#RED templars though? different story

[dungeons-and-dragon-age]

iyhsb my absolute beloved,,

[scribeofmorpheus]

Veilguard Review: Doom Upon the World

Warnings: Spoilers for Veilguard, very political review (considers race, gender, religion and choice consequences centred around established Thedas).

Another long post: 4k words

In my first review (Love, Wisdom and Pride), I focused on the relationships most pivotal to Solas’ arc reaching resolution: Inquisitor and Mythal (though heavily Solavellan inspired, I tried to be aware of how the Inquisitor’s role as a rival/friend outside of romance was still considered as an important relationship in his story). This review, on the other hand, will focus on the worldstate and what we lost [x], as well as my speculations on which story beats/companions/advisors I feel should have been integrated into the story for a deeper emotional payoff for past Dragon Age players (and overall story cohesion).  

N.B: This review is definitely a critique of something I love, born from love, because—yes, I had expectations; yes, they were high; no, I don’t think that’s a problem; no, I do not hate the game we got, but I mourn for what the devs clearly were building towards with the last 3 games in the series, and from what we know from the internal struggles with Bioware under EA’s helm (as evidence from the development time, layoffs, staff’s disappointment, and the differences between the final game and the concept art) the only thing getting in the way of a truly epic game was corporate meddling and greed.

Spoilers below the cut.

Without further ado, the primary criticism I have is that Varric should not have been our advisor! I read a post somewhere that succinctly surmised the that Varric was chosen as our Advisor so that:

Solas would make an “irredeemable” mistake for all the Solas haters to use as an excuse to simply view him as an antagonist, simplifying the goal of the game to: stop the elf from bringing down the Veil.

Varric was used for marketing purposes rather than story depth choices; he’s popular, beloved and an easy carrot for the EA stick to dangle in front of loyal fans.

His writer has literally been trying to kill him off for the last 2 games! Varric was supposed to die in Inquisition! (lol)

I firmly believe he should have been holding the blight back in Kirkwall, and that his position as Viscount of Kirkwall should have affected the outcome of the blight spreading in the South!

Advisors in the North

Right off the bat, the two best choices for advisor, (excluding the Inquisitor out of favouritism) should have been Dorian and Morrigan.

Dorian: because we’re in the North, the Shadow Dragons are by far the more “grassroots organisation against imperial power” kind of organised body the Inquisition started out as. Since we don’t have a calling to fight against like the Wardens in Origins or a family to try and keep together in a city on the brink of implosion like Hawke, or a pseudo religious-political body to inspire Hope in the faithful like the Inquisitor, Valour, Love and Hope cannot be at the heart of this story. It has to be JUSTICE [x].

Justice for the culmination of Anders’ story; for Merril and everything she endured to repair the eluvian; for Fenris, the origin of his lyrium tattoos (which according to GhilDirthalen’s post, there was a plot point linked to elves whose lyrium bodies did not possess latent magical prowess) and the slaves in Tevinter; for the rebelling elves that should have formed factions as the Dread Wolf’s Agents like the Trespasser epilogue hinted at; for misunderstood spirits hurt by mages like Cole; for the ancient elves like Abelas; for the templars who saw the corruption in their ranks but had no way out because of lyrium addiction like Sampson; for those corrupted by red lyrium that was spreading throughout Thedas with no cause or cure; for the dwarves like Branka, obsessed with the answers held in the Anvil of the Void, or Harding, or Shaper Valta who saw a Titan and witnessed the death of the Legion of the Dead; for Sandal’s prophecy!; for the qunari oppressed by the Qun, turned talvashoth, searabas, hisraad like Bull! Justice for two decades worth of worldbuilding on the part of the writers and the devs who loved telling these stories.  

Morrigan: is self-explanatory to the story they were crafting between Solas and Mythal. And what would have been even better is if they actually just explained away the Well of Sorrows’ choice unaffecting the Inquisitor because Morrigan eventually had to assimilate the essence from the well to keep the Inquisitor from going mad—like the anchor had to be tempered by Solas in Trespasser. Easy as that!

The best part is that pitting Morrigan and Dorian as foils of each other further allows the game to have greater stakes and tension because Morrigan (changed by Mythal’s righteous anger and need for justice for what was done to her by the Evanuris) could champion making choices more detrimental to Thedas but ultimately in line with Solas’ plans. And Dorian could make choices that put the safety of Thedas’ citizens at the forefront by sacrificing headway in stopping Solas and his Agents from advancing with their plans!

Best yet, we could have had a hardened vs softened Dorian depending on whether you recruited him in Inquisition, and/or did his quest.

[Inquisitor concept art by Matt Rhodes]

Favouritism Bonus Round: The Inquisitor (or alternatively Morrigan) should have been the voice to champion Rook to seek out the wolf statues, and they should have been present when discussing the memories, as it would have given them more gravitas when uncovering the literal story of "Solas is Andrastian God creating the Veil" or "the Dalish Dread Wolf is being proven to be a saviour" or "Elves originally being spirits in the beginning", or "Titans were at war with the elves" beyond comments like: “Oh, Solas regrets this” or “They were doing it”. (This is the issue with having a “couch setting” for a “war room”—discussions feel less intellectual, factions don’t necessarily bring their own unique viewpoint into the interpretation of Solas’ decisions/Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain’s presence, etc.) Everyone is not digesting the material given like it’s a clue to stopping the world from ending but rather like gossip. With the Inquisitor, as either a friend to Solas, a rival or a romanced Lavellan, finally finding the Dread Wolf’s Achilles Heel after vowing to stop him would have rung true, closed the loop.

Sigh.

This is also why I feel the Inquisitor should have been the one in Varric’s place—like literally. I mean recovering from an injury after failing to catch up to Solas in ACT 1, possibly dispatched by Agents of Fen'Harel! Because they could then be forced to pass the mantle to hunt down Solas to “Rook”. Not dead. Or a blood magic illusion. Just, Inquisitor, wounded, making small talk, sometimes bringing up plot points from Inquisition—your Hawke on the battlements in DA:I or Alistair in the gardens with Morrigan and Keiran.

It would also make more sense for the Inquisitor to be able to use the eluvian to travel between Skyhold and the Lighthouse, allowing for believable absences during plot points where their lack of action inspite of their presence wouldn’t make sense. Not to mention more gut-wrenching if we heard about the South from Inky rather than reading 4 letters!

Previously, I stated how the Inquisitor’s presence needed more weight in the non-Solavellan endings! Some people’s Inquisitor befriended Solas, some hated him, either way, the Inquisitor should have been present for the final showdown beyond a passive observer! If the Inquisitor ended up being the last friend/former love that Solas destroys (in a bad worldstate end where you don’t collect Mythal’s essence), which then prompts Rook to fight him because Solas’ last tie to empathy failed to redeem him, that would have added so many layers! The Inquisitor falling is the last straw for Solas too, whether friend, lover or foe, he fought beside them, stopped Corypheus with them! The Inquisitor was partially his making of a hero; his first “good” mistake! It would then make sense for him to snap, choosing to be a villain in the hopes of being stopped because he can’t stop himself, he’s come too far! Rather than the ‘I am a God’ ending they gave us.

Agency of a “Rook” on an Empty Chess Set (Factions and Backstory)

Personally, from both a writing and a viewer’s perspective, I think our protagonist should have always been linked to the Shadow Dragons (and the factions choices shouldn’t have been incorporated). This is more because, framing one’s backstory as being a member of a faction—not a people with established political positions in Tevinter—siphons the narrative of personal stakes. Imagine being a mage who could have begun with higher approval in Tevinter but lower elsewhere, maybe they’d be saved from the Venatori’s thrall that was linked to Neve’s companion story—again linked to Ashur and the Dragons. Or an elf mage could begin a storyline like that of the city elf in da:o but focused on the Shadow Dragons’ tackling slavery’s presence in Tevinter. A Qunari origin could explore being a refugee aided by the Shadow Dragons as they flee the Qun because they don’t fit in the dogmatic religion. A warden could be a criminal in Tevinter, showing us what is considered ‘rules for criminality’ in a city that corrupt and extremist.

Overall, the factions don’t add much diversity to Rook’s background, backstory, dialogue tree or influence on the world state beyond a last name that doesn’t really matter. With a Shadow Dragons’ background, the very ethos of “Rook” would have been about overcoming oppression, and then the nickname makes sense too, a name to stay concealed, to keep loved ones safe while DAV’s protagonist battles politics, blood mages and blighted gods. It would have been even more meaningful if the nickname “Rook” paralleled “Dread Wolf”, in that it was bestowed by your origin-based backstory antagonist and then used as a call to freedom (we wouldn’t even need a cutscene, this could have been revealed in part of their banter/dialogue). This simple choice would have allowed us to focus on Treviso and the Antaam’s occupation and Tevinter and the Venatori’s rise to power on a more personal level. It would also place our Rook in a position to be a foil to Solas’ “do what is necessary for the greater good” vs “be better than those that came before” plot lines. Building off this, the hardened companion status between Neve and Lucanis should have formed a parallel, with one tilting towards understanding Solas’ extreme efforts to stop the Gods, whereas the non-hardened character should have taken the role of foil. Both of whom would add balance to the tension when discussing Solas’ memories or even in exploration banter during missions (one the “devil” on your shoulder, the other your “angel” depending on where Solas’ actions stand for you since Inquisition).

Finally, the Shadow Dragons' should have been linked to Dorian more directly, potentially created with backing/support from the Inquisition’s advisors/Inquisitor directly (since their default attire is the Shadow Dragon apparel).

Companions: Cole for Compassion; Briala for Rebellion and Revenge

Cole

In my review Love, Widsom and Pride, I briefly touched on the fact Cole (whether recruited, not recruited, kept spirit or changed human) was absolutely necessary as a companion. Because it doesn’t matter which version was present in the world (RIP the tapestry), every iteration of Cole works synergistically with appealing to Solas’ spirit side:

If he wasn’t recruited in Inquisition, he could simply have his default origins as a compassion spirit that ‘follows’ the greatest pain in the Fade that yearns to be healed, giving a compassionate viewpoint to Solas’ folly.

Recruited-to-the-Inquisition Spirit Cole could have a greater connection to Solas than even Varric, seeing as Cole was most likely a literal representation of Solas rewriting his own history of corruption by preventing a spirit from becoming something against its nature.

Human Cole would have a deeper connection to the world of Thedas, and could have been a great tool to prove how change was inevitable, not always a bad thing, and inevitably out of even Solas’ control. And he could still offer insight into Solas' mind via 'remnants' of the time he was more spirit.

Briala

What I enjoy about this companion head canon is that Briala is literally Solas’ direct parallel story-wise:

She’s in love with Celene, the ‘best’ choice for ruler in Orlais even though she burned Briala’s alienage. They share a great power imbalance, with Celene able to affect the fate of all elves in Orlais, yet is unwilling to free them, return the Dales, or concede power even though she claims to love Briala, too. Briala is a rebellion upstart, raised by Felassan for crying out loud. She controlled the eluvians and knew how to get around the crossroads, she has more of a bone to pick with Solas than any other NPC not close to the Inquisitor! (Celene and Mythal share many similarities as well, with Celene seen as the more benevolent of rules when compared to Gaspard the Warmonger; and if Gaspard is in power but controlled by Briala, her being dethroned from her seat of power by Agents of Fen’Harel when she lost access to the eluvians would have been a great story arc to explore).

Sidenote on DAV's Romance, Companions and Choice Consequence

Building off having either Cole or Briala as a companion, I do think it would have been nice to have them as non-romanceable too. Don’t get me wrong, I know it's great to have options, but I do feel making everyone “pansexual” wasn’t the right way to go for all the companions. It takes away character choice, personality, taste and individualism from the companions. Dorian’s story would not be nearly as impactful if he could have been romanced regardless of gender. Solas being unwilling to romance any race/gender besides female elf (though a direct correlation to the developers being afraid of the ‘evil bisexual’ trope that was popular in the 2010s) also adds to his story; where he’s reluctant to see the world as real, to accept non-elven people as having agency, because that would mean he wasn’t walking through a see of Tranquil, but instead, he was the Forgotten One out of time.

I also firmly believe that a possible reason Cole wasn’t a companion despite there being plans in place that he’d return (Trespasser epilogue slide, I remember you), is because I can 100% see an EA big-wig being like: “He’s unfuckable. Give us someone hot and brooding and slap a demon in them and you’ve got fuckable-Cole” and then we got Lucanis.

I like Lucanis. I’m not crazy about him, but I enjoy the Machiavllian family drama. Very Renaissance Medici story beats. I adore Mary Kirby as a writer, too, but I feel the introduction to the Crows of Antiva should have been Zevran’s mantle, or he should have at least haunted the narrative and missions related to the Crow factions (of which there should definitely have been factions within the Crows). Considering the fact I romanced Lucanis, I couldn’t shake the fact that a lot of his “acceptance for being bound to Spite” beats paralleled a Human Cole having been ‘cured’ from Compassion.

The romances seem less… memorable to me than past games. The importance of choice means you have to accept the story unfolding based on the consequences of your choices; and gender-locking at least one companion would show the cause and effect of beginner choice. Taash is actually written to prefer women over men, which is vital to their arc around gender dysphoria and being non-binary, they would have been a perfect candidate! I imagine their story would also be a great way to explore how being one race attempting to romance another could have a slower progression rate (again, because of Taash’s multi-cultural background, and their complex feelings at having been raised by a mother so tied to the Qun, them being cagier around a qunari Rook romance would also have added layers!) But with everyone available to be romanced, and having no initial repercussion for early game choices despite which character model would have bruises or cuts (Neve or Harding), genuinely roleplaying as Rook, and not as someone using Rook as a stand-in for ourselves, is more disconnected than previous games. This is why the romances feel off to me. Doing the romanceable companions’ storylines seem like I’m the one trying to date them, not Rook. Maybe it’s because Rook’s established personality is the direct repercussion of a sanitized worldstate!  

Foibles of being ‘Unproblematic’: A Sanitised World

The issue with trying to make a game that won’t touch on difficult topics, is that, when you make that game a sequel to a series that was literally built on the backs of tackling real world politics, it makes a lot of the world seem plastic. A poor imitation perhaps.

The World of Thedas book actually tells us that Thedas is a fantasy setting that uses the real world as its backdrop for conflict and world building. Andraste is Joan of Arc. Andrastian faith is Christianity founded by a woman. Orlais is the French bourgeois era. Fereldan is more Highlands/Celtics region if it never had a chance to expand because of the blight. Elves are the disenfranchised (and a direct parallel to popular elven cultures that were often portrayed as the pinnacle of advanced magic/civilisation). City elves live in alienages (literal ghettos). Dalish elves (native to the land) are being run out of their homes, the Orlesian’s are trying to claim the territory for their Empire, and their numbers are dwindling, their culture and language a poor imitation of what it had been, barely surviving colonialisation! Dwarves have a caste system that determines everyone’s future! Dagna had to leave her home! Harding grew up on the surface. Varric’s whole plot thread anchoring him in act 1 of DA2 is helping his brother discover Deep Roads riches so they can get their family’s title again.

And through all 3 games prior to Veilguard, we’re told the Ventaori are monsters, the Imperium is crueller to its elves/slaves than any place in the South! The best option beyond turning Feynriel tranquil in DA2 (one of the few Dream Walker mages) is to send him to Tevinter. What becomes of a half-Dalish mage in Tevinter? Neve, our first companion beside Harding, is determined to make Dock Town a place worth living! So, to walk into Veilguard and have no slavery storylines in a place called the fucking TEVINTER IMPERIUM (modelled after the fucking Roman Empire close to collapse) is so jarring. So unbelievable. What injustice is Neve battling? What woes has Dorian been dealing with in the Magisterium?

The closest we get to seeing the darkness that exists in the world (besides the hanging corpses lining the streets of Dock Town if you save Treviso) is the side quest where a father makes a deal with a demon to keep his child alive by sacrificing so many innocents.

And then there's Tevinter's "savage" neighbours, the Invading forces of the Qun! Frightening, right? But from the blasé manner the Qun's rigidity is discussed, it is framed as though anyone can simply up and leave the Qun if they so wished it, according to Taash’s mom. Yes, Taash is being hunted, and their mom is taken prisoner, but it was all in service to a tablet that discussed fire-breathing, not about returning to the Qun. Iron Bull being deemed hisraad holds less severity when the consequences of leaving a subjugating, dogmatic, religious-political society are simply... nothing. There's no anchor to Taash being raised in Rivain for safety reasons beyond keeping their fire-breathing secret. And what of all the elves that commit to the Qun? Why are there no elf converts among the Antaam? What about the fucked-up stuff the Dwarves of Kal-Sharok were doing before Veilguard? Kal-Sharok dwarves apparently were changed by the First Blight, and are supposed to have a ‘tainted’ appearance according to the World of Thedas concept art book. Why are they just... normal dudes in booby armour (lol)?

[Imshael! A demon/spirit of choice & Calpernia as potential companions is insanity>>!]

I possibly wouldn’t have these strong opinions if the games gave the companions more… just more ‘controversial’ stories with harder choices! Veilguard in a way feels like playing a game with child-lock on. Yes, what happens to Tevinter or Treviso looks awful when you see it, but the side-quests, companion stories, NPC dialogues and world around the ‘mise-en-scene’ don’t reflect this--it's like set dressing. The “I can’t believe the Venatori are evil” side comments by Rook in Tevinter when the Venatori takes over become whiny, child-like and “hopes and prayers” coded. Do something then, Rook. You are the hero of this story, are you not?

I am forever grateful that Lucanis is actually hardened and removed as a romance interest if you sacrifice Treviso (finally, good old dragon age consequences).

Now onto good criticism of our companions!

Companions: The Good, the Balanced and the Essential

Good: Neve and Davrin.

Neve is our eyes and heart to Dock Town, our humanising presence for the Tevinter Imperium. She is also written in a way that I find her to have the best agency as a non-romanced character than most.

Davrin is a breath of fresh air for the reputation of the Grey Wardens, he’s the genuine article. Him owning up to being young and foolhardy when he rejected the Dalish ways in search of adventure, only to be battle-hardened and then become more appreciative of the fact he was taught to live in harmony before he was exposed to the discord of the Deep Roads is such a good character growth moment.  

Balanced: Harding. Harding grows into a much more invaluable story piece when she unlocks the Stone Sense and uncovers her people’s history. It’s a rather short-sighted choice to have her be one of the Ultimate Sacrifice characters because what becomes of the story of the Stone? Who hears the song? Who will speak of the Titans to other dwarves if she is chosen to go on the final mission?

Essential: Antoine and Evka! No notes, they should have been conditional companions in a side quest! They’re fleshed out so well, and their relationship is real and built into their character, but it’s not all they are! Antoine is smart, hopeful and also tortured by the new blight. Evka is powerful, pragmatic and also caring.

The Red Herring that should have been: Bellara as an Agent of Fen’Harel! Her storyline would have worked with the concept of being found ‘suspicious’ by players if the Agents of Fen’Harel were an active group. A Veil Jumper in Arlathan whose brother got entabgled with a Forgotten One? Someone who is an outright believer in the elven pantheon? O, Bellara, the power you would have had as a possible double-agent in our midst, only for us to have been wrong in doubting her and having it be someone else! Race and position to power should have inforced so many story beats in this game, man!

Finally: Religion, Where?

I’m a little exhausted, so I’ll wrap this part a little quickly. Religion is paramount to understanding the decisions and states of mind of so many characters in Thedas. Leliana’s arc alone is one of the most intimate insights into Andrastian faith! The Inquisitor is literally responsible for appointing the Divine! The Divine can call for an Exalted March! The Black Divine is a huge plot point when discussing the differences between the Southern and Northern iterations of the Chant. Tevinter’s Old Gods (Archdemons) are blighted dragons linked to the Evanuris that whisper the will of their masters to humans. Archdemons are responsible for the Blight, our first “save the world kiddo” moment in da:o! So where is the disbelief in the streets that Elven Gods exist? Why is it always “Our Gods” are back? What about city elves who believe in the Chant of Light? Where is the Black Divine? Why is everyone okay remaining Andrastian when the fact Solas made the Veil is revealed? Where is the politics and religious civil war in the streets between NPCs?! Between companions? Why isn’t there a cultish, zealous group of extreme Andrastians following Solas around? Why isn’t there another version thinking of Solas and all elves as the second coming of Maferath? How are city elves fairing compared to Dalish elves at the reveal it’s their pantheon gunning to end the world? Again! RACE AND POLITICS MATTER! They always mattered in Thedas before, yet here they are anecdotal at best.

The Veil Should Have Come Down

It’s apparent to me, and numerous others, that Veilguard was stunted by its attempts to be an entry piece that wasn’t alienating to new players of the RPG game format, but it was also haunted deeply by it’s very EPIC tapestry mechanic (chocies mattered!). Ironically, Veilguard served to be a soft re-boot of the series. This, I think, was the grandest mistake. If they meant to reboot the series for future instalments, we should have fundamentally changed the physics and rules of Thedas completely to allow the next instalment to start from the literal ground up. By bringing down the Veil, we’d finally free the Titan’s, introduce the concept of Dwarves with magic, awaked the Forgotten Ones and maybe allow for new species/lore/concepts to shape the future. And to work around the tapestry, they could have simply set the next sequel 200 years later. Sent our heroes to rest. Ended with a new canvas.

It should have concluded with the very ending that was prophesied by Sandal in DA2:

“One day the magic will come back. All of it. Everyone will be just like they were. The shadows will part, the skies will open wide. When he rises everyone will see.”

Bonus: Anaris should have been a DLC boss with Fenris involved!

Why, you ask? Just this data-mined codex entry still present in the game:

Truth be told, like they did with Corypheus in the Origins DLC, I think they could very well bring him back as the big bad of DA5—which I think should have always been about fleshing out the war between the Titans / the Forgotten Ones / Evanuris!

Anaris and a waking Titan?! That would have been beyond amazing!

Which��� again, is why the Veil should have COME DOWN!

P.S.: I know a lot of these criticisms seem like unhappy nitpicks, but I did enjoy Veilguard, I got an ending I could live with. BUT I am so angry by how many roadblocks are placed before game devs with a clear story in mind--as is obvious with the concept art book. Obvious threads were leading to Veilguard having always been the end of the Dragon AGE! We kill the last Archdemon! The last dragon linked to the Gods and the blight! The game developers have even alluded to having fought tooth and nail with EA's suits, but could only manage to give us the game we got. And I'm beyond grateful. But MAN does it hurt!

Remember to say thank you to the writers/artists/voice actors on their socials, they deserve a little love too.

Fin!

[broodwolf221]

so we were talking recently about how solas is much better at keeping his secrets than the other characters, and we know bull is one of the most perceptive characters. you've travelled with bull & solas much more than i have, so im curious about your thoughts: do you think bull had any idea? he's able to weed out qunari agents, but do you think he noticed solas'? how do you think bull feels about it, post-trespasser?

rubs my little hands together ty for this, im gonna have funnnn

bull 100% knew something was up. these two bits of banter really seal it for me:

Iron Bull: You've got an odd style, Solas. Your spells are a bit different from the Circle mages or the Vints.

Solas: That comes from being self-taught.

Solas: I discovered most magic on my own, or learned it from my journeys in the Fade.

Iron Bull: I've seen self-taught warriors. Even the good ones have something awkward in their style, something that clunks.

Iron Bull: I don't get that from you. Maybe magic is different.

Solas: Or without magical training, you cannot notice the parts of my magic that "clunk".

Iron Bull: You're not as flashy as most mages, Solas.

Iron Bull: The Tevinter mages I fought in Seheron tried to scare us with what they could do.

Iron Bull: Dorian looks like he's waiting for applause after every spell.

Iron Bull: Vivienne has this little swagger, like she knows she's the most dangerous thing in the room.

Iron Bull: Not the quiet elven mage, though. No frills. Nothing to give you away. Half our targets never even see you coming.

Solas: I shall take that as a compliment.

Iron Bull: If you like.

first, bull does know magic - he gives solas an out, "maybe magic is different," but I think it's just that: an out. one of his first comments is about how cullen is putting his templar training to good use, helping the inquisition soldiers defend against magic, just like bull himself was taught to. he's fought countless mages. solas is dissembling and bull lets him, but I don't buy for a second that he's genuinely fooled

and then the flashy comment. "not the quiet elven mage." bull is so observant... arguably moreso than solas:

Solas: Hmm.

Iron Bull: Something wrong?

Solas: A man in the last village. Something in his manner troubles me.

Iron Bull: The baker with the squint and the red nose? Yeah, spy. Probably Venatori.

Solas: Why do you say that?

Iron Bull: He watched all of us. A normal guy would focus on you, because staff, or me, because horns.

Iron Bull: He had a dagger up his sleeve, which no baker needs, and the knot on his apron was tied Tevinter style.

Iron Bull: I sent a message to Red. She'll investigate.

Solas: You are more observant than you appear.

Iron Bull: The good spies usually are.

so a) he notices everything weird about solas, everything that doesn't match up, and b) he doesn't show what he knows. that's his training coming into play.

I don't think he really knew who or what solas was, though. my suspicion is that he knew solas had his own agenda from the beginning, and like most everyone, knew that solas was keeping his own past a big, deeply-guarded secret. but bull isn't the type to ask direct questions in order to learn, so I think that when he's talking to solas about these things, he's watching him, too. noting the subtle shifts that solas tries to hide or isn't even aware of. hell, bull would learn something from solas having no change of expression or tone, forcibly even and level - because at that point, it's artificial.

so i think throughout the game as they travel, bull is slowly but steadily realizing how much more there is to solas' story. at the same time, he knows that no one is quite as good at keeping secrets as he is, so he wouldn't want to... ask anything too direct, yknow? everything is dancing around the edges of the truth and seeing what comes up, and that is information, usually information the other person didn't mean to give away

varric does this too imo, but not to the extent or with the skill that bull does, nor with the ability to hide everything he knows so, so well.

overall, i think bull was always watching solas. bull's really thrown in with the inquisition, particularly if he becomes tal-vashoth - because at that point, he doesn't really have anywhere to return to (which is tragic). so outside of the advisors and the inquisitor, i think bull is actually one of the inquisition's most steadfast members. but throughout the game, solas does help. a lot. which bull sees, too. hell, solas helps him after he becomes tal-vashoth, it's a really fun banter arc.

bull is suspicious, wary, and watchful, but throughout the main game, solas hasn't done anything overtly hostile or counter to the inquisition's purpose. and ultimately, solas is sorta necessary - he's the only one who can help the inquisitor with the anchor.

as for solas' agents? i'm not sure... but i'm also not sure how many of them there are. if there were a fair number, i think bull would have picked up on it over time, particularly because he tends to hit on the servants more - like, he'd notice them as individuals if for no other reason than his own interest, but also his training comes into play here. but if there were only a few? i think they could've slipped under his radar, particularly because the inquisition grows so quickly that even bull would end up hard-pressed to stay familiar with every single face in the inquisition.

even wrt the qunari agents, it's because he noticed a change in the duty roster and followed up on that, not because he saw them and just Knew from their behavior. he might've been able to suss them out that way had they crossed paths, but crossing paths wasn't guaranteed - at least, not until they tried to kill him. and frankly, i don't think solas would be that sloppy. his agents probably are deeply embedded in the inquisition because so is he. he would know when to have them come in and how they could blend in, even become functioning members of the inquisition, particularly because the inquisition's goals are not directly counter to solas' goals.

post-trespasser? i've written this and in my fic, bull really wasn't surprised at all. i think he would've been if solas got outed as fen'harel/the dread wolf mid-game, but the events of trespasser shed so much light on the reality of the situation, and i don't think bull would've traveled that whole path and not begun to reach that conclusion. solas disappeared for two years ago after fighting corypheus, and now they're mysteriously drawn into an eluvian - elven magic - and pulled through an intricate web of information that exposes the qunari plot?

yeah, i think bull had an inkling solas was behind it at or near the start of their journey through the eluvians.

and there's more, like solas' constant, intense hatred of the qun stripping people of choice - but then, there's a bit of truth in people hating others the most for things they hate about themselves. and bull would know about that, of course. solas does the same thing to blackwall when he's revealed as thom, an ironic judgement considering his own lies, but he hates that he has to lie.

i think for bull, post-trespasser he'd feel... not happy about the situation of course, but sort of satisfied. the pieces finally fell into place, all of them.

[teecupangel]

First off, I wanna say, ever since I discovered your work while scrolling down Ezio's tag randomly, I have been thoroughly hooked to everything you have written. Your work is simply amazing!

With that, I hope you don't mind me sharing an idea that's been haunting me for quite a while now.

What if Desmond reincarnated as La Volpe's son? Not biologically his son (or maybe he is but no one knew?), merely, he was found by Gilberto when Desmond was a little kid on the streets and took him in and taught him everything he knows despite Desmond clearly being a young prodigy in multiple skills as is. The man grew rather fond of Desmond, to say the least- and rather protective

(Desmond with eyes glowing purple instead of gold when using Eagle Vision anyone?)

The Thieves Guild knows Desmond (many having seen him grow up as well and befriended him) and are the ones to consider/acknowledge him as La Volpe's heir (Cub or Kit? Idk much Italian for the proper word/term for Little/Baby Fox and I don't trust Google Translate ngl) in this.

While we don't have a confirmation of La Volpe's age (doesn't help his model didn't change between AC2 and Brotherhood), I like to imagine Desmond is only a few years younger than Machiavelli when the two meet. And Machiavelli (a sort of friend despite La Volpe not liking him initially-) is trying to persuade Desmond to try his hand in some sort of apprenticeship or get him into politics even cause it's such a waste for him to remain amongst the Thieves when clearly his skills means he's destined for a better lifestyle- though, of course, Desmond's already quite an asset for the Assassin's regardless.

Would be even more interesting/amusing if Shaun reincarnated with Desmond somehow. A fellow thief (or maybe a son of a noble that Desmond tends to target- and if Desmond knows its Shaun, welll, who knows. In the end, he's still messing with him regardless) perhaps that believes he's being haunted by a familiar ghost from the past life- but that's impossible! The only ghosts (well, they're real- he long since came to terms that this isn't a dream anywas- is it hell, though? He's yet to decide) he'd had to deal with should've been the Auditores and the Templars- but then... Why does he keep seeing Desmond? (And why does he associate him with purple and even orange instead of Gold, White, and Red?)

(I apologize for the amount of parentheses in this)

(Considering how liberal I am in using parentheses myself, you don’t have to apologize for anything XD)

If you’re alright with messing up canon character’s personalities… we can make Shaun be reborn as Machiavelli instead?

And if Desmond and Machiavelli!Shaun are both around the same age, they’d be younger than Petruccio (at least 6 years for Machiavelli) which means we have the opportunity to mess with both Shaun and Desmond with this.

Because they would realize if someone was changing history if the Auditores live. By making them too young to do anything to stop it, we’re giving them the false sense of confidence that they are the only reincarnators in this story.

By the time they would both have the power and influence to change the plot, they would come to believe that the changes are butterfly effects of their own actions, not because another reincarnator is changing some things under their noses.

For this one, we’ll have Shaun try to push Desmond into going to politics because he believes that La Volpe’s son is meant to die young. That’s the only reason he could think of to why Ezio never saw him in his memories. Any antics or reactions that reminds Shaun of Desmond is simply Shaun’s mind trying to keep him from grieving Desmond’s death too much. Ezio was a constant reminder of his ‘impending death’. La Volpe’s son reminds him of what Desmond could have been had circumstances been different.

In Desmond’s eyes, Machiavelli was simply being Machiavelli. Any discrepancies between the Machiavelli his Bleed remembers and the Machiavelli in front of him is because Machiavelli isn’t treating him like he treats Ezio. Another important thing is that Desmond uses the name La Volpe gives him (your call what it is and if he has a different nickname that’s connected to foxes or a similar animal) because he knows calling himself Desmond would just make Ezio look for him.

And he was trying to stay away from Ezio because, as much as he wanted to help him, he feels guilty because the tragedy in Ezio’s life was all his fault.

To ensure he was born.

So this story now becomes two reincarnators (Shaun and Desmond) trying to change Ezio’s life, all the while not realizing each other’s true identity.

Ezio has no idea that he has two ‘guardian angels’ and is just doing his best with what he’s given XD

[nirikeehan]

Dragon Age Lore Prompts 

Bits of lore compiled from codex entries, letters, and other marginalia found throughout Thedas.

In the Mists: The Windline Marcher. A ghost ship. Still, the story continues to be told, its intent to chill, amuse, or even titillate. As a consequence, the tale has grown more colorful over time. In many later versions, the "Marcher" is manned by a crew of stunningly beautiful spirits, who can fulfill one's deepest (carnal) desires, should one succeed in boarding the ship.

The Lost City of Barindur. A city lost to time or disaster. Swaying grass hid flocks of birds so vast that when they took flight, their numbers blocked the sun. This, our guide informed us, was the great city of Barindur, wonder of the ancient world, famed for its fountains which were said to grant eternal youth.

The Pyramids of Par Vollen. Structures of unknown purpose pre-dating the Qunari. Par Vollen's distinctive pyramids, looming from the overgrowth, have remained largely intact, even if their intended purpose has been lost. They do not seem to be tombs, though some chambers contain bodies that have been carefully preserved. Amazingly, the pyramids' proportions are mathematically perfect. 

Confessions of a Lyrium Addict. Rare first person account of the Templars' plight. But the ration's too small. If they don't give you enough, your hands get cold. The sky starts to press down on you. Little things slip away. So you have to stay.

The Aeonar. Mage prison found abandoned by Seekers, with no sign of violence, during the Mage-Templar war. Accused maleficarum and apostates are held in the confines of Aeonar. Those who have a powerful connection to the Fade, and particularly to demons, will inevitably attract something across the Veil, making the guilty somewhat easier to tell from the innocent.

Notes on Methods of Enchantment. Ancient notes on enchanting eldritch items. Using up the last of the stock was well worth it, as I explained to it as a courtesy before final work began. Adjustments to the underlay were a great success, and will allow the recipe to be made with material taken from lesser animals, if the need arises.

The Hand That Cuts. A unique ring. This ring grows unusually warm when slipped onto a finger. It pulses slightly and steadily, as if in time with the wearer's heartbeat.

The Eye That Weeps. A unique amulet. This amulet is heavy for its size, and the metal is clammy and sticks jealously to the flesh. The gem in the center contains a liquid that glowers a sluggish red in bright light. Condensation slowly forms on the gem's outer surface, no matter how many times it's wiped clean.

The Bind that Guides. A unique belt. No matter how loosely this belt is tied, after a few steps, it warps itself snugly around the waist. The stitching, while fine, is of a strange, thin thread that resembles hair and can't be cut with even the sharpest knife.

The Skin That Stalks. Unique armor. The leather of this armor gives off a faint, living heat. It is heavier than it looks, but the weight and warmth are somehow comforting. The armor makes little noise in motion, and after a surprisingly short time, wearing it feels quite natural.

Chronicles of a Forgotten War. An account of encounters with mysterious Scaled Ones in the Deep Roads. A robed Scaled One stood before the altar. Its voice was different from the others: softer, almost feminine. It chanted and raised a basin of blood towards the altar. The other Scaled Ones bowed low. The robed Scaled One produced fire from its palm and mouth and ignited the blood.

Grim Anatomy. A book on animal dissection and demonic possession, by an unknown author. It's not wearing the creature's skin. It has become the creature: its mind, its senses... its blood.

The Hedge Witch. A witch who transformed herself into a giant hawthorn bush. She possessed only a modicum of magical power—enough to draw the templars' attention, but not nearly enough to defend herself from them. As the templars closed in on her, Saramish worked a spell of transformation. No one knows what her intentions were, but the outcome could not have been to her liking. 

Arboreal Fort. Creative solutions to uncommon problems. Flatten the area? —Cullen. Of course the commander suggests hitting the hills until they forget they're hills. —L I was joking. Meanwhile, have you threatened to cut out anyone's tongue today? —Cullen Thinking about it right now. —L

A Compendium of Orlesian Theater. Fascinating cultural practices from the artistic heart of the empire. If a director believes they can sell the part, men can play dowagers, women can play dukes, and even an elf can play a king. Once donned, the mask is understood to be absolutely them. None of the actors I spoke to could explain to me the history behind this tradition, but bristled when I suggested other nations find it strange. 

She of the Highwaymen Repents. A song unsung for a dead man walking. For know my crime was cruel, and all my pain deserved. I stand here as a fool, despite my brother served.

The Silver Knight. The final verse for a fallen knight. In lost verses of a song, painstakingly unearthed, I found the answer to my question. Who could bear the weight of a people destroyed by his hand?

The Executors. Those across the sea. “Remember that, for the moment, we are not your enemy.”

Constellation: Visus. The Watchful Eye. The early Inquisition took Visus as the symbol of their holy calling when they joined the Andrastian faith: the Eye representing both their search for maleficarum and the Maker's judgment upon their actions. When the Inquisition ended and became the Seekers of Truth and the Templar Order, the templars took the sword while the Seekers retained the eye.

The Lover's Alcove. To be seen not being seen. Dignity of course requiring that one does not also make use of the darkness for actual physical gratification. This has, of course, never occurred.

[randomkposts]

Happy birthday Desmond. This is a little late, but I'm sure its still march 13 somewhere in the world. Anyways, I usually post a story for his birthday, and while there is one on fanfiction, I decided the tumblr one would be a little diffrent.

I'm using an old oc. Or the varient she could have been had she been born a guy and also never become a time travler. Red Jordan-Ryan. You can learn more about this character and the verse by checking out rk-ocs. For this story, that OC is Jasper Jordan-Ryan. They share a knack for meeting intresting people, and getting into situations and secrets they probably would be better off without. And determination.

This is a variontion of the future Clay saw for Desmond where he stayed at the Farm. So I decided, he teaches the kids as the assassin teacher.

Several things happen diffrently due to this deviation, and the Isu are trying to hijack the plot back onto the railroad by hijacking.

---

Not be at all

Not be at all, may have a sister story of sorts,  called not be Nobel  someday, from a quote by Alfred Lord Tennyson. If I ever write it, I mean.

---

In a world where Desmond did stay on the farm.

Des 1987- 25

Clay 1982- 30

—

Sometimes Desmond looks at the road leading out of the farm, and wonders what would have happened if he followed it.

Sometimes, when he was younger , he had dreamed of running away. He imagined what he would see beyond the farm, that he could be someone who didn't live in a conspiracy cult.

Maybe he would be president.

Nah, that was silly. He'd probably be a waiter or something, but at least he would be seeing the world.

It wasn't like training was all that bad. Sure he wasn't amazing at it,  though he had learned faster then most of the kids when he was younger. Maybe he could teach novices when he was older.

Mom might like that. It would allow her to go on more missions. He would have really missed mom, out there in the world. And really, leaving her alone with Dad was just mean.

So sure,  sometimes he dreamed of running away, but he was here to stay, and it wasn't a bad life.

---

It's strange sometimes, training the older ones, but with Clay it's different somehow. Clay has a very biting wit, and when it's not being used on him, the results are absolutely hilarious.

Clay is not going to be an assassinating type of assassin. He will probably end up working on the Animus, everyone seems to be interested in. Maybe he will be partners with the apparently expert Rebecca. Desmond has never met her, but apparently she is making good progress in creating one.

He doesn't really know though, because he is trying to stay well away from the internal politics.

Training people is fun. He gets to meet new people, and hear stories from all over. Some days it's almost as good as the thought of seeing new places.

And then there's this terrifying child, who appeared out of nowhere that one time.

"How the hell did you get in here!" Desmond had asked the blond child, who had just shown up one day, dressed as a novice, that he had never seen before in his life.

"I rode in the car."

"How old are you?" He asked suspiciously.

"Fifteen." The kid had said, glaring.

Desmond stared at the kid suspiciously.

"Fine, I am fourteen."

"I'll talk to you after the class."

Even if his parents' paranoia was right, and this was part of some convoluted Templar infiltration plot, a single Parkour lesson would probably not make a difference. He hoped. God, he should have searched them, first, what if the kid had a bomb or something!

Thankfully, everything went fine. After the class, Desmond had pulled the kid aside, and walked into an empty room. He started with the question that had been bugging him the most.

"Are you a boy or a girl, or what kid?"

The kid got really offended, and went  red. "My name is Jasper, and I am a boy! How the hell did you not notice that!" An accent tinged his words, and his voice broke a little.

Desmond laughed.

"Aww kiddo, it's just kind of ambiguous. "

Jasper growled, sounding alarmingly like a dog about to attack.

"Don't call me kiddo." He declared , glaring at Desmond.

Desmond began to laugh again, which seemed to infuriate the kid, and he growled again, which made Desmond laugh harder.

Finally , Desmond was able to contain his laughter, and get down to the important questions.

"Where did you come from, and why are you here?"

"I came from Bo-.... I'm from Quebec. I'm here because I followed the man."

"What man?"

"The man who killed R-" then he stopped again. "Who killed my godfather! "

"How did you follow him?"

"That's a secret. I'm just good at finding  people. No one wants me to be It ,in hide and seek!"

"Can I have his name, at least?"

"His name was a lie!" Jasper spat.

"You are a strange kid."

"I came here to either learn to either hire someone to kill him, or learn to do it myself. Then I might pay that robber who nearly killed me as a child a visit. "

"You are a terrifying child." Desmond informed him.

"My godfather was just killed. I want revenge."

"So you tracked his killer here?"

"Yes." The kid told him. "And given you are an assassin , I brought money to hire you to kill him."

"I don't kill fellow Assassins ,Kid."

Jasper did his dog growl again, and shouted "osti d'éparis de marde!" before running off.

He could not find him afterwards, no matter where he looked.

Later Desmond found out Thomas had been killed by a throwing knife.

He spent years afterwards, wondering if he was responsible for it, if it could have been prevented by pulling him out of that parkour class earlier.

"How the hell did I fail to find him?" He kept wondering.

That kid was damned terrifying.

He kept an eye out for him out of Paranoia, but 2011's February kicked off with Clay being kidnaped by Abstergo.

His father kept saying they had an in, that someone would get him out when it was time. It was a frequent argument they had, whenever Desmond and his father were alone.

Then in August, they got the news that Clay had gone crazy from the bleeding effect and killed himself.

Desmond went back home to mourn and be with his students.

A month later, his mother was kidnaped.

Desmond was determined not to leave another person in the hands of the Templars, particularly not one he loved. Screw whatever Fathers plans were!

His students were perfectly happy to help plan a rescue mission.

Besides, he'd always wanted to go to Italy.

---

The rescue mission hits an unexpected obstacle.

"SHE'S IN A COMA! "

Desmond screams at Lucy Stillman, his mothers... Keeper? Kidnapper? Guard? No, really, why the hell is she here.

"She tried to escape. She almost succeeded. It turns out Vidic really wasn't kidding. Lucy tells him distractedly ,looking upset and dazed. "The animus may be able to help her,  At least that's what Clay and William thought."

"Clays dead!" Desmond cried out, rubbing the tears off his face with his sweater. "Clays Dead, and my mother is in a coma, and it's all your fault. "

His face dryish, he signals Amalia and Rob that the cost is cleared.  Amalia guards the door, weapon ready, while Rob picks up his mother, and Desmond watches Lucy.

Lucy hums.

"You will need this, just give me a moment.

Desmond looks at Amalia, who shrugs, and holds her gun on Lucy, ready to shoot if she does something fishy.

Lucy comes back with a disk.

"It's the memory core Data. Get in contact with Rebeca,  and give this to her. Maybe it will help your mother."

She turns to leave, but hesitates. "I'm sorry Desmond." She says, before walking out of the room.

Desmond feels like he is about to break, but tells his students,  "lets go",  ordering David to look up Rebecca.

There are some injuries fighting their way out of Abstergo, but thankfully , no one is killed. Desmond is the worst. While his students are using the first aid kit , David drives them to a safe clinic.

While Desmond is being treated, a man named Shawn arrives, saying that Lucy called, and that he was here to bring his mother to Rebecca.

Desmond insisted on coming. So did Amalia. He told Rob and David to stay on standby, until he was safer.

Shawn grumbled under his breath, but sat and waited in the uncomfortable waiting room chair.

When they were finally done with him, Shawn helped carry his mother into his car, and drove them away.

-----

Rebecca and Shawn were good friends to each other, and alternated between being annoyingly kind and sympathetic to him,  which drove him a little nuts.

They were trying to help, and were getting information from his Mother's genetic memories, and keeping her alive, and stimulated in hopes she would wake up, but Desmond hated sympathy, and the sad kindness was almost worse.

Sometimes his Father visited , and when he wasn't looking down at Mother, he was arguing with Desmond.

It wasn't like it was new, Desmond and his father had always had something of a strained relationship, but... Mom would have hated this.

At least Amalia still treated him normally,  and dragged him out to spar when he looked close to snapping. Otherwise he might have lost it.

Eventually he just had his students come to Italy to train, partly to get some normal conversation. It wasn't that strange, Shawn still kept up with his work, and his father did too.

The next month went by in a strange limbo , and  out of nowhere in the middle of November, that terrifying  blond kid showed up at the gas station, growling at him.

"What the Hell are you doing here!" Desmond cried out, alarmed.

He was more confused than anything. And a bit suspicious. Perhaps dads Ideas about super convoluted Templar plots had more merit than he thought. He moved his arm, and poised for a hidden blade strike.

"I'm here to invite you to my birthday party." Jasper started sarcastically, tone dry as ice. He stopped at Desmond's glare. "Fine. I'm here to tell you to stop sending me bizarre and terrifying spam. "

What

"I don't even know your last name, let alone anything about you, beyond that you possibly committed premeditated murder at age 14. If I knew anything about you,  I would have given it to the police, not sent you 'Bizarre and terrifying spam.'How did you even find me?!"

Jasper seemed unfazed by that.

"A friend owed me a favor, and agreed to help me track down my spammer. All the evidence leads to you. So I came here to talk to you. "

There was a moment of silence, before he added.

"Also, I haven't murdered anyone. My aunt caught up to me, and told me that revenge was up to my Godmother. So we waited in the car, and left when my Godmother came back. "

"You were still willing to go far enough for revenge murder, to track him into a different country, from Quebec! How long were you following him!"

"This coming from the guy who trains Assassins. "

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You are a terrifying child. "

Jasper Growled, possibly at Desmond calling him a child, then his eyes began glowing white, and he began to shake.

"Nonononononoooooo!" Jasper cried, and fell over

"What the hell is happening!" Desmond shouted, grabbing at Jasper, before his head hit the concrete.

Suddenly Cortana appears. Well, not really, but there was something distinctly unreal about her. She looked almost transparent, and hard to make out, and suddenly all these images were shooting through his head. It was like walking into the last half an hour of a movie, and everything was completely out of context. He strained to hear anything he felt she was saying, but his ears were ringing, and felt like they were bleeding.

When he regained control of his senses, he realized they were in a plane, that Jasper was sitting in the pilot's seat, frozen in terror."

" Did you just kidnap me!" He demanded ,outraged.

"The voice in my head kept telling me the world would end, and that part of preventing it involved kidnapping you to go dig up something in a graveyard for her. "

"I'm already teaching my students in Italy to be with my mother while she is in a coma! I don't have time to go around desecrating graves with my kidnapper!" He shouted, not bothering to wipe away the tears.

Jasper turned to look at Desmond with a dead look on his face. "I don't know how to fly Jets." He said, calmly.

"What." Desmond said flatly, feeling a chill go down his back.

"I am not flying this jet." He turned back to face the window, and it occurred to Desmond that they were both screwed.

He walked over to Jasper and hugged him. Jasper stiffened, and awkwardly patted his back when he began to cry.

They sat there in their own world, until the Jet began to shake.

"I'd say it was nice knowing you, but I would be lying, because all of our encounters have been really bizarre."

He told Jasper, positive they were about to die. As last words went, they weren't too bad.

"Same to you, assassin teacher."

They huddled together on the floor together, as the shaking increased.

He didn't know how long they were down there, before the shaking finally stopped.

There was silence for a moment, before Desmond asked what they were both thinking.

"Are we somehow alive?"

"If this is dead, then I'm going to file a complaint."

"That seems so underwhelming."

"Yah" he mumbled,  going to open the door. Then his eyes lit up again, and he began to shake.

"DESMOND MILES! " Jasper shouted in a strange voice. "FOLLOW!"

Desmond followed the possessed Jasper, without a word. Frankly, some things are bonding experiences ,and huddling together on the floor of a possessed jet, waiting for the end, was probably one of them.

Finally, the possessed Jasper reached the spot he needed, commanded them to dig.

Jasper fell to the ground  twitching and stuttering. Much as Desmond wanted to help, he decided to dig, lest the ghost/Cortona thing come back to possess the poor kid again.

When Jasper finally seemed to come to, Desmond still hadn't found whatever the hell they were supposed to be looking for. Jasper suggested they widen the hole.

He got a rock, and began scraping the sides .

"I really wish we had a shovel." Desmond told Jasper.

"It can't be Too too deep. Right... There's probably a coffin under here."

"Lets hope."

---

As it turns out, digging holes on Connor Davenport's grave, in an old abandoned graveyard, leaves a lot of time for talking. Or awkward silence.

Desmond breaks it with a question.

"So, how did you get to the farm, all those years ago?"

Jasper turns to with a confused look, and mouths 'farm?'

"I don't know why it's called that. "

"Well, as I told you, I followed him.

I'm good at finding people."

"You tracked him down, and followed him onto the plane?"

"Yes"

"How did you avoid being seen?"

"I don't like to question it ,really. Takes all the fun out of it."

"Weren't your parents worried?"

"Why would my parents be worried?"

"Why wouldn't they?"

"Well my family probably is worried , but they've grown a tad resigned to my... Adventures I guess. My parents are probably working, and Mom probably hasn't even noticed yet. "

"Nothing about your Dad."

"He works on a submarine."

"And your mom."

"I don't know. Usually when she's home, she is busy. "

"I see. It reminds me a bit of my dad. We've had a strained relationship for, well, a long time now."

"And your mom?"

"I have a good relationship with my mom. But, she's been in a coma inside the animus for a while now, and I don't know if she's going to wake up. "

"I'm sorry about that. You must miss her."

"Yes."

Desmond didn't feel like talking anymore. Jasper didn't either, and it was kind of nice.

----

They knew they had definitely found whatever it was they were looking for, when Jasper  picked up a decent sized clump of dirt to break apart , and his eyes went white.

"IF YOU MOVE FAST AND GET THE APPLE, YOU MAY YET RESCUE YOUR FATHER WITH NO LOSSES OF LIFE." He shouted in the strange voice.

Then his eyes stopped glowing, and he collapsed.

"Jazz." Desmond tried shaking him "Jasper."

Honestly, he wasn't surprised at the collapse. They had been digging holes for hours, and who knew when the last time the kid had eaten was.

Desmond broke the clump, to find some sort of jewelry , and put it in his pocket.

He picked up Jasper, or tried to. For all he called him kid, Jasper was pretty tall, and well muscled. God this was going to be awkward.

He considered trying to fly the jet, but really did not want to be flying in a possessed vehicle ever again.

"God I hope you wake up soon." He pleaded to Jasper, before picking a direction, and walking .

----

Jasper did eventually wake up. He groggily told Desmond that whatever was possessing him, wanted Desmond to sacrifice himself to the sun gods to save the world and free her.

"What?"

" I think that translation works. It gets kind of hard to remember. Also the world is ending on my birthday."

"Happy birthday. "

"It's not tell December. December 21."

"Mine is on March 13."

"I'll be sure to buy you a present now, for when the world ends."

"Make it a survival kit. "

"And what are you getting me for mine."

"Is sacrificing myself to the sun gods to save the world not enough?"

"I would rather you come to my 16th birthday."

"Are we friends?"

"I think so. We've already had an  adventure, why not plan for more."

"Let's not have one like this again. "

"Or at least remember to bring food."

"We could try to catch something. I know how to clean fish at least. "

"That's not the same thing."

"It's something."

"Do we have any tools? Or will we have to throw rocks?"

"I have my hidden blade. And a few throwing knives."

"Can you hit anything with those?"

"Yes"

"I bet I can do better. Give me some."

"Arrogant"

"My cousin is a professional javelin thrower. We throw other things for the challenge too."

"Let's see you throw one then."

Desmond had to admit, he wasn't bad. But he was a teacher, and could think of many ways to improve Jasper's technique.

They were doing well in their track through the woods. Jasper's aim was improving, they had water and fish, and he was getting better at cleaning small animals with his hidden blade.

They were probably hopelessly lost, but it was better for morale If they focused on the positives. Like that their trap had caught a bunny.

Jasper was looking up at the sky, with a frown on his face.

"Tabarnak "

"What is it?" Desmond asked, but as he joined Jasper in looking at the sky , it was obvious. Early snow.

He looked at Jasper's black sweater, and down at his white one. Good for heavy weather, but not meant to be worn in snow. These sweaters would retain the water they soaked up, until they dried out.

"We're fucked" he announced to Jasper, who nodded.

---

"Would layers work?" He asked Jasper, who looked up confused.

"What layers?"

"Like if I gave you my sweater, would it keep yours dryish?"

Jasper frowned.

"Perhaps it might work for a little while, but Long term, everything would eventually soak through, I think. Besides, you would lose body heat when you gave it up, and it would feel colder when you put it back on. It would probably be smarter to keep the heat, and put up with the wetness."

"Got any ideas."

Jasper blushed hard.

"Sharing. But let's keep that as a last resort."

"Yah, I'm not into teenagers."

"I didn't mean it like that!"

Desmond laughed, as Jasper's face got redder and redder, the longer he laughed.

In reality, it wasn't too much of a stretch to go from huddling in fear on a jet, thinking they were going to die, to huddling together for warmth in the snow.

Eventually, salvation of sorts shows up when Jasper's eyes glow, and he grabs his hand and begins leading him  by the arm. Desmond's not sure how long they walked, long into the night, and the grey sky doesn't seem to get much lighter. His feet have gone numb, and he's walking on autopilot when Jasper drops, and Desmond looks up to see a gas station.

He doesn't have any cash on him, but thankfully he has his bank card and credit card.

He walks in, dragging Jasper behind him.

"I will pay you , if you give us a ride to the airport."

The lady at cash is staring at them bemused.

Oh right. They probably stink because the water got too cold to bathe in. And they hadn't had a change of clothes in ages. He's gotten nose blind to the smell, though he could tell it really bugged Jasper, though he never whines about it.

And they looked pretty gross.

How long had they been missing, anyways?

"Um, what day is it?"

"It's December the fifth."

"Oh. That was longer than we thought. " A lot longer than he thought.

Her eyebrows shoot up, and she looks on the verge of asking.

"Trust me. You really don't want to know how our day went. It was absolutely awful, and we were hopelessly lost. "

"I see a lot of strange things here.  Don't worry about it."

"I want to drink some Gatorade, and anything hot you have here. Then I'm going to go wash up in the bathroom."

"Tell you what, stay the night, take a shower, and I'll drive you to the airport in the morning."

"Thank you! No, really, thank you!"

Desmond could hug her. Well metaphorically. She probably wouldn't take one right now.

"No problem. Your friend there is... just sleeping, right.

"Yah, he's just pretty exhausted."

Hopefully.

----

Jasper woke up in the car, disoriented and speaking French. And although Desmond had picked up something from living with him for a few weeks in the middle of nowhere, he was speaking too fast for that to matter.

"Calm down Jasper. This nice girl named Marcy, is going to put us up  for the night, and give us a lift."

"Whaa-"

"Just think. Hot showers!"

"That sounds so nice right now."

"Doesn't it?"

"Mmm" Jasper agreed, then dozed off again.

The shower was heaven. So was the Meat pie she cooked for them, and fruit salad the next day.

Their clothes had been washed, they were clean, and fed, and even caffeinated. Desmond felt better than he had in a long time.

Desmond left her $300 for her generosity.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and slipped a paper into his pocket.

He wondered if in another life, he might have just stayed there. Kept Jasper, and Lived at Marcy's house, and settled into something domestic.

It was a nice thought. But he had other people in his life who needed him now. Students, and friends, and a possibly kidnapped Father to rescue. He was an assassin, and he was happy with that.

Jasper dosed on his shoulder on the plane, a far cry from the beginning where he had stiffened at Desmond so much as tapping him.

Desmond watched the clouds for a bit, and appreciated that this one had a living pilot, before joining his friend in sleep.

Amalia was keeping watch when they got back.

"Where did you go!" She demanded, sounding furious.

"Did you know we thought you had been kidnapped!"

"Well, you're not wrong. Only it wasn't by Templars, so much as... Well a ghost, I guess. Umm... It was way weirder than that actually. It wanted me to retrieve this." He held up the necklace, as If that would explain everything .

"Kidnapped by a ghost. Do you have any Idea how ridiculous that sounds! And who is that?" She pointed to Jasper.

"That's Jasper. Who is apparently able to be possessed by ghosts. He came here to find out why I was sending him... What was it you called it..."

"Bizarre and terrifying spam."

"Yah. Which made no sense, as I haven't been on my email in forever.

Next thing I know his eyes glowed, and we woke up on a jet, that no one was flying. We presume it was the Alien ghost lady, and thought we were going to die when it landed."

"I'm still not totally sure this isn't just your bizarre way of taking a vacation."

"Would I really do that?" Desmond asked, a bit hurt. "Also, If that was a vacation, then I never want another one for as long as I live. "

Amalia laughed at that.

"How is mom?" he asked, carefully.

Amalia got a weird look on her face.

"Well she is awake... But she isn't herself."

"Brain damage ?"

"Perhaps. But it seems that the personality of Altair is the one in charge. She only speaks Arabic now , to start with. So... Nope, nothing I could say would be funny or helpful in this context... I'm sorry Desmond."

'Mom' was incessantly interested now in finding the apple of Eden.

Which wasn't a bad thing, as it would apparently be needed to save his father sometime down the road... According to the ghost possessing Jasper, who also insisted things like the world was ending soon.

Even with all that going on, Desmond still trained his students, and even added Jasper to the group. Jasper seemed pretty confused about this, and still occasionally gave him 'why the hell are you doing this' looks, but for the most part, had gotten with the program.

Bizarrely enough ‘'Mom' had found an Apple of Eden in Italy , and had gone on a one woman rampage to free Father, despite the ransom call not even coming yet, and nobody even telling her he was missing or where he had last been seen.

"We have a theory for how we might put your mom back in the pilot seat."

Amalia told him one day.

"Really?"

"Well, the Animus explores genetic memories, right?"

"Yah..."

"So, it could be possible to let her explore her own memories?"

"That's... Not a bad theory. You would still have to get her back in the chair."

Apparently they took that as a challenge.  Mom was back in the chair.

Around the 18th , Jasper stormed in, eyes glowing again.

"MILES! EXPLAIN"

"I want my mother back."

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN AMERICA!"

"I am right where I am supposed to be."

Whatever was possessing Jasper, threw its hands up, and turned to his father.

"PERHAPS YOU WILL BE MORE COMPLIANT" it told him, before touching him, and causing him to twitch and spasm.

If that thing thought Desmond's father was more cooperative then him, it had another thing coming.

They left the cave, and Desmond realized he still had the jewelry they had gone grave digging for.

"I thought you were kidding." Amalia confessed, staring at him. "That was way creepier than you let on."

"I think we will need to catch up with them." He told her, holding up the necklace.

Finding a place you have never been to within four days was not a realistic task.

They were together in America when it started.

"Oh. Oh my god!" She cried out looking at the sky."

"Happy birthday Jasper." Desmond called out, before they left to find shelter.

---

They survived. A lot of former cities were dead silent now, but they were alive.

"What do we do?" Amalia asked, a dead look in her eye, as she looked at the remains of a car.

"We find survivors." Desmond began, feeling determined. "It doesn't matter whether they are Assassins, Civilians, or Templars now, what matters is that we are survivors."

Amalia looked at him. It was different then the looks she normally gave him as a teacher. This was the look of a follower to a leader.  Loyalty and trust, and would die for you.

"Yes. We will."

Together they began their search.

---

For another AU check my other account Rk-ocs, for the fic "Burn like the sun"

[plisuu]

hi bb a somft prompt for you, for Cullen x Connor? 'i couldn’t utter my love when it counted, but i’m singing like a bird about it now'

Shrike is so goooooooooddddd thanks bb! It turned into a doozy real fast. Here you go, have some light angst and soft... softness.

wc: 1.3k

@dadrunkwriting

I love you.

The words seemed simple enough. Cullen certainly thought so as he rolled them around in his head, the syllables feeling foreign on his tongue as he mouthed them. He felt like a fool, staring into his mirror, practicing lines like he was a youth stumbling through inexperience. Three easy, simple words.

He had never spoken them, though. It never felt right. He came close, once, under the stars at the Winter Palace, when time hung suspended in slow motion. He wished he could savor that moment forever, slow and safe, when the words danced through his mind with as much grace as the Inquisitor did that night, maneuvering through Orlesian politics in ways that surprised Cullen and the Court alike. And oh, how they danced, both those simple words and Connor, but Cullen dared not speak them aloud—he would not ruin this delicate balance they had found.

I love you.

The words were whispered into the dark, ink-black sky that swallowed the frozen cliffs of Emprise Du Lion the night they found the Inquisitor. They had searched for weeks: two, exactly. Two weeks too long, by Cullen’s count. Two weeks of sleepless nights and worry and nightmares and anxiety that gripped and suffocated him in ways he hadn’t felt since Kinloch Hold. Two weeks that Connor suffered under the Red Templars. Two weeks that destroyed months of chess and quiet walks and apologies and shared stories over ale, regaling the stupidity of their days as recruits and the secrets they held close in equal measure.

Two weeks that made him think he had lost his chance to say the words that clung to his mind and to his heart like lead, weighing him down. They grew heavier with every passing hour as he pored over maps and reports, desperately searching, desperate for something.

I love you

He pressed those words into fresh wounds and tender skin, torn and bruised and colored with blacks and blues and yellowing purples that littered Connor's broad torso. He wound them into bandages and poultices that smelled so bitter he held his breath as he applied them, desperate to help in any way he could, no matter how small or unpleasant. He pressed the words into Connor’s palms, into his temples, breathed them into dusty hair and across the ghosts of scars both old and new. He forced them into every action and simply hoped that Connor felt them, but those days passed in wordless silence, tense and anxious and red with basins full of rust-colored water and muttered verses of the Chant when it all became too much.

I love you.

The words hurt, the first time Connor spoke them. They were spat in a fit of desperation and anger, tasting like lyrium and betrayal. They pierced Cullen like a dull blade, sinking in slowly and quickly transforming into burning pain, searing and unbearable in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t know words could hurt so much. He didn’t know he could want to say them so badly either. How badly he wanted to use them as a weapon, like the Inquisitor had. How badly he wanted to shout them back, to make him stop—stop taking lyrium, stop leaving, stop being as cold and distant as the frigid fortress they found him in—but Cullen knew it would only make things worse. Instead he watched, silently, biting his tongue and swallowing those three simple words as the Inquisitor walked away.

He felt stupid. Regret gnawed at him, day in and day out as he tried to focus on his work. If he had just managed to say it, to say those words, maybe things could have been different. Maybe it would have been the same, but maybe he would have felt some closure. Maybe, maybe, maybe. They were to march on the Arbor Wilds soon, so he pushed the words from his mind as best he could. Maybe.

I love you.

He wanted to shout them, those words, the moment in the War Room before the sky split open again. He and Connor had found relative peace after Corypheus’ plans had been foiled at the Temple of Mythal, after Samson had been brought to his knees, after the death of Connor’s—no, Samson’s lieutenant. After Connor had stepped into the well and through a mirror to end up at Skyhold while Cullen was sure he had lost him once more.

After his return with the troops, things were… better. Connor seemed lighter, the weight of his past shed every so slightly more than before. More promises and apologies were made as the two of them watched their philters burn in colorful fire, the ashes left to scatter across the Frostbacks.

Cullen still could not speak the words as they stood alone in Skyhold’s small Chantry later that evening. The wall behind him was firm and solid, the man in front of him blazing like a furnace—close, comforting, the hearth of a familiar home. Cullen felt his anxiety rising again, and his grip tightened.

“Whatever happens, you will come back.”

I love you.

Now Cullen stood, alone in his candle-lit quarters that overlooked the fortress, cursing himself as he tried speaking the words that simply would not come to him. Below, he could hear the festivities, the victory feast Josephine had planned, in all of its reveling. He should be down there with a drink in hand, Maker knows he deserved it, but instead he frowned at his reflection.

“Rutherford, you are a Maker damned fool,” he muttered to himself, dragging a hand down his face. A soft chuckle behind him caused him to jump, whirling around with a start.

“It’s just me,” came a familiar voice. Connor stepped fully into view and took up a spot along the wall. “Josephine is looking for you.”

“Maker,” Cullen sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Whatever for? Surely there are enough nobles down there to keep her busy for the next week.”

Connor shrugged. “Well, she was looking for me. I asked Varric to tell her I was looking for you. And I left.”

“Ah. I see.” Cullen was at a loss for words, his earlier practice seemingly all for naught. Connor glanced down at him, a small crease of worry forming between how brows.

I love you.

How hard could it be? Cullen felt his face growing hot as Connor moved closer, arms tentatively open. Cullen usually appreciated the man’s offer of touch, his silent question of consent, but in this moment Cullen wished a hole would open in the ground to swallow him whole. He waited too long, and Connor frowned.

“Cullen, if you need some time alone, I—”

“No!” he replied, a little too suddenly, and Connor froze in place. “No, I…”

I love you.

Cullen reached out at took Connor’s hand in his. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Connor sighed, the relief clear in his expression as he pulled Cullen towards him into an embrace. Cullen could feel the exhaustion in the way Connor’s weight pressed against him, half using him as support.

“You should get some rest,” Cullen murmured into his chest, and he felt the vibration of Connor’s replied hum in his bones as the larger man maneuvered them to the bed, flopping them both unceremoniously onto the mattress.

I love you.

Connor spoke the words into his crown of blonde curls as they laid there still fully dressed in an awkward pile of limbs, but both too tired to do anything about it. Cullen tensed, memories of a less pleasant evening coming back to him. But this time would be different.

“I—”

I love you.

The words stuck in his throat, and he buried his face into the side of Connor’s neck, breathing in the scent of elfroot and incense. Beneath him, he felt Connor’s breathing steady and slow.

I love you.

“Connor.”

“Hm?”

“Connor, I…” Cullen voice was quiet, hardly louder than a whisper. “I’m… I’m sorry I’ve never said it sooner. I—”

I love you.

“Cullen, it’s alright. You don’t have to,” Connor cut him off gently.

“No,” Cullen replied, pressing their foreheads together. Pale eyes blinked up him, contemplative but not expecting. Cullen swallowed. “No, but… I want to. You should know it. I should say it—should have said it. There are so many times—”

He didn’t have a chance to finish his thought as Connor tugged him closer, pulling them further onto the bed and capturing Cullen’s mouth in a kiss, sleepy and warm and soft.

“I love you.”

[sidebenefits]

DA:D Leaked Image Notes Pt.1

From this image, I immediately see what looks like a dragon. Perhaps an Archdemon. I'd be pretty surprised if so, but I'm not sure what else it would be doing down there with. This is clearly Warden-related content, because we have Davrin, who we know to be a Grey Warden and we're at Weisshaupt, where the Grey Warden Base is.

Other things I notice is that this place is in ruins, which could be because of the dragon, but I wonder if it will fall to pieces while we're there or it was already in shambles. I would guess that it was already in shambles because there appears meat sacks or eggs on the right, which is reminiscent of the DA:O Deep Roads mission.

We are going to a library. Don't know what to do with that, but maybe we need information or whatever's going on has centered itself in the library. It might also be the most fortified location.

There is someone named Rook there. That could either be us or another companion. I'd be down for the player character being named Rook though.

Companions/possibly us mention there's worse than darkspawn on the way. That could mean a dragon, I guess or something else. I am more interested in what Davrin says, because for me it kind of implies there defending the place rather than attacking, which is not what I would have expected as the place is already in ruins.

We're much closer to our player character than in previous games. It's less top down, which is definitely different from previous games, but I think I prefer it that way. Idk how others feel though.

As you'd expect from a Warden-oriented mission, there's darkspawn, but there's also something called spawn boils (a totally gross phrase befitting of darkspawn). Red light could mean red lyrium and based on other information (the clip), I bet it does. Perhaps the boils are what's causing red lyrium darkspawn or maybe they're infected eggs that produce red lyrium darkspawn.

There's a lot here that's super exciting but let's start with the fact that the player character is a Grey Warden!! And based on the fact it says Level (blurred) Grey Warden, I would assume it's either a class, origin, or allegiance and not just what every player character will be. My best and most realistic guess would be class. That would mean it's more combat focused than story focused. I'd be most excited if it was an origin or allegiance, the difference being that with allegiance you could pledge yourself to a faction part of the way through the game as opposed to starting as a member of a faction. It might also be a mix of these.

We're either an elf or can choose our race, which is great. I'd guess the choose our race thing and not just that everyone is an elf. But I'm just happy because I'd probably end up playing an elf anyway. If we can choose our race and origin, I wonder if they're tied together or separate. Is every Warden origin an elf? Or can I be a dwarf Warden? Are some origins (again if there are origins in the first place) race locked?

Equipment system doesn't look all that surprising. We seem to be able to wear all the same stuff. Although I'd like to see the rest of the weapons menu.

It looks like we'll have fewer abilities we can equip at a time, which I don't think I'll have an opinion about until I actually play it. I think it depends on how combat goes and what sort of abilities there are.

The shield that's equipped is a Templar shield enchanted by the Mortalitasi, giving it an extra boost against spirits. Pretty much all this really means for certain is that we'll be fighting spirits, which isn't a shock. I'd be interested though in the backstory behind such a shield. You don't often think of the Mortalitasi and Templars together.

[the-whole-pursued]

Alexandre Chasten (OC; The Wildest Woe)

The main character and protagonist for my AC Unity story The Wildest Woe.

Born: January 24th, 1773

Physical Description: He stands around 174 cm, with a mess of tight dark curls and sharp blue eyes. He’s often said to be a spitting image of his father, especially as he gets older. He’s very rarely seen without being put together, finding that he puts a good deal of worth on his physical appearance that people see. His main coat is a brown coat with green lapels and cuffs and red/gold trimming. After his first encounter with the British Templars, he breaks his nose and it never fully heals, resulting in his nose being dented for the rest of his life. He also has a scar on his brow that’s mostly hidden. On his body, he has a scar from a bullet wound that he receives when he’s 29 on his left shoulder.

Background: Alexandre was born to Jehan and Louise Chasten, Assassins belonging to the French Brotherhood. He spent the first few years of his life in a mix of his parent’s care and in the communal care of the Brotherhood. When he was two his brother Théodore was born. The Chastens made their inhabitance of a modest white brick house in the Saint-Louis area of Paris, just over the bridge from the Île de la Cité that Jehan kept funded through connections and favors. When he was five, his mother died at the hands of the Templars and his father was left in grief until he remembered his children. The strain for the first few months after Louise’s death left Alexandre in a weird situation and he became reclusive without her around. This stigma and condition stayed with him for long after her death and the ‘reconciliation’ his father attempted to provide, though he attempted to make up for it by working for his father’s attention and approval; this would lead to his life long battle with making his father proud. He also began to focus on Théodore more for company and to look after him while Jehan attempted to recover.

When he was seven his father told him about the Assassin-Templar war and began his training. The fervent ideology of his father and the knowledge that the Templars killed his mother fueled Alexandre’s thoughts at a young age and led to his focus on the Creed above all else. He would eventually begin training not long after and come to know the Brotherhood and get familiar with his future. When he was fifteen and his brother was thirteen, their father was killed on a mission as their mother was. Alexandre took over the training and care of his brother, inherited his father’s Hidden Blade, and the Council once again decided they would be communally raised. The father of Celeste Touchard, a childhood friend and Assassin trainee as well, would become his mentor in place of his father and help to raise them.

Later in life, he would become embroiled in a conflict with Templar agents who wished to gain their foothold again in a post-revolutionary France, alongside his brother, Celeste, and Arno Dorian.

Personality: Aside from some stunted difficulty with human connections, he held high empathy and held a vast reserve of compassion in general, which led to a bit of difficulty with his first few times on an assassination mission; he’d have to learn to create a “persona” to use when assassinating. He felt very much for those in need and would try and help even if it wasn’t possible. However, he still showed a strong disdain and anger towards Templars, seeing them as just part of a collective of different ideologies that were spreading injustice towards those undeserving of it. He also formed silent connections, often after spending time with a person and then deeming them a friend after a good deal of time even if he didn’t outwardly note it; he assumed it was just understood.

His biggest flaw was his internalized homophobia and self-worth issues, seeing himself as imperfect and not on the same level as what his father would want. To keep his father proud, he would also attempt to mentor his younger brother and educate him in the way of the Creed, but would end up pushing him away for a very long time as he took the role of a father, and not as the older brother.

[beardedmrbean]

Oh I was trying to say that, it very likely in red. Yasuke is going to make a deal with the Tokugawas where he can make secret trips to Japan during the edo period while keeping the Europeans and Templars busy like in India or the Philippines.

But the reason why I says Massachusetts due to the importance it is in lovercraft

https://lovecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Massachusetts

Because you reblog a post saying most Lovecraft stories take place In Massachusetts so the protagonists should have Boston accents…now that is scary

So while there is an official Wizarding systems. Each region is based off their folklore it influencing magical ie martial arts magic is quite common in magical urban areas due to the influx of Chinese immigrants and such

And my joke is black peoples who is from the Lovecraft country (as well as the other races) are from the Lovecraft cults and descendants of the Lovecraft gods

Though they can hide their monstrous appearance like a thing sort of way.

Hmm, can anyone recommend what lovercraft set I should buy? I want the unedited, give me all the racism you can provide!

Beside it will be more entertaining than magical negroes!

Oh I was trying to say that, it very likely in red. Yasuke is going to make a deal with the Tokugawas where he can make secret trips to Japan during the edo period while keeping the Europeans and Templars busy like in India or the Philippines.

the Philippines was Spanish, but I'm not sure how that works with the different orders, also it's fiction.

But the reason why I says Massachusetts due to the importance it is in lovercraft >lovecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Massachusetts

Because you reblog a post saying most Lovecraft stories take place In Massachusetts so the protagonists should have Boston accents…now that is scary

Like Stephen King and that one town. Also I think funnier than it would be scary, one of the old ones looking for a strawberry frahsted.

So while there is an official Wizarding systems. Each region is based off their folklore it influencing magical ie martial arts magic is quite common in magical urban areas due to the influx of Chinese immigrants and such

The US would have the nuttiest ethnic magic studies classes, just based on population.

And my joke is black peoples who is from the Lovecraft country (as well as the other races) are from the Lovecraft cults and descendants of the Lovecraft gods Though they can hide their monstrous appearance like a thing sort of way.

Oh fun

Hmm, can anyone recommend what lovercraft set I should buy? I want the unedited, give me all the racism you can provide!

Anyone got anything?

Beside it will be more entertaining than magical negroes!

I wouldn't know, just like most of the rest of the world I have no desire to see it

Anyone has any thoughts for Huey here, drop em in a reblog, or a reply or you can anon me as well and it'll get to him.

[carnalapples]

DA Lore Prompts

A personal version of nirikeehan's list found here!

In the Mists: The Windline Marcher. A ghost ship. Still, the story continues to be told, its intent to chill, amuse, or even titillate. As a consequence, the tale has grown more colorful over time. In many later versions, the “Marcher” is manned by a crew of stunningly beautiful spirits, who can fulfill one’s deepest (carnal) desires, should one succeed in boarding the ship.

The Lost City of Barindur. A city lost to time or disaster. Swaying grass hid flocks of birds so vast that when they took flight, their numbers blocked the sun. This, our guide informed us, was the great city of Barindur, wonder of the ancient world, famed for its fountains which were said to grant eternal youth. [received]

The Pyramids of Par Vollen. Structures of unknown purpose pre-dating the Qunari. Par Vollen’s distinctive pyramids, looming from the overgrowth, have remained largely intact, even if their intended purpose has been lost. They do not seem to be tombs, though some chambers contain bodies that have been carefully preserved. Amazingly, the pyramids’ proportions are mathematically perfect. 

Confessions of a Lyrium Addict. Rare first person account of the Templars’ plight. But the ration’s too small. If they don’t give you enough, your hands get cold. The sky starts to press down on you. Little things slip away. So you have to stay. [Filled 1/5/24 HERE]

The Aeonar. Mage prison found abandoned by Seekers, with no sign of violence, during the Mage-Templar war. Accused maleficarum and apostates are held in the confines of Aeonar. Those who have a powerful connection to the Fade, and particularly to demons, will inevitably attract something across the Veil, making the guilty somewhat easier to tell from the innocent.

Notes on Methods of Enchantment. Ancient notes on enchanting eldritch items. Using up the last of the stock was well worth it, as I explained to it as a courtesy before final work began. Adjustments to the underlay were a great success, and will allow the recipe to be made with material taken from lesser animals, if the need arises.

The Hand That Cuts. A unique ring. This ring grows unusually warm when slipped onto a finger. It pulses slightly and steadily, as if in time with the wearer’s heartbeat. [received]

The Eye That Weeps. A unique amulet. This amulet is heavy for its size, and the metal is clammy and sticks jealously to the flesh. The gem in the center contains a liquid that glowers a sluggish red in bright light. Condensation slowly forms on the gem’s outer surface, no matter how many times it’s wiped clean.

The Bind that Guides. A unique belt. No matter how loosely this belt is tied, after a few steps, it warps itself snugly around the waist. The stitching, while fine, is of a strange, thin thread that resembles hair and can’t be cut with even the sharpest knife.

The Skin That Stalks. Unique armor. The leather of this armor gives off a faint, living heat. It is heavier than it looks, but the weight and warmth are somehow comforting. The armor makes little noise in motion, and after a surprisingly short time, wearing it feels quite natural.

Chronicles of a Forgotten War. An account of encounters with mysterious Scaled Ones in the Deep Roads. A robed Scaled One stood before the altar. Its voice was different from the others: softer, almost feminine. It chanted and raised a basin of blood towards the altar. The other Scaled Ones bowed low. The robed Scaled One produced fire from its palm and mouth and ignited the blood.

Grim Anatomy. A book on animal dissection and demonic possession, by an unknown author. It’s not wearing the creature’s skin. It has become the creature: its mind, its senses… its blood.

The Hedge Witch. A witch who transformed herself into a giant hawthorn bush. She possessed only a modicum of magical power—enough to draw the templars’ attention, but not nearly enough to defend herself from them. As the templars closed in on her, Saramish worked a spell of transformation. No one knows what her intentions were, but the outcome could not have been to her liking. 

Arboreal Fort. Creative solutions to uncommon problems. Flatten the area? —Cullen. Of course the commander suggests hitting the hills until they forget they’re hills. —L I was joking. Meanwhile, have you threatened to cut out anyone’s tongue today? —Cullen Thinking about it right now. —L

A Compendium of Orlesian Theater. Fascinating cultural practices from the artistic heart of the empire. If a director believes they can sell the part, men can play dowagers, women can play dukes, and even an elf can play a king. Once donned, the mask is understood to be absolutely them. None of the actors I spoke to could explain to me the history behind this tradition, but bristled when I suggested other nations find it strange. 

She of the Highwaymen Repents. A song unsung for a dead man walking. For know my crime was cruel, and all my pain deserved. I stand here as a fool, despite my brother served.

The Silver Knight. The final verse for a fallen knight. In lost verses of a song, painstakingly unearthed, I found the answer to my question. Who could bear the weight of a people destroyed by his hand?

18. The Executors. Those across the sea. “Remember that, for the moment, we are not your enemy.”

19. Constellation: Visus. The Watchful Eye. The early Inquisition took Visus as the symbol of their holy calling when they joined the Andrastian faith: the Eye representing both their search for maleficarum and the Maker’s judgment upon their actions. When the Inquisition ended and became the Seekers of Truth and the Templar Order, the templars took the sword while the Seekers retained the eye.

20. The Lover’s Alcove. To be seen not being seen. Dignity of course requiring that one does not also make use of the darkness for actual physical gratification. This has, of course, never occurred. [received]

[fademirrored]

gamma: Inquisitor

“Can we get back to business, or should I fetch you a bucket to finish drooling in?”

Petrichor “Petra” Lavellan Herald of Andraste. Inquisitor.

Nonbinary. They/them. Pansexual. 17 Haring, 9:14 Dragon. Free Marches. Warrior; double-handed. Reaver.

Eyes: Very bright, almost neon aqua, initially. Large. Darken and go red around the outer iris after they specialize. Hair: Deep, dark red. Shaved around the sides and back. What’s left comes down past the middle of their back, and is done in a multitude of small braids which are gathered back in a tail. Skin: Gold-ish bronze-ish. Freckles easily during the summer. Height: 5'6". Build: Deceptively lanky and lean, but very sinewy. Very compact muscle. Flexible. Does not look like they should be able to heft the sword they use. Notable Details: Complex Elgar'nan vallaslin in black. Nick near the tip of their left ear. Several earrings in both ears, though none of them ever match. Nails become claws once they’re a Reaver, canine teeth get sharper and longer. Get more physically durable. Voice: This specific dragon.

Positives: Protective; as antisocial as they can come across, there are people they’re close to, and they’re going to do what they can to make sure those people stay as safe as can reasonably be expected. Durable, mentally and physically; they’re going to run into a lot of shit in their life, they’re aware of it, and they aren’t overly concerned about it or its lasting impact on them. Difficult to offend, beyond generally being unimpressed; being insulted isn’t going to ruin their entire day and they aren’t going to throw some sort of tantrum about it. Fair-ish; they’ll have their own preconceived ideas, obviously, but in general if they decide they don’t like someone it’s for a specific reason, rather than on a whim. Good at compartmentalizing, even if they don’t always actually do that; they can actually be diplomatic when the time calls for it, they’re just going to grind their teeth and develop an eye twitch. Negatives: Avoidant, of people and confrontation; they don’t dread confrontation, but it seems like way more of a hassle than it’s worth, and a lot of the time they don’t really want to deal with other people. Irritable and impatient, and prone to snapping because of it; from the moment they wake up in a prison cell they are in a different world that it seems like no one else has ever paid attention to, and they get sick of constantly needing to explain themself quickly. Bad at second chances; ‘fool me once’ is bad enough and they aren’t keen on letting it get to ‘fool me twice’ unless they’re suitably convinced. Impulsive; while they’re not impossible to reason with when they get an idea in their head, that does rather hinge upon someone getting a hold of them before they act on the idea. Selectively insensitive, mostly on purpose; if someone is going to have a problem with them, they don’t really see it as a hardship to give them a reason to have a problem, so they selectively erase ‘tact’ from their vocabulary when it suits them. Neutrals: Ambivert. Very talkative, but most of what they say is sarcastic, snarky, unimpressed, deadpan, or some combination. Surprisingly good with kids. Not overly sentimental, but doesn’t frown on sentimentality. Optimist vs. Pessimist: Cautiously pessimistic. Quirks: Does not like being confined in small spaces. Will carry on one-sided conversations with their dog. Once they become a reaver and can tank more damage, they can and do escape unwanted conversations by just vaulting over ledges around Skyhold. Prone to disappearing without warning and popping up with equally little warning. Would much prefer to be outside than inside.

Religion: Believes in the Creators. Likes: Vastly prefers animals to people. Fresh air. Being outside, and especially in the woods. Dragons. New stories. Venison. Fruit. Sweet wines, especially when they’re made from something more unusual than grapes. Dislikes: Templars. The Chantry. The Circle. Most people who are too loudly in favor of any of those. A little iffy on a lot of humans, but they’ll take them on a case-by-case basis. Being the center of attention. Being treated like an idiot. When people can’t take a hint about them wanting to be left alone. Cities. Favorite Colors: Sky blue. Hunter green. Golden brown. Hobbies: Hunting. Exploring. Riding. Sparring. Dog training. Judging the impracticalities of Skyhold and the people therein.

Family: Clan Lavellan. Younger brother is the clan’s First. Steed: Revas, a literal moose. Other Critters: Mi'durgen, high content wolf/mabari cross; worryingly clever. Romance: Josie. Friends: Dorian. Cole. Blackwall. Note: Mutual respect with Cassandra, but they didn’t actually like each other that much; worked well together regardless. Initially got on well with Sera and Solas, but those relationships deteriorated as time passed. *everything in this section can of course be tweaked or disregarded entirely for specific threads, if you’d rather.

[ryniadora]

The Blorbos, Dragon Age edition. To be prettified when I'm not on my phone. I have two timelines for my blorbos which diverge at the start of DA2, but the characters exist in both just with different stories.

My DA:D character is likely to be elven (I start all DA games with an elven protag and then have to revert because it doesn't work for what I want ...) probably also a mage but that will depend on what options we get.

STEP THE FIRST IN ALL THINGS

DA:O/A - Elena (Lena) Cousland. The fox and the hound, silver and blue, crowns and roses.

Alistair's wife. Double stibby stabs rogue, but only if she really has to because she is a cinnamon roll disguised as a Grey Warden. Baby. 18 when she becomes a Warden. Saves literally fucking everyone if humanly possible. Is insanely trusting and needs her sassy boyfriend to be sceptical about things on her behalf. Her mabari is called Rufus.

Canon

DAII - Rebecca Hawke. The hawk and the wolf, red and black, chains and blades.

Fenris' partner. Carries the biggest, pointiest sword known to man and will slice you in half if you call her beloved a slave or touch her friends. Supports the templars until she realises Meredith is batshit insane and does a complete 180. Has a certified Bad Time when Anders blows up the Chantry, but she lets him go. Fenris is pissed.

DA:I - Eleanor Trevelyan The lion and the songbird, red and gold, cages and birds.

Cullenmanced from day 1. Exclusively a fire mage that will only use a staff if it's pretty when she twirls it around, actual fighting is what her boys are for (Dorian disagrees). 99% trauma but you'd never know by looking.

Timeline the Second

DAII - Felicity Hawke.

Certified Anderswife. Healer with a sideline in fireballs, though you're more likely to die from one of her dreadful jokes.

DA:I - Theodore Trevelyan.

Dorianmancer. Sharpshooter specialising in longbow use, with a sideline in magically charged arrows.

[thedemoninme141]

Ghosts-Chapter 10: Hope

“How do you do it Ghost? After everything you’ve been through, how do you still believe in humanity?” she asked. “It's all I know,” he replied.

“Hey Jade, Today is our 2-year anniversary. And... It's been six months since I lost you; I still haven't brought you justice, but I swear I will; I've learned about your past; I've found Ghost; he is teaching me how to face hundreds of them on my own; he is teaching me to be brave like you were, Our next mission is on the gulag in Prypiat, We are trying to find his friend John... Even though he was forced to reveal your location, I still hold him responsible and expect the worse fate for him. I am changing Jade, All I have is hatred and anger now, you were the light of my life, I need you, I miss you so much.”

Tori says kneeling on Jade’s grave.

“Jade, after I make them pay, I am coming to you, I promise you that.”

She closes her eyes as her last tears fall onto her lover's bed of perpetual rest.

“I knew you would be here Tor…”

She knew who it was as soon as she heard the voice

“Beck?” She turned around.

“Don’t worry, I am not calling 911.” He said.

“Beck... I had to do this, for her.”

“I know I know, I am sorry, for being so harsh on you that day. I should have been there for you, then maybe.. maybe I could’ve saved you.” Beck said looking down.

“I can’t be saved anymore Beck, I am already dead.”

“A Ghost.. aren’t you?” he asked.

Tori nodded.

“I guess.. this is goodbye, isn’t it?” he asked again.

“Yes, there is no certainty for me anymore, The path I’ve chosen has no return, Take care of our friends Beck.”

.

The plane lands on Nikolai's private hangar. It was Tori’s first mission as a member of the Ghosts. She chose the name Wraith, the ghost who has unfinished business in the mortal realm.

As they get out of the plane, She notices a brown-haired boy approaching them.

“John.. are you alright?” The boy asks.

“I was 6 months in a pitch-black room Roach, stop asking stupid questions,” John said gritting his teeth.

“Okay okay, and.. the man, the myth, the legend. Ghost.”

“Roach.” Ghost said.

“And. Who is this?” He asks looking at Tori.

“Roach, I agree with John, stop asking stupid questions.” Ghost snapped.

“Alright, alright, I will go get the Jeep. Always the one who gets treated like a child in the team.”

They drive for an hour.

She wonders.. where are they going?

“Where are we going?” She asked without looking at the masked demon.

“Home.” He answered.

They arrive at a 2-story abandoned house in the middle of a jungle after about an hour's drive. She follows them inside and sees pictures of a family hanging on the wall of the foyer. a woman, a child, a dog, and a man. Who lived here? She wonders.

They follow Ghost to the basement. Ghost turns the lights on as the room illuminates.

She looks around to figure out what this is, A large underground bunker that is stocked with racks of weaponry and equipment. The walls are taped with maps, photos, and A table filled with random items. But what interests her most is a black metal-plated armoured suit. This was Ghost’s place. Was he the kid in the photos? A lot of questions are in her mind but she doesn’t care to ask them. All she wants is justice for her Jade.

She looks at the Wall to see a lot of red lines connecting from one photo to another but they all lead to one red-circled photo, Another masked man, the mask looked like a knight’s helmet. Templar…. The one who killed her Jade, the one who is strong enough to defeat a Ghost.

“What's our next move?” She asks Ghost,

“Preparation,” he answered.

“We are joining you this time Ghost. We started it together, We will finish it together.” Roach said.

Ghost nodded.

“Then you are gonna need your masks Phantom.” Ghost says opening a drawer and taking out 2 different looking masks giving one to Roach,

“And Shade.” Giving the other one to John.

“Let's do this,” John said.

.

Tori sees Jade leaning on her locker, eyes closed, earphones in her ear, listening to music and humming.

Tori smiles, “She looks so peaceful and pretty.” She thinks. She slowly approaches her girlfriend,

She connects her lips with Jade’s, Jade wasn’t surprised, She would know these lips eyes closed every time. She returned the kiss with a smile.

After a minute, Tori drew back to get a breath.

“My my, Tori Vega, I didn’t know you were into girls.!” Jade said innocently.

“Oh my god! I am so sorry Jade! I promise I won’t ever kiss you again!” Tori said smirking.

“Shut up,” Jade said and kissed her again.

Tori stopped the kiss again.

“I think you should stop that now or I would start something else right here right now with you.” She said.

Jade smirked.

“How about You and I have some fun tonight at the Lake so we can find out what you would've started here?” Jade whispered to her ears.

Tori’s eyes widen and she grins like a complete dork.

Jade grabs her hands and takes the frozen Tori to the exit door.

.

“The bullets... Where do they lead us?” Ghost asked Roach.

“Alexandro Rojas, Brazillian arms dealer. He is our ticket to The Shadow Company.” Roach answered.

“What bullets?” Tori wondered.

Ghost sighed.

“The bullets used in the Gun to kill Jade.” He said.

And for a moment, all the flashes came back to her head, How broken Jade was when she found her, her lover's blood on the floor, how alone she must've felt in her last moments.

Ghost shook Tori's shoulders.

“Hey Tori, It's okay if you want some time alone. The is a small garden behind the house, You can get there through the door in the kitchen,” he said handing her the key.

Tori nodded and walked out of the room.

“You can’t always hide the truth Ghost. She has to know. She has to know by you.” John said.

“I can’t do that John, if she finds out she will end up just like me. She still doesn’t know there are so many people who care about her.” Ghost replied.

“It's your decision Ghost, but She needs hope. You gave us hope, and right now that kid needs you to do the same for her.” John said calmly.

Ghost looked down and said,

“ How can I give her hope when I am the one who took it from her?”

[teecupangel]

So, ive recently gotten back into Protocreed and a what if..? idea i had was:

After Abstergo recovers Desmonds body, they experiment with his DNA and Blacklight. Resulting in him being revived after an outbreak and breaking free.

It could even be the assassins fault that the outbreak happened!

.

In the midst of the chaos, no one noticed the body dissapearing. It's only after the outbreak was contained and culled that Subject 17 was noted as missing. With all the footage being destroyed it is impossible to tell what happened to it, but the general consensis is that one of the infected ate it. It is a crushing blow to their research, but thankfully they have plenty of samples stored in a different facility, so all hope is not lost. No one thought of the possibilty that a repeat of Alex Mercer's revival could happen. Subject 17 has been dead for months, the body is simply too old. So no one thought too look in the shadows of the city, where something lay lurking. Tracking. Hunting.

Hungering

So I have a ProtoCreed idea similar to this that I posted here.

The comments/replies have more details on how it would go but, in a nutshell, Blacklight is a failed/abandoned Isu project headed by Tinia (so we can have a little hehe moment with Alex being called ‘Zeus’) and Dr Mercer is not a Templar but he’s still a piece of work.

And Desmond’s Isu to human genes ratio + his Bleeding Effect screwed up the virus that he still has the superhuman feats that Alex has but he can’t morph his body to have weapons or anything like that.

Instead…

It’s like he can spawn three specific humanoid figures made of the black and red writhing flesh which only has one specific goal: keep Desmond safe.

There’s more details in the link above but the main point is that Desmond’s virus makes him be able to ‘summon’ his ancestors who holds a piece of Alex’s OG abilities and it’s unclear if they are mindless or if their connection with Desmond keeps them docile because when Abstergo try to cut their connection (which are tendrils of red and black connecting the creatures to Desmond’s shadow), the creature goes berserk and attacks and devours everything around until Desmond reconnects with it.

So we have:

Altaïr = Blade

Ezio = Hammerfist

Ratonhnhaké:ton = Whipfist

Ezio gets Hammerfist because the sword of Altaïr is iconic so Altaïr gets the Blade and Ratonhnhaké:ton had the ropedart so he gets the Whipfist. XD

Although, in my original idea, Desmond keeps his memories (thanks to the Bleeding Effect) but if you want to go down the route of Desmond being ‘incubated’ by the virus during the story of Prototype and waking up afterwards, we can easily do that and the incubation period is actually what corrupted Desmond’s mind.

So in this situation, Desmond would be more like ‘Eve’ from Parasite Eve, the new origin of an outbreak (and everyone believes it’s Alex’s fault which will lead us to a modified setup for Prototype 2 and Alex and Desmond having an antagonistic start).

But the outbreak is strange because it seemed… targeted.

The ones to be hit first were Abstergo facilities or facilities under Abstergo’s shell companies.

And the spread only began when these facilities had fallen and the barricades have been breached, like… it wasn’t truly intentional but more of a ‘side effect’.

So now we have Alex trying to figure out what this new outbreak is because the ‘children’ for this one are faster and more cunning, using their surrounding to hide and wait. And these children seemed to be taking orders from three creatures made of darkness and blood.

(Or, if you want to preserve the Assassin white and red color scheme, it’s gonna be grosser with them being filled with pus and blood instead. The pus could be a sign that the virus is being combated by Desmond’s Isu genes though and that could be a clue for Alex)

And any time Alex tries to eat any of them, he only gains snippets of the memories of the same person: a man named Desmond Miles.

The three commander creatures also seemed to travel via shadows, being able to melt into the shadows before Alex could ever destroy them completely.

Later, he would realize that the whole city (whichever city we’re planning to set this on) are filled with what looked like lines all over (maybe one would say that maybe it’s the ley lines or something and Alex would say that it looks more like… veins…) and these veins are actually how the commanders travel all over the city.

At the center of the veins is a cocoon…

[nirikeehan]

Dragon Age Lore Prompts 

Bits of lore compiled from codex entries, letters, and other marginalia found throughout Thedas.

Rebloggable version found here

In the Mists: The Windline Marcher. A ghost ship. Still, the story continues to be told, its intent to chill, amuse, or even titillate. As a consequence, the tale has grown more colorful over time. In many later versions, the "Marcher" is manned by a crew of stunningly beautiful spirits, who can fulfill one's deepest (carnal) desires, should one succeed in boarding the ship.

The Lost City of Barindur. A city lost to time or disaster. Swaying grass hid flocks of birds so vast that when they took flight, their numbers blocked the sun. This, our guide informed us, was the great city of Barindur, wonder of the ancient world, famed for its fountains which were said to grant eternal youth.

The Pyramids of Par Vollen. Structures of unknown purpose pre-dating the Qunari. Par Vollen's distinctive pyramids, looming from the overgrowth, have remained largely intact, even if their intended purpose has been lost. They do not seem to be tombs, though some chambers contain bodies that have been carefully preserved. Amazingly, the pyramids' proportions are mathematically perfect. 

Confessions of a Lyrium Addict. Rare first person account of the Templars' plight. But the ration's too small. If they don't give you enough, your hands get cold. The sky starts to press down on you. Little things slip away. So you have to stay.

The Aeonar. Mage prison found abandoned by Seekers, with no sign of violence, during the Mage-Templar war. Accused maleficarum and apostates are held in the confines of Aeonar. Those who have a powerful connection to the Fade, and particularly to demons, will inevitably attract something across the Veil, making the guilty somewhat easier to tell from the innocent.

Notes on Methods of Enchantment. Ancient notes on enchanting eldritch items. Using up the last of the stock was well worth it, as I explained to it as a courtesy before final work began. Adjustments to the underlay were a great success, and will allow the recipe to be made with material taken from lesser animals, if the need arises.

The Hand That Cuts. A unique ring. This ring grows unusually warm when slipped onto a finger. It pulses slightly and steadily, as if in time with the wearer's heartbeat. - in progress

The Eye That Weeps. A unique amulet. This amulet is heavy for its size, and the metal is clammy and sticks jealously to the flesh. The gem in the center contains a liquid that glowers a sluggish red in bright light. Condensation slowly forms on the gem's outer surface, no matter how many times it's wiped clean.

The Bind that Guides. A unique belt. No matter how loosely this belt is tied, after a few steps, it warps itself snugly around the waist. The stitching, while fine, is of a strange, thin thread that resembles hair and can't be cut with even the sharpest knife.

The Skin That Stalks. Unique armor. The leather of this armor gives off a faint, living heat. It is heavier than it looks, but the weight and warmth are somehow comforting. The armor makes little noise in motion, and after a surprisingly short time, wearing it feels quite natural.

Chronicles of a Forgotten War. An account of encounters with mysterious Scaled Ones in the Deep Roads. A robed Scaled One stood before the altar. Its voice was different from the others: softer, almost feminine. It chanted and raised a basin of blood towards the altar. The other Scaled Ones bowed low. The robed Scaled One produced fire from its palm and mouth and ignited the blood. - in progress

Grim Anatomy. A book on animal dissection and demonic possession, by an unknown author. It's not wearing the creature's skin. It has become the creature: its mind, its senses... its blood.

The Hedge Witch. A witch who transformed herself into a giant hawthorn bush. She possessed only a modicum of magical power—enough to draw the templars' attention, but not nearly enough to defend herself from them. As the templars closed in on her, Saramish worked a spell of transformation. No one knows what her intentions were, but the outcome could not have been to her liking. 

Arboreal Fort. Creative solutions to uncommon problems. Flatten the area? —Cullen. Of course the commander suggests hitting the hills until they forget they're hills. —L I was joking. Meanwhile, have you threatened to cut out anyone's tongue today? —Cullen Thinking about it right now. —L

A Compendium of Orlesian Theater. Fascinating cultural practices from the artistic heart of the empire. If a director believes they can sell the part, men can play dowagers, women can play dukes, and even an elf can play a king. Once donned, the mask is understood to be absolutely them. None of the actors I spoke to could explain to me the history behind this tradition, but bristled when I suggested other nations find it strange. 

She of the Highwaymen Repents. A song unsung for a dead man walking. For know my crime was cruel, and all my pain deserved. I stand here as a fool, despite my brother served.

The Silver Knight. The final verse for a fallen knight. In lost verses of a song, painstakingly unearthed, I found the answer to my question. Who could bear the weight of a people destroyed by his hand?

The Executors. Those across the sea. “Remember that, for the moment, we are not your enemy.”

Constellation: Visus. The Watchful Eye. The early Inquisition took Visus as the symbol of their holy calling when they joined the Andrastian faith: the Eye representing both their search for maleficarum and the Maker's judgment upon their actions. When the Inquisition ended and became the Seekers of Truth and the Templar Order, the templars took the sword while the Seekers retained the eye.

The Lover's Alcove. To be seen not being seen. Dignity of course requiring that one does not also make use of the darkness for actual physical gratification. This has, of course, never occurred.