messiahzzz

[messiahzzz]

Being in the dragon age fandom for like 12+ years is like

Dragon Age 2 release week: this game fucking sucks, they ruined the lore and the companions are cringe

Dragon Age 2, 5 years after release: this game is fantastic albeit rushed, the companions are my favorite

Inquisition release week: this game fucking sucks, they ruined the lore with these new implications

Inquisition, 5 years after release: this game is fantastic, I love the lore implications

Veilguard release week: this game fucking sucks--

[messiahzzz]

"Honey and lavender cream. Sweet, intriguing..." This started off as a leyendecker style study, ended up as lucanis drinking his coffee and me rendering that cloud of smoke for wayy too long rip -☕🪻🍯🐝-

[ get him as a print here!]

[messiahzzz]

he finds his way into my party every. single. time.

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🖤

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💜

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doodling to get emmrook out of my system(its not working)

[messiahzzz]

🕯️🍽️🕯️

[messiahzzz]

The only thing I managed to draw this week despite sitting in front of the drawing program almost every day... _(:3」∠)_

[messiahzzz]

🍂🌱🍃

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[messiahzzz]

i need you all to watch this because i took slightly more wary/incredulous options re: necromancy in my second playthrough and got the single most amazing dialogue in emmrich's romance:

emmrich: there are mysteries past our comprehension. something beyond the weft of magic or deepest fade. emmrich: when i'm fortunate. i spy suggestions of them here. rook: i do find the necropolis exciting—creepy! weird and creepy! emmrich: you astound me, rook. you have a distaste for the dead, the undead and necromancy. and yet... rook: where's this heading? emmrich: there's no shame in a little attraction to the forbidden, my darling. rook: pfft! what? like i want you to throw me over one of those fancy graves with skulls and flowers and floating spirits, and— and... rook: (clears throat) you're lucky i like you. emmrich: undoubtedly.

torn between second-hand embarrassement for rook digging his own grave (no pun intended) vs the hilarity of emmrich's knowing look i'm—

[messiahzzz]

obligatory rook posting 🐉

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EMMRICH VOLKARIN Dragon Age: The Veilguard

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A tiny romantic.

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💙

[messiahzzz]

full credit for the video of this conversation goes to @/imgoinmental on x

if you turn emmrich into a lich, he cries alone in his room because he misses manfred:

davrin: emmrich. i think assan misses manfred i caught him in your room sniffing around, looking for him. emmrich: he's always in there searching for crumbs. davrin: no, he was whimpering. sad. emmrich: poor thing. davrin: when i was there looking for him... thought i heard someone else crying, too. emmrich: ah. davrin: i miss him, too. don't know what i'd do if i lost assan.

i want to gather my own thoughts here, too, a bit because this made me think more about The Decision(tm) and it's a heavy one: emmrich's entire life's work and his own fear of dying being put behind him (although not ever acknowledged or dealt with in a healthy manner) vs bringing back a companion, whom he had loved as a son and who gave his life for him.

personally, i think this, coupled with the reaction to rook's possible death in the final fight or even in the far away future as evidenced by the argument they have prior (both on the human and on the lich path, though i am only showing the lich path here as it is relevant to the discussion):

emmrich: i can see the life course through you, my love. like a thread of diamond flame. yet... emmrich: i will lose you to time, rook. what if i can't bear that for eternity? rook: that's the most romantic thing i've ever heard. emmrich: what? rook: remembering me forever? emmrich: i'm afraid i'll mourn you forever. rook: that's ridiculous. emmrich: do you think so little of what i feel for you? rook: no! emmrich: then you could act accordingly.

i also always think about this line by emmrich's parents' graves:

emmrich: lately, i've wondered what they'd think of our current course. the choices ahead. rook: your lichdom? emmrich: what would they have wanted me to be? rook: [option: never lonely/locks in romance]: happy with someone that cares for you.

the very first condition is that he must be able to let others go. he’s not nonchalant about his own death, not about manfred's, and not about rook's. he doesn't want to be alone.

i think in conclusion for myself, i came away from all of this very much believing that emmrich is not built for what lichdom requires of him and entails over the many, many centuries to come.

i wish the game offered more romance / character scenes to actually meaningfully address and discuss not only the argument with emmrich, but also his fear of dying.

(disclaimer: i want to clarify that these are just my own personaly thoughts. choosing lichdom is a valid path, depending on how you rp your rook, your backbackground and how you engage with emmrich. i am only looking at this through the lens of myself experiencing the game and emmrich's character.)

[messiahzzz]

davrin: what you said about the wardens' early graves inspired me to make a will, emmrich. emmrich: very admirable. davrin: and i'm leaving you assan. emmrich: you're what? davrin: he'll need attention. four, five hours a day. stock up on worms. emmrich: well. then allow me to entrust manfred to you if i pass on. davrin: hold on. emmrich: firstly, you'll need to check the rotation of his joints every two days. secondly- davrin: i'm redoing the will.

[video of this banter]