#ALSO STRIFE AND EMMERICH??

[inkyquince]

i gotta stop romancing people who get other love interests if i dont, like bruh I WILL NEVER ROMANCE ANYONE ELSE brother PLEASE

[space-kates]

When I got the scene where Emmrich was asking Lucanis for gift ideas for Strife, somehow my brain mixed it up, and I thought he was asking about gift ideas for SPITE.

And I was just sitting there wondering why Emmerich was trying to date the demon possessing my boyfriends body. Like sir, I think we need to sit and have a chat. And why is Lucanis acting so chill about this? What is going on? I figured it out eventually.

Anyway, that's now my crack ship for the game.

[magerightsmagefights]

Thinking about how Illario expects his cousin to be the silent, brooding killer. About how Lucanis has never had a serious friendship outside House Dellamorte, and he's also just spent a year imprisoned, so of course Illario would assume Lucanis is still unsociable and awkward. He's always been that way. Thinking about what if Illario asks the other companions about Lucanis when they stop by the Cantori Diamond, and has to do a double take when someone says, "Oh yeah, Lucanis is hilarious. Always has something funny to say."

And Illario is like??? Lucanis? My cousin Lucanis? Is making people laugh? On purpose?

Bellara goes on a tangent about the book she's reading, and how Lucanis had such a good interpretation of the villain's motivations and it made the ending so much sadder! She's never been in a book club before, she's so happy Lucanis suggested it.

And Illario quietly mouths the words "book club" to himself because, aside from contracts, when has Lucanis ever joined any kind of club?

Of course Taash thinks Lucanis is just the coolest. Antivan Crows are already pretty cool, but a Crow with wings? Who's teaching her how to say good one-liners? Fuck yeah, Lucanis is awesome!

Then if an unromanced Emmerich starts dating Strife, he nearly gives Illario whiplash with the comment "Lucanis gives excellent romantic advice, especially with gifts." Because surely we can't be talking about the same Lucanis. The same Lucanis who has never been in a relationship, and the one (1) time he tried to flirt with Viago -- by *sending a gift* specifically -- Viago either ignored it or took it as a threat. Did the demon do this? Can demons make their hosts charismatic?

Davrin calls Lucanis a "fun drinking buddy." Harding appreciates how concerned Lucanis is that she's being fairly compensated for her services. Offers to lend her his contract negotiator, show her what other people are charging for the same services, he's really so sweet.

And a romanced Rook. Most people make insanely hot Rooks, so Illario watches, completely baffled, as Lucanis manages to pull that. Or if not that, Neve Gallus. Just. how?? Lucanis made one step out of the Ossuary and fell into a Pit Of Friends. All it took was like one month away from Caterina's influence (and the prison) to turn Lucanis into a guy everyone likes being around. How did this happen. When. How the hell is Illario suppose to defeat his cousin if his cousin is armed with the power of friendship? (He can't. Illario is very much defeated by Lucanis' power of friendship.)

[fadetouchedsilk]

I think something else that kind of puts me off the neve/lucanis thing is the fact that this appears to be the one NPC romance that re-uses the same lock in scene we get as the player?

To the best of my knowledge this isn’t the case with Taash or Harding’s romance scenes, Emmerich & Strife happens mostly off screen so that’s exempt too. But for some reason with Lucanis it’s basically the same scene with Rook model-swapped for Neve.

Like, some of the vitriol towards this ship can definitely just be marked down as garden variety biphobia & the occasional side of character related possessiveness (no judgement we’re all mentally ill I’ve been there lmao) but I’m also just seeing this overwhelming sense of… idk how to explain it exactly, it’s almost like an energy of depressively resigned rejection across platforms? Was the decision to not have this be a unique scene for the player a budget issue/cut content? You can argue him remembering what your favourite dessert is makes it unique but honestly that’s just a few dialogue flags of difference.

It still comes across as a shortcut for the player’s story. Realism in relationships aside, I actually don’t think it’s a bad look for us as consumers to assume we’re going to get a certain level of indulgence here for that reason. I don’t think everyone needs to be falling over themselves to kiss Rook’s feet, but I think it’s okay for our chosen li to be a bit more of a fantasy, yknow?

If it was a given from the start that the npcs were going to pair off, I think it would have been better if this only happened after your romance of choice was locked in, or at least past the point in the game where you would get a lock in scene (correct me if I’m wrong, but those all seem to trigger around the same time for everyone). Because of how the game is paced, we’d get to avoid spending the first 40 hours listening to ambient flirting when we’re exploring, which imo would also help npcs being received. There’s a distinct lack of interpersonal reactivity Veilguard whenever it comes to Rook (genuinely, why is this such a lonely protagonist?) but the relationships between companions seem to chug along nicely. Seems like a bit of a design flaw to have pre-romance flags active but to still be hearing how much your chosen li is apparently into this other person?

I don’t see the same amount of pushback towards the other NPC romances as I do Neve/Lucanis, which honestly looks like it comes down to how his romance specifically was executed & how the narrative likes to prioritize relationships between other people vs. ones with Rook. I don’t expect writers to not have favourites because that’d be hypocritical of me lmao, but I do expect a professional studio to be more adept at either covering it up better or giving your players enough attention to offset it. I haven’t seen anyone reflecting on how comparatively empty Neve’s romance felt to other companions the way I have with Lucanis, so I have to assume it isn’t. But with his route, it just feels extra :/ that one of maybe three scenes we get is just recycled content for his other possible partner.

(Obligatory disclaimer: I see the vision behind the ship and I don’t hate it nor am I jealous, I just feel like with those two characters in particular it should have unfolded much slower than one game would have allowed & also I expect a certain degree of wish fulfillment when it comes to these games, not feeling like the player character is the writers’ afterthought. Hating Neve for this is a bit much because 1. She’s not real and 2. She’s also not responsible for writing decisions so I think taking jabs at the female character involved is kind of a waste of energy [once again I get the jealousy thing, but still.])

[silurisanguine]

Rook's Q&A

from this post as i cannot for the life of me find the original question list by brownsolas Answering for my Antivan Crow Rook - Teleri De Riva.

Where in Thedas is Rook from?

Originally she was part of the Tallasan Dalish clan that wandered the northern Free Marches close to the Antivan border. But she calls Treviso home now. It's why she still has her Free Marches accent even living in Antiva for so long.

What is Rook's alignment?

Chaotic good. She tries to be diplomatic but is also sarcastic to a fault and she cannot abide bullshit.

What is their race and subclass?

Elf, formerly Dalish. She's a rogue through and through.

If Rook was a companion, where could they be found?

Sitting on the edge of a rooftop in Treviso, pelting stones at anyone who dares harm one of the cities cats. You'd need to assist her in a contract on a cat killer before she'd join you.

What emotion did they usually express in conversations? Sarcasm and wit. Though she learns fast who appreciates it and when to tone it down. After all she can be utterly respectful and sweet to Emmerich and Catarina.

What companion(s) are they platonically close with? All of them, she cares deeply for her temporary found family. But closest would be Bellara.

What companion are they romantically involved with? Lucanis. She had a bit of a crush on the Demon of Vyrantium, though only through reputation. But meeting him was better than any previous ideas. She was captivated by his personality and strength against everything he had faced.

Who are they suspicious of? Illario Dellamorte the first second of meeting him again. There was something off about him, a guilty conscience.

Does Rook get along with their chosen faction? Oh yes, they saved her, from her anger, gave her focus and purpose and a new family. She does trade good natured barbs with Viago, but they are like brother and sister. After all he was the one who brought her into the Crows, gave her a chance.

Is Rook proficient with playing any instruments? She can play the Elvhen lute well, thanks to her mother's teachings. and thanks to that she can also play the smaller Antivan lute known as The Northern.

Weapon/s of choice? Mainhand - Enchanged Longblade as it adds necrotic damage and she is a De Riva, so all about the poisons. (Visually though it looks like the Golden Grassblade.) Offhand - Either Cold Steel / Arainai's Talon/ Mythal's Light (early on) or Antivan Rapier ( visually the last is what appears as.) Bow - Dragon's War Bow / Cryptwood or Reptile Recurve . (Appearance is the Assassin's Shortbow - antivan style as it's not rediculous size and looks like a proper bow.)

What is Rook's orientation? Mostly straight...though when she meets Isabela, it has her questioning things. According to Taash, the pirate queen has that effect on people.

What is Rook's thoughts on killing? Necessary evil or take pleasure in it? It's her job. She's never taken a contract where the target didn't deserve it, trusting her Talon's judgement and sometimes, yes she takes satisfaction in killing assholes. She very much enjoys contracts on those who are cruel, especially to animals or those who target Dalish.

What hobbies does Rook have? Playing the lute, cooking with Lucanis, her appearance, playing with Assan, and collecting trinkets.

What NPCs did they like? Dislike? She adores Teia and Viago, she considers them like a brother and sister. loves Evka and Antoine. Highly respects Strife and Ashur. Dislike - She understands why Tarquin is prickly, but she's tired of him blaming her for not being in two places at once. The First Warden at first, hating his bull headed arrogance, but once she realised he was being affected by the Calling, she knew how to get through to him.

Do they have a favorite creature throughout all of Thedas? Griffons!! She never thought she would ever see one. But cats are a close second. She adores them everywhere in Northern Thedas and fully intends to have a black one some day as a pet. of course she also wouldn't mind her own Griffon that she and Lucanis can train as an assassin...just don't tell Davrin.

Do they enjoy life as an adventurer? As an assassin she travelled quite a bit, but it was always there and back. Now where she is, doing what she's doing she's seen more of Thedas than she ever thought possible and even with the hell going on around her, she loves it.

What would Rook be doing if they hadn't been recruited by Varric? Probably cleaning duty in the Diamond thanks to her fuck up. Leathers are a bitch to clean. But then acting as Viago's go to Antaam killer, thanks to her speciality in poisoned weapons.

How do you think Rook will meet their end? Hopefully - of old age in the Dellamorte mansion surrounded by family.

Would Rook side with Solas, or be against him? She was against him the moment she met him, but saw through his pride to what he was trying to do. She wanted to find a better way to deal with him than fight him. She was tired of fighting 'gods'.

What is Rook's favorite ability? Anything with poison as that is her speciality So Hurricane or Blade and Rain of Decay. But thanks to Bellara teaching her a new trick with the bow she loves using Lightning quiver too, which always gets Lucanis hollering with appreciation.

What languages is Rook fluent with? Fluent in - Dalish/elven. Antivan and Free Marches. Knows enough Tevene and a little Orlesian to get by. She's had to learn a few languages due to her job.

What will they do after the crisis? First a well earned rest at the Lighthouse. The Caretaker has told her it will always be there for her as she is the a keeper now and Harding's garden will remain as a memorial. But once everyone goes back to their lives, she goes back to Treviso and the Crows and... wait for the drama with Viago when Lucanis asks for her hand in marriage which means she'll probably move House.

Does Rook believe in the afterlife? She wasn't sure, but walking through the Grand Necropolis, she knows the person's spirit can carry on in some form, so there has to be somewhere it goes. Seeing the revelation of her people's origins, she think the spirit is set free and returns to the Fade. Spite has pretty much insinuated that for both her and Lucanis.

What specialization best represents Rook? The Duelist. Although she is proficient in the way of Three Trees; thanks to her Crow training, she became a natural at dual wielding elegant rapiers and sabers, making that her speciality. She is a living tornado of blades on the battlefield that Lucanis often commends her on.

What animal best represents Rook? A black cat. They look menacing but are often just goofballs. But they are still deadly predators and thank to their colouration blend into the shadows ready to pounce.

What was their life like before the events of the Veilguard? An Antivan Crow that was constantly exchanging good natured barbs with her Talon - Viago. It was good once she'd settled into the life and Teia helped her get over her grief of losing her clan. Treviso is a beautiful city of friendly people...mostly.

If a different faction were chosen, which one would Rook be in? She couldn't think of any other life she'd want, though the Shadow Dragons have her respect against oppression and slavery. And the Veiljumpers certainly are never bored in Arlathan forest.

What's your favorite thing about Rook? Her can do attitude and sense of humour. She sometimes uses it to deflect from her own worries and fears, but most often it's because she sees the absurdity of the situation and tries to make the best of it by diffusing the situation.

[alistairssock]

TEHEHEH I'M KICKING MY FEET AND GIGGLING

Spoilers under the cut, mainly just thoughts on relationships and the companions

Love the little off-screen tidbits we get that shows them living their little lives outside of the chaos and outside of Rook's leadership

It's so cute that Emmerich and Strife has a thing going on id you don't romance him. Not a pairing I'd ever expect or had given any thought, but it makes sense and shows sides of Strife we don't see while were on duty

And Taash and Harding's little mutual crush is very charming, they're giving opposites attract tho they're weirdly similar in some ways and it's just so fun seeing them being all flustered but also so chill and safe around each other, taking it in their pace

The crow and venatori couple being in the necropolis until they know where they can go to live their lives in safety and leaving their past behind is also such a charming detail, I didn't expect to actually see them somewhere

Harding inviting her friends to Ferelden and to her Ma, going on excursions with Emmerich, the companions just hanging out as friends and close colleagues

The companions asking you to join them on their personal little missions because you are their friend and they trust you and they want your company and support

Not to mention when npcs start interactions with your companions, it makes it feel more interactive in a way, that these people have lives and thoughts and feelings outside of their saving-the-world work. Gives a little peek into what a less chaotic and turbulent day-to-day in their lives could be, letting us see how they interact with the world

[vampirebiter]

assorted veilguard opinions so like. spoilers.

i wish davrin's storyline actually focused on davrin. i like assan and the griffon storyline but like. Everything in his storyline revolves around assan and the griffons. pretty disappointing, especially since last year we had bg3 have a similar issue with sidelining wyll and now theres another big rpg also sidelining their black man companion.

i like that unromanced companions will like. flirt with/date other people. thats cute and fun. i helped emmerich and strife go on a date last night and that was very nice and cute. i do think neve should've dated bellara instead of lucanis tho. i get more of a vibe between those two than her and him. whatever though. shrug.

its weird for the recurring characters to essentially be just. statues for set dressing. you cant really talk to them and they dont really do anything. they get like. one scene of Look It Is Me, Character You Know and then they just stand in their designated spot and maybe say like. 1 or 2 lines. at least isabela gets to talk and do stuff in some of taash's scenes. her outfit still sucks though. id even take her original da2 dress (? shirt?) over this.

its super obvious some environments had more effort put into them than others. like i was excited to see rivain but all we get is like. a strip of beach with some ruins and no people, just enemies. and then the lords of fortune hq area is a completely different area to travel to on the map unlike every other ally hq area being attached to their environment.

it feels very odd to me that tevinter seems very.. sanitized? compared to the impression we get of it in the other games. like it can be argued that some of it is propaganda and whatever but we also have characters who are from there like fenris or dorian talking about the systemic issues in it but it feels like veilguard is acting like all the bad things and oppression and slavery etc in tevinter are venatori, not something widespread in their society. like. danarius and dorian's father arent venatori. they're just shitty people and empowered to be evil by being magisters and tevinter society. but like even playing a shadow dragon rook it feels like theyre very focused on fighting the venatori but, unless im forgetting, not much mention of non ventatori magisters doing fucked up magister things. which is odd to me and kinda disappointing because i was excited to see if theyd do something interesting with tevinter but i guess not.

overall it is a fun game im enjoying though 👍

[theanimangagirl]

Emmerich and Strife?!?!?

I approve but I wasn't expecting it!!

Also, how come all my companions are getting bedded and I ve only kissed Davrin?

[mythalsknickers]

I am just gonna slide in here with my three four five rooks so far, if you want to know more feel free to hit up the post, the ask box, or the dms I am happy to yapp about them. @vorchagirl I hope this helps and feel free to poke them if you are curious <3

Starting off with the canon Teigue de Riva, he has a whole tag you can browse. He is approx 30 ish. He is was sold to the Kirkwall Circle of Magi, and used a mage hunter until he escaped with the aide of a spirit of perseverance that he called Persi. He made it back to Antiva and his house after a year. He also bit Lucanis Dellamorte in the arm, in his defense he did not know that was who disarmed him. Regardless he does romance Lucanis, in my Long fic for these two they had a pre-established relationship before the Calivan Job. Teigue enjoys smutty books, drinking wine, occasionally cooking, and tattooing.

Up next we have Athras Mecar, the gender is a construct of society and my goal in life is to menace society child of my hero of ferelden; Halvune Tabris and Zevran Arainai. She essentially functioned as the Left Hand of the Black Divine prior to the founding of the Shadow Dragons, she also was sleeping with him. It was messy alot of biases were not properly examined with either of them. She has a very fancy claw of Dumat, worships Dumat and Toth. Her mother gave her to a Legatus she was friends with because safer option then the crows or your biological family. She romances Lucanis. She can cook but doesn't often because she got "teased" for making peasent food, she loves Mabari (and stole Ashur's Mabari), She regularly sketches to the point she is always running out of notebooks, She does like shiny things and she met her birth parents post Veilguard.

Next on the list is the certified Emmerich Smoocher. Dietlinde Ingellvar, he was raised primarily by Keepsake. All his gold was gifted to him by the Spirits over his years of living in the Necropolis. In terms of hobbies he likes puzzles, dreaming in the fade, and researching the finer points of Necromancy and how it relates to the veil. He also needs SPF +500, Vitamin D and Iron Supplements

Yet another Lucanis Romance (hi I don't have a problem I just love this demisexual man) This is Abinan Thorne, he picked out his name after his joining it means Sorrowful Death, he has very long hair that he very rarely puts up. He does worship Sylaise, and in terms of hobbies he is very much into plants both as a means of managing his blight symptoms and making poisons, but he also enjoys sewing and is very good at embroidery

My last one i forgot about Aralla Aldwir, my Davrin mancer, she likes to collect ancient elvhen artifacts, she has a small collection Strife, Irelin and Bellara do not know about. She is from the Silent Plains. She enjoys coffee, and reading magical theory, and poking around ruins.

Every now and again I get kinda ... overwhelmed by things. At the moment I'm struggling to write my fics, to reply to reviews and even to edit. I'm frozen.

It's like I'm in the ocean and i can see a wave coming and instead of doing something about it I'm treading water and waiting for it to smash down on me - even though i know waiting will only make it bigger.

If anyone wants to share pictures of their Rooks or tell me about them, please do! I could use the distraction until this feeling passes.

[nekropsii]

how did you come up with names for your fantrolls?

Fun Fact: I actually named most of the characters in Sovereignstuck!

I’ll put a list under the cut! Some of them get a little complicated, while others are a bit more… Straightforward.

Content Warning: Long, Lots of Name Etymology.

(If you don’t recognize a word or reference, I recommend just hitting up Google!)

CYNICAL ITINERANT: Incredibly literal. Since he’s a carapacian, his name is just a title that describes who he is as a person. The nickname Tintin, however, is a very unsubtle reference to The Adventures of Tintin.

TEJURI KROMAB: “Tejuri” is based on “Tejat,” a star in the Gemini constellation, and “Dioscuri,” the collective name of Castor and Pollux, the twins that comprise Gemini. “Kromab,” however, is just an alien spelling of a shortening for “chromatic aberration,” referencing her status as a psionic. It was originally a placeholder surname. It stuck.

DYNAMA ZARROW: Not many intricate moving parts to this one, which is ironic. “Dynama” is derived from “dynamic,” while “Zarrow” is quite literally just ripped from “the Zarrow Shuffle.”

PRESAE COVNUL: Another straightforward one- first name based on the word “presage,” while her surname is based on the words “coven” and “null.”

PARDUS RUBATO: “Pardus” is taken from the taxonomic classification for a leopard- being “Panthera Pardus.” Her surname, “Rubato,” is derived from the musical term “tempo rubato,” essentially meaning to play with little regard to exact pacing. Very Timebound!

RETRIS MORAGE: Here’s a long one. The most obvious inspirations here are “Tetris” and “Mirage,” considering it’s one letter off from both. Put together, it’s a reference to the Tetris Effect. The “Ret-” part of his first name is also taken from the prefix “Retro.” This has several uses. (His name is actually severely ironic and deliberate, but I can’t get too far into that without spoiling... Like, 12 different things. Don’t think about this too hard.)

AJAX BARRETT: His name was chosen due to it sounding exactly how we’d imagine an edgy kid with a fixation on shitty action films and post apocalyptic media would name himself. The meaning is intentional, though. His first name, “Ajax,” was inspired by the mythological figure “Ajax the Great.” “Barrett,” however, means “strife.” Rage-y. Very Rage-y.

EMERIC SARGAS: Derived from the male name “Emmerich,” of which has quite an interesting meaning, and the term “emetic.” Her surname is, letter for letter, the name of a star in the Scorpio constellation- which is one of the brightest stars in the sky.

KAUSAT STOLAR: Their first name is derived from “Kaus Australis,” which is a star system in the Sagittarius constellation, and “Rukbat-” for the last two letters- which is of similar origin. It’s rather close to the given name “Kausar,” which has meanings very tied into the Life aspect, in my opinion. “Stolar” translates to “joiner,” which has two meanings. Both are important to him. :)

TOMIEI AERRAS: Her first name is another extremely unsubtle reference, this time to Junji Ito’s horror short story collection called, well, “Tomie.” “Aerras” comes from “Aer,” and “Aether,” the Greek god of air, and the personification of the upper sky, respectively.

ANNOMI ERRATA: Extremely straightforward, and admittedly a bit mean. First name is based on the concept of “anomie,” while having a slightly similar pronunciation to “enemy.” Surname is, letter for letter, the plural form of “erratum.”

PLEOME ALRIUM: Here’s a weird one. His first name is derived from “pleochroism,” for the first four letters, and “acme,” for the final two. His surname comes from “Alrescha,” a main star in the Pisces constellation, and “Piscium,” which is… the name of the Pisces constellation. It’s a bit redundant, but it’s quite fun to say.

[lawrenceop]

Holy Land Retrospective - Day 6

Reminder: clicking on the link for each photo (links are all in red text) will take you to the Flickr page where you can see the photo in larger sizes.

Start with DAY 1, or catch up with DAY 2, or DAY 3, or DAY 4, or DAY 5. Or just read on!

PHOTO 26: It was Saturday; the day of the Jewish Shabbat, a holy day when the highlight of the whole pilgrimage took place: we would have Mass at the Empty Tomb of Christ, in the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Appropriately, we made our way to the church in silence, processing through deserted city, and the church, too, was nearly empty when we arrived. After all, it was shortly after 4 a.m. (!) when we entered the city through Herod’s Gate and walked through the silent Muslim Quarter to the Franciscan monastery. 

Moving some 250 people in silence through the uneven streets of an ancient city, before daybreak, is an impressive feat! But this silence and secrecy was entirely fitting. For the Gospels, too, are silent about what happened on the Saturday, the day of the Passover, after Jesus was crucified. St John says the following about the Friday on which Jesus died, the “day of Preparation” but concerning the Sabbath, nothing is reported – it is only alluded to:

��Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away... But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water... After this Joseph of Arimathe'a, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds' weight. They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.” (Jn 19:31, 34, 38-42)

From the Franciscan Monastery of the Flagellation, we began our quiet journey on the Via Dolorosa, sleepy but alert, praying the Stations of the Cross as best as we could. Somewhere in the crowd, Jim Caviezel walked with us, as together with him we walked the path of Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem. 

At around 5:30 a.m. we prayed the last three stations of the Cross in the courtyard in front of the church of the Holy Sepulchre; in the distance, a cock crowed. 

This photo was taken shortly after everyone had entered the church, looking back towards the way we had come; the minaret of the mosque of Omar looms overhead. For many of our group, it was their first time visiting Calvary and the Empty Tomb so I remained outside and I savoured the cool air of the morning; and soaked in the silence of the holy courtyard, traversed only by a cat or a monk; and I observed the colour of the sky change as the light of the new day came. Dawn at the Holy Sepulchre on an Easter Saturday: what a blessed moment!

PHOTO 27: We had a good hour and a half before the time allocated to us for Mass: time to explore, time to pray and reflect, time for Confession and spiritual preparation for Holy Mass. Ahead of us, saying Mass inside the Empty Tomb with a small group of pilgrims, was the Bishop of a French diocese, hence the doors are closed. During this time, one of our group took photos of these closed doors and she came and showed me the photos. One of them had the clear figure of a man robed in a white Jewish prayer shawl standing in the doorway, even though none of us had seen the doors even open! Take a look here and see what you think!

"I saw the risen Lord appearing to His Blessed Mother on Mount Calvary. He was transcendently beautiful and glorious, His manner full of earnestness. His garment, which was like a white mantle thrown about His limbs, floated in the breeze behind Him as He walked. It glistened blue and white, like smoke curling in the sunshine.” - Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich’s vision of the Risen Lord. 

The photo above was taken very shortly before we went into the sacristy to prepare for Mass. I had been watching the sunlight of the new day penetrate the darkness of the Holy Sepulchre church. The rays of light enter through the smaller dome of the ‘Catholicon’ (the Greek Orthodox sanctuary in the centre of the building), and then it strikes the little onion dome and cross of the ‘Aedicule’, which is this structure that envelopes and protects the Empty Tomb itself. As the sun ascends in the sky, the rays of light then travel downwards until it reaches the doors of the Aedicule, and penetrate into the Empty Tomb. 

An hour after this photo was taken, I was standing inside the Aedicule, concelebrating the Holy Mass with my brother priests, standing around the very spot where the angel of the Resurrection had hailed the holy women that first Easter morning. And then, stooping to go into the Empty Tomb itself, I received the Eucharistic Body and Blood of the Risen Christ that was lying on the Altar, on top of the stone where Jesus had been laid and from which he had risen from the dead, alleluia!

This single moment, this sun-lit morning, all we had experienced so far on the 4th of May 2019, was probably one of the most unforgettable and spiritually intense moments of my whole life.   

“Do not be afraid... He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead”. (Mt 28:5-7)

However, in every Mass, we encounter the Risen Lord, and we are then sent forth wherever we may be, as though from this Empty Tomb in Jerusalem, to quickly announce the Good News: Χριστός Ανέστη! Surrexit Dominus vere! Christ is risen, Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

PHOTO 28: The focus of this photo is the olive tree, for we are on the Mount of Olives, looking towards the Holy City with the iconic Dome of the Rock, the Muslim shrine built on the very site where the Temple of Jerusalem once stood until the Romans destroyed it, as Christ prophesied, in 70 AD. 

After Mass in the Holy Sepulchre, and after breakfast, we went to the top of the Mount of Olives to take in the view of the city, and then we descended the hill, waving palm branches and singing ‘Hosannas’ as we went; in a few hours we had gone from Easter morning to Palm Sunday! We made our way to the little church of Dominus Flevit where Jesus had beheld the city of Jerusalem, foretold of its destruction, and wept for its people. 

Looking towards the city, one takes in its long and complicated and turbulent history; full of human strife and violence as the One the city had once hailed with ‘Hosannas’ was rejected, taken outside, and executed as a criminal. But, as St Paul says: “In him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Col 1:19-20)

In this photo, therefore, I wanted to show the city in its splendour and in its divided history, and also to take in the branches of the trees which the people had cut and waved to hail the coming Messiah. But above all, I wanted to focus on the olive branch, not just because it indicated our location, the Mount of Olives, but because it is a universally recognised emblem of peace. 

“For the peace of Jerusalem pray: "Peace be to your homes! May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces, peace!"” – Psalm 122:6-7

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: dona nobis pacem. 

 PHOTO 29: Continuing to mark Holy Week in one day, we went to Mount Sion after lunch, to the site of the Upper Room, the cenacle, where Jesus had celebrated the Passover with his disciples, instituting the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and the Priesthood. In the same room, the Holy Spirit had came upon Our Lady and the disciples at Pentecost so that “out of Sion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (Isa 2:3). 

So, that Saturday afternoon we stood in a 14th-century structure built on various iterations of a church building that has stood here since the earliest days, although it is now sadly just an archeological space, a museum since beneath it is the tomb of King David, a holy shrine for the Jews and I suppose they did not want a church right above. But in the 5th-century, this holy place was called “Sion, Mother of all the Churches”. 

This name is fitting since it is here that the Church was born. As Pope St John Paul II wrote shortly after visiting this place: 

The Church, while pointing to Christ in the mystery of his passion, also reveals her own mystery: Ecclesia de Eucharistia. By the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the Church was born and set out upon the pathways of the world, yet a decisive moment in her taking shape was certainly the institution of the Eucharist in the Upper Room. Her foundation and wellspring is the whole Triduum paschale, but this is as it were gathered up, foreshadowed and “concentrated' for ever in the gift of the Eucharist. – Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 5.

The photo above is focussed on a carved stone capital from c.1335 that is part of the canopy over the platform where, perhaps, the altar would have once stood. This carving is interesting because of its Eucharistic symbolism. Over the past few days we have seen some other early Christian symbols such as the anchor, and the peacock. Here in the cenacle, in the place where Jesus gave us the Eucharist, we have the pelican. To be precise, two pelicans are shown plucking at the breast of the central pelican, and this symbol is known as the ‘Pelican in piety’. It was believed that pelicans would feed their own young with their own flesh and blood, and so this became an image of Christ feeding the Christian people: the Church receives its life from the Eucharist which is the sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood; Ecclesia de Eucharistia. 

So St Thomas Aquinas prayed in his hymn, Adoro Te devote: 

Pie Pelicane, Jesu Domine, me immundum munda tuo Sanguine: cujus una stilla salvum facere totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.

Lord Jesus, Good Pelican, wash my filth and cleanse me with Your Blood, one drop of which can free the entire world of all its sins.

PHOTO 30: Standing at the doorway that leads up to the cenacle, we look back towards the tallest building in the area, built on the summit of Mount Sion. This is the Benedictine Abbey of the Dormition, which commemorates the fact that Our Lady, the “Daughter of Sion” fittingly ended her earthly life somewhere nearby on Mount Sion. Psalm 87, therefore, although it refers to the holy mountain of Sion has also long been regarded as alluding to Our Lady. For the Lord has preferred her to all others and has dwelt within her; like a city whose walls are never breached, so has she remained ever virgin yet is the abode of the great King: 

On the holy mountain is his city cherished by the Lord. The Lord prefers the gates of Sion to all Jacob's dwellings. Of you are told glorious things, O city of God! – Psalm 87:1-3

Saturdays, of course, are dedicated to Mary, so within the Dormition Abbey, we had gathered to sing glorious things concerning the Mother of God.  As we headed back to the Old City of Jerusalem, passing by the Sion Gate, I stopped to marvel at the many beautiful roses that bloomed here. They were another fitting tribute to Our Lady, and a glorious end to our tour on Lady Day in the Holy Land. 

Tomorrow: Reliving Easter Sunday at dawn by the Empty Tomb; Bethesda and Mary’s birthplace; Bar Mitzvah celebrations.

[magesforthedas]

Continue reading if you want to be SAD 😢

Okay, more updates + a couple photos! Honestly I got a few screen caps of the tragedies I just experienced, but idk if y'all really want to see those. I can post them if you want, just let me know, but also be warned!! I also can't post any more videos on this thread :P

Okay, notes!

Where you can go in and see the fallen, there's something placed over the sheet for big characters; ie Emmerich's staff, Taash's axes, Viper's hat, Strife's sword.

Talking with your remaining companions is terrible bc they'll mention (at least some of them) their grief at losing their friends :(

I tried leaving Lucanis to help the other forces at the begining of The Dread Wolf Rises, since he's a HotV, but he still dies. Possibly because it's the Dragon King that the companion faces, so either if that companion quest was completed, OR if any ally strength was higher, even if both things weren't true, he might have survived. Oh well, looks like everyone dies.

(I went back and left Harding bc if he's not going to survive anyways I wanted my boyfriend with me 🥺)

Said scene is HORRIBLE 😭 as in, super traumatic. There's the ogre, or the Dragon King if he's still alive, and your companion goes to protect Morrigan but gets knock down, and then it shows your companions face as their enemy delivers the final blow. Like, my hands flew up to my mouth in shock.

I could post some screenshots of these moments if people want, instead of suffering the actual video, but like.... Maybe you don't want to see.

I think the scene of (Bellara in my game) controlling the blight is the same? I couldn't remember the details from the last time, and then the blight covers her over. Difference is, at the end we don't see her breaking out of the blight again, so it just consumes her.

There was no decision to make once I got to Solas. It just auto played into attacking.... Your two remaining companions get turned to stone and Solas stabs Rook in the gut, though not before you manage to get him too. Then both of you get pulled into the tear while you are struggling over the knife. It shows the statues of your companions, left on the platform.

Morrigan says something ominous about the victory costing too much (I don't remember the exact words, which to be fair I'm already trying to block this whole thing out) over a black screen.

Then NO EPILOGUE ART CUTSCENE. It just shows this-

And then THIS

They're like.... Yeah, you f*d that pretty good, try again.

IM SO SAD 😭😭😭 it's kind of late but like.... I must start my next playthrough because I have to convince myself this was all a terrible dream 🥺 I had the thought that it'd be interesting to see what other companions say in between the last two missions, in the safe house; whichever three are still alive at that point.... Or if it's possible to have whatever last hero you leave survive, but you don't, and if that might give you any ending cutscene (I kinda doubt it, I think it depends on whether Rook makes it). But I CANNOT do that again, so those will remain unanswered 🙂‍↔️

Anyways I hope this benefits anyone else, and maybe keeps you from feeling the need to put yourself through this! ❤️

Mom I'm scared. Why oh why did I have to be curious about the bad ending 😭

NO IM NOT SURE.

NO IM NOT CONFIDENT. BUT WE'RE DOING THIS ANYWAYS.

I'm going to be so sad for the next few hours.

Update below the cut so y'all can see it (Beware)

Ooookay

I haven't finished bc I have to go to work, but I made it to the end of The Last Gambit... I'm in tears 😭 some things if you want to know but don't want to actually play it (why have I done this):

Whoever you send with the Veil Jumpers to take down the wards lives, but Strife dies.

Whoever you send to help the Crows & Lords dies. (Taash for me)

Whoever you send to help the Wardens and Mourn Watch dies. (Emmerich for me)

If the Shadow Dragons aren't strong enough, The Viper dies.

Haven't seen any sign of Anaris, and no Dragon King (though there was a letter right before Tearstone Island warning about him). No Red Lyrium Harding either, and Davrin is dead already in mine, but no blighted griffons or Gloom Howler. I finished Lucanis' quest bc I didn't romance him on a Crow the first time, and my next Crow will probably be romancing someone else, so wanted to see the Crow/Lucanis things during his quest line. But I wonder if Zara was still alive, if she might also make an appearance.

So far none of the other allies died: Irelin, Teia, Viago, Myrna, Vorgoth, Tarquin, Antoine, Evka, and Isabela are all still alive. So small mercies.

Irelin talks about Strife in the safe house, as does Isabela about Taash, and Tarquin about The Viper.

Some really terrible things thought of:

If Emmerich and Strife were in a relationship, and only one died? Even worse possibly, what if Emmerich was the one sent to help? But would Emmerich mention Strife, or Strife mention Emmerich if only one survived? Strife asks you to keep Emmerich safe in the good version.. Probably?

Also, if Manfred is still around and Emmerich dies... Worse if you didn't even do Emmerich's quest (like me) so he doesn't have magic or can talk or anything... What's going to happen to Manfred??? Did he even survive the battle, because he was in a cutscene but I haven't seen him at the safe house????

Didn't do enough content to have Harding and Taash in a relationship, so can't find out. But if they're in a relationship and Harding survives Tearstone Island, what happens if one of them dies here?

What if Lucanis & Neve are in a relationship and one of them dies here? Like, if Bellara got captured and Lucanis dies fighting Aelia? I'm making myself sad just thinking about how Neve would feel.

anyways I'm sad and have to go to work, and then finish my no good, terrible, awful playthrough when I get home. Wish me luck and sanity 😭

(and then I must immediately start my fourth playthrough bc no, they must have as much of a happy ending as possible)

[spartanblacksmith]

Same Energy as when Tali and Garrus get together in Mass Effect 3 playthroughs where Shepard doesn't romance either of them in all three games.

When you're the protagonist of what is essentially a Bachelor/Bachelorette story, you really do wish for all of the contestants who don't win to still find love in the end.

Reminds me of a good writing moment that Liara, as a character, loves Shepard whether she's romanced or not. We would feel bad for her because, sometimes, it would be a one sided love we couldn't return.

Now, we can feel happy that our companions are finding romance in each other. I'm glad they figured out how to do that.

Also, feeling disapproval towards some romances isn't uncommon after all. As Emmerich's friend, it's normal to feel like Strife is totally wrong for them. That's something friends in real life would say to their friend who just found themselves in a toxic relationship.

Imagine if in Inquisition, Vivienne and Dorian got together? You know they would be passionate, but you also know they would be horribly political. The argument about the Mage Circles would tear them apart. The Inquisitor would definitely get in between that.

Veilguard taught me something about why I love romance in video games.

By letting companions romance each other if left on their own, I learned that I just want them to be happy. I may fantasise about romancing them all at once, what really get me the fuzzy feeling inside is them prodding and finding happiness.

If it was not for Emmerich dating Strife (Dissaprove), I would probably do a romanceless game with no regrets.