#Rebel Rambles about Solas

[hawke-from-kirkwall]

Solas. The Dread Wolf. He is an incredibly fascinating character to me. He has many names. His history is tangled and twisting with love, loyalty, pain, wisdom, betrayal, pride, power, fear, failure, regret- each part telling the story of a truly complex and nuanced person. In this Essay I will...

Something I find absolutely fascinating about Solas over the course of DAI and now DATV is that I feel you can see him struggle with the fact that at every turn his desperate belief that those around him are on some level not real people (a belief he holds on to with white knuckle fists because he knows he cannot complete his goal if he allows himself to see them as real) is challenged. Varric, Cole, Sera, Bull, Lavellan, or even an Inquisitor that's not Elvhen, Felessan, even to some extent Mythal, they directly challenge his view of them. He has to silence them or he won't be strong enough to continue his mission- he'd fail again. So he kills his closest friend, can't even look him in the eye when he does it, he breaks up with Lavellan (or distances himself from a friendly Inquisitor), and abandons the Inquisition without a word, even cuts himself off from Cole because Cole knew who he was and could reveal too much.

Solas cuts himself off from anyone and everything that could tear down his idea that they could be REAL, that they could deserve the same chance he and the other ancient elves had to live, or he knows he will abandon his work. He'd once again fail. And Solas fears he couldn't survive that.

So he forces himself to be detached, cold, calculating, deceptive, and strategic. He once again bears the mantle of Dread Wolf, once again the cost is never too high if it means the People are restored.

Solas fascinates me in his obstinate determination to not accept what he sees, and I believe he knows deep down, is true - his original plan succeeded, but the cost was great and that there is truly no way to reverse it. The world of Thedas, as it is now, completely changed from anything he ever wanted, is the result. But change is a part of life. It cannot be stopped. Fighting change or seeking to reverse change only serves to change things further and never in the way you had planned. Ultimately, Solas's plan was doomed from the start- he could succeed in pulling down the veil, he could "minimize the damage", but the world that would result from it would still not be the world he wants. It would still be subject to the thousand years of change it had gone through and would change further still at the abrupt return of magic and spirits to the world. He cannot predict the outcome and consequences that would be the aftermath of his success. And he doesn't want to! He cannot reconcile his failure so he pushes forward to erase what cannot be erased. It's futile. And I don't believe he is fully blind to it. I am certain he knows, even if he refuses to sit with it long enough to admit it.

Solas is a broken man who's so focused on his one failure that the cost of "repair" doesn't matter. HE has to fix it. HE has to sacrifice. HE has to go it alone. Else he might be persuaded to change his mind, to do the selfish thing and move on, when the ancient elvhen no longer have that chance.

So he holds tight to his bitter resolve only to be challenged again at every turn by Rook and their team, old allies and friends, those he had betrayed. Again.

His story is one of pain, loss, regret, failure, twisted purpose and the incredible power of a small seed of hope.

If you choose this end, Solas finally removes his blinders to see the light of hope in front of him. With or without Lavellan taking the journey with him, Solas finally sees what he'd been so forcefully shoving out of his view - it just takes one choice. One right decision to start a journey towards redemption. He cannot be absolved of guilt for his actions. He cannot change the past. But perhaps with time he can redeem his future.

[Me, typing this up at 10am on a Tuesday... like a normal person. Lol]

[hoboblaidd]

Extremely rambling Mythal thoughts below. Spoiler alert: it’s not pretty.

Major endgame Veilguard spoilers below the cut.

@weptlore broke me with that one post and I’m basically riffing off of it because I’m emo. Tl;dr fuck Mythal.

First though, you will never catch me saying that Solas isn’t culpable, because he absolutely is. His ‘best’ ending is properly atonement, not redemption. He was faced with choice after choice whether or not to do terrible things and he folded every time she asked - save one - despite his better judgment. His choices in the Dragon Age are his, even as they’re motivated by his desire to make the world he thinks Mythal wanted. He needs to be held accountable for the things he messed up instead of running from them to do a full system reboot on the world. He says that thousands will die from the Veil coming down, but then ‘flowers would grow.’ That self-serving justification does not excuse the colossal loss of innocent life he’s prepared to take. Yes, I believe Varric and the Inquisitor that he doesn’t really want to do it and is looking for someone to sell him a better option. But he was still gonna do it, right up to the end.

But to ignore how royally Mythal fucked him up and manipulated him at every step does him a disservice. She strong-armed him into a parallel of a binding. She chipped away at who he was so thoroughly that it twisted him into the thing he is now. She even admits that what she did to him broke him. All new and faded for her indeed, in the worst way imaginable.

She cared about his usefulness. Her disingenuous ‘I need your wisdom’ morphs into the more honest ‘I used your wisdom as a weapon.’ Yeah she calls Solas ‘love’ and says ‘I always come when my friends need me,’ but it’s gaslighty as shit. No wonder she jived with Flemeth. They’re singing the same song. And when he finally didn’t toe her terrible line she turned on him and called it a betrayal. Elgar’nan said she considered Solas insubordinate and unmanageable, and we don’t even know whether that estimation was before or after he rebelled (I recognize Elgar’nan’s not a great source and was trying to get under Solas’ skin, but the truth hurts more than a lie. Given what we know of her, I buy it).

And now where are we? Back at square one and somehow she’s the one to sell him that better story and convince him to do the same damn thing again. ‘I release you from your service’ as long as you immediately bind yourself again.

To ignore the tragedy of his ultimate fate isn’t fair. He needs to atone but my god is it a tragic end for him. The one thing in the world Solas wants is freedom, and it’s the one thing he’ll never get. What was it Elgar’nan said? ‘As much as freedom is beyond your grasp.’ He was more right than he intended.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. I would take questions but I need to go backstage and scream.

[galsinspace]

Ok so here's my long ramble post about how I understand Dragon Age lore right now before the new game comes out and throws wrenches (or wenches) into this

Fen'Harel's creation of the Veil and imprisonment of the pseudo-gods trapped them in two seperate prisons: the Evanuris in one and the "forgotten ones" in the other. They were warring factions of powerful leaders, the Evanuris the current rulers and the Forgotten Ones wanting to overthrow them to grab power for themselves. According to Dalish lore, Fen'Harel walked among both these factions - likely because Solas wasn't interested in their power struggle.

The Forgotten Ones then became the Old Gods of Tevinter. According to codex entries you find in the Fade, the Old Gods used to talk to people and shaped the Empire. I assume they could talk to people in dreams through the Fade and thus had an especially strong connection with mages, the ruling class of Tevinter. And they used this influence to build this empire with the goal of pushing magical innovation and power until the magisters could perform a jail break.

And that unleashed the Blight! The magisters broke into the Black City, an ancient elven palace city that had been pulled onto the Fade side of the Veil because it was so magical that it couldn't exist seperate from it (even more magical than the Library that was pulled into the Fade only partially), and unleashed power that was far more than they could handle. They freed the Forgotten Ones but also Tainted them, turning them into the Archdemons. The Old Gods of Tevinter disappeared, stopped speaking to the people of Tevinter, because they'd been turned into something lesser than they used to be.

I've already made a post speculating that Ghilan'nain created the Blight as an experiment in full immortality and total control of mindless slaves. Maybe that's why the archdemons seem pretty mindless themselves now, because they're not Ghilan'nain and can't wield this magic she created exactly as she would. They're leaders among the darkspawn but they're still darkspawn themselves.

Which brings me to my next point.

It's also interesting that Corypheus is so physically melted together with red lyrium. That must have happened to him in the Black City! There must have been lyrium there!

[Edit: well fuck I guess he wasn't full of red lyrium yet in DA2]

It seems pretty clear in both Trespasser and that one inscription in the temple of Mythal that Mythal had a large scale lyrium mining operation and was waging war against the titans and dwarves about this (I've made another post about this that includes codex entries). So Mythal was also in the business of magical innovation, expanding the boundaries of magical power, why else would she need all that magical fuel! And then @lipsie introduced me to the theory that Mythal created the qunari because she's associated with dragons, and that makes SO MUCH SENSE with this one casual line in Trespasser that says that qunari mages are especially powerful, more powerful than other mages! Mythal created the qunari by splicing elf and dragon DNA to create even more powerful magic! And for all this she needed lyrium!! AND she has the horns!!!

The qunari are gonna be so mad when they find out...

It's also interesting that the qunari still live in a society so fundamentally built on obedience and conformity to assigned roles and values. I'm not saying that's genetic, that would be bullshit writing, but that this is a culture Mythal created to keep her new slaves under control. If their capacity for magic could be greater than her own, then she'd need to keep them on a very short leash so they'd never rebel against her.

Man I wish we'd gotten a saarebas companion...

But I think this will be another aspect of the theme of the plans of the elven slavemasters being overthrown when the people they want to control reject and fight them. I think this will happen with the Wardens (who carry Ghilan'nain's magical control virus), with the elves in general, AND eventually with the qunari. And the qunari will have to reckon with their very existence being the work of someone they hate, and the very values they hold being something designed to keep them oppressed. Which they already were anyway lmao but maybe this will be eye-opening for them. And some of them will probably follow Mythal and be villains!

Kind of crazy that I never realised this before when Mythal just HAS THE HORNS. Maybe she also gave herself some dragon powers.

So... Mythal.

First we hear that Fen'Harel killed her. Then that the others killed her. Then Solas says that was their greatest crime because Mythal was the best. Then he kills her.

Mythal was one of the most powerful leaders of a world we know now as a corrupt slave empire no more innocent than Tevinter, that's literally how Solas describes it. Mythal is known as a wise and just ruler in Dalish mythology, and this is because she was considered such in Arlathan: there's an old text you find in the Library that describes her wisdom in judging a conflict between two of the evanuris, and her solution is that two of their servants duel it out. That paints a pretty clear picture to me! It was a society where the powerful were the only ones deemed important, their squabbles were fought out by expendables. And this was seen as wise! No drop of important blood spilled! Just those chess figures whose value lies only in the purposes of their masters.

We see that Solas wasn't like this. Here are two things Cole says that I believe are about him:

Solas was a spirit of wisdom bound to Mythal's service. She wanted him to become an elf, so he did. He wore her vallaslin. But no longer a spirit but a "real" person, he was more than just a singular purpose - he came to want freedom and he took it. He burned her vallaslin off his face (leaving the scar on his forehead because he wasn't as skilled at it yet as when he does it for Lavellan so gently). He stayed friends with Mythal but he was free.

This is fascinating in regards to Cole's personal quest, Solas doesn't want to bind him and he doesn't want him to become a person because that's what he went through. (Varric stands for the other side because he's the perfect representation of the mundane, physical world. He's just some guy, he doesn't believe in much, he's a pulp novelist, he has a years-long situationship, AND he's a dwarf - antithetical to Fade-type magic.)

And it's also fascinating as a parallel to... Morrigan.

She was raised by Flemeth. They had this complicated relationship where they cared about each other in some ways but Morrigan was also kept fully subservient, and Flemeth was abusive. And Flemeth raised Morrigan not to be her own person but to literally become a part of her. Just a tool to take possession of. And then Morrigan kills her.

I think this is the true Mythal: an abusive mother who treats other people - her daughters, her servants, her slaves - as extensions of herself. I don't think Flemeth "corrupted" Mythal or anything like that, I think they became one because they're the same.

And Solas has this complicated relationship with her because she was his friend, she let him go free (just like Flemeth let Morrigan go in Inquisition...) but she was still a ruler of this massive unjust empire that had to go. The after credits scene where he comes to her crying feels so real, it feels like this has happened before, it feels like he's come crying to his mother.

And then he kills her. Just like Morrigan.

Because he was fundamentally against her empire, he wanted "to give wisdom, not orders". His temple Solasan carries memories of people meditating:

It's represented to us in the typical game mechanic of just slaying some enemies to gain a bonus but I'd say that's just a limitation of the genre, it's supposed to be a place of meditation and gaining deeper understanding of the elements and magical skill. The avvar came there to learn the secrets of the elements:

It was a place of learning, that was what Solas did with his power before he decided on a full slave rebellion and finally world-changing magical event. Wisdom not orders.

One of the main recurring themes in Dragon age is otherwise peaceful people being pushed to extreme action because circumstances are just that untenable. Another is having to become a leader because the cause simply needs to be pushed. Both of those are present in Solas.

The inscription on the outside of the temple is also interesting:

Solas became our end. Come not to his temple.

I think this was written by an aging elf who survived the fall of Arlathan. The world fell because of Solas, he's aging and dying because of Solas, he came to his old temple to use his last strength to curse his name.

And because this has become kind of a Solas post, I'll leave you with one last Solas snippet:

[kemendin]

Mannnn I am just so, SO happy that Cas is my Rook for Veilguard.

Across games I tend to have three main characters I recycle and expand upon - Kemendin, Dhamari, and Caspian. The first two had already been integrated into the Dragon Age world - Dhamari as my Warden, and Kemendin as my Inquisitor. So when word started filtering out that DA4 was indeed happening, I was desperately hoping that Caspian - whom I'd already idly speculated would be a magister's son from Tevinter - would fit the new protagonist, both in terms of the character creator options and the role he'd be playing. As we got closer to the game release and learned more about the setting, Cas still seemed feasible, but I kept another OC in reserve (Peregryn, who would be an elf Veil Jumper) just in case things didn't work out.

But man oh man. Cas has far exceeded my hopes as Rook. Not only did I manage to absolutely nail him in the CC, surpassing most of his other models except perhaps Fallout, but he's also just adapted himself incredibly to the role of Rook. The Shadow Dragon background is PERFECT for him - across universes he has always been a rebel, breaking rules to stand against corruption and abuse of power, and my headcanon of him being a magister's son and secretly working against that system, trying to better his home city, echoes his origins as a highborn Cassian in Wildstar. He would have made a miserable Inquisitor - scarred with unwanted power, forced to lead a veritable army - but here he gets to be just a normal guy with a small team of fellow misfits, which works so much better for him. The dialogue has given me so many Cas-feeling lines - determination, defiance of authority and godhood, just not taking any bullshit. And lemme tell ya, there are some DEFINITE parallels between him and Solas that Cas is very much trying - and failing - to push aside.

I am loving this journey of exploring a new version of my boy and I'm sure I'll be rambling about it further, but for now, back to photomode!

[dragonologist-phd]

Introducing: Genevieve Trevelyan-Amell

In Summary:

Enchanter of Ostwick Circle, Herald of Andraste, Inquisitor

Mage (Necromancer)

Main Weapon: Storm Magic & Necromancy

Academic; Methodical; Authoritative; Stoic

more rambling:

Backstory:

Genevieve was the second eldest child of the Amell family. She lives with her family in Kirkwall until her magic manifested at about ten years old; with her brother already in the Gallows, she was taken to the Circle in Ostwick.

Always a dutiful child, she worked hard to hone her control of her powers and follow the rules of the Circle.

Her single rebellion was a long-standing, on-and-off relationship with Evelyn Trevelyan, a fellow mage in the Circle. Despite their differences and conflict, the relationship settled as they got older, and they went so far as to consider themselves (unofficially) married

When the Circles rebelled, Evelyn and Genevieve found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict: Evelyn with the rebels, Genevieve with the loyalists. They both attended the Conclave, intending to try and resolve the conflict between both the separate factions and themselves

Major Choices:

Disbanded Templars

Proclaims herself Chosen by Andraste

Does not disband Inquisition

Vows to stop Solas no matter what

Her playthrough is still in progress, so pretty much everything else is still tbd!

Misc:

Honestly most thoughts about her are still cooking, but what I have so far:

I'm already turning her and Vivienne over in my mind. Both of them having to deal with the grief of losing their partner (whom they had a complicated relationship with) while also having to keep themselves together. Both grabbing whatever power they can to keep themselves safe. Both so reluctant to let their guard down. Both coming to care about each other very deeply but never letting themselves voice that fact. like i said it's still cooking but there something between them

She does start out believing she's the Herald. She kind of needs to, because having some kind of justification for the pain she's been through is the only thing getting her through this. Eventually, she accepts that she's not, but publicly she keeps the title and continues the legend

The "Trevelyan" name is given to her immediately following the Conclave in a case of mistaken identity, and she doesn't tell anyone she's not a Trevelyan by birth. On a practical level, she's in a risky enough place without linking herself to Hawke of mage rebellion fame; on a personal level, she wants to keep that link to Evelyn

She's a full on hypocrite when it comes to her necromancy. Is it just blood magic by another name? Yeah pretty much. Will she ever admit that? Absolutely not.

She's a hoarder when it comes to notes and letters, and keeps numerous journals throughout her life

[deeply-concerned]

Damn I really wanted to see a proper Mages - Templars fight too. The cutscenes so far have been lack-luster but you bring up a very good point about human nature and it is one of the reasons why I really like the concept of the Circles in Thedas.

I am new to DA so I don't know much about previous arguments but personally, one of the major themes I noticed in DA is corruption goes hand in hand with power. Even if its wielders have good intentions, they could still pave the road to hell. Large authority organizations in DA no matter how good or noble their initial founding ideals are, they still fall due to corruption, temptation or desperation. The Grey Wardens, the Templars, the Inquisition, Orlais or Ferelden's bureaucracy... And not to mention the invidiuals like Solas, Cullen, Anders... They committed atrocities in the name of goodness and some wake up from the illusions while others still fall blindly. And it looped back to the Circle concept soooo good.

At the end of time humanity is complex. We will never have a society that is utterly good or utterly evil because that is just not in our nature. Many mages in the game expressed different views to the nature of mage, magic, possession and freedom and it was so freaking realistic. There is a Solas's (the most pro mage freedom guy) dialogue in which he said if a mage got possessed he would kill them and I found it so stupidly funny like, sure buddy I know you can but not everyone is as powerful as you. I like him but he is so blinded because of his power. What a farmer gonna do, throw a forkstick at abominations.

Now about the Templars being incompetent pussies, I truly think we as the players are missing perspectives. Lore wise they are renounced to have the best military training that is capable of going toe on toe with other nations' best military operations. I don't deny there are corruptions and weaklings in the ranks but since their main job is to keep an eye on mages who could wreck havoc easily with just thoughts and contain them securely, it's not a farfetched assumption that they have to be capable if they don't want to risk their life.

I don't understand why you said the Templar has to throw rocks if the mages are out of their proximity though. There are Templar Archers too and they mostly fight in teams with a Defender/Guard and Knight/Attacker. That's an effective small team formation. And it's not like the mages are that powerful. Their magic has limits and they are just flesh and bones too. Yeah you can shoot fireballs from your palm and freeze earth, cool now take these poison arrows to your jugular or just a good old blunt trauma force to your ribcages. And I doubt the rebel mages eat roots lol, they escaped with a bunch of resources and have money to hire mercenaries/sell swords to protect them (an effective strategy too). Not to mention the rebel mages that are actively fighting are not your average Joe. They are rabid just as the rogue Templar. There are dialogues and NPCs in game pointed out that the more peaceful mages went to Redcliff, the weaker ones wanted to stay out and while the Templars had their orders, many of them wanted to stay out of the war or figure others options too.

In DAI it's stated very clearly that the Templars actively fight with mages in Hinterland have lost their marbles. They are no more than mad dogs, attacking civilians without reason and with the demon corruption, red lyrium consumption that had been going on for a while you could understand partially why. Not to mention psychological things like Stanford Prison Experiment or some of the Templar are bad in the first place and just wanted to kill or be a religious fanatic. The rebel mages are lunatics drunk on newfound freedom plus the explosion in Conclave that escalated everything to the max. Not to mention it wiped out many of the Templar elites forces too.

Bah, I am rambling but in short I still think while there are corruption and extremists, the Templars is an effective organisation and ideal that have lost their way and need a rebuild (and not all Circles are bad, many of them have been said to run honourably). The concept of Circle is necessary and realistic too, based on a very humane reaction to such a dangerous element like magic. I like what Vivienne said about rebuilding Circle and Templar Orders. There needed to be more mages in charge with actual influence so the stigmas around magic could be lessened and bring more balance to the power scale between Templar and mages. And Templars and mages should be allowed to socialize with the other faction. The rule that prohibited them to do so is stupid and only brought out more misunderstanding hostility.

and the fucking mage circles of Dragon Age are a thing so convoluted, Gaider must've given himself hernia when he gave up with that idea.

Listen. Containing even regular, unarmed people who aren't locked in cells and can roam the place, and who outnumber you, is difficult. Especially when all you have is blades whilst your wards have innate weapon, magic, that can cook you to death on the spot long before you even see where your magical assailant even is.

The mage never even has to enter a templar's anti-magic radius. More than that, the templar has to first deploy the anti-magic radius. And idk why people are acting like when you nullify a mage's magic, they become helpless. What the hell is stopping a bunch of muted mages from mobbing each templar? Sure, there would be injuries. But like Spartacus gave a fuck. Spartacus had a goal, and by gods was he going to do what he had to do or die trying.

'b b but brainwashing and social engineering...' Mate. If that shit ever worked, every religious millionaire would be a poor man by will. As it stands, 'you can say 'money bad, millionaires bad' all you want to them, but the fact is, when you have the power that wealth offers you, there is no reason to give it away. You might even acknowledge that you're a monster, that money makes you a bad person, but in the end it just doesn't matter, you are not really beholden to the same social rules as a pauper, because you can simply buy and intimidate your way out of it all.

Bioware here really trying to make me believe that a guy who can instakill a person by simply thinking really hard wouldn't find ways to hoard lyrium until he has enough to leisurely walk through a mage tower, burning templars to death before they can even get anywhere close to magic canceling radius.

People with power and resource always rise to the top. Always. Tevinter is what realistically happens when you have a society of haves (mages) and have-nots (everybody else). History shows that the have-nots almost never rise up against the haves, at least not successfully, and before anybody brings up the French revolution... who the fuck do you think its leaders were? Who the fuck do you think funded it? Who the fuck do you think the revolution benefited the most, before it all went off the rails, as things tend to do, when you, again, give a monkey a stick and the monkey realises what he can really do with it?

God i fucking hate the dragon age oppressed mages and the stupid ass circles. I just hate it. Most blatant display of writers having been bullied nerdy kids in the past and trying to cope by acting like they only got bullied because they were too cool, because acknowledging the truth would mean realising that their pain was meaningless, and it was caused simply for shits and giggles. Having to admit that you had no power, you just had to sit there and take it, because you had no stick. You want you want your past hurt to have meaning, so you write a dumbass mage circle. Big shrug. Sure. You can do that. You can also shit your pants if you want, I ain't stopping ya. But I don't have to smell it and like it.

[mrs-gauche]

So uh.. I got like a bunch of new followers recently, so first off.. Hi everyone! 🙂 (Where did you all come from??) And second, I feel like it's been a minute since I've annoyed anyone with random useless voice acting trivia, and I need to warn remind people that this blog is also a lot of me rambling about German VAs in particular, because I’m a German obsessed with voice acting and I just can't help it.. It's a strange hobby. 😂

I’ve kinda mentioned it before on here (and I will probably never get tired of talking about it lol), but I just need you all to understand just how funny it is that Solas legitimately sounds like he could be in his twenties in German and how that makes him so much more suspicious in a way?? 😂 (To my ears, at least.) Like, judging solely by their voices, Solas genuinely sounds like he could be the youngest out of all the companions in DAI. Yes, he partially sounds even younger than Cole. (And fun fact, I actually looked it up, and his VA is in fact the youngest out of the entire main cast. lmao)

Unnecessarily long rambling incoming... 😶

See, his German VA is known for voicing a lot of teenage boys. But that's what's so hilarious about it. Solas has this super young voice, but then he suddenly talks like this wise old grandpa with this incredible eloquence, who has apparently seen a ton of war and tragedy?? 😂

And then you just sit here on your first playthrough like.. how on earth does this work, like something doesn't add up here. Either he has to be some kind of super brain “prodigy” or he's *definitely* hiding something.. because regardless of just how long you've been "visiting the Fade", there's NO way you know about all this stuff and have THAT much experience, when you.. just came of age. lol

In general, the way he speaks he sounds like a 100 year old with the voice of a 20 - 30 year old man in a 40ish year old body. And then you just sit here talking to him, like "What even ARE you???" 😂

This is especially hilarious to me when he tries to teach Sera about how to lead a rebellion, calls HER a child and gives her all this advice, when in German, he sounds just as old as Sera if not even slightly younger than her.

I remember this one banter with Blackwall about being a war veteran on my first playthrough when he was like "You should've seen me when I was younger" and I stopped in my tracks "What are you talking about?? Aren’t you, like, 25??"

Another little thing I found funny was how they made him say "Weidmannsheil" ("Hunt well") to the Inquisitor at the Winter Palace, which is like a traditional wish for good luck among hunters around here, but also something I have NEVER heard someone under the age of 80 actually say. lmao

Idk, I just feel like it gives his character this additional interesting but kinda bizarre note, where he comes off as so young and brash, which stands in complete contrast to his extensive knowlegde and wisdom and the way he talks.

But that's also what I actually kinda love about it and in a way, it's what I picture *actual* young Solas must've been like... because, being literally called Pride, the very counterpart of Wisdom in DA, it fits so well with what seems to be his internal conflict or maybe even his own past, assuming the Wisdom spirit turning into Pride theory is true.

Like, in a way, I feel like he wants to be the person he claims to be in Inquisition, to be just himself, the man who is nothing but a humble wanderer who shares and seeks wisdom, because that’s who he truly is at his core, what is left if you strip away all the weight of history, duty and rebel leader strategist. But it’s his pride that prevents him from being that person. And given his description of himself in his “youth”, I feel like the Solas of ancient times had that pride and impulsiveness turned up to 11. 😂

Which is also why I just can't get over how much BioWare's choice for this particular VA for Solas fascinates me (and I just want to believe that there must’ve been some good reason behind this choice, given how they knew how big of a role he was going to play.. And from what I’ve heard, BioWare is very considered when it comes to casting their VAs, especially for the companions, even in different languages).

Because with all due respect and credit to the German VA of Solas, Ozan Ünal, I love his work, but with him they chose a voice actor who's mostly typecast to voice the young, nerdy, soft, kinda bubbly protagonist guy with a heart of gold. Like, just to imagine him going any kind of antagonistic route is so funny to me, because that is really the total opposite of what he usually does.

Some casting director at BioWare really sat there and listened to *this* voice and was like "Yep, that's our next antagonist". 😂 And I'm gonna be super honest here, guys.. But regardless of the other 3000 reasons why I don't think that Solas will be the ultimate threat in DA4, this is actually part of the reason why I just can't picture him as a "true villain". Or rather, I'm just super curious to see if his VA could pull that off. 😂

Like, with Gareth David-Lloyd, I feel like he can do literally anything, but Ozan Ünal sounds just way too innocent to be really taken seriously as a threat, you know. 😂

[emerald-amidst-gold]

questions for dragon and wolf otp ❤️ 11, 17, 25, 31 & 50 :3

Let me tell you, I just adore rambling about these two sad, but beautiful fools. And I'm so happy that people like me rambling about them enough to keep asking questions! >:D

So, let's get ANSWERINGGGGG! >:3

11. Who is the most physically affectionate?

Fane. Fane, Fane, Fane, Fane. Fane is 100% the most physically affectionate. A lot of times, he taps into old habits that he used to do as a dragon when he's with Solas. Nudging, nuzzling, resting his head in the other's lap, etc. As time goes on, Fane branches out and develops more ways to express himself through touch. Leaning his shoulder against Solas', reaching out involuntary to hold hands, sitting behind and wrapping his arms around the other while burying his face into a shoulder, etc.

Fane is touch-starved. He would never admit it, but he is. All his life (both draconic and mortal), he's received only ridicule and harsh treatment. So much so that he disassociates from reality and goes numb, and that's even with Mhairi and Cyfrin around him. It also doesn't help that his literal body is a beacon of pain due to his scars. But, all it takes is a brush of a hand against his own, or cupping of his cheek from Solas and the world sings and feels. It seems cliche, but Solas and Fane both know how it feels to walk through life believing it to only a bad dream. They take solace in each other, and Fane desires it through touch. Not always, of course, Fane and Solas merely find joy in existing in the other's sphere, but when nights are cold and the world feels silent and grey, Fane needs more than what Solas' eyes can offer.

17. Do they ever trade clothes?

Ohhh, you're outing me with this question, you fiend! X'D

*takes a deep breath and taps two fingers together* ...Yes. Yes, they do.

Okay! So, obviously, Fane is built different than Solas. I like to think of Solas as being about 5'7 in height. I also like to think his overall structure is slender, but not like impossibly lithe. It's an in-between deal, but Fane is vastly different in structure and height.

Fane is 6'1. He's not as broad as Bull is, and that's because I don't want people to envision Fane as Qunari in build because he's not. He's athletic, but not immovably bulky. He retains the body shape of the Elvhen--slender and agile, but he does have more muscle mass due to the draconic aspects of himself rolling over.

...And because he wields a heavy ass sword to the point where he can swing it with one hand and barely lose his balance with the momentum. (BUFF ELVES FOR LIFE >:3c)

Anyways, the reason I put the above is it explains why Fane can give his clothes to Solas, but Solas rarely ever gives his clothes to Fane. Short story; Fane's would fit Solas, albeit it loosely, but Solas' wouldn't fit Fane.

...Fane isn't hard pressed by that though. He secretly enjoys when a bucket of water somehow finds its way from the rookery down to the elf's desk, soaking him and forcing him to change. *sips tea* Ahhh~ Nope. Not hard pressed at all.

25. How do they comfort each other when one of them is scared?

Presence, presence, presence.

Solas and Fane find joy in existing around each other without words or touch, but they also find comfort in that, as well.

Fane usually has border-line panic attacks after one of his nightmares and when he has to suffer through a bout of retching from either magic or memories of blood and flesh being torn and ripped from his body. During any such episodes, Solas will ground Fane--asking him gentle questions of 'where and what'.

For example: If it's after a nightmare of his father, Solas will ask, 'Vhenan, do you know where you are?' If Fane manages a nod or a shuddering sigh then Solas will continue with, 'Can you tell me where?'. If Fane responds with the 'correct' location then Solas will shift and ignore the 'what' part of the ritual, instead whispering Elvhen and soothing reassurances of, 'You are fine, ma'isenatha. Breathe. Breathe. Take your time, and I know I am here for whatever you need, whatever you desire.'

However, if Fane struggles or can't articulate then Solas will delve into asking the 'whats'. He'll prompt with simple questions like, 'What is solid?' or 'What is cold?'. These open ended questions are meant to reconnect Fane to the physical world, to pull him from the Fade and his spiraling fear inch by inch by urging him to think beyond what initially caused him to plummet (in this case, his father). This process can take quite a while, depending on how entrenched Fane is in his mind and his memories, but when Fane finally does manage to reconnect and utter, 'I'm...awake... I'm awake. Just a nightmare. I'm in Skyhold. I'm in Skyhold..' then that's when Solas will pull his dragon's head close to his chest and stroke his hair, offering familiarity of a kinder essence.

Now, when Solas finds himself quivering with fear, be it from his own nightmares or a momentary sensation of the world closing in, then Fane will do what he does best; observe. This might seem odd, but Fane does this to determine what will help Solas best. If Solas is tensed up, back rigid and shoulders hunched in a defensive position, then Fane knows to use his voice to coax the man back from the edge. If Solas is prone, posture defeated and visibly shuddering, steady hands trembling and chest rising and falling with increasingly sharper and sharper and sharper breaths then Fane knows immediately that he needs to reach out with touch. Not suffocating with an embrace, but just a grasp of hands, stilling the fearful tremors and giving back control. Fane understands how desperately Solas wants to be in control of any and every situation that involves himself, so the moment he detects the hint of terror in blue and grey from it being lost, then Fane knows that Solas needs him to help him get it back.

Once Solas reestablishes that control and the tremors stop, Fane will silently open his arms for his wolf and if he chooses to take the invitation (which Solas usually does), then Fane will always whisper, 'This dragon will catch you as many times as needed. So, let yourself spiral when it becomes too much; I'm here. I'm always here.'

...As you can see. I think about this a lot. X'D

31. Who is the big spoon and why?

To be honest, Fane and Solas take turns. PFFFT!

It honestly depends on how they both move throughout the night! Though, when they start out, Fane is the big spoon because he has a tendency to...curl. XD

So, you know how dragons are shown just kind of curling up like large cats? That's what Fane does with Solas. He'll burrow his face in our dear wolf's neck, pull him as close as he possibly can, and just...pass out. It's one of the fastest ways Fane falls asleep, actually. Solas, at first, was like, 'Fane? ...Fane?', but once it kept occurring all it got were fond chuckles and a single utterance of, 'Good night, ma'isenatha.'

...Fane just chuffs in his sleep and Solas has to try and keep a straight face. My boy is feral. Don't let him fool you. Don't.

50. Who makes the best flower crown?

You all are catching onto me, aren't you?! Aren't you?! *dinosaur scream*

Indirectly, Fane was the best at making flower crowns. Yes, you heard me. Was.

---

Fane used to wander away from Solas during the time of Elvhenan, seeking the forests and the mountains instead of enduring the piercing eyes of the Evanuris and the boiling rage that nearly made his icy core melt with its heat. As such, he would start...poking around in the meadows, draconic curiosity taking him by the horns. Once, during such a necessary venture, Fane stumbled upon a vibrant patch of blooming Gladiolus--golden and sweet. They swayed with magic and spirited wind, twinkling with the song that encased the entire realm.

They were beautiful in a world that had steadily been on the decline.

Fane nudged a bloom with his snout, blinking and huffing as a bell rung from it--glittering essence drawing out from the center and cascading to the earth below. Had the flower just sang? Sang as the spirits and elves did? He found such a thing curious, and so he had nudged another.

Ring. Another bell. He then nudged another golden chime. Ring. Another bell! They did sing!

Fane huffed again, cool breath sprinkling a light frost over the chiming flowers, but they endured with their beauty, with their eternal nature. His burst of air spurred up glittering pollen, wafting the sweet scent of these delicate bells up to his nostrils without preamble.

They smell of honey, Fane mused and began to gingerly nuzzle into the tiny patch, seeking more sweetness, more beauty. Why had he never seen these blooms before? He had graced this world for many, many centuries, and yet, never once had he observed golden Gladiolus. How odd, but it gave him an equally as odd idea.

The wolf likes honey, yes? Fane thought, eyes narrowing as he stopped his mindless snuffling. A feeling of warmth engulfed his snowy core, scales bristling from the foreign sensation before it ebbed away. Why did he always feel so...strange when he thought of the rebel?

Fane huffed harshly at the warmth coursing through him, actually shaking his head a bit before fixing the dazzling buds with an intense stare.

The wolf likes honey. Fane nodded in agreement with his mind and, with one edge of a sharp fang, sliced into the stem of the sweet bloom of gold. He nudged the severed flower to the side, snorting a bit when some pollen invaded his airways, but shook it off to continue gathering more.

Fane made short work of the small patch of Gladiolus, rising with pride to gaze upon his bundle of petaled nightingales. Each one softly chimed and glimmered, not at all perturbed by being uprooted. He supposed the foundation of magic was not so vile, so long as it was used as it was intended.

Now, I suppose I should head back. Fane growled under his breath at that thought. He didn't wish to go back to...to there. The lair of deceit and pitiful, self-proclaimed 'gods' who had nothing but desire in their single toned eyes. But...the wolf was there, and he wan--no, had to stay by the wolf's side.

Heat filled Fane's core again, making him growl once more and shake out his scales as they bristled with a sensation unnatural. Why did he keep getting so warm?! It was mid-spring! Not the height of summer!

Fane growled as the heat stubbornly refused to abate. Begone, begone, begone! He huffed heavily as the ember trickled away, leaving him cool and all together, snowy. There. Better. It must simply be the magic in the air. It is stronger within these woods.

With the heat of oddity gone and his mind decided, Fane turned his head to gather up his...bouquet? Is that what the Elvhen called it? He had seen arrangements done, but none of them held a flame to the golden blooms he--

Fane blinked, eyes staring down at...a spirit? Wait this spirit who was now holding his flowers was--

Wisdom. Fane immediately thought next, form slowly relaxing as he caught the familiar sight of the kindly spirit. Their body ebbed and flowed like the silk robes worn by the Evanuris, but not for a need to flaunt. It was merely their nature, their being. A womanly face gazed up at him, serene smile in place as golden flowers were cradled in ethereal arms.

"Greetings, White One.", Wisdom greeted, swirling eyes of magic and knowledge somehow appearing fond. "I see you have found a rare flower this day." They gently jostled the bundle in their arms, golden essence puffing forth and sound like that of jingling Sentinel armor.

Fane tilted his head at the spirit. They knew of the flowers that sounded of bells? Before he did? Odd, but he supposed spirits of Wisdom would know such obscure things. Wisdom chuckled softly, voice that of a tender breeze.

"I know many things, isenatha.", Wisdom said, communicating with him easily. Although, most spirits did. They gracefully floated down to the ground, images of legs folding depicting the image of them sitting. "Just as I know of a perfect way for you to present this gift."

Fane blinked and found his eyes darting to and fro, trying to avoid the knowing gaze of Wisdom as they smiled serenely up at him. Damn it all! How he wished his disconnection to the minds of others and they to his worked on spirits!

Wisdom hummed, mimicking the chime that sang from the flowers as they picked one up with a delicate swoop of their hands. Fane watched from his peripheral, somewhat intrigued while still wishing to rebuff he had picked the flowers as a...a gift? How ridiculous! He had only want--thought the wolf would enjoy the scent. Nothing more!

"Please, sit, White One.", Wisdom beckoned with patience and a gentle voice. Their hands began to directly interact with the blooms, summoning a tendril of magic to fabricate a vine. "This will take but a moment." A smile danced on their wispy lips, upper half of their face hooded by a vision of a hooded cloak. "...And I have no doubt Fen'harel will be warmed when you offer him this particular crown."

Fane made a questioning growl, but Wisdom offered no more, resuming the odd task of weaving magical vines and twinkling gold. He watched for a time, curious and puzzled, but soon, he found his body carefully lowering to the ground. He curled up a bit, resting his maw upon his claws and observing the act of the spirit quietly. He caught another smile from the kindly spirit before their face went neutral, focused.

A crown.. Fane mused as he watched just that be formed from both the natural and the imaginable. The warmth from earlier began to invade his body again, but this time, he made no moves to shove it away, so entranced by the delicate weaving of gold and blue. He merely narrowed his eyes and watched, letting the ember steadily grow. I want to see the sky smile.

Fane completely missed the tender look in Wisdom's otherworldly eyes, so besotted by the idea of a sight he shouldn't, but would desire.

---

Oh GOD, I blurbed! *yoinks this snippet for potential fuel for later* >:3

[polarishymn-blog]

Head Canon: (probably wrong but I like it) So The Maker of DA is in fact the "Sun father" Elgar'nan overthrew. SPOILERS!

Hear me out. The Maker much like the Judeo‐Chistian type God created the heaven or in DA the Fade and spirits. The spirit had their purposes but were kind of a let down to Ol' Makerpew. These spirits, much like angels, did as they were designed to and the God figure kinda poopoos them for he next creation. Something more tangible than the spirits was created. Dwarves, humans, and elves (perhaps not them specifically as we know them in DA.)

Well the spirits (angels) are like "but dad why?" And Dad be like "cause I like chaos."

This bs doesn't sit right with a certain someone. Enter Elgar'nan. Or who would come to be known as Elgar'nan as he would take the name after. Elgy is like "hey dad this is bs. These beings suck compared to us magic wielding entities." And has himself a whole "anything you can do I can do better" moment. Kinda like...well...Lucifer. First born son badass that is just sickening. He chooses to take a physical form. Other spirits are like "that looks fun" and poof the first elves.

We know this to be the case as our bebe Keran says "I just don’t know why your people wanted to look like that." Implying they chose their corporeal form.

Back to Elgy and his lot. So here he is trying, like the emotionally neglected son he is, to win dad's approval. Which deadbeat Maker is like "no."

Elgy in his Greek tragedy brooding phase want vengeance on the one person he cares about. So his purpose of justice turn into vengeance. He is being treated unjustly so he becomes vengeance. A spirit's purpose twisted.

So Edgy Elgy has some spirit friends turn elves that support his mission to kick their pappy's divine ass. Problem is pappy is the creator of all. So it is more like a fly buzzing around an elephant. An annoyance more than anything.

The Maker who has had one foot out this whole time is all "fuckthisshitimout" and departs.

Elgy who has an ego the size of the Fade is counting this as a win. So he tells everyone he whooped pappy. "Over threw the sun."

What is the Maker represented as in the Chant? THE SUN! Sunburst throne, Chant of Light, etc.

So humans/Chantry have pieces of the story somewhat accurate. And Solas tells us some details that expound upon and debunk the elven myths. He even sheds light on the nature of spirits and demons. It adds up is what I am saying.

What solidified this theory for me was Cole and his ramblings "He did not want a body. But she asked him to come. He left a scar when he burned her off his face."

This is directly referring to Solas and Mythal. He was a spirit of wisdom Mythal called and had him placed or willed into physical form. Wisdom is too easily twisted to Pride. Solas=Pride. He was changed from his original form to a physical one twisting what he was. So Wisdom bebe sparkle sprite become sexy elven prince Solas.

I use this to show how old Elgy probably originated the practice. He usurped the Golden City to become Neoqueen Serenity....I mean All Pappy Elgar'nan. And his right hand Lady who knows how to chill a bit better than the others is his second or queen.

Over time everyone believes the Big Lie that OG Pappy is actually gone. Pay no attention the the sun that still rises and sets everyday my guys. And the first rebels become Gods in the eyes of those who just don't question anything.

That is my whole theory on Edgy Elgy and his rise to power. I have other theories that tie into this but I will leave this here for now.

[thedinanshiral]

On Solas

Decided to try to organise some of my thoughts on Solas, so here it goes.

What we first know of Solas is that he’s an elf and a mage, the elven hobo apostate. From the game we can learn he’s an electromancer (in autolevel he prioritises the Storm tree abilities), and later on a Rift Mage, one could assume because he’s the “Fade expert” but further on we learn is because he’s the one responsible for the creation of the Veil. 

There have always been elements linking him to Fen’Harel and then to the Fade and the Veil, as seen in the Fade Wall Shield dropped by Gaxkang (one of the Forbiden Ones) in DAO, a shield with a name that basically means Veil (what’s the wall in the Fade?) and has a wolf head design on it, design that somewhat resembles the Mask of Fen’Harel as seen in DA:Redemption. That Mask of Fen’Harel can be used to open portals on the Veil and into the Fade, and is activated in Redemption through an ritual that includes blood ( in the miniseries it turns out to be an elven girl’s blood).

Considering his stance on blood magic (remarkably similar to Merrill’s, by the way), I think it’s safe to say he has used it before. That’s possibly why the Mask of Fen’Harel is activated with blood, and that’s why in order to break the Veil open time and time again we’ve seen big bloody sacrifices must be made. First record of this is the Magisters Sidereal using blood magic and almost all lyrium available in Tevinter to rip the Veil open (lyrium also being blood, and elven slaves prefered for sacrifice for their special elven blood, this means a lot of blood with magical properties of one or other nature is required to break through the Veil), second instance of some form of blood offering meant to grant one physical access to the Fade is when Corypheus kills Divine Justinia during a ritual we only saw a glimpse of and was never explained. Thridly, we have repeated mentions of how spirits feel drawn to the Veil there where there’s been bloodshed, particularly battlefields. So it’s safe to assume blood in enough quantities weakens the Veil enough to make an opening.

The red lyrium idol is his. In Tevinter Nights he claimed it so, and i’ve already discussed this idol at length in a previous post. In TN however we get other bits of information, like how the idol seems to have a self-regenerating property (when it’s found intact inside Meredith’s red lyrium statue after she had used the idol to craft a sword), and most curiously, how it seems to be hollow and have some liquid inside that makes it feel like when one holds a bottle. We also learn in the Mortalitasi account that the idol may have a hidden blade and become a ritual knife. Perhaps the value of the red lyrium idol is not in it being made of red lyrium, but on its content. Say the idol we see is a hilt, it can produce a blade, and it’s filled with ...blood. I think it’s possible its content is blood.

As per Cole’s comment in Trespasser, “the wolf chewed its leg off to escape the trap”, that sounds more like he sacrificed a big part of himself, most likely his power, that he may have concentrated and stored in the very same idol used for the Veil ritual. It would also explain why the one who created the Veil would wake up from Uthenera so weakened. There’s his foci as well, but I think that one mainly held memories, and in those memories there was knowledge that could grant great power (rather than containing actual power). Why he’d be after the foci first and not the idol could be because the foci was the safest option, or the one he already knew the location of. Clearly, the Anchor was plan A, and the red lyrium idol seems to be plan B.

Then I suspect Solas has what I call Word power, a form of influence or manifestation magic. I’ve found two distinct instances where Solas seems to use this, the first being when at Skyhold he tells the Inquisitor to “wake up”, revealing their conversation was taking place in a dream in the Fade. Upon realising “this isn’t real” the Inquisitor doesn’t wake up, they only do it after Solas gives the command. The other instance is after Solas leaves the Inquisition, when the Inquisitor can talk to Cole and he speaks Solas’ words, a message Solas delivers through him.

Solas is also a Dreamer, possibly why the Inquisitor walks in on him while dreaming at Skyhold, and surely how Solas can manage to kill people in their sleep in TN (granted, those were dwarves and dwarves allegedly don’t dream, but as far as we know they may still have a presence in the Fade while asleep, just have no memory of dreaming, no awareness of it). In fact the first appearance of Solas in DA media was in TME where he meets Felassan in the Fade, while he dreams to contact him. It’s widely believed that Solas killed Felassan then and there.

Then he is clearly an artist. Seems murals are his primary medium for storytelling. He adorns the rotunda in Skyhold with murals depicting the story of the Inquisition as it unfolds. Trespasser has several more murals telling stories of what happened, and I think it’s safe to assume there’s more than one self-portrait in them. 

He’s a shapeshifter, as pointed by some codex entries that imply the Evanuris took dragon forms on ocassion, and in the Evanuris propaganda against him found at the Vir Dirthara. He is twice the shapeshifter or perhaps not a good one, depends on your perspective, if we consider his chosen form, the Dread wolf, is described as either a giant wolf with dragon-like scales, or a dragon of some lupine features.  Is the Dread Wolf a wolf that looks like a dragon, or a dragon that looks like a wolf? I found it kind of funny how in TN his appearance description includes spirits forming as wings of fire to fly him around. Personally I don’t consider Regret’s description here because that was a particular demon feeding off what he had left behind, not his actual image.

He is, in a way, the Maker. Of present Thedas, shaped by his creating the Veil. The implications of this interpretation brings forth many more questions i’m not currently dwelling on.Let’s ignore this for now and possibly forever, it gives me a headache.

He was a warrior, as expressed in his banter with Blackwall. Considering how in post-Arlathan wolves were guardians to the Emerald Knights, and how in Trespasser’s Deep Roads his statues are described as guarding alongside Mythal’s, it’s possible he was once one of Mythal’s soldiers, perhaps part of her personal Guard, becoming a friend -or more  - favoured enough, maybe rewarded for his service reaching to a point where he became almost an equal? From this analysis it could be that Solas ascended to Evanuris status after his contribution in the war against the Titans. He was rebel fighter too, as evidenced in his banter with Sera, he possibly started as part of a large army but then started a revolution that operated in much smaller cells.

He was Skyhold’s former master. That fortress belonged to him. The very name of the place, elven in origin, hints at it being the location from where the Veil was placed, or at the very least where the ritual for it was initially performed. I suspect he also had a significant presence in the Exalted Plains, something about it reminds me of the landscape from the Elven Ruins at Trespasser, also because it’s the one and only place so far where we see a shrine dedicated to Fen’Harel. In an area with an electric dragon ( yet another hint at his electromancy). More importantly, while the shrine’s codex leads us to believe the reason why elves would make the Dread Wolf any offering would be to appease him and be spared his evil doings, this shrine depicts a black wolf figure and a white wolf figure, which are reminiscing of Solas’ tarot cards, The Tower (big menaching shadow wolf figure) and The Hierophant ( fluffy white companion wolf figure). Whatever the reasons for the Dalish to erect a shrine to the Dread Wolf it seems somehow in some way a certain knowledge of his dual nature is not entirely lost. Also, there’s the gigantic wolf statue atop a mountain in the distance, biggest one i’ve seen so far:

Which brings me to the main point of this ramble, his latest symbol depincting three wolf heads on a brooch he’s wearing in DA4 concept art.

It may be symbolic in a couple of ways. First in regards to his identity as in the elf, the creator (Evanuris), and the betrayer. Secondly as in the man, the spirit, and the “god”. As well as the three different realms he is connected to: the physical world, the Void, and the Fade. Personally I doubt this is the strange symbol used by some self-identifying Agents of Fen’Harel in TN, I think what they may be wearing could be an elven rune or ancient symbol we haven’t seen yet, hence why it was described as “strange”. I mean, if I see three wolf heads, I say it’s three wolf heads. Interestingly enough, he still wears the wolf jawbone (in this new concept art, it has some new circular designs on it as well, if you zoom in on a better quality picture) and i’m forever curious why he even has that in the first place. Did he just pick it up to use as a subtle hint of his true identity, or did the bone belong to a wolf he cared about? Why has its design changed? 

So far this is what i have in mind about him. 

[dragonswithjetpacks]

Short chapter! I forgot to throw it up here. Will probably do another chapter today. Maybe two. The editing is going pretty fast since I had worked on this already months ago.

Beautiful War

-dragonswithjetpacks

Summary: Dame Claira Trevelyan is known to be a stubborn and off-putting woman. She was always told she never amounted to anything, that she was never pretty or graceful enough to marry. She believed that for the longest time. But her strength and her compassion managed to catch the eye of someone beyond her what she imagined possible. A man just as stubborn and oblivious to how his feelings for his leader are more than just respect. 

Chapter Five: The Stuff of Nightmares

Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Ao3)

Read here on Ao3.

"Are you sure you're ready to leave, my Lady?"

"I'm never ready for anything anymore, Harding," Claira shouted through the rain. "But I have to report back to Haven.

"Fair enough," she shouted back.

"Let's begin the debriefing, then," Corporal Vale decreed.

The wind was blowing mercilessly, making it very difficult to hear one another inside the meeting point. It was a small hut within the Crossroads. Many of the other buildings there were damaged but it remained one of the few left still standing strong. It was home to one of the villagers who didn't mind standing by while the Inquisition made use of it. Claira withdrew her papers from a satchel at her side. She didn't need to read from them, as she was aware of what the reports mentioned. After all, she was the one who wrote them. She rolled them up neatly, tying them with a red ribbon before slipping them into a wooden tube.

"The Hinterlands remain an unsafe area for further Inquisition occupation," she began with the agreement of the others surrounding her. "During my time here, I have managed to acquire supplies for refugees as well as fellow agents. A cult in the southeast, posing as no threat, has agreed to take in others and aid the camps nearby. A bandit camp to the southwest was also been eliminated, providing more shelter and supplies to the camps."

"We have made no advancements toward the thieve's fortress or the cult castle," Vale reminded Claira. "It's still a bit unsafe. Our troops have made contact, but are assessing the situation further."

"As they should," Claira proclaimed. "Reach out to Scout Harding if you run into trouble. She should be able to provide support. Furthermore, I've been unable to reach Dennet at this time. The conflict between the mages and templars has prevented any sort of contact to and from the northern Hinterlands. We will have to resolve that issue upon return. I would like to follow Mother Giselle back to Haven to ensure her safety."

"With the rogue templars watching the main routes, I think this is our best option," Cassandra thought aloud.

"We've all read and signed the reports, yes?" Claira looked at her peers.

They all nodded.

"Corporal Vale, if there is anything you need-"

"I know where to find you," he assured her.

"Very good. Then we'll take our leave. Harding, would you mind sending this for me?"

"Of course," Harding took the scroll from the Herald's hands.

"Luck be with you, Lady Herald," Corporal Vale brought his fist to his chest.

**********************************************

The entire journey back, Claira thought about how nice it would be to fall into her bed. How warm the bath would feel. How good the food would taste. Unfortunately, Haven had other plans. After bidding farewell to Varric and Solas at the tavern, Claira walked up the stairs toward the Chantry with the intent to deliver research information. She was eager to see the Chantry Sisters chattering with excitement as she arrived. Only it wasn't the usual welcoming party she had expected. Instead, she was greeted by a rather large crowd that had no intention of acknowledging her at all.

"Your kind killed the most holy!" a templar shouted angrily.

"Lies!" a mage retaliated. "Your kind let her die!"

Remaining amid the common people, Claira began to assess the situation. The people around her murmured words across one another in hushed whispers. They would not dare to get involved. She listened closely but could not make out the details of what had gone wrong. Deciding she could assist with a better view, she brushed shoulders with the crowd. If need be, she would intervene.

"Shut your mouth, mage," the templar drew his sword.

With her hand gripping the hilt of her own sword, she stepped forward. But she was not nearly as quick as she needed to be.

"Enough!"

The voice came from absolutely nowhere. He would have been easy to pick out among the others, but she had not spotted him. And he threw himself between them, right in front of both a sharpened sword and glowing staff. His risen arms were a warning that they should remain the distance between his fingertips, although his stare was enough to keep them at bay.

"Knight-Captain," the templar stepped back first, sheathing his sword instantly.

"That is not my title," Cullen said with a glare colder than the ground they were standing on. "We are not templars any longer. We are all part of the Inquisition."

"And what does that mean, exactly?" an antagonizing voice appeared.

Claira lowered her brow as she felt the irritation growing under her skin the moment he strode in front of the Commander. She wanted to attempt to get closer but did not want to draw attention to herself. There was no doubt she would be harassed and she was his favorite target.

"Back already, Chancellor?" Cullen sneered, and it made her grin. "Haven't you done enough?"

"I'm curious, Commander," he said stepping closer. "As to how your Inquisition and its Herald will restore order as you've promised."

"Of course you are," Cullen growled in response. It almost sounded as if he was being defensive about her. But she would not take it to heart.

"Back to your duties," he said, turning away from the Chancellor. "All of you!"

The crowd began to thin, but she remained, pushing past them to see them clearly. In times like these, Claira was never permitted to speak. She was too blunt and often said the wrong things. Though, the more time she spent with the Inquisition, the more she realized that being straightforward wasn't always a bad thing.

"Mages and templars were already at war. Now they're blaming each other for the Divine's death," Cullen went on.

"Which is why we require a proper authority to guide them back to order."

"Who? You?" she saw Cullen's brow raise. "Random clerics, who weren't important enough to be at the Conclave?"

Claria recognized the sharp blade of his tongue. Only this time, it was turned toward the Chancellor. Between the humility of the fool and Cullen's mocking tone, she was taken over by the adrenaline of watching vicariously and decided now was a good time to catch forward. Cullen had caught sight of her and nodded slightly in somewhat of relief of her being there.

"The rebel Inquisition and its so-called 'Herald of Andraste'? I think not."

Either he didn't know Claira was standing nearby or he didn't care.

"Don't be so disagreeable, Roderick," she chimed in, making him roll his eyes at the sound of her voice. "The Inquisition seems as functional as any young family."

"How many families are on the verge of splitting into open warfare with themselves?"

"Yes," Cullen sarcastically snickered. "Because that would never happen to the Chantry."

Claira bit her bottom lip in an attempt to remain serious on the matter. But between the Chancellor's scowled face and Cullen's smirk, it proved to be quite difficult.

"Centuries of tradition will guide us. We are not an upstart eager to turn over every apple cart."

"Yet here you are," Claira grumbled. "Do we know how widespread the violence is between mages and templars?"

"Impossible to say as of yet," the Commander replied.

"...organization floating the Chantry's authority will not help matters," Roderick kept babbling. But they were not interested in what he had to say as they continued to commute with each other.

"With the Conclave destroyed, I imagine the war between mages and templars is renewed... with interest," he went on.

"As we have witnessed today... The mages and templars are fighting... even though we don't really know what happened at the Temple of Sacred Ashes?" she asked her Commander.

"Exactly why all this should be left to a new Divine," Roderick clasped his hands together at his waist. "If you are innocent, the Chantry will establish it as so."

"Or will be happy to use someone as a scapegoat," Cullen snapped.

"You think nobody cares about the truth? We all grieve Justinia's loss," he spat.

"But you won't grieve if the Herald of Andraste is conveniently swept under a carpet."

Claira could not decide if she was more surprised by the fact that she was still being blamed for the Conclave or that Cullen confirmed he was defending her. With the way they had fought before she left, she had assumed things between them would be awkward for a time. Their exchange of apologies must have truly made a difference, as Cullen was proving to be quite passionate about keeping the Herald from Chantry hands

"Remind me why you are allowing the Chancellor to stay, Commander?" her eyes drifted over to Cullen's face, tireless of the Chancellor's rambling as well.

"Clearly, your templar knows where to draw the line," Roderick's words were meant to be bold, but no one took him seriously.

"He's toothless," Cullen stated, unaffected by the man. "There's no point in turning him into a martyr simply because he runs at the mouth. The Chancellor's a good indicator of what to expect in Val Reoux, however."

"Well, let's hope we find a solution there and not a cathedral full of Chancellors," she turned to sarcasm as her savior, as always.

"The stuff of nightmares," he grinned in return.

"Mock if you will," Roderick was appeared offended. "I'm sure the Maker is less..."

But she did not catch the entirety of what he said. She was too busy attempting to stifle her laughter as Cullen directed a humoring brow-raising expression followed by a dramatic eye roll. It would be far too obvious to bring a hand to her mouth. So instead, she continued to bite her lip and looked at her feet. The Chancellor's chatter did not cease but continued until it faded to the minimum. Claira turned Cullen.

"I didn't realize I was gone long enough for the Chantry to prepare a protest," she teased. "I will be gone to Orlais much longer."

"The walls should still be standing when you return... I hope," he shrugged with a teasing glance.

"Chancellor Roderick came to speak with me..." Josephine scolded, tapping her pen against her clipboard as Cullen entered the room. "Could you try not to antagonize him?"

It was unfair the attention was drawn directly toward him the moment he entered the room. He paused to look at them but was altogether completely unphased. Claira caught a glimpse of his gaze before he quickly looked away. It must have been much easier for him to hide his grin than it was for her. She resorted to taking a rather large bite from the apple in her hand lest she showed him just how interested she was in his display of sarcasm.

"If I offend the man so easily, perhaps he should try leaving me alone," he suggested as he took his place.

"Cullen..." Josephine sighed.

"In his defense," Claria swallowed what was left, "Roderick came out of nowhere during an altercation. I just happened to arrive at the same time."

"You are not helping," Josephine leaned forward to point her quill at her. "I'm not going to stand here and chide you both like children for making faces behind the Chancellor's back."

"I wasn't the one making faces," Claira grumbled quietly.

Josephine had her fill of mothering for the day. She turned to Cassandra and Leliana for support, but they were doing their best to hide their laughter as well.

"You two should know better," she shook her head at the Hands. "I'm done trying to get any of you to act mature when speaking to this man."

"Perhaps Cullen is right," Leliana stated calmly. "He should likely try his best not to bother us if he does not want to be further upset."

[mrstethras]

The Forgotten Ones were some of the Rebel Elvhen [theory]

There is very little known about The Forgotten Ones, referenced in so few of the codex entries throughout Dragon Age, however, from what is offered to us, I believe them to be Elvhen who opposed the tyranny of the Evanuris, likely freed from their enslavement by Solas, and since raged and warred against them. They were perhaps the favoured slaves, the most talented of them, to have been considered as gods as well upon facing against their enemies. This is just a theory that I’ve been playing around with, a post of rambling, but I figured I’d share my thoughts on what little we have of them.

“The Forgotten Ones belong to the ancient Elven pantheon, but their names were lost after the Great Betrayal. Their worship continued in the shadows, despite efforts to stamp it out in the old Dalish kingdom. This staff belonged to a priest of those gods, specifically Daern'thal.” - Codex attached to the Weapon Pyre of the Forgotten.

“The legend says that before the fall of Arlathan, the gods we know and revere fought an endless war with others of their kind. There is not a hahren among us who remembers these others: Only in dreams do we hear whispered the names of Geldauran and Daern'thal and Anaris, for they are the Forgotten Ones, the gods of terror and malice, spite and pestilence. In ancient times, only Fen'Harel could walk without fear among both our gods and the Forgotten Ones, for although he is kin to the gods of the People, the Forgotten Ones knew of his cunning ways, and saw him as one of their own.” - Codex: Fen'Harel: The Dread Wolf

So, the Forgotten Ones were of Elvhen kind, if this codex entry is to be believed, that they were the ones who resisted the enslavement of the People? Some were likely freed and joined the cause? Their names, or what they represent also seems important, because unlike the Evanuris, they are named rather abstractly as representing feelings, emotions or other such general (often negative) terms, such as pestilence. In the same way that Abelas means sorrow, I feel their names were adopted dependant on their ruling pantheon, or what they represented. That these were people, rather than abstract ideas. This is similar to how the Protheans were named in Mass Effect, when we meet the last living Prothean Javik, and wake him up to find he embodies or is named for vengeance.

“There is precious little we know about Fen'Harel, for they say he did not care for our people. Elgar'nan and Mythal created the world as we know it, Andruil taught us the Ways of the Hunter, Sylaise and June gave us fire and crafting, but Fen'Harel kept to himself and plotted the betrayal of all the gods. And after the destruction of Arlathan, when the gods could no longer hear our prayers, it is said that Fen'Harel spent centuries in a far corner of the earth, giggling madly and hugging himself in glee.In ancient times, only Fen'Harel could walk without fear among both our gods and the Forgotten Ones, for although he is kin to the gods of the People, the Forgotten Ones knew of his cunning ways and saw him as one of their own. And that is how Fen'Harel tricked them. Our gods saw him as a brother, and they trusted him when he said that they must keep to the heavens while he arranged a truce. And the Forgotten Ones trusted him also when he said he would arrange for the defeat of our gods, if only the Forgotten Ones would return to the abyss for a time. They trusted Fen'Harel, and they were all of them betrayed. And Fen’Harel sealed them away so they could never again walk among the People.” —From Codex entry: Fen'Harel: The Dread Wolf 

It’s also very clear that the Forgotten Ones have been smeared throughout history to appear as negatively as possible. Quite like how Fen’Harel has been misunderstood as a malevolent god, rather than the god of rebellion, which is far more accurate an interpretation. In the above codex entry it makes the Forgotten Ones and Fen’Harel appear as the villains, whereas post-Trespasser we know this is not the case -- and so the situation can be turned on it’s head in that the Forgotten Ones were not the wicked anti-pantheon, but warring against and resisting their wicked gods, the Evanuris. It’s also important to note that from the codex entries, Fen’Harel tricked only the Evanuris, and got the Forgotten Ones to return to the abyss (likely for protection) as he defeated the gods -- which was what the Forgotten Ones desired. It’s also likely Solas chose to do this only after the murder of Mythal.

As for the abyss -- and where the Forgotten Ones are -- I feel as though they are in Uthenera, likely returned to the mines within Titans. In Trespasser we see that ancient mines are discovered to have protecting statues of both Mythal and Fen’Harel guarding. We know that Mythal was the most motherly towards the People -- compared to the likes of Andruil and Falon’Din, and their statues and iconography surrounding these locations was not only completely unexpected and out-of-place, but as though those mines had been re-purposed for protection or safety for the People. The undiscovered location within the Titan in The Descent DLC is known as the Uncharted Abyss.

Quick note on the Abyss: “Here lies the abyss, the well of all souls.

From these emerald waters doth life begin anew.

Come to me, child, and I shall embrace you.

In my arms lies Eternity”.—Canticle of Andraste, 14:11 This fragment is where Andraste goes to speak to the Maker for the first time and convinces him to forgive mankind. It describes a beautiful temple deep under the earth surrounded by emerald waters. In which we find a sea called The Buried Sea within the Titan in The Descent. Though I feel like the Forgotten Ones aren’t in that particular Titan, they may be in a fallen Titan hidden away and in Uthenera, a death sleep within the mines Solas asked them to briefly return to. Which is also similar to how the Protheans in Mass Effect were stored, only in cryo stasis. I do feel as though Solas did not intend to leave them this way, but his battle with the gods left him unable to return to them once it was done. What with the Veil stripping the realm of its natural state and all of its magic. We also know that the Evanuris did not like to linger within the Titans. Andruil, for example, would hunt (likely dwarves and creatures) within the Titans, and also the Forgotten Ones, but returned more and more lyrium addled. “One day Andruil grew tired of hunting mortal men and beasts. She began stalking The Forgotten Ones, wicked things that thrive in the abyss. Yet even a god should not linger there, and each time she entered the Void, Andruil suffered longer and longer periods of madness after returning. Andruil put on armor made of the Void, and all forgot her true face. She made weapons of darkness, and plague ate her lands. She howled things meant to be forgotten, and the other gods became fearful Andruil would hunt them in turn. So Mythal spread rumors of a monstrous creature and took the form of a great serpent, waiting for Andruil at the base of a mountain. When Andruil came, Mythal sprang on the hunter. They fought for three day and nights, Andruil slashing deep gouges in the serpent's hide. But Mythal's magic sapped Andruil's strength, and stole her knowledge of how to find the Void. After this, the great hunter could never make her way back to the abyss, and peace returned.”—Translated from ancient elven found in the Arbor Wilds It’s also worth noting, that when the time came when the Forgotten Ones needed a place that was safe and to hide, Mythal had removed the location from Andruil’s memories.

Other such information on the Forgotten Ones that strengthens the idea for me that they were never gods, nor malicious, but rather the opposing forces of the People against the Evanuris:

“The script is an ancient elven dialect. Upon further observation, it twists, the words becoming visible: There are no gods. There is only the subject and the object, the actor and the acted upon. Those with will to earn dominance over others gain title not by nature but by deed. I am Geldauran, and I refuse those who would exert will upon me. Let Andruil's bow crack, let June's fire grow cold. Let them build temples and lure the faithful with promises. Their pride will consume them, and I, forgotten, will claim power of my own, apart from them until I strike in mastery.” -- Codex entry: Geldauran's Claim

A Forgotten One enforcing the idea that there were no gods, but rather extremely powerful people whom ensnared and enslaved the rest. That the Forgotten Ones themselves should not be viewed as a pantheon either, but rather a powerful opposing force in their own right.

"In the story, Fen'Harel was captured by the hunting goddess, Andruil. He had angered her by hunting the halla without her blessing, and she tied him to a tree and declared that he would have to serve in her bed for a year and a day to pay her back. But as she made camp that night, the dark god Anaris found them, and Anaris swore that he would kill Fen'Harel for crimes against the Forgotten Ones. Andruil and Anaris decided that they would duel for the right to claim Fen'Harel. He called out to Anaris during the fight and told him of a flaw in Andruil's armor just above the hip, and Anaris stabbed Andruil in the side, and she fell. Then Fen'Harel told Anaris that he owed the Dread Wolf for the victory and ought to get his freedom. Anaris was so affronted by Fen'Harel's audacity that he turned and shouted insults at the prisoner, and so he did not see Andruil, injured but alive, rise behind him and attack with her great bow. Anaris fell with a golden arrow in his back, badly injured, and while both gods slumbered to heal their wounds, Fen'Harel chewed through his ropes and escaped." --Felassan, to Briala

Note: This is a story being told within the book and should be regarded as such, a tale including myth rather than entirely fact -- however, it is also important in understanding the Forgotten Ones lived amongst the Evanuris, and were also powerful. This is also likely referencing to Fen’Harel’s relationship with the People prior to the Evanuris’ plot to kill Mythal.

“The carvings tell the story of the Betrayal. The Dread Wolf tricking all the gods away from the world. Long ago, there were two clans of gods. The Creators looked after the People. The Forgotten Ones preyed upon us. And one god who was neither. Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf. He was kin to the Creators, and in the old days, often helped them in their endless war against the Forgotten Ones. We barely even remember all their names, let alone who struck the first blow, who was wrong… Fen'Harel was clever. He could walk among both clans of gods without fear, and both believed he was one of them. He went to each side, and told them the other had forged a terrible weapon, a blade that would end the war. He told the Creators it was forged in the heavens, and the Forgotten Ones, that it was hidden in the abyss. And when the gods went seeking it, he sealed them both in their realms forever. Now he alone is left in the world.” --Merrill to Hawke during Memento of the Dalish 

Again, this is a perfect example of the tale having been turned on its head throughout history. That the Evanuris are believed to be the innocent party and that it was the Forgotten Ones who were wicked. Come Trespasser we discover it was the Evanuris who were in fact malicious and cruel and enslaved their People. Therefore, such tales can be viewed from the opposite end. That what we hear and read of the Forgotten Ones is that they have been mostly erased -- and when not -- smeared by propaganda. 

And a little silly, but I love this one: A Bottles of Thedas is the Abyssal Peach: "Not so much filtered as dredged. Should be kept in a cold, dark place. Also locked. Forgotten as well, if one is wise." This could be a cheeky reference to the Forgotten Ones locked away inside of a Titan. There are a lot of other codex entries that link to and from this topic and I may go into more detail at a later date if people are interested! I also have a very tinfoily hat as to how the Blight is potentially related to the Forgotten Ones -- but that will need another post entirely. Thanks so much for reading, if you got this far through all of my rambling! And if you’re not quite done, see my collaborative theory post with @kita-lavellan on The Old Gods HERE!

[pikapeppa]

5 Questions For Writers: Lovers In A Dangerous Time

Part 2 of this meme because I’m greedy. (Part 1 for Where The Winds Of Fortune Take Me is here!) 

Tagged by Genius Meme Inventor @serial-chillr​ and also by the bevvy of babes including @johaeryslavellan​ @faerieavalon​ @elveny​ @dafan7711​ @solas-disapproves​!

Tagging forward to @myfeyrelady​ @lethendralis-paints​ (I know you’re going to say your pumpkin brain has no words, but YOU ARE THE CREATOR OF SO MANY GOOD IDEAS SO TELL US ABOUT THEM!!), @tryvyalsynnes​ @irlaimsaaralath​ @charlatron​ @wardsarefunctioning​ @dickeybbqpit​ @galadrieljones​ @thevikingwoman​ @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul​ and anyone else who wants to play!

Here we have it for Lovers In A Dangerous Time (i.e. Fenris the Inquisitor), with beloved at by @lethendralis-paints​!

1. What was the idea that started the story? 

I think I’ve said this before, but someone in a DA Facebook group shared some snapshots of banter along the lines of ‘what if Fenris was the Inquisitor’ and my brain was like: [lightbulb] lol. I had a clear idea of how Fenris would become the Inquisitor, and I had a very powerful image of Fenris and Rynne Hawke getting separated just before the Conclave explosion and then finding each other at Haven, and I just really wanted to write those two moments. The rest of the fic sort of took off from there. 

This is also not an original idea by any means, since others have written Fenris the Inquisitor fics already. But as with anything in fanfic, different people have different takes, and this is my take on it through the lens of Fenris and his relationship with Rynne because I’m utter trash for them, and I’m thrilled to be writing it.

2. Did you make an outline? Have you stuck to it? 

Let me start by saying I did not intend to novelize the game; I only really meant to do a few oneshots of memorable moments in Inquisition. But after writing the first two chapters, I knew the format I’d started would not lend itself to disconnected oneshots the way my canon FenHawke stuff did. 

So yes, there is an outline. It started out with those few big-moment ideas I wanted to do, and it’s evolved over time into a document that’s currently 61 pages and will get longer, since I have yet to flesh out the JOH DLC chapter(s? not sure how I’ll deal with JOH yet) and there is more still to flesh out for Trespasser. As to whether I’ve stuck to it... largely, yes! Sometimes events get shifted around, and some chapters have gotten split into 2 or even 3, but I have largely stuck to it. 

 3. What’s your favorite part of your story? 

THE FENSHIPS (i.e. friendships with Fenris HAHAH) and the PARTY BANTER. It has been such a joy developing his relationships with the Inquisition crew. I think this is part of what makes Fenris such a compelling idea as an Inquisitor: his Tevinter background, personality, and complex attitudes about mages make him so much fun to write into conversations with the Inquisition crew, particularly with Cassandra, Dorian, Solas and Cole. I’ve especially loved writing his relationship with Solas because I’m convinced that it could go either way for so many reasons (I won’t ramble about this at length LOL, I’ll spare everyone this). Indeed, Fenris and Solas have had both their disagreements and their moments of camaraderie in this fic, and both have been a joy to write.

Blackwall, Bull, and Sera have had less facetime in this fic, but parts of their histories are obvious mirrors of parts of Fenris’s past as well, so they’ve each had at least one chapter to shine with FennyFen. 

Finally, and obviously, writing Fenris and Rynne’s relationship. Keeping an established relationship interesting can be a challenge, but Fenris and Rynne are constantly clashing and growing together as they keep running into shitstorm after shitstorm in this fic, and I hope (HOPE HOPE HOPE???) I’ve been able to keep them both grounded/realistic and interesting. 

 4: Who is your favorite character and why? 

The usual suspects: Fenris and Rynne, obviously, since I am garbage trash for my babes. And everyone already knows that Solas and Cole are my Inquisition favourites.

 5. Did anything happen that surprised you as you were writing? A plot point, or characters’ actions, etc?

Dorian! When I started writing this, I was actually pretty uncertain how Dorian and Fenris would get along. I was hoping they would eventually become friendly or at least cordial, but I didn’t want to force it to get there. At the point where the fic is now, Dorian has become one of Fenris’s closest friends in the Inquisition (though Fenris would probably roll his eyes if you ever said so), which was a true surprise to me. Getting the chance to write Dorian and Fenris hanging out together has made me love Doribae even more. 

The thing that happened to Carver also came to me out of the blue. I knew I wanted him to join the Inquisition, but at the point when I actually wrote him coming to Skyhold, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with him from there. His arc was a stroke of... madness? genius? masochism? TAKE YOUR PICK.

You can read Lovers In A Dangerous Time here on AO3!

[feynites]

Hey Fey! Just wondering, do you play Choice of Games? If you don't know, they make interactive novel type games, some of which you can play online for free. They're usually pretty good at being LGBT inclusive, too. I'm asking because I just played one that gave me some serious DA vibes and I figured you'd appreciate that. It puts you in the shoes of a person born under the rule of a very Tevinter-y Empire (complete with blood magic and slavery) and chronicles the uprising of a slave-led (1)

rebellion, with the player character as the rebel leader. It's really engrossing, the worldbuilding and characters are A+, and it manages to deal with dark themes without being grimdark imo. Also, one of the potential LIs is an outspoken, opinionated rebel who is very likely keeping a huge secret from you and feeling awful about it because they love you. I feel like I just played an Andraste simulator where I romanced a young Solas xD. Anyway, enough rambling. If you/your followers (2)

want to check it out, the first chapter is free on the Choice of Games website, just look for Choice of Rebels: Uprising (tumblr doesn't let me link it :/). Have a nice day, and sorry for rambling, this story and its parallels to DA destroyed me utterly (3)

-

Oh, thank you! I’d never heard of that before, but it definitely sounds like it’d be worth looking into! Right now I’m still trying to get into my first Pillars of Eternity playthrough, but this could be great fun to try afterwards. I appreciate the recommendation! It sounds like it hits a lot of interesting points. :3

[rosexknight]

Why do you hurt?

“Rules: Take this quiz for one of your OCs. (Only 8 questions, some of them are a little… U-Quiz-y, but I liked the results.)”

Again, copied from @/lavellander I hope that’s cool ;-;

Initial results here and then longer more rambley thoughts under the cut.

Neria Surana:  you swallow pain & fold around it

you have always hurt. you hold it carefully, and twisted in such a way that other people don't have to see it. you don't choke on it. you don't drown. you just have it, the way some people have freckles, this is a thing that lives in your bones. you fold instead of fighting because you know how to make yourself small, tuck away the places where they have clawed at, swallow the bruises so you seem clean. nobody needs to see it. you will live through this on your own. you know what you need, and relief isn't it. this doesn't mean you cannot reach out - it means it is not in your nature to do so. you should. hiding does not mean you won't be seen.

Marian Hawke:  this isn't enough for you

the words creep into your head in the dead of night one night and you cannot get rid of them. 'this isn't enough for me anymore'. you thought this was enough for you at some point, or maybe you hoped that it would be, but it isn't, and it hurts. you need to change something, or die trying. this - life like this - does not make life worth living. there is a lump in your throat that demands attention every waking moment of the day. there is pain in your body like a cavernous maw you cannot keep balance over. this is not what you wanted. you need to change. you can't stay here. it is not a character flaw you want more.

Elanna Lavellan:  you're choking on how much you have to try

you have tried. you have carried the weight of the world on your shoulders and accepted more responsibilities than you have ever wanted, even intended to gain. it isn't crushing - you are strong enough to hold it - but you are choking. you don't know what to do with it. you don't know where it goes, how to move this weight everyone knows you can hold onto, and do you even want to get rid of it? Never. You would not give this to - force this on - anyone else. but you /can't/. but you are choking on it. your body will hold it up even when you lose all the air in your lungs, and your footing, and your courage. it does not mind choking you. it seems almost designed to do so. if you weren't wrung out you wouldn't be doing this thing properly.

They are so perfect. So painful. Y’all have no idea. Anyway have fun with my OC rambles.

Neria Surana:  you swallow pain & fold around it

Y’all have no idea how perfect this is. Neria went from a favorite in the Circle, completely untouchable, to a Greywarden freshly betrayed by one she thought was her best friend. Going back to the Circle after it had fallen FUCKED her up.  After Ostagar, when she, Morrigan, and Alistair went through Lothering, she heard whispers of something happening in the Circle. Gossip that something was wrong. But Arl Eamon’s sickness seems more pressing, and Alistair is worried, so her final decision is to go to Redcliffe first despite desperately wanting to check on her home. It isn’t until the battle of Redcliffe is won, Jowan is released, and the plan to get help from the Circle is made that they return. The Circle has fallen. The Right of Annulment is being approved, and Neria has to climb the tower, a place once her home, praying that SOMEONE survived. But this really starts it. She blames herself for the Circle falling. She blames herself for what happened to Jowan. She later blames herself for what happened to Anders and Amaranthine/Vigil’s Keep, etc. She’d blame herself for the Blight id she could. Alistair is really the only one aware of this flaw she has, and even then she has never told him the extent of the horror that the Circle brought her. Or how much returning to her apparently old home in the alienage in Denerim broke her. Or how much she felt like she failed at Amaranthine despite both the city and Vigil’s Keep surviving and the mother being defeated simply because Velanna was lost. Because it’s easier to carry that hurt. It’s easier to blame herself, to be angry at herself, than admit that the world is that cruel.

Marian Hawke:  this isn't enough for you

I pondered this one for a bit. Because, logically, it should be enough. Hawke went from a nobody in Lothering to the Champion of Kirkwall. My Hawke specifically, Marian, just wanted some peace and quiet. For a time, she had that. Yes, she lost her family, but she carried on. But then I realized, this is not referring to material wants. This is emotional want. Marian lost one family, and gained another. Varric, Fenris, Isabela, Merrill, Sebastian, Aveline. They’re thick as thieves. She loves them. They make her feel whole. It’s the romance that’s the problem. Anders. In Act 1 she falls fast and hard. Rebel mage with a heart of gold who just cares so damn much? They have a lot in common. In Act 2 she fights for his cause. Helps him in the Mage Underground. Helps him control Justice. Helps keep the Templars off their trail. But then her mother dies, and she sees the horrors. A thought slips into her mind: What if the Templars are right about Mages? She doesn’t care less, but it makes her more conscious of just what is going on with the mages of Kirkwall. Act 3 is when it all crashes down. The relationship starts feeling more hollow. Anders feels as if he’s pulling away, despite Marian’s attempts to keep him close. He asks for her help in the Chantry, and asks her to trust him. She does without question, because why wouldn’t she? (I know he gets super nasty if you decline or press for info but I just never got that far when I was playing.) The Chantry blew. The final battle ensued, and she left Anders behind. Because it wasn’t enough for her. When he comes back to her, it still isn’t enough for her. And it’s not a character flaw to want more.

Elanna Lavellan:  you're choking on how much you have to try

My Inquisitor, I think, is probably the most standard of these three. A Dalish elf. In the wrong place at the wrong time suddenly being revered as the herald of a goddess she knew nothing of and expected to save the world. She jumps into it immediately, whether out of self-preservation or a genuine want for more. She grew up on stories of the Hero of Fereldan and adored The Tale of the Champion. She studies the Chant to figure out what’s so great about Andraste. She learns some formal etiquette from Josephine. She spends time with Leliana and her spies. She spars personally with the troops and makes sure Cullen takes breaks. She writes with Varric. She meditates with Solas. She reads terrible novels with Cassandra. She trains with Bull and the chargers. She plays pranks with Sera. She studies Circle magic with Vivienne. She gets fashion advice from Dorian. She enjoys quiet moments with Blackwall. She listens to Cole as he reads those all around Skyhold. When Alistair and Morrigan and her son Keiran arrive she pesters for tales about the Hero, and laughs with them. But She wasn’t expecting it to be quite so…much. She wasn’t expecting to have half of Thedas on her shoulders. She is eternally grateful for her advisors and inner circle. When the world is on her shoulders it’s amazing to feel like she’s not drowning. Cullen is the most help. Somehow, he always knew when she needed a break, perhaps because he too was a workaholic. Or perhaps it’s because they’re simply stronger in each other’s arms. On quiet days when things are slow and the evening rolls in, she is sometimes caught walking the gardens and courtyard of Skyhold barefoot. It never quite feels the same.

[theharellan]

It’s been three years, and I fucking love Solas. Someone help me.

Are you ready for some unabashed Solas love? I sure am.

So three years today I was coming to the end of my first playthrough of Dragon Age: Inquisition. I’d already made a blog for my Inquisitor Cadash (before the game came out, to open up after I beat it), and that was all I was expecting to make.

Then, some bald elf grabbed her hand and helped her close her first Breach. I’d kept up with Inquisition news, and Solas seemed cool, interesting enough. I wasn’t really expecting or prepared for how much I’d come to love him. By Temple of Mythal I’d made a Solas blog, and when I finished on the 22nd I made the finishing touches, and here we are!

I wanted to spend some time talking about what I love about Solas, since there’s a lot of negativity about the character. Rping him I know that kind of negativity (not even criticism, which he very much deserves, just negativity that often completely ignores vast swathes of characterisation) can get very tiring to read and humour. Yes, I know he’s trash, let me tell you why I love him, both in spite of and because of those qualities.

Without further ado, welcome. Welcome to my disorganised rambling essay/list of why I have been writing this loser for three years now:

What first drew me to Solas was his experiences as a Dreamer. I majored in history as an undergrad, one of my favourite things as a historian was reading and reviewing primary sources. You find the truth in them, but only one person’s version of the truth. When Solas spoke of dreaming, he spoke to that knowledge: that history is never one story, and that at Ostagar Loghain could be  hero and a villain at the same time. Both were valid readings, and both were memories that deserved to be remembered. Having a character who spoke to the history nerd in me was very special, I won’t lie.

As the game continued, Solas totally revolutionized Dragon Age lore for me? Even before it started to become obvious that he was more than just an elf who liked napping. Before Solas and Cole the Fade wasn’t a particularly interesting part of the world for me, but how Solas explained the personhood of spirits really affirmed what Dragon Age 2 had started to explore with the nature of Justice/Vengeance and Merrill’s banter.

It was some really beautiful world-building, to slowly pull back the veil (ha) and reveal that our perception of spirits in early games was really misguided.

And once it became obvious he was something more than what he wanted us to think (I had guessed he was related to Fen’Harel- although I had assumed it was something along the lines of Felassan since I had finished TME just before DA:I) it got even better? In DA:O elf lore didn’t really grab me like the dwarves or qunari, or even the mages. DA2 improved with Merrill, and then in DA:I Solas took what Merrill had granted us and ran with it. The lore he introduced was what made me elf trash, honestly. Before I was just kind of like... elf recycling? I loved Merrill, but wasn’t all that interested in Dragon Age elf lore as a concept. Now I am 100% trash and I will rot in this elf garbage dump until the universe ends.

His and Sera’s perspective on the Dalish really jerked me out of the perception of Dalish elves being Perfectly Fallen Elves, which had never been true, but their flaws are much more muted in DA:O and it took several playthroughs before I could really begin to wrap my head around how their behaviour towards Merrill only made matters worse. By listening to Solas and also Sera’s perception of them, it made going back and replaying early games more exciting, as I could see the seeds of issues DA:I would eventually explore. It’s why I enjoy DA:I so much because, imo, it compliments the lore of DA:O and DA2 so well for the most part.

And the lore he eventually brings to Elvhenan? Fantastic. Like I said, I had read TME beforehand, so I was already aware Elvhenan had issues, but revelation that the Elvhen gods were never gods, that their empire was not the perfect thing we had been led to believe? As much as DA:I played up the high fantasy angle more than DA:O and DA2, that revelation was very much a dark fantasy trope, and it fit perfectly with the overall tone in the series whereas before Elvhenan had seemed a little out of place. Empires are shitty by nature, and it was good to see the elven empire was no exception.

All these revelations are, to some extent, introduced or expanded upon by Solas. So I connect a lot of my love for the lore to him, and as a result I’m fond of him for that reason. I’m going to move on, though, because I’m like 800 words in and I haven’t touched upon him as a person lmao.

This one article that I won’t really touch upon for too long, namely because I couldn’t read it all, compared Solas to a fedora-wearer, which is a characterisation that drives me batty. Because Solas is a SJW, for better or worse. He can very easily identify problems in society, and people, and has no problem talking about them, even when it’s inappropriate.

He cares, he cares deeply. He cares even when it’s against his best interests to care.

If you take him with you through the Hinterlands (and beyond) you’ll find he approves when you help people, even people he might disagree with. Should you deliver a flower to Senna’s grave, and invoke Falon’Din’s name when you inform her widower, he approves. He approves even if he knows the Elvhen gods are false, and knows Falon’Din would not spend a second thinking about this poor man’s dead wife.

He cares when you choose to sacrifice the Chargers, and reinforce to Iron Bull that his worth lies only in the Qun. And if you choose to save them, he cares to reassure Bull that he is not a beast, but a person, and an intelligent one.

And whatever your relationship with him is, by Trespasser he decides he cares enough to save you. Even if he thinks your Inquisitor is so terrible he comes close to comparing them to the evanuris (especially Inquisitors he’s unfriendly to who claim to be chosen) he still decides that the south deserves better than what the qunari will give him. Trespasser was not a smart move for Solas, all things considered. He could have pulled out of the south, or left the Inquisitor to die without explanation. But he explains, because he cares enough to know he owes them that much.

None of this excuses what he plans, but how much he cares in spite of what he feels he must do is compelling.

I think one of the most telling things is the stories Solas can recount for you. When you ask him for stories, he tells you tales of Ostagar, or mighty battles, but the little moments he recounts for you are some of my favourite examples of what Solas finds important in the world. Dwarves seeing daylight for the first time, a qunari baker rebelling in a subtle way only she will know. This guy walks the Fade, and could in theory see every moment in history that people might kill to see, but instead comes across a memory of a woman baking and thinks “this is important.”

Stuff like that is, to me, demonstrative about how much Solas is about the people. He has a lot of growing to do when it comes to his perception of... well, everyone, but despite all of this he still does see wonder in really tiny moments. These are things you don’t often see, especially in jaded immortals, and it’s one of my favourite things about getting to know him.

Speaking of Solas’s perception of the modern world, let’s talk about it. It’s flawed as all heck (especially  at the beginning of the game), but it makes total sense.

Waking up in a world where there’s essentially one less dimension, or perhaps half a dimension where there used to be a whole one? That’s not the sort of thing you just get over. Of the ancient elves we have met, all of them have expressed similar struggles. Abelas doesn’t recognise a Lavellan as Dalish, and Felassan only begins to see them as people towards the end of Masked Empire.

That Solas’s perception (that any of these characters) is able to evolve is impressive, imo.

I’m not saying he deserves to be praised for coming to recognise people as people, in case you’re wondering. What I love here is that Solas, that every ancient elf thus far, is allowed a very real reaction to an impossible situation. And what I love is, for as much as the fandom likes to paint him as stubborn, he is more capable of evolving than people give him credit for.

Of all the things to admit you were wrong about, admitting you were wrong about the entire population of Thedas is a pretty big thing to admit. It’s why I do have hope that Bioware will grant him at least a bittersweet happy ending. It’s clear, especially if you befriend him, he does not enjoy what he feels must be done.

And you may ask “then why do it?” to which I usually reply: the name of ‘traitor’ would suddenly be worthy of him, at least in his eyes, if he just turned his back on those he has worked for literal centuries to uplift. So many people try to convince Solas he’s wrong by... telling him what he’s doing is bad, which. It is, but he knows. Put that energy towards showing him how his rebels can live the life they were supposed to get after the evanuris had been toppled, and then, I think, people would start to make some headway in redeeming him.

Often when protagonists are redeemed it is with an appeal to the heart, and not the head. You appeal to their better nature. With Solas I believe redemption lies not in appealing to his better nature, because in a way he’s already using it. Instead, redemption for Solas will come from showing him that his heart is right, but it is his head that is the problem. Hopefully that makes sense? Show him that his people matter, and can be given their freedom, and then a happy ending may come after.

I could go on and on and on about everything I love about him, but I’m realising this is getting long, so maybe dedicating a mini-essay to every character trait was a mistake. I’m going to throw out a couple more, and try to wrap things up!

I love how angry he gets in banter. I’m someone who gets mad when I argue with people about social issues, especially when I otherwise had/have respect for that person, so hearing Solas get legitimately frustrated when arguing with Iron Bull is very relatable for me. I love that he’s allowed to be angry, and allowed to be right, even while being wrong about so much else.

I love his sense of humour, and his laugh. I love that as much as “Chuckles” is considered to be (even by the game) an ironic nickname, one of the first potential lines from him is him snort-chuckling about Varric being involved with the Chantry (at the first time we hear the nickname Chuckles, I believe).

I love that he loves spirits. I love that no matter what path you choose for Cole, he loves and supports Cole. I love that he understands spirit Cole is as much as a person as human Cole, and both are good and worthy of loving, even if Cole is going down a path he cannot fully relate to himself.

I love his lapses-- be it where he comes out looking something of a fool (setting his pants on fire) or just being a nerd in love on his romance path. He’s smooth, but he stumbles.

There’s so much more I could go into, honestly? His fashion sense, his relationships with each individual member of the Inquisition, the tenderness he is capable of, but I’m pretty sure this is getting too long to be worth reading. I may do a part two sometime (maybe next anniversary??) but for now, I hope everyone who somehow managed to read all of this has a better understanding of why I care so much for Solas, and why I’ve been writing him for four years.

I have no idea how many thousands of words I’ve written for Solas over the past 8,133 posts, but I do know this: I love how there’s still things I haven’t been able to explore in my prose, and I love that you guys will be here to explore them with me!

Thank you everyone who has stuck with my Solas for so long? Even after my mental health issues forced me to take a very long hiatus, I was surprised and touched by how many stuck with me. You’re all wonderful, and I hope you have a nice night!

If you could please refrain from any Solas negativity in comments or tags, I’d appreciate it!