices. reddened faces. aggressive gestures. stormy demeanour. intense frowns. destructive actions. broken objects. punching bag. out for blood. fists. simmering anger.

I don't know who to tag 😭 @lateforjianghu and @traveltigress if you want to give this a go!

[lafaiette]

So what are those marks on Janos' arms?

He had them in the original version of the game, too, but I thought it was simply due to the graphics of the time. But here the model has been revamped from scratch, and they decided to keep those scars/cuts (?). Are they simply supposed to be veins, or did he use to feed Vorador and perhaps even young, fledgling vampires his blood?

[lafaiette]

Chris Sanders’s character design and storyboard art for Beauty and the Beast (1991)

[lafaiette]

@emmg I have something a bit sad for you 🫠

“You’re pitiful,” the statue continued, his voice filled with more anger and contempt. “I should have never followed you. I should have seen you for what you really were and left you to rot! You…”

“I’m sorry for your death, lethallin,” Scarlet interrupted it, raising her voice a little to drown out the regret’s grating one. “And Solas is sorry, too.”

“Being sorry won’t absolve him.”

“What is he supposed to do, then? Do you want him to wallow in misery and sorrow for all eternity? Would that be a fitting punishment?”

She glared at the statue, at what it represented. It was a trap, perfectly conceived by the regret prison, Solas’ magicks turning the Fade into the most efficient of weapons.

“Or would you perhaps want to see him dead by his own hand, killing himself to pay for everything?”

“That’s the easy way out,” the statue spat, glaring at her in return. Unlike Varric’s, Felassan’s regret had no problems addressing her directly. It spoke to her, reacted to her, almost as if she were Solas, or as if she shared his same faults and crimes.

Was the prison changing tactics to make things even harder for Solas? Was that even possible? She would need to ask him later.

Give my yalls WIPs

@heylittleriotact @adinfernumadinfinitum @jainydoe @lafaiette @thessaralka

Also literally everyone else and pls tag me, I’m in a rut and need inspiration lmfao

[lafaiette]

With a gesture, the whole world changed.

[lafaiette]

I’m kinda tired of the fanon interpretation of lavellan with no family or friends or meaning outside their LI so if you have a lavellan who still has a family and friends and hobbies please take this as a opportunity to talk about them in the tags of this post <3

[lafaiette]

Reading the answers from the AMA and I'm like

[lafaiette]

Friendly reminder that:

Qunari are empowering Saarebas with lyrium so that they can become stronger, open temporary Rifts, slow time down, and use mysterious spells, all through unknown means.

Tevinter is terribly weakened, corrupted, and will not last in the war against the Qunari.

Fen’Harel, now incredibly powerful, is planning to eliminate the corrupted parts of the Qun (good thing), but also to tear down the Veil (not that good, depending on the consequences). He will probably help the Tevinter slaves in rebelling against their masters too.

Titans are awakening. They are enormous beings living deep underground, whose blood has been consumed for millennia by mages and Templars alike, shaping the world as it is today. They also seem able to influence events above ground and they are very angry with the world or at least with the elves. They will probably re-establish their contact/link with the dwarves.

Something is happening in Weisshaupt, the Wardens have gone silent, and a new Blight is most likely coming.

The Evanuris are still locked away, but it’s obvious they will get free soon. They are a bunch of homicidal assholes who will not think twice about conquering Thedas again. They might be also tainted by the Blight, if the theories “Evanuris locked away with the Blight in the Black City” are true.

If Kieran was born, Flemeth/Mythal took the Old God’s soul from him, planning to do something with it. We still don’t know what it is, but it’s unlikely she will stay “dead”. She still has to have her revenge, her “reckoning which will shake the very heavens”.

Either Morrigan or the Inquisitor drank from the Well of Sorrows and the consequences of that act are still unclear, but whatever they are, they are going to suck or at least be mildly disturbing.

Mysterious Dalish elves live in the Tirashan. They are violent, cruel, and worship the Forgotten Ones.

Strange people from the Volca Sea are returning after a long absence, claiming a terrible calamity struck their lands.

We still don’t know what lies beyond the Amaranthine Ocean, but whatever it is, it makes people go insane and suicidal.

Basically Thedas right now:

[lafaiette]

2016 means one year closer to DA4

[lafaiette]

Ive seen this one twitter post that ME:A Javik's waterfall romance scene was meant to be Solavellan romance scene ;A;

We know from Weekes (I can't find their post anymore because it was originally on Twitter) that they had planned a Solavellan sex scene - Solas and Lavellan would make love, then she would wake up and see him trying to sneak away, too riddled with guilt and Duty™ to allow himself to stay with her.

They had to cut it, though, because it was too similar to Blackwall's romance scene (and Weekes couldn't believe Solas, the Dread Wolf, the Trickster God, would be worse than Blackwall at sneaking away 😂)

I'm not sure whether Weekes or others confirmed Jaal's sex scene is indeed what remains of that cut Solavellan cutscene (I think that rumor started as speculation from the fans), but it would make sense, especially if it was supposed to take place near a large body of water like Rhodes showed here. There was a pond in the glade in Crestwood, but it was pretty shallow iirc, so they probably had already changed their minds by the time they decided to set Solas' romance scene in that place.

[lafaiette]

Vir shiral malasa, bellanaris.

[lafaiette]

Matt Rhodes' depiction of the "Crestwood scene" ⬆️

Even though it's included in his Trespasser works, I believe it's supposed to depict the Crestwood romance scene - you can see Solas' hand near Lavellan's face, and the filename is "tattoogrove".

... That, or they played with the idea of Solas bringing Lavellan back to Crestwood during the events of Trespasser.

Rhodes also made this ⬆️

The filename says "comewithme" - Solas asking Lavellan to join him, instead of refusing her help.

I'm sure it's a choice all we solasmancers would have chosen, had we been given the opportunity (how many of us picked the "I agree with your goals/Let me help you, Solas" option at the speed of light?), but I'm also really glad he always refused to let her join him - it makes much more sense for his character and their love. He loves her too much to let her become a monster 😭

[lafaiette]

So, the localization file of Veilguard was found thanks to datamining, and it contains Some Stuff about Solas, Solavellan, and some cut ending stuff.

No idea if these lines were cut because of budget/resource reasons, if they are old scraps left of Joplin or if the writers simply changed their minds. Please keep in mind they are in jumbled order/there are different responses, probably due to different choices and the dialogue wheel.

Under the cut because of spoilers.

Solas and Fen'Harel

"I must hold back the blight! My wolf will distract Elgar'nan while you take the dragon!" "Did I see that right? The Dread Wolf is a separate spirit from Solas?" "Nice. Why does he get to be part wolf?" "Yeah. Seems like Fen'Harel is a merging of the two."

It seems like Solas and his wolf self are two separate spirits - perhaps similar to Falon'Din and Dirthamen, who are confirmed to be the same spirit who split into two different aspects.

Final dialogue with Solas (Solavellan edition)

"The blight is its prison. The world is safe." "Until the Veil collapses, and demons kill thousands of people." "If there were another way…" "There [i]is[/i]. Let the Veil stay in place." "The elven people must be restored. They do not deserve what was done to them." "Neither did the Titans." "Neither did Mythal. Either time." "Those are my mistakes. Only I can correct them." "I'm here to help you." "You think you have to do this alone. But you don't." "Every time, it has come down to my choices." "Are you a god?" "I am the furthest thing from it." "Then stop acting like one. Let someone else help you." "Do the right thing." "You want to be a hero? Then save the world. Right now." "The restoration of the world as it was meant to be…" "That's not saving the world, that's saving your pride." "Is that why you think I am doing this?" "I think you're doing this because you think that you have to. But you don't." "You have to forgive yourself." "You know how I got out of the Prison of Regrets? I let it go." "Varric's death was never truly your fault." "And you didn't cause every problem. You tried to fix them." "And every time I failed." "The world's still here. You got some of it right." "I cannot. To stop now would dishonor those I've wronged to come this far." "Even if those you wronged asked you to stop?" "Vhenan. And… Morrigan?" "One appellation among the many I wear, Dread Wolf." "I have been advisor to Orlais, Witch of the Wilds, daughter of Flemeth… and once, long ago, an old friend." "Mythal…" "You never would have left the Fade and taken on that humble form had I not been the one who first convinced you." "The things that I have done…" "Are not for you alone to bear, my friend. The many wrongs we did, we did together." "It is not too late to stop this. Banal nadas. Ar lath ma, vhenan." "My life force now sustains the Veil. With every breath I take, I will protect the innocent from my past failures. " "The Titans' dreams are mad from their imprisonment. I cannot kill the blight, but I can help to soothe its anger." "What I've done, I will atone for." ""But you do not have to go alone." "Thanks to you, I can see the way."

Rook and Solas' final confrontation if Rook tries to convince him to stop was apparently supposed to be much longer, with Solas mentioning the elven people and the Titans, Varric's death, and Rook acknowledging he always did try to save the world.

It seems there was also one more line Solas would say to Lavellan after her "But you do not have to go alone." -> "Thanks to you, I can see the way."

The Inquisitor's happily ever after

"So you have to stop Solas, but not in a way that prevents him from stopping the blight." "Let Solas put the blight into its nice new prison, then we'll put him in there with it." "So with Solas and the elven gods out of the picture, where does that leave us?" "Nothing. He didn't deserve his little happily ever after." "If there's anyone who can reason with the blight, it's him." "The Inquisitor believed in him. [i]She [/i]deserved her happily ever after, even if that's helping Solas fix his mistakes." "And so the Dread Wolf shall spend eternity in the knowledge that he stood at the precipice of disaster and was saved by a mortal's wisdom." "Then why maneuver matters so as to deliver it to him?" "Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain were villains trying to conquer and blight the world." "Solas did terrible things, but he was trying to help. I can understand that." "He was wrong, not evil." "She waited many years for him. You are kind indeed to ensure those years were not in vain." "I am surprised less that he would seize upon such a chance for redemption, and more that you would offer it. " "The Inquisitor earned it." "He's working off his debt. After all, I don't think there's anyone else alive with the power and perspective to try to heal the blight." "Few would react with such compassion to the Dread Wolf's trickery. What merits him a fate fairer than Elgar'nan or Ghilan'nain?" "True. Even had I Mythal's full power, she and I often struggled to mend feelings we might have broken." "'Twould not be the first time he accomplished something Mythal herself thought impossible." "And so the Dread Wolf is stopped by, of all things, love." "Surprised?" "He's fixing his mess."

Lines for the different ways Rook can handle Solas' fate. Rook and Morrigan discuss Lavellan and Solas' chance at happiness, with Rook deciding to help them reunite despite Solas' trickery; Rook deciding to lock Solas away with the Blight; probably a line referencing a friend Inquisitor or Rook themselves ("Solas saved by a mortal's wisdom") and one referencing Lavellan ("Solas saved by love").

Epilogue

"It may mean nothing. Or everything. What matters is that the Solas is content, and we need no longer fear him tearing down the Veil." "So, Rook, what's the plan?" "[i](Sighs)[/i] Damn it." "Thank you." "Then it sounds like you have work to do. I'll leave you to it." "Good luck, Rook. Enjoy the adventures to come. " "I'm sorry, vhenan. If there had been another way..." "And now he'll spend who knows how long trying to heal the blight? What does that even mean?" "I can think of few things he'd have hated more." "He made a cage with bars made out of his worst weaknesses. He's not getting out on his own." "And we're certain there's no way for him to escape?" "Trapped forever in a prison with the blight." "Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain are also both dead. 'Tis no great loss there, the blighted fools." "So, Rook: How does it feel to have saved the world?" "Honestly, I have no idea." "Don't be so shy with your feelings, Morrigan." "We were all young once, were we not? 'Tis from such humble seeds that great things are grown." "Tell that to Mythal." "When the next aspiring deity lays claim to our world, you are the woman who shall remind them that even gods can die." "You are really bad at inspiring speeches." "Despite these rough edges, you forged a team that saved all of Thedas. Precious few can claim that." "I notice you left out one elven god—the only one still here in any capacity." "When the next aspiring deity lays claim to our world, you are the one who shall remind them that even gods can die." "You're leaving me to handle this?" "Were Mythal younger, she might have wished to rule again. Were I younger, I might have agreed with her." "Hey, the world is still here and isn't blighted or covered with demons. I think we did okay." "Says the woman carrying the god who made most of the mess I had to clean up." "And prepare yourself for whatever storm next clouds our skies." "I did save the world." "Who else? Make no mistake, you could do with a finer touch in matters of politics. " "You're not very good at this." "Even with Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain dead, the Venatori remain a threat, as do the Antaam and darkspawn. "

It seems there was supposed to be an additional scene after the ending, with Rook and Morrigan discussing the future. The dialogue would change depending on Solas' fate/Rook's choice about him.

That "Solas is content, and we need no longer fear him tearing down the Veil." probably refers to the ending with Lavellan, while it's not clear if that "I'm sorry, vhenan. If there had been another way..." is supposed to be there (maybe Solas apologizing again for bringing her to what he believes will be a terrible place?) or if it's referring to another scene.

The lines about him being stuck in a prison made out of his worst weaknesses, being unable to get out on his own, and spending a very long time trying to heal the Blight, something he hates, all sound like lines that would fit his bad endings.

One last mission

"Rook gives the team their seventh pep talk after the Finale." "We're sticking together. The gods might be dead, but there's more to do in this world." "We'll find Harding or Davrin. Somehow." "The eighth pep comes after nearly all content has been completed." "Weird shit is going on. What are the clues we have? The Executor, the Devouring Storm - what does it mean?" "We don't actually know. But it sounds bad. So we need each other more than ever." "On return to Rivain Island, defeat the Executor and collect the Memento for Davrin/Harding"

There is a cut scene + mission with Rook talking to their team after the ending and going to Rivain for one last mission. It's pretty much confirmed the cutscene was supposed to take place in the Lighthouse, there are old files and flags for it. If you pay attention after the ending sequence, you will see your Rook appear in the Lighthouse for a millisecond, the only trace left of that scene.