#and don't get me wrong i've LOVED everything i've seen of davrin's too

[revvethasmythh]

oh i'm for real cooked with this romance, huh

[bratgoatswiss]

Apologies for length, have to save the cut for spoilers.

I FINISHED VEILGUARD!

I have. So many thoughts and emotions about it and I'm still processing but I just wanted to counter some of the vitriol I'm seeing from people who are doing the Fandom thing with what I hope are reasonable, normal thoughts. Ha. Haha. Anyway. Mostly spoiler free but there's one small thing and one BIG thing that is that I'll put under the read more.

There was a lot to like about this game. The combat was fun and I think upon a 2nd playthrough it'll be even better. Some of it could get repetitive but its not a big gripe.

The characters were very endearing and felt well fleshed out as people and I enjoyed spending time with them. Most of the side quests were related to your companions in some way and I thought that was clever. Some were more interesting than others.

The writing has been contentious and I can see why. It can get cheesy and predictable in places, but overall I thought it was very similar to DA2. I enjoyed it and thought it reflected some realistic responses to what was happening around you. If you're here for gritty edgelord shit 24/7 go play Dark Souls you weirdo.

I can only speak for the Lucanis romance cause I love an angsty man, but it was perhaps, underpadded. It was slow and sweet and I did like it very much but I could have used some...more you know? I didn't even get to see my own tits and that's tragic.

Solas. I did not romance the egg in DAI. I do not like the egg. I liked how I got to handle the egg. So much. I've seen the Lavellan romance scenes and if there's any uproar from the Sollavellans (one l or 2?) it's because they didn't let you see the 2 of them fuck nasty in high definition for an hour. It's Rooks story now. You're fine. Go write fanfiction.

The lore. Hoo boy. Honestly they really did put everything in a blender and fished out what they liked. Everything is made up and the points don't matter. I don't LOVE that they retconned so much of what was in Origins. Zevran and the Crows especially seems really odd. I THINK the idea is that it's been like 20-30ish years since all that and stuff has changed or information was wrong or inaccurate or whatever? But that seems lazy. I wish they'd addressed it more with SOMETHING. But also there's 3 games worth of lore, not to mention comics and novels and like. I get it. But consistency guys. Add more codex entries or something. This is my biggest gripe. It did not impact my enjoyment too much. I loved what was added.

Spoilers below

That ending was so ABRUPT?! At least with DAI you got a ending party and final scene with your LI but here you get some end cards and voice over? I would have accepted that if we were getting DLC but this?? This is insane! Bioware I am begging on my knees to give us at least a "well we did it!" scene. The ending was epic but the ENDING was a disappointment.

Now. The suicide mission. I spent [redacted] number of hours investing blood, sweat, and tears of friendship into these 7 assholes and there is NO way to save 1 of them?? And you have to choose between Harding and Davrin??? Just those 2?? There should be a way to save them! Don't give me the no matter what crap! I don't want CONSEQUENCES I want FRIENDSHIP. If you could do it in ME2 you should be able to do it here. Also. Can we not have it be 50/50 heroic sacrifice with a black man? Like. I know you can technically choose but like why make it an option. It just feels weird.

So yeah. Initial thoughts and feelings. Overall good with some stuff I really disliked. I will be normal about this eventually.

I'll probably regret sending this out into the world when the sollavellens find me. Oh well.

[pigeonrocks]

Tyirne "Rook" Abgar : As A Companion

( @bearlytolerant for the template <3)

The Basics

Name: Tyirne Abgar

Gender: Male

Faction: Grey Wardens

Lineage: Human (at one point)

Class: (Spirit) Warrior

Personality: Foolhardy, Stoic.. Far too brave and selfless for his own good, he wants to help people and will try to work through his confusion about like. everything.

(This is a long post! Everything else is put under the cut for the sake of brevity <3 I love you Tyirne.)

Preferred Weapon: The Blade of First Warden, it's a sword Tyirne was gifted by some of his cousins, he likes it very much and doesn't like using anything else.

Preferred Trinket: If his helmet counts as a trinket it'd probably be that, but lets just say he has no real preference, in all honesty.

Preferred Style of Clothing: Tyirne uhm. stays in his armor and cloak. It's a Grey Warden thing, he doesn't want to leave it, his face hidden and remaining as a bastion of sorts, a concept.

Hero Special Ability: Spirit Dash, Tyirne blinks in and out of the fade to get across long distances or overwhelm his enemies. smth like that.

Favorite Gift: He likes things from the ancient age, it makes the change less jarring for him. Either that or books to fill him in on the thousand something years he's been dead.

Pet: None. Used to have a Griffon though!

Acquaintance Bond Level Status: Exhausted Ancient

Friend Bond Level Status: Warden's Bastion

Good Friend Bond Level Status: Living History

Hero Bond Level Status: First Warden Commander

Lighthouse Living

Room Type: Its like. almost a storage room. at worse. Not too bright or anything.

Room Decor: Uhn.. not much? Nothing for comfort besides his belongings. Maybe a single thing to be like. the closest thing he can get to a chair.

Favorite Drink: He never drank anything that would dull the senses. Either he was drinking WATER or when comfort would find him during the first blight he'd find somewhere depending where he & his men were.

Favorite Hobby: Enjoys catching up on lost history, spends most of his time training or surveying.

Favorite Hangout Spot: Tyirne prefers the taller parts, places where he can see over the whole Lighthouse, good vantage point if he had anything to say about it.

Interactions with Pet: Hii Silverite.. big ghost griffon is paying a visit to see if he's alright.

Interactions with Assan: Trying to train Assan with Davrin, they're all very stubborn about it.

Interactions with Manfred: They're bonding in some way about being dead - calls Manfred "Rotkin".

Relationships

Greetings: "Tis a good morrow, my friend." / "Well met, Rook." / "Did thy need something from I?" / "Troubling.. I sincerely request thou find me later..”

Thoughts on Companions:

Neve: “The detective, hm.. She's.. agh - I'm keeping a fair distance from that one.. Mages are a tricky thing to trust.”

Harding: “Harding is fine, I have no claim of thought for her.. Besides her magic - I'm staying away from it, tis wrong..”

Bellara: “Veil Jumpers.. never understood that, still don't. Why find artifacts to simply.. leave them be? No sense in it.. But Bellara is sweet, plenty of questions that I have answers to. Good head on her shoulders, she mere just gets lost in it.”

Davrin: “My fellow Grey Warden, despite what I've seen from the rest of our people, he's good.. Plenty nice to see a griffin as well, though it must be more unusual as I've heard they've been long extinct, strange that is..”

Taash: “Never met many Qunari, learned bits of Qunlat and about the Qun - incase we encountered any in our fight to find and stop the Archdemon.. Taash is mighty interesting, reminds me of many I once knew in our army.”

Emmerich: “Professor Emmerich? Why, A good friend of mine. Spoke to me a few times when he uncovered my tomb, much younger then.. Good to finally meet him face to face.”

Lucanis: “Demon or not, Lucanis is good. We need him and Spite seems mighty helpful. No worry from I - if that's what you're seeking out from me..”

Comments About Biggest Rival/s: He doesn't have anyone in particular besides Solas & the First Warden.

Solas: “Bastard wants what's best, yet he's putting all of us at risk with his foolish decrees of righteousness. Fix the veil.. why not fix the blight? Fix what bleeds the land and its inhabitants to paleness, reflecting the moon like a mural of wholly tragedy.”

First Warden: “I'll kill him! I swear it. He's ignoring the cries of his men, if I would have ever done such a thing my lieutenants would have slain me by their hands alone. To treat the many so poorly.. bah - he's a disgrace to us. To mine legacy and to the hundreds of thousands of Wardens I lost in the first blight.”

Banter Subject with Neve:

N: “How do you feel, hm?”

Ty: “Aching, trying to get used to using mine joints again..”

N: “The wisps like following you.”

Ty: “Perhaps I'm an example for them.”

N: “I doubt it, they like to take things.. I'd double check your boxes.”

Ty: “No wisps have touched mine? Me thinks it's just thou that they take from.”

Ty: “Detective work must pay well?”

N: “Depends..”

Ty: “Concerning. But Monstrathus hath always been this way.”

N: “Monst... what?”

Ty: “Minrathous, because of...? Suppose thou've never heard what we - never mind, disregard that. I forget how long it's been.”

Banter Subject with Lace:

Ty: “I learned Dwarven once.. suppose it's ancient by current standards though..”

H: “Did you really? Wasn't that hard?”

Ty: “Very. But tis a crime to not learn when thou has reason to.”

H: “Did you ever figure out what the fade was calling you for?”

Ty: “No, if it's the calling - then I will not allow it to take me so easy.”

H: “It sounds scary.. The Calling, I mean.”

Ty: “It's only a concept as I know of it - none of mine lived for it to actualize.. Could only imagine what it may be truly.”

H: “Yeah.. Me too.”

H: “You guys named all your griffins after metals?”

Ty: “Only our best, the rest .. well I don't know, that was not my place of understanding.”

H: “That seems.. a lot less intimidating than how Davrin makes it seem.”

Ty: “Suppose it changed after some centuries. Silverite was mine favorite, but no.. we had five in my command, Silverite, Veridium, Onyx, Aurum, Nevarrite - boys made a song out of it.”

H: “The great grey wardens made songs about they're pet griffins?”

Ty: “It was catchy.. unfortunately.”

Banter Subject with Bellara:

B: “So you were alive before Andreste? What was that like?”

Ty: “No different than how life is here.. from what I've observed.”

B: “Huh, I would've thought.. nevermind! I was just curious.”

B: “What do you think'll happen when we close the veil?”

Ty: “Praytell, what does thou mean?”

B: “Y'know.. to you? Won't you die?”

Ty: “Hm. Never thought of it.. There is a chance for such, but let us not worry about that now.”

3.

Ty: “How are thines writings coming along?”

B: “Oh! Good! Good, I used what you told me about ancients tombs?”

Ty: “Thy remembers such? I'm.. well, tis an interesting topic, I'm glad you enjoyed it.”

B: “I'd never - well, I don't want to forget it, but it helped! So uhm.. Thanks.. for that, Tyirne.”

Ty: “Of course..”

Banter Subject with Davrin:

D: “You know how to train griffins?”

Ty: “Hm? No, I never handled them myself. One of my lieutenants did. Good man.. miss him sometimes.”

D: “I'm sorry.”

Ty: “Nothing thou should be apologetic for, but he had taught me enough when I must've handled the griffins in our masses.”

D: “Think you can help me with Assan?”

Ty: “Handling is much different than training, warden.”

Ty: “That First Warden..”

D: “Be honest, did you think about punching him?”

Ty: “Thought about killing him, dare I say..”

D: “You really think about that?”

Ty: “It was tempting, nor do I like to lie! It was a thought I had prevalently, couldn't imagine what my people would do if I was so cruel.”

D: “And.. what would they have done if you were?”

Ty: “Did this once, when I had been younger - Thine's stripped of title and rank, excommunicated and then slain. Then thy is followed by one of thee's second in commands.. There were three of us, think mine and them drew straws to choose..”

D: “You couldn't have done that... could you?”

Ty: “Hard to choose which of we is better when we all are.”

D: “Do you miss anything from when you were alive?”

Ty: “Mine family, yes. But I assume thou means besides such.”

Ty: “..Hard to say, plenty of things are just.. so different. Perhaps... hm. I miss being able to enjoy the nice whiskey we had around.”

D: “Not much to enjoy when everything's miserable, huh?”

Ty: “Tis a thought that perhaps I don't miss it much.”

Banter Subject with Taash:

Ty: “Thou are a.. Qunari?”

Ta: “Why? They not have Qunari where you're from?”

Ty: “It's more like when. But no, we did not.”

Ta: “Hmph. Weird.”

Ty: “Mine thoughts exact..”

Ta: “So you're an ancient Grey Warden?”

Ty: “I am, yes.. Is there reason for this sudden inquiry?”

Ta: “Were the Archdemons always... dragon-y?”

Ty: “I wouldn't know, I never saw such beast with mine eyes before I had been slain.”

Ta: “Right.. yeah. I forgot about that.”

Ta: “So you're possessing yourself?”

Ty: “Fascinsting conversation starter, Taash.”

Ta: “Shouldn't that make you an abomination?”

Ty: “(Sigh)”

Ty: “No, it doth not. Manfred and I are in similar state, tis only the same.”

Banter Subject with Emmerich:

E: “Pleasant to finally speak to you formally, instead of the few times I went to you before.”

Ty: “Yes, though I remember those times quite differently.. Much younger and much less wiser.”

R: “How did you meet Emmerich anyway?”

Ty: “I love this story. You see, I was in a crypt in the Anderfels and -”

E: “- Warden..”

Ty: “Awh... Another time, then.”

E: “You and Manfred seem to be close.”

Ty: “Rotkin? Yes - tis not often I meet something akin to mineself. He's fun.”

E: “I'm happy you are adjusting well, my friend.”

Ty: “As am I, professor.”

Ty: “You fear death?”

E: “..Yes, suppose I do.. you don't?”

Ty: “It is scary only in idea, in practice - tis a comfort.”

E: “You're relationship with it is much different than my own.”

Ty: “We both have very skewered ideas about lady death.”

Banter Subject with Lucanis:

L: “You keep staring.”

Ty: “Apologies, Spite was talking to me.”

L: “You hear Spite?”

Ty: “Yes, very much. Can see him as well.”

L: “Sorry.”

Ty: “Thou needn't any cause to apologize, no blood spilled from mine just by talking to him.”

L: “Did you leave something in the kitchen for me?”

Ty: “Did thee not.. like it? I may find something better-”

L: “It's not that, it's just - when did you get it? Where?”

Ty: “Bartered with a merchant, won overrall - knew you liked wyverns. Perhaps thou and I may find a means to find them once this ends.”

S: “Smells like. Honey and Cinnamon.”

Ty: “Spite.. I'm sure Lucanis would like it if thou weren't here at the moment.”

S: “He does. not. listen.”

Ty: “Tis unfortunately true, but how will Lucanis ever if thou too fails to listen?”

Unlock Personal Quest

Quest Start Dialogue: “Davrin told me we had Eluvians to Weisshupt? Can - Can we go? I want to know if it's changed as everything has or not..”

Quest Start Location: WEISSHUPT ^_^ YAYYY

Quest Start Activity: Tyirne gets to see Weisshupt, hang out with century old grandpa while he reminisces and tells stories of his youth (even if he hasn't aged any)

Quest Middle Dialogue: “Word is traveling quick in the fade, hauntings in the east - I need to help those people - spirits or not.”

Quest Middle Location: Eastern Thedas, somewhere.

Quest Middle Activity: Find ghosts. Find the ghost griffin people are freaked out over. Turns out shes Tyirne's and (much like him) took advantage of the fact the veil was weak to check everything out.

Quest End Dialogue: “The Mourn Watch have informed me of a tomb they've found. I need to see it for myself, see if it's what I think it is.”

Quest End Location: The Abgar Tomb :(

Quest End Activity: No idea if I'm honest, poor guy needs closure after Weisshupt.