#because understanding people is what Varric does tbh

[lillotte17]

I don't want to jump on someone else's post and Start Something, but like...

Varric and Harding explaining that Solas wants to bring back the world he knew is NOT wrong? It might be simplifying things a lot, but it's still accurate.

The conversation that Solas has with Dorian about Tevinter "destroying" Arlathan is not comparable. It's a different conversation completely. That's about ARLATHAN. That's about the elvhen EMPIRE. Their empire was not the world, even if it was the greatest power in it at the time. He's telling Dorian not to romanticize the Empire, because it was flawed and corrupted and built on the backs of slaves, and if Dorian wants to do right by the people that he thinks his own people destroyed, then he should start by freeing all of their slaves and becoming better than the elvhen empire ever managed to. Of course, Solas has a smaller sense of loss when it comes to talking about the downfall of the empire, he was actively fighting against it!

He's not sorry the empire ended. He's not sorry the evanuris got pulled down and sealed away. Those were his goals the whole time!

The WORLD is a different matter entirely. He DOES miss the world before the Veil. The loss of magic. The trapped and tortured spirits. The aging and enslavement of the elves. The confinement and abuse of mages. (I'm not sure how the Veil ties in with everything that happened to the dwarves and the qunari, but I'm sure it effected them, too)

I agree that a lot of people misinterpret Solas' motivations because he said he wants to "bring back the world of the elves," but that phrasing is SO important. It's the WORLD not the EMPIRE. And that's what Varric said as well- that Solas wants his WORLD back. Which is true! It's easy to conflate one with the other, I agree, but I think Varric deserves a bit more credit. And so does Solas.

[kaija-rayne-author]

Reaction to Dragon Age Veilguard Gameplay Preview. Editorial Critique.

Heads up... this isn't the most positive of reviews. And I'm a die hard (bleeding into the dirt) solavellan so if that's not your cup of tea you can stop reading here. Images and videos are all copyright of Bioware/EA. (Updated after the Q&A on June 14th)

Spoilers for all previous games, books, comics etc.

Content warnings for extremely colourful language.

I've worked really high powered corporate jobs, so I can play the part of cool, calm, perfect professional. But this is my gaming blog. I don't censor myself here. I grew up around truckers and it shows 😂.

I'm also neurodivergent so please know my emotions about this are confusion, sadness, a bit of horror, and depression. I've been told the way I use words can be read as confrontational. It's unintentional. (And again, it's my blog, I don't particularly feel it's right or necessary that I mask my AuDHD traits here, too.) I'm honestly not angry, or pissed off, or anything like that. Shrugs. I'm just sad. I don't bother to critique things I don't love. (Unless I'm being paid for it.) Much less to this extent. How much I've written here is in direct relation to how much I love Dragon Age.

Well.

I've watched it. Twice. Once on slow mode so I could get a better glimpse at the details.

I re-watched the trailer that I hated twice more. Again once on slowmo.

What. The. Actual. Fuck. Is. That?

It sure isn't Dragon Age. If it didn't have Bioware copyrighted material, I really wouldn't have been able to tell that it was supposed to be Dragon Age. If Rook had whipped out a light-sabre, it wouldn't have seemed out of setting. I want to play Dragon Age, not some weird Star Wars knock-off.

And yes, I know most of the fandom is going gaga at this point, but I don't understand why people can't see the issues amidst the excitement. Being the odd enby out in this situation is depressing as hell. I want to love it as much as everyone else seems to. But my editor brain won't shut up.

I'm used to having unpopular opinions. Just don't bloody crucify me for these. Editing media is my actual job. It's what I do. It's a highly developed, niche skill set I've been practising for over a decade.

Some people are extremely good with cars, I'm extremely good with editing. I only started doing it professionally because my writing critique partners told me my suggestions and the things I noticed were worth their weight in gold.

TBH, it wouldn't surprise me if I have some savantism when it comes to editing and writing. When I look at a piece of fiction in an editorial perspective, it's a lot like looking at a 4d puzzle for me. I can instinctively see what works, what doesn't, and how things that don't work can be tweaked so they do. I don't meet many others in my profession who do that.

And I have multiple NYT bestselling clients. I'm truly not talking out of my ass here. I'm not perfect, no human being is, but like many middle aged AuDHD/neurodivergent people, I know where my strengths and weaknesses lie. It comes off as arrogance for some reason to many people.

So, back to the preview.

It's got the right voice actors. It's got the copyrighted characters. It's got an absolutely terrible art style that is far too reminiscent of the comics for my taste. Because those comics were a travesty of both writing and art style.

And again, why the fuck does Varric have black hair? He's a strawberry blond! He looks like Varric and Blackwall DAI had a kid together. Or like they shrunk Blackwall DAI down. I don't want Varric to look like Blackwall. I didn't like him that much.

What? Did Varric have some sort of end of life crisis and dye his head, beard, and even his chest hair black? (Much reduced chest hair, fuck Bioware, why did you reduce his chest hair!) Did it all caterpillar its way up to his face? There were story significant reasons Varric was a dwarf without a beard. Did you forget that?

(Update from live stream Q&A. One of the devs said it's because Varric has been adventuring for a time and is mostly grey. That he's shown in dark light so it looks black.) Uhuh.

Reality bites sometimes, cause my dad is a strawberry blond gone grey and he never looks like he has black hair. Not even in the dark. But whatever. They've got an excuse for it. I don't buy it because it doesn't track with y'know, how hair usually works.

I could maybe get used to the steampunk vibe? Big maybe. That's still within the realm of Dark Fantasy.

Also... I've seen some reaction videos and y'all... Dark Fantasy is a genre. It has absolutely nothing to do with the colour palette! It means it's fantasy with dark/horror elements FFS!

I swear the reading comprehension of people has suffered since I was a kid.

But, but, but... if you've been reading me for a while you had to know that was coming.

What. The. Fuck. Is. This?

Walmart Sans? Bad Halloween decor they couldn't sell until it was 99% off at a home goods store?

Is that... is that supposed to be a Darkspawn? SERIOUSLY!?! Given a Warden was fighting it, I have to assume someone at Bioware has ergot poisoning.

It looks like a modern cartoon version of Skeletor. Which is definitely insulting to Skeletor. This dude looks like he's got on his tights, speedo, boots, a bitchin' mohawk, and orange lights on his garb for the Halloween party at the club. He might win best costume, but he fails at being a Darkspawn.

They didn't just swing and miss with going to the club dude, they couldn't even find the bat and glove.

And yes, I've heard the 'lore' excuse that it's the red lyrium warping them that way. I could buy that if they were A) red lights, not orange. B) Kinda spiky, crystal-like in structure. Y'know, like the red lyrium infected creatures in DAI? (That's called continuity.)

The lines are too smooth, bone doesn't warp like that, and he (the ogre version too) seriously just look like really bad Halloween decorations.

Also, whoever drew that needs to study human anatomy a bit more. That skull shape is so wrong. In so many ways. Former forensic anthropologist and artist. I've held more human skulls than people can probably guess. I've literally pieced them back together. I'm not awful at drawing either. That image is just bad.

I'm not a player who lusts to have DAO back as the only kind of Dragon Age. I've loved them all for different reasons. Games change over the years as new ideas, new creators, and new technology comes out. That's honestly a good thing. Innovation is awesome. Most of the time.

Sometimes it's a complete miss. Like with going to the club dude up there. I love a lot about the art in these games. It's a large part of why I play them. And that thing up there? That's not a Darkspawn.

THIS is a Darkspawn.

This is a Darkspawn.

This is a Darkspawn

This is a Darkspawn

They're supposed to be kinda gut wrenchingly horrific. The graphics are older yeah, but maybe you get my point? If you know the Lore of Dragon Age... I've marinated myself in it... the Darkspawn are blight corrupted humans, dwarves, qunari, and elves.

It's supposed to be the whole concept of 'what used to be, but no longer is' that's often used in horror. You know... the thing that looks like it was at one time a deer but is walking on its hind legs with a broken neck and glowy eyes that sends atavistic shivers down your spine?

They aren't... modern cartoon Skeletors or the Halloween deco you hide in the back of the garage 'cause you're embarrassed you ever bought it.

WTAF were they thinking? I honestly can't get past my utterly confused shock on this whole thing.

I've been saying for quite a while now that Bioware needs better developmental and diversity editors. (Or maybe even any? Do they have any? 'Cause that preview really makes me doubt it.) And uh... well. Yeah. That. (I'm an editor, yes. I do both kinds, yes. I'm very good at it, yes. No, this is not me hoping for a job at Bioware/EA.)

I suppose me writing all this down is mostly just to get it out of my head. And to maybe let other disappointed Dragon Age fans know they aren't alone. Given some of the things I've seen on the 'net. I'm far and away from being alone in these opinions. You're not wrong. They've absolutely changed it so much it doesn't even remotely feel like Dragon Age.

And no, before you take that and run with it in an anti-diversity direction, I utterly love that they depicted Rook as Black. I love that Davrin is a Black elf. I love that Neve has a prosthetic leg. It's not the diversity changes I have an issue with. I adore those.

Snorts. Would I accept a job if a Bioware fairy dropped into my life and offered me a good living to look critically at that game for problems that could maybe be fixed?

Probably. They'd likely pay better than my current job. And I really do love Dragon Age so much that if I could contribute to it in a way that made us middle-aged gamers happy too? It would be pleasing.

The likelyhood of that is probably akin to winning the lotto though, so no, it's not the point of my post.

But I'm going to slide this monstrosity of a post toward the devs. Maybe they'll listen to the free editorial critique and make this game make a wee bit more sense? Or at least feel like Dragon Age, sheesh.

Because who the actual fuck wrote most of that dialogue?

I want to point my finger at the ground and scold them like a puppy who peed on the carpet.

Then give them a really basic 101 lesson on dialogue.

It was either boring for the player characters (I absolutely assume it will get better there, it was just the beginning of the game, to be fair). And I definitely trust Patrick Weekes to have done an amazing job as lead writer for most things.

But I really would've figured that Bioware would know by now that fans want to know what the character is going to say exactly before picking an option. Not just a yes, no, mediocre choice. Players have been pretty loud about that. BG3 gave us (mostly) what we wanted and it swept GOTY.

The rest of the dialogue was such freaking factory canned bullshit that I almost rolled my eyes out of my head. Which would've been awkward. Fishing them out from under the dresser and all.

A Venatori shouting 'avenge our fallen brethren' (or whatever, I'm not watching it again to get the exact dialogue) has so much stanky cheese on it I can't even. People don't talk like that. Apparently, a few Bioware writers could stand to take a few writing classes. That's basic.

Patrick Weekes is an amazingly skilled writer. But obviously, not all Bioware writers are. (Snorts, which I know very well and it's why I'm so disappointed they chose Lucanis.)

Although, since Mary Kirby did the writing for him for the game (glares at Bioware) there may be hope for him.

Music? There was music? Hans Zimmer was a bloody mistake. Everything he's made in the past decade has sounded the same. Such a shame, because the soundtrack of DAI was epic.

The demons are fine-ish? I guess? If you utterly ignore how similar they look to Fortnite demons. They look a bit weird, but demons are just emotional emanations from the fade so could conceivably look like anything they wanted. (Lolz, the rather skilled artists I know are kinda pissed off at the lack of artistic skill used for their development. Even the under 30 years old ones. Especially them.)

But also... they had really cool demons already designed from DAI (from what I understand they used the same engine, Frostbite). Why didn't they just give them a glow up and use them?

This dude would've been way better for the pride demon. Plus, there would've been some continuity between DA:I and DA:V. In series work, some continuity is important. Or the thing doesn't feel like the thing. Just like based on those previews this doesn't feel even remotely like Dragon Age.

While I don't have epilepsy, I can guarantee those demons as pictured/audio in the preview are going to give me and probably many other gamers massive headaches. Gods know what they'll do to people who actually do have epilepsy. I mean... there are epileptic gamers. Gaming is supposed to be inclusive.

And I don't really want to fight Fortnite demons. I want to fight Dragon Age demons. I don't like Fortnite. (Or, y'know, I'd spend my money and time playing Fortnite?)

Why are there so many freaking Venatori? I mean... I'm flattered to have been right when I called it that we'd be fighting them again. But in Tevinter Nights they're depicted as being on their last legs as an organization.

They're freaking everywhere in the gameplay preview? You fight so many of them! They're like toadstools after a rainstorm. Popping up like daisies! Whatever. Guess the major amount of bad guys in the Tevinter cities is likely to be Venatori. Which is just weird considering their god, Coryphyfish, is dead.

And dear gods he had better stay dead. He was such a lackluster villain in DAI to start with. And bringing back a previous defeated-supposed-to-be-dead villain is an overused fantasy trope that needs to die the miserable death it deserves already.

Again with the Venatori. A little uninspired to be completely frank.

I bet they have huge spiders in this game somewhere, too. Sigh. Why is it always spiders? Or wolves? Or big cats? It's fantasy! Where is the creativity? (Also, you know that's kinda ableist against people with arachnaphobia, right? Which is a lot of people.)

But I've gone on at length before about Bioware and their ableism issues. (Which is why they need diversity editors.) I personally like spiders, but they could at least stop having them everywhere. Or give arachnophobic gamers the option to turn them off or replace them with a different image.

Moving on from their complete loss of the horror element with the Darkspawn; I wouldn't be scared of that thing even if it surprised me in the dark. I'd laugh at it. (And I'm a jumpy person. A lot of things can scare me if they come at me in the dark.)

And I'll ignore the absolutely uninspired bad guys in Minrathous, and the Fortnite clone demons.

What is that thing Bellara is holding?

It sure as fuck isn't a bow. Someone has been playing Final Fantasy a little too much. Don't get me wrong, I've got a lot of hours in FF. I like it a lot. But one of my major complaints about it? Is the completely, utterly, ridiculous weapons. Someone is compensating. Not sure what exactly they're compensating for but it's for something. Sheesh.

I've always loved the somewhat realistic-ish weapons in the Dragon Age universe. I mean, yeah. Still heavy on fantasy... but they at least looked like they'd work. I loved Neve's reduced staff, that was awesome! Whatever Bellara is holding does not look like it would work.

I remember grinding for days in FF to get a special bow. Bows are my thing in a lot of games. When I got it made, it looked like someone had glued two surfboards together and tried to call it a bow. Bows have to be, y'know, functional? All weapons do? That's rather the point?

So... I'm not an archer and if you are, do feel free to weigh in, but would that thing even work?

A bow is a precision instrument. Our species has had bows for a long damned time and their form hasn't really changed all that much. Because they, y'know, work the way they are, and don't if you change them too much?

You've got the curved wood/horn/other material with a string kind (I'm being deliberately simple in terminology, I do actually know what a bunch of bow types are called) and you have the cross bow type.

What we do not have is front heavy monstrosities like that thing. Okay, okay, she's a veil jumper. Maybe she got it from some ancient Arlathan temple or something. But the ancient Elvhenan were supposed to be technologically advanced. Not Final Fantasy obsessed gamers.

Oh, but what about Bianca, gods rest her beautifully crafted soul. They excused that as a one of a kind thing never to be replicated. It's handwavium, but fine, rule of cool works for her. It doesn't work for whatever Bellara is holding unless they come up with a damned good story reason for it. (And it had better be damned good 'cause that thing might be pretty, but it's just severely uneducated about weaponry, at best.)

Also, why couldn't it have been the less useful Bianca Solas blew to bits? (Can't stand the dwarf version in the slightest.)

Moving on.

The settings look interesting. The teams doing the backgrounds and settings have always blown it out of the park, so I imagine they'll be suitably gorgeous when we actually do see the game.

Though I had sorta expected Arlathan to look a little more... jungley forest like, rather than paved shopping mall. But whatever, I'm hopeful there'll be better parts of it later in the game.

Rook looks like they'll be fun to play. And I really hope we're not class locked as a rogue. Rogues are my usual choice but I'd still like to have the choice. (Edit. Reports say we have complete flexibility in our character creation. I just want to know if I can make a fat adventurer.)

The steampunky science-fantasy vibe. Enh. It's not my favourite. I feel it was a mistake to try to horseshoe the depicted kinds of science into the fantasy of Dragon Age that way. Because it really feels shoved in whether it fit or not.

And I write science-fantasy, so it's not like I don't love it. I adore it. It's just something that sort of has to be designed that way from the start. Which Dragon Age most certainly was not. Don't they ever get sick of retconning stuff? I sure get sick of seeing the retconned stuff.

I could see how Minrathous might use magic in a way that we use neon lighting. Or for any number of cool fantasy type magical uses. I just don't get why it had to look like a Star-Wars knock off. If I wanted to play Star Wars, I'd, y'know, play Star Wars?

I think they did capture the grunge and dirtiness and personality of an ancient city pretty well. Like it almost has a consciousness of its own. But as I've said many places, the settings artists are freaking amazing at what they do.

Although, if they have floaty spaceship like things why exactly are the Qunari even a worry? I don't have strong feelings one way or the other on the Qunari, but I know a lot of gamers were hoping to see a Tevinter/Qunari war. If Tevinter has space shippy things, what threat could the Qunari possibly be? Or even the teased Minrathous monsters?

Last I checked (which was a couple of days ago, re-reading those awful comics) the Qunari were still using bows, swords, spears, and knife type war implements. Some bombs, too, because gatlock. And enslaved, lyrium addicted mages.

Big floaty space-shippy thing means small floaty space-shippy things because that's how invention works. Where are the small ones? That thing is just a plot hole the size of Canada. (And a skilled developmental editor could've told them that before they put it in the sky. Sheesh.)

The fighting and conversation options look very similar to DA2. I liked the fighting in DA2 so after the usual adjustment to a new game it would probably be fine. Not sure how I feel about only having the ability to have two companions.

That art style though? I just cannot imagine having romantic scenes with characters done in that art style. And the Romances in Dragon Age are a large part of why I play them. Cartoon sexy times aren't my thing.

You do you, I'm not judging. But for me cartoony sexy times are just weird. Not sexy.

And no matter what they said after that disastrous character reveal the other day, the gameplay reveal doesn't look different enough for me to not call it cartoony. Especially for those Halloween decorations.

Now, I need to get to the end where we see some weird looking mage who I think is supposed to be Solas.

Really? That's supposed to be Solas?

This is the Solas my solavellan heart fell for so hard I've been simping over him for the entire time since I started playing these games.

Regardless. THIS is Solas.

Beautiful, nerdy, a little stylized, but with an art style that really worked for me (and probably most other solavellans given how much we love him).

So who in the living fuck is this?

I guess he's Solas shaped. But he doesn't make my heart squeeze in that OMG he's finally back!! way. He doesn't do anything for me. All I feel is numbness for that version of Solas. Which is disappointing as hell.

I didn't really have high hopes for him given his early looks for this game, but dang. Just dang. He's like a plastic ken doll. Very much like a too shiny plastic ken doll. And while I know Gareth David-Lloyd did the voice acting for him, he somehow doesn't even sound like Solas?

I've also been sadly informed by someone who would know that that is the absolute best they could do with him. We're not getting him fixed no matter how much we scream. He doesn't even have freckles! (And your eyes are fooling you if you think you're seeing them. Our brains often do that. Fill in things that should be there when they really aren't. There was some sort of design issue snafu which is why he doesn't have and cannot have freckles. This is confirmed insider information.) Freaking Lace Harding is peppered with them. Why can't my Solas have freckles?

Edit from Q&A (I think? It's second hand). Someone said they wanted to make everything look more 'painterly'.

Listen. I paint. Digitally and traditionally. You really have to work at it to get something that texture free. That's not 'painterly' its like... glossy modern playing cards. I hate it. Especially given the kind of fresco style paintings that Solas did in DAI. There is ALL sorts of texture with those.

Sigh. Maybe he'll grow on me. Like virulent mould. (Edit. He honestly hasn't. Every picture I see of him kills Dragon Age a little more for me. Which is bloody heartbreaking.)

IDEK man. I keep asking myself what Bioware was thinking. This game feels like it was made for a much different type of gamer than those of us who have loved the previous games for so very long.

It feels like they were trying to draw in a younger crowd while almost keeping the appeal that held us older gamers. That 'almost' is important there. (Edit. Confirmed by John Epler during live Q&A. This is exactly what they did. I feel incredibly betrayed.)

We older gamers are the ones who've kept hope for this game alive. Who have kept Dragon Age alive. The company made it, but without us hoping for it, talking about it, making mods for it, repeatedly replaying it? Would it ever have gotten there?

And we get Fortnite demons, Ken doll Solas, Halloween decoration 'darkspawn', and space shippy nonsense that kills about 50% of their foreshadowing.

I know I'm not the only older Dragon Age player feeling a little (lot) betrayed right now.

Based on these two trailers (and I'm absolutely praying I'm wrong) I think they failed project Dragon Age. Miserably.

I am pleased to learn that there are confirmed non-binary options for character creation and decent hair. So that's a plus. (Looks at the drops in the bottom of the almost empty bucket and sighs.)

I'd still like to play the game. I'd honestly LOVE to be wrong in my opinions on this. I'd really, really love to be wrong as much as I love Dragon Age.

I will happily sit down to a meal of crow if I'm wrong. I want to be wrong, because I love Dragon Age.

Though, I'm pretty good at prediction. I have stereotypical autistic pattern matching, which is a lot of what prediction is.

But I'm sadly coming to an end of what I'll be able to write about Dragon Age, no matter how much I love it.

My computer, which is literally duct taped together, isn't going to be able to handle DA4. It can barely run BG3 without overheating. As much as I love my computer, (and I really do, I get attached like a lot of AuDHD people do) it has broken or missing keys, and several of the more important keys just don't work. The screen is also starting to go.

I have lived and breathed the art and lore on these games since I started playing them. They're one of my most prominent AuDHD special interests. It's killing part of my soul to know I won't get to play it.

I'm a disabled, neurodivergent editor/author with a family to support. There's absolutely no extra for me to save up for a new rig. I'm ineligible for disability aid because I'm an immigrant. (Not that you can actually survive on disability here, anyway.) And I live in Canada, which is having a rather obscene cost of living crisis right now.

Even with my issues with the... er... everything, I still want to know what happens. I want to see it for myself.

Being an editor makes reading/tv fraught for me. If a piece of media makes me feel like I'm at work I can't really enjoy it. And 99% of books/shows do. (Don't become an editor if you love to read.)

Games tend to have fewer things to trip up my editorial brain. (Not this particular game, obviously 😂.)

That's all to say that gaming is basically my only form of accessible entertainment. I do it a lot in whatever spare time I have.

Even with my misgivings on the previews. I really would like to both play it and be utterly, completely wrong about it. I'd love to be able to keep writing about Dragon Age. But without being able to play the next one, all I can really do is rehash old stuff.

My work of words is my only income. And most writers really don't make all that much. Editors can, but I'm currently working a job that pays less than minimum wage doing editing. I'm under NDA, so I can't even tell people which huge corporation a lot of people use every day pays their editors so poorly.

Doing freelance work, I make between $50 and $70 an hour. Because editing is skilled, niche work. Experienced editing even more so.

That's why someone can be an amazing writer and a shit editor. You really do have to dedicate yourself if you're going to be good at editing anything. Most people don't put in the time or effort. I'm a better editor than I am a writer. (I'm not an awful writer, I just know where my strengths lie 😂.)

But there isn't a whole lot of freelance work available since COVID.

My partner has a broken back from his last job so can't work (and they denied his disability because that makes complete sense) so we barely scrape together enough to pay the bills each month (and lately have been failing even on that).

I think Rook and company fucked up badly by interrupting Solas' ritual. Lolz, I rather hope Solas 'greatly disapproves' in Rook's head or something. That would be bleeding hilarious.

I suppose if Solas had... I dunno... talked to people and told them why he felt he needed to take down the veil it would've helped. But his arrogance always does get in the way. In the writing trade that's termed his fatal flaw.

I think what Rook did at the end there is probably going to get Varric and a whole lot of other people killed.

Solas killing Bianca was awful, yes (and the merciful option, btw, Bianca can be fixed, Varric can't). But I think it's just the prequel. I don't think our beloved Varric is gonna be around long enough to miss her.

[tethrras]

🎮 🍃 🤍 💘 for lavinia!

🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER ��� what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies?

AH I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS SOO MUCH THIS WEEK. i think one of her main hobbies is prayer <3 what do you mean that doesn't count? okay uhhh.... ummm.... hmmm......

she is very much Not competitive so she doesn't usually play games or cards or anything like that, although if there was a thedas version of solitaire she would be down. she does really like horseback riding though and has had a few horses in her life that she's loved very very deeply and thinks they are the most noble creatures in the world. she's definitely the type who would personally braid her horses hair. (she also really loves doing braids for people. not as a hobby but out of love. she does do slutty little braids for varric.) but you will never catch her ass wanting to do any horse riding competitions she'd be like why can't we hang out with each other and listen to the birds :(

she also REALLY loves swimming! she's always had a huge fascination with water and the ocean and i think she had a fling w a noble boy when she was younger that was 10% interest in him and 90% him offering to take her down to the coast of the free marches to swim and she took him up on it. she definitely sneaks out of camp at night during inquisition to find a stream and swim in it but she is very much Not okay with nudity so she makes a camp guard come with her and then turn away and not watch until she's dressed again.

i also think and tbh i'm coming up with this lore on the fly but i think she is also really into Architecture and Building. she was a guard so she had to understand how criminals or bad guys or what have you could sneak into the city and launch attacks and i think that coupled with her reverence for Chantries as a building and not as a concept made her get really into architecture. i also think she is really interested in building boats. oh this is so cute actually......... now her and varric need a country estate in ferelden where they have a lake and a little boat and a dock..... but anyway i digress. i think she is very... she very much feels affected by When Things are supposed to give off a certain vibe. if a place is supposed to make you feel alone she feels alone, if a place is supposed to make you feel in awe she feels in awe, she can intuit intent very strongly which is part of why she is SOO loyal to the chant, bc the chantry makes her feel so strongly when she's in them. you know? so yes i think she reads a lot about architecture and she definitely always hangs around skyhold asking the people doing repairs what they're doing and why they're doing it etc etc

🍃 LEAVES FLUTTERING IN WIND — what is/was your oc's favorite subject in school?

literally just memorizing the chant. as we know the whole thing is too long to recite in canon without taking a few weeks but she probably has a few sections she favours and that's because she worked tirelessly to memorize them in school. she doesn't have the best memory in the world so it took a while and those for sure stuck with her

🤍 WHITE HEART — what are three of your oc's neutral/questionable traits?

like i said she doesn't have a great memory and i don't think it's not for trying i think she just THINKS so much that some things slip her mind. she is also a little bit of a preacher. she tries not to be but she definitely smiles at people when they do something good in a way that's very obviously her going "the maker would approve of this". she's a bit sanctimonious lol. i also think she avoids Fun activities unless persuaded and would rather sit by the fire with a good book and her best friend/favourite person or have an intimate dinner with friends. it takes her a lot of convincing for her to go out and get wasted, for example

💘 answered here!!!

oc emoji asks

[cityandking]

1, 12, 24, 27 for vesper and narayani!

ty my dear! // questions for your inquisitor

1: How do they feel about the Anchor?

VESPER — besides the sort of persistent discomfort and the feeling like something is lodged between the small bones of her hand (it makes her wrist ache, like writing too long until your hand cramps) she's mostly curious! fade/rift magic is her specialty and she has a decent grasp of runework and historical artifacts so this is kind of the perfect storm of something slightly tangentially related to magic she actually knows about (and wants to know more about). by the end it's obviously a poisoned explosive corroded thing slowly killing her, but in the middle there it's kinda neat! (she still wears gloves—it's weird looking at it all the time) NARAYANI — not great. it hurts and it's strange and sometimes she feels it in her teeth, this sparking ozone-thing she comes to associate with the fade and magic. she hasn't got any way to moderate or soothe it and it tends to act up for no reason she can discern, and overall she has a really hard time with it. I think probably solas was helping her deal with it, but that got... awkward, after the breakup. by the time it takes her hand and most of her arm, she's grateful to have it gone.

12: How does your Inquisitor deal with traitors?

VESPER — she's big on second chances and favors sentences that maximize utility and opportunity for both the organization and anyone truly repentant. even for those who double down on betrayal, she tries to find other solutions before violence. still, at the end of the day, she'll do what she has to to keep people safe—even if she isn't happy about it NARYANI — has no patience for it. she'll make use of a traitor if she can, but loyalty is one of the most important things to her and anyone who is going to pretend to stand with her and then turn their back will get what they deserve. her trust, once loss, is nearly impossible to gain back.

24: Who do they take with them on their journeys?

VESPER — standard party comp was bull/dorian/cole (except for personal quest stuff) but she'd take varric and solas pretty often too NARAYANI — bull/blackwall/solas ⟶ bull/dorian/solas (when the blackwall shit goes down) ⟶ bull/dorian/??? after the breakup (maybe blackwall again tbh) (or maybe still solas) (late game bull/blackwall/solas is a trio made for awkward nights at camps)

27: Name a person they are critical or suspicious about.

VESPER — Mother Giselle is the big one—she may mean well but she has just enough of her own agenda to make vesper unhappy and doubtful NARAYANI — honestly all of the humans around her. cassandra, cullen, dorian, vivienne. every single person who has ever met her and professed friendship and still called her herald. leliana only gets out of it because she's also a spy and assassin and the reaching hand of her own organization, which narayani sees and respects and understands.

[sharp-teeth-and-archived]

SHIPPING INFO! ♡

Answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog. REPOST. Don’t reblog!

WHAT’S YOUR OTP FOR YOUR MUSE? I honestly get more into oc/canon ships than anything tbh lmao. Anna/Hewlett is a favorite, Lilith/Jacob honestly (Lilith is a canon character in my mind okay), Sean/Javier, Zoey/Ellis is pretty cute, Kieran/Mary-Beth is also cute. 

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO RP WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING? Anything, really. For toxic ships, I’m more selective and it depends on what it consists of, Hateships, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, lovers to enemies, arranged marriages and more are free game. For me, shipping isn’t always romantic, I’m into platonic, familial, and enemy dynamics as well. I’ve been leaning more towards the term “dynamic” because it seems more universal than shipping. Since shipping is usually equated with romantic pairings.

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE? As long as all characters are 21+, age gaps don’t matter to me at all.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING? I am, I suppose. I work off of chemistry and usually I like it when there’s progression. If there’s been previous interaction and instances that lead up to the romantic feelings because it makes it easier to write effectively with fluff. Like it’s more realistic to me since there’s reasons for why a character is into another, so chemistry is essential. Sometimes, though rarely, I can work with very little interaction but that’s usually in instances where I know and understand the others’ portrayal. I don’t ship based on face claims. All of my muses are into different traits and features.

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY’RE CONSIDERED NSFW? This is a little embarrassing to write out, but basically whenever the clothes come off or one muse or the other (or both) get “excited”. Basically when it gets really suggestive, I’ll throw it under a read more. It really depends on the predicament and my own comfort. I only write suggestive stuff like this on my other blog. I’m also more selective with smut writing than anything else.

WHO ARE OTHER MUSES YOU SHIP YOUR MUSE WITH? I’m pretty much game for anyone if chemistry is there. My muses differ with their approaches to relationships and it ultimately depends on the connection they have with their person. Some muses get crushes and hooked onto people easier than others (Like Sean and Hewlett vs Varric and Evie). For canons with my ocs, I tend to stick to one portrayal (idk if that would mean exclusivity or not) and that’s sorta the same with my canon/canon relationships (like Javier/Sean, for example). So I usually stick to on mun’s portrayal for things like that, but things change and I’m never against duplicates. I don’t want people to be scared to ship with me. Just ask me and we can talk it out. I have toyed with various small ships in my mind (like Cassie/Baker), but overall, I’m pretty much game for anything. I don’t necessarily have any ships in mind atm.

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU? Preferably. Usually, I ask just in the instance of force shipping. I don’t want to do that with anyone and I want to make sure we’re on the right page. This also gives someone else the opportunity to deny a ship and we can speak of other dynamics to try with our muses. Sometimes it can be obvious that you and the other mun are into shipping your muses, but I usually prefer asking just in case. It’s just healthy communication behavior. So, I would say I would prefer if someone asks me to ship.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU LIKE TO SHIP? Anytime and this isn’t only for romantic shipping. I love to explore dynamics generally. I know shipping is the more popular term, but I love deepening dynamics and trying out different things! I do love a good ounce of fluff and angst and my most memorable times in rping is the ships/dynamics I have dabbled in. I would like to see more lgbt+ ships on my blog(s) though!

ARE YOU MULTISHIP? Yes. All ships take place in their own verse. With canon relationships, I usually drift to one portrayal because that just makes it easier writing-wise, but I’m open to duplicates. The only muse that’s single ship is Jacob, he’s taken by Lilith because I personally can’t see Jacob with anyone else. 

ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS? I guess so? I love writing and talking about dynamics generally (not only in the romantic sense), so I suppose I am lmao.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM? Generally? Annlett. For a while, I found Connor (AC) x Evei to be an interesting concept, same as Arno x Evie, but I’m more drawn to Annlett in my shipping. As I stated, I tend to drift towards ocs/canons for some reason lmao.

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU? Basically, just interaction lmao. I don’t mind pre-establish relationships to get the first meeting awkwardness out of the way, but basically just ask me and I’ll give my answer. Once we start interacting more, we can see where things go! Don’t assume or force me into a ship.

TAGGED BY: stole it

TAGGING: steal it from me!

[potatowitch]

Fenris, Isabela, Merrill for impression meme!

MY BELOVEDS YES (send me a character and I'll tell you my impressions of them)

Fenris

First impression - HOT GLOWY ELF WITH HOT VOICE HELLO WHAT

Impression now - I love this dude, honestly. If you had to ask me what my favourite DA character is he'd be like, only just beaten out by Anders and Justice. He's so complex and he's got potential for brilliant amounts of character growth - I say potential because the writers of DA2 kinda stalled on the character growth in Act 3 for a lot of characters but Fenris especially, and I'm salty about it. That's my guy, Bioware, c'mon. He deserves so many good things and I love taking him everywhere I can in DA2 bc his sense of humour is absolutely legendary.

Favorite moment - There's lots of Fenris moments that make me unbearably soft, but him telling a non-romanced Hawke with high friendship that he wants to stay with them in Act 3 ... ough, they're BUDDIES. Also "ah, Hawke stepped in the poopy".

Idea for a story - I've got many, but I really want to do something with either Fenris getting to grips with Hawke being his bestie but also a blood mage (bc I think that'd be an interesting thing to figure out) or something to do with a lot of his dialogue with Aveline where I lowkey want to fistfight her on his behalf -

like. what the fuck, Aveline?? I want Anders in particular to hear that and go "hm. hey Isabela. fancy busting into Aveline's office and destroying some records."

Unpopular opinion - a lot of his "broodiness" is fanon and not actually canon, tbh. like yeah he's a broody dude, he's got a right to be, but he's nowhere near as angry or prone to outbursts as I've seen him written in a lot of fic, and he does tend to say nasty things about mages when facing his trauma but he will apologise for them. he's also a massive, massive dork and laughs at a lot of purple!Hawke's really shitty jokes.

Favorite relationship - Anders, obviously. They could be so good for each other, they're so similar and could understand each other better than anyone else, with Isabela being the only other companion that comes even close to getting them the way they could get each other with just a little bit of work, and I'm obsessed with that potential. They're made for each other, fam, idk how else to put it. I've also read a couple very good Fenris/Merrill fics, and I love a casual friends-with-benefits situation between him and Isabela that helps him get more comfortable with intimacy. Also since I'm messing with a WIP of the main DA2 crew meeting with the Inquisition, I think Bull and Fenris would be great together, in both a platonic and romantic/sexual sense.

Favorite headcanon - he's always cold, therefore he is an incorrigible blanket thief and an unconscious cuddler with someone who he really trusts. Also he's touch starved, but a combo of his markings hurting and TraumaTM makes him touch averse to like 98% of people - but when he's close with someone, he's all over them in private.

Isabela

First impression - potato.exe has stopped functioning, basically. Her intro in DA2 had my jaw on the floor.

Impression now - Very fond of her. I love her outward pirate queen persona, but she's got that lil heart of gold that you see over and over again that makes me adore her.

Favorite moment - a lot of her dialogue with and regarding Merrill really has me feeling Some Kinda Way, bc Isabela's the only character other than Varric who looks out for Merrill in a genuine way.

Also this -

Idea for a story - Y'know how she invites Hawke and their LI to join her crew after she gets her ship back. What if post DA2 they actually did that and she had to deal with her idiot friends with no sailing experience who are also on the run from the Chantry trying to learn how to be pirates. I think Varric would give her a massive headache, just sat there bitching about his seasickness and how uncomfortable his bunk is the whole time.

Unpopular opinion - She's not as callous and uncaring as both she and a good portion of the fandom would have you believe. She's afraid of commitment because of her past, but even with a high friendship Hawke she's very dedicated and loyal, and when in a relationship shows Hawke she loves them, even if she's not comfortable saying it.

Favorite relationship - Love her with a purple Hawke, love her with Merrill, love them as a little triad, love the idea that she fucked Anders when he was at the Pearl, love them being besties during DA2, love her being Fenris' confidante for a lot of things.

Favorite headcanon - She can cook pretty damn well - a lot better than you'd expect, for a pirate, tbh. It's spicy, though.

Merrill

First impression - cute and spooky!

Impression now - cute and spooky and very very smart oh my god so much smarter than she's given credit for. And also very good at standing up for herself in conversation. Also love that ADHD rep, so much of what she says is relatable to me bc of it.

Favorite moment - there's a lot. there's so many like 80% of what comes out of this woman's mouth makes me do intense heart eyes at my screen but this -

this shit makes me cry. also this:

Idea for a story - what if trying to Silence a mage only really works on mages who are using mana. what if a templar tries to pull a Silence on Merrill thinking it's going to be easy to take her down but then she takes out a knife, uses blood magic and fucks them up royally. a whole group of them, all on her own. idk I want more Kickass Merrill Content

Unpopular opinion - Merrill was right and you should all start listening to her and also Marethari was a dick

Favorite relationship - I think I've covered Merrill/Isabela/Hawke and Merrill/Fenris but a potential friendship with Anders is VERY important to me too, they could learn a lot from each other. Also love the idea of Merrill meeting Sigrun and Velanna.

Favorite headcanon: She knits. Not too well, at first, but she likes making scarves and hats for her friends, and they all keep them. Fenris has a blanket she made him on his bed. Anders has mittens bc she noticed one winter that his knuckles were going blue. Isabela has a shawl, Varric's got a little hat. She makes little scarves and tea cosies for the other elves in the Alienage, especially the children, who love her.

[rosexknight]

I honestly don't think the chantry blowing up did anything to the city itself. In the cinematic it looks like the debris is shot far away from Kirkwall (at least to me that's what it looks like).

My guess is that it all landed in the waters around the city, and the fighting is what did the damage we see.

How did Anders kill 100s of people? /gen

There were never hundreds of people in the chantry. I've seen people argue that that's where the homeless live etc, but that's literally what Darktown is for. We're not given proof that Kirkwall chantry houses orphans, or the homeless. Yeah, the chantry sisters etc were inside, but I don't think that explosion killed anyone else. Are you counting the templars and the mages who died during the conflict? Or does anything happen in the comics?

Sorry for the long ask, I like seeing what others have to say about the mage conflict in DA

In Inquisition they mention "rebuilding Kirkwall" many times. We know Kirkwall got torn apart because of the mages and templars fighting, but in game it doesn't look any worse than when the Qunari attacked. I really don't have any concrete evidence for this one, I just assume that rubble from the exploding Chantry HAD to fall on some of Kirkwall. Like, I know the cutscene in game was really unclear of the exact destruction that the exploding Chantry did to the rest of Kirkwall but I would be SHOCKED if the city came out unscathed from an explosion that with so much debris being flung everywhere. The number of casualties from the Chantry explosion is also the reason I think there must have been rubble. As you noted, in the cutscene we did not see 100 people IN the Chantry, and even in game we don't see that many there at a time. So that had to come from the explosion itself and the debris and stuff.

Varric straight up says in a banter with Blackwall in Inquisition, "I know a Greywarden who blew up a chantry and killed 100 people." As far as I know this is the only canonical, confirmed number to those casualties, so that's the one I tend to go with. And we know that's not just his body count because Varris recites everyone's body count in DA2 also in a banter, and Anders is over 100. So yeah 100 people because he blew up a chantry.

The Inquisition Banter, copy pasted straight from the Wiki: Blackwall: I once met a dwarf who made the best home-brewed ale.

Varric: I once met a Grey Warden who got possessed by a spirit and then blew up a Chantry and killed a hundred people.

Varric: What makes people think you want to hear what others of "your kind" have done, anyway?

The DA2 Banter, also copied straight from the Wiki: Varric: Oh, cheer up, Blondie. You're making me cry just looking at you.

Anders: Don't.

Varric: You made a mistake. It happens.

Anders: I almost killed a girl.

Varric: You've killed two-hundred and fifty-four by my last count. Plus about five hundred men, a few dozen giant spiders, and at least two demons.

Anders: It's not the same.

Varric: Why? Because this one you feel bad about? Maybe that's the problem.

I don't know about the comics or short stories as I haven't read them. I'm going solely by what is said and shown in-game.

Like I said in this post I am not saying what he did was good. But I do understand why he did it and believe it was justified. Tbh I think alot of the problem with his character was just that the game was rushed, so they weren't able to flesh everyone out as much.

[theharellan]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm. tagged by: stolen from @dansiere tagging: @ghiassan, @deathsreflection, @altuspavus, @windrunnerrs (velanna), @hopewrought, @willbeshot, @seahaloed (iron bull), @asterfed​ (noctis), @ anyone who wants to steal it! also multis feel free to choose a different character

My muse is:   canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless / complicated (i’m open to roleplaying with non-dragon age characters, and have AUs for other fandoms)

Is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO. solas is both wildly popular and wildly hated. he’s been more consistently popular than the controversial women in the series, like sera or vivienne, who have only recently begun to get to the point where their tags are less vitriolic (although i’m sure it’s still out there), but there’s still a sizable hatedom that can’t have his name breathed in their vicinity w/o them talking abt how much they hate him. even if you’re currently cosplaying him!

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK. again, you have ppl who are super into him and ppl who think he’s ugly. my personal opinion is that i think he’s weirdly pretty, and wish ppl would commit more to his unconventional features rather than try to chisel him into sb more traditionally attractive and that ppl who don’t find him attractive would maybe chill w/ calling him ugly. find him unattractive by all means, but lets embrace the fact that inquisition let their love interests have skin flaws etc and accept that some won’t be our cups of tea.

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK. its hard to deny at this point tbh.

Are they underrated?  YES / NO / IDK. frustrating as the hate in the tags he has enough fans that i couldnt say he’s underrated w/ a straight face.

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO. he’s the reason the game starts with a bang and not the inevitable dissolution of the conclave b/c the sides are disparate.

Were they relevant for the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG. regardless of solas’ relationship with the inquisitor, there are parallels and contrasts in their stories and he also is the reason they survive inquisition.

Are they widely known in their world? YES / NO. fen’harel is well-known and revered, if feared, among the dalish, yet at the same time he’s not remembered for a lot besides locking the gods away-- and the context of that decision has also been lost. as solas he’s relatively unknown until inquisition and especially trespasser.

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL. again, polarising!! he has loyal agents and people are willing to speak well of him despite everything, including his enemies sometimes (depending mostly on the inquisitor). 

How strictly do you follow canon?  — generally i try to have a canon basis for my interpretation, even if i interpret the text differently than the author.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals.  —  solas is an immortal who is simultaneously jaded and very much invested in the small moments of life. far from being weary of the day-to-day lives of ordinary people, it is systems and orders he is most tired of. he walks an interesting line that feels far less misanthropic than other immortal characters i’ve experienced, yet still he’s quite cynical. as a character who has fought against religious based tyranny before, but in a completely different era, he is in a unique position where what he sees around him is both horrifyingly familiar and yet completely new. it allows an exploration of the wrongs of thedas’ society from an outsider’s perspective. his motivations are complex and multifaceted, often condemnable and yet also understandable. his character arc in inquisition (if befriended, or regardless in the case of my solas) takes him from a dispassionate, disconnected antagonist to someone deeply invested in the people of thedas, deeply conflicted and actively hoping he will be proven wrong again. i think his story is a testament to human (or elven, or dwarven, or-) connection and how even when we resist we can’t resist creating bonds with the people in our lives. i personally see this bond going beyond the inquisitor hence why i play low-approval solas as conflicted as high-approval, if not when it comes to the inquisitor.

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).  —  solas is selfish and motivated solely by revenge, he’s clinging to a past that clearly no longer exists, if you ignore all the people from it who are still alive. he’s totally unaware of all his flaws and never owns up to any mistakes ever. no, i haven’t listened to a single word solas has said in my life why do you ask. he’s also critical of my faves which means he’s #cancelled, there is clearly no validity to what he’s saying. ksjdf no but in all seriousness i think a lot of reasons ppl don’t find solas interesting are just... weird readings of his character that sometimes have no basis in the text of inquisition, but also there are plenty of perfectly valid reasons to not find him interesting. usually those ppl don’t like... talk abt how much they don’t find him interesting constantly tho. they just chill and aren’t invested in this particular villain. for one thing i think the game missed out on opportunities for exploring how someone who may not have even had a body at the beginning of his existence would feel about gender and sexuality, so making him presumably straight and cis was a boring choice. i also think that the dragon age games being very protagonist-centric hurts solas’ character, there’s no real reason why the inquisitor is the only one who can throw his plans into question but making the player the center of the universe means he’s not allowed to change due to the effects of other companions or NPCs. thank god this is rp and i do what i want.

What inspired you to rp your muse?  —  i have a history degree so when the inquisition companions were being teased, solas describing bias in primary sources from the memories he’s seen got me interested in him. but my first playthrough i didn’t actually take him with me all too often, i think my main party was dorian-blackwall-varric. i liked him, and i think he or dorian were my first friends in skyhold, but my initial interest was in other characters. between his dialogue that appealed to the historian in me tho and how his spirit opinions sort of turned everything i’d felt about spirits in the last two games on its head, i started vibing with him more the farther i went in. like merrill set me up for the “spirits are people” thing and solas hit it out of the park. then temple of mythal happened, and i did bring solas with me there. i found his dialogue fascinating and also suspicious, i’d just finished masked empire like the day before da:i came out so i definitely thought solas was an ancient elf in the same vein as felassan. it was after temple of mythal that i actually decided to make his blog, although like as one idk linchpin to cement my status as solas trash... i was hit BAD by the banter bug on my first playthrough, probably got like a dozen banters total. but then at some point late in the game i took solas to the forbidden oasis and he wouldn’t stop talking to people, and i really loved his banter with the rest of my party at the time.

What keeps your inspiration going?  —  replaying inquisition, new DA content when the bioware gods deign to grant us a lifeline, but the biggest thing is my rp partners. i wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the people i write with, new and old. my activity of late hasn’t been the best, work and the summer heat has really been sapping me of energy, and does even during years when we aren’t going through a pandemic. but it’s the thought of my rp partners and love of solas that keeps me coming back.

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO / I SINCERELY HOPE I DO? i have my doubts sometimes, but i think i do ok.

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO / SORT OF? there is no headcanon too small for me.

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO. but not lately * gestures to the low activity * i’ve been in this cycle where i get anxious abt late replies, so prioritise them, then burn myself out and can’t write the fics i want. i’ve had two i’ve been DYING to write tho i just... need to find the space in my brain to let myself.

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO. i mean it depends on the day. if i work closing shifts at my store it gets very quiet and boring around 8:30 so i spent the next 90 minutes thinking about character stuff.

Are you confident in your portrayal?  YES / NO / SORT OF? 

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO / SOMETIMES. 

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO / SORTA.

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?  —  i’m going to say ‘no’ because like, i don’t ask for criticism. this is a hobby based on my interpretation of a character, if you think i write solas too soft then you’re welcome to think that, but i’m happy with the balance i’ve struck with his internal versus external behaviour and how he changes based upon who he’s speaking to. if you think i’m erasing straight people by making solas pan then ksjdfs. ok.

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character?  —  yes!!! even if they retread ground already trodden, a) my interpretation may have adjusted since the last time i played or b) a reminder is nice. if it’s new stuff then it’s fun to think about.

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?  —  it’d depend on why they disagree. if they just disagree on a subjective opinion about what i took from a certain line, then they’re welcome to their opinion but i don’t necessarily care to hear it. if it is unintentionally hurtful then i would like to know. although rather than a comment i’d rather a non-anonymous message.

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?  —  same as the above.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?  —  if they’re vocal about it i typically just unfollow / softblock if i was following in the first place. people can feel how they want about solas, but i’ve found over the years that if people really hate solas ooc it can often bleed into their ic interactions. it’s really weird seeing your character being brought up repeatedly in threads with others specifically to dunk on, for no reason other than i guess solas is living rent free in their heads, so at least we have that in common. but anyway unfollowing is just the best choice to avoid getting kinda pressed if i’m having a bad day.

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors?  —  roleplay is the wild west of writing, so i think it’d depend on what the error was. coming at me like “you shouldn’t start a sentence with a preposition” would get a laugh, but i don’t edit my replies much if at all and mistakes will 100% happen. pointing out typos is chill so long as you do it politely.

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?   —  it depends! i’ve learned that being too easy going actually just means i’m subjecting myself to negative emotions to please people. so i’ve gotten less easy going as the years go by. how does one define “easy going” anyway? does asking that question mean i am objectively not easy going? the longer this thought goes on the more the answer seems to be “probably not,” but i like to think it could be a lot worse.

[mars-colony]

For the ABC OC asks - CHONO for uhHh Atticus? 👀

Thank you, dearest! This is long actually so I’m putting it under a read more.

letters of my name for Atticus: C: Comfort 1. how do they sit in a chair? The nickname Varric gave Atticus is "Manners." It suits him very well. His posture is impeccable, looking at him sit in a chair would probably make my back hurt. He also looks kind of incredibly uncomfortable, lol. This is at first. He gets more comfortable the longer he's with the Inquisition. But the straight back posture stays. He spent the majority of his life under his mother's constant scrutiny to be the perfectly educated polite gentleman so. He's kinda anxiety about it. Until he gets more comfortable, and loosens up quite a lot.

2. in what position do they sleep? Kind of a belly flop starfish. He takes up a lot of room, sometimes he'll curl an arm around the pillow behind his head. Big cuddler once he and Dorian are in a relationship. He is definitely the big spoon.

3. what is their ideal comfort day? A hunt with his father, tracking foxes or even bears through the wilderness. The barks of the hunting dogs puts him at ease. Or a quiet day in Haven, practicing archery with Sera maybe, or alone. In Skyhold, a day when he can sleep late, watching Dorian sleep even later, reading together, just enjoying the others company.

4. what is their major comfort food? why? Bread. Just please give this man a fresh baked loaf of bread and he will just eat it. Plain. He will just eat it. The warmth, the smell, it reminds him of simpler times. When he was young, he was sick often, and a lot of times bread was the only thing he could keep down.

5. who is the best at comforting them when down? The obvious answer is Dorian Pavus, his wonderful boyfriend. Dorian can always make Atti look at things objectively, and is there with something witty and charming to say that calms him down. It's also just a comfort knowing he's there for him and a part of his life. When Dorian is not available, Atticus will turn to Varric. They have a very fun rapport, and Varric can always cheer him up and make him laugh. He is also known to turn to Josephine, they are very good friends. She's very soothing because of how she tackles problems and Atticus appreciates that a lot.

H: Heat 1. do they rather a hot or cold room? Atticus would rather be cold, because he can always put on more layers. He loves blankets and being cozy, and you can't take off your skin when it gets really hot. He does not have the best time in the desert, but he certainly makes the best of it.

2. do they prefer summer or winter? He likes winter and summer for vastly different reasons. He wouldn't be able to choose. He loves snow and snowball fights, he's sculpted a few very good snow mabari in his day.  In the summer he enjoys horse riding and swimming (take notes bioware my boy CAN swim).

3. do they like the snow? Atti loves snow. He thinks it's lovely. He can and will start snowball wars. He gets excited about the snow, because tbh, his inner child is LIVING. Lock a boy up for most of his life and he'll just have the best damn time when he finally goes out on his own.

4. do they have a favorite summer activity? Swimming. No body of water is safe.

5. do they have a favorite activity? He loves traveling with the Inquisition. Getting to see all kinds of places and climates is probably the thing he loves the most about his life after the Conclave. Even before he was appointed as the Inquisitor, he had so much fun.

O: Optimism 1. are they optimistic or pessimistic? My boy is very optimistic (for most of the game, there are moments... where he is not).

2. are they openly optimistic, throwing it on others? He is a firm believer in letting people make their own opinions. He will offer his optimism, but understands when people don't feel the same way.

3. are they good at giving advice? No. Usually, no. He has very limited life experience until well into the Inquisition. He always does his best though, and is glad to be a sympathetic ear to those who need him.

4. is there anyone in their life that throws optimism on them? His Mother. His brother Percy. He will avoid being in the same room as them like the Blight.

5. were they always optimistic? No. He had a very pessimistic childhood.

N: Never Have I Ever 1. what would they never do? I don't think he'd ever travel through time into a bad timeline where all of his friends are corrupted with red lyrium again... sorry I am having an incredibly difficult time thinking of anything for this one. He'd never.... lick a lamp post in winter??

2. what have they never done that they want to do? He's never ridden a dragon. He thinks that would be pretty incredible. Also incredibly dangerous. Nothing the Inquisitor can't handle.

3. is there anything they absolutely can't believe people do? Willingly go to the Orelsian opera.

4. what is the most embarrassing thing they've done? Well there was this one time during a performance of "The Murder of Queen Madrigal"... there was a nug... his aunt wouldn't speak to him for three months...

5. have they done anything they thought they'd never do? Sincerely, Atticus never thought he'd be allowed off of the Trevelyan estate without his mother marrying him off to some sorry noble woman. Upon "joining" the Inquisition he has done more things than he thought he'd ever do in his life than he could ever count. Hunting dragons, fighting demons, sealing rifts, falling in love with an altus from Tevinter... the list goes on and on.

[dareactions]

DAI companions react to a sherlock inquisitor that can read you your entire life story with just a glance and leaves people in awe ,unnerved, or just infuriated at how eerily accurate they are with their deductions.

Fun fact; Sherlock Holmes is inspired by Dr. Joseph Bell- who could simply by looking at people normally diagnose them.  It’s also very possible to become as good at deductive reasoning and observation as Mr. Holmes seeing as he just had an issue of being able to ignore details which he later developed into a skill. Eyo.

I just rly love sherlock holmes tbh.

Cassandra: She would be fine with it, if they stopped doing it to her. Cassandra doesn’t enjoy when people point out things she herself would rather keep hidden, after some rather stern talks with the Inquisitor she would be a lot more relaxed around them, finding the deductions rather amusing in the end. The seeker is rather curious about how this little ‘ability’ of theirs came to be, seeing as it’s not exactly a common thing to be capable of telling a life story by small details.

Solas: He finds it unnerving and an utterly terrifying idea. Solas has secrets, more than anyone can even imagine- and the fact that the Inquisitor could so easily pick him apart and tell when he is lying or keeping information away from them was unsettling to say the least. He’d be wary and possibly try his best to not spend time with them, anything to really keep his secrets and lies. As much as he believes in ‘keep your friends close but your enemies closer’, even he has his limits.

Dorian: Surprisingly it’s very much mixed emotions with the Tevene mage, he finds it interesting and equally as hilarious every time it happens. But Dorian is far from out of the line of fire whenever the Inquisitor steps over the line, it’s hard to not pick up details and point them out first thing; leading to some rather major privacy invasions with him. Dorian is far from someone who takes things personally, but there is a certain uncertainty about it all. 

Sera: Oh she hates it, alright it can be fun to watch the Inquisitor knock down one or two nobles from their high horses- but they know stuff. Too much. They point out things Sera wouldn’t rather notice at times or just really has tried to ignore if she even were aware of them. There is a very distinct limit for when things start being slightly creepy for Sera and the Inquisitor’s deductions literally cut that line in two.

Blackwall: Blackwall doesn’t want to hate the Inquisitor, by any means he wants more people to like, but they can’t help but get under his skin it seems. The warden has a lot of secrets, too many to count and the fact that the Inquisitor could so easily pick him apart terrified him, it’d be a tie between him and Solas when it comes to absolute horror about being found out.

Iron Bull: Intrigued and sort of jealous were his initial reactions, having such a trained eye is extremely impressive. Bull would try to get some tips and tricks from the Inquisitor if possible and take any real chance to learn about it. He does however find it rather unsettling, enjoying to watch it take place but refuses to really accept should it be targeted at him or the chargers. Some things are secrets for a reason.

Vivienne: There have been worse feats someone has gotten, amazing deduction skills if anything was more a blessing than a curse to her, being capable of catching small details could save your life within the Orlesian court. While Vivienne is far from voicing her actual enjoyment of seeing the Inquisitor pick nobles apart so easily; she is quite sure of the fact that they know she finds it absolutely hilarious.

Varric: A part of him wonders if it’d even be believable enough to put in the book, because in the end the Inquisitor is just too smart for their own good it seems. The fact that they so easily noticed when Varric was getting less sleep than usual in mere seconds was annoying but also very much something the dwarf needed; now the talk about his brother hit too close to home.

Cole: It doesn’t properly register that it’s wrong of the Inquisitor to make assumptions, deductions or just lay out the entirety of someones life on the table. Cole is very much the same in some manners, rambling without fully understanding that some people would rather have their secrets hidden. He finds it rather fun thought, to see what he notices and the Inquisitor does not and vice versa.

[kaaras-adaar-a]

Sorry if I'm bothering you with questions, but I love him so much i want to know more (✿ ♥‿♥) 6, 11, 16, 19, 24, 36, 37, 39 As last time, choose which ones you would like to answer, thank you! ♥

ABOUT YOUR INQUISITOR ASK PROMPT

// Omgosh, you’re not bothering me at all!

6. what is their opinion on the mage/templar war?

Put simply, as a mage, Kaaras understands first hand the treatment they receive, and of course, the fear. However, in saying that, he actually believes that Circles are a good thing--just not how they are NOW. Kaaras believes in Circles being a school of choice for mages, to govern themselves and so they can learn and understand their powers. He understands that mages CAN be weapons, but so can anyone else so long as they hold anything in their power. It’s about the person, not the ‘weapon’ they wield. But stealing children from their homes and forcing them into isolation is the worst thing for ANY child. A place where they feel understood, and can learn from each other is his ideal wish, and for the Chantry to fuck off (not so much in those words lol) because even though he’s Andrastian, they should have nothing to do with how mages are treated as a people. 

The war was inevitable with how strangled the situation was, and Kaaras understands that 100%. I’d say he’s pretty level headed about the situation and tries to understand from both sides, but ultimately, his belief is that it could have been dealt with better, and he does NOT agree with how Anders dealt with things. He killed innocent people, and there’s no excuse for that, and as a mage, Kaaras is honestly mortified of what happened and how Anders made mages look by his actions. 

11. how do they feel about the dalish?

He honestly doesn’t know a lot about the Dalish, so he’s very curious about them. Even though his younger sister (adopted) was Dalish, she’s never talked about her past with them considering it was so negative for her, so he really doesn’t know a lot outside of what the majority of humans see in them (which isn’t great lol). Kaaras only finds new things out about them via travel, new friends, and Inquisition agents, etc. I’d say he really doesn’t have enough knowledge and understanding to make any judgements, he’s just curious in learning more about them and their culture/history :) 

This is something any Dalish OC could totally talk to him about and he’d be so interested in it all! 

16. when are they the happiest?

Kaaras is a simple man :3 He’s happy with a cuppa and a good book, with his friends, with his family. It doesn’t take a lot to make him happy. 

19 did they use the templars or the mages to close the breach?

He used the mages. It was nothing against the templars, it was just the logical decision for him. The breach is magic, so mages had more power where he was concerned. 

24. what is their opinion on blood magic? would they ever use it, if given the chance?

I think Kaaras is very on Solas’ level when it comes to blood magic. Any magic is good in theory, but some of it is best kept just as theory. In saying that, Kaaras isn’t against blood magic, he’s against the people who abuse it. He has a blood mage healer in his mercenary company, and she’s saved him from accidents a number of times. Just as ANY mage, it’s not about the magic, it’s about how they use it. 

Kaaras, personally, however... would never use it. He doesn’t feel comfortable with the idea of owing a price for something. When he was younger, when his father died, he had a demon almost make him give into blood magic to ‘bring his father back’, but his sister stopped him and ever since he’s pretty much been too stubborn to get possessed by any demon, lol. In short, he’s not against it, he’s against those who abuse it. But he also thinks it’s not something to be toyed with, and it’s very serious. People who use their own blood, fine, but using other people’s is wrong (unless they’re sane and willing). But he’s still uncomfortable with it. 

36. are they especially protective of certain inquisition members, even those capable of defending themselves?

Kaaras is a mother hen. He’s ALWAYS going to be protective, even though he also understands those who are capable. For those who are more capable, he’ll still worry, but he also knows their power and knows they can put up a fight. For those who are a little less... Kaaras may often watch out of them quietly and give them boosts here and there where he can. But overall, he’s a very protective person. 

37. do they like their skyhold pajamas?

Haha, okay, so my headcanon is that the ONLY time he wore those things was when he was dragged back to Haven and dressed in them at the start. He was mortified to know that someone had undressed him and changed him, but even more so in how hideous those things were X’DDD He got changed right away and never wore them again. 

39. if varric gave them a nickname, what would it be?

He’d be called ‘Farm boy’ from Varric, because of his upbringing on the Fereldan farms :3 Kaaras is okay with it, haha. 

[fen--harel]

Alaina Lavellan (Companion)

Here it is !! No one asked for it but here it is !! It took me two days but Alaina was worth it ♥ if anyone wants to do it I got the template from here (and if you do it I want to see :’) )

Inquisitor’s Name: Alaina Lavellan

Nicknames: Lainie, Lanes

Race, Class, & Specialization: Elf, Rouge, Assassin

Varric’s Nickname for them: Doey (dough-we, like a doe)

Default Tarot Card: Queen of Wands

How they are recruited: After arriving at Skyhold, Dorian will mention to the Inquisitor that he had received a letter from an friend who is in need of assistance. If the Inquisitor accepts the request, they will meet with Asiel and Alaina at the Gnawed Noble Tavern in Denerim (only avaliable for that quest). Asiel will explain that he is a runaway magister-to-be from Tevinter and the Dalish elf with him, Alaina, is a friend he met along the way to Fereldan. The Inquisitor has the option of recruiting them in exchange for offering protection to Asiel and Alaina from his family and anyone his family sends or just simply declining to give them safe harbor.

Mini Bio: Alaina was born in Antiva City and lived a small but normal life with her parents. Her mother was a baker and her father was a florist. Although both of her parents had been city elves, they still worshiped the Elven Pantheon and tried to maintain much of their culture and language and passed all their knowledge onto Alaina.

When Alaina was eight years old, her parents were murdered by a group of humans who had been angered by her mother who had refused their advances earlier that day. With no family and being unable to provide for herself, she roamed Antiva City’s streets for a month, surviving by being stealthy, fast, and subtle. She was able to get by by steal most of her meals and conning her way into temporary shelter.

One day she was caught stealing from a Crow and instead of punishing her they recruited her to become one. Alaina stayed with the Crows, learning how to become an Assassin and became friends with the only other elf her House, Elio. When she and Elio were thirteen, they were about to finish their training when they decided they didn’t want to live the life of a Crow. They devised a plan to escape and executed it right before their ceremony. Unfortunately, they were caught and Elio sacrificed himself so Alaina could escape. She headed south and made it into the wilderness between Antiva and the Free Marches where she found by the Lavellan clan who had been passing.

She stayed with the Lavellan clan, and although she was happy and accepted she still felt like she truly didn’t belong. When she turned eighteen she choose Mythal as her personal deity for her vallaslin, and was greatly influenced by memories of her being her mother’s favorite deity. When Alaina was twenty she was out hunting when she found Asiel who had been gravely injured by mercenaries who had been sent to capture him and bring him back to Tevinter. Alaina and her clan took care of Asiel until he was fully healed and when it was time for him to leave, Alaina requested for him to take her with him.

Where they are in Skyhold: At the Herald’s Rest at the bar. (Depending on your choice after her personal quest) In the chair beside Bull.

Things they Generally Approve of: Snarky funny comments, helping anyone in need, supporting/defending elves, flirting with her, doing other inner circle quests, anytime you pick flowers (crystal grace, dawn lotus, etc.) ?? it’s like automatic approval and it’s like god Alaina shut up.

Things they Generally Disapprove of: being a meanie >:(, conscripting the mages or templars, hostility towards elves, racism towards any race tbh, with Alaina it’s really hard to gain her disapproval because she’s so neutral

Mages, Templars, Other?: Alaina doesn’t care which one you choose as long as you don’t force them to join the Inquisition and treat them like prisoners. However, if you have the Templars join she’ll approve but if you have the Mages join she’ll greatly approve

Friends in the Inquisition:

Blackwall: Alaina fully and completely believes that Blackwall is a warden despite the fact that a lot of his responses towards being a warden are so vague. Although she thinks they have a friendly relationship, Blackwall is not very fond of her due to her inquisitive nature and the fact that she’ll constantly ask him questions about being a warden, what he did before he was a warden, etc. so he often tries to avoid her.

Cassandra: Alaina loves Cass and can be often caught biting her lip as she stares at Cass’ arms because oh gosh those guns ??? ♥ Can she lift Alaina with those arms ?? She has a friendly relationship with Cass due to the fact that she is very pushy to spend time with her to get to know her. It also helps that Alaina is also a fan of Varric’s smutty romance novels.

Cole: Alaina is very friendly towards Cole and likes Cole but for the most part her dumbass has no idea what he’s talking about even though he might be mentioning her thoughts and feelings or others’ thoughts and feelings about her.

♦ Dorian: Alaina absolutely adores Dorian, and almost immediately considers him a close friend. She thinks he’s one of the most hilarious and charming people she’s ever met and loves listening to him and Asiel banter due to the fact they have a rival kind of relationship. She loves spending time with him in the library and although she isn’t very good at chess, she’ll play with him. Dorian absolutely loves the fact that Alaina makes her own oils and loves it even more that she makes him his own. Everyday she compliments his mustache at least once and everyday he compliments her hair at least one.

♥ ♦ Iron Bull: The first time Alaina meets Iron Bull she practically swoons. Oh gosh those arms ?? Do you work out ?? After the initial “holyshit he’s so hot” moment, she and Iron Bull are thick as thieves. Alaina loves Iron Bull because not only is he funny and likes to drink and party, but he often helps guide her in many aspects of her life. Iron Bull likes her also because she loves to drink and party, but also because gets amazingly along with the Chargers. It is implied she and Iron Bull have slept together, and if Iron Bull and the Inquisitor or Dorian are not in a relationship with him by What Pride Had Wrought, she and him form one. After What Pride Had Wrought, the Inquisitor can find a Necklace of Kadan equipped in her inventory.

Sera: Alaina likes Sera’s nature and the fact that she just wants to have fun and put things back to normal, because in all honesty so does Alaina. Often Sera will be begging Alaina to participate in pranks with her but the thought of making fun of someone, even if it’s not in a harmful way, makes Alaina want to cry.

♦ Solas: Alaina loves Solas and treats him like he’s a Hahren, drinking up all of the knowledge he can provide her. She can often be found lounging on the couch next to him, listening to his stories of the fade, his opinons on their current mission, previous historical events, and even elves, although he’s learned to be a bit more gentle about that subject with her. Solas also likes Alaina because she is so willing to listen and learn new things, and he loves how her opinion on elves isn’t too extreme due to the fact that not only is she Dalish, but she was born as a city elf so she understands both sides of the track. Solas also loves her kind and gentle nature and how she’s so idealistic, but he’s also afraid how idealistic and naive she is. He believes that something is going to happen to crush that point of view of hers and he’s not sure how he will react to his friend losing that part of her.

Varric: Varric often tells Alaina that she reminds him of his friend Merrill, and every time he says it she practically beams because she can see the fondness in his eyes. The two get along very well, Varric loves teaching Alaina how to play Wicked Grace because she’s just so bad at it and Alaina loves listening to all the stories Varric has to tell.

Vivienne: There has been so many times that Alaina has said that she wants to grow up to be just like Vivienne. She loves the strong and important aura Vivienne always presents and looks up to her almost like a mother figure. Vivienne in turn loves being that motherly figure for Alaina, because she is just so happy and adorable and loves listening to Vivienne. One thing, however, that irks Vivienne is Alaina’s fashion sense. By the Maker, how can that girl just run around Skyhold in an over-sized tunic?

Romanceable: Alaina is romanceable by any gender and any race. After the Inquisitor recruits her and Asiel, and after a couple of flirting options, a cutscene will trigger when you talk to her at the bar where she invites the Inquisitor to her room. The Inquisitor can accept and have sex with her, decline but continue to have romantic advances, or simply reject her all together. If the Inquisitor chooses one of the first two options, after that night Alaina will explain to the Inquisitor that it’s okay for them to have a casual relationship, and that she will not object to the Inquisitor sleeping and/or seeing someone else. It is not until after finishing her personal quest can the Inquisitor make the relationship official.

Small side mission (Sweet Smells): This quest is activated by going into the Undercroft after recruiting Alaina where the Inquisitor will find her sitting on the floor in the corner making oils and soap out of herbs, flowers, and fruit. The Inquisitor will then be given the quest Sweet Smells where they can collect flowers and fruit for Alaina to make her oils. If the Inquisitor completes the quest, it will turn out that it was an oil for the Inquisitor. ♥

Companion quest (At The Bottom of the Bottle):

The Inquisitor will wake up in the middle of the night due to some banging on their door. Opening it, they find Alaina giggling with an almost empty bottle of wine in her hand. She slides her way in, throwing her arms around the Inquisitor, blatently flirting, begging the Inquisitor to take her. The Inquisitor will set Alaina down, asking her what she’s doing. Instead she doesn’t respond and take another drink. The Inquisitor will then ask why is she so drunk and they are very confused because they’ve never seen her like this before. After enough pressing, Alaina eventually breaks down and starts sobbing, telling the Inquisitor she’s not sure how much longer she can take it all. She’s afraid, she’s weak, she’s confused, and she apologizes for feeling this way, because she knows there are others out there suffering more than she is right now. She’s supposed to be strong now, she’s had her suffering and she must learn how to move on but she feels like she can’t do it. She reaches for another drink...

  Option 1 (”It’s okay, Alaina.”): Stop her drinking and console her. Explain to her that it’s okay to be afraid and to have these feelings and that she doesn’t have to be strong all the time by putting on a face, especially if alcohol is something that is helping her do that. Instead she should rely on her friends, including the Inquisitor and trust that they will all be strong together.

Alaina will thank the Inquisitor and if they are in a romance she will tell them that one of her fears is that she loves them but she is unsure if they love her. The Inquisitor can either tell her that they love her back or simply tell her that they wish to be friends. If the Inquisitor chooses to continue their romance with her they will fall asleep together in the Inquisitor’s bed. If they remain friends, or were simply friends before, Alaina will pass out on their couch.

  Option 2 (”Grow up.”): Tell her to get over it and move on and the Inquisition has no time for tears.

Alaina will agree with the Inquisitor and quietly leave their room. The next day everything will seem fine and Alaina will be acting normal. However, throughout Skyhold there will be remarks made by everyone on Alaina’s health and her drinking habits, saying they often find her drunk at the bar. Alaina will then become incapacitated for the final battle due to being too drunk and a cut scene will trigger before then of Asiel yelling with tears in his eyes at Alaina that she has a drinking problem and that they need to fix it together.

Tarot card change

Option 1: Death

Option 2: The Moon

Romance: The Lovers

Cole’s reflection on their thoughts: “Pain. So much pain. But it’s better isn’t it? Better than before. Nothing could be as worst as it once was. I just need one more drink.”

Cole’s reflection on their thoughts if romanced: “You feel like home.”

Comment(s) on Mages: “I wish I had magic! I bet it’s nice to not struggle while making your campfires. New rule! All mages must make the campfires!” - Dorian (if in party): “New rule! Alaina must make all the campfires!” / “Sometimes magic is scary, and sometimes magic is cool! Right now it’s pretty scary!” / “How do mages not trip with their skirts so long?”

Comment(s) on Templars: “They’re so big~ ♥” / “Don’t they get hot in all that armor?” / “*gasp* ... *whispers* metal skirts...” /

When looking for something: “I spy with my little eye!”

When finding a campsite: “Inquisitor, can I take a nap?” / “Is it snacktime ?!”

A non-rogue Inquisitor trying at lockpicks: “Need some help? I’ve been told I have very skilled hands~”

In combat:

And a stab here! And a stab there!

Can’t touch this~

What’s all the fuss?

When the Inquisitor Falls:

Oh no !!

Are you alright ?! Dumb question ! No you’re not !

If Romanced:

Vhenan!

Amore/a!

I’ll be right there, my love!

When they are low on Health:

I don’t want to impose, but i’m dying!

*whine*

When they see a Dragon: “Raah, raah like a dungeon dragon!” / “Woosh !! It’s huge !!” / “*gasp* A dragon !!”

When during their small side quest: “Thank you Inquisitor! ♥”

Default saying:

Low Approval

Uhm, h-hello.

*sad hmm*

*singing* ninety-nine bottles of mead on the wall ! O-oh ! Hello...

Farewell: Goodbye.

Neutral:

Aneth ara!

Goooooood morning Inquisitor!

I just love abyssal peach ! ♥

Farewell: Make sure you take me with you when you leave !

High Approval:

Why is it called Skyhold ? Does the sky hold us ? Or do we hold the sky ? Hm...

Hello hello hello !!

Inquisitor ! Have a drink ! It’s on me ! ♥

If it’s the first time hearing the line: 

Alaina: Put it on my tab, Cabot!

Cabot: You don’t have a tab.

Alaina: Oh...

Farewell: Aww ! But i’ll miss you !

Romance:

You are looking so wonderfully wonderful today ♥

*The most adorable and most alluring giggle you’ll ever hear*

Vhenan ! I have a funny story to tell you !

Amore/a, i’m not busy later if you aren’t~

Farewell: I’ll see you later! My room or yours? ♥

Travel Banter with Canon Companions of your choice:

Blackwall:

Alaina: Oh Blackwall that’s amazing!

Blackwall: What is?

Alaina: That your parents named you ‘Warden’! It’s like they knew you were going to become one!

Blackwall: Please tell me that you know my first name isn’t ‘Warden’.

Alaina: Aww...it’s not ?

Alaina: What is it then ?

Blackwall: Er- oh look, it’s one of those flowers that you like!

Alaina: Oh ! Where ?!

Cassandra:

Alaina: Cass you were so amazing in the last battle ♥

Cassandra: Thank you, Alaina.

Alaina: The way you just picked up that guy and threw him?

Alaina: Creators, I wouldn’t mind if you threw me like that ♥

Cassandra: I’m going over there now.

Cole:

Cole: Big arms, strong arms, rough hands, I want to be held, need to be held by those.

Bull (if in party): Alright, whose dirty thoughts?

Alaina: Ooh, strong arms? Where ? ♥

Bull (if in party): Go ahead Alaina, ask me to flex.

Alaina: *giggles*

Cassandra (if in party): Ugh. 

Dorian:

Dorian: Lainie, how do you do that?

Alaina: Do what?

Dorian: Walk around with no shoes?

Dorian: Don’t your feet hurt?

Alaina: Don’t your feet hurt wearing shoes?

Dorian: I-uh...

Dorian: Well played.

Iron Bull:

Iron Bull: Alaina, I have a surprise for you when we get back to Skyhold.

Alaina: Ooh! Ooh! What is it?

Iron Bull: *Laughs* well it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you.

Alaina: Oh please Bull! Who knows how long until we get back to Skyhold!

Iron Bull: Alright, alright, it’s a nice big bottle of Abyssal Peach.

Alaina: *gasp* ! Oh Bull, thank you!

Alaina: When we get back to Skyhold, i’ll give you my peach~♥

Dorian (if in the party): And now I can’t finish my snack.

Asiel (if in the party): Don’t get too excited, she has a peach garden and I wouldn’t be surprised if she gave you an actual peach.

Varric (if in the party): Would the two of you be offended if I used this for my next book?

Sera:

Sera: Oh c’mon Alaina, it would be real quick. Just a small go.

Alaina: I can’t Sera! I would feel awful!

Sera: People feel awful all the time!

Sera: Feel good now!

Sera: Feel good now and with pie! And their face!

Sera: Pie! In! Their! Face!

Solas:

Solas: Alaina, I never asked, but why did you pick Mythal for your vallaslin?

Alaina: Oh! She was my mother’s favorite deity, and now she’s also mine!

Solas: Your mother’s? I thought your parents were both city elves?

Alaina: She was! But we still worshiped the pantheon, and she used to tell me the legends about Mythal.

Solas: I see.

Varric:

Varric: So Doey you got a name for your daggers?

Alaina: Ooh ! I’ve never thought of that !

Alaina: I should name them something cool!

Varric: Yeah ! Something like, ebony and ivory, or thunder and lighting, or-

Alaina: Lefty and righty !

Varric: Ahh, we’ll work on it.

Vivienne:

Vivienne: My darling Alaina, please tell me that’s not your horrid over-sized tunic underneath your armor I see.

Alaina: Oops, haha, yes...

Vivienne: What happened to the new ones we had purchased together?

Vivienne: The ones with the pretty lace?

Alaina: U-Uhm! Well, I didn’t want to ruin it so I left them at home !!

Vivienne: Hm..

[witchdoodle]

8, 22, 25, and 29 for leith, 5, 11, 14, and 26 for pad, 13, 23, 28, and 33 for shy!

i’m putting these under a cut because it is e x t r e m e l y long yo. slight tw for self-injury and mental illness related discussion

LEITH

8. Where and when do they seem most and least at ease? Why? How can you tell?

leith can be an anxious mess anywhere, like, for them it's largely about whether they're having a good day or a bad day, not necessarily where they are. but they're definitely much more comfortable in private. alone, or with people they trust, and even then they can only handle like, one friend at a time before they need to go hide. when they're trying to calm down they're definitely more at home among nature, that's how they were raised and it's as comforting and familiar to them as someone's childhood home would be. they absolutely cannot stand to be somewhere without a clear exit and will freak out and have panic attacks and flashbacks at the top of towers. 

22. How do people respond to them, and why might these responses differ?

leith is psychotic. not pop culture psychotic meaning "violent," psychotic meaning they experience psychosis, meaning their connection to reality is tenuous *at best*. this makes them wildly unpredictable, and that makes people uneasy.

on good days they behave like most other people, just a little stranger. their thoughts are meandering and circular, but they express things very literally. they're very jumpy and nervous, anxious around strangers or in crowds, and will vocalize strange and often unnerving thoughts that are obviously not rooted in reality. their emotions may be inappropriate for the situation they’re in. they often behave harmlessly odd, but people tend to not react well to people who fall outside of social norms, especially in a society like thedas that is uh. ... well, it very much values conformity.

on leith's bad days they are not functional at all, and for them that usually means withdrawing. they are often non-verbal, or if they do speak it may be in word salad that is impossible to decipher. it's not cutesy like cole's rhyming or metaphors, it's literally just straight up nonsense. "the blue duck was at the gorge and he was a real wallop of an earth-like. we went to the side and i heard green stone dragon flower." they're not /thinking/ in nonsense, but what comes /out/ is nonsense, and they're increasingly more frustrated by their inability to communicate their thoughts, and it's horrible, being trapped in your body with your thoughts like that with no way to let them out. you can't even ask for help. they dissociate and/or go catatonic, stiffly waxy, unresponsive to stimulus but able to be gently guided around or moved, like a doll, *or* they may be highly emotional and volatile, though when leith gets violent it is self-directed; they self-harm either to punish themself for "bad" thoughts, or because they think they have to (one notable delusion is that their blood is "tainted" and the only way to get rid of the "taint" is to "get all of it out" and replace it with ???), or just to self-soothe.

and how the fuck do you respond to any of that if you're from a society that still believes mental illness is related to "poor humours" or demonic possession? most people in thedas would be afraid of them even without knowing they're a blood mage. among the inquisition, most of the inner circle has no idea how to respond to them. some try to reinforce reality around them -- some more forceful than others, others attempting to more gently guide them. flat social rejection is common: "i'm not going to talk to that thing until they make sense." a very rare, very few people are understanding and patient. solas is one of them. the inquisitor is another -- the dalish understand mental illness as a sickness like any sickness of the body. leith would have been supported and cared for in their clan.

cole understands leith's thoughts completely, even when they don't make sense to leith themself. cole thinks in feelings, and feelings don't always make sense.

we don't even need to go into the blood mage thing, we all know how people react to blood magic. "quaint superstition," in the words of solas.

25. What do they need and want out of relationships, and how do they go about getting it?

patience. kindness. understanding. emotional support. they need a lot of all of the above and most people are not able to provide that to the level they require. for their part, leith knows they're different. they know they're strange and hard to understand, and they do their best not to let the worst parts of their disorder negatively impact those they care about. they try *so hard* not to believe their paranoid brain when it tells them negative things about the people they care for -- that they're poisoning them, that they secretly hate them, that they're all laughing at them behind their back, that they're trying to kill them, etc. it's hard because sometimes they LITERALLY perceive their loved ones to be telling them to their face that they hate them and want them to die. what they need in a relationship is someone able and willing to give them a reality check, and to remind them not to believe everything they perceive.

in romantic relationships, they want to feel desired, of course, like anyone does, and to not feel like they're a burden. they need someone who understands the kind of trauma they've been through. they need extra patience. they really really really need to feel like they're not a burden, like it's an equal exchange of support. they're introverted, and very easily overstimulated, and need a partner who understands that sometimes they just NEED to be alone.

29. What kind of activities, interests, and hobbies do they have? What significance and impact do these have in their lives, both positive and negative?

leith has always liked to read; people assume that because they think things that aren't true and behave strangely that they're stupid, but that's not the case. they've always been intelligent and still are, and they're very bookish. they're especially science-and-maths oriented, as... much as there is any understanding of science in thedas. (they read a lot of dwarven literature for that reason.) they really like maths because "numbers are always the same shape, even when they're imaginary." more than once dorian has found them sneaking notations into books he'd pulled aside and been like ... shit they're right. they will happily talk about academics for hours, being surprisingly well-read. (there's not much to do in the circle BUT read.) books are a good gift idea, especially non-fiction. (they did read hard in hightown. varric asked their thoughts and they said, "it was very red.")

they're very good at chess, their thought process making them very hard to predict. only cullen and vivienne have beaten them.

PAD

5. How do they dress? What styles, colors, accessories, and other possessions do they favor? Why?

buckle in kids i love talking about clothes

pad's colours are earth tones, they look great with his colouring -- dark skin, black hair, bright green eyes, gold vallaslin. he mostly wears greens, browns, creams, and metallics, especially shades of gold and bronze, and he wears a lot of leather in the dalish style with their usual patterns and such.

so pad showed up at the conclave with the clothes on his back and nothing else and after the splosion had nothing else to wear, so i'd assume in the very early days he wore one of those hideous inquisition uniforms. harritt eventually made him some armour customized for him, simple leather padding that wouldn't impede his movement, and pad had some clothes made in the dalish style. so that's what he wore around haven a lot -- mostly dalish hunting leathers under light armour. he wore those OUT, and by the time they got to skyhold he was looking a little ragged.

since he’d been made inquisitor at this point, josephine finally convinced him to let her have a wardrobe commissioned, and his style switched to something very obviously more "shemmy":

all in white with black trim, evoking purity. the suit coat is very much a shem style, there's very little about this outfit that screams “hey, remember how i’m an elf???” he thought, as inquisitor, that he needed to fit in with humans, especially human andrastians. that it might benefit the inquisition if he played down his elfiness, and that's the style that he wore for a long time. (he still did not wear proper boots unless it was necessary.) his armour received an upgrade at this time too:

more or less the same look, but sturdier, with thicker padded leather parts and the addition of a metal chest guard to protect his heart and lungs. the sticky-outy bit is common among thedosian armour and i'd guess its purpose is to deflect blood from the face in a world where darkspawn are a common enemy and their blood is wildly infectious.

then halamshiral happened. he wore the inquisition uniform -- white with red and gold trim -- because they're a military, it was a military uniform and ohhh godddd he haaaaated it. halamshiral made him realise that trying to fit in among humans was stupid. that he didn't WANT to fit in with them. that he WANTED them to look at him and see an elf first. a dalish elf first. so his wardrobe at skyhold switched:

silver is not his usual colour, but i liked this outfit because it's very elf-y anyway; all those twisting coiled lines look like tree roots to me. pad here looks regal, elegant. he doesn't look like an elven scrapper he looks like a dalish forest prince. it is imposing, even intimidating, especially when he sits on that burning andraste throne. it also highlights pad’s beauty tbh, at this point he was more powerful than he’d ever been in his life, he was wildly in love, his confidence was at an all-time high. this is what he wore on official inquisitor business.

for more casual wear, he had this made:

lovely paisley embroidery on the shirt, the metal piece on the chest is so floral and leafy and lovely too. plain brown leather trousers. ... note that all of his is still tailored to fit his body like a second skin. pad is um. ... not a bad-lookin' dude, this would get... very distracting for people. some more than others. pad ain't gonna apologize for wearing the world's tightest leather pants, deal with it.

andhe's got his keeper robes for when he's being formally dalish:

at some point his armour changed, too. he switched from studying the way of the knight-enchanter to seeking out materials specifically about the arcane warrior, a tradition rooted in elven culture. cillian had joined the inquisition by this point, and he was a great help -- so was solas, though solas... disguised exactly where he was getting this knowledge from. ("i, uh, saw it in the fade" is his default excuse.) he had new armour made for him in the traditional elvhen style, all in gold, and tbh he is A Sight To Behold on the field. thedas might be widely racist but it is very hard for his followers not to feel awe watching their herald of andraste carve through his enemies on the battlefield resplendent in elegant gold armour.

11. How are they vocally expressive? What kind of voice, accent, tones, inflections, volume, phrases and slang, and manner of speaking do they use?

padraig has the dalish accent -- that kind of lovely lilting musical cadence that for him specifically i imagine as a cross between the welsh accent and the rez accent. i’ve yet to find a voice claim that fits him, but in terms of like, tone and depth, the male british va in the games is fine. it’s just the accent that’s wrong. 

he’s a pretty jovial, affable dude, pretty jokey and sarcastic, so his voice is usually enthusiastic and warm. 

that said, dude can’t sing at all. his voice is pretty rough and out of tune when he tries. there’s something a little charming about how self-conscious he is of his own lack of ability. 

14. What do they care deeply about? What kind of loyalties, commitments, moral codes, life philosophies, passions, callings, or spirituality and faith do they have? How do these tend to be expressed?

padraig is deeply devoted to justice. justice, not vengeance. the distinction is very important to them. things should have purpose, and the only purpose of vengance is *at best* emotional catharsis but is often just fleeting release, and temporary. justice is righting a wrong; vengeance is inflicting suffering in proportion to the amount of suffering inflicted on you.

the chantry has a long, bloody, unjust history, and an unjust present. it's an institution of violent oppression in his eyes, and this puts him at odds with a lot of the people he calls his friends now. his loyalty is to his people first -- everything he does he does in service to his clan and his people. so being at the head of an andrastian organization grated on him, it was hugely hypocritical, but pad is a deeply practical person. rarely does he make a decision that doesn’t have a practical reason for it -- this is why he so seldom executed any prisoners, because why waste a resource? ... and that’s why he DID execute erimond. he did not give a single solitary fuck what erimond wanted or preferred, and executed him simply because pad believed sincerely that erimond could never be rehabilitated and was too dangerous to thedas to let live. 

after the revelations of his conversations with solas post-trespasser, his opinion on the dalish religion ... sort of changes. like, he always only half-believed in the gods anyway; to him, they were more of an idea than something real and tangible, myths and allegories meant to explain the world around them and teach them things about themselves and mortal nature. knowing they were warmongers and slavers was ... a blow. his devotion, however, as always, is still to his people, to the end, and after trespasser he dedicates his life to empowering his people. he uses his influence and resources to fight for the dales to be restored to them, and for the elves to be recognised as a sovereign people. this does not go well.

26. How do they view and feel about relationships, and how might this manifest in how they handle them, if it does?

pad had 0 relationships before the inquisition. the dalish attitude towards same-gender relationships varies wildly by clan; generally it's not a big deal, but for some the attitude is, you know... like in a lot of thedas: do what you want, but your responsibility is to have children. especially for the dalish, where every single child is a needed and desired blessing. his keeper pulled him aside at one point to make it clear that certain "lifestyle choices" could be "tolerated," but that it was still a "disappointment" and that he had to understand that he had to do his duty. so... that was unpleasant. (she later changed her mind, and apologised, sincerely, for saying that to him. "i was wrong, and i am so sorry that i ever made you feel like you didn't deserve to be happy, da'len. if this man brings you joy, you have my blessing.")

PLUS: the clan is small. it's hard to find people you aren't related to to smooch, but especially when you're gay. he had like... zero opportunity for experimentation, or find out what he liked.

then he jumped RIGHT into the deep end of the pool with the iron bull, haha... ha. pad was not really interested in a casual sex relationship, and made that pretty clear to bull from the beginning -- and bull was cool with seeing where it went and respected pad's boundaries. bull showed him a lot of things, not just what he liked in bed but things about how he liked to be treated, things about himself. pad's always valued respecting others and communicating but bull still taught him a lot about that kind of stuff. like, not being so self-sacrificing because it could hurt others' feelings. that kind of thing.

and the bdsm element is... i mean the EXTENT to which bull and pad play is something he could maybe live without, because they get VERY kinky and most people are not so into that, but i don't think he'd be entirely happy in a relationship where the sex was ONLY vanilla.

dalish take relationships slowly and seriously. within the clan, that's because the whole purpose of pairing off is to produce happy, healthy children - which means your partner and you should get along, and also ... not have incest babies. bonding, their equivalent to marriage, is a very serious undertaking. pad's no exception. he already had feelings for bull before they started fooling around, and normally would not have slept with him without knowing those feelings were returned, but ... it was the end of the world and he was like, fuck, i just want some sort of intimacy, and i'm 24 years old and have never gotten laid, i'll take what i can get. it worked out though.

SHY

13. How do they greet the world — what is their typical attitude towards life? How does it differ in different circumstances, or towards different subjects? Why do they take these attitudes, and why do they change? How do these tend to be expressed?

shy values freedom above all else. she's been a slave -- she understands the other side. she always approves of choices that promote the ability of others to choose their fate, and strongly disapproves of systems and actions that remove the individual's ability to choose. for this reason, she's also someone who believes in joie d'vivre. live to the fullest because you could die tomorrow. she values life as a concept, the ability to do what she wants, to make those choices for herself, and rarely takes it for granted. she's pretty disgusted by people who voluntarily give up their autonomy because being in control of themself is "too hard."

... and most of what she hates about it is that she understands the impulse. oh, does she understand it. it was so much easier for her when she was an object and decisions were made for her. now? now the only one in charge of herself is her, which means if she fails, it's her fault.

23. How do they respond to difficult social moments? What makes them consider a social situation difficult?

shy haaaaaates it when people contradict her. she hates being wrong, and she's pretty pigheaded so once she starts to butt heads with people she absolutely digs in her heels and refuses to give ground. this naturally makes things way worse!!! even when she's WRONG by that point she will just straight up refuse to admit it, and honestly she's not afraid of confrontation or making a scene. this makes her relationship with sera very uh. explosive, because sera is completely the same way and they disagree about a l o t .

28. What are they likely to do if they have the opportunity, resources, and time to accomplish it? Why?

she likes to craft, so that's her go-to activity during her downtime -- she was apprenticing for that before she left the clan. she'll collect materials and make someting from them -- almost always practical things, though she's decent at carving so sometimes she makes little decorative things too. nice things, really nice things, tend to require a lot of time put into them, so she doesn't get the opportunity to create very much. she's that photoset of ron swanson in the home depot going "i know more than you." she can make some truly kickass things given the resources and time, and with a little more experience under her belt she’ll get even better.

33. How do they learn about the world–what is their preferred learning style? Hands-on learning with trial and error? Research, reading, and note-taking? Observation or rote memorization? Inductive or deductive reasoning? Seeking patterns and organization? Taking things apart and putting them back together? Creative processing via discussing, writing about, or dramatizing things?

she's a hands-on learner for sure. she needs to DO the thing as she's learning it, or else it just doesn't stick. it helps to see someone else do the thing first, but she can't just copy someone else visually and get it right. when she's trying to learn remember or memorize something she has to associate it with some kind of physical activity, whether that's drumming her fingers a certain way or coming up wtih some weird dance move for it. she had absolutely no education of any kind up until her late teens and had to learn things by being beaten it, so this is kind of new for her.

[felassan]

Blackwall: 2, Solas: 1 and 3, Sera: 3, Cole: 2, Bull: 1, Vivienne: 3 and 5, Varric: 2, Dorian: 1 and 5, Cassandra: 4 and 5 and wow that's a lot of questions but I missed Gryff tbh

omg ♥♥ thankyou sm. me too tbh. she’s still my favorite of my children. I think maybe another run of DAI is due.

[msg refs this post]

cut for length.

Blackwall2. What did they choose to do with him and how did they feel about their choice? Were they guilty about leaving him in cell, if they choose to do so?

Blackwall joined the Inquisition and stayed until the Inquisitor could declare victory. Blackwall considered the Inquisitor a friend. Gryff strongarmed him out of prison using Inquisition resources and had him continue to fight as part of the Inquisition. ah, but his judgement specifics was a tough one. on one hand, she doesn’t care about what he did before she met him and things he did while outside the Inquisition. she doesn’t care about treason to a human kingdom, nor about the murder of nobles really. on the other, she values honesty and not being a coward, and more importantly, the betrayal of the loyal men under his command was unconscionable and indefensible to her - you protect your men, soldiers who trust you with their lives as their commander. to do otherwise goes against everything she believes in, she’d sooner die herself than betray her men. that was what she took most issue with really, over the general deception, lies or the murder of some people. if he’d done that or a similar thing as part of the Inquisition, while he was under her command, she would have executed him without a second thought. she had respected him as a warrior and as a Warden, but her respect for him completely nosedived and evaporated on learning what transpired between him and his men.

the first time around I had her free him and reveal his identity, but in hindsight I think it makes more sense for her as a character to opt to send him to the Wardens to undergo the Joining for real after Cory’s defeat. thank goodness for the Keep eh?

Solas1. Did your Inquisitor engage Solas academically with questions or were they uninterested in his experiences?3. If your inquisitor was told they were “unlike others of their race” by Solas, how did they respond? Were they angry or grateful? 

1. not at first, because she mistrusted him from the outset. she also has little interest in intellectual matters outside of theories of war (and definitely not in the metaphysical), and did not appreciate Solas’ criticisms of and comments about the Dalish. silly really, because they each looked down on the other for a time. it made for a bad combination initially - they had a strange, bitter and belligerent association for a time. the development into mutual respect, comrades-in-arms and eventual friends there is really interesting to me, maybe I’ll write about it to chart it out ‘on paper’ someday.. it doesn’t follow the game exactly.

she came to accept that he was an expert on the Fade, the anchor and the sort of forces she was dealing with when it came to sealing the Breach. consequently, ever the pragmatist, she sought his counsel on those subjects and had him join her in the field as she journeyed around closing tears. eventually her Dalish desire and drive to recover and relearn as much of the past and their culture/history as possible got the better of her pride and distrust, and she would ask him about what he’d seen in his travels through the Fade, about ancient elves, the ancient elven kingdom and what had been lost. then about other stuff, like spirits (her growing friendship with Cole helped springboard that one, she wanted to understand Cole better) and magic in general. and it went from there really. (I will say that I dooon’t headcanon or think of Solas and Gryff as having had a teacher/student or elder/child relationship, for me personally that’s an uncomfortable power dynamic. I think of them as two equals who just had different areas of knowledge and expertise, who learned from one another in a give and take sort of way. I think it’s possible to pick someone’s brain/knowledge banks about a topic without that kind of dynamic being present.)

he did continue to frustrate her sometimes with his occasional bursts of intellectual and general superiority, tendency to longwindedness, and especially over their clashing ideas on how to help the elves. I tend to think that some of the arguments Solas has with Disapproval Inquisitor still occur in a manner of speaking between Solas and Gryff. you know, like DA:I’s main basegame plot spanned a whole year or so and a lot can happen in a year, and Solas content was not as extensive as some of the other companions’ were, particularly as a romance compared to the others. a game is inevitably constrained by length, resources, simplistic axes like “approval” and “disapproval”, unrealistic mechanics like “touch all these orbs for bonus approval points”, etc. real relationships between people are obviously a lot more complex. ah sorry.. these 2 just fascinate me so much, 2 very different individuals who both deeply love the People but have totally different ideas about how to help them.

3. he did tell her that, and she was angry. smh Solas. Gryff believes the Dalish made her who she is, that she’s no different from the rest of them and that Solas misjudged them. she loves and respects the Dalish. there are the new pieces of information regarding portions of elven history and the Evanuris, and she has her newfound.. atheism? secularism? (the main change is that she no longer believes in the Evanuris as gods the way she did before) and has disdain for aspects of the upper echelons of ancient elven culture (ex. the keeping of slaves by an elite upper class), but she is still proud to be Dalish. she feels there is plenty of value and worth in modern Dalish culture and (still practises and takes part in) their traditions, and in what they have reclaimed and made their own. she will always be Dalish and culturally Dalish.

Sera3. How did your Inquisitor respond to the truth of Sera’s childhood (the cookie scene), if they received it? Did they empathize?

despite the differences and initial teething problems between Gryff and Sera, she received it. she did empathize and was angry at the notion of a human noble lying to a young elf and telling her that a baker hated her simply for being an elf. go figure. but she was initially a bit ? about what the hell they were doing on the roof with cookies, and doesn’t have a great interpersonal manner. Sera clarified that she was trying to say she liked it in the Inquisition, and share this with the Inquisitor. kinda ‘thats great and I’m glad, but this is a bit ?. I know! why are we yelling? because we’re friends now. oh okay. let’s go get drunk. :)’ by Trespasser they are good friends.

Cole2. What did your Inquisitor think of Cole’s ability to see into people’s thoughts?

she thought it was unnatural, but quickly realized the strategic value of and advantages to be gained from the ability and indeed, of Cole’s other abilities, both on and off the battlefield. later, she would come to love Cole as if he were a member of her clan.

Iron Bull1. Was your Inquisitor wary of Bull upon learning he was a spy?

yes, and she was wary anyway. it didn’t unsettle her though, and she understood where he was coming from and why - flip the script, and from a certain angle she was a bit of a spy for her own people for their own ends, among other races and cultures, at the Conclave. their early interactions were engaged on a level akin to two soldiers from opposing factions during a time when a temporary truce or ceasefire had been declared. I think they both recognized that. professionals.

Vivienne3. Did the feelings of your Inquisitor towards Vivienne change at all after completing her personal mission about Duke Bastian, if yes, in what way?5. How did your Inquisitor feel about Vivienne? Friends? Allies? Rivals?

3. Gryff got her the heart she requested. Gryff didn’t really know what to say when Bastian died, or in the aftermath, but she felt for her. this sad and unfortunate event showed a side of Vivienne Gryff had understandably not been privy to before.

5. initially she did not really trust her, but Gryff doesn’t trust many people at all early on. early on they had a bit of disagreement for example about the Dalish and mages, the Circle etc. but I think this was not great writing on the writers’ part regarding Vivienne here, as opposed to Vivienne herself. Vivienne is a formidable, compassionate, smart and wise woman of considerable ability and power. Gryff rejected the Game but appreciated Vivienne’s insights and political acumen, for often Vivienne saw what Gryff could not. they were definitely allies, and perhaps something akin to friends by the end - I think Gryff developed great respect for Vivienne, in time. they have some different views on some topics, but this is not a bad thing at all.

Varric2. How did your Inquisitor feel about Varric’s situation with Bianca? Who did they decide was right about what Bianca did?

Varric and Gryff are friends but she doesn’t really have opinions on his personal life. Varric tracked the red lyrium source. gryff thought Bianca was in the wrong with what she did, but at the time just shouted at them both to knock off the arguing.

Dorian1. How does your Inquisitor feel about Tevinter? Did Dorian change their feelings at all about the Imperium?5. Did your Inquisitor agree with Dorian’s decision to return to Tevinter? How did they feel about his choice?

1. dislikes Tevinter. dislikes what it did to Arlathan, dislikes it for its continued slavery and subjugation of elves. Dorian showed her that some Tevinter mages (later, Magisters, even) are different (they became good friends), and it is now of course known that the fall of Arlathan was more complicated than Dalish lore suggested, but she still dislikes the Imperium. she hopes Dorian and his faction gut it and reform it and burn away all the rotting corruption. she wishes them every success.

5. [bit of repetition here sorry] she wholeheartedly agrees with the need to reform the Imperium and remove the corruption, and with his desire to do so. she thinks there’s nobody better suited to doing so. she hopes he will succeed, and would render any aid she’s capable of giving, wolfhunt and clan-protecting duties permitting. she hopes he’ll be safe, be careful and that he’ll find success. she will miss him a lot though. they keep in touch via the sending crystal.

Cassandra4. Did your Inquisitor agree with Cassandra’s vision for the Chantry? Did they choose her as Divine?5. Does your Inquisitor know all of her middle names?

4. on balance Gryff doesn’t give a shit about the Chantry (dislikes it really) and didn’t really care about who the human grand clerics were favoring or not favoring to put on the sunburst throne, but is insightful and strategically-minded enough to realize that it was important to Cassandra, and, more importantly, that the belief structures of whoever ascended would most likely have far-ranging impacts on Thedas. by that point in the storyline she had been using her power and position as Inquisitor to help the People (Dalish and City alike) whenever, however and whereever possible. she supported Leliana for Divine because she agreed with the need for radical reform (specifically, Leliana’s ideas that all races are equal and that the Chantry’s tenets should reflect that). she had no desire to see elves be Andrastian and join the Chantry per se (if they didn’t really want to be that is - in the cases where ones do that’s totally fine), but Leliana’s ideas for how the Chantry should be were doubtless going to improve the lot of elves in southern Thedas in general. she also disagrees with Circles and Templars, and didnt want to lose her friend Cassandra to the Chantry throne, l0l.

5. yes. (♥ω♥ ) ~♪ there is a great affection between the two women, and they’ll always be friends. in turn, Cassandra knows the fabled deeds of the Emerald Knight Brocair, from whom Gryff’s name preserves her descent. its a love story for the ages tbh.

wew! there we go

[bitalii]

All the Qs for both your quizzies !!

Ahh oh my god okay! I might just do Saphira since it’s going to be a bit lengthy hehe :)

1. Does your Inquisitor believe they are the Herald of Andraste?

Saphira might say she is the Herald to those that she feels needs hope or inspiration. However she does not truly believe that she is. 

2. What is their first impression of their advisers?

Leliana seemed very intimidating and mysterious to her. Saphira just sensed a frightening vibe to her and she wouldn’t trust her for a very long time. Cullen was also a bit intimidating, but she felt more comfortable with him after speaking with him more. Josephine felt very formal and logical, but at the same time passionate and caring. Saphira didn’t understand too much of all of the diplomatic struggles to the Inquisition, but she trusted Josie to get everything figured out.

3. What is their first impression of their companions?

Like Leliana, was very intimidated by Cassandra. It probably didn’t help that she was the one interrogating Saph. She liked Solas and Varric because they were very friendly and reassuring towards her. She distrusts the Ironbull at first because of their contrasting personalities. She also distrusts Dorian due to the circumstances in which they meet, but they quickly become friends. Saphira has a soft spot for Cole because he help her deal with the envy demon and checks in with her. She wasn’t fond of Sera at first because she seemed blunt and she didn’t understand the purpose of Red Jenny’s. She liked Blackwall and thought he was trustworthy. Omg Viv seemed so powerful and important that she was amazed by her. 

Overall, it takes a while for her to feel truly comfortable around those she meets since she is fairly introverted. She’s pretty distrustful to everyone she meets. Once she gets to know them and gets comfortable around them, she gets very friendly and protective of them.

4. Where does your Inquisitor spend most of their time in Haven? In Skyhold?

In Haven, Saphira loves sitting by the lake (pond?) because it’s quiet and calm. She feels she can get away from all the chaos and just relax there. It’s a bit more difficult to find a quiet place in Skyhold because there are so many visitors and soldiers everywhere. She enjoys sitting in the garden and walking along the battlements to take in the scenery.

5. Does your Inquisitor recruit the mages or Templars? (did they conscript or ally with the mages / did the rebuild or dissolve the Templar order?)

This one is actually a bit tricky since Saph was my first playthrough and I didn’t realize that I had to travel to the Hinterlands to ally with the mages lol

In canon, she trusted Cassandra and Cullen’s judgement and allied with the Templars. The whole events that unfolded were taxing on her mental health, but she trusted Ser Barris enough to rebuild the order and do better by mages. 

At the same time though, I feel like she’s so compassionate that she would have wanted to help the mages in any way she could. So I’m a bit conflicted.

6. How does your character feel about becoming Inquisitor?

Incredibly overwhelmed and amazed. She feels like they are entrusting her with an enormous responsibility that she is not prepared for. Yet at the same time, she is flattered that her companions and friends think so highly of her that they support this. In any case, you can bet that she is going to be the best leader that she can be.

7.  How do the Inquisitor and Hawke get along?

Well at the point where Hawke visits Skyhold, Saph is very close friends with Varric, so she is very honored to meet Sage and a bit jealous??? lol. I’ve had this idea that they have a bit of a friendly competition as to who is Varric’s bff. 

8. Who does your Inquisitor leave in charge of Orlais? 

Hmm, well Saphira did not trust any of them at all. Before attending the ball Josie and Leliana counseled her on the Game and Orlesian politics. With Leliana’s help she blackmailed all of the leaders to form a public truce. I think that still leaves Celene to rule though?

9. Was your Inquisitor pleased or displeased about Morrigan joining the Inquisition?

Based on Leliana’s reaction, Saphira was a bit apprehensive about Morrigan joining. However, she was pleased to have another expert in magic joining the Inquisition. And she totally adores Kieran.

10. What would the Nightmare demon have said to your Inquisitor to rattle them the most, if anything?

I’ve thought about this one quite a bit!! I think that it would say something like “Ahh there is the innocent little Dalish elf. Do you really think your existence would have mattered if you did not have that mark? That all these people would ever care about you?” Mmm love that angst.

11. Who does your Inquisitor leave behind in the Fade?

Stroud. This decision weighs heavily on her, but she knows how much Varric cares about Sage so… She makes the call. 

12. Does your Inquisitor exile the Grey Wardens or recruit them?

Recruits them. She was very upset with them all of course, but at the same time she can’t imagine what it must have been like to hear to call so suddenly. It’s not their fault that Corypheus was screwing with their minds.

13. Does your Inquisitor follow the Pilgrim’s Path in the Temple of Mythal or fight their way through?

She follows the Pilgrim’s path! She is in awe the whole mission and she didn’t want to disrespect the traditions of the temple, even though she does not completely believe in the dalish gods. Also, she trusts Solas’ judgement and encouragement to solve the puzzles.

14. Who drank from the Well of Sorrows?

Morrigan. Saphira was very concerned about any side affects the Well might have on her mind and she doesn’t want any more power. Plus Solas was acting very reluctant and weird regarding the subject and again she trusts him. 

15. Who became the next Divine?

Cassandra! She became pretty good friends with her and agrees with her ideals. Saphira thought that Cassandra could bring the most positive changes and the people already trust her. 

16. What would your Inquisitor do once Corypheus was defeated?

She still tries to help the people in any way she can. She wants to bring stability and hope to Thedas and the people have so much faith in her. Also, she tries to assist Leliana in tracking down Solas.

17. Does your Inquisitor spend time collecting shards?

Oh boy does she. It might be just bc I’m a completionist and make all of my babies get them, but I also think that she would want to. She is repulsed when she finds out that they are the skulls of tranquil. 

18. Does your Inquisitor spend time solving the astrarium puzzles?

Yes! She is fascinated by them and if she finds valuable treasure to help the Inquisition, even better!

19. Do they take the time to hunt the dragons in Thedas or no?

Hmm yeah I guess she’ll hunt those causing immense harm to innocent people. She probably cries while doing so though because of how she loves all creatures lol.

20. What’s their favorite location to travel to, if any?

The Emerald Graves, Crestwood, and the Frostback Basin! The lush forrest and scenery reminds her of home and her family.

21. What’s their least favorite location to travel to, if any?

Probably the Western Approach and the Hissing Wastes. She hates the heat and all the sand!

22. Does your Inquisitor have a preferred mount? (horse, hart, dracolisk, etc.)

Honestly, she loves all the mounts and learning about how to care of all the different types of creatures. Harts are her favorite though because she finds them so beautiful.

23. What class specialization do they take, if any?

Saphira is a skilled hunter, so she is more familiar with the artificer specialty.

24. If Varric was to give your Inquisitor a nickname, what would it be?

Here’s a question that I have agonized over for a very long time lol. I’m still not very sure tbh, but I really think Blossom suits her. Through all the chaos and hardships she’s been through, she has grown into a brave and caring person. 

25. Does your Inquisitor have a preferred party to bring with them on adventures? (i.e Cassandra, Dorian, and Varric)

Hmm well she cycles quite a bit depending on the mission. Her go-to is Cole, Solas, and Iron Bull. I call them the “I’m ok with spirit and demon shit” squad lol. She also enjoys having Varric, Sera, and Dorian in her party as well.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ASK!!!

Inquisition Ask Meme

[the-tevinter-biscuit]

Character opinion ask for Fenris, Sebastian, and Aveline? ❤️

Fenris (we all know where this is going)

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would banghogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuffbest quality: can i say everything? i love this man. it’s hard to pick a best quality for fen because hes so perfect but an underrated one is definitely his crude, dry sense of humour. hes such a dork. the poor sweetheart probably hadn’t heard a dick joke in his life until he became a free manworst quality: there isnt much i dislike about fenris. if i had to pick something id like him to be a bit sweeter on merrill. i totally understand why he isn’t, she embodies a lot of what he fears. but she does mean well, i would have liked to see her grow on him a bit like bethany does.ship them with: aka. who dont i? FenHawke is the OTP of course, but Sebris, Fenbela, Fen/Carver etc. etc. are all good. You name it, I probably ship it. Even Fenders is pretty alright. just let him be happybrotp them with: Isabela for sure, i love the idea of them being really good friends. his in-game friendship with Donnic and Varric is also pretty cute thoneeds to stay away from: can i say Tevinter lmaomisc. thoughts: i would die for Fenris. 

Sebastian

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would banghogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuffbest quality: his understanding and eagerness to help. have you seen how he talks to Fenris? god it melts my cold dead heart. also that accent am i right?worst quality: mmm i suppose ive never been one for religious types. tho, not that its a bad thing. he wouldnt be the same without the whole chantry fiasco. not really a quality but his romance suCKS that boy didnt even HUG MEship them with: Feennnrisss. also both M!Hawke and F!Hawke. heck ive heard of people shipping him with Carver, Isabela, Bethany etc. all those r chill too. just not anders, pls.brotp them with: can i say fenris again? Fenris.needs to stay away from: nothing about him and Anders is healthymisc. thoughts: he is extremely underrated pls give seb all ur love

Aveline

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would banghogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuffbest quality: her bumbling nervousness when it came to Donnic was nothing short of adorable. her loyalty and strength is pretty admirable tooworst quality: shes a bit too lawful-good for my personal tastes, im a bit of a rule-breaker and chaotic-neutral by nature. ship them with: im gonna stick with the canon here and say Donnic. like most characters im pretty open tho. if people wanna ship her with isabela im not gonna say no to that necessarilybrotp them with: i like that by the end of act 3 she has this sorta friendly relationship with isabela so i will say herneeds to stay away from: dont really have an opinion tbh. girl can hold her ownmisc. thoughts: i miss out on a lot of her banter in game once again because fenris is my warrior generally