#“i'm thinking of converting to andrastianism”

[americankimchi]

i just think it would've been way more interesting to be able to play as a dalish elf who devoutly believed in the gods who has to come to grips with the fact that the deities they worshiped so fervently turned out to be the biggest shitheels in all of history. like imagine how juicy that narrative would be.

[the-cryptographer]

Getting a fair amount of scepticism from respondants about whether Anders was intentionally trying to hurt and embarrass Fenris in the suicidal ideation banter or making a clumsy but entirely unmalicious attempt to connect. And realising I don't feel *that* strongly about it. At least not regarding this banter specifically.

Anders has, since his very first meeting with Fenris, been not so secretly trying to convert Fenris to his political side and claim mutual solidarity with him as a fellow former slave. Which Fenris is not having for a number of entirely reasonable reasons. Which are not entirely relevant to my point but I'll summarise them here anyhow.

First, it's not in Fenris's material interests to side with Anders and lose the protections he gets by conforming with the mainstream Southern Andrastian narrative (as offered by people like Sebastian and Aveline and Hawke) by which magic and mages are tightly controlled by the state and Fenris is a clear and uncomplicated victim of foreign magical Tevinter wickedness.

Second, Anders is a human who feels at all times entitled to Fenris's attention and emotional support, and thinks nothing of turning aggressive when Fenris denies him. So therefore not someone who is in Fenris's mind altogether different from the other entitled humans he has known. (Except for the fact that Fenris is able to loudly and unrepentantly tell him to fuck off, in a way he won't risk with someone like Sebastian or Hawke or Danarius.)

So, in my mind at least, wanting connection with Fenris is absolutely a reason Anders starts this and most conversations with Fenris. And it does at time blur the lines about how much any particular dialogue is 'unmalicious but awkward' versus 'a direct attempt to hurt and embarrass Fenris'. (Which I am not altogether as judgemental about as I think some people are reading me as. Anders's behaviour is inappropriate, but his need for visceral emotional feedback from people - where positive feedback is prefered to negative feedback is prefered to no feedback at all - is entirely sympathetic to me, especially coming from someone who has been tortured via solitary confinement.)

So this all kind of made me reach for a time where I think Anders's sadism is more directly captured:

Yes, it is important to note that this did start with Fenris needling Anders instead of the other way around. And it is also important to note how much more pointed Anders's response is when Fenris and Hawke are romantically entangled. I'll get back to that latter point further on, but in general I'm not trying to have a discussion about how justified any of these characters are in aggressing one another. What's important here is I do think this banter provides a pretty direct look at the running theme into the argument Anders weaponises to hurt and embarrass Fenris - the direct comparison between Fenris's relationships with his family and Danarius and Hawke - and that this tactic absolutely worked going by how quickly and totally it shut Fenris up.

I think Anders is in a particular position to both notice and assign significance to some of the gaps between Fenris's stories & projected identity, and the Southern Andrastian characterisation of Tevinter slaves as mirthless weaklings, unilaterally battered and victimised by magic, and without an agentive bone in their body. Which is to say I think Anders is all too aware of the fact that social heirarchy between slaves is often very complex and fraught with internal conflict and violence, and that Fenris was far more of an Irving than an Evelina in the way he carried himself in his practical life in Tevinter. Fenris was Danarius's bodyguard and enforcer. He was directly empowered by Danarius to act in that role, not only against Danarius's rival senators and political enemies, but against Danarius's other slaves. And the demands and accolades of this position came with protections Fenris was actively courting from Danarius; Fenris was at lower risk for being maimed, starved, chosen for blood sacrifice, or placed in solitary confinement than many of his peers (although there were other violences he was at higher risk of - ones less relatable to Anders). And Fenris is now seeking many of the same protections from Hawke that Danarius himself used to fulfill.

I think my favourite illustration of this is this banter between Fenris and Sebastian:

Fenris relays a story about witnessing Danarius kill a boy during a party to fuel his blood magic. Fenris carefully omits what *he* was doing while this occurred. But I think anyone asking the question is liable to see he was, at best, standing to the side, pouring wine, and doing nothing as he watched it happen. At worst, he helped Danarius restrain and kill the child himself.

Now it would of course be unconscionably cruel for Sebastian or Hawke to hold what Fenris did under durress, merely to safeguard his own survival, against him. Not in the least because Sebastian has no experience with this type of exploitation, and Hawke's far briefer stint as an indentured labourer, as a mercenary or smuggler, was fraught with the same kind of violences against their peers.

But I think Anders can't help but notice that this wholly unsceptical benefit of the doubt is never quite extended to Circle mages who, like Fenris, have had to resort to violence against those less-favoured than them in order to safeguard their own interests within an abusive and exploitative system of slave labour. (At least not in Southern Thedas. I'm sure that there are plenty of Sebastians in Tevinter pearl clutching about how barbaric and cruel the Southern Circles are without ever quite looking their own human rights violations in the eye.) And I think this becomes the biggest source of his resentment towards Fenris.

Now I've said before one of the things I like about Anders is that he is unequivocating in terms of the fact that slavery is bad, and the circles are bad. He doesn't waste time worrying about the Irvings of the world also benefiting from his goals of emancipation, even if he hates them personally. And I do think this extends to Fenris in many ways and is why Anders can see the benefit and possibility of seeking solidarity with Fenris (even if it doesn't work for the reasons stated above).

But at the same time, this resentment of Fenris and of how Fenris is percieved by Hawke and Aveline and Sebastian (I think Varric is alone insofar as Anders's aquaintences with the Kirkwall-powers-that-be that see Anders as more the victim of Fenris's ill-temper than vice versa, although Varric remains terribly equivocating about Anders's condemnation of the Circle itself) ultimately comes through in a lot of Anders's dialogues with Fenris. All the moreso when he feels Hawke is taking sides with Fenris against him via the romance. But even the less pointed non-romance banters are imho trying to poke holes in Fenris's stories. They're part of a larger attempt to expose Fenris to Hawke and the others as far more violent, and far less innocent victim, than the South's image of the Tevinter slave allows. And to point out that Fenris readily takes advantage of that image to his benefit, even though he knows he does not fit its mould. Which I have a hard time saying isn't an attempt to hurt or embarrass or defame Fenris, when Anders knows he is attacking Fenris's honestly extremely shakey support network and the only protection Fenris has against his old master's bounty hunters. Even if I think what Anders really wants is for Hawke et al. to extend him the same moral support that they more effortlessly show Fenris, rather than strictly to bring Fenris down to his level of insecurity.

[arrowfortea]

the more i re-explore the solavellan fandom the more i realise my lavellan blorbo brings an absolutely horrifying vibe to the function.

like "lavellan still loves solas after 8+ years and then leaves her life behind to go live in the fade" is objectively bittersweet for Most Lavellans, at BEST, and "this has the makings of a horror story" at worst. agree.

However. my lavellan's clan thought she was a complete weirdo because she has 23534 neuroses (i don't think The Dalish would be ableist, but i hc Clan Lavellan as ableist) + she converted to andrastianism the second she could because her subconscious lost its shit over the opportunity to be Significant + sera/iron bull/solas had to constantly shake her going "YOU ARE A FLESH-AND-BLOOD PERSON PLEASEEEEE" because she is a Very Morally Good, Sweet Person Unafraid of Tough Choices who deserves to just live in a little hut and knit and feel loved. but also being The Inquisitor is helluva opportunity to huff some validating fumes

+ she had 24238 stress breakdowns post-trespasser due to being A Left Handed Archer whose last "i'm special" signifier was the anchor, + coped by going "oh! well solas is Definitely killing us all. wish he wouldn't, but he cannot be stopped. so i will now do bonkers levels of charity work for 8 years until he inevitably kills us all, which i guess he Will Do ok ♥ yay ♥"

so being able to claw Her Solas out from behind himself in da:tv was a pleasant surprise for her and we SHOULD actually throw this woman into a seperate dimension she would probably do BETTER there just soaking up Knowledge forever

pov my lavellan and solas in the fade

[dross-the-fish]

I get being tired of Dalish centric content, I also wasn't that interested in them.

I mean there's not really much to do about it, the devs are allowed to go where ever they want with the plot and I can just drop media that stops holding any appeal to me but one of the reasons I really didn't gravitate towards the Dalish is kind of endemic of a bigger issue in the fantasy genre and that's fantasy racism. I just hate it, I'm sick of it. I'm sick of the oppressed races being defaulted as non-human and either being elves, orcs or beast-races and Dalish elves barely qualify as a non-human race IMO they are literally just humans with pointy ears, skinnier bodies and bigger eyes. They also aren't that interesting? I think they're meant to represent indigenous people but most of the actual Dalish characters who are significant are white and have a very Celtic aesthetic going on. It feels like what happens when white people fantasize about being oppressed vs IRL minority groups. Like, I'm sorry, I can't take it seriously when the most oppressedTM race is like 90% white British people given generic indigenous-coded flares. When we see Elves of color they are almost always city elves or they're in some way detached from Dalish culture but the writers don't really give city elves much screen time compared to the Dalish and maybe that's a good thing because they'd probably handle it really badly. And yet despite this the writers still kind of treat the Dalish like shit? The games constantly seem to invalidate their culture or reinforce the idea that their oppression is their own fault. It's a mess and I can't be assed to conjure up the fucks needed to care about rascism in Thedas when actual characters of color are oversexualized and then slut-shamed for it (Isabella and to a point Zevran) slavery apologists or supportive of an oppressive system (Dorian and Fenris if you consider his stance on mage rights) or in the case of Vivienne actually compelling and complex but the writers and the fandom treat her like shit. There's also a race that is ACTUALLY tangibly minority coded but the writing around them is flat out islamaphobic. I'm talking about the Qunari, whom the writers have described as "militant islamic borg" they are depicted as dark-skinned, non-human, horned creatures and as hyper militant invaders intent on taking over the world and converting Christians-whoops I mean Andrastians to the Quran-I mean Qun. Yeah they were really unsubtle about that. It was already gross in DAO and only seems to be getting worse the more we see of them.

[pupkinpumpkin]

https://www.tumblr.com/thievinghippo/763052703781879808/31-days-of-dragon-age?source=share

Oct 21: Introduce your Inquisitor

*long inhale*

Nah I'm just kidding. Kinda

I've done like 3 different posts about her, so this one will be a bit of a combo of all of them

Marella Lavellan

Born to be in STEM, forced to be The First, aka woulda been a great artificer

She never believed in the Creators, was bisexual in a homophobic clan, and had large expectations put onto her the second she developed magic, which was when she was 8, so basically she's a gigantic mess who modifies her personality and beliefs so her clan will accept her and has heavy religious guilt and trauma.

Also she has pyrophobia because when she was 20, her secret girlfriend was pushed into a fire by some rogue Templars and then died.

Basically throughout the Inquisition she slowly learns to stop being people pleasey, accept herself as she is, and grows some self confidence

She gets with Cullen, and I personally really like this since they both have had very negative experiences with the opposite faction and instead of fixing each other, they learn to fix themselves but act as a rock and a person to lean on for the other. Cullen would have gotten off lyrium without her and she would have learned to become her own person without him, but their relationship gives them someone to depend on during the worst moments of their journey to self betterment.

And, personally, she would've given him a lot more pushback on the idea of the 'danger' of free mages than is allowed in-game

Her best friends include Cole, Cassandra, Josephine, and Dorian, with Solas and Sera being close seconds. Dorian specifically really helps Lavellan gain the confidence to be herself, specifically after his personal quest.

I think even with the insane amount of pressure she was put under in her clan and the way she never really felt she could be herself in it, she is still proudly Dalish and would never turn her back on her culture and heritage. She just learns that her version of what it is to be Dalish is different from the one her clan believes in

Fun facts include:

- She's trilingual! Knows Elvhen, the Common Language, and Tevene due to a family friend of the clan being an ex slave from Tevinter. Dorian teaches her more as they become friends

- At first, she's a little uncomfortable with Cole because he can feel all the hurt she's always trying to hide, but she really grows fond of him and sees him as a little brother in the end, helping him help others in her free time

- She has a panic attack in Wicked Hearts Wicked Minds!

- She would genuinely be a top player of The Game if the whole thing didn't stress her out so much

- Right after becoming Inquisitor, she asks Josephine and Vivienne to teach her about Thedosian politics

- Her ears move in accordance to her emotions

- She had a big crush on Cassandra at one point

- She and Dorian hit it off so well in the beginning and hung out with each other so much, that people thought they were together in the early days of the Inquisition

- Her sister, Ehlyena, also never believed in the Creators, but unlike her, Ehlyena ran away from the clan at 14 and converted to Andrastianism. I like to think that she visits Lavellan after In Your Heart Shall Burn, so its a nice family reunion, but it's also really weird. Imagine finding out your little sister is God's special little boi but also your sister doesn't believe in God

Anyway ya that's mostly it

[robo-dino-puppies]

ok I finally finished Inquisition and… well I'll try to be brief(er... just kidding, I'm incapable of being brief) - I was interested in the story buuuuuut it was by far the least ~*fun*~ of all three for me to play, mostly because I was playing an elf and and due to dialogue choices (or lack thereof) it ended up feeling frustrating compared to previous games. knowing what I know now about the story, I really wish I'd gone with a human instead. however I enjoyed Jaws of Hakkon and Trespasser quite a bit more than the base game and I'm interested in seeing what happens next!

attempting (hah) not to spend fifty paragraphs on it I'll just say that it was A Trial to try to play an elf the way I wanted to, which I expected to be able to do because I had a great time with it in Origins? it seemed like most companions reacted to me saying "hey, you know I have my own beliefs, right?" (if the game even gave me the chance to do so) with "that's cute. ANYWAY-" and I ended up spending much of the game full of resentment on behalf of my poor doomed Lavellan.

I remember a convo I had with Leliana in Origins where I was able to challenge her on her preconceptions about elves, and I'm pretty sure there were times when characters challenged me about my biases against humans, and I just thought that was very cool! but I'm struggling to think of any times where that happened in Inquisition… it felt like it was written very shallowly with the ability to play a non-Andrastian/non-human, and that was… uh. frustrating.

my Lavellan basically knew her life as not-the-Herald was over when the camp started singing after Haven, and it never really got much better for her from there. I liked the cast of characters, but they felt more like... work friends? vs the previous two games' dysfunctional families (beloved). and the fact that Lavellan was reluctant about her role/an outsider made romances feel a bit squicky to me, because so few of the characters seemed to recognize that! I thought Josephine was adorable, but then during the balcony cutscene she called me "your worship" after I chose a flirt - despite me taking every opportunity to say I wasn't sure I was divinely chosen etc. - and I was like "welp I guess we're done with that." (I don't fault her for it because she's the ambassador and it makes sense in-character, and I still think she's adorable! but it just... felt bad.)

it's possible the dialogue options I wanted were there, I guess, just hidden behind paraphrasing? but I hhhhhate playing dialogue wheel roulette SO MUCH - I don't find it fun when it makes you sound like a real idiot or an asshole. I didn't actually want to disrespect my companions' personal beliefs (Lavellan was open-minded! she just didn't like the Chantry as an organization), and some of the "aggressive"-sounding options seemed like they would be too rude, so I avoided them unless I was really pissed off. but given how wildly the spoken line can vary from the paraphrase, maybe I should have chosen more?

(let's just say my Opinions on the Chantry - which I've seen no further evidence to revise - were cemented in Origins when the dude in Orzammar asked me, an obviously Dalish elf, to help him build a chantry and convert dwarves. I am a perennial and compulsive quest-completer, but I purposefully abandoned that quest with great prejudice. which is literally the first time I've ever done that in any game. so.)

then there were a bunch of gameplay/technical things that were small when looked at individually but when piled together with that lingering feeling of resentment just made the experience feel like a chore.

OH and as much as I personally love Morrigan, Lavellan was getting reallllll annoyed at having her human-splain Dalish culture in the temple. my face was basically a permanent >:[ for that whole section. (I don't care if the Dalish are "wrong" about their history - my character still would have at least known who Mythal was. and not asked about it. like an idiot.) partially for this reason I did not hesitate to have Lavellan do a cannonball into the well, good idea or not lmao.

also. I didn't even get a puppy this time. Cullen got a puppy. why didn't I get a puppy?! couldn't even let me summon a wolf like in Origins? uncool.

I think Cassandra (and her [disgusted noise]s) and Dorian were my favorites. (Dorian was the other person I flirted with, which obviously didn't work out for me for a different reason than Josephine lmao, but I appreciated that it let me say "no hard feelings/we can keep flirting" and then the game actually carried through with continuing to give me flirt options. perhaps I felt like Lavellan could bond a bit with him being an outsider too, and I loved the end slides in Trespasser that said they communicated all the time through a crystal awwww that's cute.)

all that said I had fun playing Jaws of Hakkon and Trespasser. I was very interested in all the spirit stuff with the Avvar, VINDICATIONNNNN learning that Ameridan was both an elf and a mage, and of course learning more about Solas/what is actually going on with the history of the elves. (The Descent started out interesting and I was excited because dwarves! more dwarves yay! gimme the dwarf lore!!! but I felt like it just sort of fizzled out at the end? and it felt weird to just say "ok cool see ya never probably" to Valta and just... not follow up on anything? also I hated the final boss even on super easy baby mode. T_T)

I angrily disbanded the Inquisition and gave a big middle finger (singular since I only have one left *pffff*) to Orlais/Ferelden/the Chantry, which was somewhat satisfying.

it probably would have been a less depressing experience if I had played as an at-least-marginally-Andrastian human… but. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ oh well. and even though I knew there was Something Up with Solas I didn't know exactly what so it was fun finding that out along with my character. (I made a lot of decisions that he agreed with so we were good friends - or I thought we were - and I felt like the final confrontation was quite impactful, and it was satisfying to say "watch out because I'm coming to stop you.") I do think having my Warden and Inquisitor both be Dalish makes for an interesting perspective on the elf stuff.

[ghostwise]

fun little tidbits in qdt

for self-motivation more than anything, a list of some moments and scenes i look forward to writing... sry if this implies i'm further along than i am, i'm actually still writing chapter 2 and yet!! much to think about.

Adelmar's investigation of El milagro's previous owner, leading to her uncovering information about Zevran's parents and the Crows.

Digging into the Rosso Noche and what exactly their motivations are re: Rinna and the Azul contract.

"Where is Taliesen?" "I killed him." "... Because of me?" "... No."

Fucked up little interactions between Enrique and others.

Hamal & Leonor chess matches.

Hamal & Tati meeting. "Where are you taking me? Am I getting captured again?"

Zevran/Taliesen/Rinna flashbacks.

Hamal learning Antivan from lower class revolutionaries and Antivan Dalish and all of it showing up in his dialect.

Scene where Hamal and Zevran encounter one another at an opera and amid their touching reunion realize they've been tasked with killing the same man... I am desperately trying to work this in but may or may not survive.

Quique believing Hamal is a ghost when they first meet. This scene has already been reworked once. Will it survive?

Tristeza and Tati dynamics as a Dalish Andrastian convert and an ex-Andrastian nun. In Love.

Tristeza and Zevran conversations after he discovers she was arrested for a murder he committed.

The river scene.

Dancing, there must be dancing.

I think Tati offers to look for Hamal's mother's clan, but he'll panic and ask her not to. idk what this guy will do until I write it though

[pensola]

You know what, I'm going to do it.

Not bothering with a drawing, but I wanted to name her Ailis, a Chanter from Starkhaven. Because I like Sebastian's potential and we need more people with the accent in the game, please.

Anyway, personality: Witty, smart, yet easily spiteful. She knows she is crazy smart and is not afraid to show it off with her memory of the Chant, including the Imperial Chant and verses that were cut off. I like to imagine her being somewhat like the monk in "My Ajusshi"; someone everyone thought would get far in life and was talented and the envy of others, yet left it all to dedicate herself to the temple. I like to think her family are not religious and think she is doing this all out of spite, not knowing that she did genuinely convert to Andrastianism by her own will. She did take the chanter's vow partly to spite them whenever they visited, though.

Ailis took the vow for her own reasons, and though she shows her dedication to the Chant of Light by being a chanter, she does not think she is doing any important work for the Maker or the Chantry by doing so; she cannot have the same types of debates on faith and life like others, and she cannot lead by example since she does not think being a chanter can do that (also because she is spiteful, vengeful and proud, so she absolutely cannot lead by example).

Ailis is introduced with a speaker/caretaker that translates for chanters, but that kid dies or something. Maybe the kid was a traitor, or innocent, but anyway, it makes Ailis, for now, travel with the group (though she insists it is not for revenge).

Not sure what sort of abilities she should have; I go back and forth on whether she would be an alchemist that uses healing potions and grenades, if we use DA:tV's battle system. I also think she could be an apostate, which is another reason she is in the chantry, hiding in plain sight while also using her magic abilities to serve people like Andraste wanted. Her being in a position an apostate would not be allowed in the past is another way she would be spiteful.

I was reading a really good Hawke/Sebastian slow-burn the other day, and in it the Prince of Starkhaven has his own secret guard called the Prince's Eyes, and I sort of want to say that Ailis is somewhat involved with some version of them? Especially since Sebastian becomes the Prince of Starkhaven by DA:I any way. But it might be too close to Leliana, a Chantry-involved woman who has a past as a secret agent. Otherwise, perhaps her personal story could be linked to the verses that says the Chant must be sung from all corners of the world, IF there is a deeper connection than the Chant being imperialistic propaganda.

The chanters we meet in the games are preachers standing by a questboard, so we do not really see them as anything by preachers. Ailis, and other chanters probably, is still young and has other duties, and will laugh, snort and sigh in conversations, and I want her to have a "(drained sigh)" or the like from the needling of the other companions. It would be important to get across that when Ailis says the Chant, she doesn't preach, it is her trying to speak her mind with the limitations she has set upon herself, because I know that players, probably myself also, will find her annoying if there is a certain tone in a scene, then suddenly she gives commentary where quoting the Chant is innapropriate even if what she wants to say is "feels bad, bro".

Her VA would have to be able to communicate feelings despite speaking only in bible quotes, because even though she always says the Chant, sometimes she says it in angry rebuke, or delighted, or laughing through it. Sometimes she is panicked, and the animation will show her notice something and basically search her brain for the right way to communicate what she said. Again, important to get across that she is just a regular young person who happens to challenge her vocabulary, and not a fanatical preacher, even if she will definetely be misunderstood to be one by other NPCs and players.

Party banter at the beginning is mostly other companions trying to make her say something other than the Chant, or to test her ability to communicate with only the Chant. Those that are more antagonistic against the Chantry will try to antagonize her, insult her or the Maker, sometimes because they know she cannot really fight back in a meaningful way (speaking only the Chant severily limits the ability to have deep debate, and even if she manages, they will just say that she has no mind of her own). Over time, as they all get to know each other, communication gets easier and they make their own inside jokes.

She gives approval when someone is being clever, twisting words or being a rules-lawyer, which comes from her own time as a chanter having to analyze the Chant's lines in order to find ones that fit in situations, and being a prideful yet spiteful person that likes to show off. Tiny approvals when choosing the right interpretations of her quotations; not enough to be a dealbreaker for romance (if there is one). She also approves when the player defends her when others misinterpret her, or when the player helps "translate" her chants to people that either don't know what a chanter is, or struggle to understand.

She disapproves of purposeful disrespect of religion; if a non-believer states that they don't believe as a matter of fact, she says nothing, but non-believers that purposefully insult others' beliefs will get her disapproval, even more so when it is the Chantry. She also disapproves of complicated questions meant to make it harder for her to answer with the Chant of Light, in which she will give a warning and a second chance for the player to choose a different question, complain or go harder.

There would, ideally, be four variants of her character development: Unhardened chanter, hardened chanter, unhardened vowbreaker and hardened vowbreaker.

In the Vowbreaker developments, she will have broken her vow somehow, and will from then on speak normally.

And, just because it would be funny, she is joined by other companions, one who is a believer of Tevinter's Old Gods (they believe that the gods have been cleansed and have returned to a new, better state or something), another is either one of the Disciples from Awakening in full plague doctor attire or a member of the resurrected Empty Ones cult that are trying to bring back the Blights. Of course we have one or two Dalish in tow, one who would have happily joined Elgar'nan to end the world and another who is like "yo, what's the point of it all when the gods were evil?" or something.

What would be the MSQ that brings them together? Beats me, it would just be funny.

is this anything.

[anti-eluvians]

Today my sister asked if Ameridan would know what a Qunari was. And when did ogres start appearing? And how does the invasion of Rivain line up with his disappearance? Would he see Inquisitor Adaar and think "Ah I'm free at last-- AHH A DRAGON/DEMON!"

I promised to look into it and found the answer on Ameridan's wiki page only after piecing the timeline together myself. So rather than feel like that time was wasted I'm going to lay it out anyway. Here we go:

The first kossith colony on Thedas was recorded in -410 Ancient. They settled in the southern Kokari Wilds and were overrun by darkspawn in the First Blight. (Presumably this is when ogres joined the darkspawn ranks, which is just awful to think about!)

Andraste first preached of the Maker in -186 Ancient, and began her rebellion six years later. That lasted 16 years until -170 when Maferath betrayed her. Her death ended the rebellion and spawned a myriad of "andrastian" cults. Hessarian converted Tevinter at large to Andrastianism in -160, a decade after he cut short her execution by driving a sword through her chest.

In -130 the Chant of Light used today was formalized. Drakon founded The Chantry and Orlais in -3 Ancient. He also asked the Inquisition (which then existed to protect people from maleficarum, separate from any specific religion) to join the Chantry. They accepted, becoming the Seekers of Truth, the Templars, and the basis for the Circle of Magi.

In the year 1:5 Divine (just eight years later) the Second Blight began. This is the first time Ogres are seen.

In 1:20 the Nevarran Accord, which officially brought mages into the Chantry, was signed. The first Grand Enchanter of the Circle of Magi was chosen. Hardouin earned the honor by "distinguishing himself in a battle of the second blight" but rumors at the time said he was Drakon's second choice: the emperor would have preferred a "mage with connections to Inquisitor Ameridan". Possibly Telana, possibly Ameridan himself, possibly an unknown friend of theirs.

From codex we know that Ameridan resigned from the Inquisition when it was dissolved, and vanished between 1:22 and 1:24. He mentions a fear that the Dales (now almost 300 years old) would not help Orlais against the Second Blight if he was not there to persuade their leaders. In 1:25 that is just what happened; the Dales stood by while a nearby Orlesian city was attacked.

The Qunari took Par Vollen in 6:30 Steel, 1,040 years after the kossith colony was overrun.

And all of this could have been avoided if I had just gone to Ameridan's actual wiki page where it literally says "if the inquisitor is Vashoth, Ameridan will not recognize them and comments on how far Drakon's empire must have spread."

[anneapocalypse]

On Chantry Inclusiveness

(Warning for discussion of fantasy racism and imperialism.)

I had a conversation a while back with some friends about whether the Chantry saying dwarves don't come from the Maker is like, bad, and personally I think that's kind of complicated.

I should note that we're getting this idea in the first place from the fact that Wynne says, "Oghren is a dwarf. He doesn't really come from the Maker." I'm very hesitant to take this as confirmed Chantry doctrine. Wynne herself is not a very literalist Andrastian--one of the first things she says to the Warden is that she thinks the story of the Magisters and the darkspawn might be allegory rather than history. I'm not sure if there are any other Chantry-aligned characters who we hear make a more definitive statement about this (if there are, please share).

But let's say, for the sake of the argument: what if the Chantry does say that dwarves don't come from the Maker?

Dwarves and humans have never shared a common origin story, so on one level the Chantry not calling dwarves children of the Maker could be read as almost... respectful? Dwarves say "We come from the Stone," and the Chantry doesn't argue with that. I mean, I don't think that would be a magnanimous gesture so much as pragmatic one--the Chantry is reliant upon Orzammar for lyrium for both the mages and the templars under their control, and it behooves them politically not to spit in the face of a vital economic partner.

The dwarves who might object to this framing would be surface dwarves, specifically the subset of surface dwarves who are practicing Andrastians. I'm not sure how many dwarves are Andrastian, but we know there are some. Varric seems to be a quiet but genuine believer. And we know that the Chantry accepts dwarves and even permits them to take vows, like Brother Burkel, the Andrastian dwarf trying to start a Chantry in Orzammar.

An Andrastian dwarf would probably like to hear that they are a child of the Maker. I don't think we have any firsthand accounts of what, exactly, Andrastian dwarves are taught about their place in the world.

But inclusiveness is good, right? It is! For those who wish to be included.

One of Leliana's progressive viewpoints as a potential Divine is that she wants to allow non-humans into the Chantry hierarchy--to become priests and clerics. She wants a more inclusive Chantry... and that's good, right? From a certain view, absolutely. Allowing more diverse voices in Chantry leadership is bound to be transformative in some ways.

But I also think it's important to take into consideration that Leliana wants that inclusion, at least in part, because she is a devout believer who wants more people converted to the Chant. Because however progressive her policies, she still believes that everyone should be converted, because that's how the Maker returns to the world.

Inclusiveness is good for those who wish to be included, but in this context it is also a tool for recruitment.

Like if the Chantry said to traditional dwarves, "Actually you're also children of the Maker, and you have turned from the Maker and must return" (because that's what being a child of the Maker means, inherently, within this framework), is that… better?

I mean, that's exactly what Brother Burkel is saying, when he returns to Orzammar to try to convert his people. Andrastianism (and the Qun) are inherently evangelistic; part of their belief system as practiced is the call for conversion. From a certain angle the Qun is very inclusive; anyone may follow it. Elves, dwarves, and humans can all convert, and they are considered just as Qunari as any qunari. The Chantry "includes" elves--an "inclusion" that historically has manifested as violent suppression of elven culture and pressure to adopt Andrastian beliefs.

Traditional dwarven beliefs, and the present-day Dalish beliefs, are not evangelistic. The Dalish don't even seek to convert other elves, though they sometimes accept them if they come. We have never seen a dwarf going topside to tell humans that they actually come from the Stone, and should turn from their worship of the Maker.

But Brother Burkel is telling dwarves that they are actually children of the Maker, and should abandon their traditional beliefs. And while this seems uncommon, he does presumably have some kind of Chantry sanction for his mission.

Inclusiveness is good--for those who wish to be included. In certain contexts, though, it is also used as both a tool and a justification for recruitment. Whatever the Chantry teaches on this matter is ultimately not about what makes people feel good or bad; it's about what will benefit the growth and continued relevance of the Chantry.

[bumblewarden]

YES YES HI HELLO my marvellous bumbly friend I'm here and my pockets are full of questions for Novhen my holiday-deserving beloved!! I'll ask these 4 but just answer whatever you feel like ok?? Have a lush day! :D :D :D 4, 15, 16, 18

<3 !

Hello hello yourself, my wild and er... domesticated friend? That doesn't quite work in the other direction, does it? Hrm

But i've got these four nice and tidy for you! Hope they're a good read

4. If your OC likes art, talk about which piece they would love best.

Realistically, if you asked him, he would go on about someone's family history quilt and go into way too much detail about exactly the history it told and the meaning behind each piece of fabric in each panel, but i can't well show you a picture of a made up work of fibercraft

Now with that failed, let's find a piece from the real world. Not to be lazy, but something tells me this shadow would love chiaroscuro. Among painters known for chiaroscuro, you literally cannot go wrong with Gentileschi. Her most famous painting is Judith Slaying Holofernes for very good reason, but i think he would actually prefer the immediate aftermath of it as found in Judith and Her Maidservant (Detroit). It's invigorating to sneak through the defenses of the leader of an invading army and assassinate him, but it's even better to get away with it. Also, the lighting!!!!

15. What is a common misconception about your OC? (Alternatively, what do people assume about them which is either incorrect or misconstrued?)

Especially post-Origins, people commonly misconceive that he's some no-nonsense hardass who thinks of nothing but work, but he's not :(

He's a little distant at first, but he's still getting used to the position and balancing his expectations with what he's actually willing to put forth. Especially being an elven noble and commander, it's a difficult tightrope act. He gets better about it eventually. Even if he doesn't allow himself to get into much mischief anymore, he'll probably let it slide as long as no one else catches you

He just has a bad case of resting bitch face and a generally flat affect. He can put on a mask if he needs to, but it's not a 24/7 act. He's not that serious, he's just autistic

Also, he thinks about a lot of things besides work! Like his family and history and uh... other stuff probably. Oh! Embroidery! That's a third thing!

16. What trait do they find most attractive/appealing about others?

Ok this one gave me a bit of trouble, so it's maybe not the most attractive/appealing thing, but it's up there! Disclaimer out of the way...

A healthy sense of rebellion. He disapproves of people who are content with injustice, but a rebel without a cause isn't the healthy he means. Please rebel, but know why. Keep your purpose and goals close to heart, and have a plan. A precise blade will deal more damage than wild flailing and is far less likely to strike at your own friends

18. What is one thing that they only let those closest to them see?

His faith. Like his mother, he's a Fen'Harel cultist, but he was conscripted before he could've become an Agent of Fen'Harel. Since then, he was never offered agenthood because the big guy doesn't like the Wardens (cooties)

It's secret primarily for practical reasons. Thedas is a majority Andrastian society, and elves were first "allowed" to live in alienages in human territory on the condition that they convert. Ferelden is one of the safer countries to exist as a non-Andrastian, but that's relative. It's no Rivain. Come Trespasser, it would be actively endangering himself to be openly affiliated with Fen'Harel. You think the average schmuck will care that he's not actually an agent or pro-destroying-Thedas-as-we-know-it? Not likely

After being raised since childhood to tell nobody outside of a very small group about his faith, it just becomes reflex. Alistair, Zevran, and Morrigan eventually get enough hints about it. I don't think he'd ever say it outright (no need to put yourself in such a vulnerable position), but he's pretty good at implying. That Coercion IV didn't train itself. He'd probably also hint to it at Radka, but i doubt she'd have the proper information base to put it together all the way

[grimrevolution]

like, the native people of rivain aren't andrastian; they have their own religion. but the nobles (aka, the rich folks) and the queen all worship the maker and follow the chantry

so when the circle of dairsmuid is annulled DESPITE the fact that it was widely accepted by the rivaini people (they sent their apprentices to train there and their mages could leave whenever they wanted), there starts to be a change

the allsmet is held every year, where every seer from every rivaini village comes and pledges their loyalty to the queen (they're a very matriarchal society) but what if... the people start to rebel?

the rivaini people have suffered genocides, massacres, and discrimination from the chantry. the qunari called a CEASEFIRE during the steel age after the chantry massacred the rivaini population but the qunari were untouched

in fact, after the qunari went to par vollen, leaving just the settlement in rivain, the chantry caused another genocide against the rivaini people and buried them in mass graves because they wouldn't convert to the chantry

technically, this immediately broke the accords that the qunari signed with the rest of thedas, but for some reason no one told the superiors in par vollen or they pretended they didn't know

(this is why i think the antaam breaking away from the qun and fighting with the rivaini people makes SENSE. if the chantry annulled the circle of dairsmuid, they're breaking the accords and killing a group that the qunari actually have a very good relationship with. rivain and par vollen have trade agreements for fuck's sake! they're the only country in thedas who has them!)

(the antaam thinking that their leadership is weak for not following through on the accords would make MORE sense than just thinking them weak because they won't go fully to war)

so. the circle of dairsmuid is annulled and tension is fucking HIGH in rivain because of it. here comes isabela. member of the felicisima armada (also known as the raiders of the waking sea). she's rivaini. she's part of a group of pirates that have been fucking over rich people for half a decade, and decides "you know what? anders was right".

but also "anders was wrong - we can't start a revolution; the chantry would raze us to the ground"

so, how does a pirate cause a revolution? BY STEALING SHIT. and not only by stealing shit but making rich people pay for her to steal shit.

they keep the native artifacts out of the noble's hands, giving them back to their original cultures (charging a finder's fee cause revolutions ain't cheap, hun).

and the best part is? canon literally cannot dispute me on any of this. EVERYTHING I JUST SAID IS CANON. rook is on the run from the rivaini cops because they kept a noble from getting their hands on a dangerous artifact!

hell, the whole thing about rook being 'kicked out' is just a ruse lmao. isabela's whole letter is like "okay, you did a good thing but we HAVE to wait until the heat dies down so i'm going to send you with my pal. hugs and kisses, isabela".

so lof rook is also the only rook who is canonly 'the best' at what they do (dungeoneering). they were also a tevinter galley slave.

now, there's a whole bunch of things that can mean but MOSTLY the relationship that rook and isabela have states that isabela trained rook in some capacity, so they've known each other for a long time. the people at the hall of valor know rook, and rook has been a champion there for a couple of years. so rook is probably a pretty early member. maybe even a founding member.

there's also the fact that there's the 'rules of the hall' codex you get that is just a straight up lie. you're not fighting spirits. you're fighting prisoners for fun. this is a fucking gladiator arena. isabela has a PILE OF CORPSES IN A PIT BEHIND HER.

the whole thing is a lie so the government won't shut it down. she is literally killing her prisoners for sport and entertainment.

there's also dialogues where lords are confirmed to be stealing things before other people can get to them. they're literally fighting against their government and the chantry the only way they can; by stealing shit.

they're reverse archeologists. they're the indiana joneses of thedas. the lara crofts of this world.

dangerous/cultural artifact you want to keep out of chantry hands? call 1-800-goldnglory

on one hand, being obsessed with rivain for two years means that my perception of the lords of fortune is wildly different than the rest of the fandom.

on the other hand i could write a fic so batshit you'd think i was making it up but no, it's all based on canon

[drunken-drengr]

DA asks 1, 28, 60, 73? 👀

Hey, thanks for the first ask!

How did you get into Dragon Age?

Ah, this is something I like to tell every now and then. My dad actually introduced me to Dragon Age! I always watched him play Origins and 2 on our old Xbox 360, what can I say, it was entertaining. Especially watching him fight those dragons... I can't recall how old I was, but given that I don't remember it all too vividly, I was pretty young. And, yeah, that's right, that would make me still a minor now! I feel like that's not something widely known, mostly cause I didn't think it mattered much, but turns out, people think I'm an adult. I guess I hardly see anyone my age in the fandom... Anyways, back on topic! Yeah, watched my dad play the Dragon Age games as a kid, though he stopped letting me watch after sexy time with Morrigan, lol. A bit after he finished the games though, Dragon Age: Inquisition was announced, and I was so excited to finally play a game for myself. I was a huge LoTR junkie back then, and I still am, so that's why such a young girl was interested in such a game. So yeah, my Dad got me into Dragon Age. Though he doesn't play games anymore, he still will smile when he sees me playing Dragon Age, and ask a few questions. Just something really old that bonds us.

Inquisitor’s feelings on being the Herald of Andraste?

Ooh, this is a complicated one. Might wanna sit down with a cup of tea! Karrie's beliefs are complicated as well. Her family is considered klana, or, traditional. They still like to hold themselves as warrior caste, and they still respect the Stone and the ancestors. But, with so much time on the surface, they've also slowly converted to Andrastians. They just don't follow the Chantry though. Prefer to worship the Maker in their own ways. And most recently, the family began to recognize Avvar gods/spirits. Or perhaps just Karrie and her father. They spent a lot of time with the Avvar, and saw things they deemed impossible. With that being said, Karrie's faith is mixed, but unfalteringly devout. She believes the Stone, the Maker, Avvar gods, whatever divine being out there, guides her. So, Herald of Andraste? Not a title she wanted, or is willing to accept. Though she is devout in her belief of the Maker, she feels it only heretical to claim to be his or Andraste's chosen one, their herald. She's sort of in the middle on that matter. She won't deny it, won't confirm it. Because she'll never have a way of knowing. Better safe than sorry, wouldn't want to upset the Maker by falsely claiming to be his chosen one, or denouncing him.

Who do you wish had been given more story?

Cole. At least, more story in game. I don't really read the novels/comics, but he probably gets more story in there. But damn it, Bioware! Put your lore in the game! I feel Cole didn't get enough in game. Like holy shit he's an anomaly. He just felt rather... irrelevant to the story, y'know? Huge potential there.

Favorite OST song(s)?

Ah, you can't do this to me. Can't make me choose just one! Okay, I'll settle for hmm two. My favorite would either be Sera Was Never, or Lost Elf. Sera Was Never is just such a catchy tune, and such a good song! It captures her perfectly, and it cheers me up when listening. She totally deserved her own song. And Lost Elf... cause Lost Elf. If you've ever listened to it you'd know. I'll be scrolling through Youtube at 3 am, and it pops up in my recommended. I debate myself in my head for 5 minutes, I say, "Don't listen to it, you'll cry" and then I listen to it and I cry myself to sleep. It's the never ending cycle. It just brings back so much, makes me hurt thinking about it. It is perhaps the most beautiful score the game has to offer. With that being said, I actively avoid it but I love it at the same time. Oh god now it's playing in my head.

Edit: I also love the main Descent theme! Reminds me of the Hobbit movies, and their epic scores of dwarf music. Man I love dwarves.

[kinlochs]

That earns a laugh from the Warden-Commander. "I wish I could say the same. I think my advisors wouldn't take to kindly to it, and they have been up long enough as it is that there isn't a point in complaining anymore."

Much like Alistair grousing about being made the King of Fereldan. He has grown quite well into his role. Hardly a hint of the boy he had travelled with those years ago--except for when he opened his mouth, of course.

"Really?" That surprises him. "You don't know your birthdate?" As if he could be one to judge, of course, with his nonexistent knowledge of his own blood. He bows his head in minor deference. "Yes, that is true. You never know. When I was in Orzammar, they were trying to spread the Chant of Light there, too. I can never be too careful to assume." He could agree with her views, however. Cassian has seen the proof himself. Andraste had existed, albeit long ago. The Urn of Sacred Ashes had seen to that. "I don't consider myself Andrastian. I'm not the religious type, despite various efforts being made to convert me," he comments.

"If anyone builds a statue of me, I'm breaking it." She'd swing the sledgehammer herself. There was a near imperceptible twitch of her eye as she swallowed the thought of slamming that hammer into other things. Things that would squish. Things that would scream. No. No. No. Shake them off. The soft smile the lingered on her features refused to betray her darker thoughts.

"Funny thing, I don't actually know my age. I'm definitely above twenty. I know that much." Her throat rumbled softly. "Do I enjoy being called the Herald of a god I don't believe in? No, no, not particularly. I'm Dalish, don't forget that. I do believe Andraste probably existed once. That's as far as I go."

[dalishious]

do you think it's possible for the dalish to remain true to their ways and own faith even after the Surprise Evanuris Reveal in dai? like idk i'm just scared that in the next game bw will be like "the dalish are converting to andrastianism now bc they found out that they were wrong and the maker is actually the only true god! but don't worry the chantry finally lets them join :)" i really don't like the idea of the dalish having to give up their culture and everything just bc of that plot twist

I 500% think it’s possible. For one thing not every Dalish legend has to do with the Creators, nor does all of their culture. There’s also no reason that all the Dalish would just give up their beliefs because the Dread Wolf said so. And hell, they’d probably open lots of debates about the interpretation of what the Inquisitor was able to find that does not indisputably say anything. (Though yes, part of me is still clinging onto hope that the devs will smarten the fuck up and realize what a shitty, shitty thing that was to do and reroute the collision course to something even remotely more respectful.)

[fangsandfeels]

"The Qun is not a prison. You can leave" - what???

Qunari who have abandoned the Qun are called Tal-Vashoth and live away from the Qunari homelands if they can escape. Tal-Vashoth often work as mercenaries, while those who are born outside the Qun are called Vashoth. Although Vashoth are not technically rebels against the Qun, Qunari still considers them Tal-Vashoth. The difference between the two is that Vashoth are considered "redeemable," while Tal-Vashoth are not.

Tal-Vashoth are hunted down by the Qunari. The Qunari either seek to capture the Tal-Vashoth for indoctrination, lobotomy, or to assassinate them. Thus, the Tal-Vashoth must leave their homes, for they have no place among the Qunari. Sadly, many turn against the society that cast them out.

Yeah, the Qun is not a prison, but if you try to leave, you get killed, lobotomized, or mentally tortured and humiliated until you break and beg for forgiveness. Fucking hell.

I'm yet to recruit Taash, but I already got the information that Taash has a mom (okay, checks out) who still practices Qun: and that's where I short-circuited. How can Taash's mom still follow the Qun and call herself a parent? These two things are mutually exclusive, there are no parents under the Qun!

I'd understand if she escaped and willingly labeled herself as Tal-Vashoth because she found herself unable to part with her kid - and her desire to be there for her child was stronger than doctrines. Or maybe if she was a recently converted Vashoth who realized she doesn't want that life for herself and her child. But to leave Qun to have a kid and still follow it? That makes no sense because the only reason she has a child of her own was because she went against the doctrines of Qun.

In general, I already have a lot of problems with Taash and the way writers see Tal-Vashoth and the Qun since Vows and Vengeance.

As you correctly noted, to Qunari, Taash isn't an outsider. Taash is a Tal-Vashoth. So, when she gets caught and delivered to Par Vollen for judgement, execution is a logical outcome - not just for encroaching on the Qunari territory, but for being an offence to the Qun.

However, Nadia manages to negotiate with the Qunari and convince them not to execute Taash because...they're good at killing dragons? And Qunari listen to her because...she saved one of their children during a dragon attack?

If it was the Qun we know, there would have been nothing Nadia could say that would have made the Qunari to let Taash go. Nadia is an outsider, a basalit-an, and doesn't know the way of Qun. Also, her saving a child would have probably showed her as redeemable - i.e. eligible for conversion, not as someone to let go with a pat on the head.

But not only Taash isn't killed on sight or dunked face first into the qamek, Taash is entrusted with the gaatlok. Yes, the very gaatlok the Qunari have always been very privy about and the secret of which they will never share because its the key to their powerful warfare. Qunari would have died rather than let some Tal-Vashoth use it.

No, Taash being good at killing dragons doesn't suffice - dragons play an important role in Qunari culture, and killing them is part of what Qunari do, so there is no way there have been no warriors trained specifically for killing dragons. They bring nothing unique to the table.

I don't understand why the writers are so damn afraid of making the Qunari look bad. I think, that any philosophy/religion that requires to mutilate certain group of people and encourages forcefully taking children away from their loving families looks bad already.

Seriously, nobody had issues with bashing Tevinter, Andrastianism, dwarven caste system and Qun shouldn't treated differently. Pointing out the flaws and showing the consequences of ignoring these flaws is good writing.

Can anyone explain me what the ever-loving fuck is going on with the Qunari in Veilguard?

When I learned about Treviso occupation, I thought that was the result of Qunari officially being on the warpath. The Trespasser made it clear that the Qunari have been planning their invasion for quite a while - but chose to act covertly at first. Which makes perfect sense for Qunari, this is what they do. That would have also added some delicious moments for Taash and the Vashoth!Rook.

However, in the game we have not Qunari, but the Antaam (military). Which sounds stupid. The "it's not the nation, its it's soldiers doing it" excuse already sounds stupid if you ask me, but in the context of the Qunari lore it sounds even more stupid.

So, according to the accompanying media, Antaam...rebelled and acted without sanction. They have split into groups led by warlords who squabble between themselves and try to dig deep into the land they occupied. Which is bullshit.

The Antaam, meaning "body" in Qunlat, is the military of the Qunari led by the Arishok. Metaphorically, the Antaam are the eyes, ears, legs, arms and hands of the creature, everything that one needs to interact with the world, and so most Qunari encountered by Thedosians belong to the military

Antaam listen to the Arishok and Arishok alone. Qun is built on a system where everyone knows their place - and when they're out of place, they freak the fuck out, the massacre-the-family-because-my-tool-is-lost way. So, the probability of a large group of Qunari, an entire fucking army doing something without a command, and then digging a deeper hole for themselves by warlording is extremely low. Also, by all accounts, they're stop being seen by their kin as Qunari - they are Tal-Vashoth. Because they acted on their own volition, disobeyed the order, disobeyed the Arishok. This is not how the Qun works. No matter what they say, how they call themselves - they are Tal-Vashoth.

Like, there is a reason why Qunari are terrified of not fitting their mold - not only they have no idea of what to do when things don't go as planned, but also they are scared of losing their way and becoming permanently lost. The Iron Bull had that belief that he might lose his mind because he didn't know if he should trust himself without the guidance of Qun - him being a little more flexible due to his work as a spy as well as getting people he grew emotionally attached to helped with overcoming this barrier. But far from all Qunari are that lucky. Sten was so dejected after losing his sword that he let himself be caged - he didn't care about dying or anything anymore. He couldn't go home.

...Alright, where were we?

According to the wikipedia, Rasaan (the emissary of the Triumvirate)...took the control over Antaam? HOW? Qun is extremely rigid and allows no loopholes. For a change this massive there have to be some really, really good reasons - and I don't think the Antaam would have just accepted it. Without high enough approval, Sten only acknowledges Warden as the leader after they beat his ass in a duel.

Alright, let's say Rasaan gaslit the Antaam into believing she channels the way of the Qun and they ate it up. But why do we have warlords now?

Warlords with names, like Butcher? There are no names in the Qun. This is, once again, Tal-Vashoth behavior. But at the same time, they have access to qamek? What? How? Why? How does Par Vollen feel about their entire "body" fucking off? If they didn't sanction it, why aren't they stopping them???

It wouldn't be the first time for Bioware to twist their own lore and canon, but this one is legitimately migraine-inducing. Why not make a full-scale and sanctioned Qunari invasion, Qunari are like this! It's okay to make them the baddies, their ways are fucked up already and some positives don't make up for all the negatives! Don't just slap in a bunch of guys literally called "the army" and say "Nah, not all Qunari guys, these are just military acting on their own despite their lifestyle being all about following the system and doing your strictly established duties"