#and then to find out that lucanis and neve have very little?

[thievinghippo]

46 for Emmrich/Edda! Or Sonnet if you prefer :)

A kiss out of envy or jealousy for Emmrich and Edda! This is set during the 'Blood of Arlathan' quest

#

“Do you think the Antaam gossip about you as much as the Venatori apparently do?”

“Ugh, Neve, don’t remind me,” Rook says, finishing up the buckles on her gambeson. She is so grateful to be out of that itchy Venatori armor it’s not even funny. Hopefully they’ll all move faster through the camp now that they’re in their regular gear. They have to find the Dalish. And quick. “As if they could ever turn me.”

“Fair point,” Neve says as she adjusts her fascinator. “Emmrich might have called that one a fan, but to me, it sounded more like a bit of a crush.”

Rook lets out a laugh. She can’t help it. “I am not the type of person people crush on.” She looks over at Emmrich and smiles. The dopey one that only he ever gets to see. “With one really big exception standing right over there.” A horrible thought crosses her mind. “Wait. Emmrich, do you still have a crush on me? Or are we past that stage already?”

“I most assuredly do, my darling.”

“Phew. Good. I still have a crush on you, too.”

“That is very gratifying to hear.”

Neve shakes her head. “You two are ridiculous. Stop me if I ever sound like that about Lucanis.”

Rook fake coughs. “Seafood and candlelight.”

“Fair. I’ll give you that one.”

Once Rook straps her shield to her back, she looks at Emmrich and Neve. “Ready to head out?” She’s not sure where exactly they need to go, but they need to get away from the main Venatori forces. Ideally soon.

“If you would excuse us for just a moment, Neve,” Emmrich says, sounding far too serious for a man who has a crush on her. “Rook, a word?”

He’s already marching off to a small alcove and all Rook can do is look at Neve and shrug. “I think I’m in trouble,” she whispers, wondering what could Emmrich possibly want to talk to her about. When they’re in the middle of a Venatori camp. “I’ll make this quick.”

 Rook follows Emmrich into the alcove. Who is already down on one knee. Which usually only means one thing for them. She takes a step closer and isn’t surprised in the slightest when he grabs her hand and pulls her into his arms.

He kisses her then, first hard and demanding, before making way for soft and slow. When they break apart, Rook palms his cheek. “What in the world was that for?”

“I just… That Venatori. I don’t like the way he said your name, Rook.”

Rook hooks her hands behind Emmrich’s neck and leans back, just a bit. This is most certainly a surprising development. She didn’t think the man had a jealous bone in his body. But maybe this isn’t jealousy, per say. Maybe it’s something else. And when they aren’t in the middle of a rescue mission, Rook will take the time to think about that.

“Would it help if I told you that the way you say my name is my favorite?”

Emmrich nods, and Rook can’t help but lean in for another quick kiss.

“And you smell absolutely lovely. No Venatori deserves that knowledge,” he says, running his fingers through her ponytail.

“I smell like dirty laundry and blood,” Rook says with a laugh. “But I did use that lavender talcum powder you gave me this morning. So maybe I don’t smell all that bad.”

Rook bites her lip as Emmrich leans in, kissing her neck, before taking an exaggerated sniff. “Don’t think I didn’t notice, darling. Like I said. Lovely.”

If only they could stay in this little alcove for the rest of the afternoon. But they can’t waste any more time as they look for the Dalish. Maybe once the Dalish are safe and this area is cleared from Venatori forces…

“One more kiss,” Rook says, before doing just that. They really need to find more time during the day for kissing. Would be good for morale. Her morale, specifically, and probably his, too.

Emmrich stands but doesn’t let go of her hand. All Rook can do is blush as he brings her fingers to his lips. He is absolutely getting laid tonight, assuming they both survive.

Rook jogs a few steps, then stops, looking over her shoulder. Emmrich is right there behind her.

She grins. “Now lets go save the day."

[lyriumheart]

i got so sick of feeling like a third wheel and hearing every other banter w lucanis and neve being some flirty horny shit, that i just. stopped putting them in the same party. that shit just got annoying.

and youre telling me THEYRE LIKE THAT EVEN IF YOURE ROMANCING ONE OF THEM?

BIOWARE THATS INSANE

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

Ranking the Veilguard companions Hookup Potential based on the kind of bed situation they have going on in the Lighthouse

(im in early act 2 so have no idea what further romance scenes are actually like, this is just jokin time without any romance spoilers. just pics of how their respective rooms in the lighthouse look and some basic characterization we know about them)

Taash: 8/10

In another game or the real world I would only rate this a 5 because they have no pillows or addition blankets. however they do have a real bedframe AND it's big enough for 2 which means the they are doing better than 90% of the rest of the Veilguard so this score gets boosted. And while there's not many blankets, there are plenty of braziers around the room to keep you warm, and Taash is probably their own miniature furnace to cuddle up to. Crucially, they also have a whole wheel of cheese next to the bed, which means you don't even have to leave the covers to get a snack after.

Lucanis: 1/10

Oh no. I'm not even going to comment on the pantry angle because everyone else asks him about that to begin with, so this is just about the bed. Unfortunately the bed is a cot made of uneven wooden planks with some blankets on top of it, and is only wide enough for 1. This is because Lucanis hates sleeping and doesn't want to do it, so the less tempting his bed is, the better for him. Unfortunately this means sleepover potential is dreadful and you will have to find alternate solutions. He does at least have another blanket to go over him and one that's presumably being used as a pillow, so, he gets a 1 instead of a 0, but I am still planning on gifting him coupons for a back massage for Satinalia.

Bellara: 4/10

This setup is perfectly fine for sleeping. It's the lighthouse standard little bed couch thing, has a mattress/cushion, is elevated off the floor, has a pillow, and she's got her blankets folded below. Perfectly serviceable for getting a good night's rest which we know Bellara is not because she forgot to sleep again. However, it's very much a one person sized setup. You might be able to cuddle for a while but if one of you unconsciously tries to roll over you are going right to the floor. Ouch.

Lace Harding: 5/10

You might be wondring "why is sleeping on the floor rated higher than bellara's" and the answer is because this means you are not rolling off the bed onto the floor. it's not going to be comfy but we are not ranking comfort here we're ranking sleepover potential. Harding has managed to make this space look homey and the canopy gives the illusion of being in a tent or canopy bed to help with that illusion. There are rugs down on the floor plus the blankets and pillows--we know Harding is used to sleeping on the ground due to her career as a scout, and I'm sure she can scrounge up more blankets to make the cushioning big enough for the both of you. Your back WILL hurt in the morning but you'll get to have a fun night first.

Neve: 3/10

Girl I know you can do better than this. Which means you're not trying to on purpose, so, live your life I guess. I will say this cot IS bounds nicer than Lucanis's--you can see its a stretched canvas or hide on a frame rather than wooden planks, so it will have a little more give. However they are not THAT much comfier which I know having slept on this modern equivalent many times. Neve also apparently has 0 pillows or blankets so you're out of luck there, as well as the problem of it only being wide enough for 1 again. This woman has too many other things going on to think about romance so your Rook is going to be the one improvising on that matter I think.

Davrin: 10/10

Now here is a man who has his life together. Double or queen size mattress, rustic bed frame he probably lovingly carved and assembled himself by hand, and not only are there sheets AND blankets AND pillows, they are are full on matching set and this knight in shining armor dutifully makes the bed every morning. There's also enough pillows for two! While the remains of a giant corpse is hanging above you all night, the spacing of the ribs still gives you lots of room above to manouver, so just don't worry about that. As a bonus you'll probably even have a baby griffon come to cuddle in the night which is such a cute thought we're going to ignore how much worse getting stepped on by a griffon foot would be than even the biggest fattest housecat trying to stand on your stomach at 4:30am. My one criticism of the setup here is that due to the bed's positioning if the person on the inside needs to get up in the night they'll have to awkwardly crawl over the person on the outside, however everyone else's bed situation is so dismal I'm not even going to subtract a point for that. Great work Davrin.

Emmrich: ???/10

Where... does this man sleep. Peepaw I KNOW you can't be sitting in that armchair all night you need your beauty rest!!! There are 0 beds or cots or floor blankets in this man's room. HOW am I supposed to break his pelvis if he has nowhere for us to lie down??? We can't risk that old man's spine on the cobblestone.

Wait... unless. No, surly not. I mean--jk. Unless...? 😳😳😳

is daddy necromancer gonna fuck me on the sacrifice slab... 😳😳😳��🥵🥵

Bonus:

Solas 11/10

does not matter where he actually slept bc once my inquisitor Gets Him again they WILL be fucking on top of the piano in front of the mural in his Yearning Room

[vigilskeep]

as a big fan of you Viago Posting I gotta ask, how do you think Viago feels/reacts to the news of Rook de Riva romancing each of the various companions? I feel like the guy would absolutely have Opinions on all of them lol

i keep receiving asks addressed like this as though i am some kind of Viago Whisperer, which i find both funny and an intimidating task. nevertheless i shall do my best.

i don’t think he would react well to any of the options here, but that’s not necessarily damning, because viago does not react well to basically anything. roughly in order from Least Viago Stress to Most Viago Stress:

1) emmrich seems, in banters with lucanis, to have been emboldened by lucanis’ confirmation that viago posssesses a rosseletto painting and gone on to actually discuss art with viago himself. (lucanis later lets emmrich know from viago that a painting he ordered for vorgoth’s benefit has come in.) emmrich is a man of culture with a very respectable necrotic damage specialisation. he comes from a politically powerful organisation that can defend itself, yet is not personally ambitious in a way likely to drag house de riva into trouble or use rook for his own ends. sure i think viago would make a little fuss about the age gap because he’s judgemental like that but i don’t think there would be much passion behind it

2) bellara’s bubbling questions and excitable nature would be personally a bit startling and maybe slightly grating to viago but i’m keeping her pretty high up because i think lucanis is right and that viago would eat up her knowledge about taste profiles for his usual Nefarious Purposes. once he realises she genuinely is asking questions about house de riva proprietary poisoning tactics for writing research, of all things, i think we can get these fantasy scientists chatting and then she’d charm him against his will.

3) taash’s general bluntness would startle viago even more. their interactions would be pretty hysterical, because taash is so straightforward and viago is so paranoid, and i think viago would leave all of them confused and slightly intimidated. if you send taash with the crows in the final battle, they and teia have a cute interaction about taash getting honorary crow rights, as a conclusion to lucanis and taash’s banters. so this has Teia Approval, which causes viago grumbling but does have a positive viago effect overall. the lords of fortune are friendly with the crows so i don’t think there are major occupational objections here

4) harding is an inquisition agent, which i think viago probably has both condescending and paranoid opinions about. i.e., the inquisition are a small band of fading influence but they also have a history of insane power grabs out of nowhere. neither of which are exactly what you want your protege to marry into. her inability to cook suggests very little skillset bonding. she’s an ordinary farm girl from ferelden and viago’s an antivan elitist so no discussion of their relative backgrounds is going to go very well. HOWEVER, there are saving graces here. she’s a rogue, which is the viago equivalent of dating someone who’s made good career choices. they briefly worked together in the comics with no issues and happily shook hands at the end. he would find her powers conceptually interesting. she’s the type of person to make an effort with in-laws. (hysterical image of her somehow getting viago to her ma’s house for a family gathering. his spindly legs not fitting under the dwarven table. him testing the world’s most earnest fereldan soup for poison. endless potential here.)

5) neve is a detective. viago is a poisoner and rook is his assassin. these are not particularly compatible life paths and i believe viago would point this out with increasing volume as nobody else seems to take issue with it. her canonical willingness to work with the crows would mollify him a bit. every other aspect of her life would not. maybe avoid her mentioning that she lives in a dock town apartment and makes no money because she’s too busy picking fights against impossible odds out of the goodness of her heart? like just don’t bring that up over dinner.

6) davrin made life choices against his own clan’s wishes, greatly approves when you knock his boss out cold, and has zero respect for the crows. davrin does not want viago’s approval. davrin cannot even pretend to want viago’s approval. viago thinks he has the right to be insulted. let alone the insult of his protege ending up with someone with the zero lifetime prospects of a grey warden monster hunter. does rook even know what happened the last time a crow lost their head over a warden? perhaps rook would like the crows to bury as many fifth talons as they did eighth talons! <- said in increasingly hysterical tones, as teia pats him on the back comfortingly while giving rook a thumbs up for picking out a handsome one

7) viago’s fairly sure you’re publicly dating the first talon because you want him personally in an early grave

[flowersforthemachines]

Some facts about Bellara (and also the Veil Jumpers, and other random Elven things) gathered from the banters

I went through all companion banters on DanaDuchy's channel after playing the game to write down all facts about companions/the world that I haven't seen brought up anywhere in the game as a writing reference (and for funsies).

Note: This list may not be exhaustive. I might have missed some something or didn't write it down because I considered it common knowledge. If you have anything to add, please DM me or send an ask! (do specify what banter the information is coming from, though)

Note 2: Posts from this series (mostly) don't include information from banters specific to quests or between companions and faction members. I plan to do another playthrough to capture more of those and will add any relevant info to the character posts.

Other characters' posts: Davrin, Harding, Lucanis, Emmrich, Neve, Taash. I'm also planning a post about just the Lighthouse some time later

About Bellara

Family and past:

Bellara’s mother is a woodworker who sells furniture in Orlais, and her father is an herbalist. He taught her about deadly plants (for her own safety)

Bellara didn’t tell her parents about Cyrian’s (second) death

Bellara once broke both of her arms while racing an Aravel 

Bellara learnt magic from her Keeper and later the Veil Jumpers, but she also studied a lot on her own by reading books and just trying things out

When she was little, Bellara wondered what it’s like to settle down instead of moving all the time (just like Davrin did) 

General:

Bellara can better focus on writing when she has background noise (like Rook talking)

Bellara likes tea (but can also drink coffee after she pulls an all-nighter, which seems to happen pretty often)

Bellara liked Lucanis’s grilled fish

Bellara didn’t know any Qunari recipes before joining the Veilguard

Bellara wouldn’t want to be an assassin, but she would be interested in taking lessons from Crows about assassination techniques

Bellara thinks that most people in Tevinter are condescending, even the nice ones 

Magic and life with the Veil Jumpers: 

Bellara once found an artifact that was basically an ancient elven mechanical toothbrush 

Bellara is a Veil Jumper because Arlathan is her home, and she can’t stand by and do nothing. Also, because of the artefacts

Part of the reason why Irelin and Bellara broke up is that Bellara became too consumed by studying/fixing artefacts 

Bellara and Davrin agree that the Veil Jumpers’ odds are even worse than the Wardens’

Bellara thinks that the ancient Elven magic feels cold

Bellara didn’t find anything on the Devouring Storm in the libraries or Circles. Vorgoth and Myrna never heard of it either 

Life at the Lighthouse: 

Bellara owns a bronze candleholder shaped like a fennec

Bellara thinks that the Fade in the Lighthouse is almost too calm compared to Arlathan

Bellara likes her space in the Lighthouse and feels like “it's been waiting for her”

The Archive sometimes stares at people who come by

Bellara eventually suggests that she and Lucanis completely take over the cooking. Everybody except for Harding dreaded any meal not cooked by them anyway and gleefully agreed

Antoine let Bellara borrow his compound for flaming arrows to see how it reacts in the Fade (she doesn’t speak about the results, but she used at least one compound for testing without incidents and later wants to borrow more) 

Relationships with companions: 

Bellara offers Davrin to listen about his findings regarding the Gloom Howler as he searches for the missing griffons, saying she's a good listener

Bellara asks Neve if she can become a Shadow Dragon and is very excited when she hears “Yes”

However, when Emmrich offers her to join the Mourn Watch, she turns him down saying that the Veil Jumpers need her. 

A writing inconsistency. Probably. 

Neve once saw Bellara poking around Assan, trying to figure out if he was real or some clever mechanical contraption 

Bellara wants to make pillows out of Assan’s molted feathers (but Davrin refuses because he finds it weird)

Bellara made dog biscuits for Assan (that Davrin accidentally ate the first time). The next time she brought a batch, she left them in a box labelled “Assan biscuits inside, do not eat.” Assan liked them!

Bellara once covered Assan in olive oil thinking it could improve his wind resistance and let him fly faster. Didn’t work. 

Bellara offers Emmrich to co-author a paper about ancient elves after they find out elves came from spirits

Bellara asks Emmrich about vampires multiple times. According to him, when a Hunger Demon possesses a corpse, the resulting abomination can seek out blood, sort of resembling a vampire. They can't turn into bats though

According to Neve, some magisters in Minrathous have tried bonding with Hunger Demons which resulted in them having immense power but also a craving for blood 

Bellara and Harding swap books for reading

Bellara gets into lifting using Harding's rocks

Bellara doesn’t think she needs to threaten Lucanis when she finds out he and Neve are dating because Neve could wipe the floor with him herself if she wanted (Lucanis agrees) 

Bellara is fine with Lucanis taking on Ghilan’nain’s contract (“Whatever we were worshipping, it wasn’t her") and cheered him on at Weisshaupt

Bellara asks Neve to beta-read her story

(If Neve and Rook are in romance) Bellara thinks that solving cases together is romantic

(If Neve leaves after Rook chooses to save Treviso) Bellara kept notes of everything that happened while Neve was away to help her adjust after she’s back

About the Veil Jumpers:

Bellara mentioned that a certain elf camped in some ruins, and one day woke up stuck in the clouds. The Veil Jumpers haven’t figured out a way to get them down, so they just send them food and water

Veil Jumpers use some of the artefacts they have recovered as weapons. However, they don’t use them often, since most of them need to be charged after one use, and nobody really knows how to do that 

Veil Jumpers eat whatever Arlathan Forest provides

Though Bellara also mentions she doesn’t forage in the forest anymore. Strife does, however, he always finds something edible

It’s hard to say how many Veil Jumpers are out there because people die/go missing/leave too often to keep a proper count

The Veil Jumpers once found an artefact that caused whoever activated it to get sucked into the Fade. One guy got trapped inside because he used it even if the others told him not to. Bellara is weirdly nonchalant about that whole thing

The Veil Jumpers once found something like an entrance to the Deep Roads on the Southern Edge of Arlathan Forest. The group that found it sealed themselves inside and destroyed the entrance, leaving a note telling the others not to enter. Davrin hypothesises it could be one of the pools similar to the one we saw in the Horrors of Hormak

Ritsivas from the Veil Jupmers is non-binary (mentioned by Harding in a conversation with Taash)  

Misc:

The power crystals are called “June'suledin'bellanaris'ena'ghilan'lasa'shiral”. You may infer the reasons everybody just calls them 'power crystals'

Not all traps in Elven ruins were originally meant to be traps, but their magic is old, so it doesn’t recognise modern people and can backfire. And sometimes magic just degrades over time and accidentally rips the Veil, summoning demons

Andruil’s Gauntlet is an ancient site meant to test hunters who want to wield the mightiest weapons. It’s filled with traps, and no one has made through it in ages. It was made by Andruil’s priests to test the warriors of Elvhenan 

Clans Nuvenis and Sabrae live in Ferelden. Harding’s village traded with the Sabrae in the past

[felassan]

Snippets. 🐺💜 DA:TV spoilers under cut.

Kala has heard rumors that there may be merch pins coming of Assan and Manfred [source]

(Previous comment for context - Dev Brenon: "You can sprint, there is also a dash/dodge move you can do for short range mobility - though I don't tend to use that much when exploring.") A user asked on this, "Will it be a push-to-sprint key, a sprint toggle, or other (to be explained later)?". Brenon replied with some more detail on this feature: "Right now it's a pseudo-toggle, you press it once (while moving) to start sprinting and then as long as you keep moving you keep sprinting. If you let got of the movement controls, you stop sprinting." [source: the official BioWare Discord]

User: "if a choice i made 30 hours ago affects me.. best believe im restarting the whole game". Brenon: "Uh oh''. User: "UH OH???". Brenon: "I mean... we do have "decision saves" before big choice moments, but there are still a bunch that depend on a whole mess of stuff you've done earlier... so... yeah... RIP :P" [source: the official BioWare Discord]

They hope to get a bunch more BioWare-themed emojis for the Discord [source: the official BioWare Discord]

Trick Weekes has been signing DA:TV stuff with "with love and appreciation for your patience" [source]

Carly: "theres so much id love to say, but i unfortunately can't , that being said, i hear y'all and love working on a game for such passionate people and hope y'all enjoy when it does come out 💕" [source]

Actor signing attendees report that it was amazing and that we're in good hands with this acting cast. You can see more photos from it here [source].

Dev signing attendees report that it was packed. You can see another photo from it here [source]. and here is a photo of the sign from it [source]

Another photo of the booth [source]. Sometimes at the booth the devs had a Solas statue [source] (this is done by Dark Horse). I think Dark were also displaying somewhere a Varric and a Cassandra statue too, and I think these were the ones that Dark Horse do too (Varric, Cass), but I can't find the image or video where I originally saw this anymore, sorry >.<

The companion tarot-style art from the website was shown on the big screen at the acting panel [source]

A few more details from the actor panel, from an attendee: John Epler said that this is the best group of companions written because of their relationships with each other, not just Rook. They can become friends, lovers, rivals with each other. Zach thought that Lucanis was the coolest character he gets to play. It sounds like he mentioned Illario [I'm assuming] by name. Lucanis is quick-witted. Neve is a bit of a romantic. Jessica found voice acting freeing as it felt like playing pretend when she was little. In her role, she felt like she could embrace being very powerful. Neve is passionate. On Emmrich, "wisdom, calm to group, warm-hearted, loves learning". Emmrich has some fantastic lines. Along with working with Varric to track down Solas, Harding has also been working with Rook and Neve. Ali talked a lot about how much collaboration there is between BioWare, the actors and the material they're given to work with. Harding has been through some things and has more of an edge to her, but they can't talk about it! [source]

A few more details from the actor panel, from an attendee - Jessica Clark: "A lot of the time, we kind've really all bonded in the way that we were intended to, you know? And that's why we've been so excited all week and all weekend, because we can be like 'oh my god you're here', 'oh my god you're here, you're here, you're here', finally, you know? You know, I know on a lot of projects people are like 'oh yeah, we're all like, we love each other', but we really do, we really really do, and it just evolved so organically, and there was something magical about it just being our voices in the beginning, you know, like, sort've taking anything else out of the [equation.]" [source]

A few more details from the actor panel, from an attendee - Nick Boraine: "I think I've been preparing for Emmrich all my life. I was very attracted to the role initially, and I was so, I was so, I was overjoyed when I got it, because I think it was, the writing of Emmrich is really fascinating, it's this, this man that is obsessed with death, on one hand, but on death as a comfort, death as a transition, death as something that is not scary, and that, that ability to enable people to transition and the investment that he gives in that sphere, which we don't give in our own lives. I was immediately attracted to that and I thought that that was, I'd never seen that before, so to go in these two ways, to talk about death and to talk about it in a way that is kind, and that the transition becomes a kind transition, that was fascinating to me, and I think, will be fascinating to you too." [source]

A few more details from the actor panel, from an attendee - Zach Mendez: "[before they started shooting] I did kinda get an idea about how passionate the fanbase was, which made me really excited. I don't wanna say nervous, because I don't say I'm nervous, I say I'm excited. And so, before the first day of shoot, I was very excited. And luckily, you know, Ashley and them, didn't have me do too much on the first day. I played a lot of darkspawn. I darkspawn-ed my ass off, though. I want you guys to know, I really. And when I got home, I thought to myself, 'Zach, did you darkspawn hard enough?' I was just worried. You know, and within an hour I got texts from Jeff, who's a part of this cast as well, and G, telling me what a great job I did, and then I'll never forget, I got a call from Ali Hillis down here, and I'll remember that conversation, because for thirty minutes she made me feel like I was welcome in the Dragon Age family, and it gave me so much confidence moving forwards. So thank you, Ali, so much, I still remember that." [source]

[Character limit text break!]

Varric and Manfred: "not romanceable" [source] ?

Neve mostly eats deep-fried fish [source], it makes up the bulk of her diet [source]

Bellara loves pan-fried fish [source]

John on SDCC: "thank you to everyone who came out to the signing. thank you to everyone who came out to the panel. thank you to everyone who said hi, swung by the booth, or otherwise expressed how excited you were about the game. absolutely amazing experience. was wonderful to see you all" [source]

There's a lot of lovely concept art for DA:TV [source]

Trick Weekes: "One of the things I was proudest of was inviting leads from other teams/departments into writing peer reviews and having them later say, "Wow, those critiques went deep, but everyone stayed professional and compassionate the whole time." My junior-most writer knew she could tell me I was wrong." [source]

Violet: "As we get closer to DATV, I just want to send out a reminder Var lath vir suledin 😭" [source]

Derek on the casting department: "They really did an incredible job! Every single one of these folks deliver such amazing performances." [source]

Derek: "a lot of great talent doing awesome stuff from KY nowadays. I count myself extremely lucky that I can work on such an amazing project with such a wonderful team straight from my home state!" [source]

Michael Gamble: "i know a few people on the DA team, and i want them to have a nice time." [source]

User, on the recent word count news: "Sooooo , when will I (we) get to hear all these words". Michael: "hopefully when the game is out." [source]

User, on the news of no microtransactions: "This is great news that I hope survives past the review period". Michael: "it will" [source]

User: "What class have you been playing as in DAV mostly?" Michael: "mage. i light everything up. everything." [source]

DAMP / multiplayer mode is not returning [source]

Ghil: "Im very sorry for the teasing tweet but to be very real, i really miss playing veilguard and to stop THERE and have to wait over a year is killing me tbh. Im bothered. My crops are dying. I am withering. I want to know what happens" [source]

A user asked a question around if there are dialogue options and choices available in the game that indicate a mixed or less favorable positive perspective on Solas. Bria, a Councilmember, shared: "As an Egg Cracker, I was pretty satisfied with what we saw. I don’t want to go into spoilers but I was able to play my Rook the way I wanted when it came to the Sad Egg Man." [source]

User: "would you be able to tell us if you can change your perspective while in a fight? Those circles we saw on the video were kind of hard to see from that angle". Ghil: "Like a bit- no promises but they told us a lot of stuff like that would be in an accessibility feature. I get pretty motion sick so I remember talking about backing it up a bit." [source]

Kala: "The amount of gasping, screaming, @/ElbenherzArt having to lay on the floor, @/hattedhedgehog and @/chaosbria having to stand up from excitement and us just being in shock the whole time. Yeah 🔟 😎" [source]

Kala shared that there are moments in the game that she knows people will freak out about [source], that in terms of marketing, she knows that the devs have more things planned [source], and that she found Bellara endearing, despite not usually vibing with optimistic and energetic characters [source]

Kala shared that she feels that the Lighthouse is way cooler than Skyhold [source]

Also, in early May 2024 Zach appeared on a podcast:

Zach: "I'm very excited because it looks like at the end of this year, the video game that I've been working on for about three or so years is gonna come out, and I'm really excited for that. I'm gonna come back on and I'm gonna promote that, you guys, you will have no choice, I'm coming back on." Host: "Does the video game feature dicks?" Zach: "I can't say too much about it, but it, it doesn't ignore dicks, you know what I mean? It doesn't, you know what, there might be, yeah, there's, it's a sexy video game, it's a hot video game." Host: "So are you a character?" Zach: "I'm a character in the video game." --- Zach: "I'm gonna come back on to promote the hell out of that, because I'm really excited about that. I'm still working on that, and that's been, like, I'm super grateful for that, because that's been going on for like three years and it's been consistent work." --- Zach: "I'm super excited about it [...]" "Other people help you make really amazing things, when humans get together they make pretty stuff, and this game looks amazing"

[source (acting career segment. source link isn't work-appropriate. I don't recommend the podcast)]

[notebooks-and-laptops]

One of my big issues with Veilguard actually comes down to how In Your Face the UI is.

It's incredibly immersion breaking when I compare it to any other game I've loved. The UI is there to tell you not only which dialogue choices Matter with a capital M (which imo really cheapens the Harding vs. Davrin, Neve vs. Bellara choices towards the end) but also to pat itself on the back whenever a decision you made previously is affecting the storyline. It's constantly in the corner telling me how Lucanis will remember I like chocolate rather than just letting me find out in a future dialogue that Lucanis bought me some.

It's also just definitely a shortcut sometimes. It would pop up and tell me things where happening when those things weren't. When it said 'Neve will fight hard for the city' towards the end of her quest I was like...oh shit is she gonna die? But she just. Fights a normal battle. She doesn't even get hurt! I wouldn't have known that was supposed to be a consequence if it hadn't told me which is baaaaad writing.

And the way it makes the companion quests feel like chores...I've spoken about this before but it's like. Inquisition changed the tarot cards themselves when you'd completed a companion quest/romanced someone and that felt like a nice compromise but Veilguard is out there putting a special little symbol on people and giving them brand new armour and it all feels a little too much like finish this task so we can defeat the gods rather than explore this characters story because they're a companion and they're interesting.

I got so excited when I found out hardening mechanics were in this game but they're really just there for show. Nothing demonstrably seems to change between hardened Neve and unhardened Neve in the long run, it's just a change to how she functions in the party.

Idk I think it's a very tell don't show game because of the UI.

[fanfoolishness]

Determination

Liesl Ingellvar attempts to figure out the puzzle that is Lucanis... with a little help. Set immediately after the almost-kiss. Rook x Lucanis, girl talk with Bellara, honesty and romance and adult conversations and fluff, 2223 words.

-

Liesl slumped down on Bellara’s cot, burying her face in her hands. “I’ve really messed things up.”

”No! I don’t think so,” said Bellara. “Start from the beginning!” She leaned forward, deeply intrigued, clearly as riveted as if it was one of her serials.

Liesl took a deep breath, trying to get it straight. It had only happened an hour ago. How did it seem like so much to remember? She thought back to Nevarra and to working through tricky spirit problems, one step at a time, finding the solution. She felt herself growing calmer. She was patient. She could figure this out. 

But it would probably be a little easier with a friend to be a sounding board.

”Spite had taken control of him again,” Liesl began. “He wanted to talk to me, and he was even more agitated than usual.” It always saddened her, seeing how Spite flailed and struggled in Lucanis’ body, how roughly Lucanis was forced to wrest back control. “It’s so unfair, Bellara. They’re both so miserable like that.”

“I know, Rook. It’s a terrible thing that was done to them,” Bellara said, shaking her head. “Did Spite do something? What happened next?”

“No. I waited for Spite to settle down. I knew Lucanis would want to know that he’d been safe, that he hadn’t hurt anything while he was sleepwalking.” She sighed, remembering the shame in his eyes; no matter how many times they contained Spite, Lucanis always came back to himself with that same expression. “He told me he was sorry, that he hadn’t wanted me to see him that way again.”

Bellara rested her chin on her hand, thinking. “Well, it’s not great that Spite was taking control, but it seems positive that Lucanis cares about what you think, right? Because he does. I mean, that’s been obvious for weeks. Neve and I called it ages ago!”

Liesl felt her cheeks warm, a faint smile raising her lips. “I thought so too.” So she hadn’t been imagining things these past several weeks, the way he so often turned to see her reaction to things. He weighed everyone’s words and actions carefully, an extension perhaps of his assassin’s training, discerning every detail in case it came in use later -- but he always seemed to linger on hers most of all.

“I told him I didn’t mind. And I don’t. I worry for both of them, but that’s different than it being a non-starter,” Liesl said earnestly. “You know how I feel about spirits. In the Watch we see all kinds of existences on mortal and immortal planes. I can see many ways both of them can heal.” She paused for a moment, giving Bellara a sheepish look. “I suppose it’s naive of me.”

Bellara waved a hand. “I’ve had my share of exes with… interesting issues,” she chuckled. “I get it. We all have baggage. His just glows more than most people’s.”

Liesl laughed, feeling a little better. “Very glowy indeed.” She leaned back on the cot, folding her legs up underneath her and holding out her hands to gesture. ��All right. So I may have flirted a bit when I told him I didn’t mind everything with Spite, and he said ‘you deserve more than to deal with my mess.’”

“Aww!” Bellara said. “Was he trying to do the noble push you away because he’s too broody thing?”

“The very same,” Liesl said. “And it wasn’t a line like in a romance. He truly meant it.”

“How could you tell?”

“He’s a terrible liar.” She stopped. Her own words struck her like a blow. He’s a terrible liar.

What had those bedroom eyes, that lean against the wall, that almost kiss been but -- but a lie? An act?

Her mind whirled. “I’ve just realized something.”

“What?”

“I thought he was going to kiss me back there. He was suddenly so suave, so seductive -- it was absolutely fiery, I won’t lie, and I was so ready to take him up on it -- but -- that’s not him, Bel.” She let out a long breath. “He tried. And he couldn’t. And that’s when he backed off, said he had to clear his head, and he practically ran out of there. I saw him up on the steps outside, just… looking out at the Fade. Like he didn’t know what to do with himself.” She chewed on her lower lip, concerned for him. “I think maybe it wasn’t my fault. Maybe he scared himself. He was doing something he didn’t fully believe in.”

Bellara leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest and considering one of the many whirling enchantments dangling overhead. “I think you’re onto something.”

Liesl cracked a smile. “Now you sound like Neve.”

“Ooh, really? Thanks, Rook!” she laughed. “But let’s take it rationally. Have we ever heard Lucanis talk about a lover? Or a fling? Or… anyone, really, that way?”

“No. Everything has been the Crows, or the Ossuary, or family, or cooking. Or wyverns. He is very into wyverns,” Liesl said. “It’s… very cute, actually. I don’t know when I’m going to tell him where I got my scars.”

“You haven’t told him about the possessed wyvern of the Silent Plains? Shit, I remember hearing about that at the last Arlathven!” Bellara said in disbelief. “I mean, I didn’t know I’d meet you someday! But Clan Meridwhen thought you were amazing. We all heard the stories of the Dalish Mourn Watcher and the wyvern.”

“Well, really I got my ass kicked. Kind of embarrassing to know how far that story traveled!” Liesl said, reaching up to rub at one of the wide scars crossing her face. Even years later, the texture of her skin felt different, both thinner and more leathery than the rest of the cheek surrounding it. She shook her head, chuckling. “But anyway. No, I’ve never heard Lucanis talk like that about anyone. Even Illario hasn’t mentioned anything. I had assumed he was simply very private about such things.”

“Or maybe he’s never really had the chance,” Bellara said. “It sounds like his life was plotted out from day one. Maybe he never had the time, or the interest. And now he does, with Spite and the gods and everything going on --”

“And he doesn’t know where to begin.” She nodded to herself. The thought felt right. She’d gone backwards and forwards over what she’d said to him, and hadn’t been able to find where she could have scared him off. But she’d seen how harshly he judged himself in everything. Maybe this was like that, too. 

“You have a wild look in your eye, Rook,” Bellara said.

“Call it… determination.”

---

She thought she might have to search all over the Lighthouse for him. He wasn’t in the kitchen or his little pantry room, nor up the stairs, hiding out on his own. He wasn’t in the courtyard or in the meeting room. She thought of going round to everyone’s rooms until she found him, but she’d already pulled Bellara into this as her confidante, and she didn’t need everyone giggling about them. She decided to head back to her quarters for now, but to look for him after dinner. No matter what, they would figure this out today. Whether it was what she hoped for or the alternative, they needed to settle this, and she would see it done.

Except he was already there in her room, sitting on the settee, the line of his shoulders stiff and awkward and uncomfortable. He did not turn to look at her, although she cleared her throat as she entered. She sniffed the air, her heart thumping.

Cioccalata calda.

She sat down beside him, the silence stretching. He stared across the way at the Antivan coffee maker she had hauled in and set up with his help. Two cups sat before him, one empty with just the dregs of black coffee remaining, the other full. She reached out to touch her cup. Cold. 

She channeled a little fire between her fingertips, and the cioccalata calda steamed for her, its scent rich and full once more. She took the cup into her hands and took a careful sip, blowing on it first. It was delicious, even better than it had been at his favorite cafe.

“It’s wonderful,” she said, breaking the silence and turning to face him.

Lucanis tried to smile, but it was as if his mouth didn’t quite work. It was as stiff as his shoulders. “I am sorry it got cold. I did not get the timing right, it seems.”

“It’s all right,” Liesl said. “See? Good as new.” She took another sip, relishing the deep chocolate flavor, the warmth it built in her chest. Her leg shivered slightly with nerves, and she set the cup down before she could accidentally jitter it. “Lucanis --”

“Forgive me, Rook,” he said, ducking his head.

“For what?” she asked softly. “For flirting? For things… heating up? Or for stepping aside?”

“All of it,” he said miserably, still looking away from her.

She reached out to touch him, but hesitated, remembering how he’d stiffened when she brushed her finger against his chest. She’d thought then he was simply excited, but now she wasn’t so sure. She stopped, her hand hovering above his arm. “Is it all right if -- if I touch you?”

Lucanis turned back to her, eyes wide with a mixture of trepidation and want. “I… think I want you to. But I don’t know. And it is killing me.”

She let her hand fall back to her lap, despite how much she wanted to lay it along his arm. “What do you want, truly? I care about you, Lucanis. As a friend. As a member of this team. And as something more.” She gave him a crooked smile. “I’d like to��� explore that with you. But if you’d rather we stay -- teammates -- I can do that.” The thought made her stomach sink, but if he didn’t want this, she needed to know. “I don’t want you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

“I care about you, Rook,” he said, his dark brown eyes as earnest as ever. “I do. Even if I do not know how to show it.” He closed his eyes, rubbing at his face with one hand. “All of this is… new to me. You should be with someone who knows how --”

“Shh,” Liesl said. “You do show it.” She glanced down at her cup, the steam still wafting the sweet scent of chocolate. “Maybe we show it in different ways. Or on different schedules. But I’d like to figure it out with you.”

He smiled, disbelieving. “Could you really be that patient?”

Relief flooded through her. He did want this, and if he needed things on different terms or a different pace, she could do that. She could do it in spades. 

“Lucanis, I’m a Mourn Watcher. Some of our rituals take months to do properly. I can be patient, when it’s worth it.” She picked up the cup of cioccalata calda again and finished it, sighing contentedly. “Do you understand?”

He tilted his head, regarding her with that soft look she was starting to realize he only wore for her. “You are certainly worth it.”

“Right back at you. Believe it or not.”

He laughed then, a real and solid laugh, the sort that made his eyes crinkle and her knees go weak. “There you go again.”

“Parting the clouds of doom?” she asked playfully.

“It is your specialty. One I can hardly believe I deserve.” He smiled again. “I have kept you long enough. I should go.” He reached out to take the empty cup from her hand, cupping one hand around its outer edge. Then he reached up with his other hand, laying it haltingly over her own. 

He was trembling. So was she, if she was to be honest. She looked into his face, checking for the confident mask he’d tried to wear earlier, for a sign that this wasn’t really what he wanted. But his face was open and trusting, raw and vulnerable in a way she could scarcely bear. She swallowed, drinking in the moment.

His hand was warm, callused, strong against hers. His thumb shyly caressed the back of her hand, stroking soft arcs across her skin. One breath, two, three. She ached for more, and yet was wholly satisfied with this moment, with him.

He nodded, then carefully took the cup from her hand, breaking the connection. She let out a long, slow breath and was gratified to see him do the same.

Lucanis reached out with his other hand, taking his empty coffee cup and getting to his feet. He gazed down at her. “I like your plan.”

“Which plan is that?” Liesl asked, leaning back. She beamed at him.

“To figure this out… Together,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.

“Ah,” Liesl said. “Yes. That.” She held his gaze for a moment longer, her giddy grin going suddenly shy.

“Thank you, Rook.” He turned and walked away, a clear lightness in his step.

Liesl sank back onto the settee, closing her eyes, picturing Lucanis’s deep brown eyes, the touch of his hand, the warmth of his smile. 

Ah. That had gone rather well.

She couldn’t wait to tell Bellara.

[mosoderbergh]

Emmrich's personality is just a venus fly trap for emotionally repressed Rooks.

Emmrich has anxiety about death and is not as used to fights as the others. With Neve, Lucanis, Davrin, even Bellara, if no one is actively on the floor after a fight, everyone assumes it’s all fine. Not Emmrich, though. On their first outing together after their meeting at the Necropolis, Rook tries to dodge a blow but stumbles directly into a blast of magic that sends them tumbling. It doesn’t phase them, they’re back on their feet in a moment and have forgotten the incident by the time the fight is over. But then, Emmrich is suddenly all over them.

“A moment please, Lucanis! Rook, you should sit down. Here.” He guides them to a nearby crate by their elbow, leaning over to study their face, his expression earnestly worried. Meanwhile Rook has no idea what’s happening. “Are you in any pain? You should really have some water. Lucanis, did I see you pack some fruit earlier? If you’re bleeding, I could-” 

It takes Rook a moment to realise why Emmrich is stopping them at all, and a good few minutes more to convince him that no, they can’t be taking breaks every time someone falls on their ass. Emmrich stares at them, wide-eyed. It’s when Rook first notices his eyes are hazel. “But you hurt yourself!”

Rook finds this incredibly endearing. Nobody, not even their friends, have ever made a fuss about them like this. And Emmrich doesn’t just do it to Rook, of course. After the first few times, he makes an effort to tone it down, but he still makes the rounds after every fight. The harder Rook falls for him, the harder it gets to not look forward to those little moments when he appears at their side. “Are you sure you’re all right?” Or “I could take a look at that hand, if you’re in any pain.” And the others notice that Emmrich seems to pay more attention to Rook than anyone else after a while. Hell, Rook notices it too, but they tell themselves they must just be imagining it.

Rook is *going through it* pre-romance. Because I imagine it’s maddening to be around Emmrich every day when you’re not sure he likes you back. He’s effortlessly kind, dizzyingly suave, committed to his craft, naturally enthusiastic… It’s a combination of attributes that would be very confusing to be around if you’re attracted to him. And because they are basically colleagues in their god-killing endeavour, I’m just imagining Rook with the worst work crush in the history of work crushes.

[himluv]

Combustible

Here's another chapter of Say My Name (Say it Twice), in which Lucanis makes stew, and Bellara gets suspicious.

Lucanis leaned against the butcher’s block in the kitchen, sipping a cup of coffee while stew simmered on the stove. It’d been a long day of tending to the dish, tasting it a various stages, adjusting the herbs and spices until he got it just right. Or, at least, what he hoped would be right. He wouldn’t know until Rook took a bite. 

She’d been out all day, in Minrathous with Neve. He was glad the woman had returned to the Lighthouse – the place had felt wrong without her. Like a piece of their home was missing. But even with Neve back, things were tense and Rook was eager to prove that she still cared about Dock Town. And while Lucanis knew she did, convincing Neve of her sincerity was going to be an uphill battle. 

Things were shaky for everyone in the Lighthouse at the moment. A nice, hearty dish might be just what they all needed. He stirred the stew, and checked on the squash roasting in the oven for Emmrich, then started on the mashed potatoes. It wouldn’t be much longer now. 

Spite inhaled, his face directly over the stew. Meat. For Rook.

“Yes,” he said. There was more than meat in that pot, but he hardly expected the demon to identify every herb and vegetable in just one sniff. Though… Spite hadn’t mentioned the wine. Should he add another splash?

Make Rook. Happy?

“I hope so.”

Spite growled, but it sounded more pensive than upset. No! Have other reasons. Spite leered at him, the steam from the pot rising up through his visage in a very disconcerting way. Pleasure for pleasure.

Mierda. It was bad enough that he couldn’t escape his own thoughts, but having a demon poke and prod at them, too? Torture. Especially when those thoughts were as unexpected and confusing as his for Rook had been lately. 

Want. Rook. It wasn’t a question anymore – they both knew better than that. But it seemed Spite didn’t understand what it meant to want someone. Which, Lucanis thought was reasonable, seeing as he barely understood it himself. 

He had never felt like this before. Even with Viago he had never reached this level of… interest. Lucanis had been enamored with the man, wanted to spend time with him to get to know him better. But he had never thought about the Fifth Talon so… viscerally. 

Rook was in his head constantly. He wanted to know everything about her, wanted to listen to her talk about anything and everything. He wanted to make her delicious foods she would never make for herself and drink coffee with her by the fire. He imagined nights spent knitting while she read a book to him. And when she reached one of the spicier scenes in one of his romance novels, he imagined they would set the book aside and find out what it was like for themselves. 

He felt foolish when he caught himself fantasizing about Rook. Like a lovestruck teen, hormone-addled and impulsive. But he couldn’t keep his thoughts from treading the same, sensual paths night after night. 

Maker, was this what most people felt like all the time? Just… undiluted desire pumping through their veins because someone was pretty to look at? How did anyone accomplish anything?

Lucanis shook his head and added more salt to the potatoes. Potatoes always needed more salt than one might expect. A little milk, some cheese, and coarse-ground pepper would finish them nicely. 

The door to the dining hall opened, and Lucanis froze at the surge of anticipation and nerves that rolled through him. But, it was only Bellara. 

“Wow, Lucanis,” she said as she reached the kitchen. “That smells amazing!”

“Thank you,” he said. 

She leaned over the stove, oblivious to Spite still standing there, so she too could sniff at the stew. “Some sort of venison stew?” She looked around and noticed the potatoes and cheese.

“Yes,” he said. “I thought something hearty might be appreciated.”

She leaned against the butcher block and crossed her arms. “Uh-huh,” she said. She didn’t sound very convinced of his motivations. She watched him for a moment, waited for him to dip his spoon into the stew and taste the gravy. 

Then she said, “you know, I’m pretty sure I remember Rook talking about a dish exactly like this. From her days in the Alienage.”

For a split-second, Lucanis froze with the spoon in his mouth. Then he turned his back to Bellara and set the spoon aside. “Can you hand me that wine?” He gestured vaguely toward her, and waited with his hand outstretched until the bottle met his palm. “Thank you.”

He added a healthy pour and a dash more pepper, then stirred the stew one more time. It would need another ten to twenty minutes to reduce and cook out the alcohol, then dinner would be done. With a sigh, he turned to face Bellara.

“What’s going on with you and Rook?” She asked.

He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Nothing.”

“Really?” She squinted at him. “Because you two sure are together a lot.”

He snorted at that. “Not any more than she is with anyone else here.”

“You may never sleep,” she said. “But I also barely sleep and I see Rook come in here in the middle of the night.”

Lucanis pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s not–”

“And now you’re making meals just for her?”

“There’s enough for everyone,” he said. “And there’s squash for Emmrich in the oven.”

Bellara scowled at him. “You know what I mean!” Then she looked away from him, her expression softening into something sad. “This isn’t letting her down gently, Lucanis.”

Oh. In all that had happened in these past weeks, he’d completely forgotten about their conversation after he’d taken Rook to Café Pietra. Bellara had warned him that Rook’s heart might still be tender, that he should turn down her flirtations gently, if he could. He’d thought little of it, because he hadn’t expected to return them at all. 

And here he was, cooking her favorite meal and fantasizing about making love in front of the fireplace.

Selfish, Spite breathed at his ear. 

“Mierda.” He shook his head, chiding himself for the fool he was. “Bellara,” he said, voice gentle. “This isn’t one of your serials, or one of my romance novels.”

That got a little smile from her, even as she rolled her eyes at him. 

“I’m not making any overtures–”

–Liar– 

“–I’m just making dinner.”

Bellara slumped against the butcher block, her face still worried. “But, does Rook know that?”

He turned back to the stove to test the texture of the potatoes. He preferred a waxy potato, with plenty of milk or cheese to give them a creamy texture, and these ones were almost perfect. 

“Why should she suspect otherwise?” He asked, without looking at Bellara.

“Lucanis–”

The door opened as Rook and Neve walked into the dining hall. The two weren’t quite laughing, but the conversation seemed amiable enough. It seemed that Neve might not hold Rook’s decision to save Treviso against her forever, after all. The relief that swept through him at the thought surprised him. It reminded him of the many times he’d been caught between Caterina and Illario, when all he wanted was peace for his family. 

Family? Spite hissed. Neve and Rook. Family!?

Lucanis would have to think about that later. Rook was here and Bellara was already suspicious – he needed to focus. 

Rook stopped when she reached the table, face uplifted to sniff the air. Her brow furrowed and then her eyes locked onto Lucanis. “Is that…?” 

She joined him and Bellara in the kitchen and immediately stuck her face over the pot of stew, breathing deeply. Neve followed not far behind her, eyes roving over the scene. 

Rook turned to look at him, her eyes wide. “You made stew?”

He shrugged. “I tried.”

Neve leaned on the butcher block beside Bellara. “What’s the significance of stew?”

Bellara frowned at Lucanis. “Yeah. What is the significance of stew, Lucanis?”

Neve glanced between him and Bellara, noting the tension between them with a raised eyebrow. 

Rook was oblivious. She took another deep inhale over the pot and grinned. “I told Lucanis about this stew weeks ago! I used to get it in Wycome.”

Bellara stared daggers at him, while Neve tilted her head and smirked. “Is that right?” She asked. 

“I thought we’d all earned a little comfort food,” he said. 

Neve crossed her arms over her chest. “So when are you making khachapuri?”

He snorted at that. “As soon as you get me those damned cheeses.”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s fair, I guess.” She elbowed Bellara. “Come on, Bel. Let’s get the others.”

Bellara looked like she’d rather hold hands with a rage demon than leave Lucanis and Rook alone. But she couldn’t reasonably deny Neve’s invitation, so the two set off to gather their friends for dinner. Which left him alone with Rook.

“This smells amazing, Lucanis,” she said. 

He smirked. “Smell is important, but the real test is the taste.” He took out another spoon and handed it to her. She took it, her fingers brushing against his, and Lucanis gasped at the touch. He released the spoon as if it held an electrical charge. 

Rook looked up at him with wide, wondering eyes, her lips deliciously parted. Lucanis’s heart pounded in his chest. He felt flushed. Exposed. Every one of his instincts told him this was dangerous, that he needed to step back and put some space between them once again. And yet he could not look away from her. 

She took a step closer. “Lucanis…”

Mierda, the way she said his name. Low and soft and wanting. He would replay it over and over in the sleepless nights to come, the sweetest torture he’d ever known. But that was all he could allow, just the memory of his name on her tongue. 

“Rook, I–” Lucanis shook his head. 

The dining hall door opened, breaking the spell. They each jumped back, Rook blushing as she turned to grab a stack of bowls and their friends gathered around the table. Lucanis cleared his throat and distracted himself with stirring the stew. 

“Smells great, Lucanis,” Harding called. “Can I help with anything?”

“I think we’ve got it,” Rook called. Without another word, she helped Lucanis ladle the stew into each bowl, then carefully topped each one with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. The ease with which they worked, the natural way they navigated the small kitchen, made Lucanis feel flushed all over again. 

Feels like home, Spite said. 

Lucanis said nothing as they all sat down to eat, Rook at the head of the table with him to her right. He barely listened to the conversations happening around him, the laughter and the warmth making him smile – even if he didn’t know what was being said. The only thing he truly focused on was Rook. 

He watched her take that first bite. Her eyes closed, eyelids fluttering with pleasure. The spoon slid from her mouth slowly as she moaned her delight at the taste. The sound sent a jolt of heat through Lucanis and he could not help but blush. It was the most indecent sound he’d ever heard and he desperately wanted to make her do it again. 

Rook chewed, licked her lips, and when she opened her eyes she looked right into his. 

“Well?” He asked. His voice was low, meant only for her. “What do you think?”

Her eyes darted across his face, and whatever she saw there made her smirk. She tilted her head, dipped her spoon back into her bowl and took another bite. Again, her face bloomed with pleasure, and again she moaned against her spoon.

Mierda. Did she know what this did to him? Was she doing this on purpose?

When their eyes met again, the wicked glint in her gaze was answer enough. Lucanis thought he might combust there in his chair at the dining table if she kept looking at him like that. Thankfully, she was a merciful woman. 

Her expression softened, and the shimmering heat in her eyes cooled into gratitude. “This is the best stew I’ve ever had,” she said. “Thank you, Lucanis.” 

Slowly, telegraphing her intention so he could avoid it if he wanted, Rook put her hand on his forearm. Her palm was rough with the familiar callouses of dagger pommels, and warm. So, so warm. He stared down at where her hand rested on his arm and struggled to keep his breathing even. 

She squeezed once, such a gentle pressure, and then released him. “This was exactly what I needed,” she said. 

He reached for his wine glass and took several undignified swallows before he was able to look at her once more. “I’m glad you liked it,” he said, voice low and rough. Then he shot her a daring smirk of his own. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can make for you.”

Rook hummed, a pleased little sound. “I will,” she said. 

Lucanis had never looked forward to anything more in his life. 

[thelibrarian1895]

Lighthouse dialogue

Since they refused to give us a dialogue wheel that we could go through with our companions, or a repeatable romantic interaction scene with at least one or more of the romance options, you know what could have been cute?

After you lock into a romance, do you know what could have been adorable?

Overhearing your love interest talking to the companion who's from the same faction and asking them about courting traditions in Nevarra or Rivain or among the Dalish or the Wardens or whatever.

Imagine your character running around the lighthouse and stopping just within earshot, but not within sight, of Emmrich talking to Neve and you hear him ask Neve about Tevinter courtship traditions.

Imagine overhearing Lucanis asking Emmrich not about help with Spite but about any sort of gifts that a Watcher would find romantic and if a certain Watcher might like particular qualities in a knife.

Imagine a flustered Bellara asking Taash if they happen to have any tips or ideas how one might indicate to a Lord of Fortune that they're interested, just for research purposes! For Bellara's book!

Imagine Neve "casually" discussing the Dalish with Bellara and getting Bellara to talk about Dalish romances.

Imagine overhearing Taash ask Davrin about Warden couples and if Wardens only go out with Wardens. Or what Rook, a Warden, might like best.

Imagine overhearing Davrin trying very hard not to criticize the Crows as he talks to Lucanis and tries to figure out what a Warden might offer a Crow to show interest. Also possible confusion as Davrin phrases his inquiries in a way that makes it seem like Davrin is interested in Lucanis who tries to turn him down gently and when the misunderstanding is cleared up, Lucanis recommends that Davrin talk to Teia.

And if you locked in with someone from the same faction, then imagine overhearing your love interest talking to Harding for romantic help since they've known Rook the longest.

Then if you get too close to the companions discussing this then your lover breaks off the conversation with a semi panicked "Rook!' or "hello darling!".

But if you manage to overhear the conversation without getting close enough for them to stop talking, then suddenly a new little trinket is unlocked to display in your room and a codex entry is added describing the significance of the gift with the observation that there's a note attached with a little drawing from your beloved of a bird or assan or an anatomically correct heart or whatever else.

[rooksspite]

Marks of Love

Davrin x f!Rook (unnamed)

summary: after a night of too many drinks, Davrin finds Assan covered in kisses.

yes this is based off of that one meme of that girl who came home drunk and was really excited to see her cat

Davrin wakes one day with a headache and little recollection as to how he ended up in bed.

He remembers Lucanis inviting him and Rook to talk about old jobs again over a shared bottle. or 3. Honestly it could’ve been more he just couldn’t remember. After that it’s all a blur. He’s surprised he made it to bed in the first place.

With a groan he stands from his bed, wincing as he faces the open brightness of the fade. Moving sluggishly to throw on a shirt and pants before yawning and making his way to open the door of his room.

“Assan,” he calls out to the griffin sitting his usual spot. The wooden stairs creaking under his steps.

When Assan turns his head to look at him, it makes Davrin pause midstep, “what in the…”

There were specks of red dotted across Assan’s face, two on his beak, a couple on the sides of his face, even more across his forehead and the top of his head.

Davrin steps closer to get a closer look at the griffin’s face, “what happened to you buddy?” he asks softly, still struggling to fight off the last remnants of sleep. He had a number of ideas of what the marks could be, maybe the griffin snuck into the pantry to snack on berries again, or maybe he got into Emmrich’s inks.

Assan squawks as Davrin squats down to take his face in his hands, his eyes widening in realization. The spots were a very similar shade of berry red, in the shape of lips he’s grown to know all too well.

Davrin huffs out a laugh and hangs his head, “someone got some love last night.” Davrin muses, Assan only replies with a happy noise and a flap of his wings.

“Davrin,” he hears a familiar voice call. He looks up and sure enough there she is, just leaving the light house and making her way towards him. wearing the exact same shade on her lips that decorated Assan’s feathers.

“Rook,” Davrin greets, letting go of Assan’s face and standing “seems you got a bit excited to see Assan last night.”

To be fair, Rook always got excited seeing Assan, always showering him in hugs and pets whenever she walked by him. Though it seemed that alcohol released her from whatever she was holding back when it came to giving Assan affection.

“What do you- oh…” Rook pauses when she takes in the sight of Assan littered in kisses, her eyes move up to look at Davrin and he raises an eyebrow when he sees an obvious flustered look take over her features.

“Something wrong?” Davrin asks

Rook goes to speak but is cut off when the both of them hear the familiar clank of Neve’s prosthetic hitting the stone ground, “well good morning you three, have fun gossiping over your alcohol?”

Before either of them can answer, Neve takes in the scene before her and an amused smile crosses her face, “my my, just what were you two up to last night?”

Rook looks away flustered and Davrin’s confusion only grows, “what are you talking about?”

Neve smiles innocently, “nothing, I just think it’s adorable how similar you and Assan can look sometimes.”

Neve begins walking away towards the kitchen and Davrin can only furrow his eyebrows at her comment, “similar?” he turns to look down at assan again, “what are you even…” he trails off, his eyes landing on the splotches of lipstick sticking to Assan’s feathers as a look of realization crosses his face.

Suddenly he remembers drunken giggles as him and Rook leave the dining room, a cooed, “Assan!” followed by a shocked squawk and exaggerated kissing sounds.

He remembers leading Rook to her room, her turning towards him and reaching for his face, the sight of her lips moving towards him.

Slowly, Davrin reaches a hand up to his cheek, swiping at it before moving his hand back into view.

Sure enough, his fingertips were smudged with the very same berry red that covered both Assan and Rook’s lips.

“Looks like someone was also excited to see me last night.” Davrin hums with a hint of amusement.

Rook lets out a flustered laugh, her gaze still on the ground, “is it bad that I don’t even remember?”

Davrin chuckles and shakes his head, taking a step closer to room before placing a finger under her chin to make her meet his gaze. Rook lets out a surprised noise as Davrin leans down to press a kiss to her lips.

Just as quickly he pulls away, a new coat of her red lipstick smudged against his lips, “I think you ought to help us clean us you mess hmm?”

Assan squawks loudly from beside the two and Rook laughs, leaning her head against Davrin’s shoulder, “I suppose it’s only fair.”

[xhollowfaerie]

Disease

(So I accidentally managed to bug my previous post that was the prequel to this. It got lost in the Fade. This is the follow-up of Rook also trying to find some relief after she gets very riled up watching Lucanis cook, inspired by this, of course! Here is the fanfic with all these snippets on my ao3! Warning: Lucanis being extremely hot, nsfw, masturbation (not too graphic). Enjoy! <3)

-

Rook felt her chest tighten as she watched Lucanis, his skillful hands chopping away; occasionally wiping on a soft towel, dripping with the juices of a lemon; the tiny amount of flour leaving a kiss on his alluring, sharp cheekbone… 

He looked so good in that apron, dashing, his gorgeous hair neatly tied into a bun; she could see the tiniest streaks of gray, digging her nails into her thigh with a muted hum. 

Her breath caught in her throat as his nimble fingers grabbed a chunk of meat, pushing it down onto the cutting board, holding it in place… she noticed the faint trace of veins on his hands; the wetness of her tongue darting over her lips left a cold sensation, making it all the worse.

Lucanis expertly slid the knife across the meat, slicing it into thin sections. Kore pressed her legs together, trying to subtly fan herself with a stray napkin. He washed his hands off before jotting down a note.

“Ah, perfect. Now, you said you wanted to help? I was going to ask if you could- Rook? Are you alright?” When he glanced at her, her entire face was blooming; the rosy shades of her hair blended so beautifully with the redness in her cheeks; she seemed bewildered, taken aback when the Crow addressed her. The elf let out a small gasp and covered her mouth bashfully. He could swear he saw a drop of sweat roll down her clavicle. Did she have a fever? He was definitely going to offer her his coat next time they went to the Anderfels.

“Kore?” His brows furrowed and he placed the pen down, taking a step towards her; she backed away in sync and gulped, shuddering wordlessly. His soul ached.

“... Lo siento. Have I done something wrong?” Rook’s heart thrashed in her chest at the innocent look of a kicked puppy plastered all over his breathtaking features. She knew she was being unreasonable, but all she could think about was seeing that face between her legs.

“No” she managed to choke out, finally peeling her hungry gaze off of him. “No, Creators-” it was too late, she already said it reflexively, even if she meant to stop using that word- “no, never, you’ve never wronged me. Not for a second.” He was so incredibly confused. Spite circled from behind him with an evil grin. ‘Rook lusts. Shaking. She wants us.’

The Crow’s eyes widened, a faint blush dusting his face; he cleared his throat and tried to wave Spite away. “Whatever it is, I can help. Do you want me to stab someone? Tell me what you need, Rook.” Kore looked as if he had just slapped her (little did he know), and she somehow got even redder. She felt the room suffocate her. Instinctively, her hands scrambled to undo a button on her shirt. Too hot.

“I- I-” 

She looked at him again, and her legs wanted so badly to move towards him; her hands clutched her clothes, and he felt his own resolve begin to tremble.

There was… no way Spite wasn’t just messing with him.

Right?

He inhaled slowly, studying her face. His jaw clenched ever so slightly, his eyes narrowed.

‘Yes, yes. Take her, Lucanis. She craves us.’

His fingers twitched. He tried to spur himself on, find the courage to approach her. Maybe… Just, maybe - “I’ll- be right back!” she squeaked before bolting out of the dining room. As soon as she was out, she leaned against the door, sliding halfway down. She lowered her damp forehead and breathed heavily, closing her eyes. She stood there for a second, clutching her knees.

“This is so bad” she whispered, hands covering her face in shame.

“Trouble in paradise?” Neve teased with a knowing smirk, scaring the ever living crap out of her. Rook jumped in place, clutching onto the door for balance.

“N-Neve?!” “It’s okay. I won’t tell.” “N-No, w-what? W-We weren’t, I-”

“Oh, spare me, Trouble. Whatever you’re worried about, I’m sure Lucanis can handle.”

The detective left Kore with a wink, which did not help lessen her condition any.

This must be what they call a walk of shame, Rook thought as she headed to the communal lavatory in order to splash some cold water at her face.

Her trembling hands held onto the shell-shaped marble sink, glaring at her own reflection. “This is so… so inappropriate! I… No, he is a dear friend, my closest-”

Her own voice cut itself off. She shook her head and squealed, tapping her face repeatedly. “No, no, stop it, this is- I can’t think like this, not with Lucanis ! Not with- S…Spite!”

Maybe she just needed a second to cool off.

. . . 

“L-Lucanis!” she mewled into her palm, squeezing her eyes shut in embarrassment. She felt so humiliated, despite the intimacy of her own bedroom. This was so wrong. How could she ever face him again? 

Bitter and sweet, like a kiss goodbye .

Gods, she loved his voice, his accent; she was so enamoured with all of him; he had her falling in love with Treviso, getting so close to the Crows they treated her like one of their own; she could never touch a drop of coffee again without picturing his lips on hers. His rare, precious smile. 

She wanted to protect him so dearly. Rook wanted to hold his hands, to cradle him, to lay his head on her chest; to run her fingers through his dark hair, to feel his beard on every inch of her skin. It was genuinely distracting how obsessed she was with his hands, with his fingers, with the little playful twink in his eyes. The way he freaked out over the Gods and their ancient magic, his dynamic with Taash; he always made Rook laugh so easily. Lucanis was so, so careful with her, as well as the rest of the team. She had never expected him to be so expressive, so charming.

His expensive, elegant clothes, always so neat, so proper. His collection of daggers, his knives. His tone when he got cocky. How he looked when he cooked, when he was focused. When he was angry. The few moments of softness between them. The intensity in his eyes, the bags beneath… His humanity. Every single thing about him.

When they met, she wanted to say she was scared, but despite his reputation, the first time she laid eyes on him, all she could feel was a thrill . 

A thrill for danger.

You like to walk a little close to the edge .

He didn’t scare her. Neither did Spite. She was intrigued. Or rather, she was enthralled.

She knew she was a lost cause when they went on a little shopping trip through the market in Treviso. Every time he spoke of another companion, so concerned with buying each of them a gift, her heart swelled. Kore remembered the way the spices in the market overpowered her, how handsome he looked in the twinkling lights. She had bought him the wyvern dagger on a whim, a compulsion, moved by whatever was stirring inside her; so desperate to show him he was needed. That he was a good man. That he was loved, and he deserved the world. Honey and lavender cream. Sweet, intriguing.

She wanted to show him more. She wanted to kiss him for hours on end, to worship him; to make him forget, the Ossuary, Zara, Illario, the Crows, the Vints, the Antaam, the Gods, she wanted his mind to be empty of everything, everything except for her. She wanted him to feel safe. She wanted to help him feel whole.

She wanted to see his face engulfed with pleasure.

S-so, so close-!

Something must be wrong with her; not only had she never experienced this before… it was so unbearably strong , so intoxicating. Her desire for him, her affection, they weaved around her so tightly, he never left her mind.

Releasing her pent up feelings like this wasn’t even the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last. It only helped for a brief moment… terror swirled inside of her as she wondered how much more of this it would take before he found her out.

Would he be upset? Angry? Disgusted? Would he despise her? Would his eyes turn purple…? Would he grab her by the throat, pull her hair- or, maybe, he’d just kiss her neck, lovingly pin her thigh down, keep his gloves on as he slides his fingers in- 

Tell me what you need, Rook.

“Have you guys seen Rook?” Taash’s voice outside her room made her freeze in horror, painfully biting into the side of her thumb to calm her panting.

“Lucanis is trying to find her. Said she just ran away outta nowhere.”

Rook let out a quiet groan of regret.

“I’m so terrible” she whispered, sinking into her own shame.

‘Yes, you are. Terrible. What should they do to you?’

Dread Wolf’s asshole - that voice, again! Luring her, taunting her. The voice of a siren.

At that point, Kore had already figured it out, even though she denied it so vehemently.

“Lust” she whispered shyly. “Please, I… I love him. Don’t make me ruin everything.”

‘So innocent. You know you won’t be able to focus, not unless you finish.’

Kore didn’t even know how to deny it. She was right.

I want. To talk. To Rook!

She really was sick, even fantasizing about Spite… But Kore had never felt so needed , before; she adored his excitement, his fervor, his passion, his attention, his determination. His desperation , for her, and her alone…

Her fingers trembled as they forced the pillow over her face, arching her back helplessly.

“Mmf-fuck, S-Spite, L-Lucanis…! IAh- A-Ar lath ma…!”

. . . Spite kicked his feet, sitting on the counter next to Lucanis. He was lost in deep focus, attempting to nudge Lucanis’s coffee cup off. He let out a small noise of frustration. It wasn’t working! “What are you doing now?” Lucanis spoke to nobody in particular, his voice echoing in the dining room as he continued to brood over the boiling pot. Before Spite could open his mouth to answer, a shiver ran down the length of his spine. The demon thought he heard Rook’s voice calling out to him… moaning for him. Elated, he jumped off the counter, taking Lucanis’s coffee with him to the stone floor. “Ay, pendejo! I just made that…” Lucanis grumbled, grabbing a rag to wipe the spill.

‘She called for me!’ Spite grinned, kneeling down next to Lucanis. ‘Spite felt.’ “I’m sure she did” he muttered.

‘I. Miss. Rook! Go find! So boring. Without Rook. Lucanis, no fun- Wait!’

Spite shot up again, aggressively sniffing around the two of them.

“Mierda, you really are just a dog” the Crow sighed deeply, straining the rag into the sink with a look of disappointment. He tried to inhale the delicious scent, as if it would be enough to keep him awake.

‘Smells. Like. Lucanis. Coffee. Eugh. But. No, no! Something else! Sweat. Want . Like Rook. But different . More… intense. Vanilla. Amber. Spices.’

Lucanis wanted to ignore him, but his eyes blinked harder than usual. Itchy.

He turned around sharply in realization, scanning their environment. There was no way. Spite was the only demon there. He near enough stopped his own heartbeat, just to better hear even the tiniest noise around them.

Nothing, other than Spite’s grating voice.

‘Pink! Hungry’ he pointed, but before Lucanis could notice anything, any trace of it was gone.

“Humor isn’t your strong suit” Lucanis groaned in exhaustion, reaching for the nearly-empty jar of coffee beans. Maybe Spite had been pulling a dumb prank, but he was still on edge. Even the smallest chance of Kore being in danger made every hair on his body stand.

‘But-’

The imposing doors creaked open, and a streak of pink locks peered through, voice meek.

“Sorry…! I’m back. Still need me?”

Lucanis felt every muscle in his body relax. He replied without thinking.

“Always.”

Lust smirked, her claws digging deeper into Spite as she covered his mouth from behind, purring into his ear.

‘Shhh. Hush, now. We both want the same thing.’

[undeadoracle]

Would love to hear your thoughts on Emmrich being autistic if you don’t mind sharing? I hadn’t really considered it myself but I’m curious

Sure! to be fair, emmrich being older means he’s had a lot of time to grow into himself, develop confidence, and cultivate his personality traits in ways that work for him in his environment. But here’s a few things that stuck out to me as rather neurodivergent of him:

-he’s typically very tidy and organized. we see that he keeps inventory of what he brings to the lighthouse, and does not like things messy, even though he as a LOT of stuff; Sylvia Feketekuty herself described him as “fastidious.” he gets upset about assan coming into his space, getting into things and making messes, he doesn’t want taash to use his bone tools, says he’s glad he doesn’t share an office with neve because she leaves paperwork everywhere, etc.

-deliberately precise use of language that he considers a point of pride. He tells rook, “I always choose my words carefully,” and we see that to be true in the way he speaks to others, as well. Autistic folks often use language very meticulously because they want to be specific, and to avoid being misunderstood.

-he sometimes (perhaps even often) gets distracted at inappropriate times by things that are relevant to his interests and has to be guided back on track by rook/other members of the party.

- he’s is an extremely polite & courteous person, of course, but that’s not the same as being socially intuitive. In fact, autistic people often gravitate to being extremely polite because social conventions are rules that can be followed in order to ensure a Correct Social Interaction; they don’t require interpreting nuanced cues or reading between the lines. Emmrich often does not immediately pick up on the other companions teasing/poking fun at him; it takes a few exchanges back and forth for him to catch on, if he does at all. It’s not because he’s dumb or naive, he obviously isn’t, he just is inclined to take people at face value in a way that’s common for folks on the spectrum. See also: him getting tricked by the guy selling fake charms in tevinter. Even when he gets revenge for that, it’s less about being embarrassed on his own behalf and more a righteous indignation that someone would lie about something like that, it’s dangerous don’t you know!

- in the same vein, he’s totally bewildered and caught off guard by the flirting (at first), and wants to confirm it’s intentional and serious on rook’s part by communicating very clearly about it. Which is a good and mature thing, of course, but it’s also him clarifying that he’s interpreting rook’s overtures correctly.

- he simply cannot stop himself from constantly infodumping about necromancy and botany, his most dearly held interests. He will happily spend all day with these subjects, then talk about them some more, then read about them some more before bed. He never seems to get tired of absorbing more of them or talking about them. Most people, no matter how passionate about their work, don’t have that level of commitment in their off time. Even the fact that he wants to become a lich, which very few members of the mourn watch are willing to do, is indicative of how deeply he’s entrenched his life in necromancy. And when talking with someone who doesn’t care about either of those things, or actively dislikes them, he tends to flounder and cut the conversation short.

- furthermore, he doesn’t really know how to set people at ease with necromancy; he thinks if he just talks more and more about what he finds beautiful and valuable about it, eventually people will “get it,” even if they’re clearly uncomfortable. See especially: his conflicts with taash, some of his conversations with lucanis, etc. you could chalk this up to cultural differences, but I think most people in his position would approach the subject with a little more discretion when dealing with foreigners who definitely have different perspectives on the subject.

- he and bellara (who is deliberately neurodivergent coded) get along very harmoniously. he has no trouble keeping up with her, and they’re very much able to tap into each other’s wavelengths. Conversely, taash (also neurodivergent coded) has all the opposite traits: very unemotive, struggles to articulate themself aloud, special interests he doesn’t care about, etc., and they get on each others’ nerves without even trying. He can’t figure taash out because he can’t read between the lines of their behavior, but when it's finally made clear to him that taash is afraid of his necromancy he immediately switches gears, because he’s no longer trying to guess what he's done to offend them.

- being empathetic towards nonhuman creatures is a very common experience for autistic folks, and he’s deeply empathetic towards spirits, moreso even than other members of the mourn watch. He says they were his companions growing up, despite having other humans around that he could’ve turned to for comfort and companionship after his parents’ deaths, and he displays a degree of understanding and compassion for them that is really only on par with like, solas, as far as other characters of the franchise go.

- Sylvia also described him as “a man of large emotions,” which is a big mood, pardon the pun, for neurodivergent folk.

- obviously being homesick in and of itself isn’t unique to autism, nor is not being well traveled, but he clearly misses his personal routines; he’s thinking about how he misses his old norms and schedule when rook asks him about homesickness, and later when rook talks with him about his youth he says the repetitive rituals of the mourn watch were exactly what he needed to heal from the loss of his parents. Spending their entire life in the mourn watch could feel confining or limiting to many people, but emmrich gets away for the first time in a long time and immediately misses it. You could also link this desire to have consistency to his conflict with harding about camping; the idea of getting to see fereldan is exciting to him in theory, but having to change his regular routine (leaving behind his books, dressing gown, shaving kit etc.) upsets him. It’s not about being spoiled—he grew up poor, after all—it’s about having to give up his regular habits.

[theesteppenwolf]

Some thoughts on Inner Demons

So i have been thinking about this and i do actually like the idea that Lucanis can't have Rook exist in his mind prison because it fucks up his entire inner narrative of basically just self flagellation. "If rook exists then at some point i have to get out" so just delete rook from the scenario. I think that's really good.

However, i think it would've been better if a part of Lucanis actually was trying to get out, at least involuntarily, and that Rook was the personification of that idea, constantly trying to break himself out but ultimately failing. So ''Rook'' exists somewhere in there but is heavily suppressed. That's why Spite seeks real life Rook out. Not to mention that even if not romanced Rook is pretty much the closest person he has at that point, his only other true friend he's had beside Illario so it makes even more sense for them to be this comforting idea he just can't accept fully.

So you see glimpses of Rook, the sound of their voice, or maybe more notes about them, especially if you are romancing him it seems like a big waste of an opportunity to not utilize Rook for a bigger showing of his inner struggle and fear to try and live some kind of life.

The Neve thing is a bit weird when romancing him, i do understand this complaint and the way Spite phrases it does come off as romantic interest specific to her. I think Neve should absolutely stay as both her and Lucanis seem like good friends regardless of romance but it would've been been better (if the player is romancing Lucanis) for Neve to maybe use Lucanis' feelings for Rook against them here. Implying guilt about Rook, leading them on etc. rather than make it specifically about Neve.

There are plenty of little things like this that would make the quest a bit more impactful overall because this is a pretty short quest for something that is essentially meant to be a psychological deep dive into Lucanis. Just more notes and those reworked Neve lines would make it more way more immersive to the player.

In my opinion this should've been a way bigger and more important part of his personal quest, i think they should've really leaned into the whole ''fighting to get him out of his own head'' idea. Adding things like Lucanis' actual memories of Caterina as the abuser she was and moments of genuine brotherly love Lucanis has for Illario. It would've also made up for the fact that you don't learn anything very personal about him the entire game.

Listen, I have whole rewrites to how his personal quest should've gone, it's really my roman empire at this point. This quest is such a good way for Rook to get real vulnerability from him that wouldn't've shown up in real life due to his introverted and closed off nature.

Again my conclusion of Lucanis being a very scraped up character continues as i find my ideas to be pretty easy to come up with implementations for the kind of thing they are trying to pull of in this specific mission.

But oh well, so it goes. Kind of got rambly for a minute there, thank you kindly for reading :P

[merrinla]

Corinne Busche and John Epler about their favorite party banters in the Veilguard

Corinne: My favorite pairing just on banter alone is Taash and Emmrich because they have very different views on necromancy, on life and death. Emmrich is nuanced and a bit of a romantic on the subject, whereas Taash is very blunt. And, my goodness, Taash will tell you exactly what's on their mind. So I find their banter really enjoyable.

John: It's hard for me to choose because there's just so many fun little stories, the story arcs that go on through the banter pairings. You know, people loved the chess match between Iron Bull and Solas, the romance between Dorian and Iron Bull in Inquisition. And I think one thing I love about these followers, these companions, there's so many of those. There's so many little arcs. You've got Bellara and Lucanis talking about cooking. You've got Neve and Lucanis talking about old jobs. You've got Bellara and Neve building this kind of sisterly relationship. So I will say my favorite in terms of just, it has one of my favorite little beats and I'm not going to spoil it, is Bellara-Emmrich. They just have such a fun and geeky relationship that they build over the course of the game. And it ends up being having some of my favorite lines and some of my favorite beats. But honestly, I don't think you can go wrong. And one thing I'll say is, choose different ones. Always swap around. And I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how many fun and emotionally poignant little anecdotes you'll get out of that.

Corinne: You know, the one that makes me laugh quite a bit is that Bellara and Neve relationship. Neve is notable within Minrathous. So Bellara...she fangirls over Neve pretty hard. And I adore it. It still makes me laugh.

Kristen Zitani (interviewer): I only had recruited Bellara and Lucanis so far. And their cooking discussions and sort of fear of if Harding is the one cooking that night is very, very fun.

John: That is one of my favorite banter reads by any actor in the game just at the other one. Yet "Usually is". Just how heated Bellara sounds.

---

sorce