#Orlesian dwarves

[illusivesoul]

Was thinking that, while obviously done for gameplay reasons, its very unlikely that, given how deadly the joining can be, that of the 6 people that either the Hero of Ferelden or the orlesian warden can put through the Joining, all but one survive (rip Mhairi. Gone but not forgotten)

I think a cool mechanic (but probably too contrived to implement at the time, but maybe for a posible remake?) for DA Awakening would have been to add a randomness chance for characters to die during the Joining. I feel it could have added that extra tension when it came to deciding if you made the companions wardens or not.

Like on one playthrough Mhairi could have lived but Velanna died, or Nathaniel lived and Sigrun died, Anders died but Oghren lives, etc

[breadedsinner]

I think Blackwall with a non human Inquisitor (especially Cadash but that's just my bias) is so compelling because it adds challenge to what's perceived as justice.

You can make the argument that regardless of method or intent, by freeing Thom Rainier, the Inquisitor has done a corrupt act. This seems fairly straightforward for a human, especially one of noble background like Trevelyan especially non-mage Trevelyan... but what about Cadash? They were already considered a criminal before this began, only "absolved" by the supposed grace of Andraste. Any chantry cleric will tell you, and some of them have, that dwarves are not of the Maker.

Now the absorption of their identity by becoming the Inquisitor does muddy the waters a bit here; by becoming Inquisitor they agree to abide by and act on behalf of various lords (that's why they can judge people in Skyhold, I always thought that was obvious?). Yet had this one thing not happened, Cadash would likely still be a criminal. And Thom, under the guise of Blackwall, would be quietly atoning until something finally came around and delivered the unceremonious death he thought he deserved. Would a dwarf think this justice? Or is this specifically human justice?

When a non-human Inquisitor is characterized as "well he lied to me and got some kids killed so to the Wardens it is / we're breaking up" it just feels like a missed opportunity. Shit, even a Lavellan you could explore that more, show me a Lavellan who thinks to the Emerald Graves and all the Orlesian estates built there. Where's the justice in THAT. Who are these people, building houses in sacred ground, to decide what is and isn't just?

Idk, something to chew on.

[vigilskept]

a lot of this has already been said probably but what keeps getting to me about the statements around the worldstate decisions is that aside from all the reasons it feels really shitty as a player coming from previous games, it erases the interconnectedness of thedas as a continent

putting together the choices from origins & inquisition, you can leave ferelden with a monarch who will leave behind no heir who at this point will be appearing less and less healthy each time he is seen in public. you can leave orlais with an emperor who has effectively gained this position by coup and garnered support on the promise of restoring orlesian glory through war (against ferelden AND nevarra. btw.)

but sure. let’s say that’s a peripheral conflict for the north. already stretching the limits of believability given how quickly tevinter slavers and antivan crows were able to react to the unrest during the blight but sure. let’s say they have bigger things to worry about rn.

let’s consider the divine election in trespasser then. any of the 3 divines can propel the chantry to the very brink of fracturing based on their approval. if they do manage to keep it united, then you can have a chantry under divine vivienne who empowers mages more than ever before under the chantry or divine leliana who has abolished circles entirely and opened the priesthood to elves, dwarves and vashoth/tal-vashoth. because of the timeskip this is now a state of affairs that has existed for a decade. there is no conceivable way that the social & political implications of this have not reached across thedas

there’s admitting you wrote yourself into a corner with the branching and need to do some retconning to stabilize the worldstates… and then there’s saying “that was all in the South. it doesn’t matter here.”

[the-northern-continent]

Which lineage/background Rook is having the worst time after the ritual?

⬇️ poll under the cut (Game Informer spoilers) ⬇️

[mumms-the-word]

Love Letters

Alistair and Lucy Amell

These letters were written as a collaboration between @callmethebrightness and myself for the lovely @elspethdekarios's birthday. callmethebrightness wrote the AMAZING letter from Alistair (and I'm obsessed with it, she nailed his voice so well) while I wrote Lucy Amell's reply letter <3 This was so much fun to work on and I am in awe of the talent my friends have in this little corner of tumblr. Thank you @elspethdekarios for trusting us with your OC! I hope you have the happiest of birthdays and that you adore these love letters!

Full text under the cut!

Alistair's Letter by @callmethebrightness

To Warden-Commander Lucy Amell, Hero of Ferelden: Lucy, I love you. I know, bad form to start a letter like that; without even a hello and how are you, but it's literally the only thing that comes to mind when I think of you, so I had to write it down first. I love you. There. Now to the rest. We're making strides looking into the Wardens and Corypheus, this "false Calling" he's managed, though it's not the sort of progress I'm particularly excited about. Every time I think I've figured out the worst of it, more bad news rears its ugly head. I'm a bit less skeptical now that we have some proper allies: not only the Champion of Kirkwall, but Inquisitor Sulah Lavellan, who has all her people putting their heads together to do something about all this. We should consider having an army at our disposal for all our problems, it's really marvelously convenient. Skyhold is an amazing place. Not just the fortress itself, where I've gotten into all sorts of places I shouldn't be ("Oh, I haven't seen this door before" -- surprise, it's a dungeon. No, thank you.) but the people and the activity here. It feels like everyone from the servants to the Inquisitor herself is committed to working together. I've met Fereldans, Orlesians, city elves, surface dwarves, ex-Templars, mages, farmers, nobles, Chantry sisters, Dalish spies, qunari, Tevinters...I could go on. If anything might be able to actually unite all of Thedas, the way the Chantry says it does, it's this thing. It's this place. Maker, I wish you could see it. Every time I see something incredible in my travels, I think that, you know. "Lucy would love this, I wish she could see it." And every time I see something horrible I think, "Maker, I wish Lucy was with me." You get the idea, don't you? You, with me, all the time, no matter what. Sometimes you're all I think about. But you knew that already. We're going to figure this thing out, Lucy. I'm going to make sure the Wardens have nothing more to fear from this Elder One, even if I have to fight him myself. And when you return, whether you've found what you're looking for or not, and I see you again -- I'm going to take you in my arms and never let you go. I mean it. That's not an exaggeration. I never want to be apart from you again, Lucy. Nothing is more important to me than that. What else? I love you. I miss you. Leliana is scarier than ever, but in a good way. I've eaten Orlesian cheese and do not care for it. I miss you. I told the Inquisition's ambassador I would include a small note in their missive to the Hero of Ferelden but my letter is now longer than the official one. I hope those creepy ravens of Leliana's can carry a little extra weight. When you see it, write her back and tell her it's creepy; she won't listen to me. There are less terrible birds, Leliana. Maker, I miss you so much I don't want to stop writing to you. Is that odd? Probably. But you wouldn't say odd. "Alistair, you're too sweet." That's what you always say when I'm being a fool, especially a lovestruck fool. Can't say I don't appreciate it, though. I'll write you again soon. There's talk of the fortress at Adamant, a potential siege. All sorts of military talk I do not care for. Whatever happens, you'll hear from me soon. I never can stand to wait long. Yours forever, Alistair

Lucy Amell's Letter (by me)

To Warden Alistair: [In a smaller script] Leliana, don’t be nosy! You’ve got your own letter! My darling, I love you. I don’t care if it’s bad form, just seeing those words at the start of your letter gave me so much joy and comfort that I couldn’t even read the rest of letter at first. I just wanted to linger there on those words and imagine them in your voice. I love you. I love you. I love you. And, Maker’s breath, I miss you, too. As my journey out west bring me farther and farther away from recognizable society, I find myself traveling alone more often than not. There are good people out here, and plenty of interesting distractions, and more than enough danger to keep my mind occupied, but again and again I wish you were at my side. I know taking down the Elder One is important, but these days I wish I had been more selfish and brought you along. But what’s done is done, and it’s good that you’re there, trying to shake some sense into our fellow Wardens. Someone has to.  What you’ve told me about the situation, and what little Inquisitor Lavellan has included in her letter, troubles me. It sounds like Corypheus is more dangerous than we thought…but if the Inquisition has the army and the resources that you say it does, then I trust them to succeed. And I trust you to survive whatever comes your way. We’ve gotten out of worse scrapes, the two of us, haven’t we? Regardless, I’ve asked Inquisitor Lavellan to look after you. I know, I know, you would say I’m fussing over you too much (but I know you love it). But if she’s your ally, then she’s my ally too, and I feel no shame in asking this much of her. I want you in one piece when we meet again, my love. Be good for me. Don’t wander into dungeons that you can’t wander out of. Avoid the Orlesian cheese if you hate it so much. Remind Leliana to eat every now and again. I know her work keeps her busy, and I can only imagine that the death of the Divine has shaken her more than she’s letting on. And take care of yourself, too.  Oh, and I’m not telling Leliana that her birds are creepy. Just be glad she’s not sending missives via nug, or we’d never get letters to one another. I’ll write soon, my darling. I love you. I miss you. Yours always, Lucy [below, in a messier scrawl, as if added to the end of the page in haste] Alistair, I’m glad I didn’t send this letter right away! I’ve got big news. I think I’ve found something, and if I’m right, it means the end of this journey is in sight. I don’t want to say what it is just yet, but…I have a really good feeling about this. This might be the cure we’ve been hoping for.  But if not, I don’t care. If it’s not this, then I’ve got nothing else to investigate out here. If this isn’t our cure, then the silver lining is this—I’m coming home, and nothing is going to stop me. Meet me in Redcliffe when all of this is said and done. Whether I’ve found the cure for our Callings or not, I will be there, in the place we first started to fall in love, at the start of the next summer. And once we are together again, my love, I swear that nothing will ever separate us again. With all my love, Lucy

[lairofdragonagelore]

Dragon Age Iconic Patterns: The Sun

In this post I will try to extensively gather all the sun-based or sun-like imagery that we find in all the games of Dragon Age. From the most typical ones to those which may seem obscure or with a hidden allegory/design. I will qualify their resemblance with the Sun symbol as Strong, Weak or other.

This post contains the following symbols

Chantry Sunburst

Elvhenan Culture: Sun symbol among the Evanuris

Elvhenan Culture: Asterisk Symbol and Elvhenan Doors

Elvhenan Culture: Golden Ring

Elvhenan Culture: Crappy Sun

Elvhenan Culture: Elgar’nan and Sylaise

Elvhenan Culture: Murals

Tevinter Culture: Green Star

Tevinter Culture: different decorative elements

Dwarven Culture: Fairel and Dwarven art

Ferelden Culture: The Sun Face and the geometrical Sun

Grey Wardens and the Sun

Avvar and the Sun

Flemeth

Qunari, Par Vollen, and the Solium Constellation

DAO design

Free Marches Rural Areas

[This post belongs to the series “Analysis and speculation of Statues”]

[Strong] Chantry Sunburst

The most typical one that appears in DA series is the Sun or Sunburst with wavy rays, repeated so much along the games that we can identify it immediately. It’s the unequivocally symbol of the Chantry. We found it in many versions, and it represents the “dawn” with the idea of hope and “new beginnings”, but also the fire that “purified” Andraste in her pyre to let her ascend to the Maker’s side. In the posts of Andrastian Art [Andrastian Design: Stained Glasses], we also find that “balls of fire” [which can be interpreted as a Sun in another way] are shown to represent the Maker or the Faith in Him.

Andraste’s single spiked helm seems to be inspired in a single sun ray, at least this is what an illustration in the Chant of Light [book of World Of Thedas] seems to suggest.

In general, most of the representations of the Chantry Sun have 16 rays.

The same sun-like symbol appears in its Tevinter version when we see the Imperial Chantry; the only difference with the Orlesian one is that the Tevinter Sunburst has straight rays.

As a detail, in DAO, we had the typical representation of the wavy sunburst present in some strange devices of Tevinter origin, for example, the ones we found in [Brecilian ruins], while the main Church in Denerim, or in Haven, display spikes that, more than resembling a sun, look like thorns or even a thorny vine. This may be a consequence of an original plan in linking, design-wise, the chantry symbology with the thorny vines that represent the Blight or the Darkspawn [As we explained in the section “Non-mural symbol: Thorny vines” from Murals in DAI: Basics], or merely it was a limitation of the design of the game, as we know DAO suffers from.

We also know that tranquils should display this symbol on their foreheads, burnt with lyrium, but as we saw along DAO, none of them had it. Later we were informed that the devs had problems to add this mark on the npc, therefore, it was never shown until DA2. When it comes to this symbol, it is interesting to see that tranquils carry the metaphor of “a Sun burning their minds and emptying them”, which may or may not be related with Dwarves and their fear to the Sun and potential relatinship of Elgar'nar shoving a fire ball into their underground lands [More details of this concept in Deep Roads [DLC Trespasser]: Lower Walkways in particular with the codex  Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads,].

[Strong] Elvhenan Culture: Sun symbol among the Evanuris

Strangely close to the Chantry Sunburst symbol, we find the “half” sun symbol [tagged along the blog as Sun-head creature] in what we suspect was one of the ancient primordial dragon symbols that some Evanuris took over when they claimed Divinity [for more context, read Attempt to rebuild Ancient Elvhenan History]. It’s hard to say which Evanuris took control of this symbol, but we know there is a clearly sun-like symbol present in the Crossroads of the DLC [as a statue, check The Crossroads [DLC Trespasser]: Entrance] and in the Shattered Library [as an Eluvian, check  Shattered Library; Entrance and Courtyard]. With the release of the Vinyl, we also discovered and reinforced the hypothesis that this symbol belongs to or was co-opted by an Evanuris [read Speculations about the Vinyl Art for details] thanks to the image of an elf wearing a hat with that shape.

A consistent detail of this image is that it’s a half-sun with exactly 7 rays.

[Weak] Elvhenan Culture: Asterisk Symbol and Elvhenan Doors

If we extend this imagery, and check other symbols that may look similar to a sun, we find the ancient Elvhenan Doors [Elven Ancient Shard-based door], which top displays a pointy sun of 8 rays that may or may not be related to the Asterisk symbols [also related to the Titan’s core, which I talked about in the post of Murals  “The Death of a Titan”]. In the way the door gets illuminated when activated also makes us see a “circle” in it that can be loosely related to the “Golden Ring shape”. More details about this ring will be treated below.

This strange sun on the ancient door also makes us think in the Asterisk Symbol [made of 8 points], which lays at the centre of the yellow mosaic, which may be related to the core of a Titan [asterisk of 8 points too]. The link is immediate when we see that this asterisk is outlined by a shape that looks like a star or a Sun, inside a big ball with triangular-shape ends. This same symbol appears in the last Trailer of DA4, behind Solas, when he is presented like an Hermit, mysterious, apostate mage. Around this “sun” we can make out several concentric lines that may refer to a “Golden Ring”.

The Asterik symbol also appears in murals such as  “The Creation of the Veil” or “The Death of a Titan”, which allowed us to relate them with the core of a Titan and its immense power of "making real what you imagine"reinforcing the reality", but this symbol also appears in a corner of Solas’ tarot card.

The yellow mosaic also has some shapes at the four corners that may represent eluvians or something related to Mythal. In the mural of “the Temple of Mythal” from  “The actions of the Inquisitor”, we see that Solas draw a particular star of 8 points inside a door frame that resembles this “eluvian outline”, but it’s also the shape of the doors of the Temple of Mythal which represents Mythal herself in her dragon shape. All these symbols seem to reinforce the idea we explored in “The Death of a Titan”: Mythal seems to be related to the core power of a Titan represented by an asterisk that evolves into a golden ring and into a sun.

As I repeated several times in Speculations about the Vinyl Art, at times, we find some hints where stars or balls of fires [also understood as suns] are related to Mythal and Elgar’nan, making us suspect that, maybe, Mythal and Elgar’nan share a nature similar to Falon’Din and Dirthamen’s: apparently, the same creature with two different aspects from them. If this were the case, associating Mythal with the Sun would make sense, and it would also explain why, if Elgar’nan was so central in the Elvhenan culture, there are so few representations and statues of him, while Mythal overwhelms it.

[Weak] Elvhenan Culture: Golden Ring

During the last trailer of DA4, we see Solas turns into the Black Dread Wolf as a sun in the background becomes a moon [single golden circle] and later, it separates itself into concentric rings, that may or may not be related to the “Golden Ring” so deeply entangled with Elvhenan culture. Thanks to this imagery, we may relate the Sun to the Golden Ring [specially if we consider that the mural presented in Nation Art: Elvhen displays the yellow ring in a position that may be considered “the sun”, but also the "authority/power above"]

We need to remember that the Golden Ring’s presence is always associated with control, power, and occasionally to Mythal and Dirthamen. In the mural of the “zombie elves”, it’s above all of them, and due to this position, it could be interpreted like a “sun” or moon upon the controlled, zombified elves. But I’m not too convinced in this interpretation, since we already explored in posts such as: Nation Art: Elvhen, Exalted Plains: Ghilan’nain’s Grove and the Dead Hand, DLC: Jaws of Hakkon - Frostback Basin, Elvhen Tomb, Ancient Elven codices; Fen’Harel’s mountain ruins, The Crossroads [DLC Trespasser]: Elven Mountain Ruins; Vine-covered Tower, Murals in DAI: The Death of a Titan, and Speculations about the Vinyl Art that this ring was more related to control, power, or even forced change/shape in some cases. Due to its power or potential knowledge, it's also associated to Dirthamen Owl [which also could be Andruil's owl according some inconsistencies in the same Unreliable Dalish legends].

On the other hand, it’s never clear if this symbol may have morphed into a sun along the ages with the loss of memory that the Elves had throughout generations when they lost their immortality. However, I tend to consider that this Golden Ring may have changed into a Sun when it entered in contact with human groups, in the same way that I see the story of Fen'Harel gave enough context for humans to create the Maker myth based on him, potentially during the time of Halamshiral [for more details, read The Chantry and the Mythology of the Chant of Light]

This ring also appears in the last scene of DAI, when we defeat Corypheus, showing Mythal inside it, as bits of red lyrium sprout around it. This can be related to many speculations done in Speculations about the Vinyl Art, where we can conclude that another fragment/part of Mythal is still trapped in the Black City, corrupted, and contained by an immense power that may have been used before by the rest of the evanuris to control their own people.

The Golden Ring has also been seen enclosing Elven Tree Statues and Elven Orbs, implying its relationship with elvhenan power and/or Mythal’s [after all, we know that Mythal took the power from a Titan from which elvhen orbs were developed, and trees are also her symbol, according her vallaslin]. It's worth noting that the only working orb we saw in the game was Mythal’s, so far.

[Weak] Elvhenan Culture: Crappy Sun

There is also a strange symbol that I called “crappy sun” in the ancient tablet we find at the entrance and deep into the tomb of Forbidden Oasis: Solasan Temple [along this blog I’ve tagged it as “Stone in Razikale-Ceremony-style”]. It’s hard to say if it represents a sun or a breach. It may be related to a sun similar to the one of the Elven Ancient Shard-based door that, later, Tevinter co-opted to turn into the several versions of pointy suns we see in Tevinter Pre-blight ruins, [let’s remember they were not Andrastian yet, and still they had this symbology in their buildings and elements because it may have been related to ancient dragons, or taken from another elvhen symbology during the time of the Dreamers since there are some proofs, such as the Tevinter Mosaic [Invasion], that may show that Tevinter had a better relationship with elves back then].

Maybe the original symbol was related to Elgar’nan, as we see in his mosaic, where he shoves down the sun into the earth, and its rays are wavy and a bit “crappy”. If this relationship is correct, maybe what Elgar'nan shoved into the Earth to destroy the dwarves/Titans was not a sun but a breach? Again, a very unlikely hypothesis.

This “crappy sun” also has 8 rays.

[Strong] Elvhenan Culture: Elgar’nan and Sylaise

Elgar’nan’s mosaic was interpreted in the post Evanuris, and basically shows an elf shoving down a Sun of wavy rays into the Earth. It’s easy for us to relate this image to the unreliable Dalish legend of Elgar’nan [read Elgar'nan: God of Vengeance]. Elgar’nan is presented here as the son of the Sun itself, who tried to burn all life on the Land out of Jealousy, so Elgar’nan vowed vengeance against his Father’s cruelty, and his rage won against the fire of the Sun. Then, “Elgar'nan threw the sun down from the sky and buried him in a deep abyss created by the land's sorrow.”

This story can be followed later in the post Emprise du Lion: Pools of the Sun, where we find another unreliable Dalish legend claiming that this place has spring waters because it was here where Elgar’nan shoved the sun into the Earth. I also made a link to Sylaise considering the Elvhenan arenas we can see in this region, the presence of Sylaise’s Shrine, and her thirst for being always competing with someone. These details can make us suspect that this Sun could have been Sylaise [so deeply related to fire, the sun, and also as angry as Elgar’nan according the Song to Sylaise].

It’s very worth noting that these two legends, said by different clans, claim that Elgar’nan pushed the Sun into the Abyss. Another detail we have to assume is that "Abyss", "Beyond the Deep Roads" and "The Void" seem to be one thing related to the places where the Titan sleep [or even inside the Titan themselves] instead of a strange dimensional pocket we never saw before. This links the Elvhenan with the Dwarven in what we speculated in Murals in DAI: The Death of a Titan.

With this relationship, we see again the Sun as a weapon of destruction and control.

[Weak] Elvhenan Culture: Murals

Murals present a red sphere with rays that may imply a Sun .

In the mural “The Creation of the Veil” [1], we find a red sphere inside a black one, making us suspect it’s the big evil released by the Evanuris that Solas isolated with the creation of the Veil. Around it, there are seven “bubbles” with similar “rays” in grey and golden colours that may imply “gates” that would allow us the access to the central “sun” or red sphere.

In the mural “The Death of a Titan” [2] we talked extensively about the asterisk symbol, its representation of a Titan’s heart and all that power associated with it, as well as with Golden Rings. The codex in here speaks of a red sphere that contains fury, and maybe all of this can be related to a sun, or better said, the other way around: a Sun as a sphere of fire, related to fury, and buried below underground to contain its destruction. This also brings us some similarities with the unreliable Dalish legends about Elgar'nan.

In the mural  “Red Lyrium Idol” [3] we also commented how the image looks as if Solas were walking on a sphere of fire. It may be related to the red lyrium idol too. Here, we keep linking this idea of a “sphere of fire” as a potential Sun.

In the murals of “The actions of the Inquisitor” [4], we see several times that the red sphere associated with the big evil isolated behind the thick, impenetrable barrier of the Black City seems to be positioned in places that may allow a soft interpretation as a “sun”in the sky.

These symbols seem to gather more importance as we analysed the Vinyl Art, where we find the concept of the Eclipse [as an ominous symbol of Fen’Harel that covers and hides the Sun] and a lot of iconography of stars, which can be interpreted as “suns”.

[Weak] Tevinter Culture: Green Star

Pre-Blight Tevinter art has a “star” symbol that may be interpreted as a sun, specially if we consider that the inside of this green star displays the symbol of the elvhenan Golden Ring in red colour. However, it seems more likely to be a symbol representing the power that one can extract from the Breaches. The green colour helps in this interpretation and puts it a bit farther away from a sun interpretation than other symbols. However, it keeps linking the Golden Ring with the power of creating a Breach.

[Confusing] Tevinter Culture: different decorative elements

The rest of the symbols in Tevinter objects may have some relationship with the Sun. For example, we find doors, boxes, and columns decorated with an 8-pointed star [1] but we also find another one with 6 points in something that looks like a box [2]. The shape of an “hexagonal” sun of 8-pointy rays can be found as well in objects like the “scrying orb” [4].

Among the outfits, we find a 3-ray comb used by Tevinter women [3], which may be related to the sun-based symbol of an Old God [and potentially related to the corresponding Evanuris associated with it]. This symbol is a lot closer to the "Sun-head creature" we found among Elvhenan objects.

As a curious one, I will always point out the strange, hidden Sun figure that belongs to the Free Marches decoration that can be found at the entrance of the Inner Sanctum in Western Approach: The Still Ruins, Viridis Walk and Inner Sanctum.

I think it’s clear and safe to say that most of the sun-based symbols present in Tevinter culture [and previous to their conversion to Andrastian religion] may have been originated from the contact with the Elvhenan [during the Dreamer time where we can see less repulsion to Elvhen according the Tevinter Mosaics] or [most likely] with the dragons that may have been related to the Elvhenan, as I made the connection in the comic post The Missing.

[Weak] Dwarven Culture: Fairel and Dwarven art

The Dwarves, at least the ones in the Fairel’s ruins, may have some link with the Sun as well. In these ruins we find the same exact stone tablet we find in the Ancient Elvhenan tombs [1], which displays the “crappy sun” I commented above. Once again, it could be a sun but also a breach, so there is no much sense to keep focusing on it.

Another symbol to relate the Sun to the Dwarves may or may not be an old “Dwarven stone-paintings” we saw since DAO, which basically shows a dwarf working the stone [3]. Based on symmetry, we could assume that the triangles on the background are stalagmites, but if we stretch-out this interpretation, they could even be seen as a sun with its rays. It’s very unlikely, since it seems to be more a design resource to highlight the scene of the stone-painting, but for completion’s sake I think it’s worthy to keep it commented here.

However, this simple design allows us to interpret it in different ways: the spikes we see can be pieces of rock protruding from the ground and the Dwarf in it is mining them [as its original codex in DAO seems to imply], but also it could be understood as a quarter of a Sun peeking through the corner of the image as a Dwarf works tirelessly.

Later in DAI we are introduced to another piece of art of similar characteristics [2]. The building was never possible to be identified unequivocally, and in posts like “Architecture of Kirkwall : Gallows and Lowtown/Darktown” I related it to representations of Kirkwall or cities that may be similar to Kirkwall where the runecraft mastery of dwarves was used [and probably, it was a source of pride for these clans, who may have kept the achievement immortalised in a piece of art reproduced among the noble dwarven families]. This piece also shows a background very similar to the one in [3] that may be a representation of stalagmites or a sun, if it’s stretched-out enough.

Another strange symbol in the dwarven furniture is the one presented in some stone-seats: an elaborated metal image that shows thorny vines on or over a sun [4]. This symbol appears in many other parts of the game where there are dwarven rooms, but also in Arbor Wilds :Cradle of Sulevin where we can read the Vir Tanadhal, However, in this case, the symbol is not completely the same one than in the Hissing Wastes: Fairel tomb.

It’s hard to suspect if this is a mere reuse of assets, it has a lore-related meaning, or it’s just a reflection that the Dwarves and the Ancient Elvhen had a relationship quite ancient [as it shows the Elvhen tree and its dwarven, more geometrical style, that I’ve been pointing out since DAO in Orzammar]. We have to remember that the Ancient Elvhenan saw the dwarves as soulless creatures, workers of the “pillars of Earth” and worthless. However, I always claimed it was never clear if this was a reference to ancient Dwarves that were linked to the Titan deeply to the point that they became Sha-Brytol after the break of the link, or were related to more independent dwarves as the ones we see now, who have a sense of Stone, but can’t understand the Titan with the exception of some gifted ones [such as Valta].

Finally, the dwarves have an additional aspect related to the Sun in the very unreliable codex called Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads, Section 2. I wrote about this codex in a more integral way in Deep Roads [DLC Trespasser]: Lower Walkways. But basically an ex-Dalish elf [now a Qun converted] relates Elgar’nan’s fire [which another unreliable Dalish legend, Elgar'nan: God of Vengeance, claims he shoved the Sun into the Earth] to the fear to the Sun that Dwarves experience [Read the section Elgar’nan and Sylaise above]. This may have been a Dev’s choice to makes us aware that there exists a relationship between the Sun and the dwarves, even though there is no lore material that can make it clear enough.

[Strong] Ferelden Culture: The Sun Face and the geometrical Sun

In the Tryptich presented in Andrastian Design: Tapestry and Tryptich, we find three symbols on top of each part of the scene: the six-snakes that represent Tevinter, the golden city above all the image representing the Maker or the Chantry Religion, and over the section of Ferelden/Orlais chantry, a 8-pointed sun which rays look like triangles. Once again, the resemblance of this symbol with the elvhenan sun in the mural “Temple of Mythal” is remarkable [check the Temple of Mythal in “The actions of the Inquisitor”] or the sun shape in the elvhenan yellow mosaic or in the background of Solas in the Trailer of DA:D. This could come from different roots:

1- An Orlesian root, considering how much of the elvhenan influence it had during the time of the Halamshiral and the coexistence of humans and elves in the Dales for some years [to the point where inter-racial families were made, as it was hinted all over the Exalted Plains]. I spoeculated how the idea of the Maker may have been developed during this time in the post The Chantry and the Mythology of the Chant of Light

2- Another potential root is related to the Alamarri root, and therefore, linked to the Avvar: this sun may be a representation of the Lady of the Sky for the same reasons I will explain below in the Section Avvars and the Sun.

We can find similar icon in the book World of Thedas, where they show a unique Ferelden Tryptich [3], which top displays this symbol with a sun that even may have a shape of a Golden Ring within it. In either case, we know that this symbol later was part of the Ferelden Chantry, which sun is very pointy, as DAO showed it [see the first section in this post: Chantry Sunburst].

In DAI, we find in some small towns of Ferelden, a unique strange Sun with a crying face [1]. On it we see a bird and a squirrel. It’s hard to know exactly what this is, [check the post Nation Art: Ferelden], but maybe it can be understood as a representation of Andraste made by Ferelden culture mixed with some local animals and fables created as a mixture of cultures, similar to the tale that related Wyverns to Andraste [check the wyvern section in Dragon Age Iconic Patterns: The single spike].

There is also a fish drawn in the DLC of Hakkon on a fisherman shack [2], which displays a pattern that can be related to the “crappy sun” designs on its skin. Not sure what to make about it. The closest is that the Avvar represented this symbol as a way to reflect what they may have seen in the Isle of the Lady, where a big ancient breach have been there, open, since the time of Telana [read about this in “The Veil and the preservation of the Waking World” from the post Frostback Basin [DLC]: Miscellaneous ].

[Strong] Grey Wardens and the Sun

The typical symbol of the Grey Wardens involves a chalice that represents the Joining ritual. It always displays a Sun, and not any sun: it’s one with a strong resemblance to the Sunburst of the Chantry. Let’s remember that the Grey Wardens was and is an independent Order that doesn’t respond to the Chantry, and even more so: it was created before the existence of the Chantry, and before Andraste was born. So any quick explanation that this sun is present in this object due to some potential influence from the Chantry seem unlikely.

However, as I showed in Western Approach: The Still Ruins, Main Chamber and Hall of Silence, there are griffons with this same chalice that belonged to pre-Blight Tevinter, maybe remotely associated with Dumat in some ways [since they appear in a hall called “Hall of Silence”, and Dumat=Silence]. We know that the Joining, as a ritual of blood magic, came from the knowledge of Arlathan elves and Tevinter Mages during the desperate times of the First Blight when nothing seemed to stop the darkspawn and even slaying Dumat did not work the first time. Therefore, this Sun may have some relationship with the elvhenan, the Old Gods, or just the blood magic that allowed the creation of the Joining.

[Curious] Avvar and the Sun

The Avvar have a symbol that I always found very Sun-like due to its design and cultural concept: The Lady of the Sky. It’s not only the concept; the lady of the sky can be any important object in the sky; moons or suns. Since Thedas has two moons, it seems more plausible to think of her as unique as the Sun itself.

In the painting that represents her (found on a wall in the Frostback Mountains) we see a design of an owl which shape looks like a Sun. Even her sculpture in Skyhold displays small spikes around her neck which give her a low-key “sun-like” design, specially if we relate this shape with the “sun” shape we saw in the Ancient Elvhenan Yellow Mosaic or with the star we saw in the “Temple of Mythal” mural [in “The actions of the Inquisitor”] or with the Sun that appears behind Solas in the trailer.

Curiously, her banner displays her eyes in a shape that looks similar to the Golden Ring shape, but in black colour. That the Avvar have an art that may have resemblance with Elvhenan's is not strange for me if we remember that  Tyrdda Bright-Axe Path’s story narrates that her lover was an elf that, as it is hinted, may have been the Lady of the Sky herself. This means that the Avvar always were a culture under the influence of the Elvhenan and the Dwarves [due to the marriages they arranged with the children of the Stone].

[Weak] Flemeth

Flemeth also had a unique concept art that shows all of her nature in one drawing: her dragon shape, Mythal, as the central part of it over a human figure that may be a petitioner; a bit aside and as if she were in a inner ring of a brown sphere, The Witch of the Wild: Flemeth, with a very particular staff inside a yellow circle that may be interpreted as a Sun. And very hidden in the corner, in the core of this sphere, now black, we see her as an "old, old woman" with a big eye drawn on her apron, at the edge of a cliff [potentially representing the fragment of Mythal that lives inside her]. This kind of eye is very similar to the ones that we see in the concept art armours of Mythal’s temple guardians. I assume it has to do with her omnipresence due to the manipulation of dreams [we know that she presented herself in dreams to an elf and marked him with the Vallaslin of Mythal after awakening, check the video]

Mythal also has bland hints related to Elgar’nan symbology, which is related to the sun, fire, and balls of fire with anger [check all this in the posts Speculations about the Vinyl Art and “The Death of a Titan”]. Flemeth ends up being related to all this since she carries a fragment of Mythal in her.

[Strong] Qunari, Par Vollen, and the Solium Constellation

The Qunari have little link with the Sun, but not the land they conquered. In the book World of Thedas we are informed about the existence of the Fex, a race we never saw nor had much information beyond the fact that they exist. May they be related to the Sun or a Sun-base proto religion? We don't know.

In the Codex Constellation: Solium, we learn that this constellation [which looks like a Sun/Star, image above, pretty similar to the Chantry Sunburst I may add] may have been a representation of the Sun or the Moon [or both] for the Neomerian [Ancient Tevinters], however, it could also represent Elgar’nan, since unreliable Dalish legends claim him to be the “eldest of the Sun”.

Another Codex, called  The Pyramids of Par Vollen, tells us that the Jungles of this continent have ancient ruins that doesn’t seem to be tombs but places of scientific purposes. The shape of these ruins fits perfectly with the constellation of Solium, making them, in some way or another, related to the Sun. These pyramids are a great mystery in the DA lore, especially for their total lack of information beyond this codex. We know their walls show images of “intricate sea creatures, shipwrights, musicians, archers, and kings. Odd figures are depicted, tall, horned, always in a position of authority and respect.” It seems that there was no resistance when the Qunari came to conquer this place, so we can suspect that this previous civilization embraced the Qun without much resistance, in part, because the Qunari have horns, and that caused respect and authority. Or the civilisation had been gone long ago when they came. Or it was a civilisation that was developed by or under the authority of the Kossith, the ancient Qunari who had no Qun.

The brief description of these ruins also makes me link it, potentially, with the underground ruins we find in  The Horror of Hormak .

[Confusing] DAO design

This section tries to relate the Sun shape with designs that may make the connection a bit stretched or not truly reasonable, therefore, DAO leads this part, lol.

We find that many places along the game, specially the ones related to puzzles [Honnleath and Enchanter Wilhelm’s basement] or to Tevinter experiments [Ruins of Brecilian Forest] display a platform on the ground with a symbol similar to the Sunburst of the Chantry. I’m not sure why they are there, specially in the Brecilian Forest, since we know this was a fortress probably developed by Tevinter [ which potentially may have co-opted, as usual, an ancient Elvhenan building and claimed it as its own] just to be taken by Dalish and humans later. This Fortress is a mess in terms of design and statues that it displays, so it’s hard, if not impossible, to truly take it seriously. To me it all feels more like a reuse of graphical resources, but just for the sake of completion, I add the present section.

More of these sun-like platforms can be found in the Tower of the Circle of Magi [which could potentially make sense since the tower was made by Avvar and Dwarves, and it may be a representation of the Lady of the Sky, as we saw in the Avvar section of this post] but also in the Temple of Andraste or in Denerim at the Fort Drakon which makes less sense [unless it is taken as a symbol from the Chantry itself]. Again, these inconsistencies make me suspect the reuse of assets in a game that could not afford to have 5 different platforms designs.

[Confusing] Free Marches Rural Areas

Another place where I found a sun-like symbol was in a very disturbing image of the book World of Thedas associated with a cautionary tale told to Free Marches kids. In it, we see that people/children are punished if they go outside a bubble of darkness with small “sun-like” symbols floating around. Each of these kids have a symbol on their belly or head. Curiously, one of these symbols is a small spiral that I’ve brought the attention upon long ago in the post Hinterlands: Statues, paintings, and structures found in the open where we found the alamarri statue I called Eroded dragon skull which has a “G symbol” on its back, which, at the same time, seems similar to the one present in a reiterative way all over the elvhen artefacts and in some dwarven rug designs.

I don't know how to interpret this image, mostly like the big black bubble that contains these klids seems to protect or shield them from the dangers outside. The kids that "behave badly" are dropped outside of it and are consumed by the dragon fire/jaws of the dangers outside. So in a very stretched way, we can interpret this image that the bubble filled with Suns protects people, or at least, it's the right path to follow not to be eaten by those monsters outside.

Conclusions

To put an end to this post, I would like to bring a short conclusion that we may have reached together along it. The Sun in Thedas is an ancient symbol that mostly every culture took to exploit and use in their own representation of gods/power.

This fact alone is not strange, since in anthropology we can see that severals cultures on Earth have developed religious rites or created Gods out of the Sun itself. The Sun is a symbol related to warmth, light, food, life, and security, so it seems reasonable for DA Lore to take it as the main symbol of Thedas civilisations.

The Sun in current Thedas is immediately associated with the Chantry and Andraste: it is a symbol of hope, of dawn, that provide the idea of new beginnings; it’s also the idea of the Maker itself and the Faith people have in him. It's also the fire that purifies in order to grant ascension [Andraste's case].

When it comes to Elvhenan, the Sun is immediately related to Elgar’nan, who was considered, according to the underaliable Dalish legends, the son of the Sun itself, who in order to save the Land shoved the sun into the ground, potentially causing a great damage to Dwarves and Titans.

There is also a symbol of a half-sun in an Eluvian, a statue, and in a hat worn by an elf, that may suggest that an original god, represented by the sun [potentially an ancient Dragon] was worshipped by the Evanuris. Lately, that symbol may have been co-opted by one of the Evanuris when they took divinity and the identity of the ancient gods they worshiped.

Elvhenan also seem to take the symbol of the asterisk as an oversimplification of the Sun, which across the murals, is also related to the heart of Titans, to power, and to the Golden Ring, which is also associated with control. So, for Elvhenan, we may suggest that the Sun represents immense power, if not, Divinity itself, that may end up being related to the core of Titans. The asterisk is also associated to the orb, a big power object.

Since Elvhenan were the first civilisation we know that started in Thedas [besides the Titans and their children], their symbols of power [asterisk, orb, golden ring] may have evolved along time to reach human groups which developed, later, all the sun symbols that ended up in the Chantry’s.

Thanks to Tevinter, we also can suspect that the Sun may have been a representation of an Old God, since they have a lot of sun-related images in their decoration and objects that belong to ancient times in which they were not Andrastian yet [in fact, so ancient times that Andraste herself was not born yet]. This may mean that the Sun symbol cloud have been taken from the Elvhenan or from the Ancient Dragons. Through Tevinter style, we also realise that the Elvhenan Golden Ring may have been used to create Breaches, which again shows and seems consistent with the idea of relating it to power and control. The symbol of Sun in Tevinter culture may be related originally with Elvhenan or with Ancient Dragons that Tevinter used to worship.

Dwarves have little representation of the sun for obvious reasons, but due to the unreliable legend of Elgar’nan and the war with the Titans, we may establish a relationship in which the dwarves endured the Sun [or the Elvhenan power] at some point in their story.

Thanks to the Grey Warden we can relate a sun with the idea of ancient Blood magic or ancient Dragon blood knowledge, since the Joining is represented by a chalice with a Sun on it.

The Avvar also have a low-key representation of the Sun in their Lady of the Sky, which may be just consequence of their deep relationship with the Elvhenan culture.

Par Vollen may have more answers about the Sun and ancient times, but the lore of DA world is very scarce on this region of the map of Thedas, so we can only speculate.

[exhausted-archivist]

So I'm working on drawing food for the headnotes of the recipes I've concepted out and haven't tested or fully worked out the kinks. I want to post something to celebrate The Veilguard drop, especially something I can queue up because I will be avoiding you all and the spoilers for at least a week haha.

The poll is below and the recipe headnotes are below the cut if you want an idea of what I'm working with.

Boiled Eggs and Pine Nuts Sauce (Appetizer) A simple and delightful dish one would not particularly expect from a nation of opulence such as Tevinter. A sweet dish with the perfect touch of zing, nutty, and savory notes, while holding a compelling contrast of being both crunchy and soft.

Deepstalker Stew (Soup/Stew) An uncommon meal, one that most won’t serve outside the appeal for an ‘exotic’ dish or in times of desperation. This stew is more often one to be consumed should you be stuck in the Deep Roads or an isolated cave. Not, at a tavern when one has been on the road for several days. It should be noted that depending on where you’re capturing these cave-dwelling creatures will dictate the taste. Many of the accounts I have heard from the Legionnaires describe the taste and texture akin to chicken. Whereas if you catch them near water sources they garner a fishy taste with the texture of chicken. But, this stew is simple in and of itself. Usually with very little substance aside from the meat and whatever edible additions you can forage for. In this recipe we have tried to enhance it with herbs, potatoes, and salt.

Braised Nug with Elfroot (Savory) This salty, aromatic dish melts in your mouth with its tenderness. Nug is a common and popular dish for Orzammar dwarves. One that lingers in some surface communities with a twist of new herbs and spices. Though humble is the nug and elfroot, this meal is filling and delightful in its own right.

Exquisite Misery (Dessert) The Orlesians are nothing if not indulgent and extravagant. From wyverns to phoenixes, Orlesians have a tendency to play chance with their lives for whatever element of decadence is in the trends. While deep mushrooms are perhaps the least lethal thing one can consume, I do advise avoiding eating too many of these little cakes. That said, should one partake and find that they are able to get past the musky, earthy flavor; these can be quite a treat. Fluffy, soft, and a touch sweet, it is a dessert I find best to consume after a rather savory or spicy meal.

Roasted Fiddleheads and Leeks with Goat Cheese (Vegetable) A dish available during only a few short weeks in the spring, fiddleheads have a delightful crunch from the roasting as well as their natural snap. They have a sweet, but not quite grassy taste to them almost akin to beans and asparagus. When paired with the sweet, caramelized flavour of the leeks and the creamy, tartness of your favourite goat cheese. It pairs well with a protein or on a bed of grains.

Seasoned Mussels (Seafood) The exact origins of this dish are unknown, given that Antiva, Rivain, and Tevinter hold strong ties to their coastal waters and each have several versions of how to make this dish. Most scholars declare it was Tevinter in origin due to the age of the Imperium, but the question then lies what area of the Imperium and when? The version I have crafted is a blend of Antivan and Rivaini flavours, as I prefer the shellfish off their coastlines to those of Tevinter. A rich dish that can be eaten with a fine pasta or spread over a bed of rice.

[shift-shaping]

the valley grass is greening

a visitor comes to skyhold

rating: g

pairing: solavellan

warnings: mention of pregnancy, canon-typical racism

previous fics | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Enaste followed her messenger out of the rotunda, Solas close behind her. Surely if this visitor was a threat Leliana would have noticed, or even one of the guards, and they would not have been given entrance to Skyhold. The code –’the valley grass is greening’– was certainly cryptic, but vaguely hopeful if anything.

The castle vestibule was as busy as ever. Visiting dignitaries tittered around, but their voices hushed when they saw her. There were many Orlesians and Fereldans, but more than a few dwarves as well now that they had proper lyrium contacts. Elves were few and far between, as always.

The general lack of elves made the grey-bearded Dalish man standing by the doors stand out even more than he already would. He was dressed in thick furs, obscuring his slight frame, and his long grey hair was twisted and tied high on to his head. His vallaslin had faded with time and was obscured by wrinkles, but the mark of Sylaise was still visible to those who knew what it should look like.

And the instant she saw him, Enaste broke into a dead sprint.

She flung herself into him, nearly barreling him over, and buried her face in the fur at his neck. He let out a loud, hearty laugh that should have belonged to a larger man, and hugged her tightly. He was no longer strong enough to pick her up and swing her around, but his hugs were as bear-like as ever.

"Uncle," she said softly, almost too happy to speak. "It is so good to see you again."

"I've missed you so much, da'len." He held her for a few precious moments more, then pulled back enough to kiss her hairline. "We were so scared." He looked up over her shoulder, and she saw him frown at the many human eyes on them. "Not as scared as you though, I‘d guess."

"Is this someone from your clan, Inquisitor?"

She turned, reluctantly separating herself from her uncle's embrace, and nodded at Varric. "This is Roshan, my uncle."

Varric held out his hand and opened his mouth to introduce himself, but evidently he didn't need to. "Are you Varric Tethras?" Hearing her uncle's accent turn her friend's name into a melody was surreal, like two worlds colliding.

They shook hands, and Varric smiled up at the old elf. "That I am! What gave it away?"

"Enaste told us all about you in her letters. I was so intrigued by these books of yours I went and found one myself."

"Oh?" Varric looked half way between embarrassed and expectant. "Which one?"

"This one!" Roshan slung his pack off his back and pulled out a ragged, worn copy of Hard in Hightown 3: The Re-Punchening. 

Varric cringed, and Enaste barked a laugh. "Where did you find that, uncle?"

"Some port city on the way here." He frowned at his copy. "It looked much better when I bought it, but it's been a long journey."

"Well, I take no responsibility for the contents of that... novel," Varric said, and Roshan's thick grey brows furrowed. "Apparently someone thinks I'm important enough to impersonate."

"Oh!" Roshan looked relieved. "So you didn't write this one? That's good! That is good." He nodded slowly, frowning at the book. "It is quite bad."

"It's terrible!" Varric laughed. "I'm not exactly writing works of art, but I can definitely do better than that."

"Well either way, I am honored to meet you, Varric Tethras." Roshan shot Enaste a wry smile. "I understand you're one of the reasons my niece is still alive."

"Ah, sort of. It's been a team effort, I’d say."

"And you must be Solas," Roshan said, turning to him. Solas had been silent so far, standing awkwardly behind Enaste with his hands behind his back. He looked surprised that her uncle knew who he was.

"What gave that away?" Varric asked, and Roshan shrugged.

"Not many elves here. Even fewer old enough to be teaching anyone anything."

"I told my clan that you were teaching me spirit magic, so I can better protect myself," Enaste cut in, and Solas nodded.

“She is a quick study,” Solas said, and smiled politely at them both.

"Well I'm glad for that. And that she is not alone amongst shemlen." They shook hands. "You have the eyes of a mage," Roshan said sagely, and Solas narrowed said eyes in confusion.

"Uncle, what does 'the valley grass is greening' mean?"

Roshan grinned and laughed. "Nothing at all. I just wanted to see if it would scare the shemlen to see a knife-ear being cryptic." He stopped quickly, suddenly cautious, and looked at Solas. "I mean no offense, of course."

"Regarding what?" Solas asked, confused.

"Some fla-" Enaste shot him a sharp look, and he quickly corrected himself. "Some non-Dalish elves take great offense to the term 'knife-ear.' Even from another elf."

"I see." Solas's face was difficult to read. "Well, none taken, in any event." Enaste hoped he meant it.

Roshan turned back to Enaste with a hand on his stomach. "I've traveled far, da'len, and it's been a long journey. Where are the kitchens? You must have some in this monstrosity." Solas frowned at his calling Skyhold a monstrosity, but she didn’t disagree. A gray stone fortress was a far cry from the open plains and dry forests their clan called home.

"What do you want?" Varric replied with a smile. "The cooks here are pretty damn good, and creative, too. As a guest of the Inquisitor herself, you just have to ask."

Roshan hummed. "I suppose they could assist me, if they're open-minded... no, it's best for me to work alone." He nodded then, deciding something.

"You just said you were tired," Enaste laughed, and her uncle shook his head seriously.

"I am never too tired to cook my First a meal."

Her chest warmed. "I'm surprised you all haven't replaced me."

"Enaste." He sounded offended, almost scolding, like the suggestion itself was an insult. "Only a few of us wanted to do that!"

Enaste cringed. "I suppose that's better than all of you."

"Only an elder who did not truly know you would suggest you were unworthy of being our First."

"Why is that?" Solas asked, and Roshan bit his lip.

He looked at Enaste. "We can discuss it later, da'len. Your new friends do not need to hear about the inner politics of our clan."

"Unless they want to," Enaste said, awkwardly, attempting to keep Solas from feeling left out. Maybe it would be boring to him, but she knew he'd been rejected by Dalish elves before, and didn't want him to feel that way again. "Anyway, I'm happy to show you the kitchens and help you prepare something."

"How about this," Varric said. "You two go have yourselves a nice little reunion, take your time to catch up, and we can all meet later for dinner." He smiled at Roshan. "And if you still want to cook, you're welcome to."

"Excellent idea," Roshan replied. "This will let me see what I have to work with in your kitchens."

Varric and Solas stayed behind in the main hall, and Enaste took her uncle to the keep's kitchen. Along the way they attracted more than their fair share of stares and whispers, so much so that by the time they reached the dungeons beneath the keep, Enaste was visibly annoyed.

"Your control is impressive, da'len," her uncle said, and she sighed heavily. "You'd think they’d never seen one of our people before, but they must have seen you."

She leaned against the cold stone wall, and closed her eyes for a moment. He let her have the space to think, and when she spoke again he was watching her patiently. "I think the people here, many of them, have a very... selective, idea of who I am. I’m not a person to them, I'm a symbol. And a symbol --a symbol doesn't have to be Dalish, or an elf, or even a mage."

"Yet you've stayed." It was somewhere between a statement and a question. "We thought you... admittedly, I half-expected to see you in chains."

She snorted. "I only had chains on for the first week or so. They got tired of hand-feeding me."

"Da'len," he said softly, and looked around him before he went on. "You could still leave. The Inquisition can find a Herald who actually likes their Maker."

"No," she replied. She held up her left hand, and the Anchor flashed. "I can't."

He sucked in a sharp breath. "So it is real." He took her hand gently, studying it. "I thought that it might be an exaggeration, that maybe you were just using magic the shems didn't know, but..." He looked into her eyes. His were a darker brown than hers, gleaming warmly in the candlelight. "You can use this to repair the holes in the Veil?"

She nodded. "It's called the Anchor. By Corypheus, anyway."

"Yes, the magister." He sighed and shook his head. Just as gently as he'd taken her hand, he let it go. "Creators, what did we send you into?"

"It is not your fault, hahren, none of you could have known." She hated seeing the regret in his eyes. "And I offered, anyway."

"We... we knew there would be risks."

She smiled softly. "I told you I could handle them."

He returned her smile, and glanced back towards the main castle. "And evidently you were right."

Enaste had decided long ago that she would not cry, no matter the circumstances. But his words, and his voice, and the fact that he was here at all, made her eyes sting and her throat tighten. Seeing her reaction, he pulled her into another tight hug. She rubbed her face on the soft furs of his coat, and squeezed her eyes shut. 

"Why did you come here, uncle?" She asked quietly.

"I can't just come for a visit?"

She laughed and shook her head against him. "It's a long way just for a visit."

"You are worth every step, da'len." She squeezed her eyes tighter, and they stayed like that for a few more moments. Then he pulled back, and he was smiling. "But I do come with news. I know you have your obligations, and a whole world to save, but... Harea is with child."

Enaste gasped. Harea was her brother's bonded, and one of Enaste's dearest friends. They had been together for a long time, nearly ten years, and had tried every technique they could find to get pregnant for six. That it had finally happened, that she was far enough along to tell the clan, felt like a miracle.

"We understand you--"

"When?"

"In about six weeks."

"I have to be there, I can help." Enaste had delivered many babies, and had even gone to assist other clans when a difficult birth was expected. 

Roshan laughed. "I knew you would say that. We all did. It is... heartening to see you are still the same."

"Where is the clan camped?"

"Near Wycome. Should be, anyway. There's a valley nearby with fewer rifts, and it's supposed to be secluded." She cocked her head, and he shrugged. "That was the plan before I left. Assuming they followed it, that's where they'll be now."

"I will go. With the Inquisition's resources, we can reach Wycome in less than two weeks. A week, possibly, depending on the weather."

Roshan nodded, smiling. "Everyone will be so happy to see you. Will your... ah-- handlers here, let you leave?"

She laughed at his word choice. "My 'handlers' can follow me if they like, but they cannot stop me from going."

"Good," he said. "That is good. Well," he looked her up and down, "wait, what have they got you wearing?"

"Let's just make lunch, uncle, I'll explain while we cook." She smiled at him, feeling closer to home than she had in months. And the thought of actually returning in a few weeks made her nearly giddy with excitement. Cassandra and Leliana could bitch all they wanted, but Enaste Lavellan was going home.

<- prev fic | next fic ->

[pendlewood]

Alright, I’m really enjoying DAVV. But seriously, WHAT is going on with these accents? Why is there an Orlesian noble without an egregious French accent? Why are there so many common folk background characters with Fereldan accents, when we’re not in Fereldan? Why were there Qunari with non-American accents? I’m really confused. I know accents have been a silly thing in DA for a long time, with dwarves/qunari seeming to only have American accents regardless of region. But what is going on here??

[vigilskeep]

call back to the dark ritual ask, do you think mages in tevinter bribe the dwarves with blood magic fertility rituals? like the dark ritual is a hyper-specific Steal An Old God, Make Them Your Baby shebang, but iirc morrigan tells you the actual blood magic is really ancient, and dorian tells you making more mages is a really involved “breeding project,” where they select for traits, etc. to me that sounds like they kill people to have babies. basically what i’m saying here is do we think the imperium already HAS a blood magic dwarven baby pyramid scheme? (also while i’m here, i love your ask answers! <3)

i don’t think that’s what dorian is implying, unless i missed something? he’s talking about a eugenicist culture in which couples are selected for the magical ability they may pass on to their offspring. far be it from me to say that blood magic doesn’t get involved when those pairings fail to bear fruit, but that isn’t the name of the game as it were. and i wonder if they’re confident enough in their blood magic to risk those precious results

tevinter does have an incredibly longstanding relationship with the dwarves and it is something the dwarves desperately want. the question is whether tevinter actually has access to this magic (you really would think it would come up) and also how willing dwarves would be to take the risk of having blood magic cast on the same individuals they desperately want more of. also the political risk. so much of orzammar’s wealth stems from controlling the lyrium trade with the orlesian chantry, and its food stores depend on its relationship with orlais in general. a relationship with tevinter can be tolerated, perhaps. but to have their people, surely nobles if they have the wealth, born with blood magic? that would be pretty damning. i don’t know if it’s damning enough for the chantry to forget the benefits of a convenient, lyrium-mining, heathen meat shield between the surface and the darkspawn, but it’s pretty damning

there are some really great thoughts that stem naturally from all that, though, like, stigma or not, there are absolutely fake blood mages selling useless fertility rituals all over thedas. nothing that makes people forget taboos and hand over the cash quite like it. also, i bet there are dozens of rumours about royal progeny in this regard. oh, the royal pentaghast grandchildren can’t possibly look like that because of ages of politically convenient inbreeding, the antivan third princess can’t possibly have only gotten pregnant now after years of trying because of simple chance, it’s got to be because [insert wild blood magic theory here]

[illusivesoul]

Why Leliana is half dwarf

My hc theory on why Leliana is half dwarf.

The rest of the post is under the cut.

.

1 - Her mom was a servant to an Orlesian noble, and dwarven servants are common in Orlais. Nobles: Don’t be an idiot. How could the Herald of Andraste be a dwarf? Nobles: Maybe it’s just a servant.

The comments Orlesian nobles make towards a dwarf inquisitor in the Winter Palace. 2 - As it's seen in the mission In Hushed Whispers, Leliana has a very strong resistance to the Blight sickness. Dwarves are naturally resistant to the Blight sickness due to their constant proximity to the darkspawn. And in another example, the dwarves of Kal'Sharok have adapted and "become inmune" to the blight disease, similarly to Grey Wardens. So it'd make sense if she had inherited this same resistance from her mom.

3 - She likes nugs and is very passionate and caring about them. Granted, she doesn't want to eat them like all dwarves do, but still, she's the only human (afaik) in the series who has shown so much interest for nugs. Also, following with the possibility of her mom being a dwarf, I wonder if she told her stories or had figurines or something about nugs and thats why she's so fond of them.

4 - She's in awe of Orzammar and really likes the city.

5 - The epilogue for lyrium ghost Leliana in Trespasser very much sounds like the song of the Titans, and the corrupted version of it which its what imo prompts the darkspawn to seek out the Archdemons.

Like this comment that Cole makes about the Titans’s song: “It’s singing. A they that’s an it that’s asleep, but still making music.”

Also, we all know lyrium is a titan’s blood. So a dwarven blooded Leliana becoming a “lyrium ghost” after “dying” could actually be pretty similar to what Valta becomes at the end of The Descent DLC. Also to note is that Valta somehow revived Renn after becoming connected to the Titan and acquiring its “magic”. This could also explain why Leliana returned to life after being killed in the Temple of Sacred Ashes", cause she would have a special connection to lyrium from her dwarven blood.

6 - She has super strong thighs that can break a person's neck. Clear sign of dwarven genes.

Venatori: "You will break!" Leliana: "I will die first! Or you will"

Thanks for reading my very serious theory.

[themournwatcher]

Fic Recommendations

Here are a list of the fanfictions that I have either read or are currently reading and think that should get more attention!

“Not Another Dragon Age Fanfic (The Lone Wolf Cries)” by dork_trash94 Kieran finds himself suddenly transported to Thedas, and vows to keep a close eye on the Dread Wolf to stop him from betraying them once again. As he finds out, a ‘close eye’ unfortunately means actually being close - and it doesn’t help that the game’s timeline is changing, either. Lots of pining, sprinkle of yearning, some funky Time-bending, and a frequently flustered Solas. (via @fen-harelapologist94 on tumblr)

They’ve also just released the first chapter of their newest fanfic!

“Tea Leaves and Sweet Dreams” by dork_trash94 Kieran was not prepared to meet Solas - the infamous and reclusive TA for Professor Flemeth’s Magic Theory and Application class - in person, in his tea shop. Much less the same academic program.

I am currently in the midst of reading this next fanfic but I positively adore the author’s use of language! Dwarves are not usually my favorite fantasy culture but I have so grown to love the Aeducan and Brosca storytelling here. It is the first part of a four part series so we are all in for a treat!

“Of Diamonds and Dust” by @dragonologist_phd Marja Aeducan and Darvis Brosca lead lives as different as one could possibly imagine. Marja Aeducan, a member of the nobility and second in line for the throne, has spent her life maneuvering the dangerous political machinations of the Diamond Quarter. Meanwhile, Darvis Brosca, a Casteless dwarf rejected by society, does whatever it takes to survive on the streets of Dust Town. When a Grey Warden arrives in Orzammar, the lives of Marja and Darvis are forever changed. Driven from the city by misfortune and betrayal, the two must join the ranks of the Wardens in order to save their own lives. But the surface has far greater dangers than they realize. The noble and the thief will need to stand together if they’re going to fight against the oncoming Blight, the brewing civil war, and the strange surface malady called “sunburn”. Also, the contemporary fic to read alongside it: “And So They Burned”

I have been reading “South” for over a year now and I need it to get widespread to a wider audience. His use of imagery and their idea of Tolkien’s world is so refreshing. They also have a lot of other LoTR fanfics that you should check out, too!

“South” by oxbridge The Grey Company rides south: Through Eregion, Dunland, and beyond.

Other fics that I’m currently reading and think should be shared!

“Dead Pasts and Dread Futures” by youworeblue The Inquisitor’s heart broke after the Exalted Council when her family of friends scattered to the winds. She was emptied of hope as Solas’s power and reach grew. Left with a dead past and dreading the future, Ixchel Lavellan lay down and chose not to wake up. As the Veil began to unravel, and the fabric of reality tore apart at the seams, a desperate ally sacrificed everything to give her a second chance. And Ixchel will never forgive him. (via @dreadfutures on tumblr)

“Keepers” by AkbalKiin A necromage in the plains causes a stir to the local folk. The Inquisition investigates and recruits an elf, a former Keeper, into their rank for his knowledge on Dalish archaeology and his stealth abilities. The Inquisition tests his skills as they close in on Red Templars as part of a plan to thwart Samson and Corypheus. (via @nightmarist on tumblr)

“Une Autre Histoire D'amour” (series) by fondofthehowes Exploring the relationship between Étienne Montmartre, an Orlesian warden better suited to be a bard, and Cassandra Pentaghast. For a woman that long pined for the concept of a man that would sweep her off her feet, she never anticipated that she would not only find it, but that he would be far more than that too.

“Would That I (O Unrepentant, Faithless, Treacherous)” by @thiefbird Saved from Alistair’s vengeance to presumably die to the Archdemon, Loghain Mac Tir is at a loss to find himself alive after the end of the Blight.

"The Lark and the Crow" by @dujour_13 Woljif had to admit, it was a pretty sweet deal. Why not follow through and see what an honest quid pro quo felt like? A couple of days ago he had been chained up, for lack of a proper jail cell, in the moldy basement of the Defender’s Heart tavern, furiously concocting dead-end escape plots. The worst thing about it was crouching in a dark corner on a hard, cold floor and gazing up the stairs where light, laughter, the scent of food, and sometimes even music drifted down, out of his reach. Perpetually out of his reach. Until, of course, this golden-headed half-elf had come down the stairs and made him a deal. (via @dujour13 on tumblr)

"none of us are going back." by @var_bellanaris "We are all going forward. None of us are going back." — Richard Siken, Snow and Dirty Rain The Hero of Ferelden and the Hero of River Dane on surviving past the end of your myth. (via @v-arbellanaris on tumblr)

[anneapocalypse]

As students of culture, it is important to always recognize your biases. I wear my Chantry perspective openly, for if my readers do not understand the lens through which I view the world, they cannot account for how these biases may color my writing.

Gathering accurate information is challenging in a place as vast and fragmented as Thedas. One man may go on at length about lurid dealings with a king, then refuse to provide his name or some proof of the account. Other sources may conflict wildly. Fixing travel to some of the more remote areas of the continent is nothing compared to the difficulty I've had finding contacts I can trust. I cannot tell you how many times "reputable people" have tried to deceive me, sometimes for personal notoriety, more often in the interest of a pet cause. Trustworthy Qunari, Dalish, and Tevinter contacts are especially scarce, and I prize those I have kept friendly. Often it is I who must earn their trust.

Texts too can be unreliable. From extensive readings, I have determined that Andraste was a Fereldan Orlesian who was born in every town from here to Hossberg. What little remains of elven history has been told and retold, shifted and skewed, until the tales are unrecognizable. I have particular respect for the dwarves, for there is no other people so obsessed with recording an accurate and complete history. If only the Shapers were as open as the skies they fear.

If I can be honest, the long reign of the Chantry has made the recording of reality at times a trial. Most common histories have been rewritten through the filter of my religion. Everything has meaning as it pertains to the Maker. And while this is unavoidable, it sometimes leads to conflicts between what is officially taught by the Chantry and what I have seen with my own eyes.

While my belief in the Maker is absolute, only a fool would ignore the lessons to be learned from other societies and religions.

Take the Fade. Was it the kingdom of the Maker, as common knowledge dictates, or the realm of the Tevinter Old Gods? Few people would contest its existence, but beyond that, there is little agreement among scholars. Though there are many who would disagree with me, I have come to believe nothing is for certain. I've met too many people and encountered too many perspectives not to keep an open mind about these things.

—Excerpt from a lecture by Brother Genitivi at the University of Orlais, delivered shortly after the release of his seminal work, In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of a Chantry Scholar

(Found in the Redcliffe Chantry in Dragon Age: Inquisition.)

[kenwaysfolly]

language in thedas has always been poorly thought out because what do you mean ferelden and all the marcher states and most other human countries speak common which is a trade tongue originated by dwarves* when tevinter colonised southward. common should be tevene in origin and have developed specific dialects. also i know that zevran was out here saying mi amor in dao but this world is so unserious for having orlesians speak actual french while also having a conlang with enough recognisable patterns like qunlat. actually if they were gonna go that direction, their minor tevene slay for, yes, having direct latin loanwords or origins but also inventing other stuff that fits the vibe and doesn't resemble latin as heavily like fasta vass and vanhedan

[silent-words]

Oct 26 - Favourite Inquisition NPC

That one's hard to answer. I like Dagna, but she is from DA:O, there is also Maredyn, but we don't see a lot of her. And, of course, Storvacker the bear.

I'll choose Valta, a Shaper from The Descent DLC. A brave woman and scholar who is fascinated by ancient history. She does everything to verify her hypothesis, while all the other dwarves just laugh at her for talking about titans. And unlike the Orlesian professor in Jaws of Hakkon Valta goes with the Inquisition through the Deep Roads.

[syrupwrit]

Happy Friday! Ooohh what about Vintage: Warden Riordan from the Bottles of Thedas prompts for your Surana & Oghren? 👀👀

Hello, thank you for the prompt!

Under the cut, please find ~560 words of f!Surana & Oghren hanging out for @dadrunkwriting. Note: alcohol use.

-

“‘Serve yourself,’” reads Oghren. “Heh. Don't mind if I do.” 

He swigs the ritewine and passes it to Neria. She takes it without looking, wipes the lip on the damp blankets she’s bundled in, and takes a long, hard pull.

Or tries to, anyway. “Maker, what did Riordan put in this?” she croaks, once she’s coughed and snorted out most of the lining of her throat. “And the Orlesians talk about our ‘Fereldan swill.’ I can feel it in my ears.”

“Delightful, ain’t it? Warms every twist in your guts.” He takes another swig, apparently relishing the burn.

“So would lava. Give it back.”

Rain is pounding on the roof of the hut. Wind shrieks and whistles through the pines. A sudden gust blows a spray of water through the walls, tinged with salt from the Waking Sea, which bellows and seethes against the rocks far below. 

Oghren drinks until he’s chuckling to himself, and Neria drinks until tears spill from her eyes.

He notices. “Hey, stop that.”

She smiles at him, wet trails on her cheeks. “The shoe, Oghren, is on the other foot.”

He grabs the ritewine from her. “Little girls shouldn’t drunk cry. Drunk crying’s for big strong warriors with curly beards. That’s how they wash the tavern floors.”

“And baby dwarves are born as little rocks.” Saying this makes her cry harder. Her voice breaks on the word born.

“Uh,” says Oghren, and he’s getting up, heavy tread on creaking floorboards. Rotten old hut. He shouldn’t get the clean rag for her tears, but he’s gotten it, and there’s stale rolls and cheese in his hands, and a flask of that awful West Hill brandy.

“I’d rather Riordan’s ritewine,” says Neria, accepting rag and food. “I hate brandy.”

“It’s not for you.” He trickles a little on a torn-open roll. “Can pretend it’s jam if I’m hungry enough. Now tell old Oghren what’s the matter.”

Neria pulls the blankets tighter around herself, feeling tears build in her eyes again. “I’m cold. I don’t like the rain.”

Oghren’s stuffing cheese into his roll. “Then how about you summon us a fire? One of those queer magey fires that don’t burn ya. Knew someone who could do it.”

“Those were warmth wisps,” she sniffs. “They liked Anders, not me.”

“Forgot his name,” says Oghren, who hasn’t. “Alright, stop the rain, then.”

“I can’t just stop the rain, Oghren.”

He takes a bite of his brandy and cheese sandwich, dripping soggy crumbs, and wipes his mouth on the back of his hand. “What’s the point of all that magic nugshit if you can’t do whatever you want?”

“It’s my kid’s second birthday this month”—she breaks down for a second, has to collect herself—“and I don’t know the day.” There. She’s never mentioned the child to the Wardens.

To what shouldn’t really be her surprise, he takes it in stride. “Boy or girl?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is it that lad in Greenfell’s?”

“What?” Oh. Cullen. “No.”

“Whose is it?”

“Mine.”

“You want to track down the kid and steal it back?”

“Already tried that. Didn’t work.” The storm is screaming away outside, and the ring on Neria’s necklace-chain feels thorny against her chest. “I just need to stop caring.”

He snorts. “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen, no matter how much of that you drink.”

“I guess you’d know.”