#Necropolis Hawks

[dawn-star01]

washes for the blue armor and leather, undersuits painted, purity seal for the plasma gun and doodads for the communicator arm, work on the bases

[eric8a]

I consulted my random Space Marine chapter generator to see what chapter to paint next. What did it give me? Necropolis Hawks.

While they look cool. The white intimidates me, as well as the tiny bit of yellow.

I rolled again and got Flesh Tearers. I feel more comfortable with them. But, I might just give the Hawks a try.

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]

[minweber]

Since everyone is posting Rooks, wanted to show off mine:

Yarina "Found In a Crypt, Raised In a Cave, Who'd Have Thought That Human Connection Is Something I Crave" Ingellvar, who is apparently the protagonist in a story about a sheltered introvert forced to interact with people, only to suddenly find out that this shit is actually pretty easy.

[redinkofshame]

We're getting a release date this Friday, I'm sure of it. Reblog with your DA4 predictions and/or wishlist!

Predictions:

The protagonist "Rook" is short for 'Rookie'.

(Nickname via Varric, obv.)

Enby pronoun options.

We'll be able to tell that Varric was a quest giver back when they were making the game an MMO

Dorian will play as prominent a role as the advisors of DAI.

(Yet no mention of his time travel magic.)

Maevaris will have a small but fun speaking role.

Set in the North. (Tevinter, Nevarra, Rivain, Arlathan forest.)

Solas will be A Boss but not THE Boss. Either an early- or mid-game combat.

Then we join forces to take down the remainder of the Evanuris/archdemons.

The Evanuris have silly hats.

Mythal.

There's going to be a heist quest/quest line. Trust me.

"That's not what your mom said last night."

I'm hoping it's in the Archon's palace, possibly bc of something that was there back when it was Arlathan.

Kaiju battle(s)

Dread Wolf Dragon

Those three twinned mountain things of Ghil's (from TN) as a series of dungeons??

Romanceable dwarf.

(Possibly Lace Harding.)

Romanceable skeleton/other undead.

The Grand Necropolis will be the new 'ugh, the Fade'

We affect who sits on the Navarran throne.

Harley Qun will be basically the only Qunari we talk to other than a few dialogue lines from the bad guys.

Lords of Fortune background!

More emphasis on necromancer background.

Grey Warden background!

(Or just a companion.)

Crow assassin background and/or romanceable companion.

More info on "those across the sea"

Fewer race/gender limitations on romances :(

(I don't actually want this, but I'm predicting it.)

Ending(s) where Solas dies/is killed.

At least one 'happy' ending for the egg.

Customizable Inquisitor

(either a Hawke in DAI type role, or maybe Cori from Witcher 3)

Solavellan catharsis.

"Vhenan..."

Me, crying

Wishlist:

Origins style origins.

Body sliders in CC.

Protagonist has siblings.

The architect.

Cole

Sandal.

Healer

'Hollix' as a companion.

Feynriel

Nipuni returns to us.

Answers.

[hyperions-light]

Round 2 of Veilguard (Watcher first, Crow second), going to note the little details I love (SPOILERS):

- When my rogue Rook is jogging I can hear the sound of the arrows in their quiver clinking against each other

- When you take Harding to practice her stone powers, after she moves the second one she raises her hands up in victory. Cute!!!

-The companion outfits!! They’re so detailed! The embroidery on Harding’s shirt, the intricacy of Bellara’s sleeves!! How elegantly Neve’s clothes are cut and draped! The little crow skulls on Lucanis’ buttons and fasteners!!

- The way the light glances off of Bellara’s earring. The hairs at the back of her neck that aren’t caught up in her bun

- The expressions!! They’re so good! The way Bellara’s brow wrinkles in the middle of her forehead under her Vallaslin; how she blinks rapidly when she’s talking about Cyrian (Bioware why can’t I hug her ;-;). How Neve smiles at you! Ahhhhh! Dare you not to fall for Lucanis when he looks at Harding all soft after he makes her coffee and she hates it!!!

- The way the grocery list/cooking rotation paper on the wall in the kitchen changes throughout the game

- Little notes everywhere where your companions write to each other and the people they care about! Harding’s letters to her mother! THE BOOK CLUB!

- The little references to the other games everywhere! Joining chalice, Aura’s letter, Blackwall’s commendation, Malcolm Hawke mention in Weisshaupt! Finding Thom’s little rocking griffon! Arainai’s Talon! The thing that made the Harvester in Golems of Amgarrak! The dog named Ostagar! The Arishok refusing to split from the Qun! Heir in the Diamond!

- Elgar’nan thinks Lusacan used to be bigger and Ghilan’nain still cares for her halla

-the whole Necropolis but ESPECIALLY the gardens

-the candlehops!

-How when you pet the cats the rumble feature activates on the controller because they’re purring

- THE MINRATHOUS CAT CAFE <3

- The vendor in the market in Antiva who tells you the story of how she killed her husband if you return there repeatedly

-the two novice Crows on the balcony who complain about how hard it is to correctly throw the crow graffiti thing

- when you tell those two lovers to escape antiva they show up in the necropolis

- the watchers are sooooo put out that they missed the undead dragon lol

- the necropolis moves! And if you return there sometimes it’ll spawn new rooms and you can go in them!

- there are tabletop games in Thedas and Hezenkoss was super into them

- Emmrich keeps Hezenkoss’ skull in his room to talk to lol

- How Rook is so— sometimes unexpectedly— wise and caring, so thoughtful and considerate! I love them!

- The way the choir crescendos and then cuts out right before Solas says ‘Vhenan’!!! AHHHHHHH

- The way he bends in on himself and clutches at the dagger when Mythal is talking to him; the way he says her name

- ‘I don’t know how to feel’ ‘I do. I know exactly how to feel.’ ‘Just don’t leave.’ ‘Never.’ ;;;;;;;;;;-;;;;;;;;;; FUCK!!! You can’t just say that that way!!!

More soon…

[the-pea-braned-warlock]

Do you like Setra's title?

Great King

the Imperishable

Khemrikhara

The Great King of Nehekhara

King of Kings

Opener of the Way

Wielder of the Divine Flame

Punisher of Nomads

The Great Unifier

Commander of the Golden Legion

Sacred of Appearance

Bringer of Light

Father of Hawks

Builder of Cities

Protector of the Two Worlds

Keeper of the Hours

Chosen of Ptra

High Steward of the Horizon

Sailor of the Great Vitae

Sentinel of the Two Realms

The Undisputed

Begetter of the Begat

Scourge of the Faithless

Carrion-feeder

First of the Charnel Valley

Rider of the Sacred Chariot

Vanquisher of Vermin

Champion of the Death Arena

Mighty Lion of the Infinite Desert

Emperor of the Shifting Sands

He Who Holds The Sceptre

Great Hawk Of The Heavens

Arch-Sultan of Atalan

Waker of the Hierotitan

Monarch of the Sky

Majestic Emperor of the Shifting Sands

Champion of the Desert Gods

Breaker of the Ogre Clans

Builder of the Great Pyramid

Terror of the Living

Master of the Never-Ending Horizon

Master of the Necropolises

Taker of Souls

Tyrant to the Foolish

Bearer of Ptra's Holy Blade

Scion of Usirian

Scion of Nehek

The Great

Chaser of Nightmares

Keeper of the Royal Herat

Founder of the Mortuary Cult

Banisher of the Grand Hierophant

High Lord Admiral of the Deathfleets

Guardian of the Charnal Pass

Tamer of the Liche King

Unliving Jackal Lord

Dismisser of the Warrior Queen

Charioteer of the Gods

He Who Does Not Serve

Slayer off Reddittras

Scarab Purger

Favoured of Usirian

Player of the Great Game

Liberator of Life

Lord Sand

Wrangler of Scorpions

Emperor of the Dunes

Eternal Sovereign of Khemri's Legions

Seneschal of the Great Sandy Desert

Curserer of the Living

Regent of the Eastern Mountains

Warden of the Eternal Necropolis

Herald of all Heralds

Caller of the Bitter Wind

God-Tamer

Master of the Mortis River

Guardian of the Dead

Great Keeper of the Obelisks

Deacon of the Ash River

Belated of Wakers

General of the Mighty Frame

Summoner of Sandstorms

Master of all Necrotects

Prince of Dust

Tyrant of Araby

Purger of the Greenskin Breathers

Killer of the False God's Champions

Tyrant of the Gold Dunes

Golden Bone Lord

Avenger of the Dead

Carrion Master

Eternal Warden of Nehek's Lands

Breaker of Djaf's Bonds

Which one :)

[choccy-zefirka]

Filled out all my allotted Rook slots with the concepts I had pre-release, so doing little descriptions of them kinda like the companion intros

Evaraas Mercar. A brave rebel warrior who tries to prove that they have a role, and therefore, exist

Silim Laidir. An adventurous rogue who wants to discover the world free of his tyrannical mother

Hjördis Laidir. A cheeky apostate seafarer who promised to her adoptive family (Hawke, Isabela and Merrill) that her adventure with Uncle Varric won't take too long

Theneras Aldwir. A harried alienage runaway who took a wrong turn in Arlathan Forest and must now reckon with the fact that she lived out twenty years in a Fade pocket while her companions only aged twenty minutes

Hissra Laidir. A forlorn Saarebas who was taken in by Rivaini Seers but lost everything when the Dairsmund Circle was annulled

Tristan Thorne. A helpful Grey Warden who lives under an alias and goes a long way back with the Inquisitor, Magister Pavus, and the Venatori

Rosario de Riva. A clever Crow who often poses as a tour guide to lure in their targets, and might actually enjoy that half of their job better

Beata Ingellvar. A sweet and lighthearted soul who loves protecting the Necropolis as much as she loves all things pink and frilly

Araña de Riva. A skilled contortionist who takes no pride in her grim calling

Odette Aldwir. A half-elf, half-dwarf who is curious about where her parents' people came from, yet worries she might not fit in among either

[northirish]

Hey Mike you should drink some water today! Big font! 💧

I, Settra, the Great King, the Imperishable, Khemrikhara, The Great King of Nehekhara, King of Kings, Opener of the Way, Wielder of the Divine Flame, Punisher of Nomads, The Great Unifier, Commander of the Golden Legion, Sacred of Appearance, Bringer of Light, Father of Hawks, Builder of Cities, Protector of the Two Worlds, Keeper of the Hours, Chosen of Ptra, High Steward of the Horizon, Sailor of the Great Vitae, Sentinel of the Two Realms, The Undisputed, Begetter of the Begat, Scourge of the Faithless, Carrion-feeder, First of the Charnel Valley, Rider of the Sacred Chariot, Vanquisher of Vermin, Champion of the Death Arena, Mighty Lion of the Infinite Desert, Emperor of the Shifting Sands, He Who Holds The Sceptre, Great Hawk Of The Heavens, Arch-Sultan of Atalan, Waker of the Hierotitan, Monarch of the Sky, Majestic Emperor of the Shifting Sands, Champion of the Desert Gods, Breaker of the Ogre Clans, Builder of the Great Pyramid, Terror of the Living, Master of the Never-Ending Horizon, Master of the Necropolises, Taker of Souls, Tyrant to the Foolish, Bearer of Ptra's Holy Blade, Scion of Usirian, Scion of Nehek, The Great, Chaser of Nightmares, Keeper of the Royal Herat, Founder of the Mortuary Cult, Banisher of the Grand Hierophant, High Lord Admiral of the Deathfleets, Guardian of the Charnal Pass, Tamer of the Liche King, Unliving Jackal Lord, Dismisser of the Warrior Queen, Charioteer of the Gods, He Who Does Not Serve, Slayer off Reddittras, Scarab Purger, Favoured of Usirian, Player of the Great Game, Liberator of Life, Lord Sand, Wrangler of Scorpions, Emperor of the Dunes, Eternal Sovereign of Khemri's Legions, Seneschal of the Great Sandy Desert, Curserer of the Living, Regent of the Eastern Mountains, Warden of the Eternal Necropolis, Herald of all Heralds, Caller of the Bitter Wind, God-Tamer, Master of the Mortis River, Guardian of the Dead, Great Keeper of the Obelisks, Deacon of the Ash River, Belated of Wakers, General of the Mighty Frame, Summoner of Sandstorms, Master of all Necrotects, Prince of Dust, Tyrant of Araby, Purger of the Greenskin Breathers, Killer of the False God's Champions, Tyrant of the Gold Dunes, Golden Bone Lord, Avenger of the Dead, Carrion Master, Eternal Warden of Nehek's Lands, Breaker of Djaf's Bonds… and many, many more titles… Do not need water, I look great.

[hoboblaidd]

☤: Blood Magic

ask meme - solas has opinions

I can’t even answer this in character because for SOME REASON the writers decided to do a complete 180 on Solas and blood magic, and right now I don't have enough non-contradictory info to throw bullshit into Solas' mouth (and I love throwing bullshit into Solas' mouth).

So I’m gonna theorize around what is probably just inconsistent writing - the same inconsistent writing that turned a potentially blood mage Hawke into a full on blood magic hater. It’s like in between each game they think they need to course correct on blood magic bc they don’t know what to do with it. 

BUT OK character stuff - In Inquisition, Solas is really progressive on blood magic - it’s a tool that can be used or abused like any other, and he doesn’t practice it simply because it allegedly makes his Fade walking more difficult.

But now he abhors it?? I have one of two theories on that: (1) in the intervening years between Trespasser and Veilguard, he’s seen so much blood magic used against elves in Tevinter and in the Grand Necropolis during the Mortalitasi’s tale that he’s completely turned off by it; or (2) (and this is more likely imo) he’s a lying motherfucker who is pretending to hate blood magic because he’s got ~plans~ that involve it, and he’s trying not to show his hand.

[quietsun5268]

Which Backstory/Factions suits Qunari!Rook?

Everyone has reasons why they pick a certain race for their Warden/Inquisitor/Rook. For me, I want to give each race their chance to shine like Dwarf!Warden (Qunari is not optional for Warden), Hawke is human as there are no additional race option, Elf!Inquisitor (to me the story suits the Elf!Inquisitor), and now Qunari!Rook.

One of the flaws in Dragon Age: Veilguard is that factions determine your characters surname, not your character's race so they tend to be human-sounding or in a couple of cases elf-sounding. But there are a few backstories that justify the surnames or suits Qunari!Rook.

-Antivan Crows

"When the invaders of Treviso took people captive, Rook was determined to free the prisoners at any cost. A talented new Crow recently promoted to full membership, Rook chafed at the cautions of her/his/their commanders, especially with her/his/their city occupied by brutal soldiers known as the Antaam. When Rook saw a patrol herding along captives one night, s/he(/they) leaped into action. Despite saving lives, however, Rook had unknowingly compromised a larger Crow operation against the Antaam. Rook's superiors were incensed. Sidelined for her/his/their actions, the young assassin searched for new ways to prove herself/himself/themself."

Last Name: De Riva

Antivan Crows often buy orphaned or enslaved children, they become full member by surviving every test the Crows throw at them. Since a majority of recruits don't have a surname of their own, they take the surname of the Noble House of the Crows upon being brought into the fold. So it wouldn't be strange for Qunari!Rook to gave the surname.

One issue is that their usual recruits are human and elves. It's rare to see Qunari outside of their lands with the exception of Rivain and Seheron. Tal-Vashoth and Vashoth are much more present in non-Qunari lands. Another issue is that if we look at the history of Antiva between 6:32 and 6:42 Steel, the Principality was conquered by the invading Qunari forces. In 7:84 Storm, the Third Exalted March ended with the signing of the Llomerryn Accord, and Antiva was freed from Qunari occupation. Some settlements still get occasional attacks from Antaam. The issue would be if Qunari!Rook had to experience racism in Antiva because of the history and how rare Qunari are seen. However, I can see them recruiting a Qunari in case they need someone to infiltrate the Antaam, someone to get in and get out.

-Mourn Watch

"When restless spirits threatened the inhabitants of the Grand Necropolis, Rook took decisive action to protect both the living and the dead. Discovered by undead inside a Grand Necropolis tomb as an infant, Rook was raised by Mourn Watch necromancers, eventually joining the order. During a "civil war" between undead nobility, known later as the War of the Banners, s/he(/they) led a daring attack on the rebellion's dueling leaders. It was a success, quelling the war and saving lives. But Rook's destruction of these undead nobles was controversial. Some Mourn Watchers feared Rook had offended the order's aristocratic patrons and encouraged her/him/them to travel for a while."

Last Name: Ingellvar

It would make sense for Qunari!Rook to have Ingellvar as a surname due to being found as an infant and raised by the Mourn Watchers. The question would be, where did they come from and how did a baby Qunari get in the ruins? Looking at the history of Nevarra and it capital Nevarra City (home to the Grand Necropolis), there doesn't seem to be any past conflicts with the Qunari.

-Shadow Dragon

"Rook risked everything to liberate the enslaved people of Tevinter, even knowing it would anger the ruling elite. The foundling Rook was adopted into a military family and joined the Shadow Dragons to fight from the shadows for change in Minrathous. While guarding a visiting dignitary who was investigating a slavery ring in the nearby city of Nessus, Rook concluded that the mission would fail without throwing caution to the wind. Alone, s/he(/they) sneaked the dignitary deep into Venatori-controlled zones and brought him back, along with the rescued slaves. These actions brought Rook to the Venatori's attention, and the Shadow Dragons decided to keep Rook out of sight."

Last Name: Mercar

A foundling Qunari!Rook adopted by a military family would work, as it justifies them having a human-sounding surname. But the problem is that the Tevinter Imperium is in conflict with the Qunari due to being invaded by them in 6:30 Steel and from being only human nation not to sign the Llomerryn Accords which ended the war, refusing to surrender sovereignty over Seheron, and has engaged in conflict with the Qunari ever since. Realistically, if the Mercar family wanted to adopt Qunari!Rook would there be resistance from the elites? I'm not sure how adoption work in Thades. There also the possibility of Qunari!Rook experiencing racism in the Imperium. Would the Mercar family be scrutinized for possible traitors for adopting a Qunari? Plus how would a child Qunari get to in the streets of Minrathous (the Capital City of Tevinter Imperium) without getting killed or enslaved?

-Lords of Fortune

"When a corrupt Rivaini noble double-crossed Rook, Rook escaped a collapsing ruin, turned the tables, and destroyed a dangerous artifact. A rising Lord of Fortune, skilled at breaking into lost tombs and ruins, Rook killed a corrupt Rivaini noble to prevent an ancient evil from being given to the Venatori. Her/His/Their actions were correct and saved the lives of expedition members, but some Rivaini nobles were resentful. Because the success of the Lords' expeditions relied on Rivaini authorities looking the other way, it seemed wise for Rook to step away while tempers settled."

Last Name: Laidir

While this backstory is ambiguous, if we look at the history and settlements of Rivain, Rivain is also home to the only peaceful Qunari settlement on the continent: Kont-aar in northern Rivain. Qunari emissaries are also common sight in Rivaini settlements; however, they stay away from the nobility. So it wouldn't be odd for Qunari!Rook to be part of the faction. But does Laidir sound like a Qunari surname or no? To me it sounds a little… Elf.

The rest of the factions have a more ambiguous background and to me doesn't have anything that would make sense for Qunari!Rook.

-Veil Jumpers

"When lives were at stake, Rook defied orders to rescue people from the mystic perils of Arlathan. On an expedition to ruins in Arlathan Forest, the Veil Jumpers found ruins that contained important lost lore and deadly danger. Barely surviving the ruins' ancient magical defenses, Rook's small team recovered an invaluable map leading to a hidden area of the forest. Although the team escaped, other Veil Jumpers found themselves trapped. Rook chose to return to the ruins, saving her/his/their teammates' lives, but losing the map. S/he(/They) was lauded for her/his/their bravery, but the map's loss caused some resentment among Veil Jumper leaders."

Last Name: Aldwir

The surname sounds elf-sounding

-Grey Wardens

"When innocent lives were at stake, Rook led the charge, saving a village from a monstrous nightmare—no matter the cost to her/him/themself. During a large darkspawn incursion, Rook was ordered to hold the line with other Grey Wardens until reinforcements arrived. Rook argued that by then, villagers under attack would be dead. S/he(/They) disobeyed orders, leading the squad into the incursion and sealing the tunnel to the Deep Roads. This turned the tide, and the darkspawn were driven off, which saved the villagers. Rook's heroism was popular among the younger Wardens, but others with connections to noble families resented her/his/their independent streak. Rook chose to step away while tempers cooled."

Last Name: Thorne

The surname sounds human-sounding

Which backstory/faction do you think suits or makes sense for Qunari!Rook? Or if in the more ambiguous factions which surname is more Qunari-like?

[dawn-star01]

got the pauldron trim done finally

[defira85]

Thedas Tuesday

Yes I'm going to keep doing these. Do I have enough characters to make it through to the launch? Not quite. I'll elaborate on some of them in more detail closer to the date

Micaela "Hawke" Gottschalk

Presenting Micaela "Hawke" Gottschalk, cousin to the Champion of Kirkwall Josefina Hawke. Bubbly blood mage and junior member of the Veiled Brotherhood. I have a fairly extensive background plotted out for my Hawke that included giving Malcolm a family and explaining why he was familiar with the Grey Wardens and knew ancient blood magic rituals, which created House Gottschalk of Nevarra, a powerful noble house dedicated to being demon hunters. The Veiled Brotherhood was the name of the organisation they founded at around the time of the First Blight, and Jo made the decision to come out of hiding during Inquisition and align the Brotherhood with the Inquisition and share their immense libraries and knowledge regarding strengthening the Veil and fighting demons

Micaela looks a lot like my Bethany Hawke (and Mallorie Hawke owned by @apocalyptichero who is ALSO a Hawke cousin), and she was so mad that nobody thought she was old enough to go off and help with the Inquisition when that disaster happened. In the interim, she moved from the ancient family estate on the border with Tevinter to Nevarra City to study, and found that necromancy was a fine match for her given her family's history with blood magic. She joined the Mourn Watch, as her talents with the Veil were quite well suited to helping maintain the Grand Necropolis, and has spent the better part of the last seven years serving in Nevarra City

She's been a canon character of mine for a long time - she was mentioned in passing in one of Jo's fics, and I really wanted to bring my Veiled Brotherhood headcanon faction in to work with the Veilguard. She'd be in her late 20s at the time Veilguard is set, so it worked out perfectly!

[amberskywrites]

Eternal

Chapter 25 - To Challenge

Chapter 1 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 26 || Masterpost | AO3 Link | FF.net Link

Fandom / Genre: Nanatsu no Taizai (Seven Deadly Sins) / Canon-Divergent and Hurt/Comfort

Pairings: Meliodas/Elizabeth, Zeldris/Gelda, Meliodas & Zeldris & Elizabeth & Gelda

Overall Story Warnings: Angst with a happy ending, Canon-typical violence, Canonical character death, Canon temporary character death, Cursed characters, Lmk if I need to add anything else!

Chapter Warnings: None, lmk if there’s anything I need to add!

Story Summary:

Eternal…

life.

reincarnation.

silence.

and chains.

For 3,000 long and painful years, these four have been doing all they can to lift their curses. They have failed, again and again and again. With only a sliver of hope left, they try once more.

-

Or, what if Zeldris accepted Meliodas’ offer to go with him 3,000 years ago?

King had no words, his brow furrowed as he stared up at his sister’s ghost- spirit- soul. Despite the indifference she plastered on her face - and how he ached, seeing the indifference, when he remembered her being so expressive - he could feel her anger, her righteous anger with him, no matter how he tried to deny it’s existence.

Her words registered.

He didn’t know Ban?

He didn’t know Ban?

He could have scoffed, if he wasn’t so paralyzed by the surety in her voice.

Of course he knew Ban.

He knew he was selfish, and greedy, and careless, reckless, and apathetic. He knew he didn’t give a damn who he hurt, so long as he got what he wanted in the end. He’d seen it, again and again and again while with the Sins. And he never understood how someone so seemingly good as Meliodas could tolerate such behavior, how he let it fly, any of it.

Although…

King pretended to be those things with the Holy Knights.

Could…

Could it be an act? Could it be exaggerated?

…

King blinked, and forced the thoughts away. No, he couldn’t be thinking of that now.

Elaine tilted her head, looking at him, but not really. It was like she was seeing right through him, right to his core. Like she was…

oh.

King inhaled shakily.

She was always much better at reading hearts.

Neither of them had a chance to say anything, though. The ground shook under King, a loud rumble reverberating through the air. Elaine’s head snapped up in the direction that Ban had run, and King followed her gaze.

The power radiating towards them was immense, once again familiar intertwined with an aura that was so familiar King could cry just feeling it again after so many years of giving up on getting that chance. Getting to his feet, King could see the smoke billowing in the distance, and he could imagine just how big that blast had to be, for the black smoke to be that thick and taking up that much of the Necropolis.

He didn’t get a chance to ponder it longer, for just as it was processing what was going on, he was nearly barreled over.

He shook his head, trying to look down at whatever had run into him, only to come face-to-face with Princess Elizabeth, staring at him with wide eyes herself.

“Sir King!” she exclaimed, a smile flitting onto her face as she slid off Hawk, who had plopped onto the ground in front of them. She gave him a pat, although she never turned away from King. “I’m glad you’re okay - the others, there’s a-”

“A Holy Knight,” he finished.

Elizabeth nods almost frantically. “She’s- she’s strong, and the others are fighting but, I don’t know how well they’re faring.” There was yet another blast, not as intense as the ones before, but much closer. “They’re being driven back, again and again,” she rushes out. “Maybe you could help them?”

“Help them?”

“To drive out the Holy Knight! To keep them safe!”

King hesitated, and he watched as the smile that had appeared upon stumbling across him faded.

King was struck then, in the next few seconds as Elizabeth stared at him, that she was quite good at reading people, and terrible at hiding her feelings. Even he, terrible at reading hearts, could hear the echoes of disappointment and doubt that flitted through her mind as she seemed to realize that he would even hesitate to help the others - would hesitate to protect them.

Her eyes flickered to behind him, and the feeling of understanding projected over him, and King whirled around. Elaine was looking down at Elizabeth, though King was sure she couldn’t see Elaine, but his sister was looking at the princess with such a pitying look, pitying and - and knowing sadness.

Elaine flicked her eyes to him.

“If you want to start mending burned bridges, brother…” She looked back to Elizabeth, and began to flicker in and out of corporeal form. “I think you know where you should begin.”

King swallowed, holding himself straighter just as Elaine turned once again to the lights, and he turned back to Elizabeth. She was watching him, her head tilted and a small crease in her brows, and King wonders if she was able to hear Elaine. But she shouldn’t have…

Flames rose into the air truly not far from them, purple and red dancing together as the loud sound of swords clashing echoes off the gems that make up the Necropolis. Elizabeth looks from the flames to King, her expression shifting into one of determination, a challenge.

“Are you truly not going to help, Sin of Sloth?” she asks. “Are you really going to wait, again?”

Again.

Again?

How would she- does she know?

No, she couldn’t possibly know.

But she was challenging him? Him? Did she not know anything about him? Who he is—was?

…

Well…

He supposed she wouldn’t know who he actually was.

He narrowed his eyes at her, at her challenge, and let himself float above the ground.

He flicked his wrist, Chastiefol finally shifting from its third form, transforming into its pillow shape.

“If you’re so determined to get me to help them, then come on,” he said, not waiting to see her reaction before he pointed at her, knocking both her and Hawk off their feet and onto Chastiefol.

-

We’re barely holding it together, Meliodas cursed in his head, falling behind Zeldris again as he blocked yet another swipe from Guila. She was holding back her blasts again, steadily wearing them down and stopping them from actually hitting her with anything too strong.

And it’s not like they weren’t trying, either. Gelda had come closest with her fire, but the Holy Knight’s armor was more fire resistant than those of the Weird Fangs or even Gilthunder - and so she hadn’t been able to do much damage before Guila had turned her sights onto the vampire again.

What they needed was a strong hit, but he and Zeldris couldn’t build up that much power with her getting so close, and Gelda pushing her back. Diane was down already, and it was barely enough that they were keeping Guila’s focus off her for right now—the moment Guila realizes Diane’s properly injured somehow, Meliodas would bet she’d go for the kill.

Following his younger brother back, Meliodas readied himself to jump in front and take another swing at the Holy Knight, when Guila’s arm jerked back. The fighting paused briefly as Guila followed her arm, and Meliodas could see her beginning to strain to keep a grip on her rapier.

“Fox Sin Ban,” Guila stated and tilted her head, her voice so unconcerned that Meliodas could feel a deep, shoved down itch to get some emotion out, to hear some kind of stress or fear tinge her words. He grit his teeth, tightening his grip on his broken ‘sword’. “Let go of my rapier.”

“I’m not touching it yet though, am I?” Ban said with a grin, tilting his head back and flexing his hand towards himself, increasing the amount of Snatch. Guila remained steady on her feet but was forced to lean forward, and tension twitched at her face. “Besides—“ Ban’s grin grew— “I want it.”

Three things happened at once, Meliodas observed.

A determined look flickered across Guila’s face.

Diane shifted behind him and Zeldris.

Gelda darted into the air.

-

Diane wasn’t one to normally play the long game. She preferred jumping into the fray, to be the first line of defense. She had the endurance and durability and the strength, she could tank plenty of hits and has done so many times in battles prior. And, she liked being able to end battles quickly, thank you very much. The sooner things were over and done with, the sooner she could provide aid to the injured or, if there weren’t any, the sooner she could relax again with her friends.

But just because she preferred it doesn’t mean it was always the best plan, and she could recognize when a bit of forethought had to be implemented into a fight.

Her side throbbed—she suspected a bruised bone, or maybe Guila had burned her more than she thought—and she was vulnerable on her side, behind Zeldris and Meliodas. They weren’t much of a shield, and she could only thank the goddesses for the fact that Guila hadn’t taken advantage of their tiny size compared to her to barrage her with explosions. But pain be damned, she wasn’t going to be completely useless now.

Guila was quick, and she tried keeping distance between them all unless the others were clearly gearing up for a ranged attack, in which she darted into close proximity, and that armor of hers must be extremely fireproof, otherwise she wouldn’t risk those closer explosions so often. The thing was, there were more of them than there were of Guila. And she was starting to focus on Meliodas and Zeldris more and more often.

Ban’s arrival was the nail in the coffin, so-to-speak, for Guila.

Diane glanced to Gelda, catching her red gaze, and while Guila was distracted, Gelda signed to her, pointing first to Guila and then up with a quick gesture.

Diane nodded once, and just once, and shifted as slowly as she could—in part to spare her any more pain, in part to not draw Guila’s attention over to her. Once she was nearly upright, Gelda was suddenly in the air, hovering and sparks flickering in her palms. Diane took a slow breath, pressing her hands to the crystal floor below, and concentrated on the spot right underneath Guila.

As soon as she could no longer feel the energy trailing back to her, could feel only the rock underneath the Holy Knight’s feet, Diane exhaled sharply and willed every bit of earth under Guila up.

The Holy Knight began to fire a shot at Ban, but was launched up too quickly that it wasn’t as big as she was clearly planning. It still hit Ban, and he was launched backwards. He hit the ground with a groan. Diane retracted the earth almost as quickly as she had sent it up, and Guila attempted to regain her composure in the air, contorting to face Diane.

Gelda took the opportunity and dove for Guila, wrapping herself around the shorter woman and while she didn’t exactly grip her flesh with her smoldering hands, she did drag the fire in her palms to Guila’s arms, trapping them at her side and heating the armor up. Guila squirmed and her mouth twitched into what Diane would say was an attempt at a snarl, but it fell flat with the way she was struggling to even dislodge Gelda even slightly.

When Guila seemed to have given up on struggling, instead seemingly focusing on the burning armor that was finally, finally beginning to crinkle slightly under Gelda’s hands, Gelda bared her own teeth and inched closer to Guila’s neck.

But then something Diane wasn’t expecting happened.

Gelda froze, and Diane could see the fire under her fingers flicker.

Guila took the opportunity and shot a fireball down, rocketing both herself and Gelda off-balance, where she was able to finally dislodge herself from the vampire.

She turned midair and slashed at Gelda with her rapier, but Zeldris was there between them, taking the hit and sending the couple to the ground. She sent a blast towards them, and the captain rushed to intercept.

Distraction successful, Guila landed with grace and without hesitation pointed her weapon at Diane.

[cybershock24601]

Rook's personality is definitely reminiscent of Hawke's which is probably why Varric picked them but my personal Crypt Baby Rook lore is that Rook is in fact Hawke's second cousin once removed that was left in the Necropolis by Amell's sister who was on the run from the Templars after fleeing the circle when she found out she was pregnant in hopes of being able to raise her child in a place that didn't inherently fear magic only to be caught and cornered with her only solace being she managed to get her baby somewhere that they wouldn't be reviled for being a mage. Though the dead were certainly confused about why there was a newborn baby chilling in the Necropolis.

Rook will never know who her mother was or what happened to her but also an incredibly funny cosmic coincidence that Amell women (almost) always happen to be at the scene of the crime when Thedas is in trouble considering Rook is the Hero of Ferelden's niece and the Champion of Kirkwall's second cousin (once removed).

It's also my headcanon on why Morrigan was so sure Rook was going to be the hero the world needed because she took one look at Rook, went "that's an Amell alright" (because Rook is almost the spitting image of the HoF) and Morrigan knew the world was going to be in good, if irreverent, hands.

[felondese]

rook stash

mulling over my rooks. i've got a couple of ideas to fit the classes/factions I'm most interested in and some guesses for their romances. I'll figure out most of the appearance details when we can play with the cc.

shit is out of control, y'all. i'm making one of every flavor, fuck it. i know who i am and how often i restart games. bg3 and my twenty-some save files are a recent memory. also nvm i did some mockups in a picrew thingie and now I'm fucking attached omg. and then i made kissy ones too. and another face one. fuck, yet another.

just stashing their deets here to fiddle with as i work out more particulars

hazel "rook" (like chess) ingellvar (mourn watch)

elf, city (crypt baby found by undead)

mage, death caller, staff

29, she/they nb, tall and thin, gothy/witchy makeup, curly blonde bob hairstyle

"British" rook voice, high pitch

blue diplomatic hawke with occasional spikes of red (how embarrassing)

e.g., "You think you can come into my bar and make demands?" - Let's talk this out.

idle animation: standing completely straight, arms linked behind back, poised. after a while, gives in and runs fingers through their hair to corral any stray curls, rubs their lips together to assess if lipstick needs to be reapplied, but tries to be subtle about it. eventually gives in and conjures a small mirror to check their reflection. on selection from party screen: stands even straighter, chest out shoulders back, and does a small curtsy, nodding like 'of course'

trained as a necromancer from a young age, joining mourn watch much younger than most. was one of their own, after all, and belonged without having to work for or prove it

a bit vain, takes pride in their appearance, fan of jewelry/accessories in the nevarran fashion/or maybe just emmrich fashion idk

bookish but curious about the world outside the necropolis

diplomatic by training but has a temper and low tolerance for inaction/impatient with bureaucracy, otherwise generally upbeat/positive

great enjoyer of puzzles and games, a real chess nerd

talented calligrapher and hobby artist, mostly sketches tombs they find inspiring, portraits of the undead detailing their decomposition (thinks it's neat)

full of fun fungi facts and a bit of an expert on the poisonous ones

fascinated by darkspawn and wants to study the blight, likes to collect samples of defeated enemies for later analysis

romances bellara (bonds over shared love of reading books and doodling in notebooks), emmrich is their mentor (headcanon)

previous relationships: as a little kid had a crush on manfred; heartbroken that he could not return their feelings, they never pursued love again. still, loves romance novels

team nerdy mages (bellara & emmrich) / mage-mage-mage party / necrotic-necrotic-electricity damage

ghil'ean "rook" (like the bird) aldwir (veil jumper)

elf, dalish, ghilan'nain's vallaslin (of course)

rogue, veil ranger, bow

33, she/her, average height, muscular for an elf (big arms/shoulders mmmm)

"British" rook voice, medium pitch

blue hawke, so good, so compassionate and kind

e.g., "You think you can come into my bar and make demands?" - Let's talk this out.

idle animation: a fidgeter, checks her nails, plays with a piece of hair, scratches an itch on the bottom of her foot, adjusts her arm wraps, picks lint off her cape. on selection from party screen, beams with enthusiasm and dances in place a bit

the veiliest of veil folk: veilguard, veil ranger, veil jumper

elfy elf, former scout for her clan where she learned to use a bow.

feels responsible for dread wolf/escaped gods situation

backstory: saved teammates during an expedition in arlathan forest, at the expense of a valuable artifact. loves her people <3

wary of humans/city elves at first, but warms up. fond of dwarves and intrigued by qunari. reluctant to leave the veil jumpers, strong attachments to them and to the dalish

rook = social, arboreal bird

can and will sleep anywhere, strong believer in the power of naps

nature lover, avid tree climber, explorer of elven ruins

rescues and rehabilitates wild animals (mother is the clan's halla-keeper, father is a hunter and trained hounds, family adopted many baby foxes/squirrels/crows and kept them as pets more or less)

previous relationships: a few but casual, including irelin, but who hasn't banged her? at least she has that in common with bellara ;)

romances davrin (bonds over assan, helps him with training) but may end up having a friends-to-lovers thing with harding (shared sense of duty, adventurous spirits, love of scout-stuff and archery stuff). good friends with bellara from veil jumpers work

team dalish elves saving the world yet again (davrin & bellara) / rogue-warrior-mage party (balance!) / electricity-fire-electricity damage

or team girl power (neve & harding) / mage-warrior-rogue / cold-electricity-physical

thea "rook" (like rookie) thorne (grey warden)

elf, city, anderfels native, orphaned young (tragic backstory with darkspawn-murdered family)

warrior, champion, sword & shield

22-23 (born just after fifth blight), she/her, small but strong/thick, kinda butch

"American" rook voice, low pitch

idle animation: working her jaw and glaring suspiciously, hands in her pockets, shoulders hunched. when selected on party screen, scowls at you and gives a reluctant shrug (being cool, not wanting to seem too eager to please)

red dialogue responses, aggressive/harsh, very black and white thinker, but mostly concerning the blight, everything else is less important, and having to point that out all the time irritates her

e.g., "You think you can come into my bar and make demands?" - Beat down the entire room to get the information.

trained with local militia as a teenager, eager to run off and join the wardens, despite warnings that she was basically signing up for slow suicide, if a noble suicide, and she was so young.

my favorite trope: little elf with a big ass sword and a bigger attitude

backstory: disobeyed orders to seal a tunnel to the deep roads, saving a village from a large darkspawn incursion (lost her family that way and Not. Again.). stepped away while tempers cooled.

mouthy, prone to boasting and exaggeration, hard opinions about right and wrong, so very young and sure of everything

new to wardenship but committed to protecting people from the blight

hobbies: prefers to stay active, be outdoors, spending free time training or exercising, hiking, hunting

previous relationships: if by relationships you mean fuckbuddies, oh yea. thank the maker the grey wardens are resistant to illness including venereal diseases or the order would never have made it this long

romances neve (i'm sure they'll bond over something that isn't just neve's beautiful brown eyes), besties with davrin

team hard hitters (davrin & neve) / warrior-warrior-mage party / fire-fire-ice damage

ursula philomena "rook" (like 'to cheat') mercar (shadow dragons)

qunari, vashoth (foundling adopted into and raised by human military family)

rogue, saboteur, bow (and bombs!)

37, she/her, small for qunari, wiry and quick

"British" rook voice, medium pitch

idle animation: checking her weapons, turning side to side to keep an eye on her surroundings, looking over her shoulder. when selected on a party screen, does a little chin gesture like 'sup?

mercenary turned criminal turned vigilante, comfortable with shady/criminal activity

gambler and drinker, enjoys loud taverns and live music. likes card games and relies on her winnings to get by sometimes between jobs

reddish purple dialogue responses. sassy but also a touch aggressive if she needs to be

e.g., "You think you can come into my bar and make demands?" - I'll do more than demand.

risk taker, down to earth, practical

has complicated feelings about tevinter (patriotic upbringing, a lot of resentment, happy to burn it down to end slavery)

adoptive family tried to raise a tanky warrior but got a skinny rogue. is as disappointed with them as they are with her. estranged

has had a few serious relationships, a few less serious flings, but she's been busy the last couple of years and out of the dating scene

romances taash (bonds over shared heritage, love of cash and things that go boom), tight with varric and harding

team not elves or humans (taash & harding) (we're workshopping the name) / rogue-warrior-rogue party / physical-fire-physical damage

or for reasons we'll explore in game together, strangely fond of lucanis, so takes him along in the party (with taash). team idk i got no cute theme for this yet / rogue-warrior-rogue / physical-fire-necrotic (more balanced)

feels like i'm neglecting lucanis and avoiding balanced parties. hmm might need a fifth rook concept. lords of fortune dwarf? something to ponder

beren "rook" (like the bird) laidir (lords of fortune)

dwarf, surfacer

rogue, duelist, daggers

30s, ftm he/him perhaps? show off those sexy top surgery scars

"American" rook voice, medium pitch

purplest of purple dialogue responses, can't take anything seriously, fond of taking the violent options for funsies e.g., "You think you can come into my bar and make demands?" - Beat down the entire bar to get information.

cool beard, eyeliner and facial piercings, tattoo'd face

idle animation: bounces in place and dances a little if left long enough, and also tends to hop every few steps out of boredom while walking (this is def for rp reasons and not because i use the space bar like a stimtoy while playing). does a little cheer when selected from a party screen

ran away from home as a teen and joined up with a ship's crew instead of continuing with the carta/family business

learned duelist specialization from isabela (headcanon)

can't make him wear a shirt

oh so many scars (including top surgery, which he shows off proudly). fights with daggers and is an accident waiting to happen, but scars add character and the ladies/lads love 'em!

collector of antiquities and shiny things, scavenger (rook = corvid, considered a pest or bad omen), but also random junk with no value. as eager to dumpster dive as to go treasure hunting in ruins

Trouble (note the capital T for emphasis). notoriously bad luck, always getting into wild and unlikely situations - blood-linked to the dread wolf is par for the course, really

mischievous, too curious for his own good (or others'), a snooper, a thief (in more of a 'oo shiny, i wants it' way with an afterthought of ''oo bet i can sell that too'), cursed to put his little grubby hands on everything

sees locks as a personal challenge, a taunt he cannot ignore, an affront to his nosiness, and it is his duty to unlock them. it's just askin' for it, really. he'll find a way in, one way or another, and is very smol and fits in many unlikely places. this dwarf can *climb*

has a genuinely good and caring heart, no real ill will towards anyone, even his enemies. hard to get on his bad side which is infuriating for some people, and he knows it. kill em with kindness and annoy them by being nice and helpful.

generous to a fault and yet somehow avoids being conned/taken advantage of, mostly by confusing would-be swindlers or annoying them into figuring it's not worth it

a "yes and" kind of guy, happy to go along with others' plans for interests' sake, does things purely to see what happens and because he's never done it before

will eat absolutely anything, good or bad, safe or suspiciously moldy. has a stomach of iron and food is fuel. anything with sugar is in danger, though, because he will gobble that shit up first

coffee? yes please. booze? yes! smoke? of course! illicit substances familiar or unfamiliar? why not!

absolutely zero instinct for self-preservation. danger? not a concern if there's adventure or loot on the line. not one to stay home picking lint off the sofa if there is (dangerous) fun to be had

personal hygiene is er, lacking. he is that peanuts' kid pigpen, just a cloud of dust around him at all times, a trail of debris in his wake. what's that in his hair? could be anything, really. fingernails? perpetually grubby. prefers to do his bathing in the sea

previous relationships: he's a treasure-hunting pirate and thus culturally a ho. for a dwarf, quite the ladies' and gents' man, charming in his strange way, hypnotizing his victims lovers with his adorable oddball 'rizz'. some say he's the blowjob king of llomerryn, mostly himself but other people too, for sure, have said that, or anyway you can't prove they didn't :P

romances davrin (for reasons including not limited to because his va is a sucky transphobe)? really who doesn't deserve a smol ginger dwarf pirate boyfriend? they'd all be so lucky

pre-veilguard team dwarf (varric & harding), buds with them

veilguard team spooky guys (emmrich & lucanis) / rogue-rogue-mage / necrotic-necrotic-necrotic, baby. specialists!

veilguard team ?? (davrin & neve) / fire-necrotic-ice

griselda "rook" (like a crow, of course) de riva (antivan crows)

city elf, mage, spellblade

zevran-coded appearance (long golden blonde hair, tanned complexion, tattoos?), delicate features, full lips, high cheekbones. big, catlike eyes

small stature, lithe and thin

American rook voice, higher pitch

she/her, early-to-mid twenties (just a baby), but an experienced killer

trained abroad in the in the [rivain? free marcher city?] crow enclave/franchise location, hence only knows lucanis by reputation. also why she has an American accent

only recently came to antiva when she earned her place as a full member of the crows. arrived in treviso just as the antaam did

idle animation: picking her nails with a dagger, swaying a bit in place, playing with a little wisp of magic and flipping it over her knuckles like a coin, fluttering her eyelashes at the camera and biting her lip/practicing her sexy pout. on party selection: a sly smirk and nod, unsheathing her dagger and letting magic crackle in her hand for effect (show-off)

dialogue responses vary depending on who she's talking to. can be very sweet/diplomatic even if it's hollow, more aggressive with anyone she doesn't like and isn't trying to fool

e.g., "You think you can come into my bar and make demands?" - I'll do more than demand.

demeanor is charming and playful, flirtatious. can appear innocent and childlike, surprisingly nonthreatening, to lure in her victims. all completely bullshit hiding cold brutality

romances lucanis (crow shit)

team ??? (lucanis & davrin) / mage-rogue-warrior / electricity-necrotic-fire

tobias "rook" (like a castle) ingellvar (mourn watch)

city elf, warrior, reaper

small and wiry but stronger than he looks

british rook voice, medium pitch

he/him, late twenties

idle animation: shifting from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable

red/harsh dialogue responses mostly, some blue/diplomatic, never purple (he does not joke)

e.g., "You think you can come into my bar and make demands?" - I'll do more than demad.

the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one, goth ed.

trained as a guardian of the necropolis, raised by mourn watch after being found in crypt as baby

does not startle easily, cannot sneak up on him

very dry sense of humor, revealed sparingly

rather cynical, pessimistic, distrustful of the living

romances emmrich (mourn watch love story)

team spooky (emmrich & lucanis) / warrior-mage-rogue / necrotic-necrotic-necrotic

bonus rook (lords of fortune qunari slayer)

i dont know who he is yet exactly, but he's a looker

theoretical team-ups:

bellara & emmrich + hazel (team nerdy mages) neve & harding + ghil'ean (team starter pack) bellara & davrin + ghil'ean (team dalish elves saving the world) neve & davrin + thea (team hard hitters) taash & davrin + thea (team gymbros) taash & harding + ursula (team lineage minorities) emmrich & davrin + beren (team spooky shield) taash & davrin + beren (team burning blade) taash & lucanis + griselda (team burning crows) lucanis & emmrich + griselda (team spooky crows) lucanis & emmrich + tobias (team spooky)

bellara || emmrich ||| davrin ||||| harding || neve || taash |||| lucanis ||

okay look i just want to bring davrin everywhere >.>