#dao tips

[grapecaseschoices]

bouncing off the last anon: be aware that tabris origin has sexual assault themes in it. as a fem tabris you're one of the ones who gets kidnapped (i had to play it masc bc otherwise i wouldn't be able to do the origin)

also i think you should go with your original plan of elf mage. the mage origin is fantastic and jowan from redcliffe is one of the people in that origin (he was meant to be a full companion early in game development). i think mage is up there as one of the best origins with dwarves

i feel like i read this somewhere ... but thanks for the reminder bc i did not recall at all lol.

also which do you prefer elf mage or human mage? or does it not matter??

[alltears]

BELOVED GAMERS

i have made (am making) a handy dandy DRAGON AGE QUEST TRACKER that YOU can use to track your quests, companions, approval, and more in the dragon age games! it is HOT DRAGON AGE SUMMER so replay the games in style!

OOOH!!! AHHH!!!!

inquisition is currently in progress, i will post when it's finished :D

LINK HERE!!!

[sonik-kun]

"I think us JC antis are too nice. We should be a bit more insufferable 🥺🥺"

Honey, y'all literally steal fanfics, suibait JC fans, obsess over characters you supposedly hate, harrass JC artists/writers, relentlessly bully people off this app, and then act all holier than thou about it. Y'all are already insufferable xoxo.

[huntermorgan]

I just think he’s neat 😌

[phoenixcatch7]

Up next, the only model I have of one of my rare fandom OCs. I typically only make one per fandom, so this is mdzs!

This is Crow, a nameless and amnesiac raven. The animal reincarnation of an ancient demonic cultivator puppeting the skeleton of their previous life. Wwx named them upon meeting them when he mistook their species in the dark, and then found it funny enough he kept the name.

It's vanishingly rare these guys get lore, but this one does!

I typically keep to book or anime continuity, and crow is my nod to cql/the untamed. In this, crow is the only known member of a rare and unorthodox species - a yin skeleton.

To 'become' a yin skeleton, a few criteria must be met: a creature of sufficient power and resentment must die an unsettled death and yet refuse to become a resentful spirit. Their corpse must then be left, undisturbed and unburied in whatever state it was left in, in a location of immense resentful energy with full exposure to (the purifying yin of) the moon. After many years, once the flesh has rotted off the bones, the skeleton left will rise once more and mindlessly seek out its soul. Should it encounter the soul in their new body, and the soul accept the undead shell rather than fleeing or destroying it, the bond between mind and body will be forged anew, and the skeleton becomes a second body of the soul, allowing it to cultivate immense amounts of yin energy without damage to the current vessel.

Having no organs, it of course cannot talk or feel pain, though resentment puppets its limbs and allows it to see and hear just as well as any reanimated skeleton - better, even. Though it can carry out orders and operate from a significant distance, a yin skeleton will always be drawn back to its soul, seeking out what it can never again have.

Crow is the reincarnation of whoever created the burial mounds, the losing side. It's been so long since they first reincarnated, gained their yin skeleton, and cultivated to sapience that they no longer recall anything about their human life, including their old gender. Wwx theorises that they could be Xue Chonghai himself, or one of his disciples, but any clues are long since lost to time and they're not really interested in finding out. Nonetheless, they have 'lived' in the burial mounds undisturbed and undiscovered for centuries, learning and experimenting with yin energy with their decreasingly limited intelligence and total lack of resources or modern knowledge.

Wwx encounters them for the first time utilising corpses for a dance ritual to expose the sky above the thick smog. Think a rain dance, but in reverse. Though they're not a fighter (nothing to fight in the burial mounds if you're part of it) or good at using their words (nothing to talk to in the burial mounds period), they nonetheless possess a deep understanding of yin energy/resentment and its interactions with its cultivators that wwx reverse engineers and uses to reach even greater heights. Vaguely endeared and deeply interested in the most unusual thing to happen in the mounds in literal centuries, their raven body often leaves the mounds to scavenge for berries and the like for wwx to eat, because lord knows what he was eating in canon.

When wwx breaks out of the burial mounds, they intermittently visit him, acquiring a veiled hat and covering robes to avoid getting hunted down, pretending mutism and the bird being a talking service animal trained for translation. They could not look any more like a demonic cultivator if they tried, though, so results are mixed. They are often one crow among the many that follow wwx around being ominous and creepy, so it's no surprise he thought they were one too at first!

With a reason and desire to explore and socialise (with like, one person lol), Crow slowly grows to genuinely like wwx and shows initiative by spying for information. This works worryingly well, being just a bird and a super powered undead. When wwx brings the wens to the burial mounds, Crow is introduced to them all and in turn shows them the way to the old sect ruins, where they settle. They bond with wn, unsurprisingly, and are extremely fond of him and the small human who is soon unafraid to approach them. During the first siege of the burial mounds, wwx orders them to hide and guard a-yuan, and they do so, though they struggle to care for him as his fever climbs. When lwj comes and rescues a-yuan, they follow him in secret, often checking in on the pair in between general spying and stalking and trying to clean up the mounds.

When wwx is forcibly brought back to life in a new body, his own skeleton wakes up and tries to find him. Crow takes care of it like an exasperated child minder, keeping it from running out in public or off cliffs in search of him, until they encounter him halfway up dafan mountain. A dark human shape looming in the shadows of the trees just off the path looking straight at him, following the narrative it'd be the first time the audience meets them lol. The very image of Bad News.

Crow leads wwx to a clearing, where there is the outline of a tall, broad figure standing just inside the shade cast by the trees. Red eyes, tumbling and tattered hair, flowing robes. It steps out into the moonlight, and wwx's skeleton is skinless and bare but for the cloak Crow has forced it into. Wwx reaches for the grasping bony hands with zero hesitation, and thus wwx gets his own yin skeleton - the first ever human to do so.

As a demonic hippie, essentially, Crow isn't really a fighter - preferring to cultivate through dance where wwx chooses music - though they aren't afraid to dish the pain. Like any other undead, the skeleton does all the work, fighting unarmed with immense brute strength, speed and endurance. Like wn, basically. When not covered from head to toe to participate in society they typically wear very loose, gaping clothing to allow Crow to climb around on the bones. They typically rest in the exposed ribcage like a birdcage, but when making a point they often climb into the skull to peer from an eye socket (which is why the design has a single red eye. All very goth. I was going to use a normal eye but it looks absolutely HORRIFYING on a skeleton XD).

Crow, being a bird in charge of a skeleton in a pit of death, cares very little for appearances, and their yin skeleton is clothed in repaired and stolen rags from the corpses. The only thing remaining of their past life is a weirdly indestructible cloak/outer robe embroidered with falling red leaves. Shoes are very hard to wear when you don't have any skin or muscles, and it's not like it can get scratches or sore feet anyway, so it's barefoot, only using wraps to give the illusion of shoes. The whole chest was supposed to be exposed so you could see the ribs! But there weren't any chest pieces like that so I had to settle. It does look SUPER cool though. The feathers on their chest are from the bird! It's hard to tell given the dark colours and the blood, but they're the same blue as the wings! The arm guards and wraps are basically just falconry gloves so Crow can land safely and not fall off the bones lol. The moon/yin bleaching has left the bones really white, unlike natural skeletons which are yellow. The bleaching white is for hygiene and aesthetic I think.

Due to the bird cultivating resentment, Crow successfully reached immortality in their flesh and blood body. Perhaps they could have been human by now had they stayed in the reincarnation cycle and led good lives, but they prefer the life they have. If they could speak eloquently enough they could revolutionise the study of yin, but wwx is the only one who really listened. Eventually, perhaps, if they form the undead trio with wn and sl (and a-qing, technically) and one of the two teaches them the modern writing system. Due to all the spying and exploring (breaking and entering) they do, they often struggle to have patience with surprise or denial. Crow may have bitten someone in frustration. Or five.

Luckily, lsh and jl regard them as the creepy but helpful uncle, and enjoy petting the raven as much as it enjoys being pet. The adults who know of them are mostly warily resigned to ominous eyeless staring and a bird randomly sharing personal details of their enemies. It's how they show their love.

Man but I'm SO happy with the design, it came out SO WELL!!

If you've read this far, yay! Tell me what you think ^u^

[atrxxxie]

Horses of Thedas pt. 1

Today i was replaying DAI and suddenly a thought came to my mind

✨HORSEYS✨

Horses in DAI are… weird so i’ve created some moodboards of how i imagine horses of Thedas to look like actually

1 - Orlesian Courser (based on English Thoroughbred)

2 - Imperial Warmblood (based on P.R.E. and P.S.L.)

3 - Asaarash (based on Marwari)

[underthevenadahl]

Ta da!!! Here she is!!

I felt like Desire Demon + a "pin-up" pose was just the perfect combo. I've had this idea in my head for a few months now, and I'm just so happy with how she turned out! 😆😆😆

Definitely my best drawing, for the moment at least. 😉

[ahb-writes]

"Simply having the right bloodline and the ability to seize other lands by force doesn't make someone an ideal ruler."

"Jade" (Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao)

[canes-venatici200]

Lan Xichen may not be my favorite character but at least I respect him enough to not ship him with Meng Yao🤢 or Jiang Wanyin 🤮.

[endawn]

gnawing at my arm on how pax constantly saved and saved and saved but the one time he truly needed saving nobody came

[enderevynne]

hey folks, do any of you know of any mods that only replace Morrigan's and/or Leliana's hair and not their entire face in Origins? (oh, and Flemeth???)

I have managed to find one such mod for Wynne, that I am completely in love with, but for the other ladies there is always a headmorph with whatever hairstyle it is and so figured I'd ask the lovely people here :))

[grapecaseschoices]

U r honestly making me want to replay dao. I would love to know more about haldi if you ever feel comfortable with sharing. ❤️

Aeducan and Brosca are my favorite origins from dao. They're both really good in my opinion, especially aeducan. For elf, I also recomend female elf tabris origin, its really good, my third favorite origin. Cousland (human noble) is fine imo, but I liked Aeducan (noble dwarf) a lot more. Orzammar politics is just so intriguing and the family dynamics too! I know people love elven lore more, but dwarven dragon age lore to me is honestly so fascinating to me.

hehe. power to you bc it's getting better now, but i feel one must REALLY love the games to deal with the constant crashing. please share if you do!

ooo ty ima saved this bc i will forget! i def wanna do brosca and was pondering doing an elf but a mage elf, so i'll pause that and maybe do tabris after. is there a particular reason why female? and roflmao that's my feelings re: cousland tbqh, especially male cousland-- even tho i wanna give anora a go but it's like why couldnt i romance her with a male dwarf noble???

i man it is to me too tho i havent read through the codexes yet! but every tid bit i leearn from friends and fandom and the game is so intriguing.

oh man i do want to desscribe haldi but im so tired rn. i had this ask in my head and was like GONNA DO IT and got hit with a wave of tired.

i guess to keep it simple [though i may go into it at another date] is i want to keep a balance of the noble [as in n manner]/honor focused, with the kindness and compassionate, and the cunning balanced. i'm just stuck on how much. i feel i cant let her be TOO naive bc how else would she not only have made it alive for so long but how did she become second? [but that def could be part why bhelen betrayed her. trian was a tyrant but his baby sister was too kind!] i think people dont give her credit bc of those things for being as pratical as she is. like she leans more giving and feeling bad but she isn't without sense [most of the time lmao], she just wants to give people a chance. she cant help it i feel sometimes [how DID she survive. ima blame her mom. but i kinda like the idea of bhelen protecting that to his own expense until it's like what have i let grow?]

i feel like her practicality leads to her cunning. bc i feel she's cunning in the sense that she's astute and picks up on things rather quickly, she's not overly curious but she can ask question and wants to understand before acting [most of the time]. and i feel that's what lead her to the commander appointment. why she wouldve been a good one and is a good warrior -- not just her strong focus on pride and acting chivalrous or wte.

my other issue is figuriing how much she's changed and how much she shows. i dont want her like kendis [i feel i have too many conceal dont feel chars]. i feel she just doesnt see it lmao. how much it HURTS. bc it makes sense to her, this is how things are done. it makes sense bhelen saw a weakness in her and she lost, so she should die a warrior death [gorim got that out her head.] she lied to morrigan bc morrigan lied first [and not as a way to get back at her bc she is mad at herself and at morrigan for falling for it]. wynne is staying in camp so she doesnt exert herself [not for any strong reasons]. she isnt hurt her father didnt fight for her, she isnt angry about what bhelen di d [the reason she mentioned it to the gray wardens was SOLELY so they know where she stands/what happened. ]

so it's less 'wow i see this and ima hide it/pretend i dont see it' and more like 'what is this? this is useless *chucks it away* .... hey why does this keep coming back?' less suppression and dismissal and more obliviousness and dismissal.

this got so long lmao

[ashhawkburning]

For anyone having trouble with the EA app who hasn't seen this:

Get Origin back here, and use the linked instructions to prevent re-migration:

Open C:\ProgramData\Origin\local.xml in notepad

Add new key there:

<Setting key="MigrationDisabled" type="1" value="true" />

If you can't find ProgramData, you probably have "Show hidden files, folders and drives" turned off. Either:

Change your folder options in explorer in View -> Options -> View -> Hidden files and folders, or

Open ProgramData directly by using Windows key + R to open the Run prompt, type in %programdata% and press enter.

For DAI, I've seen some people have to restore the settings file that contains the keybinds and DLC listings, because the Origin restoration may overwrite that to show no DLC. So keep a backup of that file! You may also need to add the DAI exe to your firewall.

[shanaraharlyah]

Holy hours of Neverwinter and Inquisition, Batman. I would have guessed 400 on DAI with four completions, but wow.

[askniehuaisang]

Why are you so pretty? Did you sell your soul or something? Like, it should be illegal to be so cute.

I don't know...

* hides behind fan *

I bathe in the blood of my enemies!

I jest... I actually use goji and mung bean on my face to keep that youthful glow and I flush my body with herbal tea after drinking too much baijiu the night before!

The rest is just good breeding and fantastically fashionable clothes!

[sifu-kisu]

Parts of a Chinese Sword: The Jian and Dao Anatomy

Chinese swords are very beautiful and dangerous weapons that have played an important role in Chinese history and culture for thousands of years. Their intricate design and construction are a testament to centuries of Chinese swordmaking tradition.

One must be familiar with the complex workings of Chinese swords to fully appreciate their lethality and beauty and use them more effectively in Wushu or Kung Fu Chinese martial arts. In this article, we’ll introduce you to the various components of the Dao or Jian, the traditional Chinese swords, and their use.

Parts of the Jian / Straigh Double Edge

The Parts of a Jian Sword – Credits: Mandarin Mansion Antiques

The Jian is a type of ancient Chinese straight, double-edged sword that has been valued for over a thousand years. Its blade is long and narrow, while the handle is straight and slim. Soldiers, martial artists, and academics employed the sword in ancient China and surrounding regions. Together with the staff, spear, and Dao swords, it is one of the four key weapons in Chinese martial arts.

1. Jiantan – Pommel

The Chinese word for the pommel of a Jian sword is Jiantan, and it is there that the sword begins. It’s a metal weight at the end of the handle, and its purpose is to balance the blade so the user can have a firm hold. First only available in ring pommels, Jian pommels eventually evolved into more complex designs like the metal cap, ball, or teardrop shapes and the common disk pommel known today.

2. Jian Sui – Tassel

A Jian sword’s tassel is a decorative accessory that can be fastened to the pommel or scabbard. The Chinese sword tassel is often constructed from silk. This sheath beautifies the Jian and adds a few features that may or may not improve the sword’s effectiveness in battle.

3. Jianba – Handle

The different possible edge features on the Jian sword – Credits: Sword Buyers Guide

The Jianba is the sword’s handle, and it is always straight and slim, measuring somewhere between 6 and 10 inches (15 and 25 cm) in length. For ceremonial and combat purposes, it may be crafted from various materials, including bone, wood, horn, and even jade. The majority of Jianbas have a shorter handle designed for use with one hand, although there are also longer versions used with both.

4. Jian Ge – Guard

Traditional Jian sword guards are thin, tapered pieces of metal that can be angled in either direction relative to the blade and handle. In some cases, it can be round or square that goes between the blade and the handle. Its purpose is to shield the user’s hand from the oncoming blade and to stop the enemy’s weapon from sliding down the blade onto the hand. In some cases, it only serves as a beautiful ornamental piece.

5. Shaungxue – Hamon

A hamon is the visible line on the Jian sword that is sometimes on the blade but not always. It is a result of the differential hardening used throughout history to make the edges of the blade sharper by using clay. It is a feature most known today on the Japanese Katana.

6. Jianti – Blade

The blade of a Jian sword is narrow and long, normally measuring 23 to 31 inches (60 to 80 cm) but reaching as high as 47 inches (1.2 meters), and always tapers into a sharp blade tip. It is the only straight Chinese sword, one of just a few in the arsenal of Chinese swords, with no curving variant. The blade is forged from bronze, then iron, and finally, high-quality steel, and it is optimized for speed and accuracy when cutting.

7. Jian Ren – Edge

The straight Jian scabbard –

The sharp edges on both sides of the Jian’s blade are called Jian Ren. This Jian Ren has three sections and parts, mostly seen in the combat or martial arts type of Jian sword.

Top – razor sharp and used primarily for hacking, slashing, thrusting, but not blocking

Middle – semi-sharpened part of the blade but much thicker, which is used for slashing and blocking

Bottom – very thick, sturdy, and usually unsharpened for defensive or unorthodox offensive movements

8. Jian Jian – Blade Tip

The very point of the Jian sword is called Jian Jian. It is sharpened on both sides and made to be deadly when used for thrusting and piercing, but it can also be used for slashing.

9. Jianqiao – Scabbard

When not in use, a Jian sword is stored safely in its scabbard, called the Jianqiao. It’s usually crafted from wood and covered in luxurious materials like silk or leather. Metal fittings and tassels are two examples of possible embellishments for the scabbard.

Parts of the Dao Sword (Knife/ Saber)

The Parts of a Dao Sword – Credits: Mandarin Mansion Antiques

The Dao sword, often called the Chinese broadsword, is a renowned blade that has served Chinese warriors for millennia. Its defining feature is a single-edged blade, which can be straight or slightly curved and may be gripped in one or both hands thanks to the long, slim grip. The Dao sword has a long history of use in numerous Chinese martial arts traditions, but it was primarily a sword of the soldier thanks to its ease of use and simpler design.

1. Daoba Dingshu – Pommel

Usually, the Dao sword has a smaller metal cap of a pommel which can be ring type, as seen in the 20th-century use of the Dadao. However, the most common type is a round or wider disc shape. It serves as a back support to the user’s hand as well as a possible blunt attack tool.

2. Lanyard and Tassel

Like the Jian has the traditional Chinese tassel, so does the Dao. But most of the time, the Dao swords have a lanyard, which is meant to have a better grip on the sword and make this curved blade more effective in mounted attacks.

3. Daoba – Handle

The handle of the Dao, which can be as small as a person’s hand or the size of the blade itself, is called the Daoba. Its most common length is 8 to 13 inches (20 to 35 cm), and it can be used with one or two hands for powerful slashing attacks.

4. Daoba Shu – Ferrule

The small metal piece just under and between the guard and the handle is called the Daoba Shu. These are often circular metal rings made for extra joining and fastening of the handle and sealing and reinforcing the wrapping material.

5. Dao Hushou – Guard

The metal piece that protects the user’s hand between the blade and the handle is the Dao Hushou. The most common type of guard seen on a Dao sword is round or disc-shaped. It offers protection to the user’s hand but is fairly limited. It makes for an excellent marching or cavalry type of guard. However, It is also featured in the parts of a Katana known as tsuba.

6. Dao Cao – Groove

The early types of Dao Ren on the straight Dao swords, which curved with time – Credits: The Scholar General

The Dao Cao translates to saber groove and can be found in almost all types of Chinese Dao. They are sometimes referred to as blood grooves, but their real purpose is to lessen the weight of the blade so that it can increase the saber’s handling and speed. In addition, they make eye-pleasing aesthetics.

7. Dao Ren – Blade (Edge)

The sharpened side of the Dao swords, which makes them single-edged, is called the Dao Ren, which sets it apart from the Jian. This edge makes for an effective slashing tool that benefited from the curve added onto the later Dao types of swords. Thanks to the Dao Ren, these blades were easier to master and cheaper to produce, but still very effective in combat and became the main type of military sword for Chinese soldiers.

8. Dao Bei – Spine

The sturdy part of the Dao sword, which can hold off the flexibility of the edge, is called Dao Bei. This isn’t a sharpened part and can be either straight or curved based on the type of sword and can be used for defensive purposes too. Sometimes the blade can be made broader and wider, and there are instances of a spike on some Dao Beis.

9. Blade Rings

There are some cases of Chinese swords with rings placed on the Dao Bei or the blade’s spine. They are mostly for entertainment and ornamental reasons, but some say they are also beneficial in combat.

10. Tunkou – Blade Collar

An unsharpened piece of metal, usually on top of the guard of Dao swords, is called a Tunkou, which is a blade collar. This is placed for decorative purposes, mostly with traditional Chinese elements, but it also holds the blade tightly inside the scabbard, keeping it safe from the elements. 

11. Dao Feng – Blade Tip

The very end of the blade is called the Dao Feng, the blade’s sharpened tip. There are cases where only one side is sharpened, but on some Dao swords, the tip is double-edged, making it ideal for both slashing and thrusting.

12. Daoqiao – Scabbard

The P-shape curved scabbard of the Dao sword – Credits: Mandarin Mansion Antiques

The Daoqiao, or the scabbard for the Dao blade, has the same features and materials as the Jian, except that it is curved.  It protects the blade from outside elements and is a nice resting piece for carrying the Dao around.

13. Dao Shu Liang – Scabbard Suspension

The Dao Shu Liang is how the scabbard is different from the Jian. This tradition came from Persian influence on the west during the Tang Dynasty and is basically two ropes swinging from the blade that hold the swords in a horizontal fashion