#(i just don't enjoy fighting darkspawn)

[witsserviceablesubstitute]

There are some great NPCs in DATV. It could be because Rook is a Crow, but Viago and Teia come to life. Viago is constantly heckling Rook in a 'i'm-concerned-but-i'd-rather-die-than-admit-it' way and it gives him and his relationship with Rook a lot of character. I'd also do most anything for Evka and Antoine despite not enjoying the Warden quests much.

[aymayzing]

Fate of Southern Thedas Rant

Okay, so

All in all, I enjoyed Veilguard. I have some gripes with the game and I can already point to a few things and go "yeah, I don't care what the game says. I am discarding that and filling it in with some headcanons" which happens with literally every Dragon Age game.

BUT

The main thing I dislike is what the game present as happening in the South of Thedas.

I've spent three games saving the South, piece by piece, I cannot accept it falling now, in a game that doesn't care about these parts of Thedas, so much so that it's only really acknowledged in codex entries.

I say - if for some reason the devs want Veilguard to be separted from the other three games, then give us LESS infromation about the South. I don't need letters telling me that the places I've saved once are now lost and therefore it didn't really matter. Tell me that the South is fighting its own battle and leave it there.

In a perfect world, however, here is where we'd have an acknowledgement of previous games.

Mention that mages in their new orgnization have been supporting the fight. Or that the rebuilt Templar order is leading the charge somewhere. If the Inquisitor encouraged Cassandra to rebuild Seekers new and better, mention that they're a great help with fighting demons. Bring up the conclusion of Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts. If a truce was forced upon Celene, Briala and Gaspard, say that they're using the chaos to fight for power. Or that Gaspard, as a soldier, has been great at protecting Orlais. What about the decision regarding the Wardens? Say it sucks there aren't Grey Wardens in the South or how fortunate that they're here.

Mention HoF. If they're alive, they're protecting Denerim. If they allied with the Architect, say there's darkspawn infighting in northern Ferelden. That thanks to the Warden being an X, there's a strong bond between Orzammar/the Dalish/mages and Ferelden and they're fighting hand in hand or that the elves of Denerim have been especially well organized and are protecting their city.

And then it can all be in codex, in missives. It's a positive thing then. I get to know that the choices from previous games influenced something in this one and I'm happy to read about it in a codex or a letter from the Inquisitor. But my friend who's playing DA for the first time doesn't care and they can skip those codexes.

I don't think the South has fallen and will never get back up again. I see Rook defeating the gods as a deus ex machina. With them gone, everything else is saved. If Minrathous can be rebuilt after being thouroughly blighted and destroyed during the finale, so can Denerim, Kirkwall, Val Royeux.

But. I just wish it was stated in game and not something I have to come up with on my own based on some ending slides. I wish the devs didn't discard the parts of Thedas I've grown to love over the previous games twice over. I wish they made another decision here

[damallarky]

What I Liked About Dragon Age: The Veilguard

I keep seeing extremely negetive comments about Veilguard, even nearly two months after the game has been released, and that is insane to me.

Now, I'll admit that I had my own gripes about the game. But I have decided that I am not going to focus soley on the negatives. That makes me and everyone around me angry and miserable and that is not why I am on Tumblr.com. I am here for the memes and to talk about Dragon Age man.

So, I have decided to be the change I want to see in the world and make a non-exhaustive list of all of the things that I LIKED about Veilguard.

The Companions: I loved them. I loved their story arcs. I think they were well-written and very Dragon Age-y. They reminded me of the DA:O crew in a good way. I also can see what Bioware meant when they talked about the found family vibes.

The Art Style: This art style is my favorite out of all of the Dragon Age games. I've always prefered a more styalized look, because it's fun but mostly because it ages SO MUCH BETTER than a more realistic style in video games. Games like Zelda, Fable, etc still look pretty good today because they all have a more styalized look. At least in my opinion.

The Animation: This could go along with the art style, but I wanted to make it a seperate category. The animation in Veilguard was fantastic. The facial expressions on the characters were so well done. Ghila'nain moved like a Little Nightmares character which was great. Characters actually held onto their mugs!

The Voice Acting: Every Bioware game I've ever played has fantastic voice acting though. *shrugs*

The Seige of Weisshaupt: Was an absolutley fantastic moment in the game. Having a terrifying face hover over you while you desperately try to fight your way through the hordes of Darkspawn? Being led to safety by some random, badass kid? Davrin killing a Darkspawn's cousin last week? Lucanis not being able to stab a cloud? Perfection.

Being Able to Pet All the Cats and Dogs (and Assan): This speaks for itself tbh.

The Ossuary: Dude, walking into that funky underwater prison and seeing a massive aquatic creature swim by you was such a neat moment. I really enjoyed that area. That's also where we get to meet Lucanis and Spite, so yay!

The Fade Fish Tank: For similar reasons to above. I just think fish are cool ok? I also spent a little more time than I probably should have watching the fish swim back and forth.

Photo Mode: I love when games have a photo mode and I LOVED Veilguard's photo mode. I also love all of the photos that the community have been taking.

The Combat: The combat was really fun. I don't remember having as much fun with combat in a Dragon Age game as I had with Veilguard. You can tell the team put a lot of time and effort into it and it shows.

The Fact That We Got a Game At All: Look. After ten years of development hell, I wouldn't have been surprised if the game got scrapped. Yet somehow, despite the odds, the team at Bioware managed to deliver a finished game despite the odds stacked against them. Is it perfect? No. But it's here and it's real and out there for us to either love it or hate it despite the many times Bioware could have thrown in the towel.

Feel free to add to this list or talk about the things you liked about the game in the replies section! I know Veilguard has it's issues. Don't let the bad get in the way of the good.

[mllemaenad]

I mean ... sure. Why not?

Ugh. I don't know. Maybe I'm being unfair. I've got a lot of game ahead of me. It's just starting to feel like they're biting off more than they can chew, from a narrative perspective.

I really enjoyed the more grounded antagonists of the earlier games. Loghain's suspicion of Orlais and the Grey Wardens has some solid historical precedent behind it. This isn't apologia: he did some both terrible and stupid things, but up to a point you could understand why he had concerns in the first place. And there's an outcome where he can become a Grey Warden, and might (though I appreciate it is unlikely, given his age and the current timeline) still live to fight darkspawn to this day. Because however much he fucked up, having Ferelden overrun with Blight was not an acceptable outcome for him, any more than it was for anyone else.

Meredith may have been a more ... straightforwardly awful person, sure, but she was awful in a comprehensible way. She had a genuine tragedy in her childhood and she was able to use that to justify her own cruelty and ambition – both to others and to herself. It's not that she could ever reasonably be thought of as good, but rather that she always saw herself as in the right and justified in her actions. And, likewise, during the Qunari invasion she becomes your temporary ally, because she also does not want to see Kirkwall occupied by a foreign power.

Corypheus unfortunately came across as too ridiculous for me to really enjoy – which is a pity, because I was interested in what he had to say, as a solid primary source on ancient Tevinter and the First Blight. Inquisition leaned harder on its individual quests – the struggles of the mages and Templars, the tragedy of the Grey Wardens, the heartless stupidity of the Orlesian civil war.

Inquisition has been my least favourite, because it already had too much going on to do it all justice. It was packed with interesting ideas, but I didn't always like the corners they had to cut to squish it all into a single narrative. But, in fairness, it was still packed with interesting ideas.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe in a while I'll look back on this post and laugh, because it all came together really nicely. But at the moment I'm seeing Venatori! And Qunari! And darkspawn! Oh my! And they all serve the obviously Blighted gods.

I'm not saying you couldn't make this work. I'm saying ... I'm not confident they're going to right now.

I mean ... the First Blight was functionally what destroyed the old Tevinter empire. You'd think they'd have some feelings about darkspawn, and I don't know, maybe the conclusive evidence that they didn't create the Blight? And I get that the government of Par Vollen seems to have fallen (or is at least in disarray), but that sounds like a whole story in itself ... and well, the Qunari do not typically have gods, let alone Blighted mages as gods, so ...

Ah, well. Guess I'll see.

[uhohwhathaveidone]

Nah cause what if Sebastian x slytherin reader right where your helping in him in his quests but you get attacked and reader gets knocked out and he’s mad n protective

"I've only had reader for a few day bit if anything happens to them i will curse everyone in this room and then myself"

My Knight (S.S)

I hate spiders. That's a lie, I just don't like them if they're too close. Love peacock spiders though. So cute. Based off that alone, we're dealing with that one quest with the spiders. So, there's a warning for you, also I haven't been able to play the game still, my pc is still refusing, so do I know what's going on? No. Did I call the giant spider the BroodMother while only thinking about that horrible darkspawn from Dragon Age? Yes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, I'm posting rather early so I might start on another request tonight. <3

     You sucked in a breath as you shouted another spell at the spiders that surrounded you, desperate to keep them away. You glanced over to Sebastian, who was shouting his own spells at the spiders. You quickly cast a protection spell as you sprinted over, kicking a smaller spider away from Sebastian’s legs. “They keep coming! What are we supposed to do?” You shouted, throwing Stupefy at a spider that jumped at you. Sebastian shouted, bumping into your back, causing you to stumble. You turned to him, trying to see what had happened, when your eyes widened.

     A giant spider crawled from a hole in the side of the cave, its long legs towering over you while causing the ground to tremble beneath you. Its eyes shined red as it slowly crawled over to you, letting out a screech that made your eardrums rattle. “It’s the Brood Mother! I think that’s what they call her?” Sebastian shouted, grabbing onto your arm, and pulling you towards him. You watched as the smaller spiders scurried away, afraid of their giant counterpart. You readied your wand as you watched her, narrowing your gaze as you looked for a weak point. Without warning she ran at you, nearly knocking you into a wall with her leg. You threw spell after spell at her, a mix of red and yellow emitting from your wand. Sebastian had gotten separated from you, attacking the giant spider from the other side of the cave.

     You didn’t have many spells at your disposal, so you turned to using spells to throw the giant rocks around you, knocking out one of her legs. You watched as she spun around, trying to pick a target, and you quickly shouted to Sebastian as you dodged an attack. “Go for her legs!” “Got it!” You continued to dodge attacks and cast spells at the spider, quietly begging for her to go down, as your arms got tired. You watched as Sebastian threw a decent-sized rock with his wand, hitting her in the head and sending hundreds of broken stones into her eyes, causing her to flail and spin in panic. You felt victory hover in the air as you sent another stone flying, hitting her in the head once again. She let out a final screech as she tumbled to the ground, legs going limp around her as she hit the stone.

     You breathed a sigh of relief as you looked over to Sebastian, who let out a triumphant cheer as he tried to catch his breath. You put your wand into your robe as you made your way over to him, stepping over rocks that broke off in your fight. You smiled as you reached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright?” Sebastian nodded, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, yeah. But I think spiders just made it to the top of the Bugs I Hate list.” You chuckled as you shook your head. “Spiders aren’t technically bugs, though. They’re like their own species.” You joked, watching as Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Whatever they are, I don’t like them in the slightest anymore.”

     “Does this mean that next time you see a spider, you’re going to ask me to kill it for you?” Sebastian scoffed, crossing his arms as he turned away from you, looking at some of the rocks that surrounded him. “Of course not. Just, don’t ask me to take care of one if its bigger than a Sovereign.” You laughed, noting the fact and looking around the cave. “Come look at this,” Sebastian said, waving his hand to you as you walked over. He held one of the stones in his hand, its surface shining in the soft light of a nearby torch. You leaned closer, examining the stone, as Sebastian watched you, a light blush creeping to his cheeks at the closeness. “It looks like quartz. Could this have been an old mine?” You asked, looking up at Sebastian as you leaned away, fixing your posture. Sebastian shrugged as he began to explain just how quartz mines worked to you. You listened, of course, no longer paying attention to your surroundings.

     Behind you, the giant legs of the spider twitched, slowly retracting to her body as she regained consciousness. Slowly, she used her front legs to move some rocks away from her eyes, rolling onto the ground. Your ears perked as you heard the rocks make contact with the ground, the hair on the back of your neck standing up and making you uneasy. You watched Sebastian as he continued to talk, glancing around you. The spider, now free of sharp stones, stood up, looking where the two of you stood. “It’s a wonder why so many old works of art weren’t taken down and recycled, could have used them, pity.” Sebastian said, tossing the stone back onto the ground. Alerted, the spider trained her eyes on you, preparing an attack. You looked over your shoulder to where you had left the spider, eyes widening as you realized your mistake. “What do you think about it all? Would it still-“ You cut Sebastian off as you grabbed the collar of his robe, yelling for him to move as you used the remaining strength you had left to pull him from where he was standing, sending him to the ground behind you as you watched the spider slam into the wall, right where he was originally standing.

     Sebastian let out a shriek as he watched the spider, one that he thought was dead, shake its head as it retracted from the wall. You quickly reached for your wand, casting a shield charm as a leg slammed down in front of you. “I thought we killed the thing?” Sebastian shouted, scrambling to his feet and pulling out his own wand. You shook your head, sending off a spell at its eyes. “Stupid! How did I not realize!” You shouted at yourself as you spun and grabbed Sebastian, running. “It was so obvious!” You continued, “She didn’t die like the other spiders, remember?” Sebastian nodded, trying to cast another spell at the spider. “This time, we fight until she’s on her back and curled up!”

     You gasped for air as you kept up your attack, throwing rock after rock at the spider as Sebastian unleashed his own onslaught. You struck one of its eyes with another rock, running to Sebastian as the spider spun once again. You ran faster as you saw one of its legs rise, beginning to bring it down, its target Sebastian. You yelled his name as you reached for him, casting a spell to push him back as the spider’s leg made contact, sending you flying back. Sebastian shouted your name, watching as you tumbled across the stones and finally coming to halt, your wand tossed beside you. There was no way to reach you as the spider continued its own attack, its sharp legs making dents in the stone below it. Sebastian was hit with an idea, and he quickly shouted at the spider, running around it. He found a boulder that had been split in half, and he raised his wand and sent it flying at the spider, slicing through one of its legs.

     “Accio!” Sebastian brought the leg towards him as he shouted for the spider’s attention. Both him and the spider were angered beyond reasoning, and the spider let out another screech as it stood taller, ready to tear into Sebastian, who only stood there. He smiled, watching as the spider straightened its legs, exposing the underside of its abdomen. Without hesitation, Sebastian launched the leg back to its owner, its sharp tip burrowing into the stiff exoskeleton, sending the spider to rear up as it screeched in pain, eventually falling backwards and twitching. Sebastian watched as it slowly died, making sure that it stayed dead, before turning to where you still laid, unmoving.

     “Y/n!” He breathed as he dropped to your side, turning you onto your back. His eyes widened as he held your head up, blood slowly trickling down into the small puddle that had formed under you. “No, come on! You can’t let a bug take you out!” He shouted, his shaking hands reaching for his wand as he racked his brain for a spell to heal your wound. The faint sound of scurrying legs sounded from the hall you walked through to get to where you were now, a small group of spiders quickly making their way over. “Not now, not now.” Sebastian whispered, tapping the wand to his head. Quickly, his eyes widened as a spell came to mind, and he quickly flipped his want and whispered “Episkey”. The gash on your head began to heal itself, the blood vanishing from your face and the ground. You were still out, however, and Sebastian lifted you from the group and brought you to the side of the cave, leaning you against its wall and standing in front of you, wand raised as the small spiders moved into the room.

     A few moments later the final spider rolled over, legs curling in as it died. Sebastian let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair as he looked around in case there were any more hiding around. You squinted, glancing around. Your head throbbed slightly as you brought your hand up, brushing against where the gash had been. You squinted as you looked at Sebastian’s silhouette, his shoulders raising and dropping quickly as he sucked in air. You smiled, looking around at the dead spiders. “Keep breathing like that,” you started, sitting yourself up more, “You’ll probably drop like those spiders.” Sebastian turned to you, a sigh of relief leaving him as he dropped his knee to take a look at you. “You’d find that funny, wouldn’t you?” You nodded, smiling. Sebastian grabbed your face, turning it to check your head. His calloused hand rested under your chin, gently moving your head around. “How’s your head, then?” He asked, letting you go. You shrugged, feeling the dull throb as it slowly faded. “I’m fine, thanks to you I suppose?” Sebastian smiled as he nodded, standing up and offering his hand.

     You looked over to where the mother laid, her legs retracted to her body as rigor mortis set in. You raised your eyebrows in surprise as you noticed one of its legs missing, finding it protruding from her body. You looked at Sebastian, surprised yet impressed as he shrugged. “Couldn’t let her take you out before I did.” You scoffed, slowly walking towards the spider. Sebastian quickly grabbed your sleeve as he pulled you away, shaking his head. “Look, I’m sure I can kill a giant bug. No need to double check.” You chuckled as you shook your head, opening your mouth. “No, don’t even! I’m going to call it a bug if I want to.” You closed your mouth, choosing to smile instead. You looked around for your wand, realizing that it wasn’t in your hand. Sebastian cleared his throat to get your attention, and you turned to see him holding your wand in his hand. You sighed, walking over and reaching for the wand, only for Sebastian to hold it above your head and out of reach. You frowned, narrowing your gaze as you glared at Sebastian. “I do believe I deserve something in return?” You shook your head as you leaned closer to Sebastian, placing a small kiss on his cheek and then snatching your wand from his hand.

     Sebastian stood there, shocked, as you fixed your robes. “Whatever would I do without you, my dear Knight?” Sebastian stuttered, quickly fixing his hair as his cheeks heated up. “Probably not get attacked by giant spiders, for one.” You nodded, placing your wand into your pocket. “Although,” Sebastian started, slowly walking over to you. “I don’t think a cheeky kiss is enough for the trauma I went through to protect you.” You chuckled, pretending to be deep in thought. “Of course, a killer of spiders should be given a better reward.” With that, you quickly leaned against Sebastian again, this time placing a soft kiss to his lips and walking towards the hall, turning back and waiting for Sebastian. He quickly followed you, slightly whining. “Are you even going to ask me how I did it?” “I figured you’d tell me on the walk back, you can never stay quiet about these things.” “I find that rude, but I suppose I’ll tell you.”

[jb-nonsense]

I just enjoy the amount of parallels between Ogden and Lucanis that I didn't expect, and you all are going to have to suffer and listen to them.

But this line, specifically, hit hard.

It's something Ogden can relate to, on a very personal level. Tie in Lucanis's fear of disappointing his family and then the abomination stuff and Ogden's background, it's really all there because, if you don't know...

Ogden is from a gentry level Free Marcher family. They were ambitious in climbing the social ladder and were already discussing expectations for Ogden to marry up the ladder, arranging lessons for him to take and other things when he was a child to be set up for the best future they chose for him with the betrothals they would desire without concern or thought for what he'd want.

And then when he was found to be a mage, they were quick to cast him aside, viewing him as an abomination to the line and reputation they were trying to build. They couldn't wait to be rid of him as he was no longer useful.

And then in the Ansburg Circle, the expectations of being used for the chantry, without his own choices, not really. An illusion of choice but he wouldn't see much outside of the walls, now would he? His role was to play good little mage and listen to the templars. But he didn't. He fought back however he could, received beatings and abuse from the knight commander for being 'obstinate' and 'rebellious.' He wouldn't even be able to count the amount of times he was put in solitary. His nose isn't straight anymore due to the amount of times it was broken.

But he carried on to spite the knight commander. The knight commander was so sure he'd fail his Harrowing and he'd be done with the thorn in his side, but Ogden succeeded spectacularly. Yes, he won that, but he still was under the knight commander's thumb.

And then a way out with the wardens and being recruited by the Hero of Ferelden. But really, there was more freedom, in a sense, but...

He was to fight darkspawn and end up dying alone in the deep roads when his calling came

And even though he was supposed to train at Weisshaupt then return to Ferelden to help training and building up the wardens there, the powers that be kept him at Weisshaupt due to his skill and leadership ability, not letting him do what he had intended to do.

Also they're both more subtle in how they show affections, as well as being 'need to focus on the job first' kind of attitude. Puts them similar to Neve in a way, but the similar backgrounds meshed them together more in my playthrough.

So how much of Ogden's own life was determined for him, just like with Lucanis?

Honestly, if I'd done more research into the companions before playing, it should've been obvious they'd end up a thing. There's too many similar scars for them not to be.

[transmasc-tabris]

So just collecting my thoughts on DAV so far. Literally only a couple hours in at this point since life will not just Stop for a second.

Okay first off. Character Creator? Chef's kiss. God damn. Took me forever but I enjoyed it. Also haven't made a qunari character yet but I did take a look at some of the options and neither hair nor horns were as bad as I'd feared. There are options that aren't trash.

Glad I could give my first Inquisitor the glorious braid, broad shoulders and generally haunted look he deserves.

But also? What does -18% mean for height???? I don't know. I managed to make my Rook a little shorter than Neve after a few tries so it's all good.

Moving the camera with the mouse is still something I'm getting used to, but considering all the times I fucked up in DAI and ended up running around looking at the top of my character's head, I'm fine with this new way of doing things.

The new darkspawn design? Not as bad I thought it would be. Same with the new demon design.

Combat - Well they said it was going to feel like mass effect and it mostly does. Obviously like if you took out the guns but you know what I mean. I keep expecting that one death theme to play when my Rook goes down. Like with every bioware game I've played (besides DAI, actually) it's either a breeze or a death fest with little in between. That could be a skill issue on my part though. I do like the actiony feel and the way it seems to be leaning into the absurd athleticism for rogues.

Do wish I could turn off or tone down companion dialogue in combat though. Tone down most likely. I don't hate it (how could I hate supportive Harding??) it just happens too frequently in my opinion.

Love that running around and looting instead of fighting is now canonically on brand for my Rook. True lord of fortune moment. Speaking of - LoF casual outfit is growing on me.

Irelin is so pretty I could cry. So are a lot of others but she wowed me.

This could easily have to do with the fact that I'm playing it on nvidia geforce now but it does seem like the voices are a little bit... off from the characters? Like ahead of or behind their mouths moving our sounds like it's coming from a different place altogether. I dunno there's just something a little weird about the voices in general but that's a massive nitpick and not a huge deal.

Solas hates blood magic now? Wasn't he pretty neutral on it before? Then again, I'd lie in those circumstances too.

Still wish we'd had more than three world choices to choose from especially if characters from previous games are coming back, but at the very least they are making it easy for a new player or someone who hasn't played a da game since dai came out to just jump in.

Fuck the lighthouse is beautiful.

Pretty much all technical at this point since I've literally just met Bellara at this point. Oh Merrill you would have loved her.

[crossdressingdeath]

Leandra: No! These things will not take Bethany! Daylen: If you fall apart now, you endanger us all. Leandra: Don't lecture me! This is your fault! How could you let her charge off like that? Oh, my poor little girl. My sweetheart. Daylen: Leave her. The darkspawn are gaining by the minute.

I'm already really enjoying red Hawke. Daylen's sister just died in front of him and he failed to protect her and his mother openly blames him (even though he was already fighting as hard as he could to protect everyone, he just couldn't be everywhere at once), and he has to be the one to get the survivors up and moving because if they stay to mourn Bethany they're all dead. They can't stay to mourn and they can't slow themselves down by bringing Bethany's body with them, and if saying that comes out harsh... well, it's a harsh truth to have to deal with.

Also, it's so interesting to me that Leandra blames Hawke for Bethany's death when she died protecting her (and obviously the same is true for Carver's death in a non-mage run). Bethany didn't "charge off"; she put herself between the ogre and Leandra. But instead of acknowledging Bethany's bravery or blaming herself as the one Bethany died for, Leandra blames Hawke (who'd been knocked to the ground by the ogre and couldn't have gotten back into the fight in time to intervene). I know it's not a new take to say Leandra is an at best not great mother who puts way too much on her oldest kid, but every time I remember just how early into the game that starts it catches me a little off-guard.

[wardencallings]

Codex Entry -- Hero of Ferelden

A portrait of the then Warden Commander Alym Surana taken in 9:32 Dragon, or approximately one year following the conclusion of the Fifth Blight. (art by: @kittyoperas)

Alym Surana was born near Lothering. His mother was an elven servant to a family of human corn farmers. Hope Surana, an eccentric woman known for her uncanny ability to diagnose and treat "abnormalities in the biles," refused to disclose the identity of her son's father. Many believed Alym's sire to be a man named E'lio, a Dalish hunter who'd visited the farm around the time of the boy's conception, but he was never located to confirm or deny the parentage.

When Alym was five years old, his magic manifested for the first time, and the templars were contacted to escort him to the Circle near Lake Calenhad. It is unknown how Hope reacted to her son's departure as she was away selling crops in Lothering at the time. While initially resistant to the idea of leaving his home and his mother, Alym very quickly took to the structure of living within the Circle Tower. He enjoyed his studies and the routine such a lifestyle brought him.

Alym is a talented and determined student. He has a particular proficiency with Spirit and Ice, but he manages well with other schools of magic. However, Alym is too lax on matters of the Fade. The boy does not fear possession of himself nor his peers. This may prove to be a problem someday. I will keep an eye on his progress and mentor him personally to avoid a potentially undue outcome. -- The personal notes of First Enchanter Irving, found in his office within Kinloch Hold

When Warden-Commander Duncan arrived in search of a mage to help fight against the emerging Fifth Blight, Irving recommended Alym to the cause immediately. Regarding his choice, Irving later explained to his colleagues that Alym had both the skill and the resolve Duncan was looking for in a recruit, and it was Irving's belief that time outside of the Circle was necessary for Alym's growth as mage and person. While anxious about leaving the Tower and his friends, Alym felt pride in being chosen for such an important task and looked forward to fulfilling his new role.

Following the tragedy in Ostegar, Alym, one of the only surviving Grey Wardens, began to travel across Ferelden, searching for support in ending the Fifth Blight. Commander Loghain declared all Grey Wardens to be traitors to the crown, but Alym and fellow Warden Alistair made use of the conflicting information regarding the events at Ostegar and the chaos brought by the Darkspawn to escape Loghain's soldiers and others loyal to him.

On his return to Lothering, Alym attempted to find his mother. Despite much hostility from the local farmers, Alym was able to discover that his mother and the family she'd served had been killed by the Darkspawn when their farm had been attacked. The Warden visited the site of his childhood home and destroyed the Darkspawn that roamed its property. He then buried his mother and the humans, taking only one thing for himself: an amulet Hope had worn every day, one she'd believed kept her healthy and strong enough to work to earn her keep.

I was actually there when the Hero of Ferelden came to Lothering! None of us actually believed he was a Grey Warden at first. I mean, can you blame us? He was this awkward, gawky elf who asked all these weird questions. And he looked so weak! But then he killed all those bandits and Darkspawn. We believed him after that. Lothering still fell, but we had a renewed sense of hope after we'd seen what he accomplished there. He helped everyone, even that Qunari our Chantry had left to die. None of us understood it at the time, but I think I get it now. Uhh, just don't ask me to explain it. -- A former citizen of Lothering who relocated to Amaranthine following its destruction

It was in Lothering that Alym met Leliana, an Orlesian bard turned Chantry sister turned member of his traveling party. Leliana claimed to have seen a vision from the Maker himself urging her to help Alym. Despite not believing in the Maker and worshiping the Elven gods (casually) instead, Alym welcomed Leliana to his party readily. Later, Alym would admit to being taken by Leliana, both in her beauty and her resolve, which supplied much of his motivation to believe her story and accept her offer of aid.

Of his companions, Alym was closest to Leliana, Sten, Wynne, and of course, Puppy, the Mabari hound rescued from the Darkspawn taint at Ostegar. Later, Alym would meet and befriend Zevran Arainai, an Antivan Crow, and Shale, a dwarf-turned-golem in Honnleath. Despite both being Grey Wardens, Alym struggled to connect with Alistair, finding it difficult to penetrate the humor that masked his true self. Morrigan, alleged daughter of the Witch of the Wilds, and Alym held an antagonistic relationship (mostly from her end), and Alym, despite later allowing his entry into the Wardens, didn't know what to make of the dwarf Oghren, recruited from Orzammar. However, in the wake of the Blight, Alym spoke only highly of his companions. Likewise, those who traveled with the Hero and could be found also spoke highly of him.

The Warden Commander? Ha, you mean Alym? No one calls him that but the kissass recruits who don’t know better. He’s a decent guy – can’t hold his liquor, but decent. We kicked ass together, and not just the blasted Darkspawn. I tell you, we made Orzammar almost tolerable by the time we were through there! Blighter talks too much about his woman, though. He’d probably hit me if he found out I called Leliana that. Heh, you won't tell him I said that, will you? -- An excerpt of a conversation between Warden Oghren and a journalist in Redcliffe.

In Denerim, things took a considerable turn for the worse for the Warden. While assisting Alistair with an undisclosed personal matter, Alym learned of a blood mage apostate wreaking havoc across the city. The mage was known as "The Surgeon," and he had founded a cult called The Free Acolytes that was quickly gaining ground in Denerim. To make matters more dire, Alym learned that Arl Rendon was aiding the cult, and in exchange, The Free Acolytes were assisting in the new Tevinter slaver foothold forming in Denerim.

When Alym began investigating both Arl Rendon and the dark trade occurring in the Alienage, waves of assassination attempts began to plague the Warden and his company. Eventually, with no choice but to seek the source of the cult, Alym hunted down the Surgeon, finding his lair among the derelict buildings in the warehouse district. When the two met, however, Alym was shocked to learn that the Surgeon, whose real name was Vacen Cyrahel, was in fact Alym's own father. Not only did the two look extraordinarily alike, but Vacen told him he could sense their connection in their blood, and he expressed a desire for his son to join him as a free mage, one who did not fear demons nor those who tried to control the mages.

Only Wynne, Zevran, and Sten were present for this meeting with the Surgeon, and Alym persuaded them to keep Vacen's identity a secret from the rest of their companions. Wynne urged Alym to speak to Leliana on the subject, but the Warden feared her reaction to learning of Alym's tainted heritage. Things reached a boiling point when Vacen arrived to camp one night, offering Alym a place by his side for when he killed Rendon Howe and forged himself as the new Arl of Denerim. Alym, embarrassed and ashamed, ran off into the night, hoping to draw Vacen and The Free Acolytes away from his friends.

Alym has left us, as I feared he would should his father make another untimely appearance. I am afraid for the boy's sanity and his well-being. I had tried so hard to convince him that telling the others was a necessity; and if not Alistair and Morrigan, then Leliana, at the least. He told me that he "feared how she'd look at him" when she learned of his father and his crimes. I reminded him that Leliana saw him as more than the blood of his absent father, but he had a wild, terrified look in his eyes. There was no talking sense in him, then. -- An entry in the diary of Wynne

After a few weeks, Sten, accompanied by Puppy, found Alym hiding in the Alienage of Denerim. While blending in with the other elves, Alym had learned where the Tevinter slavers were operating their trade. Sten, Puppy, and Alym killed the traders, freed those about to be sold as slaves, and returned to camp. Alym explained himself to the party, apologized, and began to make a plan to kill both Arl Rendon and the Surgeon. To Leliana, he swore that he'd never abandon her again, and as a sign of his dedication and devotion to her, he began to wear an Andraste's Grace within the braid in his hair, marking the official start of their relationship.

After rescuing Anora and killing Arl Rendon, the Surgeon arrived to the palace, intending to seize claim to the throne alongside his cult. A terrible and bloody fight commenced, one that ended only when Alym launched shards of ice into his father's throat, killing him. Despite knowing his father's death as necessary, Alym struggled with his demise. Arl Rendon was similarly dispatched, and the Landsmeet was called. Alym supported Anora as queen, pushing back against the suggestion of Alistair due to his companion's seeming disinterest in the position of king. Alistair killed Loghain in a duel and thanked Alym for allowing him to remain a Warden and finally granting justice for Cailan and Duncan.

After the Archdemon was killed and Anora formally made Queen of Ferelden, Alym was appointed Warden Commander. Alym strove to reform the Wardens as stronger and more prepared than ever should they be needed again. One of his first actions was to rebuild Vigil's Keep as a base for the Grey Wardens. There he met and conscripted Nathaniel Howe, Anders, Velanna, and Sigrun, reunited with Oghren, and killed the Architect, a sentient Darkspawn Emissary.

A couple of years after the Fifth Blight, The Hero of Ferelden vanished. He is believed to be searching for a cure for the Calling, the point in which Grey Wardens succumb to the Darkspawn taint.

You are very brave to reach out to Lady Nightingale herself to ask of the Hero's whereabouts. I will spare you much of her scathing words to your inquiry, but leave you with this quote: "Keep looking and the crows will have your eyes." -- A letter from one of Nightingale's agents in response to a curious journalist in search of Alym

[finelyageddragons]

Currently in love with the relationship between the Grey Wardens and being doomed by the narrative, especially with how the HOF subverts that relationship so here's a 3am rant about it. Enjoy! The wardens are ghosts. They are born by letting go of everything you had before and drinking poison to bind your fate to the darkspawn and promise that your life and perhaps more importantly, your death belongs to them. The whole joining is a terrifying experience, you're drinking the blood of monsters and seeing a corrupt god in your mind and waking up to see those who died around you and being told you'll meet the same fate soon enough you've just been given more time to get there because to sacrifice, to die is a warden's purpose. Even if you survive becoming a warden, your best case scenario is sacrificing yourself to end the blight but it's far more likely you'll die fighting darkspawn or even more likely lose your mind and have to go to the deep roads to be lost and have your death be your last act of defiance in the face of this overwhelming wave of evil waiting to rise again. The best thing that can happen to a warden is to die in a meaningful way because you gave away your life the moment you drank that blood. All you are now is a soldier waiting to die in war and hopefully take the enemy down with you. It is tragic and haunting and noble and so full of grief. Grief for the live you gave behind and for the one you'll never have. Every warden spends every day of their life hoping not for a future or any life for themselves but simply to make their death mean something which is an incredibly interesting mental state and I could go on about how that effects individuals and messes with their values so that corruption is rife but what started this whole thing is Fereldan.

A wonderful post by @sapphim (which I don't know how to cite but I wanna give credit so if there's a way please tell me) discussed how beneficial it was for the wardens that the fifth blight occured in Fereldan and how much they lost by it being solved so soon. To put it simply, they wanted to sacrifice Fereldan as a lost cause and use it as an example of why they wardens shouldn't be neglected. They wanted it to be known of how much of a sacrifice they make an how important their duty by letting the country of Fereldan be an example of what happens when no one is there to do it and that the narrative has doomed everyone, that the world's crimes will be paid for unless someone is willing to be selfless and bear the burden to give the world another chance. Andraste would have been a great warden I'm sure. In the eyes of the warden, Fereldan is tainted just like their blood, it is promised to the darkspawn just like they are, willingly or not it bears the duty that all wardens do and must make the sacrifice they do too. For the greater good. To stop the darkspawn. It's better you having a death that matters than a life that lasts. This is the psychology of the wardens and they are applying those same beliefs to all of Fereldan. Why must they be the only ones doomed by the narrative? There is no surviving this story and there is saving the world there is only killing the darkspawn before it kills you. Thedas is at war with the archdemons and until they're all dead, there is no peace, there is only preparing for the next battle. There is no building a life, no building a country, there is nothing to protect because it is all doomed.

The way duty and sacrifice and the promise of the Grey Wardens must alter their values and perspective on life is fascinating and there is so much to explore here but what's important for this post is that the foundation of their entire order is that they are already dead.

This then brings us to the HOF and cheating death. Duncan is like the grim reaper in Origins the way he comes and snatches your soul at the end of each origin which I honestly love and it ties in so well to the idea that wardens are ghosts given you die in every other version of the story without him but that's the story of all wardens. They all die a symbolic death at the joining so that's okay but then Ostogar happens. Flemeth happens. You should have died. Fereldan should have been lost. Remember, the duty of the wardens is dying not surviving but you did survive, snatched away by a god. Every other warden has died thinking their paying the price for an absent god yet this goddess not only favours you, she changed fate for you. Every other warden throughout history has paid the price but not you. Not Fereldan. You get to cheat the fate while it dooms everyone else. Can you imagine how that must have felt for the other wardens? How much they must hate the hero for stealing the martyr Fereldan was set to be and making all their losses naught but a tragedy when it could have been so much more? Not only did you escape your own death but you stole the value of theirs. You survived which goes against everything the wardens are made for.

Going even further than that, you have the dark ritual where you can actively choose to cheat death again. When every other warden has had to give their life, had to sacrifice and lose and grieve and poison their humanity as they did their bodies, you get to escape it all. Wardens have struggled for decades to have a foothold in Fereldan but you'll go so far as to choose their ruler for them without any consultation. You have been a warden less than a year, ended a battle that they prepared for over hundreds of years and sacrificed more hundreds of years fighting in the past and not only have you defied everything they defined themselves by, you have made them look like fools and decided their fate for them. You have stolen the meaning of the death of every warden, you have stolen their martyrs and the justifications for their actions and by keeping your own life and humanity, by resisting their poison you have made them all look like monsters.

The hero was doomed by the narrative as all wardens are but they rewrote fate, they stole their life back so many times and by surviving, they created a whole new narrative that ruined everything the wardens were built upon. The wardens were made to be ghosts, not heroes. They're meant to die and be remembered nobly so they can be redeemed for they had to do to get there but not you hero. You get to shame us all, don't you?

[a-drama-addict]

1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30 all for my good friend therése!!!

YAYYYY YOUR GOOD FRIEND THERÉSE!!! [ask game]

1: Where in the Thedas is your Rook from?

Starkhaven! I heard the accent and went 'Close enough to the accent, welcome back Starkhaven'

4: If your Rook was a companion, where would they be found?

Ohhh probably the Anderfels. She had stepped back from the Wardens for the moment because she disobeyed orders so she'd just be taking strolls out in nature there anyway. Plus she can still be out killing darkspawn (<- if she doesnt do her job she gets consumed by guilt which is normal)

5: What emotion did they usually pick?

Sarcastic. I'm weak i <3 sarcastic and tired overworked heroes. Therése also does a lot of just. Diplomatic options so it's kind of an equal divide between those

6: What companion are you platonically close with?

At the moment Bellara. Their minds aligned so hard and it's really funny. they're probably bouncing off one another always (<- bellara triggered her special interest once; birds, and therése hasnt shut up since)

7: Romantically close with?

Neve <3 her beautiful wife that isnt quite her wife yet. Theyre definitely flirting a lot though their dynamic is so good.

8: Who are they suspicious of?

Lucanis because her experience with abominations is what she's heard of her lovely Prince Sebastian Vael who had a great experience with an abomination once! Lovely!

9: Does your Rook get along with their chosen Faction?

With some of them Sure. She doesn't care for the First Warden but enjoys being a Grey Warden for the most part. (She didnt become a warden willingly but Oh Well)

11: Weapon of choice?

Sword and shield <3 i heart tanks forever and she has just been trained to wield them since. birth

14: What hobbies does your Rook have?

Hobbies? Don't exist she only works. She does like cooking and hunting though. Also horse riding

15: What NPCs do they like? Which one's do they dislike?

She loveeeees Strife, Strife is her buddy (woman who needs a positive older male influence in her life so bad)

The First Warden is her own personal nemesis i think and she would gladly kill him ten times

17: Do they enjoy life as an adventurer?

Yes! She grew up as the eldest daughter of a minor noble house in Starkhaven so this is a really nice change of pace. She became a Warden very willingly and not because of Any Crime

18: What would your Rook be doing if they weren't recruited by Varric?

Warden stuff. Probably she would most likely be at Weisshaupt, training, fighting the oncoming blight, die. Classic Grey Warden stuff!

19: How do you think they'll meet their end?

Ohhh boy i've mulled this over so many times but it is just definitely the calling. She has been dreading it forever and she just.. blegh. She doesn't want to die as a Warden in the deep roads somewhere. Not that she has much of a choice

20: Would they side with Solas or fight him?

Therése is cracking that egg probably. Probably because of Shae'riel because Shae hates Solas with everything she has

23: What do they do after an absolute crisis?

Stare at things a lot, she's absolutely dead silent and looks like her eyes are glued open. After she's 'calmed' she's just.. Not There for like at least a few days

27: What was their life like before the events of Veilguard?

Warden-y. And before the warden stuff, she used to spend a lot of time hunting with her father, taking crochet courses with her mother, train with her younger siblings. She also liked horse riding.

28: Is your character the de facto leader of the party? Or do they consider someone else to be the leader?

Therése considers herself sort of the leader, but she considers Neve the real leader lol. Like Neve brings so many ideas and strategies to her attention and then Therése just goes "Guys we're doing what Neve said!" because their views mostly align

29: If you could choose a different faction for your Rook, which one would they have joined and why?

If she could've chosen she would've probably... never been anything. She'd want to live a normal simple life, maybe become a baker or chef. If she had to choose a faction, she'd become a Shadow Dragon to have a chance to help people

30: What's your favorite thing about your Rook?

Her eyebrows <3

i also really love her nose. Idk her design is good for my brain so thats my fave thing at the moment. i also love that she has committed serious arson twice

[thessalian]

Molly!Rook vs Minor Side Trips

The Hall of Valour

Taash: Didn't figure you for wanting to be here.

Molly!Rook: I could use the workout and the challenge. And you could make more of a name for yourself with the Lords here. Keeps 'em from betting against you winning against a god or three.

Taash: Huh. Cool.

Lucanis: But why am I here? This feels more like something Davrin would enjoy.

Rowan: Hello, Spirit of Determination.

Lucanis: ...waitwut.

Isabela: And new challengers, Rook, Taash, and Lucanis with a Spirit of Determination riding shotgun! This should be fun!

Lucanis: ...What is happening right now?!?

Molly!Rook: A lot of demons are just spirits twisted a bit out of true. I figure if people see what Spite is, and what he used to be, he could ... twist back the other way.

Taash: Did you do this on purpose?

Molly!Rook: You were the one who told me about the Rivaini seers and their relationships with spirits, and I remember Varric's stories about Vengeance, who used to be Justice. So ... kinda, yeah.

Taash: ...You are devious as shit.

Lucanis: Perhaps you could help me fight darkspawn now?

Molly!Rook; Taash: 'Kay. *Weakness detonation-combo on the big one*

Wandering around the Surreal Estate, specifically the Workshop

Bellara: Rook! Hi! You're here! Please help me talk to this thing!

Nadas Dirthalen: It is not my fault you ask weak pitiful questions.

Molly!Rook: Try being an asshole back to it.

Bellara: Iiiiiiiiiiiiii'm not really good at that.

Nadas Dirthalen: No one is as good at anything as my creator! His benificence and glory are--

Molly!Rook: Hey! Fanboy! Give us a name for this guy you're jerking off right now.

Nadas Dirthalen: The great Lord Anaris, whose wisdom and intellect are--

Molly!Rook: Enough. Tell us about Fen'harel.

Nadas Dirthalen: He is an insect, beneath notice compared to--

Molly!Rook: We get it; we get it. So ... this thing was made by one of the Forgotten Ones - one who makes Solas look like a shining hero of legend, from the sound. Hey, Fanboy! Tell us about the evanuris.

Nadas Dirthalen: They would be crushed but for their cowardice in hiding behind ... "superior numbers" and "powerful magics"--

Bellara: I can hear the quotes around those; how can I hear the quotes around those?

Nadas Dirthalen: I cannot say.

Molly!Rook: Welp, I've given you all the advice I can. Don't ask; demand. Nothing that ends with a question mark.

Bellara: Any other advice?

Molly!Rook: Have fun?

Bellara: Being rude isn't my idea of fun, Rook.

Molly!Rook: Okay, okay. Real advice? Don't go around treating everything the fanboy over here says as entirely true. He's a propaganda machine.

Bellara: ...I ... can't believe that Cyrian died over ... over...

Molly!Rook: A overly ambitious valet who everyone suspects sniffs his master's unwashed smalls when no one's looking?

Bellara: Not a mental image I needed; thanks, Rook.

Molly!Rook: There is method to my madness. If he starts getting too uppity to bear, imagining him with a pair of smalls over his face should probably get you through it.

Bellara: ...*helpless laughter*

Molly!Rook: My work here is done.

And over to the kitchens, where...

Taash: Why do you dress girly like that?

Neve: I ... like it?

Molly!Rook: Does she have to have a reason?

Taash: ......

Molly!Rook: But you would have to have a reason.

Taash: ...............I'd look stupid in a dress anyway.

Molly!Rook: Only because you don't think you can pull it off, and you think dresses are only for people with dainty physiques.

Taash: Don't you mean women with dainty physiques?

Molly!Rook: I said what I said.

Neve: This is a conversation you two need to have, I think.

Molly!Rook: *quietly* I know you'll be listening at the door--

Neve: Rook!

Molly!Rook: Ten gold says I'm right.

Neve: .........

Molly!Rook: I want you to anyway. If this goes down how I think it will, put Maevaris and Tarquin on standby. I'm going to stick to the "You can do what you want, forever" line of conversation and let everyone else handle the "journey of self-discovery" crap.

Neve: Is that how it went for you?

Molly!Rook: Nah, but I didn't have a domineering mother either. Now go snoop; it's fine.

A fairly deep conversation later

Molly!Rook: If you want some time to think, I was just gonna check on Lucanis-- Whooooooo is not here.

Taash: He walks around sometimes, y'know.

Molly!Rook: Does he normally leave a full and still-hot cup of coffee?

Taash: ...Shit.

Molly!Rook: Grab Harding and go to the eluvian room. He can't have got far. I'll be there in a minute.

Taash: Why? You run pretty fast.

Molly!Rook: This time I won't be able to. Go!

And, as predicted

Spite: I want OUT. He PROMISED!

Taash: NO! BAD DEMON! STAY!

Harding: Oh, Rook; you're here! Great! Spite's in control and is trying to leave and--

Molly!Rook: I got this. *wafts coffee aroma in that general direction*

Spite: Oh you BIT--

Lucanis: ...waitwut.

Taash: Demon's back.

Harding: He tried to walk you out of here. Where, we have no idea.

Molly!Rook: Worse yet; he tried to make you leave without your coffee.

Lucanis: Ugh. I will handle this. Thank you, though.

Molly!Rook: No problem. Just ... I'll skip the innuendo about tying yourself down at night just this once.

Lucanis: ...appreciated...

[onethousandeyeslooking]

(In honor of Veilguard coming out in just over a month, I figured I should actually start posting about Dragon Age more. And, of course, that comes with speaking about the tragic heroes who dominate my canon world state. So, might as well start with the first.)

Senrian Tabris. Hero and Warden Commander of Ferelden.

Age (during DA:O): 19 (born 9:11 Dragon)

Origin: City Elf

Class: Warrior (Dual wield)

Romance: Alistair

People are often surprised when they see the Warden-Commander for the first time— the lauded Hero of Ferelden, much to their shock, is a short and slight elven man, his long face often pulled into a measured, polite smile. Upon first impressions, he can often come off as fairly unassuming. The only hint of a life of war is the fire that often stirs behind hazel eyes.

But if you stir his temper, though... then you'll see why the nobles in Denerim still regard him with some caution whenever he visits.

When I think about Senrian as a character, the first word that always comes to mind is "duty". He picks his causes, and he fully devotes himself to them. He's a very "lawful good" character, but in the sense that the laws in question are his own internal moral codes (as opposed to the exterior laws, which he often finds... disappointing, to say the least), he's serious, but in a less stern and more polite way. I find I really enjoy the dichotomy that he creates as a character, someone who (on a logical level), believes that he has to do certain things to keep those he loves safe, someone who's incredibly kind and polite, but underneath that also has this incredibly intense and fiery streak that can (for better or worse) sometimes override his rationality.

Despite his mental binds, Senrian is a character that feels. He feels so deeply and intensely. Oftentimes that comes out as anger. He holds his grudges close to his heart, and sometimes his loyalty to his family (both chosen and blood) can leave bodies in its wake if they're hurt. Before Origins, this was only really seen in his tendency to frequently lose servant jobs for arguing with employers over mistreatment of his co-workers. This reached a boiling point, though, in my interpretation of the city elf origin, wherein he doesn't just kill the arl's son, but also ends up burning down a not-insignificant portion of the estate itself.

He takes well to the Wardens. He enjoys the good purpose it gives him, and fighting the darkspawn becomes an easy outlet for less-desirable violent feelings.

He also takes well to the wardens because he almost always places the feelings and lives of others above his own. A lot of this obligation and duty all stems from when his mother died for him when he was younger (a childish mistake led to his mother getting into a fight with some city guards that resulted in her death). His older sister always somewhat blamed him as well, and ended up running away from home, leaving just him to look after his father. He internalized a lot of this guilt and blame.

This personality leads to him making decisions I don't always agree with as a player, but the repercussions of those actions often (in my own opinion) make for a significantly more interesting story.

(pardon my less than stellar art skill)

(fun fact! I went into Origins almost completely blind, and at the time I didn't know elven facial tattoos were mainly a dalish thing. So now Senrian has a face tattoo that I honestly don't have much of an explanation as to why he has. Eh, sometimes it can be something as simple as personal preference.)

Appearance-wise I don't have nearly as much to say about him. He's pretty short at 5'4" (162 cm), and is a pretty powerful warrior, despite his lighter build. I also designed him before I knew his mother had a canon appearance, so he just takes after his father more than anything else.

In my personal opinion, he's quite pretty, if that counts for anything, haha.

(templates from here. Please note that the relationships represented here are how Senrian feels about the characters in question, not myself. Also, the colors closest to Senrian's icon are first impressions/initial dynamics, while the further out the colors are, the further along in the story the dynamic change is.)

Now, getting this out of the way— why did I mod the game for a bi Alistair, instead of just romancing Zevran? (As that would've been the only canon option for him— Senrian is a gay man.) Well, funny story, I originally went into Senrian's run thinking it was just going to be a little side project to romance Zevran while my main save at the time (a different warden) would be my canon run. But I latched onto Senrian very fast, and knew I wanted to romance Alistair as soon as I spoke to the guy for the first time.

It turns out that I actually really ended up enjoying the dynamic the two wardens ended up having with eachother— and their story ended up being very sweet and very tragic. Senrian was the one who encouraged Alistair to take the crown, trusting him more as a possible ruler of his country than the daughter of a man who had just tried to sell his entire family into slavery. It ties back into his views on duty, and doing things you don't want to do for the sake of the greater good. Of course, this ended up biting him in the ass when Alistair being crowned as king ended up leading to their relationship ending. Senrian was mad, but he couldn't bring himself to be mad at anyone but himself. He'd kind of always been expecting something like this to happen anyways, at the back of his mind, ever since the possibility that he'd become king was on the horizon. Doesn't mean it didn't hurt, though.

They both still love eachother. I haven't actually decided if they eventually get back together or not, but I know the king has his regrets. There's a portrait of the Hero of Ferelden somewhere in the castle with a wedding ring that Senrian never had. There's also a rose garden he tends to himself.

(once again, this portrait was commissioned from kittyoperas here on tumblr.)

So, after getting broken up with, he still ended up doing the ritual with Morrigan because he felt that he couldn't just leave Ferelden with one warden standing after the blight, who already had enough to do as king (let alone knowing Alistair well enough to know what his death might do to the man). It was kind of a last bitter twist of the knife, as well, as Senrian had always wanted children. He loved the idea of being a father.

So! In light of Veilguard coming out soon, you might be wondering what he's doing nowadays. Me too! All I know is that he's in the deep roads, trying to fix another thing he thinks is his job to fix (for some reason. He really needs to give himself a break.) Oh! Also might be lightly possessed! But that's a story for another time.

But... yes. That's Senrian Tabris. If you're interested, here is his spotify playlist, and here is his pinterest board.

Oh, and because I didn't have anywhere else to put it, the only image I actually have of him and Alistair together (not counting in-game screenshots, which are travesties because I absolutely cannot get Senrian to look how he's supposed to in-game) is this really stupid modern au meme redraw. Have fun with that.

[iviarellereads]

The Shadow Rising, Chapter 10 - The Stone Stands

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Dragon icon) In which I don't have a lot to say about battle.

PERSPECTIVE: Rand. Dead Aielmen litter the floor, and the sound of battle washes over Rand. Defenders against Trollocs and Myrddraal, in the Stone. He calls out a rallying cry, and faces a Fade, successfully. A number of the Trollocs fall at the same time as it does, per usual. He and some Defenders kill the Trollocs, and take off as a group, to see what other trouble has arisen. He spares only a moment to think of what part Lanfear played in this.

He loses some Defenders with every fight, but gains more, and some Aiel. Sometimes, the Darkspawn are fighting each other, for some reason he can't spend time thinking about. At one point, Lanfear appears beside him and says he risks everything, rushing around with that sword. He could kill all the Trollocs with a snap of his fingers, but he runs around facing them one by one. He can learn to do so much more if he joins her. He refuses, they face off a little with binding air flows, but she reminds him that he's not the only one who can wield Callandor, now that it's free. He runs back to his rooms, and her laughter follows him.

He finds Callandor fine, and takes it with him. With it, nothing can truly harm him. He balefires some Fades, but eventually, he knows he has to do more to use up the Power flowing through him. He builds something, he has no idea what, but when he lets it go, lightning strikes every Darkspawn creature nearby, and splits down corridors. With Callandor he can do anything, and it will kill him just as easily. When the last Darkspawn dies, the lightnings disappear.

Moiraine is nearby, staring at him. She doesn't know what he did or how, but asks if he's well.

Rand pulled his gaze away from her, and it fell on the body of a dark-haired girl, little more than a child. She lay sprawled on her back, eyes wide and fixed on the ceiling, blood blackening the bosom of her dress. Sadly, he bent to brush strands of hair from her face. Light, she is only a child. I was too late. Why didn’t I do it sooner? A child! “I will see that someone takes care of her, Rand,” Moiraine said gently. “You cannot help her now.” His hand shook so hard on Callandor that he could barely hold on. “With this, I can do anything.” His voice was harsh in his own ears. “Anything!” “Rand!” Moiraine said urgently. He would not listen. The Power was in him. Callandor blazed, and he was the Power. He channeled, directing flows into the child’s body, searching, trying, fumbling; she lurched to her feet, arms and legs unnaturally rigid and jerky. “Rand, you cannot do this. Not this!” Breathe. She has to breathe. The girl’s chest rose and fell. Heart. Has to beat. Blood already thick and dark oozed from the wound in her chest. Live. Live, burn you! I didn’t mean to be too late. Her eyes stared at him, filmed. Lifeless. Tears trickled unheeded down his cheeks. “She has to live! Heal her, Moiraine. I don’t know how. Heal her!” “Death cannot be Healed, Rand. You are not the Creator.” Staring into those dead eyes, Rand slowly withdrew the flows. The body fell stiffly. The body. He threw back his head and howled, as wild as any Trolloc. Braided fire sizzled into walls and ceiling as he lashed out in frustration and pain. Sagging, he released saidin, pushed it away; it was like pushing away a boulder, like pushing away life. Strength drained out of him with the Power. The taint remained, though, a stain weighing him down with darkness. He had to ground Callandor on the floor tiles and lean on it to stay on his feet.(1)

He asks if his friends are alright, and Moiraine confirms they are. Three days waiting, so he could enjoy stolen kisses. If he'd only moved three days ago... but he also learned a lot in those three days, things he might be able to use.

Rand asks how the Trollocs got in, and Lan explains that eight grain barges docked at the Stone, nobody questioning why they came downriver or why they stopped where they did. Then a train of wagons arrived about two hours ago, supposedly bringing some lord's things. They were full, too.

Rand's knees buckle, and Lan is right there, helping to hold him up. Moiraine uses her weary-refresher weave. Rand says Lanfear was there, but says she didn't do this, and he believed her. Moiraine is unsurprised at Lanfear's presence. Little is known of the Forsaken, and least of all Lanfear, but she loved Lews Therin Telamon. She isn't likely to try to kill him if she thinks she can have her love back. Rand could almost laugh. She had even seemed jealous of Elayne, calling her a pale-haired milksop.(2)

“Tomorrow.” He started away from them. “Tomorrow?” Moiraine said. “Tomorrow, I will tell you what I am going to do.” Some of it, he would. The thought of Moiraine’s face if he told her everything made him want to laugh. If he knew everything himself, yet. Lanfear had given him almost the last piece, without knowing it. One more step, tonight. The hand holding Callandor by his side trembled. With that, he could do anything. I am not mad yet. Not mad enough for that. “Tomorrow. A good night to us all, the Light willing.” Tomorrow he would begin to unleash another kind of lightning. Another lightning that might save him. Or kill him. He was not mad yet.

=====

(1) One of those scenes almost everyone remembers from the series. Not even with nearly ultimate cosmic power can you Heal someone from death. (2) But it was Ilyena who "stole" LTT's heart in the Age of Legends, Rand just doesn't remember that. Funny that Elayne might resemble her enough to twig Lanfear's memory. But, of course, Elayne isn't the only woman destined for him in this reincarnation.

[beansprouts]

lil reaction / theory / criticism thought dump because i just finally finished The Calling; spoilers

Right away, the first and most glaring thing for me: in the DA novels, Ga*der is unable to write badass women without tying their agency to a man and then domesticating them, and it drives me insane. It's been a while since I read The Stolen Throne, and I remember Rowan primarily as a badass knight, but here, only a few years later, Maric believes she enjoyed being a wife and mother more than she ever enjoyed fighting (and she died of Padmé Amidala syndrome before the events of this novel of course). Genevieve is a nuanced character, but one of her defining motivators her whole life was becoming a Grey Warden warrior (and then the fierce commander she is in this novel) and yet we're supposed to believe in her lotus eater dream she's perfectly content as a placid housewife? Fiona is an excellent heroine, but even she ends up tragically producing a noble baby, blond and human of course (not even going to touch the bullshit racism of "the child of an elf and a human is a human"), whose future is given more framing in the last chapter than novel protagonist Fiona herself.

I hope I don't need to explain how frustrating it is to read books set in a world that claims to treat men and women equally, but then only frames women in the narrative when they happen to be wives, mothers, or sisters of important men.

On the topic of Fiona's future: I knew from Inquisition that she was the only person ever cured of the Calling, and I was curious about HOW and hoping for at least a bit of discussion of such a lore-significant detail. We get precious little, though.

But I wanted to share my thoughts since I saw discussion of it on my dash. I am pretty confident that the taint was somehow passed onto baby Alistair for the following reasons:

- It doesn't make sense for the Architect's magic to have cured the taint, since we never see such an effect with Utha, who experienced this magic for much longer (from the time of The Calling to Awakening). Besides, it's implied that the magic accelerated a magical transformation to a darkspawn-like state; Fiona lost the taint entirely and never reached darkspawn status like Bregan, Utha, or Genevieve.

- Given how Maric is framed in these books, I was also wary of a narrative that he magically cured her Grey Wardenism with his Royal Purity Dick. But the timing for that theory doesn't work. Fiona continues to see more corruption spreading across her body after they have slept together.

- Weird shit happening to corrupted souls because of sex (and particularly sex as conception) echoes the Dark Ritual in Dragon Age: Origins. There's a thematic juxtaposition between both prequels and Origins of sex in places of battle, darkspawn, death, birth, and magic not fully understood. I think the intention is partially to set a Dark Fantasy For Adults With Violence and Sex! atmosphere that subsequent installments have moved away from.

- It's a bit messy (why was Morrigan's capturing of the dark god's soul instant versus the loss of Fiona's taint only happening later?) but I think it's the theory that makes the most sense both in-universe and thematically.

Speaking of the taint and the power of the Architect, do we ever learn how Duncan's dagger works, supposedly made of the same magic as the Architect's? Is it the same dagger you can retrieve in Return to Ostagar (which does bonus damage to dragons for some reason)?

I actually loved the character arcs of Genevieve and Bregan. I loved learning slowly about the dynamics of their complicated sibling relationship over the course of the novel, culminating in several twists.

...although Genevieve and Clarel in Inquisition, I can't help noticing, are very similar.

Really the more Ga*der I read the more I realize his novels just use the same few tropes over and over. It's not quite as bad as Alex*s Kennedy but it does become tiresome.

Take a shot every time he uses the word "swoop" or a character heroically jumps on top of a monster.

More positively: I love Loghain as a character. One could frame the two books and Origins as a character study of Loghain specifically: what kind of experiences shape a man with both the strengths and prejudices that lead him to be a badass here but the tyrant we see in Origins? I found it especially juicy that he was able to save Maric, Duncan, and Fiona here due to his suspicion of the Orlesians manipulating the Grey Wardens being correct- the very suspicion that becomes a self-destructive paranoia in Origins.

I was able to identify Julien and Nicholas as lovers almost instantly (I suspect this is true for many queer readers, though it's framed as a shocking revelation) and their outcome is beautifully heartbreaking. Knowing Ga*der is gay himself, I don't really see it as an instance of Bury Your Gays (although such a criticism would be valid I think, since they're the only gay characters in these two books and they do die first). To me the message feels like: gay love like this, however beautiful, is doomed by a hateful society and can only survive in dreams. And that's fucking tragic... but also extremely Gen X of an LGBT take.

Because, let's be real, Maric and Loghain were at least a little bit married all along.

Aside: Duncan's little accidental hookup with the random circle mage was very cute.

I tried to ship Maric and Fiona, I really did, but their romance felt so bland to me that I was more invested in Duncan's aforementioned one-page tryst. I'm not sure why. Maric and Fiona grew to trust each other naturally enough. But Fiona kissing him felt less like romance and more like an outburst of exhaustion and loneliness; all of her subsequent longing to be with him just felt out of character.

Duncan and Fiona's friendship was delightful, though.

I went into this book excited to get more Duncan (I have a Grey Warden OC who is Duncan's bastard daughter lol. so much for women not related to powerful men :P) and I found his backstory compelling as I'd hoped. My only issue is that a supposed Orlesian speaks with an American accent in-game, because if Duncan had a French accent Loghain's anti-Orlesian fearmongering would make more sense to newcomers to the world, but that's a DAO problem really, and if I'm to start pointing out linguistics issues we'd be here all summer.

Utha's signing I found surprisingly well done (from my perspective, though I'm not in a signing nor nonverbal community).

Shout out to the Fereldan Circle for apparently attracting evil megalomaniacs like Kirkwall attracts blood mages. I wonder if young mages had evil mage takeover drills like I had growing up for bomb threats in public school.

[fiberpunk027]

Writing Process Updates

I don't know that I will ever go back to not prewriting a story ever again. This has been a really lovely experience. While I'm grateful that writing Eat Your Young got me back into writing, this next fic when it's done I think will be a much higher quality because I've taken my time to connect the dots before even thinking about posting. It will probably be difficult to return to posting in a more serialized style with my BG3 fic, but I think I've learned a lot taking this time to follow where my summer brain rot has led me.

That being said enjoy a tiny sneak peek below the break.

The weather was just beginning to turn cold when another Landsmeet assembled in Denerim. The Arls, Banns, Teryns, and their entourages arrived in the early afternoon, as the frost-covered ground of morning was now long forgotten in the sun's rays. Landsmeets could be tedious multi-day affairs especially if agreements could not be made, which had been the case as of late. The reconstruction of the Circle’s Tower, Kinloch Hold, was the major concern at this meeting. Temporary repairs made during the Blight had begun to degrade and a more permanent solution was needed soon. He knew many of the nobles would disagree with wasting any of their rebuilding efforts on the Circle of Mages, considering it a matter for the Chantry and their templars. On the contrary, there were enough in the group who counted Mages within their bloodline that would care about the circle’s safety and comfort. It was bound to be a hotly debated topic. 

As he greeted each guest warmly. One thing he was confident in was his ability to play host. He may not have been raised to become a King like Cailan had, but that was something that set him apart from his half-brother. He was not bound by an ingrained decorum and often stepped outside of the strict boundaries that others tried to set for him. Just because he was King Alistair didn’t mean he would cease being Alistair altogether. 

And it didn’t stop him from watching expectantly to see if a familiar face would show themselves. Not that he expected to see the Arlessa of Amaranthine. So far she had sent her Seneschal to each Landsmeet that had been called. Still, news would always trickle in during these gatherings from gossiping nobles, their lips loosened by company and too much wine too early in the day. He could not resist eavesdropping. 

“Did you hear of the Darkspawn attack on Vigil’s Keep?” 

“All of the Orlesian Wardens were killed in the fighting.” 

“Served them right for stepping into Ferelden unwelcome.” 

“The Hero of Ferelden showed the Darkspawn what's what she did.” 

“I heard she had to conscript poor Arl Howe’s son. What a way to learn about your father’s legacy.” 

“She’s got an apostate with her too, a handsome fella, but still completely dangerous, Warden or not. I can’t believe they would trust Mages in their ranks.”

“It doesn’t seem safe, you never know when they’ll think enough's enough and turn to blood magic or worse demons!”

“It’s not any different from the elves. You can’t tell from lookin’ which ones have at least been civilized in an Alienage and which are still wild beasts.”

“Never thought I would live to see a ‘knife ears’ running Amaranthine, it does seem almost fitting after what Howe did to the Alienage.”

“I didn’t even know women could be Wardens, let alone elven women.”

“Such a pretty little thing. Too bad she never joins these meets. Could use something nice to look at.”

“Do Wardens take vows of chastity?”

“I sure hope not! T’would be a waste of a good body.”

When the conversations became too inappropriate a loud clearing of his throat was all that was needed to remind the present company that he was within earshot. He couldn’t control the thoughts of men as much as he couldn’t control his own at times, but it was better not to hear such unnecessary slander about someone he was once close to. There was a part of him that wished she could overhear, and present the offending parties with the gleaming edge of her daggers. 

The afternoon dragged on and the flood of arriving nobles seemed to have slowed to a mere trickle. He was just about to call it quits and return to his quarters for a quick break when there was the announcement of another arrival. 

“Presenting the company of the Arlessa of Amaranthine!” the caller shouted. 

“Ahh Seneschal Varel, I nearly missed you. You’re not typically running this late,” he said, greeting the man warmly. 

“Your Majesty, we had a slight delay upon leaving, but you trouble yourself too much with these pleasantries,” he replied, shaking the King’s outstretched hand.

“We? Have you finally decided to bring your lovely wife along with you?”

Varel cleared his throat, “May I announce to you the Arlessa of Amaranthine, Warden Commander Tabris.”

As Varel stepped to the side allowing her to greet him he could feel his stomach drop to his feet. 

Her head was bowed, hands clasped tightly behind her back. The ashy brown hair that had once danced along the edge of her chin had grown long in the many months since he’d last seen her, now grazing past her shoulders. The pointed tips of her ears sticking out between elaborate braids in the traditional Ferelden style. Shockingly, instead of her usual leather armor she was dressed in a simple but elegant blue and gray gown, emblazoned with the crest of the Wardens. He was certain he’d never seen her dressed so much like a normal woman as long as he had known her. Despite the circumstance, she looked calm and serene, not as if the whole of Thedas had come to a complete halt around them. 

The first time they met he’d been surprised by her lithe frame. She looked so small and frail in the ill-fitting leather armor she’d been issued, clearly built for a much larger woman. But the steely resolve in her bright hazel eyes had been clear from the moment they first locked eyes. 

Even so, Alistair couldn’t remember the last time Warden Tabris had actually looked him in the eye. Sure she had addressed him cordially, given him a tight-lipped smile on occasion, and even smiled politely at the odd terrible joke he’d cracked in her presence. But her gaze was always shifted ever so slightly from his own, her eyes never managing to reach his, always sliding away to his chin or his hairline.

“Seneschal, you say that as if the Warden Commander and I hadn’t slayed the Archdemon and ended the Blight together,” he laughed trying to hide the nervous crack in his voice. 

The Seneschal chuckled as did another man he hadn’t noticed standing slightly behind her. He wore the tell tale blues and grays of the wardens, his long sandy hair partially tied back from his face and loosely framing the comfortable smile on his face. Even without carrying a staff, it was clear to Alistair this man was a mage. He could practically smell the magic that crackled within him, one small thing he was grateful to know from his Templar training. As if suddenly realizing he was in the presence of the King of his country the man quickly bowed alongside the Warden Commander and mumbled his apologies. 

“This is Anders,” she said, straightening back up, her face the very picture of stoicism. He wondered how she could appear so calm when inside he was burning alive. “I believe you met briefly during your last visit to Vigil’s Keep?”

He squinted at the man before him trying to place him.

“I suspected there would be a lack of perspective from inside the circle. I’ve brought Anders along to ensure we had adequate representation,” she continued.

“I tried to convince her not to,” Varel added quickly, his eyes darting back and forth between the Warden and the King. 

“I believe it was at your suggestion that I be conscripted, Your Majesty.” Anders gave a lopsided smile as the pieces fell into place. 

“Please tell me you did not just bring an Apostate mage into a Landsmeet, Zukal?” he hissed, looking around to ensure he wasn’t overheard. A throbbing pressure was beginning to build just behind his right eye. He pinched the bridge of his nose and wondered if she brought this man along specifically to pain him. 

“Warden Commander is my title, Your Majesty,” she quickly corrected him, her eyes narrowing. The men beside her looked at each other nervously seeing how brusquely she corrected their King.

He took a slow breath to steady himself. When was the last time anyone had spoken to him so harshly? “Apologies, Warden Commander,” he said, giving her a small bow of his own. He knew better than to be so familiar with her, but her faint glimmer of anger gave him a perverse sense of pride. Making her angry meant he had some sort of affect on her, positive or not.  “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to address you as anything, let alone your given title. Old habits and whatnot.”

“Should I have forgotten to address you by your title I would be promptly thrown into Fort Drakon,” she said coldly, “Regardless of our history, Your Majesty.” Her eyes bored into his forehead, but he was grateful for once to not have to take the full intensity of her stare. Much like the daggers she was fond of wielding her words and gaze cut into him, wounding his pride, but more importantly fanning the flames of his anger. 

“It won’t happen again,” he promised, offering her a calm smile and a clenched jaw, “I’m sure the Seneschal has been able to explain to you both the process here. Please feel free to join the others in the main hall once you’re settled.” He quickly turned on his heel and made his escape. It wasn’t lost on him how much this felt like a retreat from battle, instead of a graceful exit. But it didn’t matter, he needed to leave and clear his head before he said anything else she could hold against him. 

“Your Majesty?” she called after him, bringing him to a halt and cocking his ear toward her. 

“Anders is a Grey Warden, conscripted to the same noble calling we both took on willingly. I would appreciate it if his former status as an Apostate were not mentioned, less it ruins any chance we have of being heard without bias,” she said.

“Of course,” he answered, continuing to walk away, “I look forward to learning from him over the course of this Landsmeet. I’m sure there will be much anticipation to hear from one of Kinloch’s own.” He turned down the hall and out of their sight. 

“Next time you should just ask him outright to arrest us for treason,” he heard the mage sarcastically comment as he left. 

“If he expects respect then he needs to provide it as well,” she replied as casually as if talking about the weather. 

The kindling in his stomach she’d ignited burned a little brighter at those words. He wanted to turn back around and remind her he hadn’t wanted this respect, this role, or this life. If he had still been just a Bastard and a Warden he would have, but if he remained either of those things she would have been able to look him in the eye wouldn’t she? Neither of them would be in this awful mess in the first place. 

He did his best not to stomp his way to his quarters, his refuge since he’d become King. He threw himself into a massive wingback chair propped up near his favorite window and brooded. How dare she treat him like one of her wet behind-the-ear recruits when she couldn’t even bear to look him in the eye. Of course, maybe that was preferable knowing their history. It had been quite some time since they traveled across Ferelden urging their countrymen to honor the Warden’s treaties and prepare for the oncoming Blight. Shouldn’t time have made this easier for her?

Then again, time clearly hadn’t made it any easier on him. It wasn’t often he found himself in her presence. Vigil’s Keep was far enough away from Denerim that they rarely crossed paths and the burdens of running a kingdom didn’t exactly leave him time to travel aimlessly. But in the idle hours when he was finally alone with his thoughts, they always drifted to the past. Back to the dark days when all of Ferelden seemed to be against them and the single bright spot in his life was her gaze searching for him after every battle. 

This Landsmeet won’t last forever, he thought to himself as he stared out the window into the gardens below, maybe the discussions would be brief and the gathered nobles would be back on their way by tomorrow evening. Maybe the leaders of Ferelden would come together and unite in their unequivocal support of restoring Kinloch Hold to a more livable state. Or more likely they would band together against the mages expecting them to live in squalor or worse turn them over to the Templars entirely. But this was his time, he could fantasize about whatever unrealistic reality he wished. And right now he wished to think about a reality where he didn’t have to face Warden Tabris again so soon.