#arc. queen of ferelden.

[gwah--ren]

@eueclid. alistair & elethea. all sorts of people are calling themselves kings these days.

a scoff huffs out of her with a bemused shake of her head. continuing with the clasps & laces of his fine doublet as she goes about dressing him. both of them clad in the theirin colors; crimson & gold, her own idea of course — signaling his royal heritage as a constant reminder to any naysayers of a half - elven bastard sitting the ferelden throne. calenhad's blood pulsed in his veins as strongly as it had in cailan's — and she would always argue that his heroism made him a truer heir to the theirin legacy than cailan's feeble grasps at glory. besides, her pedigree was proud enough for both of them, and had been shield enough against the opposition they had faced thus far. her name older & just as proud, and few could complain about a cousland queen. despite his fretting, he had handled himself quite well as king thus far; though their reign was still in its infancy. whatever he lacked, she made up for — though unlike the "partnership" of anora & cailan, alistair and elethea's was far more evenly balanced. it was not her hand alone that guided all of his actions, or her secretly acting in his name, as it was rumored was true of the prior king & queen. maker knows elethea would not suffer a husband she needed to mother.

"indeed, i hear this new king of ferelden lets his wife dress him. and what sort of a king doesn't keep a footman?" satisfied with his doublet — keeping in mind not to lace it too high, lest he complain about it itching or choking him, and not of course because it made him look terribly rugged & handsome — she turns to her vanity. the chain of office is heavy as she lifts it; solid gold, studded with garnets & pearls, surely fit for a king. she knows well that he speaks from insecurity, he'd dreaded his inheritance his entire life, and had left the leadership of their group to her throughout the blight for that very reason. it mattered little; she believed in his leadership even if he didn't. if only he would bother to listen to her about his capabilities once in a while. "however ... he certainly doesn't hurt to look at, does he?" she casts him a sly smirk, and flutters her lashes as she reaches up to set the chain about his shoulders. "no wonder the queen's so possessive of him."

[mumms-the-word]

seeing you so excited about dragon age has made me really want to get into it. if you've already talked about this and i missed it i am SO sorry but do you have any recommendations on where to start? it seems like so much fun but i am flying completely blind here, i know nothing but vibes and the fact that the games look right up my alley.

from my understanding there's 3(?) other games before veilguard (at least on steam haha) and they all seem to build off one another. would you recommend playing the other games first? (i know veilguard still hasn't released yet i just know next to nothing about the plot of the games and how much they're tied together raaahh)

again sorry if you've already talked about this, i just love seeing other people so excited about something, it makes me want to get invested in it too. hope you're having an excellent day! :)

Hello!!! I’m so excited that you’re interested in these games! They are some of my absolute favorites for a variety of reasons!

Currently there are 3 games + Veilguard (the 4th). The series starts with Dragon Age Origins, a gritty dark fantasy set in the country of Ferelden, which is being besieged by corrupted monsters called the darkspawn. You play a Grey Warden, a warrior (or mage!) selected to fight the darkspawn and save the country from ruin.

Dragon Age 2 picks up after the events of Origins and follows Hawke, a refugee from Ferelden who travels north to Kirkwall with their family…and then ends up being the person everyone asks to solve their problems. Results may vary, and it’s a fun chaotic time for all.

Dragon Age Inquisition takes place 3 years after DA2. The end of DA2 has spiraled out of control into a full on war. Everyone has gathered in one place to try and stop the fighting but, unexpectedly, the whole place goes kaboom with your character, the future Inquisitor, inside. They survive the explosion and end up with a mark on their hand that may just save the world, so now saving the world is their problem.

And soon we’ll have Veilguard, which takes place 10-12 years after DAI (12 years after Inquisition starts, 10 years after DAI’s epilogue DLC…it’s a long story). And it directly involves characters and plot arcs that began in DAI.

All of the games tie together narratively, but they’re also each their own separate campaigns. It’s not like the Witcher where you play Geralt for 3 games, you’re playing 3 (now 4) completely different heroes. But the span of time between Origins and Veilguard is only 22 years in the Dragon Age Universe so—yeah, lots of events connect together.

With Veilguard so close, it’ll be a tough shave trying to finish even one of the games before Veilguard releases and the floodgates of spoilers spill over. That said, if Veilguard has you hyped, but you want to play a different Dragon Age game to get your feet wet and explore a bit of the world, go for DAI (the third one)! A typical full playthrough takes about 60ish hours if you’re not rushing (but some of my inquisitors had an upwards of 150+ hours, and I have rushed it at a 45 hour run once). You may not finish it before the Veilguard release date, but since it’s the one that directly ties into Veilguard, it means you can just hop right in from one to the next.

HOWEVER, if you are interested in the ways the games connect to each other and want to see how your decisions in one game affects the world in the next game, AND if you feel okay with sticking your head in the sand to avoid any and all Veilguard spoilers, you can start with Origins and play all three in order. Each game shapes elements of the world of the next one (for example, who is king or queen of Ferelden at the end of Origins will come up in small ways in DA2 and DAI), and that’s honestly my favorite part of the games. I love seeing echoes of my choices from Origins and DA2 in my DAI game. It really makes it feel like my choices matter.

But Veilguard looks like it’ll be a relatively clean slate. It doesn’t look like there will be choices from Origins or DA2 that carry forward into Veilguard. So if you want to start anywhere, start with DAI. You can always experience what it’s like as a “basic” world and go back later, after playing it and Veilguard and so on, to play the earlier games and see how you can shape and alter the worlds in new or interesting ways. That’s how a lot of DA fans start actually. They play DAI, find out that they can shape the world by playing the other games, and then go back to Origins.

That’s a long winded answer but I hope it helps! I’m in the middle of a DAI run right now and the game really has aged so well. It doesn’t feel like a 2014 game. It doesn’t feel that outdated. And honestly it’s pretty easy to pick up and play (though I recommend playing with a controller, whether you’re on console or PC. The keyboard and mouse controls are horrible).

Go forth and age the dragons haha have fun!!

[animezinglife]

Happy Headcanons

Because my Sunday Scaries are through the roof and I'm thoroughly depressed about my life.

I get the sense that Dragon Age is a, "nothing that gets fixed stays fixed because someone always has to f- it up" kind of series, so I'm electing to ignore this for the sake of my Inquisitor.

Even if Solas goes off the rails, the rest of the Inquisition stays friends and occasionally reunite. They find themselves talking about/reliving the glory days and their time together.

(In my game): Mira and Cullen get married and end up living in Ferelden in a house near the water not far from where he grew up. They both continue to heal together and she and Mia immediately love each other. They gang up on Cullen regularly (but in an endearing way). He doesn't mind it--he loves seeing them both happy.

He helps her through her night terrors just like she's helped him. It's ugly sometimes, but over time, they eventually are able to sleep more peacefully. Cullen at one point asks if Cole can help (he knows how it feels and can't stand seeing her like that), but Mira insists on working through it.

They live near an older couple who are either King and Queen of Minding Their Own Business or endearingly clueless (and they don't find out it's actually the former until later on). The old man's a veteran and loves to invite Cullen to go fishing with him, where they swap stories (and is how Cullen finds out they do in fact know who he and the Inquisitor are). The old woman has made it her life's ambition to feed them both more pies than they can eat and to fatten them up. They have no choice. They are her children now. She delights in flustering Cullen (and Mira loves it).

They eventually decide to live pretty quiet lives but will provide advice when asked to whatever monstrosity of an issue is going on at the time.

Varric often stays with them when he's in Ferelden and gets some of his best writing done out on their dock. He and Mira in particular enjoy sitting together and sometimes, the heavy conversation about Solas comes up. She continues to confide in her friend and he continues to give solid life advice.

Varric the one who tells her Thom Rainier's reformed the Grey Wardens (because let me have this) and has become a respected leader considered to have atoned for his sins.

Varric also shares that he sends Cassandra ARCs of Swords and Shields, which has strangely taken off in popularity in the last few years. Neither he nor Mira are immediately aware that Josephine quietly worked her magic in Orlais to spike sales. Those masked women live by the trashy spice. Josie lets this slip to Mira during one of the latter's visits to Antiva.

Dorian visits often, too. It's not unusual for Cullen to walk in and find him sitting at their table unannounced with his wife catching her up on everything she wanted to know and other things she didn't.

Josephine also invites them to visit her in Antiva. The sea air does them both a lot of good, and Mira and Josie spend a lot of time together catching up and exploring. There ends up being a Wicked Grace rematch, and Cullen goes in confident that he'll fare better this time.

He does not.

What HEAs (realistic for canon or not) would you love to see your Inquisitor have?

[fereldanwench]

started thinking about what worldstate i wanna create for my first run in veilguard because of course i have.

we can't import past saves and we won't be using the keep anymore, so I'm not sure how detailed we'll be able to get with it but I've got a few possibilities to play with:

the first and most likely is my mostly canon-compliant worldstate with these bbs:

lorelei cousland [rogue; double-wield] warden / queen of ferelden / li: king!alistair

daphne caron [rogue; double-wield] warden commander / ruler of vigil's keep / li: warden!bethany

ansley hawke [warrior; board & sword] champion of kirkwall / pirate / li: isabela

melisande trevelyan [rogue; archer] herald of andraste / inquisitor / li: cullen

rosalind hendry [mage; knight-enchanter] former chantry scholar / inquisition agent for leliana / li: blackwall

the second is my slightly less canon-compliant worldstate that i never brought into inquisition because i didn't want to have to choose between alistair and my favorite hawke in the fade lmao:

karina amell [mage; i do not remember her spec] warden-commander / li: warden!alistair

rhiannon hawke [force & elemental mage] champion of kirkwall / temp viscount of kirkwall / li: cullen or fenris*

*last summer i did replay da2 with an iteration of rhiannon that actually romanced fenris and i loved it and I've complicated shit for her, lmao. rhiannon x cullen were my goro x valerie of 2013-2014 and making her officially with someone else feels wrong bc i loved them together so much. but i just can't enjoy cullen anymore. so do i do i give rhiannon a boyfriend upgrade? do i make a whole 'nother hawke inspired by her? do i just let rhiannon x cullen and rhiannon x fenris exist in different AUs? i don't know!

and the third is kind of the opposite of the second one: a worldstate i made just for inquisition in the keep with some choices i had never made in the previous games. i don't even have the worldstate in the keep anymore so i don't remember everything but i think it was like this:

default f!mahariel [rogue; archer] no li / recruited loghain / made alistair marry anora

default m!hawke [mage] li: anders / sided with mages

keagan trevelyan [mage; knight-enchanter] herald of andraste / inquisitor / li: cullen (although i headcanoned a polycule with her, cullen, and josie)

one of my conundrums with all of these is, as i mentioned, i can't enjoy cullen anymore. he was obviously a big fave, i think his arc is fascinating especially in da2 and especially if you side with the templars and he has to contend with the shit he's done for meredith, and i enjoyed all the different shipping dynamics with all different kinds of ocs. but i can't separate him from his dipshit VA at this point. hearing his voice is just an instant NOPE for me now

i am 99% positive cullen will not be in veilguard for 2 reasons: 1) the writers said during inquisition that they were no longer trying to work in characters whose fates could be too varied depending on player choice and 2) that twitter shitstorm a few years seemed to guarantee ellis will never work with bioware again lmao

now i suppose there's a possibility that ellis could have recorded lines before that happened and somehow they would be able to be used despite all the changes that happened, but I'm trying to be an optimist here

nevertheless, all of the inquisitors i played were with him, and it sounds like we'll be able to engage with our inquisitors in some capacity in veilguard so do i even want to have a passing mention of cullen? idk. i mean, my disdain for his VA isn't so bad that this would ruin the game for me or anything, but i also feel like this is an opportunity to enjoy another character

between keagan and melisande, melisande was definitely my more developed OC, but i just loved playing as a knight-enchanter gameplay-wise so keagan is actually the only one of the two who did trespasser and jaws of hakkon. i never did the descent--the only DLC in all the games that i haven't played. I've been debating firing up my inquisitor!valerie game again to play that with her but i know the descent recommends a pretty high level and i can't remember how far i got in the story with her (I think i just reached skyhold that last time i played)

so anyway, i've got some decisions to make!

as for what i'm leaning towards playing in veilguard: at this point in time, i'm pretty sure my first rook will be a mage of some kind and lucanis sounds like he was made specifically for me lmao so odds are looking good that'll be my first ship

[gayhawkelatehomicide]

Updated Protagonist List

I'm going to add images to this, so it's going beneath a readmore for length reasons

Wardens

Aridhel Mahariel - bow rogue, romanced Zevran, straightforward dalish who neither understands nor cares about shemlen (or durgenlen) politics, blood magic is probably fine as long as you use it responsibly, anxious and blunt. "Let's focus on stopping the world-ending plague of darkspawn first, and worry about the rest of this bullshit later, hm?"

Saffron Cousland - sword and shield warrior, romanced Alistair, noble in every sense of the word but cheerful and friendly, Queen of Ferelden, Arlessa of Amaranthine (and Highever), killed Rendon Howe with her father's sword, fixated on duty. "Because it's the right thing to do."

Theodore Amell - arcane warrior mage, romanced Morrigan, bastardization arc powered by Morrigan whispering bad ideas in his ear, loves his terrible witch girlfriend, blood magic is fine and the chantry is oppressive, ambitious. "I am no longer baby, now I want power."

Renan Tabris - dagger rogue, romanced Leliana, exactly zero patience for shem politics, raised Andrastian (derogatory), canonically kind of a bitch, evil sense of humor, loves her stupid new shem baby brother, harden everyone, distrustful. "Like dogs, Shianni."

Valda Aeducan - two handed warrior, romanced Leliana, honorable and serious, trusts no one, girl raised in harsh political nonsense learns to trust her found family and forgive her bio family while unlearning bad lessons simulator, sneaky/quiet sense of humor, intense loyalty to her people, values tradition but values compassion more, genuinely regrets what happened with Trian. "For the honor of my house, though I myself have neither house nor honor."

Emmaera Surana - blood mage spirit healer, romanced Alistair, fey and strange, sweet but a little out of it, she and Merrill would get along so well because they both just say what they mean, falls for Ali like a ton of bricks after trusting him exactly 0% at first, has a council of spirits that advise her, definitely more than a little possessed, Templars aggro on sight, besties with Morrigan. "The Chantry won't tell you anything useful about the Fade, but I could. If you want."

Ashaterylen Mahariel - champion fighter, loves Morrigan but it's complicated, aggressive and no-nonsense, adopts Alistair as her comic relief to fill Tamlen's shoes, Not Okay™ but doing a good job regardless, my only warden who straight up dies, but we still get Kieran because magic, rather laconic, probably my most heavily headcanoned origins character. "Duty trumps sentiment. Every time."

Hawkes

Iris Hawke - knife rogue, romanced Anders, diplomatic but also way too intense for her own good, loves mages so much, circle mage Bethany, will do anything to protect what's left of her family, noble impulses but awful sense of humor, fanatic, very angry underneath her shell of politeness, diplomacy as a tool. "Why don't we try asking the Arishok nicely?"

Ian Hawke - elemental mage, romanced Fenris, sarcastic, sided with the templars because magic is an essential part of him but it's brought nothing but grief to him and his family, templar Carver, quip for every situation, never loses his positive outlook for long, self-loathing but doing his best not to make that everyone's problem. "Dad did WHAT for the Wardens? Why am I not surprised."

Kiera Hawke - two-handed warrior, romanced Isabella, sarcastic → aggressive, sad bastard warrior Hawke, everyone who gets close to her dies, Bethany dies, good attitude wrecked by the wear and tear of life, loves her buddies who are also terrible, angry and broken. "You tell me where Bartrand is, I'll help you wring his fucking neck"

Alice Hawke - knife rogue, romanced Merrill, circle mage Bethany, p much pure diplomatic, diplomacy as a way of life, mom friend central, no one is irredeemable, far too trusting, kind of a busybody, always thinks she knows best. "Clean your blades, watch your purse strings, don't be a dick."

Delilah Hawke - entropy mage, in love with Varric, pure sarcasm, sends Carver to the wardens, adores her stupid chaotic bisexual family, beat down by this world but stubbornly clinging to joy, flat refuses to talk about her problems. "Where would I be without my trusty dwarf?"

Quinn Hawke - blood mage, romances Anders, red from the beginning, low-key an asshole but also high-key he just doesn't know how to communicate, oldest sibling syndrome turned up to 11, inspired by Harker Zevsurana's Kier, fuck you mage rights. "Well, shit."

Andy Hawke - force mage, romances Anders and Fenris (it's complicated), strong purple laugh-or-cry type, so many canon alterations but the twins both live, grows a lot over the course of the campaign, big fuck the chantry, uses their staff as a polearm bc they're not great at magic, easily my most headcanoned Hawke. "Have any of you guys considered having a normal reaction to anything? Ever? Didn't think so."

Inquisitors

Miriani Lavellan - assassin bow rogue, romanced Solas, confused hardass Dalish girl doing her very best to navigate suddenly being in charge of all of this stuff, cares so much about everyone all the time, terrified but resigned to her responsibilities, self-sacrificing, sense of humor buried under all that sincerity. "I am the Inquisitor, through no virtue of my own. Vir suledin nadas."

Asher Adaar - two-handed warrior, romanced Sera/nobody (bc I meant to romance Sera but didn't know the right dialogue options so I kept waiting for it to pan out and it just sorta didn't), blunt and direct Tal-Vashoth mercenary who gets persuaded that maybe she actually is the herald of andraste, but honestly just wants to handle the things with as little religious and/or political nonsense as possible, blunt and violent. "We save Thedas TWICE, my hand wants to kill me, we save the exalted council specifically, and this is what we get?"

Stephan Trevelyan - rift mage, romanced Cassandra, a good sweet Andrastian boy, true prophet who has a meltdown when he finds out about Solas, best friends with Dorian, keeps the inquisition and wants to really save the world, a genuine idealist, stubborn AF. "Faith is a choice. The Maker set these events in motion so long ago we can no longer see His hand in them."

Samahl Lavellan - tempest knife rogue, romances Dorian, cheerful, sarcastic, and overwhelmed, insanely competent but good at hiding it, terrible little bastard, hates responsibilities, laughs in the face of danger (and Cassandra), keeps insisting he's not the Herald, kinda lazy. "I guess I'm learning now, aren't I, Mother?"

Riska Cadash - artificer knife rogue, romances Sera, direct and sometimes brutal but ultimately caring, criminal upbringing noble fashion sense, besties with Blackwall, andrastian and confused, consistently astonished by how easy it is to get things when you're the most important person in the world, one of my younger inquisitors but she doesn't act like it very often, really only when she's with Sera. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Dahlia Trevelyan - mortalitasi lightning mage, romances Blackwall, cheerfully irreverent young noblewoman flexing the edges of what she's allowed in this new role, filled with chaos and violence and entitlement. Fully does not believe in the Maker. Classically beautiful but with blue-gold eyes that go past "striking" into "genuinely unsettling" and, she caught some shrapnel from a spell gone wrong with her face a few years back so she's got distinctive scars. "Hey, look, at least dragons are real."

The Trio (all of whom have individual playthroughs but also come as a set)

Isene Lavellan - fire/rift mage, romances Iron Bull, primarily jokes and asks questions, basically a horrible mix of Miriani and Samahl. Sweet and a bit of a brat but ultimately up to the challenge. A disaster at the winter palace. Her general response to her workload getting heavier is to adjust the straps that hold the world on her back and carry on with a smile. "Bull, remind me why I accepted this job? Oh, right."

Harea Lavellan - knight enchanter and ice mage, romances Cullen, open minded and sweet, a bit naive but genuinely wants to make the world better, distressed by the mark and the everything but willing to bear it to keep others from suffering. Self sacrifice is a big theme here. Just a little (read: protected like Wynne) possessed by the actual spirit (of Wrath) who was attendant upon andraste, so she is quite literally the Herald. "No one is irredeemable!"

Rogelan Lavellan - sword and shield warrior, romances Josephine, kind of a hard-ass but willing to be romantic, would rather talk than fight but won't give up his ideals, careful and deliberate in everything he does but bold when he's made a decision. Stoic and pithy, but can be eloquent if he needs to. Understands shem bullshit better than most, because he's the kind of guy who studies the things that scare him. "Tell me how to help."

Continuities

Primary "Cannon" Continuity - Aridhel, Ian (or Iris), and Miriani - Protector, Catalyst, Survivor

Strong code of honor - Saffron, Iris, and Asher - Shield, Dagger, Sword

Fucked Up Andrastians - Theodore, Kiera, Stephan - Ambition, Sorrow, Faith

Terrible Senses of Humor - Renan, Alice, Samahl - Vengeance, Kindness, Laughter

Wrongest Choices - King, Viscount, Divine (I haven't actually made this playthrough but is a male rogue cousland, probably a guy Hawke as well and obviously not a mage but idk what class, and fem warrior Trevelyan)

Dwarf Run - Valda, Delilah, and Riska - Honor, Love, Trust

Definitely Not Possessed - Emmaera, Quinn, and Harea - Council, Temptation, Authority

Three Inkies - Ashaterylen, Andy, Rogelan/Harea/Isene - Sacrifice, Victory, Vigilance

[milesmentis]

12, 28 and C for Daren? :'3

Thank you!!

12) How do they deal with an itch found in a place they can’t quite reach? 

I feel like he runs into this all the time because he wears heavy armor. At first, he'd twitch and squirm - trying to move just enough to relieve it - but if that didn't work, he'd just frown and do his best to ignore it. His go-to response to basically everything is to shoulder it and press on.

28) Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth? 

Oof ... to tell or to hear? 😔

The sad irony is that Daren will lie at the drop of a hat to smooth over a situation (usually with strangers), but if it ever happened to him, he would be devastated. He always wants the truth - no matter how bitter or painful.

C) Did you have trouble figuring out where they fit in their own story?

So, in a way, yes. His story as it was in DAO was complete and followed a really compelling fairy tale arc. I was happy with it, but he didn't truly bloom until I took him outside of the role of "The" Warden/Hero of Ferelden. As soon as I added Heulwen (and then Maeve!) to the mix, everything clicked into place: for all his social advantages and privileges and skills and bearing ... he's a Side Character at heart. He's Boromir and Sam Gamgee rolled up into one. And his personal, subtler tragedy is that he isn't actually suited to being a protagonist but nobody notices it and makes his happiest ending (marrying the Queen and avoiding the post as Commander of the Grey) make a whole lot of sense.

[couslande]

tiarnan x sebastian arc ?! :O i think sebastian would have a crazy crush on her since she’s a warden and the hero of ferelden

stopppp i'm thinking too much about this now. especially in my au where tiarnan makes alistair and anora king and queen so she's single post-blight AND the fact that (thanks to mods) sebastian sticks with hawke and co as they go to the amaranthine wardens post-chantry explosion so they do meet in my worldstate.

i think tiarnan would like sebastian as well, he's nice and bows to dogs and is capable of being really sincere - that's literally her type! and they'd have so much in common wrt what happened to their families and how they moved on from that.

...what if sebastian got the hot warden gf that he so desperately craves?

[transyurikatsuki]

Ok first of all it's about being thrust into an important position, especially the whole "this is not my job this is not what I was meant to be doing" thing.

But also. Most importantly to me. It's about becoming the bogeyman of your own story because of this ingrained sense of duty and necessity. It's about Loghains promise to Maric that he would always put ferelden first- he goads Maric into killing the woman he loves because he sees that Maric needs to harden up to become king, and his support in killing and taking down the arls that betrayed the queen. He has this strong belief that Maric doesn't have the luxury to be the good man all the time, he pushes Rowan and Maric together because he is trying to find what is right for ferelden. Ultimately, however you feel about it and however wrong it was, Loghain pulls his soldiers away at the battle of ostagar and I would bet on my life he is thinking about the battle right before he made his promise- Maric despondent at the number of soldiers that died just to keep him alive and on the throne. This is a man who makes ultimately some rancid choices because he is trying to do damage control, trying to save as many of his people as he can, trying to right the wrongs he and Maric did. Trying to protect fereldan from losing what he fought for (independence)- even if it means creating more enemies he refuses to see ferelden fall.

And ultimately I believe this is extremely similar to the emotional arc Solas goes through. Here's a man who wasn't a man and he fought because he cared about mythal and he cared about the elvhen people. And he made a promise to protect those people even if it meant becoming the villain. He embraced the mantle of the dread wolf because it allowed him to free more people with what power he gained. And he's willing to destroy to world to bring back the elvhen world as he knew it.

They share this sense of being the last one left standing, the last one who really remembers or fights for their cause (I actually believe they both feel this strongly despite it not being true for either of them, but their /haha/ lone wolf ideologies make it true in their heads). Duty and sacrifice are both really important to them. I think this really shows in the fact that like, in the landsmeet Loghain can come to a point where he completely accepts that he was wrong and welcome his own execution because that's what he believes justice looks like- it is the justice he has personally meted out for those who betray ferelden and the crown. And Solas seems to really want to be wrong. He wishes there was another way but doesn't believe there is anything besides his nuclear option. Both really believe themselves to be alone and locked into the corner of their decision making. Loghain leaves the son of the people he loved to die. Solas turns his back on the new world because he believes he made a mistake and it needs to be rectified (EVEN if you have shown him that the world and its people are real. realizing his wrongs doesn't make him change his mind which I really believe is the same for Loghain.)

Two hyper logical stubborn men who believe they know best, who are ruled by the legends that surround them- Solas the dread wolf and freer of slaves, Loghain mac tir literally Loghain son of the land and a hero of ferelden who ultimately betrays her in his attempt to save her.... Yeah. Dragon age you will always be famous with your antagonists who aren't evil for the sake of it they just have an unending profound sense of twisted duty.........

Hey anyone wanna explode with me about the common themes and parallels between Solas and Loghain

[marythegizka]

You know how I said that in Dragon Age, Anora was basically Princess Leia in that Denerim quest and that Loghain was Vader? Well, I'm actually starting to think he might be Macbeth. Here's why:

- They're both given titles by the King after repelling invaders and/or internal enemies (this happens to Macbeth at the beginning of the play, and to Loghain in the book prequels).

- Speaking of the the book prequels, Flemeth's prophecies made me think of the Three Witches (plus, she does live in a creepy, misty marsh).

- Even their last names and titles bear some resemblance (they have a similar 'rhythm' and a few identical consonnants which are placed in the same position): Mac Tir/ Macbeth, Teyrn of Gwaren/Thane of Glamis

- People’s opinions of Loghain (Aemon's surprise at Loghain's actions or the fact that he of all people might want power, Alistair's pre-Ostagar opinion of him, what his soldiers say about him, etc.) are also quite evocative of the way Macbeth himself used to be perceived by the characters in the play (i.e. an honest man, deserving of the honours bestowed upon him etc. etc.). They can’t quite reconcile the hero he used to be with the tyrant he has become.

- Lady Macbeth seems to be split into two characters: Howe as the one who prods him further into the mire and his paranoia, and Anora as the one who may reap the benefits of his actions/become the rightful Queen.

- MacBeth is responsible for Duncan's death, and Loghain... is responsible for Duncan's death (see, I didn't even need to change the names). Now, it is true that, in Dragon Age, Duncan is not the King (Cailan is, but he does die in the same circumstances), but he definitely is a father figure to Alistair, who may later be avenged and crowned King depending on the player’s choices (which I suppose makes him an equivalent of Malcolm?).

- Both of them alienate a good chunk of the nobility, which results in violent conflict.

- Both are perfectly aware that what they are doing is messed up (see that cutscene of Loghain in the palace after the first main quest is completed, or just how placid he is if or when the player decides to execute or sacrifice him... this isn't something you'd expect from someone with a clear conscience...) but, since they're both embodiments of the whole 'the end justifies the means' saying, they just double down and hope it doesn't backfire (which, of course, is exactly what happens). In the end the difference between the two is that Loghain is (arguably) a tad less depressed and more ‘idealistic’, for lack of a better term (he thinks he's doing it for Ferelden, as opposed to Macbeth’s personal ambition, but that doesn't change the fact that he is completely willing to sacrifice personal integrity to reach his goals) which may explain why he can get a redemption arc, but that's basically it. I don’t know if I’m going anywhere with this, but I thought it was funny (well. sort of.)

[yetanotherlesbianonthiswebsite]

The following few thoughts are my justification of my writing choices for the templars in general and Cullen in particular as secondary villains in the first arc of my Revolution!AU. Please be aware of the content notes below.

I want to preface this by saying that fanfic writers have a certain room to decide on how to portray Cullen, especially in AUs. This is a value-neutral statement. I’ve seen some fans of color address the problems he has in canon and giving him actual and meaningful redemption arcs or removing him completely from his canon characterization. Run Home, one of my favorite fan artworks in general, falls into the latter category, completely removing the problematic aspects of him. Such decisions are fair, there is no required way to interpret Cullen.

In DA:O, the canon after which my AU diverges, Cullen is a part of an armed and battle-ready organization that he canonically believes has a divine right to subjate an entire part of the general populace and place them in buildings they are not allowed to leave to keep the rest of the population supposedly safe. You can interpret the circles as cults, and I have certainly unloaded some of my cult trauma onto my Surana, or you may read them as prisons. The political allegory I have imbued into my AU interprets circles as first and foremost prisons, templars as cops, and centers the mage revolution storyline as a way to explore circle abolition as prison and police abolition.

My partner has already done an extremely intricate analysis on why circles can very well be called prisons (and every time I read one of their meta pieces, I fall more in love and awe with them; like, this is such a dedicated and focused analysis of the topic at hand and they write so many of these meta pieces). However, I am aware that circles do not map perfectly onto the modern carceral state. The modern carceral state in the United States stands as  a successor to slavery in the context of specific and structural criminalization of Black and Latin-American communities and the prevalence of prison labour. This isn’t something the allegory formed from canon can easily encompass, and it isn’t my place to fictionalize this intergenerational trauma and systemic violence. What canon does contain is constant unsupported and flimsy arguments for why the templars maybe contain a few bad individuals but are necessary as an institution to protect the general populace from violent groups and individuals. The potential my AU tries to explore within the templars is what is even in canon close to fantasy copaganda. I have chosen to use the templars to explore why arguments in favor the police as an institution are meaningless and simply propaganda to violently upkeep the status quo.

Cullen, especially given how I have come to know him with my Amells and Suranas, does have an extreme aura of a man who is convinced that he holds the right to kill and oppress the inmates of the prison he works for. It is canon that he has thought in detail about and mentally prepared for killing Surana/Amell. Now, given this man that canonically believes his immense power and option to violence is imbued into him by a god, how do you think would he react to that power being suddenly taken from him and him being declared a simple soldier? This is the most obvious point of divergence in my AU: Queen Anora gambles with high stakes when she goes into negotiations with the Sunburst Throne to disband the Fereldan branch of the Templar Order, make the circles self-governed and dissolve the templars into the army of Ferelden to make up for losses in the Blight. She pays for it with her life as the templars rise up when they get wind of their power being challenged. I do not think it is far-fetched that a man like Cullen would turn violent upon the prospect of losing his status, and BioWare desperately wants him to be a military leader, so he leads the Fereldan Templar Uprising of 9:31 in my AU.

I do not think the most pressing question for prison abolition movements is how to deal with crime when cops no longer exist. That cops don’t combat crime, but rather stand as one of the indirect to direct causes of societal violence, isn’t a new idea by far. There are many lived, renewed as well as traditional concepts by Black and Indigenous communities that show that society has no need for cops and states, from neighborhood patrols and community caretaking to community accountability. I establish and try to explore something similar with the reformed Order of Fade Hunters under Velanna’s guidance, something that happens at Imerati’s ascension to the throne but won’t be explored in detail until I get my ass to finish the first half of arc 2. The allegory I am aiming for is also why so much of my AU is concerned with humanizing former circle mages. In the process of police and prison abolition, formerly incarcerated people are no danger to the public, but fanatic ex-cops are a hazard to be reckoned with. That’s my point in villanizing the templars and, in turn, Cullen in TRoT.

[erikacousland]

Real weapons for Dragon Age: Origins characters: Anora

Real weapons for:

Queen Anora

* * *

Anora is the daughter of Teyrn Loghain -- one of the most respected generals in the nation, and a hero of the old wars -- and the wife of King Cailan, recently killed in battle. In truth, she is her father's daughter. She is shrewdly intelligent and capable and has been more or less running the nation behind the scenes for years as it was. Cailan was an easygoing man who cared little for politics and was more than happy to leave much of the business of governing to his wife. So when he died, Anora was not eager to turn over the regency to her father. She realized that a crisis was at hand, however, and truly believed that her father was doing what was best -- at first. By the time the player encounters her, Anora has grown suspicious that her father may have let her husband die for his own ends, and she begins enacting a plan that will see her father removed from the regency and her put on the throne as the sole, ruling Queen. She is capable of such intrigue, and like her father she is not above setting morals aside in order to achieve the ends she desires. - Character Description

In the DAO, Anora didn't showing her skills of martial or military. Only if she is the monarch of Ferelden in the Final Battle, you can see she wearing the Ceremonial armor set with no weapons.

This suggests that Anora did not planned into the battle. And she is physically strong enough to support up dozens of pounds of steel.

In the Heroes of Dragon Age, they given her a sword. 

From its size compare with her stature in the artwork, it's about 130cm (51") long (I assume that she's slightly taller than 170cm, 5'7'' in height. Considering the writer described she's "Beautiful. Slim." didn't say she's very tall. And her grandfather was a giant man, so very unlikely that she's short than average.), so the sword is around on the converging point of length spectrums of hand-and-a-half swords and two-handed swords. It's more like a two-handed sword than a hand-and-a-half sword in the game.

I think her two-handed sword will be light and agile, it also have a highly recognizable, "Fereldan" style appearance. All the two characteristics led to a same answer: a classical Oakeshott Type XVIIIe sword - it looks similar to the DAO standard Greatsword, so I take it as a Fereldan style. (It was also in the chapter of Ser Jory.)

Harnischstecher by Ulrich Langbehn as The Queen of Ferelden (Ferelden Claymore)

Ferelden Claymore

Commissioned by Loghain Mac Tir for his daughter Anora upon her betrothal to Prince Cailan Theirin, the Ferelden Claymore is a symbol of power.

Dedicated to Emperor Maximilian I of Holy Roman Emperor, this long, narrow sword looks very elegant and majesty. Even the spherical pommel looks like a royal orb. It is much longer than the sword on the artwork, but closer to the 3D model.

This sword almost exactly like the sword I imagine for Anora. Only the pommel different to my picture, but the spherical pommel feel more majestic than the scent-stopper pommel. That bright red on the grip also very close to the Theirins' colour (scarlet and golden). You can imagine the ends of the quillons are the Mabari heads' shape too make it more "Fereldan". :3

She is a skilled politician and knows a great deal about governing. She can fight if need be, a skill picked up from her father, even if she is not very good at it. - Special Skills

Anora is a "slim" woman, who is "not very good at" fighting. I think she's actually talented on the fighting (she's her father's daughter, after all.), and learned from the master (aka: her father) since her very young age, but lacks training in recent years. Because she was too busy to manage a country when her King husband spent too many time on the fighting training. 

Anora also extremely clever, very calculating. She know clearly where her strength and weakness are. So she will not swung her big two-handed sword "in a wide arc" and expect all her enemies frozen on the ground waiting the strike - like Maric did, a lot, in the novels.

She will using her sword more like it's a spear - a full steel, very pointing short spear, with sharp edges and a handguard. And she move the sword and stabs with small and accurate movements. With range advantage, this very long, lightweight sword can make up some disadvantage of lacks training.

Anora puts forward an air of confidence and competence mixed with majesty and grace. She does not use her feminine wiles to her advantage -- not because she does not possess them, but simply because it does not occur to her. She uses her intelligence far more readily, as it was how her father raised her. She is direct and often pointed in her manner without being overbearing, until annoyance or irritation wears at her patience. - Demeanor 

Headcanon about Anora in battle: Anora will never into battle when she can using her intelligence to avoid it. And when she had to, she will surrounded by at less three very skilled battle maidens - they are her ladies-in-waiting in peacetime. Then plus a group of royal bodyguards. Then plus her trusted handmaiden: Erlina.

She'll as Anora's squire and carry her two-handed sword and scabbard. And perhaps backstabs her enemies.

Headcanon about Oakeshott Type XVIIIe sword in Thedas: It's a quite new type of Fereldan Claymores - "claidheamh mòr"(greatsword), or "claidheamh dà làimh"(two-handed sword) in Alamarri tongue (Scottish Gaelic). (Oakeshott Type XVIIIe swords were mostly found in Scandinavian countries, some in Italy. They were particularly popular in Denmark.) Only about half a century ago before the Fifth Blight, Fereldan developed this type greatswords. The stiff, pointed blade very good at against armoured opponents - such as the Orlesian Chevaliers. (Fereldan warriors preferred cutting swords before the Orlesian occupation period, because they were preferred flexible armour.)

The most famous sword of this type was belonged to Queen Rowan - Anora's late mother-in-law.

Seanóir (Elder) by Brendan Olszowy as Lady Rowan Guerrin's Sword

This longsword have a Irish ring pommel, a Scottish downswept guard, and a Scandinavian Type XVIIIe blade. I consider Ferelden inspired by both of these cultures. So it's very "Fereldan" to me. I used to choose this sword as Anora's sword, because I didn't find the Harnischstecher in that time. But I don't think it suit for her. It's much shorter than the Harnischstecher, can't offer range advantage to make up disadvantage.

I believe this sword is a good choice for Rowan, who was a very skilled lady knight and warrior queen. She was fight with a longsword in full suit of armour, against armoured opponents.

*

Anora also carry a short, handy arming sword as her sidearm. 

High Sovereign by Christian Fletcher as Daughter of the Hero

Her arming sword is a highly ornamented version of her father's hero sword - the sword he wielded in the Battle of River Dane. (Loghain's chapter)

She using it with a buckler, or Highland targe like small shield. And the technique she learned from her father, that he learned from his father. 

Anora is too trusting of her father, and believes him almost blindly when he tells her what happened at Ostagar. Even when she knows what he did, she still acts to save his life. - Flaws

Anora is a fiercely independent young woman, the true ruler of Ferelden. She was also a proud little girl of her father - a national hero.

*

Since they have given her a "Claymore" already, I had to give her a dirk. :3 

Early 18th C Jacobite Dirk by Vince and Grace Evans as Alamarri Dirk

Traditional carved hilt with elegantly decorated blade. This one is the most beautiful dirk I have ever seen. (The late-period dirks are very beautiful, though. But too fancy for me.)

Anora, as a patriotic queen of her country, I imagine she'll proudly carry the traditional dagger, to showing her loyalty to the old Ferelden - Alamarri cultural. Even it's not fashion on the court any more, after the occupation period

As the Queen CONSORT, Anora probably have a little chance to carry her dirk, not to mention to using it. She probably will carry it in the royal hunting, then sitting in the camp all the time, chat with noble ladies and waiting the husbands bring back preys.

Gender equality in Ferelden is better than other countries in Thedas. (Even far much better than many real world countries in today.) But unfortunately, most of their nobles still expect women being a good daughter then a good wife.

Watching her, Maric wondered how it might have been for Rowan in a normal world. Fereldans were a rugged and practical people, and women who could hold their own in combat were respected as much as the men, but it was different among the nobility. Had it not been for the rebellion, the Arl would have had his daughter wearing fine dresses and learning the latest dances from the Orlesian court rather than helping to lead his army. - Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne. Chapter 4

*

Anora is capable and quick-witted, which she can use to be charming or to cut someone up verbally -- which she will not hesitate to do, if the situation calls for it. It is to Anora's eternal irritation that, had she been born a man, it would have been much easier for her to achieve power in the world. She is easily bored by those of lesser intelligence and often assumes a somewhat imperious manner. She has become accustomed, after all, to being served -- though this should never go over the top, as she was not born into luxury. Her father is of common birth and thus she has no noble blood, herself, and so she is no stranger to work. Ultimately Anora is a pragmatist and when she speaks she should always strain to make it plainly obvious that what she is saying is the clearest, most intelligent path to take. - Speech Patterns

The Highland dirk is not only a beautiful weapon and a symbol of honour. But also a very useful, practical tool. That is why most of the dirks are single-edged.

Back to the time before her marriage, when she was a little girl with pigtails and skinned knees, Anora learned how to using a dirk as both weapon and tool - the skills from her grandfather passed by her father.

Anora was born a commoner, at a time shortly after her father had driven foreigners out of Ferelden. Her father was rewarded with his elevation to Teyrn, so in truth Anora grew up knowing privilege -- it was her father that kept her very much aware of her common roots. Her mother died when she was young and thus it is her father that raised her. Which makes her a bit tomboyish in some ways, but at the same time she has inherited her father's skills and mannerisms. She was married to Cailan (then a Prince), a marriage which had been planned from her youth, and while she was happy enough it was always a marriage of convenience in her eyes. - Personal Background

For Queen Anora, the dirk maybe only a dress accessory. But if she need it, a capable woman can quickly pick up her blunted skills and sharp them.

"A man like you could make a fine prince and consort. Is this what you are actually proposing? My hand for your support?" I would rather be a king, not a prince. "And I am tired of ruling in a husband's name. If I marry again, it will not be to become a figurehead."

If, she need it.

* * *

She believes in serving her country first and foremost, but is often willing to set aside morals when a higher principle is at stake. She is perfectly willing to say that the royal bastard Alistair must be executed, for instance, or that her father must be spared because he is useful for his skills as a general -- but she will avoid underhanded measures unless there is no other way. She often takes the long-term view over the short, sometimes at the expense of those around her. She has been accused in the past of being cold and uncaring, though in truth neither are so. - Morals

Anora is a useful political ally. As long as you didn't exposure your back to her…

"And my people will insist on escorting me back to the palace… where my father may *also* have me killed."

(A few days later…)

He tried to kill you! "Did he? Are you certain of that?"

[mageglory]

I have no idea if I have ever summed all my Dragon Age Canon Characters but in short. Oh and I treat Bioware Canon like my playground so be warned.

Galria Theirin nee Brosca: Brosca origins (obviously), two handed reaver berserker. She is the Warden and becomes Queen of Ferelden with Alistair, her romance. She is the first non human queen of an human kingdom in history and tecnically she converted to andrastianism for politics (and because she doesn't care anyway about religion) but the Chantry keeps annoying her until Leli becomes Divine Victoria.

Ignis Hawke: Fire magic, Force magic and Blood Magic. He follows Anders romance and is a ruthless supporter of Mage RightsTM. He keeps switching between Red Hawke or Blue Hawke answers depending on who he is talking to (Red Hawke with Meredith, Elthina, Orlesians. Blue Hawke with fereldeans refugees, mages, elves and similar). He is one of the leaders of the Mage Underground with Anders if not the leader (mainly because Anders keeps telling him he's the boss even if Ignis considers himself equal to him) and he helped enlarge the underground across all the Free Marches, a lot of the random apostate npc we fight on the wounded coast are gonna live as members of the underground. To protect his identity/keep his family safe from Templars and because Hawke is not Hawke without drama he wears a mask in his rebel persona and Meredith has been yelling to Cullen to bring her the apostates leader in chains for years. He doesn't want to hurt civilians, but he is ready to accept civilians casualties as necessary if it's to free his people. His mabari is called Templar and Varric keeps saying Ignis exausted all his life capacity for jokes in that one idea. He's the gayest revolutionary/terrorist (depends who you ask) in town.

Raphaël De Bougainville: The Marquis of Serault. He has an obviously smaller role and is kinda irrelevant to The Fate of ThedasTM but he is a good guy despite having a very orlesian centric view of the world out of ignorance/cultural upbringing. His main worries are to restore Serault glory, which he succeeded in (and he also annexxes Aloyns along the road since the neighboor Marquis tried to sabotage his relationship with Justinia and failed) and romance Krem while visiting Skyhold. He had the idea to pay some mages after the rebellion won to come work for him with the glassworkers and now there are a lot of Serault glassworks for nobles with sparkly enchantments, but nothing plot relevant, he's just rich because now every noble in Orlais wants Serault magical glass. His main quirk is that he's an enthusiast of scientific research (think the king guy in Eragon) and his dream is to teach at the University of Orlais.

Melkior Lavellan: This damn boi is a pacifist. IN THEDAS. He is not the First of his clan, but only because he left the position to travel around the clans and bring messages/organize things. I'm not sure if canon mentions something similar but he's basically a travelling Keeper, so he has a bit more knowledge of the world, especially thanks to his high emotional intelligence. Kind of guy who smiles even when he doesn't like you and the "if he yells shit is going down" character archetype. Clan Lavellan Keeper is his grandma because his parents were murdered by Gaspard De Chalons during a dalish hunt, in front of him. Gaspard would have killed him too but decided that a knife eared kid wasn't worthy of a chevalier steel. Years later, Gaspard will fail to recognize Melkior at the Winter Palace (because elves are all the same amiright? I doubt Gaspard remembers his victims faces) and that's how the Granduke died and also one of the two occasions in which Melkior got really angry. Also, Melkior is the host to a spirit of Hope, which made the entire Inquisition scream in fear of abominations when they heard about that. Melkior romances Cassandra (altought I made her supposed character arc/change matter uh Bioware?) and tries to spare/redeem/imprison if necessary as much people as possible when sitting in Judgment because he doesn't like to kill and he does that enough on the field. At the end of Trespasser he disbands the Inquisition but he also creates a constitution that blocks the power of the Chantry so that in 100 years no Divine will be able to recreate Circles or Templars and a council to oversee the constitution with elected officials with a mandate of 5 years max.

Alidda Tabris: Someone could ask why I put the Tabris after the Lavellan, well that's because Alidda Tabris, my non warden dual wielder rougue, is more linked to Briala than Origins. She was prisoner of Arle Howe dungeons with others during Origins, forgotten there after having murdered the Arle son. She was freed by the Warden before the Landsmeet and despite the long imprisonment she suffered she fought in the Battle of Denerim, defending the alienage. After the death of the Archdemon, she helped King Alistair and Queen Galria in dealing with the many issues the elves had and was later sended to Orlais to investigate the risk of a new invasion of Ferelden. She joined Briala during the events of The Masked Empire, helping Celene in beating Gaspard but hating the Empress for her genocide of elves, she was helping only because forced to choose between her and Gaspard. She joined Briala at the end of the book and the two got together shortly after. In Inquisition, Alidda breaks in Celene vault during Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearths to get her beloved medallion back and the two keep plotting the liberation of the Dales after the ball.

Livia Amladaris: Magister of Tevinter, new leader of House Amladaris, descendeant of Corypheus and the worst person ever and I love her for that. Livia is literally my favourite classic villain tropes throwed together, because if you don't do that in Tevinter what's the point. While Livia wasn't a Venatori during Inquisition, she took control of the movement later. She is considered the most beautiful woman in the Imperium by many (the Amladaris pratic eugenics unironically) and she is a political genious and probably the greatest demonologist and necromancer (the Quentin kind, not the Dorian kind) Tevinter will ever see. Sadly, all this perfection on paper was given to a woman who respects only one thing: power and hates the other Magisters because they are limited in their ambitions. Livia intends to not simply enter in the Fade like her ancestor, but to open thousands of minor rifts controlled only by her, causing an army of binded demons to invade every nation of Thedas at once. The Imperium will rise again with her as the first Imperatrix of all Thedas. Someone could call her mad, but if she is mad then she is of the lucid and most dangerous kind. She has invented numerous evil spells (the "blood sacrifices and demons" kind) and has the power to turn others in abominations against their will. She is at last defeated at the end of DA4, but not before she blood sacrificed all of her supporters inside the Imperial Senate to start her ritual and shapeshifted into a giant monster before being slain. She is the Maleficent of Thedas and I love a good old fashioned evil witch ok?

[anora-mac-tired]

Long winded Anora rant ahead, and a most likely poorly worded explanation of what happened at the Arl's Estate, and Anora's motivations, since y'all are struggling.):

am i the only one here who was not betrayed by anora to ser cauthrien?

Like when cauthrien showed up and was like "Y u kidnapping the queen" instead of even pointing anora out i just when straight to the "GET OUT MY WAY OR FIGHT ME" option

That way, Anora gets away with the rest of your companions and no one says "She betrayed us tf"

Its really common sense that you shouldnt expose Anora to cauthrien, idk why y'all struggle with this.

Arl Howe jailed her, fearing she was working with wardens, or "against her father" (ie, against Howe. Howe isnt exactly loyal to Loghain (he's a self serving snake, no offense to snakes), and it was likely Anora was trying to get her father to do something about him. Ive no proof of that but it works as a motive for Howe to seal her in a room and try to threaten her no?) Anora asks for the wardens help because she thinks it was Loghain who ordered her locked up. Its obvious when cauthrien shows up that she was under orders to retrieve anora by Loghain, so locking her up was not loghains plan. (obviously, he loves his daughter far too much. Thats one of loghains defining traits)

So anora's choice is a) Follow Cauthrien and claim the wardens were kidnapping her or b) Side with the wardens and be seen as a traitor to loghain (yall realize that she would lose any edge she may have in the landsmeet, against loghain, because her support for the wardens required the element of surprise right?)

Of course, if your warden realizes this, it makes sense why you shouldnt make Anora try and explain to Cauthrien that wardens were rescuing her, and just tell cauthrien to eff off or fight. After that, Anora yeets out of there during the combat most likely and goes to Arl Eamon. (because she realizes the Blight is Bad and she needs the wardens to get the support if the bannorn, so they can supoort her for the throne back from her civil war instigating father, so she can stop the civil war.)

she can back either Eamon or Loghain in the landsmeet, and that decision ways on whether the Warden (the Neutral Factor) will support her bid for the throne. If the warden promises support, then she will support them in the landsmeet (btw, Alistair stannies, you can promise her support and still make alistair king, its called Lying. (no seriously you can go back on your word. Politics yo)

If the warden doesnt, then what fucking good are they?? If Alistair becomes king, first of all Anora doesnt get the throne (which she wants, because she believes shes the best for ferelden and she has basically ruled the country for 5 years. No one is going to just hand over the reigns of something they hold dear to a random noob who hasnt ruled a day in his life (the whole "But hes of the Royal Blood" is exactly the reason why monarchism is so damn dangeous and daft. Being of "royal blood" does not qualify one to rule. And we all know Eamon would have done all the ruling lmao) and secondly, she fears she may be EXECUTED. Tell me eamon wouldn't. She would be seen as a threat to alistair's rule (and by hidden extension, Eamon).

On that note: Anora doesnt owe you loyalty. Yall need to sit and eat some humble pie.

End rant.

This is why the landsmeet is my fave mission. Its an extremely well done politcal mission and honestly? Bioware did so well with that entire arc. Its just.. So... COMPLEX

Anyway, Stan Anora Mac Tir

[irhinoceri]

Not to be overly critical, but....

I’m about 3 hours into The Stolen Throne, and just got to Rowan’s introduction. First thing she does is punch Maric in the face with an armored gauntlet.

Right. I know she’s his eventual queen (and gets weirdly killed off between novels--since I’ve already listened to The Calling) so this introduction made me pause my audiobook and heave a deep, weary sigh.

First off, I do not understand Gaider’s characterization of Maric. I just don’t. I’m trying to remember back to his portrayal in The Calling and the Until We Sleep comic, and I don’t recall him being a buffoon, but this book is like “Maric is a useless clown who is entirely unprepared to be king” and it’s like the most uncharitable interpretation of Alistair only it makes NO SENSE.

Alistair wasn’t a leader because he was a bastard who was raised with no direction -- no one involved in his upbringing had any real idea that he would be in line for the throne because despite living in a brutal medieval fantasy world, no one expected Cailan to die without an heir. (In the game it’s hinted that Alistair is given the beacon lighting task specifically to keep him away from the battle so that if Cailan fell he would still be alive, but that’s 20 years too late to start planning ahead, of you ask me!)

Anyway, it’s understandable that Alistair isn’t “king material” and has to undergo a character journey (pushed along by your warden and others) in order to grow into someone who will take responsibility. (Shut up Dragon Age Inquisition, I see you trying to retcon that and would like to show you my gauntleted fist). It’s understandable because of his backstory. Raised not to be a king or leader of any kind, actually raised by people who didn’t care about him at all, who even were openly hostile towards him and tried to get rid of him. His joking and self-deprecation and unwillingness to step up and be a leader are all ways to hide insecurity and loneliness and the fact that he has never been loved or respected by anyone. I mean, Fuck Eamon and Isolde Guerrin, and fuck Maric too! Fiona entrusted you with her only son and you fucked up Maric, you fucked up!

Anyway.

Why is Maric an Alistair 2.0? Why the fuck is the son of the Rebel Queen so ill-prepared? I haven’t gotten a satisfactory answer and it’s been 3 hours. Like, I would understand if he were a pampered prince archetype who has been too busy enjoying being rich and privileged to put in the work necessary, that’s a good condemnation of monarchy in general, why someone is deemed fit to rule a nation just because of their parentage, etc. etc.

But let’s consider that his entire life up to this point has been one of exile and war. Yes, the novel makes it clear that he had some privilege because there were always people in Ferelden who support the Rebel Queen and give them a place to live. Much like Daenerys and Viserys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. Unlike the Targaryens, though, Maric still has his mother (father?) and grandfather growing up, and unlike the Targaryens, the Theirins are out of power because they were conquered by an invading empire, they were not deposed in a civil war caused by their own cruelty/madness. So even though Viserys and Daenerys didn’t end up making the greatest leaders (fuck you, GoT, never forgive, never forget) that’s not to say that I think it’s a 1:1 correlation and Maric couldn’t have been raised with his future Kingship in mind.

Anyway, I’m rambling, but I’m just so frustrated with how for 3 hours I’ve just been listening to how useless a king Maric is because he was completely unprepared for his mother to die. She was a great woman, a queen who inspired loyalty and led a rebellion, but she didn’t bother to prepare her son to take her place?? He should have been her second in command at this point! Really now.

If this whole thing was a condemnation of monarchal rule I’d be a little less irritated but I don’t feel like it is, I feel like this is all just a character flaw for Maric to give him an arc. And the problem is that I already witnessed and participated in this arc with Alistair. I was already in Loghain’s shoes playing as the Warden. And you know what, it was Better that way.

Side note, I am starting to realize why I’ve seen people who are pro-Loghain and Anora and hate Alistair/klill him/exile him (or at the very least don’t choose to make him king and have him stay a warden) cite The Stolen Throne as reasons why the Theirin line needs to end. When I played Origins I definitely saw Alistair as needing to rise to the occasion etc. etc. etc. but it’s like.... woof buddy... you really do come from a long line of idiots. I am so sorry.

I did like Maric in The Calling, though. I’m struggling to remember why, but I recall him being depressed and suffering from PTSD so that’s probably a big part of it. The Calling was just Maric and Fiona being sad and doing some sad fucking in the Deep Roads and I was like “Yes, Very Sad People Fucking. My Kink.”

(Joking.. sort of... but broken people finding some solace in one another? Chef’s kiss.)

Oh my god I nearly forgot what I originally meant to rant about.

As irritating as it has been to listen to the Maric and Loghain show, the fact that Rowan fucking decks Maric the instant she shows up in the novel pissed me the fuck off.

This is a guy whos mother was brutally murdered in front of him, has been on the run, got blamed for getting Loghain’s father killed even though Gareth was the one insisting on sacrificing his life for the glory of Fereldan Kings, and had to make a deal with a witch just to survive.... and Rowan’s reaction upon seeing him (knowing that his mother is dead) is to.... punch him?

And I’m supposed to go HUR HUR HUR, here’s a Strong Female Character. That’s right, Loghain, get a hard on for this Strong Female Character who just punched a man who was not threatening her at all, in the face, with a METAL fist because... he’s annoying? He talks too much? He DESERVED to get hit by his future wife because..... reasons!

IDK. I can’t stand Loghain, either. His PoV is very anti-elven and anti-mage (shocker) and I’m wondering when we’re going to get to the part that makes people into Loghain stans.

Anyway, I love Dragon Age.

[gayhawkelatehomicide]

Protagonist Masterpost

Here's the list of my playthroughs for reference if anyone's curious who tf I'm talking about in my pieces!

Wardens

Aridhel Mahariel - bow rogue, romanced Zevran, straightforward dalish who neither understands nor cares about shemlen (or durgenlen) politics, blood magic is probably fine as long as you use it responsibly, anxious and blunt, "let's focus on stopping the world-ending plague of darkspawn first, and worry about the rest of this bullshit later, hm?"

Saffron Cousland - sword and shield warrior, romanced Alistair, noble in every sense of the word but cheerful and friendly, Queen of Ferelden, Arlessa of Amaranthine (and Highever), killed Rendon Howe with her father's sword, fixated on duty, "because it's the right thing to do."

Theodore Amell - arcane warrior mage, romanced Morrigan, bastardization arc powered by Morrigan whispering bad ideas in his ear, loves his terrible witch girlfriend, blood magic is fine and the chantry is oppressive, ambitious, "I am no longer baby, now I want power."

Renan Tabris - dagger rogue, romanced Leliana, disaster bi, still grieving for her almost husband but would rather die than admit it, exactly zero patience for anyone's bullshit, raised Andrastian (derogatory), canonically kind of a bitch, loves her stupid new baby brother, harden everyone, distrustful, "like dogs, Shianni"

Valda Aeducan - two handed warrior, romanced Leliana, honorable and serious, trusts no one, girl raised in harsh political nonsense learns to trust her found family and forgive her bio family while unlearning bad lessons simulator, sneaky/quiet sense of humor, intense loyalty to her people, values tradition but values compassion more, genuinely regrets what happened with Trian, "For the honor of my house, though I have none myself any longer."

Hawkes

Iris Hawke - knife rogue, romanced Anders, diplomatic as a means to an end, loves mages so much, circle mage Bethany, will do anything to protect what's left of her family, noble impulses but awful sense of humor, fanatic, "why don't we try asking the Arishok nicely?"

Ian Hawke - elemental mage, romanced Fenris, sarcastic, sided with the templars because magic is an essential part of him but it's brought nothing but grief to him and his family, templar Carver, quip for every situation, never loses his positive outlook for long, self-loathing, "dad did WHAT for the Wardens? Why am I not surprised."

Kiera Hawke - two-handed warrior, romanced Isabella, sarcastic/aggressive, sad bastard warrior Hawke, everyone who gets close to her dies, Bethany dies, good attitude broken by the wear and tear of life, loves her buddies who are also terrible, angry and broken, "you tell me where Bartrand is, I'll help you wring his fucking neck"

Alice Hawke - knife rogue, romanced Merrill, circle mage Bethany, p much pure diplomatic bc she's genuinely that nice, mom friend central, no one is irredeemable, far too trusting, kind of a busybody, "clean your blades, watch your purse strings, don't be a dick."

Delilah Hawke - big damage mage, in love with Varric so no romance because Bioware are cowards, pure sarcasm, sends Carver to the wardens, adores her stupid chaotic bisexual family, beat down by this world but stubbornly clinging to joy, flat refuses to talk about her problems, uses her staff as a polearm, "Where would I be without my trusty dwarf?"

Inquisitors

Miriani Lavellan - assassin bow rogue, romanced Solas, confused hardass Dalish doing her very best to navigate suddenly being in charge of all of this stuff, cares so much about everyone all the time, terrified but resigned to her responsibilities, self-sacrificing, sense of humor buried under all that sincerity. "I am the Inquisitor, through no virtue of my own. Vir suledin nadas."

Asher Adaar - two-handed warrior, romanced nobody, blunt and direct Tal-Vashoth mercenary who gets persuaded that maybe she actually is the herald of andraste, but honestly just wants to handle the things with as little religious and/or political nonsense as possible, blunt and violent, "We save Thedas TWICE, my hand wants to kill me, we save the exalted council specifically, and this is what we get??"

Stephan Trevelyan - rift mage, romanced Cassandra, a good sweet Andrastian boy, true prophet who has a meltdown when he finds out about Solas, best friends with Dorian, keeps the inquisition and wants to really save the world, stubborn AF, "Faith is a choice. The Maker set these events in motion so long ago we can no longer see His hand in them."

Samahl Lavellan - tempest knife rogue, romanced Dorian, cheerful, sarcastic, and overwhelmed, insanely competent but good at hiding it, terrible little bastard, hates responsibilities, laughs in the face of danger (and Cassandra), keeps insisting he's not the Herald, kinda lazy, "I guess I'm learning now, aren't I, Mother?"

Riska Cadash - artificer knife rogue, romanced Sera, direct and sometimes brutal but ultimately caring, the WORST sense of humor, criminal upbringing noble fashion sense, besties with Dagna, vaguely andrastian and very confused, "What's the worst that could happen?"

Continuities

Aridhel, Ian, Miriani - Protector, Victim, Survivor

Saffron, Iris, Asher - Shield, Dagger, Sword

Theodore, Kiera, Stephan - Ambition, Sorrow, Faith

Renan, Alice, Samahl - Vengeance, Kindness, Laughter

Valda, Delilah, Riska - Exile, Prodigal, Pauper

Miscellaneous Inquisitors

Isene Lavellan - fire mage, romances Iron Bull, primarily jokes and asks questions, basically a horrible mix of Miriani and Samahl. Sweet and a bit of a brat but ultimately up to the challenge. A disaster at the winter palace. Her general response to her workload getting heavier is to adjust the straps that hold the world on her back and carry on with a smile. "Oh I would've made a shit Keeper, I like starting fights, lighting fires, and knowing stuff I'm not supposed to know way to much."

Harea Lavellan - knight enchanter and ice mage, romances Cullen, open minded and sweet, a bit naive but genuinely wants to make the world better, distressed by the mark and the everything but willing to bear it to keep others from suffering. Self sacrifice is a big theme here.

Rogelan Lavellan - sword and shield warrior, romances Josephine, kind of a hard-ass but willing to be romantic, would rather talk than fight but won't give up his ideals, careful and deliberate in everything he does but bold when he's made a decision. Understands shem bullshit better than most.

Helga Cadash - big hammer warrior, romances Blackwall, personality tbd

[lethendralis-paints]

A comprehensive list of my favourite Fenris/f!Hawke fanfiction:

(I tried to tag authors who have blogs on Tumblr and also note the abandoned or in-progress fics too) 

 It is time to do this properly (also the one and only @kallielef asked for FenHawke fic recommendations), so here goes:

‘Lovers in A Dangerous Time’ by @pikapeppa - an ongoing novel-length fanfiction centering on Fenris the Inquisitor and Rynne Hawke; one moment it’s fluffy, romantic and lighthearted and the other it’s taking a deep dive into the readers psyche, crushing our collective hearts. 

‘Invicta, Invictus’ by @loquaciousquark        https://archiveofourown.org/works/5736415/chapters/13218469 (FHawke/Fenris Tevinter magisters AU, friendship to romance, adventure, perfect in every way!).

‘How to happily harbor a viper in your midst’ by Sattar https://archiveofourown.org/works/1015027/chapters/2015647 (FHawke/Fenris friendship to romance, comfort, psychology, humour).  (sadly, unfinished)

‘Damned Spot’ by @pikapeppa https://archiveofourown.org/works/17710157/chapters/41780090 (FHawke/Fenris, friendship to romance of course, modern Thedas AU,). illustrated by wonderful @schoute

‘Flight of a Hawk, Return of a Wolf’ by RedHawkeRevolver https://archiveofourown.org/works/1258807/chapters/2591650  (FHawke/Fenris Tevinter magisters AU, adventure, romance, intrigue, dreams, incredibly sweet romance, Fade, there’s everything there!) I did some illustrations for this one!

‘With You Still’ by @theherocomplex (a part of incredibly touching series called ‘Distant Shores and Voices’ spanning the entirety of Fenris and Hawke romance arc).

‘You Found Me’ by @quinnlocke https://archiveofourown.org/works/5301725/chapters/12239651 A three-part series of incredibly well thought out and sweet fics set in modern AU ( centered around a culinary school of all things!) 

‘October and April’ by Roarkshop https://archiveofourown.org/works/1143666/chapters/2314874 (an interesting twist on FHawke rogue and Fenris’ romance).

‘Undone’ by @codenamecynic​ one of those genius stories born out of a simple kink meme prompt! Features a flustered and insanely hot Fenris finding his way through the pitfalls of friendship slowly turning to love https://archiveofourown.org/works/482156/chapters/838851 

‘Did I hear” by @minionripley  https://archiveofourown.org/works/3881170/chapters/8676322 another one of those fanfiction gems that turns a simple prompt into a whirlwind of emotions and drama. That scene with a bread loaf (no, it’s not what you think it is, ok!) is so sweet and insanely hot at the same time, that it haunts my dreams to this day!

‘Sunrise, Sunset (Or How Do You Say Sod Off In Tevinter?)’ (updated) by AkiDragonwings https://archiveofourown.org/works/2348693/chapters/5180153 (if you like long dialogues, heroes engaging in deep, 2 chapters long,  philosophical discussions, weird humour, layered dream sequences and psychological studies, then this long fic is for you! Ilove it to bits)

‘Six Feet’ by SnappingQuills on AO3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/291323/chapters/466056 - a heartwrenching and masterfully written fanfiction based on a deceptivly simple prompt. Ends on such a sweet note, I very nearly died!

‘Undefeated’ by @fawxdraws  https://archiveofourown.org/works/4395161/chapters/9978923 - a sadly unfinished masterpiece of modern punk and underground fighting ring AU goodness (beautifully illustrated by the author!).

‘Champion’ by Vashoth on FF.net https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10826002/1/Champion an incredibly imaginitive fairytale AU with Hawke being queen Leandra’s daughter forced to offer her hand in marriage to the knight who wins the grand tournament held in her honor. Fenris is a runaway slave who stole a knight’s identity by chance and is taking part in the competition. This fic holds my heart forever by giving Fenris nickname “Goose” and having both Bethany and Carver in it.

‘Love is a farm in Ferelden’ - maybe the sweetest and fluffiest work of fanfiction created by the wonderful  Shinkshinkshink  and JenniferHawke on FF.net (sadly unfinished). https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9161497/1/Love-is-a-Farm-in-Ferelden  An AU set 3 years before the blight chases the Hawke family away from Lothering, with Fenris finding his way to this small town in search of refuge. Hawke family present in full, with the best Malcolm Hawke i’ve seen in fanfiction ever!

I hope I will be able to add more wonderful gems of writing to this list as time goes on!

 These stories had touched my heart, helped me to pull through my depression, cured my soul, made me laugh, cry, provide endless inspiration for artwork and solidify FenHawke as my ultimate OTP until I die!