#bastien de ghislain

[abyssal-ilk]

thinking so so hard about vivienne's defensive reactions to dorian and cassandra trying (and failing) to comfort her over bastien's passing. chewing on it. thinking about her inability to talk about bastien, even to an inquisitor when the player tries to talk to her about him.

and then her banter with blackwall, who is one of the companions she has a mostly negative dynamic with, yet it is him and not dorian or cassandra that she responds kindly to.

blackwall doesn't dance around it or try to lessen the blow of bringing it up like dorian and cassandra do, and i think she appreciates that directness. she still doesn't open herself up to him, though. she is so,,, agh

[anneapocalypse]

Why Vivienne Needs the Inquisition

No one 'winds up' at Court, my dear. It takes a great deal of effort to arrive there.

–Enchanter Vivienne to the Inquisitor

An ask I received (referring, I think, to something I said in this post, though I've alluded to it at other points as well):

How/why is Vivienne's position at court shakier than it seems? (Please publish this anonymously.)

Thank you for asking! I’ve wanted to write something on this subject for a while, so I appreciate the push to get it all down. It’s something I find really interesting about Vivienne, because it's something she doesn't want the Inquisitor, or anyone, to know, so it's all subtext in the game. Vivienne is a character who always holds the player character at arms' length--a bit less so when she likes them, but there is always some distance there. As such, she's a difficult character to get to know.

And while I do have some issues with the way Vivienne is handled in the game, particularly with narrative and quest design, I won’t be touching on those heavily here. For this post I want to focus on what can be determined about her motivations from the character as written.

Vivienne can be recruited to the Inquisition after the Inquisitor's first trip to Val Royeaux. Notably, she seeks out the Inquisitor's attention herself, inviting them to a gala at the Duke of Ghislain's estate, and also notably, once recruited she will not leave the Inquisition and cannot be forced to leave, no matter how low her approval of the Inquisitor. This is also something I have seen people question: why can't you kick Vivienne out, and why won't she simply leave if she disapproves of your choices? I hope this post will answer that question as well.

The most critical aspect of Vivienne's character to understand, I think, is that she has no stable institutional power. She is not a noble. She has no familial connections of the sort that can help even a mage to keep their head above water. She is a woman who was taken from her family at a young age and raised in an institution, and who has used all her wit and charisma to make the very best of that situation for herself.

Vivienne's position as First Enchanter of Montsimmard is mostly an achievement within the Circle itself. Montsimmard itself, however, was also a stepping stone to influence outside the Circle. Personally, I think the fact that Vivienne declined to join any fraternity when she became a full Enchanter, a shocking move at the time, indicates that she held ambitions outside the Circle from a young age. And Montsimmard was the perfect proving ground for her, a major Orlesian city whose ruling family maintain close relations with the Circle. In The Masked Empire, the Marquise de Montsimmard boasts about dining at the Circle, and she and her husband wear masks adorned with lyrium crystals which we are told were a gift from the First Enchanter. It seems likely, though not confirmed, that this was Vivienne herself.

(Incidentally, it is a real shame that Vivienne’s character seems to have solidified so late in the game’s development, because in retrospect I really feel her absence in the novels. She gets a brief mention in The Masked Empire as Madame de Fer, and absolutely nothing in Asunder, which we'll come back to.)

It seems that the Montsimmard mages were called upon with some regularity to entertain the court, and this is how Vivienne first caught the attention of Duke Bastien in 9:16 Dragon. Within a year, she had moved into a suite in his estate. Her position came under attack for the next few years, but nonetheless, after a single meeting with Empress Celene in 9:20 Dragon, she became the newly-crowned Empress's Court Enchanter.

(Edited to add: It seems to be sometime after this that Vivienne became First Enchanter of Montsimmard, at "an age young enough to cause scandal," though the date is never confirmed that I can find. Incidentally, as @shrovetidecat brought to my attention in the notes, Fiona is also supposed to have been Grand Enchanter of Montsimmard, which given that may be a lore inconsistency, unless Vivienne is only meant to have taken the position after Fiona rose to Grand Enchanter—and I'm not sure why a 40-year-old First Enchanter would be scandalous.)

By the time she meets the Inquisitor, she is likely somewhere in her 40s, and has been the Enchanter to the Imperial Court and the Mistress to the Duke de Ghislain for twenty years. She regularly mingles with the court and has built a practically unprecedented influence for herself in Orlesian high society.

And it's all about to fall apart, for three critical reasons.

First, the obvious: the mage rebellion. One cannot be First Enchanter of a Circle that no longer exists, though Vivienne certainly tries. A majority of mages, even if by a razor-thin margin, have declared that they do not recognize the Circle's authority—and therefore Vivienne's authority as a loyal Enchanter within that system.

I think Vivienne's dialogue with the Inquisitor and her remarks if taken to Redcliffe reveal a deep frustration and resentment of Grand Enchanter Fiona, who called for the vote to leave the Circle and now leads the rebel mages. Vivienne of course handles this in the manner to which she is accustomed, the culture of the Imperial Court, in which trading in verbal jabs and barely-veiled insults is a standard matter of social one-upsmanship. Outside of that environment, she comes across as petty and rude, which is an interesting point of characterization in itself: Vivienne has thrived in the court environment, but she does seem to have a bit of trouble adapting her manner to different circumstances, where that sort of thing might not benefit her. But what she's trying to do is frame herself before the Inquisitor as the reasonable and respectable mage, and Fiona as misguided and pitiable. How well this goes for her, of course, depends on who the Inquisitor is. But the effort itself kind of reveals the shaky ground she's standing on.

In her dialogue with the Inquisitor, Vivienne claims that as the rebel mages follow Fiona, the loyal mages follow her. But where are these loyal mages? There's maybe one or two mages we meet in the game (Enchanter Ellendra comes to mind) who seem to respect Vivienne's word. But if the loyal mages look to her as a leader, why is Ellendra alone in a cave in the Hinterlands to begin with? Why doesn't Vivienne bring a group of these loyal mages with her to Skyhold?

I think it's because Vivienne doesn't truly have followers among the mages, the way Fiona does. This is the story she's telling the Inquisitor, to capitalize on the idea that the rebel position is not a consensus, and also that she still has influence among a significant number of mages. The truth is, she doesn't. She’s spent most of her life courting influence outside the Circle, not in it. She has presided over a Circle where she doesn’t even live day-to-day. I can’t imagine that has particularly endeared her to many of her fellow mages, even the ones who are loyalists or moderates.

Contrast this with Wynne, a pro-Circle Aequitarian who is deeply involved in Circle life despite undertaking sanctioned work outside the tower, and is also deeply involved in the events leading up to the vote for independence. Whatever the Doylist reasons for Vivienne's absense from Asunder, the fact remains: she's just not there. She has no presence in the events leading up to the rebellion. When speaking critically of Fiona's vote, she discusses it in the context of Anders' attack on the Kirkwall Chantry, and says nothing of the circumstances surrounding Fiona's push for a vote—not the revelations about Tranquility, not the conclave (no not that Conclave, the conclave of mages at which Fiona called for the vote for independence), not the subsequent massacre by the templars and the remaining mages' decision to stand and fight. And perhaps most notably, no one mentions Vivienne, positively or negatively, during the events of Asunder. Not once. We are left with the conclusion that Vivienne is simply not heavily involved in Circle politics, no matter what impression she may wish to give the Inquisitor. Her influence does not lie within the Circle.

And I think Vivienne knows this, and realizes that it's suddenly become a big problem for her.

The second big problem is Morrigan.

Vivienne has had the favor of the Empress herself for twenty years. She has, by others' accounts, managed to turn the position of Court Enchanter from "little more than court jester" to a position of influence and respect. And then the Grand Duke attempts a coup, and the Empress's elven lover runs away with a dangerous secret, and suddenly the Empress is enlisting the services of some unwashed swamp witch while Vivienne is standing right there!

Like I cannot overstate what a absolutely galling slap in the face it would be to Vivienne that even as she is attempting to uphold the legitimacy of the Circle and thus of her own authority within it, Celene effectively creates the "Arcane Advisor" position as "Court Mage 2: Apostate Boogaloo" just so she can get advice on non-Circle-approved magics. Advice that Vivienne could not give even if she wanted to, even if the Empress asked, because she has no knowledge of eluvians and ancient elven magic.

Both Dorian and Cole needle Vivienne about her jealousy of Morrigan, and I think quite accurately, no matter how quick Vivienne is to deny it.

Her influence over the Empress is fast eroding. She has been replaced in all but name.

And the third and most personal big problem is Bastien's illness.

Vivienne has enjoyed a romance with one of the empire's most influential nobles for twenty years. She has lived in his home and been on good terms with his wife until her passing. Her influence in the Imperial Court owes a lot to Bastien's affections. Bastien is not only a Duke but a member of the Council of Heralds, the political body responsible for overseeing matters of titles and inheritance in Orlais. They are quite literally the most powerful group in the country; even the Empress rules at their favor, without which she would never have gained the throne in the first place.

And now Bastien is dying, something Vivienne takes care not to mention to the Inquisitor at first. It's not until after the ball at the Winter Palace that Vivienne asks the Inquisitor for help with her potion in a last-ditch attempt to prolong his life—and even then she does not reveal her true purpose until after the Inquisitor has returned with the wyvern's heart. And while it's possible to interpret multiple ways, I personally believe from her response to his death that she did care for Bastien. She didn't need to bring the Inquisitor to his deathbed at all, if she wanted to continue concealing his illness, something she's taken care to do up until that point. It bespeaks a measure of trust that she allows the Inquisitor to see her so—in her grief, as well as in her loss of position.

Because Bastien's death is a terrible loss for Vivienne socially as well as personally. Bastien's son will inherit his estate, and whether Vivienne is allowed to go on living there will be entirely at his discretion. Perhaps he will permit her to stay, but she cannot count upon his grace, nor upon the protection she enjoyed with Bastien any longer; and furthermore if she is allowed to stay, it will be a favor to her, making her beholden rather than granting her greater influence. She won't have the dignity of being Bastien's widow; she is his mistress, and respected as that position may be in the Orlesian court, it gives her no true claim to his family.

Vivienne is about to lose everything she has built for herself.

Without Bastien, without Celene, she will be left with… what? The position of First Enchanter to a Circle that no longer exists? If her own best-case scenario occurs and the rebellion is halted and the Circles are reinstated, then she still loses all the freedom she has gained and is forced to return to a Circle tower herself—a sphere in which, as previously discussed, she holds less influence than she would like the Inquisitor to believe. Even if she remains First Enchanter, it's hard to see this as anything but a massive step down in the social hierarchy, the beginning of a long slide into what the Fade reveals as her greatest fear: irrelevance.

It's a humiliation that Vivienne cannot bear.

This is why she won't leave the Inquisition, no matter how much she may despise the Inquisitor. Vivienne needs the Inquisition far more than she lets on. This even puts the petty low-approval furniture-moving scene into context. Yes, she’s doing it to snub the Inquisitor, but that doesn’t actually gain her anything. I think it’s deeper than that. The Inquisition was Vivienne’s fallback plan, and it’s not going well. The Inquisitor is making her look bad, she is finding no avenue to further advancement here, but she can’t leave. So, her response is to try to reclaim some sense of control over her life, asserting a kind of power she had at Bastien’s estate and was likely denied in the Circle: control over her own space.

Even if Bastien were to live a bit longer, Vivienne really has nowhere higher she can climb in the Imperial Court. She can't become a noble herself. She can't marry Bastien, or any other noble for that matter, because she is a mage. And I'm sure she's highly aware of this fact. Bastien is several years a widower himself; it is not his former marriage that prevents him from marrying her, now. It is her status as a mage which bars her from entering a noble family, legally, socially, politically. That Bastien never seems to have raised the question at all speaks to the fact that no matter how much he may have stuck his neck out for Vivienne, there was a line even he was not interested in crossing.

So where does she have to go from here?

Along comes the nascent Inquisition. Shaking things up. If any organization could rattle the gilded walls of the Chantry, it's this one.

Why not take a stab at the Chantry, at this point? What does she have to lose?

It didn’t really sink in for me for several playthroughs because she isn't wearing cleric's garb, but Bastien's sister Marcelline, who visits Skyhold after his death with Bastien’s son? She's a grand cleric. One of the surviving grand clerics who will decide the next Divine. Vivienne involves the Inquisitor in her plan to save Bastien, a plan she likely knows will fail—but she puts in the effort. She then introduces the Inquisitor to Grand Cleric Marcelline, having told her how the Inquisitor came to her aid. Marcelline expresses gratitude: “Madame de Fer has told us what great trials you faced, trying to save my poor brother’s life.” Bastien’s son Laurent is a powerful ally in his own right, now a member of the Council of Heralds, but also likely the one who will decide whether Vivienne keeps her suite in the Ghislain estate.

And if the conversation goes well, Vivienne tells the Inquisitor that it was "quite the triumph." If the Inquisitor expresses confusion, she patiently explains the influence that both Laurent and Marcelline wield, and that they have now secured the trust of both. If Vivienne becomes Divine, Marcelline’s favor no doubt goes a long way in getting her there.

Of course Vivienne will continue to take a conservative position on the mage question. A mage looking to insinuate herself into the Chantry hierarchy would have to, just as a mage seeking the freedom to consort with the court would have to. In the same way that a Hawke with aspirations of seizing the vacant seat of Kirkwall's Viscount must side with the templars at the end to show the nobility that they represent stability and order, the Chantry's first mage cleric must be pro-Circle, pro-templar, conservative to the bone. Vivienne seems to recognize this as far more important than actually appearing devout. It's also fascinating to me how little she bothers to make any pretense of a personal faith, instead always discussing the Chantry as an important social institution and political body. And this attitude doesn't seem to impede her chances at the Sunburst Throne very much, no more so than being a mage already would.

Vivienne knows exactly what she's doing. She always has.

Vivienne comes to the Inquisition seeking power and influence in the Chantry because her position among the nobility is falling apart. Whether she comes in with the intention to reach for the Sunburst throne itself is debatable, and I personally think it might have been the intent that she does have that ambition but seeks to let the Inquisitor think it was their own idea, though I'm iffy on how successful that is if it was the intent. Nonetheless, I do believe that Vivienne comes to the Inquisition with the intent to seek influence within the Chantry, realizing that the recent upheaval may offer her a unique opportunity to do so. And depending on how closely the Inquisitor aligns with her goals, she may succeed quite dramatically.

References

Codex Entry: Madame de Fer

Talking with Vivienne at Haven and Skyhold

Vivienne's high disapproval scene

After Bastien's death

Banter with Cole

Banter with Dorian

The World of Thedas vol. 2, pp. 235-239 (hardcover edition)

Dragon Age: The Masked Empire, p. 31 (paperback edition)

[dalishious]

Sorry but I wanted to ask your opinion on this thought: Vivienne is unable to understand not everyone is as privileged as she is in regards to leaving the circle at first. She honestly thinks it’s that easy to find a patron and be allowed out.

It’s one of those things I notice a lot in certain communities I’m part of: those who are better off sometimes cannot understand why it’s hard for others. People whose parents have money don’t get why other people with the same disabilities as them are struggling to hold down jobs. Vivienne lucked out in her own way by getting into a somewhat decent circle and then having Bastion fall for her, so Templars wouldn’t risk pissing off a noble man.

What are your thoughts on this?

"Every person within each tower had an experience of Circle life unique to themselves. Some people suffered, and some were content. Some were cruel, some compassionate, and some indifferent." —Vivienne, when asked about Circle life

Now, one could certainly argue that the above quote is a cop-out. I certainly think it's part of the larger thread of Inquisition's push to make the Circles seem like they weren't that bad, despite every bit of previous lore showing and telling otherwise. But regardless, here Vivienne does acknowledge that she is aware to some degree that there was suffering.

"Nobody "winds up" at court, my dear. It takes a great deal of effort to arrive there. I caught the eye of Duke Bastien de Ghislain, an advantageous connection that opened many doors. When the position of enchanter to the Imperial Court became vacant, I was able to secure it." —Vivienne, when asked how she became court enchanter

Here, Vivienne says that she had to work hard to get her position, and I believe it. While luck played a role in terms of her love life with Duke Bastien, rising in power and connections and playing The Game from the disadvantage of being a mage is a challenge she had to overcome.

Vivienne has shown to be a uniquely talented and well spoken player of The Game. But 9/10 mages aren't going to have that skill, and they shouldn't have to just to have the small freedoms Vivienne won. And I say small freedoms, because let us remember that as Duke Bastien's lover, as court enchanter, her freedom is still entirely reliant on others. She must maintain good graces with those higher up on the Orlesian privilege scale in order to be treated as a fellow person. She is not allowed to slip up, even once, or she risks everything. It's no wonder Vivienne constantly holds herself with such structure and high standards.

[linka-from-captain-planet]

since evidently this won't come up in DAV, my personal headcanon is that reconciled Celene and Briala were too busy fucking to show up in Trespasser specifically because they were having a sort of last hurrah before operationalizing the next necessary phase in Celene's rule: producing a legitimate heir

Celene avoided it for literal decades, but following the civil war and with the impending change in the Inquisition, and considering her age, it was just not something she could put off any longer if she wanted to preserve the Valmont line and her own legacy

(and it helps now that her relationship with Briala is more or less secure, so she doesn't feel as desperately clingy)

for her husband, I draft the late Duke Bastien's son, Laurent de Ghislain. As a Duke, the new head of the Council of Heralds, and a devout Andrastian, he's a suitably illustrious partner for an Empress but more importantly: the messiness. His elder sister, Calienne, was Gaspard's wife who murdered Celene's mother, and then took Celene's father out with her when Celene's father murdered her in retaliation. It feels very Orlesian and also makes Vivienne Celene's quasi mother-in-law, which is very fun for me

They manage to produce an heir in pretty short order and it's all Court Approval +10000 until - the second Celene finally fulfills her 'obligation' to the throne and is finally theoretically allowed to be publicly lesbian - Briala arrives at the child's christening with her hand on Celene's ass, pushing the pram, and the crier announces her as "Marquise of the Dales, Mistress to the Empress of Orlais" and it's like [Everyone disliked that]

[quitefair]

alright time to gripe about inquisition again (what’s new)

dyou know i barely understood what the fuck was going on in orlais politically from just playing the game? i’m basic, i never read the masked empire, also by the time we hit like wewh i am absolutely not reading all the codex entries because im distracted with how pretty orlais looks VISUALLY and also mentally scarred from all the warden nonsense

but in doing research i found out a bunch of COMPLETELY WILD THINGS that the game does that they don’t??? talk about???

okay so here’s the deal:

Vivienne’s lover is this guy called Duke Bastien of Ghislain. A dude you have to help kinda save as part of Vivienne’s personal quest (I have even more gripes about how Vivienne’s character and arc was so poorly handled but that’s a post of its own)

So yeah this dude

Crusty old guy you kinda only see as some random B plot side quest with no relevance. But okay okay I went in and read up about him right? 

He’s the head of the College of Heralds. Yknow what they do? They literally handle any and all problems to do with titles and lineage related to them among the Orlesian nobility. They were called in when Emperor Florian died in 9:20 Dragon without an heir. They were the ones that chose Celene over Gaspard as the new ruler of Orlais.

They’re technically the reason the entire Civil War happens in the first place!!!! The Fuck!!!!!!! I may be stupid but I don’t think anybody stressed on this in the game???

Also wait, there’s more yeah!!!

This dude had a wife (who died or something idek the details sorry) and had two kids - Calienne and Laurent

Calienne, mind you, went on to fuckin MARRY??? GASPARD DE CHALONS??? Duke Gaspard was this DUDE’S SON IN LAW???? A dude that he (as part of the College of Heralds) chose to snub as they chose his cousin as the Empress instead of him????

This is fucking wild you guys.

Calienne supports Gaspards claim to the throne despite what her father did, plays a part in the assassination of Celene’s mother, and eventually was murdered by Celene’s father and cousin (another thing I had to read with my own eyes was that Duke Motherfucking Prosper of Mark of the Assassin infamy was Celene’s relative. Oh also that his son Cyril is also on the Council of Heralds and is also the Orlesian representative at the Exalted Council??? What the Motherfucking Shit???)

On the other hand, we have his other child Laurent.

On first pass I seriously got him confused with the dude that tries to get the Inquisition to pay taxes to him cause he owns the land around Haven?? THEYRE WEARING THE SAME OUTFIT???

But apparently they’re not the same guy. And the only time you interact with him in person is in Skyhold after Vivienne’s personal quest where he thanks you for helping his dad or something. You barely see the guy, and he’s apparently the heir to all his father’s lands and titles, including the seat at the Council of Heralds?? While his BROTHER IN LAW is MOTHERFUCKING GASPARD DE CHALONS????

And despite all of this, the only more you can learn about him is through this absolutely random war table mission where you help him out and they give the Inquisition some insignificant strip of land in Orlais??

Dude what the fuuuuuck.........

[envihellbender]

Assign a Fear to each Dragon Age Inquisition companion.

Spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. If you don’t want to read them I strongly recommend skipping the Solas section at the end.

Dorian: the End

Necromancy and the Mortalitasi are strongly connected to the End. They are specifically necromancers trained in Nevarra who all have different specialities, mostly involve working with the dead and many involve tending to the necropolis itself. It is about the inevitability of death, and reusing the vessel that people have left behind. Necromancers do not need to create corpses for their magic to work, they are everywhere and there are always wisps and spirits ready to fill them. That is the same motivation for the End, it does not need to cause any ritual or anything else. Death is inevitable. It comes to us all.

Whilst Dorian is not from Nevarra, although Tevinter also has quite the strong ties to the End, it is confirmed by Emmrich in Dragon Age: The Veilguard that Dorian was trained as necromancer for a term in the necropolis. His connection to the End is so strong he was sent across Thedas to study it. When we first meet Dorian in Dragon Age: Inquisition his main ally is Felix, a young man who is infected with the Blight and for whom death is inevitable. We know he has an issue with substance misuse, particularly alcohol. Whilst addiction is not associated with the End the stagnation as Dorian wished his sexual desires would drown could he connected. We also know that his father intended to “fix” his sexuality with blood magic, another indication as to how finality and death has been stalking Dorian most of his life.

Vivienne: The Corruption

The Orlesian Aristocracy was a breeding ground for the Corruption. To most it simply looked like extravagant wealth and elitism, the elite drinking and scheming whilst the world outside burned. What people didn’t see was the Corruption and the Crawling Rot’s disease which filled their lungs and blood. They no longer had a sense of identity, each requiring a mask in order to declare it to those around them.

Everything Vivienne did came from a place of protecting herself as well as other mages even if this did not always seem clear. Ever since a Vivienne was taken into the Circle she was not allowed a sense of individuality, she was one mage in a tower of many. She was an insect under a microscope to the Templars so she had to build herself up to be strong, well-behaved, and in control. The picture of what a mage should be, a part of a loyal collective and the blood of the Chantry. The other part of the Corruption she falls into is unhealthy love - her paramour is Bastien de Ghislain. He preyed on Vivienne, a young nineteen year old in the Orlesian court causing a scandal due to him being already married. She was devoted to him, despite how against the relationship the court was and the fact he prioritised another woman. A tragedy that ended when a disease filled his aging body, and nothing Vivienne did would save him.

Four years after they met Vivienne was appointed Empress Celene’s Court Enchanter. This was her being fully brought into the virus of the Aristocracy. She no longer had her own mind or identity, even though that was something the Templars stamped out of her long ago.

Sera: the Web

The Friends of Red Jenny are Avatars of the Web, their mischievous but almost moral nature means they are not obvious candidates as they only strike fear in the aristocracy. Their power is terrifying, the control they can have over several countries is something everyone should be wary of regardless of whose side they’re on. The first indicator of the Friends of Red Jenny is a letter found on an Antivan Crow, that leads to a painted box in the Fereldan First Enchanter’s office, which can be delivered to a door where only the letter box opens in Denerim. The second time is with a woman in the Hanged Man in Kirkwall who wishes to be rid of the groups of thugs killing civilians at night. Both of these show subtle acts that control the narrative from afar, pulling at certain strings to result in a desired outcome. Perfect for the Mother of Puppets.

Sera was taken in by the Friend’s of Red Jenny at a young age, she had an almost unnatural talent with the bow. Being an archer involves controlling the battlefield from a far, and being able to disappear at a moments notice. This is built upon by her Tempest specialisation where she can use alchemical flasks to expand her tactical style of combat. Upon first meeting her she sends this a series of clues around Val Royeoux which leads to a noble who is an enemy of the Inquisition. Sera does not know why the Inquisition needs to deal with him, she just knows. This feels remarkably similar to how Avatars report their connection to the fears manifesting.

Cole: the Eye

Cole was always an avatar for the Eye, even before the spirit of Compassion found him. He didn’t like his abilities back then, he hated seeing exactly what his father thought of him, and knowing precisely what he did to his mother. It made Cole bang his head against the wall repeatedly until he felt dizzy trying to make the sounds stop and the visions disappear. People didn’t like it when he voiced them either, they’d call him a liar, a sneak, an eavesdropper, a cheat, or worse… A mage. That was the worst one, because Cole knew he had magic. Ever since it first showed itself his mother said if they knew they’d take him away. And he knew they would. He saw it inside their minds when some poor child was dragged away by Templars. Cole probably knew what happened to them better than anyone else.

Perhaps it was the Eye that attracted Compassion to Cole when he was abandoned in the tower. It certainly played a part in the twisting Cole into being a killer, or saviour as he saw it, of the mage victims of the Templars. You could understand why, he could see into every single mind in the tower. He felt their agony and pain overwhelmingly, and whilst he could manipulate their minds into being calm it wasn’t enough. That’s why he had to kill. Thankfully, when he managed to get a good grasp of his abilities he started being able to use them more effectively. It was amusing really, that that was what led him to the Inquisition. An appropriate place for the Eye to end up.

Varric: previously the Web but was one of the rare types to change to the Lonely

Previously I’ve stated that in Dragon Age 2 Varric is the Web. To carry on from that, in Dragon Age: Inquisition Varric evolves from just the Web to the Web and the Lonely.

After Varric had to leave Kirkwall, his strength as an Avatar of the Web began to wane. His realm became a mixture of the Web and the Lonely in Skyhold, something which solidified when Hawke was left in the fade. He’d always had some affinity for it, the family was essentially his responsibility after all - no one else would deal with their mother’s drinking. Addiction is tied to the Web, but the sheer loneliness of being alone to care for his mother, with no father or brother willing to help, he became wrapped up into himself. He was like the spider at the centre of the web who was wrapped in a cocoon of silk rather than one who ventured too far out. With his business deals, his suite at the Hanged Man, and Hawke his ability to tell stories whilst keeping everyone at arms length began to fall apart.

Of course, when the Chantry exploded all of that changed. Varric had to leave the city that he’d known his whole life, his home. His book, his lies he’d made truth was what protected him for awhile, it gave him a strong position within the Web. Of course, then was dragged in cast irons with Cassandra to the Conclave. The final nail in the coffin to cement Varric desertion from the Web to the Lonely however was Hawke’s death. It was the proof he needed for how allowing anyone too close would only result in pain. The cocoon of web and fog would keep him safe.

The Iron Bull: the Eye mixed with the Slaughter

The Iron Bull was born into the Eye and had the strong desire to be apart of the Slaughter. Or rather, Hissrad was apart of the Eye, and Iron Bull belonged to the Slaughter. Hissrad found it quite simple, ever since he was a small child he could read people. That’s what Tama said anyway, in reality it was more like he just heard more than everyone else did. He didn’t have to do anything, he just heard all of there thoughts. Everything from what they wanted to breakfast to the kind that would get them thrown in prison. It was exhausting, overwhelming, there were too many thoughts in his mind and too many sounds surrounding him. That’s when he learned to fight, or rather hit things. He smashed and threw them, finally finding someway to express the pain that he was too small to deal with.

When he began his work with the Ben-Hassarath, becoming apart of the Eye was a natural extension. It caused him to become better at his job, he didn’t even need the training he sped through. He didn’t need to learn how to examine micro-expressions he simply knew exactly who was lying, why, and what they actually thought. To begin with he’d had to physically prove it but eventually everyone just accepted Hissrad just knew things. Eventually it began to destroy him, and when he put himself in for re-education he realised that the re-educators were like him. Every single one of them. They had the same abilities as him. The ones he’d been desperately pushing down because he was terrified he had some latent magic ability, the re-educators had them. That was when he learned all about the Eye.

When Hissrad began the Bull’s Chargers and became the Iron Bull, that was when he desperately wanted to become something else. He saw the Slaughter, and he knew he wanted that. He didn’t want to be a person anymore, just a mindless thing. He didn’t want to know what everyone around him knew and thought, he wanted to just think about how to kill them if they decided to be a threat. Even his name the Iron Bull was a symbol of the Slaughter. His own personal army even had a song. And to his delight, the further he got from the Qun, the more he found himself becoming one with the Slaughter… even if he would never lose the Eye, it had distorted into something unique.

Cassandra: the Dark

The Pentaghasts were very closely connected to both the Dark and the Hunt. Being from Nevarra there were necromancers and dragon hunters in her family - the latter being self explanatory. The necropolis is constantly shrouded in darkness even in the gardens. Whilst it is primarily a city of the dead, it would feel almost sacrilegious to have it be anything other than the underground sanctuary it has become. Cassandra discusses how her uncle sees her as a doll, someone to dress up and put on the shelf to display. One interpretation here is one of child abuse, which is also an interpretation of Maxwell Rayner from the Magnus Archives canon. If we take this to be representative of the Dark, then there’s a clear parallel.

Cassandra kept up the family tradition of being an Avatar for the Dark even though it took her a long time to realise it. The Seekers are a group that work from the shadows, they are usually associated with the Eye but for them to have connections to the Dark is not unheard of. However, this is primarily due to the initiation ritual that each Seeker has to go through. It is essentially a form of the Rite of Tranquility for a non-mage, cutting someone off from their emotions and the fade itself. This feels almost like an internal form of being trapped in the dark, the light inside of the person has been extinguished leaving them hollow and numb. It is a sense of coldness and emotional blindness with which the Dark is associated.

Thom Rainier/Blackwall: the Stranger

Thom Rainier had always lived in the shadows, mimicking other people. That was why when he saw a group of children killing an innocent dog as a child he was unable to say a word. He was too busy acting like other people, too busy working on being accepted and becoming apart of something to break the illusion. When he was a chevalier, that was why he did whatever he was told and gave whatever orders meant the biggest payday. The only truly important thing was the mask, and he got so remarkable at it that he stopped recognising himself.

The way Thom Rainier was able to replace Blackwall was reminiscent of the Not Them. There was many, many clues that he was not a Grey Warden: his knowledge of the order had holes and inconsistencies, he seemed more preoccupied with being a motivational speaker and training thieves than he did fighting darkspawn, he couldn’t detect darkspawn, he did little to cover his appearance beyond growing a beard (a noble at the Winter Palace actually recognises him), he didn’t know anything of the real Blackwall (he doesn’t seem to know even his first name or what he was from), and despite all this he managed to convince a great deal of people. He managed to convince Alistair, lie his way through saying he knew Duncan, and when you are at Adamant he speaks as Blackwall to an entire keep of Wardens. Despite all of this, he manages to some how trick everyone that he is a different man - almost exactly like a Not Them. It was as if everyone couldn’t remember Blackwall ever looking or seeming different.

Solas: the Extinction

Solas never wanted to be the Extinction. He had been associated with several Fears, he had connections to the Slaughter, the Web, and the Stranger. He felt particularly comfortable alongside the Mother of Puppets or Mythal as she was known. Of course, she pushed him to take a physical form, to war with the titans thus killing them and cutting dwarves from the fade, and when he helped unleash the blight upon the world… All of these things went beyond the End. It wasn’t something he ever wanted to be, Elgan’arn had been desperate for the place of Avatar of the Extinction of the Slaughter and the way he executed spirits en masse, almost mindlessly he was almost there. The issue was it was mindless, it didn’t mean a thing. Every single time Solas cut something else from the world it came with meaning and pain. Not that that stopped him.

As much as Solas tries to right his wrongs, how much he declares he regrets so much, he still keeps acting this way. He refused to side with the Evanuris but he did send many spirits to their deaths in order to enact his plans. He imprisoned the Evanuris, and when he finally became reunited with Mythal he attempted to erase her from existence and consume her power.

[daitranscripts]

Bring Me the Heart of Snow White Pt. 4b

Playing to Win

Vivienne Masterpost First: An Alchemical Formula Previous: A More Innocent Time

Vivienne walks through the main hall of Skyhold with a couple of Orlesian nobles.

Marcelline: I expected ruins.

Vivienne: They were. As you see, the Inquisition has not been idle.

Laurent: Would it be possible to meet the Herald before we return to Ghislain?

Vivienne: My dear Laurent. For you, anything.

She waves the PC over from where they were talking with Josephine.

Vivienne: Allow me to present Inquisitor (Trevelyan/Adaar/Lavellan/Cadash).

Laurent: Your Worship, you do us great honor.

Vivienne: Inquisitor, this is my dear Bastien’s sister, Grand Cleric Marcelline. And his son, Duke Laurent of the Council of Heralds.

Marcelline: I owe you an apology, Inquisitor. I did not trust your motives at first. I am afraid I misjudged you terribly.

Laurent: Madame de Fer speaks very highly of your character. It is a great relief to know the Inquisition is in your hands.

Dialogue options:

General: Glad you changed your minds. [1]

General: Vivienne said that? [2]

General: That’s good. [3]

1 - General: Glad you changed your minds. PC: It’s good to hear you changed your minds. Marcelline: Many of my sister clerics feared the Inquisition. We did not know if you worked for good or ill. So too must Andraste’s disciples have felt when they first beheld the Maker’s wrath against Tevinter.

2 - General: Vivienne said that? PC: Vivienne speaks highly of me? I hardly expected that. Marcelline: She speaks of nothing but you and your holy work. It has been most inspiring to hear.

3 - General: That’s good. PC: Glad to hear it. Marcelline: Now, in our darkest hour, Andraste reminds us that wisdom is gained by learning from our mistakes.

4 - Scene continues.

Vivienne: Would you mind waiting for me in the chapel, my dears? The Inquisitor and I have business to discuss.

Laurent: It has been our very great pleasure, Herald.

They leave the PC and Vivienne to talk.

Vivienne: So, you’ve met the family now. And made a good impression in spite of yourself. Well done.

Dialogue options:

Surprised: You spoke highly of me? [5]

Confused: What was that all about? [6]

Angry: You’re scheming. [7] -Vivienne slightly disapproves

Stoic: What are you after? [8]

5 - Surprised: You spoke highly of me? PC: Wait, you talked them into supporting the Inquisition? Vivienne: Of course I did, my dear. [9]

6 - Confused: What was that all about? PC: I don’t understand. What just happened here? Vivienne: A victory. My victory. [9]

7 - Angry: You’re scheming. PC: Whatever you’re planning, I want no part in it. Vivienne: Oh, you’ve already played your part, darling. [9]

8 - Stoic: What are you after? PC: What is it you want, Vivienne? Vivienne: Nothing, my dear. I already have what I wanted. [9]

9 - Scene continues.

Vivienne: Properly worded, the righteous cause of the Inquisition can be used to great effect with my Bastien’s deeply pious relations. With Bastien’s loss, I have connections to the Council of Heralds and the highest levels of the Chantry. All thanks to you.

Dialogue options:

General: Things worked out, then. [10] +Vivienne slightly approves

General: You always get what you want. [11] -Vivienne slightly disapproves

General: You used me. [12] -Vivienne slightly disapproves

10 - General: Things worked out, then. PC: Well, at least everything’s worked out for you in the end. Vivienne: So it has. And well arranged, if I do say so myself. [13]

11 - General: You always get what you want. PC: You always get what you want, don’t you? No matter who you have to step over. Vivienne: Of course I do, Inquisitor. I play the Game to win. [13]

12 - General: You used me. PC: You used my position as Herald of Andraste to further your personal goals. Vivienne: Of course I did, my dear. That’s the Game. [13]

13 - Scene continues.

Vivienne: Well, I can’t keep Marcelline and Laurent waiting. Thank you so much for your cooperation, Inquisitor. I could never have done this without your help.

Scene ends.

[foodofthedas]

Grilled Portobello Mushroom for Two

Although this classic Antivan recipe calls for large portobellos, I can attest that there is at least one mushroom better suited. I do not know its name. I do not know what it looked like before it was cooked. But I know that, in a little cabin in a mining town just north of Wycome, an elderly dwarf served me slices from a mushroom the size of plate prepared in this way. They were newly arrived from Orzammar, where their family grew heirloom mushrooms, they told me with a sad smile. The cooking had turned the mushroom an unusual purplish red, which my host assured me was as it should be. And they were right. I can say, with all honesty, that I dream of that dish more than I do the finest Orlesian white truffles. Perhaps it's because I've had the good fortune to sample dishes with white truffle on several occasions, while, when I returned to the mining town the next year, the dwarf had moved on, and when I wrote to Orzammar I learned they had been the last of their line.

- Manuel Abelard, former chef de cuisine to Duke Bastien de Ghislain

Ingredients

One large portobello mushroom

Two tablespoons of olive oil

One tablespoon of olive oil flavored with garlic and parsley

Salt

A tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Cut off the mushroom's stem and gently clean the outside. Cut the cap at a diagonal into slices a quarter of an inch thick..

Set your cast-iron griddle over a flame of middling heat. Put a tablespoon of the plain olive oil into the pan. When it is hot, put in mushroom slices so that they make a single layer.

Cook for two minutes, then turn them over and add the remaining tablespoon of plain oil. Cook for another two minutes

Arrange the slices in a single layer on a large platter and lightly sprinkle them with salt. Dribble the flavored oil evenly over then, and then sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

From Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey (contributed by Sarah, photo by Timothy Dykes)

[aleyothorncrow]

Winter Melting: Chpt. 4 Orlesian Iron

Rating: M || WC: 6,059 (/16,178) || Haven Arc || Chpt: 4/??

(-> Read from the beginning)

Chapter Excerpt:

Mirenan scrambles to keep the Inquisition from making a terrible mistake.

It’s not like the three of them were trying to hide it from her—not even the Nightingale, for all of her secrets. If it had been secret, surely it would have been locked away, not just left there on top of the pile on the Ambassador’s desk. Dismissed from reporting on events in the field after a return to Haven, she ducked into the side room the Ambassador had made her study to pass off a parcel to the sour-faced elven mage who shared it. (An ex-Dalish, apparently. Mirenan suspected that was why Cassandra had requested her to deliver it in the first place, perhaps expecting them to bond over their common heritage. The Seeker could be quite naïve in some ways, Mirenan was beginning to realize.) And while the mage hurried off grumbling in search of another misplaced parcel to be delivered back to Cassandra, Mirenan’s eyes happened to fall upon the Ambassador’s desk, where the letter happened to have been left out atop a ream of notes. You are cordially invited… at the Chateau of Duke Bastien de Ghislain. Yours, Vivienne de Fer The attached envelope held only one word in exquisite silver calligraphy: Herald. A line from a tavern song she had once heard in Val Royeaux began to echo in her head: “Beware, beware, Madame de Fer…”

Chapter-specific tags/warnings below the cut.

Chapter-specific tags: Lavellan, Cassandra, Vivienne, various Orlesians

Chapter-specific warnings: Fantasy racism/slurs, non-consensual groping

[black-emporium-exchange]

2024 Longfic Book Club #10

Unravelling stitches by adlerobsessed

Goal: Read by December 29th

Word Count: 7,685 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: Multi Fandoms: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition Relationships: Bastien de Ghislain/Nicoline de Ghislain/Vivienne, Nicoline de Ghislain/Vivienne, Bastien de Ghislain/Vivienne Characters: Vivienne (Dragon Age), Nicoline de Ghislain, Bastien de Ghislain, Elodie de Morreau (Dragon Age), Orlesian Noble(s) Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Polyamory Negotiations, Orlesian Politics (Dragon Age), Orlesian Grand Game (Dragon Age), some mentions of murder and intrigue, your husband starts seeing a woman so unknowable that you a player of the game go a little mad

'I trust you’ll find ways to entertain yourselves in my absence?' Bastien says, his tone light and teasing. ‘Adequately enough, I suppose,’ Nicoline said, a slight smile flickering over her lips as she shared a warm glance with Vivienne. Bastien’s eyes linger on them both, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. ‘Nicoline,’ he begins, his tone almost rebuking her, ‘I thought I told you to stop borrowing things from my room.'

[imprimerielafraternelle]

Exposition « je suis contente de te connaître » et artothèque de La fraternelle

Avec les oeuvres de Pauline Barzilaï, Charlotte Melly, Violaine Leroy, Anne Vaudrey, Juliette Mancini.

@charlottemelly, @residencesecondaire, @vilolaineleroy, @juliettemancini & @Paulinebarzilai. 

Cette exposition clos un cycle de trois années de résidences d’autrices-illustratrices contemporaines (avec le soutien de la Région Bourgogne Franche-Comté).

« Je suis contente de te connaître » s’accorde au féminin et présente les œuvres de cinq artistes avec qui nous avons pu éprouver un grand panel d’émotions au moment de la création de ces images elles-mêmes toutes traversées par les joies et les peines, le vide, l’ennui, le deuil, l’énergie collective ou la volonté d’en découdre et autres impressions de l’aventure humaine.

La fraternelle produit depuis 1993 estampes et livres d’artistes dans ses ateliers et compte actuellement plus de 300 œuvres dans le fonds de son artothèque. En écho à notre exposition saisonnière et à l’occasion des 40 ans de l’association, nous présentons une sélection d’œuvres qui raconte la création de cette collection : rencontres décisives, partenariats particuliers, diversité des pratiques et expériences emblématiques. Avec les oeuvres de Françoise Pétrovitch, Michel Bastien, Dominique Lacoudre, Ghislaine Vappereau, Jean Daubas, Pascal Kern, Jérémie Fischer, Jean-Marc Scanreigh, Loraine Portigliatti, Céline Pélcé & Sophie Decoux, Renaud Thomas, le collectif Hécatombe (Antoine Fischer & Thomas Perrodin) Gaëlle Loth, Claude Viallat, Pierre Verny, Caroline Pageaud, Mathilde Poncet, Joël Hubault.

[abyssal-ilk]

no thoughts. only a fem inquisitor cadash equating vivienne's relationship with bastien to how a castless woman's only chance of social elevation is seducing nobles in orzammar and her opinion on bastien being irreparably tainted because of it.

[anneapocalypse]

Anon here, I really enjoyed your post about Vivienne! This is probably nitpicky but I thought mages could marry? Alistair's banter with Wynne: "Mages aren't forbidden to marry or anything, are they?"

Good question! So this is a more complicated answer. Alistair's dialogue with Wynne does indicate that mages are legally not barred from marrying. It is worth noting that they're talking about Ferelden. It is possible that the law is different in Orlais, particularly for nobility, as titles and inheritance are handled differently in Orlais than they are in Ferelden.

But so far as I know (and it is possible I'm missing something on this, as the canon on Circles isn't always 100% consistent and some of that can be taken as different Circles simply having different rules and norms), there is nothing in Chantry law that explicitly bars mages from marrying.

It's just really, strongly discouraged.

Here's that full banter between Alistair and Wynne:

Alistair: So tell me, you have any children? Grandchildren? I don't know, great grandchildren? Wynne: What would make you think I have any children at all? You have to know I've spent most of my life in the Circle of Magi. Alistair: You just seem like the grandmotherly type to me, I don't know. Wynne: I suppose I'll take that as a comment on my demeanor and not my age. Alistair: Mages aren't forbidden to marry or anything, are they? It's not such an outlandish question. Wynne: Isn't it? What sort of man would marry a mage, do you think? Alistair: How about another mage? There are just as many men as there are women within the Circle, as I recall. Wynne: That sort of union is... not encouraged. Although that does not stop us from seeking out each other's... company from time to time. Alistair: I... all right, suddenly you don't seem quite so grandmotherly to me anymore. Wynne: Good. I would hope not.

While we don't know exactly what Wynne means by "not encouraged," it's not hard to imagine that most clerics could and would just... refuse to officiate a mage marriage. It's not hard to imagine that a Circle could simply refuse access to any cleric who would be amenable. With the Circles having such control over the mages' lives and movements, "not encouraged" is going to be as good as "forbidden" in most cases.

There is one Circle-approved mage we're aware of who married and had a family: Wilhelm Sulzbacher, who served as a healer for the resistance during the Orlesian occupation, and after the war was over received that coveted title of Court Mage, which for him seems to have conferred the privileges of going on expeditions to the Deep Roads (where he found Shale), and eventually settling down in Honnleath where he could start a family and tinker with his golem in relative peace. Wilhelm's situation seems to be exceptionally rare.

I can't think of any other mages in canon who have been granted that amount of leniency by the Circle. And I can't think of any mages we know of who are married to one another and live in the Circle as spouses. This seems to corroborate Wynne's statement that such unions are highly discouraged.

For a high-ranking noble like Bastien, marrying a mage would bring countless other problems. Bastien's affair with Vivienne was already a scandal; bards were sent to make an example of her. Marrying her would have been a scandal on a whole other level.

Additionally, under Chantry law mages are forbidden from holding titles or land. If Vivienne were to marry Bastien, she would probably still be subject to restrictions on any inheritance should he die before her (as he was always likely to do based on their age difference). This is less of an issue as long as Bastien has a living heir, which he does. But if, for example, Laurent were to meet an untimely death following his father's death, and had no heir of his own, it would ordinarily be typical for the title and holdings to pass to Bastien's wife--that's how you get a dowager, a widowed noblewoman whose title and holdings derive not from blood inheritance but from her late husband. This would be a big problem if said wife was a mage. And that's to say nothing of the possibility of more mages being born into the family if Bastien and Vivienne were to have any children. So while it may technically be legal for Bastien to marry Vivienne, if scandalous, it causes other legal problems down the line to the point that any noble who cares about the security of their family line is just… not going to do that. It's not worth the risks, especially when having someone on the side is in itself just completely socially acceptable in Orlais. Marriage is about alliances and inheritance, not love, as Vivienne herself says.

(Irrelevant fun fact: Bastien's daughter, Calienne de Ghislain, was the late wife of Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons. In 9:20 Dragon, following the death of Emperor Florian, Calienne arranged the murder of Celene Valmont's mother, Clarisse, and was subsequently killed by Celene's father Prince Reynaud, though she stabbed him with a poisoned stiletto before she died which later resulted in his death.

TL;DR Bastien is Gaspard's father-in-law. Also, Prosper de Monfort was Clarisse Valmont's cousin.)

[adler-obsessed]

Bastien/Vivienne + 31?

Coming right up!!

31 - a kiss on the palm from this prompt list

Every time she’d arrive at Ghislain, the moment Vivienne dreaded most was leaving.

Her bags were once again packed, already being carried to the carriage by a servant as she stepped into the vestibule. That soft, amber light of dawn bled in through the windows, glittering rays producing a soft glow from the marble that seemed so austere normally.

There was a gentle touch on her back and Vivienne shut her eyes. “Don’t you dare say goodbye,” she murmured, leaning back a fraction, pressing into the contact for one moment.

Bastien merely sighed, letting his hand drop away and Vivienne mourned the loss more keenly than she had anything else, sharp eyes opening. The Duke was stood just slightly behind her, already dressed and masked for the day. The mask only partially covered his face and this close, Vivienne could see the strain of his lips, impassive and serene at first, yet clearly forced.

Vivienne glanced around the vestibule, seemingly abandoned. The only other beings she could see awake were the dark figures moving outside the window, preparing her carriage most likely.

So, Vivienne pulled one glove off, and gently cupped the man’s face, her thumb just glancing over the detailed edge of his mask and then onto his skin. She smiled, tilting forward and briefly leaning her head against the cool metal. “It won’t be long, I promise.”

Bastien gave a slight nod, shoulders sagging slightly, and Vivienne took this as a sign of acceptance. But, as she went to move away, Bastien’s hand latched onto her wrist, keeping her palm pressed against his cheek.

The pair of them stilled, united by that contact. Then, ever so gently, Bastien shifted her palm and pressed a delicate kiss against her skin, lips feather light.

“Until I see you again then, my love,” he all but breathed against her skin, making Vivienne’s heart flutter, as much as she would later try to deny it. After all these years, there were still those moments when he simply looked at her, seeing past all the walls and masks she’d created, and Vivienne couldn’t help but succumb to that impossibly stubborn bit of sentiment Bastien seemed intent on keeping alive.

Bastien let her slip away then, and she left him standing on the steps in the morning sun.

[bisexualalistairtheirin]

Vivienne tried to save her lover, Duke Bastien de Ghislain, from his illness by using alchemy with the hear of a Snowy Wyvern we fought at her behest.

Unfortunately, it did not take...

[cobaltash]

Do you ever think of like.... Vivienne and Bastien sometimes taking a private moment to themselves, when they can discard their masks and just... dance to an imaginary tune, or recite poetry to one another or play a duet...

And even after Bastien got sick, as long as he had a bit of strength, he’d insist on continuing the tradition, not just for himself, but for Vivienne too, because Maker knows, she deserves the unreserved happiness that these moments bring.