#blackwall mentioned

[championofthefade]

Warning!! This post may contain spoilers for those who haven't played Veilguard yet! This turned out a lot longer than I thought, but I'm discussing the theory that Rook is a spirit.

I know that there are issues with the writing and any theory is not created to make those issues get swept under the rug. This theory is meant to be fun, and I would like to talk about it.

I'm thinking about the "Rook is a spirit" theory I saw on twitter/x. This theory often rotates in my head often, and I think that it's so interesting.

Like, listen. I understand that narratively it would be complicated to insert into what we know is Dragon Age Veilguard. Someone brought up the fact that it would be a strange thing because wouldn't Emmrich know that Rook is a spirit the way that he knows Lucanis has Spite?

But the theory that cadhalash paints for us is the fact that Varric was for Rook what the Rook is for the companions.

"Help them with their personal problems and talk to them about their feelings, but never ask Rook how they're doing. Or if they need anything. In codex memos we learn the companions have potlucks and book clubs but Rook is not invited. We learn at the end that Varric wasn't really there... What if Rook wasn't either? There's tons of chat about this idea now with other examples of Rook being compared to a spirit in the game. Very interesting and fun!" -cadhalash

There could be the very huge chance that Emmrich would recognize Rook as a spirit, but what about a spirit made flesh?

Think about Cole's banter with Blackwall, for example:

Blackwall: How does a spirit become flesh anyway?

Cole: I don't know. How does a Warden become Grey?

It may seem like a reach, but to me, it makes sense. Cole chose to become human because that was the shape that would help, which he says in a banter with Varric.

Varric: So, Kid, why human?

Cole: It was the shape that would help.

Varric: Huh. Most people don't pick a shape. I guess I was hoping for something deeper with that question.

Cole: It had to be him. But harmless. The him he wanted that wouldn't hurt.

Varric: Well that's... deeper. I think.

You may be thinking, "Hey, Atlas. That might be a little reaching, don't you think?"

Well, yes. Applauding the people that caught onto Solas in the Dragon Age Fandom years and years ago now because you all were on the nose about him being a worm (spirit). But considering what we know from Dragon Age as a whole, it could be possible that Rook is too a spirit of a different kind.

We know that Emmrich can sense Spite. We know that Emmrich can talk directly to Spite. But what if Rook was more like Cole? Would Emmrich's ability to speak to spirits or sense them so close apply?

I would say, that depends on the type of Spirit that Rook would be, right? This has a lot of wiggle room for what you think your Rook would be as a spirit?

From the Wiki:

Spirits lack imagination and creativity; everything they make is based off something made by mortals. Whether benevolent or malevolent, most spirits cannot help but mine a Fade visitor's mind for their thoughts and memories. They then mimic the pieces of life they see by shaping the Fade into various realms that cater to the unconscious desires of the living, providing experiences to the sleeping that become their "dreams."

And the Spirits listed:

Command, Compassion (Cole), Courage, Curiosity (Manfred), Duty, Faith (Wynne), Honor, Hope, Justice(Anders), Learning, Love, Perseverance, Purpose, Valor, Wisdom (Solas).

(We know from Veilguard that Spite is referred to as a spirit of Determination/ mentioned in a data mine, Passion.)

For the sake of the theory, let's say that Emmrich would get an inkling. A prickling feeling even that he knows that there's a spirit near by and would chalk it up to being Manfred because he would know that, right? But then there's Spite. How big of an energy read does Emmrich get from Lucanis to immediately go, 'Yeah, you've got a tag along and I'm sorry it wasn't a willing possession'.

So, how would it get unnoticed by Emmrich, the resident Fade Expert?

Well... Reading further down said wiki page, we find this:

As Rhys puts it in a dialogue with Cole, "being important makes you real". (Asundered reference, I believe?)

Being important makes you real. Rook becomes the 'leader' when Varric gets hurt at the beginning of the game. For the entirety of the game, as Rook, you have to build a team to fight ancient elvhen gods. Rook has to be what Varric was, pulling people that Solas didn't know into trying to save the world from going to shit.

Rook was given a purpose. To save the world.

Regardless of how Rook is perceived, they are in charge. They are in a position that they didn't want, probably was expecting to go home after dealing with this Dread Wolf that they were recruited to stop, and now... They're given a role that would make them important. And as before being important makes you real.

Could Rook be something akin to Cole rather something like Spite or other spirits that we know in Veilguard?

Here's another thing: Solas.

Yes, we are talking about the egg. I'll try to keep this as coherent as possible. We know that Solas didn't want to come from the Fade to be a human (another discussion for another time). We learn that Solas was a spirit of Wisdom, whose Wisdom was twisted into a weapon and forced to do things that stripped Solas of what he wanted to keep for himself. To remain as Wisdom.

This makes it interesting if we add to the fact that Rook could choose to outsmart Solas. Because at that pivotal moment, Solas was Pride. On his pride, it was always the sword he would fall on.

Say what you will about the trick ending, but this is something that shouldn't be glossed over. Being outsmarted by Rook, Solas says, "I am a fool... Who has met his match."

Met his match. This also might be another case of reaching, but it's interesting phrasing from someone who tells clever half-truths and never quite lies. Being tricked by Rook out of pure wits alone. Something that he thought he succeeded in.

What does this have to do with spirits?

Solas, who was brought out of the Fade to take a body to join the elves in a fight against the Titans. Solas, who crafted the lyrium dagger to sunder the Titans from their dreams in hopes of stopping the war. Solas, who created the blight from the Titans' severed dreams. Solas, who started a rebellion against the ancient elvhen gods who abused their power.

Rook, who was brought onto a job to stop the Dread Wolf. Rook, who disrupted the ritual in hopes of stopping Solas. Rook, who started a double blight from freeing these ancient elvhen gods. Rook, who has to build a team to stop these ancient elven gods.

I would say, in spirit, Rook is a mirror of Solas. I'm not saying Rook is wise like Solas or anything like that. But there is something about Rook being Solas' mirror that could fold into Rook being a Spirit of Reflection.

This is just something that comes to mind. Rooks helps Taash discover their identity, helps Emmrich deal with his fear of mortality, helps Neve protect Dock Town, helps Bellara with Cyrian, helps Harding with the Titans, helps Davrin with the griffons, and helps Lucanis with Spite. (Generalized, all choice dependent.) These are reflections of the companions. These are reflections of the people that Rook had brought together to save the world.

It could easily be written off because we're not entirely sure how many spirits there are, but I digress.

Of course, that too would beg the question of how it would apply to all Rooks from all backgrounds?

Let's take a look at the ones that make me think.

Shadow Dragon Rook

The foundling Rook was adopted into a military family and joined the Shadow Dragons to fight from the shadows for change in Minrathous.

We learn in a dialogue with Tarquin that a Shadow Dragon Rook was found on a battlefield by the Mercar family.

Now with this little bit of dialogue, it makes me (personally) think back to what Solas says about him walking the Fade and seeing ancient battlefields where spirits reenact wars from the other side of the Veil. There could have been spirits that were there during this battle where SD Rook was found. (It also kinda reminds me of Loki being found by Odin and raised in Asgard. Don't come for me, I've only watched the movies.)

For the sake of theory, say that a spirit that would have looked over a SD Rook before they were found by the Mercars. Thinking about it, it reminds me of how Cole (the mage) was watched over by Compassion and then Compassion took a shape that would help.

A spirit (in Spite's case) can be drawn to a person, yes? As Determination, we know that Spite was drawn to Lucanis' determination to live or something of the like. (I will live to spite you, essentially.)

Mourn Watch Rook

Discovered by undead inside a Grand Necropolis tomb as an infant, Rook was raised by Mourn Watch necromancers, eventually joining the order.

Relating back to the Muttering Undead that is in a coffin on the path from Emmrich's recruitment:

Stumbling… The steps. Skeletons saw… Oh no choice. Had to be brave… Had to be brave… Too late to cry… Save the (girl, boy, baby) with the grave.

This is a little more open ended. We know nothing about Ingellvar beyond that. We don't know where they came from, only that they were found inside a tomb. It makes me scratch my head.

We know that it's a custom in Nevarra that a spirit could reanimate a skeleton, essentially, and bring some part of their consciousness from back across the Veil. We see that Manfred, when you choose to bring him back, is brought back from across the Veil and returns with magic.

Sure, it's not the same thing as building a body out of Titan's blood, but the idea that the spirits that became the Evanuris are the best of the physical and the Fade offers up to the idea that they were going to have magic anyway when they crossed the Veil. Only lyrium gave them more power than I think that they knew what to do with.

I make this point from the perspective that Mourn Watchers are typically necromancers. They are almost always close to places where the Veil is thin enough for a spirit to come across and possessing a body in a sense.

When it comes to the Muttering Undead, I don't know who that could have been or what they were doing in the Necropolis. But it's clear that they were determined to save Mourn Watch Rook, and they were the one that put Rook in the tomb.

This one makes me scratch my head because it's so broad and vague. For the theory that Rook is a spirit, this is the origin/background/faction that lends itself to the idea because in Nevarra they revere and respect their dead with the ability to raise the corpses to continue contributing to the Grand Necropolis. But we're talking about a wee baby Rook growing up in the Necropolis. Could it be possible that the saving of Rook is more spirit in a tomb?

The last things I would like to touch on.

Dialogue with Harding (her romance I believe?) :

Harding: I've seen spirits leave the Fade and become real people. (COLE!!!)

Rook: You think I could be a spirit in disguise?

Harding: It isn't malicous. They're just drawn to strong emotion. And then...one day, real people.

Rook: I think I'm really me, and I'm really here.

This is why I mentioned Cole earlier.

And the absence of Rook in the Veilguard mural is brought up in the theory as well. Rook's absence on the mural strikes me as odd. Because yes, the companions would be a main focus in the stories that would follow them. But what about Rook, the person who brought these vastly different people together and saved the world? Not there. Were they ever there?

Much to think about.

[emmavakarian-theirin]

"how do you always do that?" "do what?" "break apart my perfectly gathered clouds of doom"

[dungeons-and-dragon-age]

awwww

[abyssal-ilk]

posting that sketch yesterday made me remember just how much i love my taashath so i did another doodle <3

[arrenkae]

So hey remember how one of THREE entire choices we could get from the previous games was "who did your Inquisitor romance"? Remember how they could only give us three because each one of them was going to be sooo important and impactful you guys not just a one-liner surely we don't want that

So how the FUCK was Sera "the only one who could make Blackwall let down his guard" when my Inquisitor was smooching him in front of her entire court?? BIOWARE EXPLAIN

...of course we all knew that this choice was just basically "romanced Solas/didn't romance Solas" toggle but could you AT LEAST pretend that it wasn't and throw in a couple more lines come the fuck on

[a-gay-bloodmage]

Short Breeches

(Blackwall x Mallory Trevelyan, Sera & Mallory Trevelyan)

Sera figures that at least half of the Inquisition has a crush on the Inquisitor, Mallie. As a gift to the people, Sera devises an ingenious prank—seal Mallie's wardrobe and leave her with nothing but a tank top and a pair of homemade shorts. The Inquisitor, Mallory Trevelyan, does not exactly appreciate trying to keep up a fake female identity when nearly everything is on display in front of the Inquisition and the Warden Blackwall.

[breadedsinner]

In theory I'm down with the concept of characters romancing each other if not pursued by the player character. Less so in practice because I have historically never liked the combinations bioware makes on their own.

So I am just imagining my second playthrough seeing Neve flirt with someone she has no chemistry with

[requiemforthestars]

I just had the convo with Harding about the Inquisition and wow why do I wanna cry??

[death-rebirth-senshi]

I mean exercising your power to get your bestie out of jail is fun

[baku-usagi]

I'm about 20 hours in now so small veilgaurd monologue!

Gonna tag correctly of course but also gonna put it under the cut for safety.

I have been going down a check list in my head based off that one stupid man (skill up?) s review.

I've been keeping all of his nitpicks that sounded reasonable at the time in the back of my head, and I've been actively trying to find things to dislike.

And lemme tell ya, pleasantly surprised.

There are complaints to be had, and I will get to those eventually but for now I wanted to talk about the good because the game is getting dog piled enough.

Firstly: all the people who said it just didn't feel like a dragon age game are straight up lying to you. This game feels as true blue dragon age as they come. It is not, a tactical rpg, it is still an action adventure rpg (rest in peace origins gameplay system, I loved you) but both two and inquisition stepped away from the trpg side of things so I don't feel like that takes away from the dragon age vibe the game carries.

The gameplay is amazing in a lot of different little ways

Combat is fun, it is mostly simple but it's no where near as repetitive as people would have you think. It is actively less repetitive then da2 and inquisition.

You can swap between two weapon styles at will which has been absolutely delightful.

For mages there is classic staff combat but there is also orb and dagger combat which is everythingggg I have had so much fucking fun.

That being said some of the up grades and specializations I've seen so far have been a little lack luster, but that could also just be because it is decently different, operating on an actual skill tree.

The animation and skill tree for veilgaurd is really similar to the newer God of war series, the cutscenes, the combat ect tends to kind of pull inspiration from that.

The lay out of the maps are also semi God of war adjacent, but more importantly, it feels like what da2 wanted to be.

It's very veryyyy similar but better, when you revisit areas you're almost always unlocking new places to scoure.

For all the dragon age games it mimics it feels closest to 2 for me but in the best way possible.

Some other aspects continue to feel inquisition adjacent as well, collecting things, the actual environments, ect.

They also brought back a lot of story telling similar to origins on my opinion, though this is mostly done well with narrative story telling. The dialog and the voice acting is unfortunately a week point.

The actual concepts delivered are great though, and there is more grit and grime happening that feels more adjacent to origins. The suffering is once again the somewhat lack of a good reaction to things from the cast of characters, who are fairly emotionally uninvolved unforch.

Anyway the stuff that's good is really good. There are some cool ass cameos already that feel good, and well done. The choice system feels good, though you're simply not going to have the role play freedome that was had in da:o and da:2 to an extent. It still works for what it is. Anyway that's all for nowww

[grapecaseschoices]

vivienne is so fucking fun. not her @ solas about his firey coattails. you could hear the embarrassed indignation in his voice. i bet he was writing it down and counting it as why humans neeeded to be destroyed.

[pausegame]

Did nothing but play Inquisition yesterday and it was ✨ magical ✨ 🥲😭🙏❤️❤️

[emmavakarian-theirin]

just had a video appointment with the hospital and the nurse stopped mid appointment to tell me she loved the thing in the background

the thing in question is blackwall 🥰

[just-the-hands]

Top 4 Fictional Crushes!

Tagged by @romancedeldiablo

Blitzø Helluva Boss

Garrus Vakarian Mass Effect

Thane Krios Mass Effect

Bruce Wayne Batman

[wardenrainwall]

I am at a point where I feel like I am not going to ever write again, because brains and jobs are stupid, and for all the WIPs I have, I'll be 80 before I ever finish them.

Those bursts of inspiration are so few and far between these days that I'm grateful for the opportunity to actually sit and let the words pour out.

But I digress.

A snippit! A wee bit of writing, for Inquisitor Cerridwyn Lavellan.

--

A laugh exploded from Cerridwyn’s lips as her gaze met Blackwall’s across the dead body of the dragon they had just felled. They were alive. 

“Anyone injured?” Cassandra’s voice sounded very distant, as did the chorus of shouts from her companions. Her eyes stayed locked on Blackwall as he walked around the massive beast to where she stood.

“Are you alright?” he asked, taking one of her hands in his, it was then that she realized she was trembling. “Are you hurt?”

“I don’t think so,” she managed to get out, “though, I think my hair is standing on end.” 

His smile was gentle as he reached up and smoothed a hand over the top of her head. “No more than usual,” he assured her, and she let out a laugh, but she couldn’t seem to get herself to take a step.

“Inquisitor, are you-”

“I’ve got her,” Blackwall called glancing away for a moment before looking back at her. “I’ve got you,” he said and she nodded and scooped her up, carrying her like a child, one arm behind her back, the other under her knees. “No, no go on ahead, we’ll catch up.” 

“Are you hurt?” Cerridwyn asked, lifting her head from where she’d rested it on his shoulder. He shook his head. “I can’t-” she started, feeling the trembling in her limbs getting worse. “I can’t go back there like this, they can’t see me-” falling apart. Because she was. They had taken down a dragon, with what seemed like minimal injuries, though her insides felt scrambled, and her skin was buzzing from the electricity it kept spewing out at them. 

Blackwall remained silent as he walked, and then she heard the sound of rushing water and knew they were some distance from camp. With a quiet groan, he sunk down onto a large flat rock, her still in his arms. “I’ve got you,” he murmured, and knowing they were alone and that he wouldn’t judge her, she cracked. A strangled sob escaped Cerridwyn’s lips and she pressed her face into his throat as she wept.

All the while he offered quiet words that soothed her, not empty promises that everything was okay, but realistic ones. That they had survived, they had done good and saved lives, and that he was there for her. 

It was a long time later that she shifted off his lap and onto the rock beside him. “How bad is it?” she asked, turning her face up to him. His gaze searched her face and then he jerked his head toward the running river a short distance away.

“Go splash some water on your face and they’ll never know.” Cerridwyn obeyed the directive and when she returned Blackwall held a glass vial out to her. “Drink up.” She opened her mouth to insist he do the same, but he waggled an empty one at her. “Already did,” he said and she smiled, then popped off the cork and downed the contents, and tucked the now empty vial into her own hip pouch before they began walking up the path and away from the river.

“Thank you,” she told him. “I…” glancing over she laughed slightly with a shake of her head. “I couldn’t have done any of this without you,” Cerridwyn told him and saw his cheeks go red as Blackwall ducked his head down. Leaning over she bumped him with her shoulder. Blackwall had been there for her after her first kill. He’d found her sick in the bushes, barely able to breathe, because she had killed another living, breathing person. 

In the beginning of her time with the Inquisition it had been all demons and monsters. But going to the Hinterlands, that had changed everything, and while she’d been surrounded by so many Inquisition troops, she’d had no other options finally. They’d only just met Blackwall a few hours earlier, but he’d seen it and he’d comforted her, and from that moment on he was the only one she wasn’t afraid to show vulnerability to. “You’re my best friend,” she told him and bumped his shoulder again, this time he let out a snort of laughter and bumped her back.

They arrived back in camp and found The Iron Bull celebrating their successful slaughter of the dragon with the others. Drinks were passed around, and loud stories were told, recounting the experience for those who hadn’t been there. The hour grew later, and everyone began heading off to tents and bedrolls, but Cerridwyn still sat there, now alone, staring into the fire. She still felt as if that dragon’s electricity was in her veins. 

Blackwall appeared at her side and held out a flask. “You need rest,” he said and Cerridwyn looked up at him, and eyed the flask before taking it and downing a quick swig. It burned a warm trail all the way down her throat and into her belly. “Everyone is alive, just some bruises and minor cuts, and we head back to Skyhold in the morning.” 

Perhaps that was part of her reluctance, going back meant all eyes were on her, more than when they were out and about. She’d had to make difficult decisions and lead a massive group of people who didn’t even believe in her Gods. Who believed she was chosen by a God she’d barely even heard of before going to the Conclave. “Yeah,” she said softly.

Blackwall shifted his weight from one foot to the other and then cleared his throat and when she looked up he was looking out past her, his cheeks beginning to turn pink. “And I’m sure there is at least one person waiting for you that will be happier than any of the others for your return,” he coughed again and she felt her own cheeks burn hot and laughed quietly. 

“Maybe,” she said and then took another drink and handed it back to Blackwall before pushing up to her feet. “You should get some rest as well,” she told him, pressing a kiss to his cheek before retiring to her own tent, a soft smile curving her lips at the thought of her reunion with Cullen. They’d only been gone a week, and it was all still so very new, but the reminder was enough to withdraw her from that space she’d been in, the one of dread and worry and she crawled into her bedroll with gentler thoughts buzzing around in her head.

[a-gay-bloodmage]

AGB's Dragon Age Height Headcanons!

I did it. I finally made an AGB companion / PC height comparison list so all of my fics can finally have a proper, consistent height reference for me to look at and write accordingly.

Did I look up different canon heights? Yes. Did I ignore most of it as soon as it was said that Varric was 5'? Of course I did.

In addition to the companions, I've also included the heights of my PCs! I love looking at the height differences between my characters and their love interests / best friends / personal enemies.

Dragon Age: Origins 

Sten: 7’5” 

Shale: 6’6” 

Alistair: 6’3” 

Morrigan: 5’9” 

Leliana: 5’8” 

Wynne: 5’6” 

Zevran: 5’4” 

Oghren: 4’5” 

Redren: 5’9” 

Andrea: 5’4” 

Orest: 5’4” 

Faelyn: 5’1” 

Hundir: 4’5” 

Gemma: 4’3” 

Nathaniel: 6’1” 

Justice: 5’11” 

Velanna: 5’2” 

Sigrun: 4’4” 

Dragon Age 2

Carver: 6’2” 

Anders: 6’1”

Sebastian: 5’11” 

Bethany: 5’9” 

Aveline: 5’7” 

Isabela: 5’6” 

Fenris: 5’6” 

Merrill: 5’3” 

Varric: 4’6” 

Garrett: 6’ 

Marian: 5’10” 

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Bull: 7’6”

Dorian: 6’ 

Cullen: 6’ 

Blackwall: 5’11”

Cassandra: 5’10”

Cole: 5’10”  

Solas: 5’9” 

Vivienne: 5’7” 

Sera: 5’6” 

Josephine: 5’4” 

Ozol: 7’8”

Semiha: 7’2” 

Mallory: 6’ 

Kiora: 5’6” 

Aelon: 5’2” 

Ashavise: 5’1” 

Ademamar: 4’7” 

Harta: 4’5” 

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Taash: 6’10” 

Emmrich: 6’4” 

Neve: 5’8” 

Lucanis: 5’6” 

Davrin: 5’6”

Bellara: 5’4” 

Harding: 4’4” 

Masra: 7’4”

Sascha: 5’11”

Vincent: 5’3” 

Tamaris: 5’2”

Omri: 4’5” 

Ishal: 4’4”