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Felt cute, might cannibalize some blood elves later. I miss times when factions and races were still relevant in wow. And when we had war crimes :(

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Your analysis of Mythal is amazing, and I love how you broke it down! Two points really stood out to me:

1. "The authoritarian leader may want what is best for their community. But they do not want the community to thrive without them."

I almost feel like she is stricter with Elven Rook than with other races. She becomes enraged at the mere insinuation that modern elves might not need her. She belittles you, insisting that you cannot possibly understand such things, and declares that the world needs rulers, even if those rulers were flawed (were horrifying monsters more like).

She calls you an ungrateful child, claiming you are unaware of how she and the other Evanuris saved and protected your ancestors and, by extension, you.

2. "The controlling mother wants what is best for her children. But she wants what she thinks is best. She doesn't want her children to grow because that would mean making their own decisions."

This is exactly how she treats Solas. For example, when she scoffs, "Why should I esteem Dreadwolf's approbation? He rebelled against me," it’s clear she doesn’t even entertain the idea that he could have had valid reasons for opposing her.

She listened to his advice only when it benefitted her: she used his wisdom to gain power alongside Elgar’nan and relied on him again to win the war that earned her status as Protector and All-Mother. But the moment he disagreed with her assessment or showed any sign of personal agency, she dismissed him.

Her comment, "You were the one who walked away. I never turn my back when my friend needs me," was so passive-aggressive, oh my god. Her insistence that she became one of the Evanuris to keep others in check feels hollow when you consider all the evil things they did. She had slaves, that she had marked like cattle. It didn't cross her mind some of those slaves, like Felassan joined Solas for a reason.

Thank you! I agree with Mythal being more strict with elven Rook. In fact, my point was inspired by the exact dialogue lines you mentioned! She doesn't take the idea that modern elves no longer need gods very well...With elven Rook it does feel like a fight with your mom. Though even if Rook isn't an elf, Mythal could be metaphorically considered the mother of all Thedas, since her and Solas' actions created the world as we know it. No mother wants to hear the "I don't need you anymore". I like how you can persuade Mythal to give her essence peacefully. Obviously she hates the sentiment but accepts it anyway, if you show her respect. Putting the past to rest without violent means is a very satisfying ending. It shows that Mythal's children are indeed all grown up and don't need her anymore, as their wisdom is no less than one of an ancient god now.

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Cup of spiced coffee or just my favorite ⋆˙⟡rookanis⋆˙⟡

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The many faces of benevolence or Mythal's character study

When I played datv for the first time, I had to close the game for awhile after talking with Mythal at the crossroads due to absolutely seething with rage. I couldn't wrap my head around how can somebody so shitty be called "Benevolence". But after replaying the game and visiting a couple of dictionaries, it finally creared up for me. Let's dissect what benevolence is and isn't, because the semantics may be the key for understanding Mythal as a character.

-Being well-meaning

Benevolence implies that somebody does something with good intentions, with the idea that the results of the action will do good and won't do harm. It is easy to confuse being well-meaning with being virtuous. While two concepts may go hand in hand, they aren't the same. Being well-meaning doesn't mean that you do good. It means that YOU THINK you do good. And as we all know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Any horror can be done in the name of good. Like committing genocide against the titans, for example. All you have to do is to believe that you have never wanted anything bad to come out of it.

-Kindness

Benevolence implies that someone possesses the quality of being friendly, generous, considerate, concerned for others. Finally, kindness IS a virtue. However, it doesn't imply that kindness is shown only to those who deserve it. Kindness doesn't see the difference between the rebel and the tyrant. Because to Kindness, they both deserve friendliness, generosity and consideration.

-Social responsibility

Benevolence can refer to responsibility of individuals to contribute positively to the society they live in. However, its understanding cannot be separated from another facet of benevolence: power.

-Power

Benevolence implies not only the responsibility to contribute to society, but the ABILITY to do so. It is impossible for a benevolent entity to be powerless, because if it was, it wouldn't be benevolence. You can't feed the poor if you have nothing to give them. You can't protect the weak if you aren't strong. You can't lead people to prosperity if you aren't their leader. Mythal couldn't refuse joining the other evanuris because desire for power is her very nature. Did it hurt Solas? Yes. Did it feel like betrayal? Yes. But is it her being true to her character? Also yes. Now, let's make it even more sour.

-Paternalism

Benevolence may imply imposing your will on others, stripping them of their autonomy and agency, all in the name of "knowing what is best". Abusive mother who wishes only the best for the children she abuses can be considered benevolent because he has good intentions and fits the definition. The word is said with positive connotations but the longer you think about it, the worse it becomes.

-Moral licensing

Benevolence may imply that one is "allowed" to do something unethical due to past and future charitable actions "absolving" one from responsibility.

-Perpetuating dependency

While charitable actions may be well-intentioned, they may also create dependency rather than empowerment. Providing aid without addressing the root of the problem creates a vicious cycle of dependency. Benevolence doesn't imply offering aid in becoming self-sufficient, it only implies the action of offering aid. And the aid itself? It doesn't even need to be good. Believing that it is good is enough.

Now, let's discuss what benevolence ISN'T:

-Empathy

It is not necessary to feel the pain of others in order to help them or to want what is good for them. You can see how that can go sideways.

Mythal may be the best of the evanuris but she is still one of them no matter what. Mythal being Benevolence doesn't save her from her death because she was doomed from the very start. She didn't make a mistake, there was no lapse in judgment when she joined the others. This is simply who she is. Benevolence's "sin" is blindness. She isn't compassion or justice or self growth. She is self-righteousness.

The slave owner may consider themselves to be benevolent. They give their slaves shelter, food, clothes, protection. The intention is somewhat good but the action is morally reprehensible.

The authoritarian leader may want what is best for their community. But they do not want the community to thrive without them. They don't want the community to organize and govern itself, and while they want the power to do good, they still want power. Which is obviously bad.

The controlling mother wants what is best for her children. But she wants what she thinks is best. She doesn't want her children to grow because that would mean making their own decisions. And the controlling mother wants to control. She loves her children but the love is ugly and twisted.

That is who Mythal is. Or was. The facade of benevolence is pretty. But in my personal opinion, Mythal is legit the scariest of all the evanuris. It's easy to recognize the villain when they say "hehe, it's me, the tyrant god. I sure love having slaves and cults in my name. Now, kneel for me" or "hehe, I love creating horrors beyond mortal comprehension and performing unethical experiments on living beings". But what if the villain says they embody justice? That they serve the people? That they care? That they love? That they want only the best? That they know the best? It's a slippery slope that can easily lead to tyranny because at first, no one would notice. And even in the end, many would refuse to admit it. Blindness to one's failings is worse than the failings themselves, because you will never recognize it until it's too late.

That is the exact reason why Morrigan gets to be the deus ex machina who can help the player to persuade Solas to stop. Flemythal could never do what Morrigan did throughout the games: learning the importance of humility. Mythal was a shit "mother" to the elvhen people and Flemeth was a shit mother to Morrigan. But instead of choosing to feed her ego or to continue living in misery, Morrigan decides to change. She befriends the Warden, learns about the world outside what her mother taught her. She admits that Flemeth was wrong. And what is even better, Morrigan admits that SHE HERSELF was wrong. She was wrong to believe that love and friendship are worthless, that it's a dog eats dog world and there's no place for kindness.

There is no shame in being wrong. The shame is in refusing to admit it or in refusing to move on from it. It was both Mythal's and Flemeth's downfall. But Morrigan? She represents the new beginning and hope, even for those still suffering from the centuries old wounds. Because she is the one who could let go of her pain and change while her mother couldn't.

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more of my DAtV ramblings.

I know that Mythal apologising to Solas asks him to forgive her for turning him from Wisdom to Pride, but I like to think that wasn't the turn that actually "broke" him.

I think he was Pride of the People from the very start - stood tall and proud, never bend, even before he became a person not a spirit.

But as he embodied in flesh, he was expected to act "wisely", like being obedient, being silent, act but never ask and never question.

So for me it seems more likely that being Wisdom is what actually corrupted him.

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The Danse Macabre.

"Yet who has not clasped a skeleton in his arms, who has not fed upon what belongs to the grave?" Lucanis & Mourn Watcher Rook, Dragon Age: Veilguard. Commission, Clip Studio Paint, 50+ Hours. BSky.

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i really like all the versions of this little dialogue in lucanis’ romance scene but i have a strong preference for my canon option and i’ve seen others talking passionately about their favourite too!! not meant to judge/narrow down the universally “best” one bc every rook is different, i was just curious abt the ratios

feel free to explain in the tags why u like ur version of the scene or what it means to ur rook in particular :)

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The open wilds, full rucksacks, and each other.

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just some warden boys stealing a moment in arlathan

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Back at it again with my Rookanis agenda that sleep deprived man deserves so many forehead kisses

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He promised to introduce Neve to his hatter from Salle. She made him miss the cunty hat collection he had to leave at home

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It's more common than you'd think for cis dudes to be too nervous and self-conscious to cum the first time (sometimes the first several times) they have penetrative sex, SO - do we think Lucanis is the kind of guy that's too in his head and nervous to get there and ends up tired and chafed before they have to give up and try again after Elgar'nan has been dealt with?

Or do we think he slides in, grits his teeth, attempts to calm down and keep going, and immediately goes off like a rocket?

I'm constantly flip flopping between the two possibilities because they both seem in-character for him 🤔

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I hate drawing his armor

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strap game immaculate

uncensored version on bsky!

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Dragon age series has never been medieval, it's eclectic and much closer to the renaissance, than to middle ages. I am not a history major and there are surely people who can explain it better than I, but I am very tired of "but mah medieval fantasy!!!", so here is my reasoning:

–Religion is not as important as it was in the middle ages. Sure, the church has a lot of political influence, but your average thedosian doesn't really see the world through the lenses of chant of light. We have atheists and disillusioned theists, we have people who consider the chant to be an allegory, not actual history. And in the medieval ages, religion was used to explain EVERYTHING. History, science, ethics, politics, etc. Avoiding practicing religion would require otracizing yourself entirely, and even the idea itself was foreign. In origins you can defile the supposed ashes of the holy prophetess with no consequences. In this actions, even the line of thought itself isn't medieval.

The line about the chant being allegory comes from Wynne, who does believe in the Maker. No medieval person ever would say so about the Bible because the belief was ABSOLUTE.

Also, Thedas has a lot of art not related to the religion whatsoever. All medieval art was religious, there were no portraits of noble lords and ladies. NONE. Only saints and popes had portraits. Secular portraits began to reappear between 1350 and 1400, which is renaissance.

–The literacy percentage is too high to be medieval. The printing process is too advanced as well. Printing didn't even exist until 1440s, which is again, renaissance. If I remember correctly, Varric published his books with the help of somebody from the thiefs guild. The thiefs guild that is located in the city's sewers. Which is absolutely insane. Only monks, scribes and nobles could read in the middle ages. And in Thedas, everybody and their grandma has read Tethras' books. There are ELVES in universities. Which means that even the most disadvantaged ones are literate.

–Thedosian families aren't big enough to be medievally accurate, which implies that Thedas has very advanced contraception or aborting techniques. Noble family, having only 2 children? Not medieval, sorry.

–The idea of having your own bed, let alone your own room, was almost absurd back then. And yet, ferelden peasants somehow have very modern looking furniture.

–The degree of social mobility is too high. The majority of medieval people followed the same profession as their father, only wealthy households sent their youngest to the priesthood. In Thedas, a peasant, for example, can become a templar. In reality, if you were born a surf, you would likely die as one.

–Personal freedoms are also not exactly medieval. A surf couldn't marry without the lord's approval. Ferelden peasants seem to do whatever the fuck they want. They also move around however they want, which was absolutely unheard of. Doesn't line up with feudalism at all.

–About 40% of medieval English population were surfs. But in Thedas, we don't really see surfs that often. Even the poorest kirkwallers and alienage elves are technically free. What does such a big amount of free urban population imply? That the society structure is more complex than priest-lord-soldier-peasant. The Free Marches is literally modeled after Italian city states. Which is again, renaissance. And deserves a separate post.

–The biggest source of wealth in the middle ages was the land. We see a mention of a lord owning the land and the peasants there like what, once? In the stolen throne. Which was the example of orlesian tyranny, I guess. We have merchants, merchant princes, trade guilds, bankers and money lenders. In the middle ages, banking wasn't developed that much and was considered an "unclean" profession, since only people who weren't allowed to own the land did that. Medieval banks were used to finance entire wars, not for simple commerce. Thedas, once again, is more similar to the renaissance.

Imagine counting every instance that Maker and Andraste were used in Veilguard to show proof that it's not a real Dragon Age game and having 0 self awareness on how wierd that is.

Bc this is what you sound like

"DA:TV doesn't pass MY Catholic approved meter so it's not a Dragon Age game!!!"