#destiny cultist

[redstarfiles]

RECORD/// Speaker: DESTINY CULTIST -Topic: ARBITRATION:/// - [“Hark and behold! You will forgive this intrusion. Once again this Speaker must pass his well-ordered words to you, O most colorful of raconteurs. 

It is past time for him. Him the agitator, spoiler, and ruiner perfect. Him who fled from fate’s grasp. He who would leap in front, who swims upstream. The Mock-Mock-Mock-Toa of tomorrow that arrived too early.

It is half past time for you, most well-ordered gaggle of blessed fools. Heed these and prosper.

The future belongs to Destiny. Not to him.

Go no further.”]

[warderfromtheborder]

I spent three hours today helping a renewed acquaintance get back into destiny. He played through D1 to just before Shadowkeep (his fit was all leviathan gear and I was super jelly), and I had to figure out what I actually needed to figure out to explain to him to catch him up to be able to play.

Anyway; three hours. Half that time was in missions actually playing, and half that time was me helping him navigate menus and popups.

I get now (better understand, at least) why some folks are so comfortable shitting on Bungie the company over this game. There is so much poorly designed UI and confounding quest structure and information that appears only in HUD obscuring popups that disappear never to be retrieved.

And, I'm not willing to entertain that the UI and UX problems are a matter of 'they're doing their best' BECAUSE

There are places where it is crystal clear to see that the UI points the player in a Specific Direction to a Specific Place with a SPECIFIC GOAL IN MIND (you only get one guess but if you're a lifer like me you know the answer in your heart already) and it is clear that the UI can in fact function perfectly well but is Not Allowed To, in service of that Specific Goal

This game is a cult. This game is a cult and I am a cultist. Its non-euclidian pathways are second nature to me, and the omnipresent Silver Light of the eververse is my accustomed daylight. Why would I question it? I already live here. I already love it here.

I love this game. I love the people who make the actual game I play. I hate the people who constantly try to make an extra 10-20-70 bucks off those who aren't going to be long-term players. These greedy fucking cash-scraping funnels they've constructed around the player onboarding experience have turned the game into a venus fly-trap.

(pictured: bungie C-suite trying to get big publisher investment without letting go of the most offensive monetization on the market)

I don't want to sound like Tassi or SkillUp too much right now, but I get the part of them that says 'dont give bungie credit for reversing a decision they knew was a bad one in the first place. Don't give this company extra grace for not tightening their fist as much as they could have. Don't let them act like the greedy part of the game's design isn't greedy, and couldn't be done better.'

The two needs are in direct tension with each other. The game can be easy to play, and a paid subscription game, or it can be what we have now: free and greedy and unnecessarily labyrinthine to teach. They don't coexist.

I love it here already.

[desolyx-xvii]

Edited my In-game Guardian who is also an oc,, I just need to actually draw him a ref sheet or something

Might do a post about his design and lore sometime in the future :]

His name is Charon-XVII (or just Charon-17) and he's a stylish but aloof exo

[woonderfullie]

Quasi-Kuro related ramblings about the demons under the cut

(most of it is in the tags)

Demons as catalysts for change and upheaval, or at least ardent advocates for it, using their presence to tip the scales

Could demons be summoned with less for less, through sacrifices that don't involve bloodshed but still have the power to drastically alter the course of one's life?

[stardustedstories]

“I’m trying to decide if this is better or worse than the last time I was imprisoned,” Anastasia muses, expression far too jovial for someone behind bars. “I knew I shouldn’t have stopped using pins in my hair.”

[schoenpepper]

Jade Leech and the Three Breakups

Intro: He was going to break up with you on your first anniversary. He was going to break up with you before he went to internships. He was going to break up with you after he graduated.

Warnings: bad writing, awful grammar, does jade count as a warning, reader is not yuu, established long term relationship, depression jokes, not proofread

A/N: Sorry, the brainrot got to me. College apparently cannot stop me from thinking about my least favorite character ever. Also, my favorite trope is 'i think they hate me' and 'i want them so bad i'm about to kill someone'.

Masterlist

There's a thick notebook in one of the boxes. Curiosity killed the eel mer, sure, but Jade is attracted to its plain leather cover. On the corner is your name, etched in an elegant cursive he's sure isn't yours.

After four years of romantic partnership, of course he knows your handwriting.

He gingerly fishes it out of its pile—your pile of clutter to get rid of before moving into your new shared home—and decides that of course it is fully within his right to open your journal. Diary, perhaps?

He can't help the grin pulling up the corners of his lips.

Oh dear, you've gotten so lax with such things, darling. Are you banking on his love for you to stop him from borrowing your private thoughts? Such confidence. Misplaced. Such a shame.

The first page has his name.

It takes him aback, but he delightfully relishes in the thought, the possibility, that all your feelings for him over several years would be gathered and spilled into its yellowed pages. Was there a stage of hatred? Rivalry? Were you crushing on him like a little schoolgirl? Such cute (excellent) memories (blackmail) from your youth (material)~ He flips to the second page and reads with unparalleled attentiveness he usually reserves for documents on his favorite projects.

September 1st, 20x1 Sunny : | It's orientation, and I'm following my ma's words about keeping a diary of sorts to keep track of interesting things. I wore the cultist uniform of NRC (fugly ass robes) and stood in line to get sorted to my dorm by the mirror. I got into Octavinelle. I don't know if it's the dorm I would have chosen for myself to be honest, but sure. I can't argue with the magical artifact. What I would like to argue about is the vice housewarden.

His brows furrow slightly in intrigue. Did he do something wrong? He remembered being nothing but a kind, angelic upperclassman to your batch of freshmen.

He's so fucking pretty.

Jade chuckles.

He looks like he's about to eat me whole and fuck, I don't mind if he does!!! He's so tall, and so so attractive, and sevens I thought I came to NRC to study but I think I'm here to fulfill my destiny of becoming his <3

He launches into full-blown laughter. He takes his phone out from his pocket to snap multiple pictures, saving them in a locked folder labeled rather inconspicuously in his gallery.

There's a series of entries after that. Nothing too interesting (he's scanned every single page), just you detailing every second of your (at this point, nonexistent) love life. You write about how many times you'd seen him in a day, and how 'cute' he looks in his school uniform, and how 'adorable' he is when he's hanging onto his broom for dear life in PE. He ignores the fact that you shouldn't have seen him in PE classes because his schedule didn't match yours at that time. Then, there's one that you'd written right before realizing you'd fallen into his love trap~

October 3rd, 20x1 Cloudy :< I think I got tricked into being someone's s/o. I thought he's been inviting me to random outings and stuff, alone, together, as like, a threat maybe. Today I found out Floyd (and therefore Azul, and definitely also him) think of me as Jade's significant other. Which is so weird. I'm so confused???

There's a little chibi drawing on the corner of your face with a blank expression.

I thought we were friends and then his brother tells me that the guy I like doesn't think of me as a friend. Okay??????  JADE LEECH IS TREATING ME LIKE HIS PARTNER AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT HAPPENED. (but i like it :D)

Well, you've always been a bit slow, haven't you, darling? You never even noticed when Jade began to take an interest in you, slowly steering you towards his own hobbies, even his club activities. After all, he studied your interests, so isn't it only fair? He likes being able to converse with you. He likes the sound of your voice. He likes the movement of your lips. Is it so bad, then, that he did a few perfectly legal things to somehow shoe you in right by his side? 

In the diary, you detail every feeling in every date. You like picnics. You hated the hike up that mountain with poisonous snakes. You liked the parfait he made for you. You disliked the slightly poisonous mushroom he sauteed and put into your chicken alfredo. Shame.

July 23rd, 20x2 Rainy :(

It takes its first turn about a week before the first anniversary of the day you met him (you don't have a 'real' anniversary since you don't even know when you started dating him).

I think he's going to break up with me soon.

His breath hitches in his throat. He's not sure how to feel upon reading that sentence, but he doesn't like it. 

(Why were you so sure, darling?)

He leans back slightly on his chair. He needs to take a few deep breaths before he can even continue to read your writing.

He's going to be in third year by the time the school year comes around again. He'll be busy with the lounge and studying and vice housewarden stuff. Maybe he won't have time for me anymore.

But that's okay.

I realized something. The twins are not the type of people for long term relationships. After knowing more about Jade, I've learned he's not too different from Floyd concerning several aspects. 1.) He only likes interesting things. Jade likes weird, and fun, and spontaneous. I think he liked me then because I was new and so strange. After all, I didn't know that the guy I loved at first sight was such a feared figure, for good reason too. There was nobody in school who would stick around him so much like I do. 2.) He gets bored just as easily. Jade is the mirror image of Floyd here. Floyd is more moody, but Jade is good at pretending. He likes to play around. Until he doesn't. I know I won't see it coming, but one day, I will be predictable. And he'll get bored. I will no longer be interesting.

Has he always struck you that way?

If he doesn't want to play with me anymore, what am I supposed to do? I need to prepare myself. Someday, he'll leave me, and I need to be stronger then than I am now. Right now, I'll break if he abandons me. Surely if I desensitize myself to the scenario, I can mitigate the damage.

You talk of your own heart like a building in the middle of the Ring of Fire, and Jade's the biggest earthquake that's about to arrive since millennia.

It's not often he finds himself questioning his own morality. Gray is his preference, but then, why does he see this version of himself in your eyes in all black? Has he been anything but kind to you? He's tried, really. If it wasn't enough, he should've seen it in your eyes. He should have known.

The following pages go back to their previous light-hearted tone, slowly leaving the saccharine sweet honeymoon phase and dipping into comfortable and warm. You don't mention that entry again, or even that line of thought. He likes that. Jade would prefer you refusing to humor such blatant nonsense than actually spend time worrying your pretty little head about it. It's just a bit worrying. Like a volcano with lava filling up, is it not dangerous to block the outflow?

Why have you never discussed your thoughts with him?

August 3rd, 20x3 Sunny :<

He has to consider that it might be seasonal depression if the entries keep getting darker around the same time. Like a switch has been flipped, the words turn into blades again, cutting into his skin as though they could never draw blood.

I think he's really going to break up with me soon.

Oh sevens.

He has internships, which means he won't even be at school most of the time. It's upsetting because I think he'll find so many people out there. And they'll be much more interesting than me. And then what? I don't know where he's interning, it's probably because he doesn't want me to be a part of his life any longer.

How did he never know how prone you were to overthinking?

He hasn't gotten bored of me yet, but that's not to say it won't happen when he gets a taste of the real world and realizes how limited he is by this place. By me. Am I holding him back? I never say anything to him about these kinds of feelings because it might burden him. Which is a really funny sentence to write considering this is Jade Leech I'm talking about. It's not like he cares about other people's opinions enough for it to be a burden to him.

Why then, Jade wonders, would you ever consider yourself as 'other people'?

I hope he lets me down gently, at least.

Why would he ever let you down at all?

It's a shame to say but I think I love him.

And again, like nothing ever happened at all, the following recorded dates speak nothing of your plight. Instead, you jot down your visits to Jade in his chosen workplace, since obviously, he'd given you the details despite your previous doubts. The records of your life when not with him are few and far between, as you usually opted to write about Jade when together with him. There's an entry about the time you went to the amusement park with him, and threw up all over his jacket. There's one about the cake you failed horribly at baking during his birthday.

There's an entry about the first time you explored intimacy with him.

So it gives him severe whiplash when the entry after that is back to the same 'break up' tone as before, right around the same time as the other two.

(He should call a therapist for you.)

August 1st, 20x4 Sunny >:( He will definitely break up with me soon!

Why is this one so enthusiastic about it, though?

Maybe it's been in his plans all along. Only until graduation! This time, he'll definitely, definitely break up with me. Yes! I mean, I shouldn't be happy about it, but my two predictions beforehand were incorrect, and it makes me very nervous. So I have a plan. On his graduation, I'm going to give him a bouquet of flowers and a terrarium that I personally made.

Yes he remembers that. He still has the terrarium in his collection room.

And then, I'm going to confess my love for him.

Yes he remembers that too. You said 'I love you', and though slightly taken aback, he returned your sentiments.

And it would be the perfect gateway for him to talk about breaking up with me.

Huh. That's definitely not what he thought of it then. Is that why you were so surprised when he said 'I love you too'?

And it would probably hurt, but I think I can get away with not crying in front of him. I really love him. But I think it would be for the best that he leaves now, when I can still let him go with grace. Someday, I'll be in love with him, maybe to the point that I'd break down at his feet and beg for him to pick up the pieces. But I don't want him to see me like that.

He doesn't want to see that either.

(But rest assured, should it happen, he will pick up every piece of you and glue it back together with his love. Rather cheesy, though.)

Wish me luck!!!

Jade's lips curl up into a lazy grin, flipping to the last page on the notebook. There's not much, but he reads through it with a soft chuckle and writes in the corner with a blue pen. "Jade! The moving company will be here soon," you pop your head through the doorway, only glancing at him briefly before walking away, "I'm almost done with the kitchen."

He places your diary into his box of 'to keep', sealing the cardboard shut with some tape.

August 2, 20x4 Cloudy :o He said he loves me too. I could be wrong, but I think Jade's never going to break up with me.

June 16, 20x5 Sunny :) Let's get married soon, darling. I'm looking forward to the rest of our life together.

[felassan]

Cliff notes on the new info on Dragon Age: The Veilguard in today’s issue of Game Informer (magazine hub link):

Edit/update: I tidied up this post. ^^

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In CC you can customize things like shoulder width, chest size, glute size, hip width, how bloodshot your eyes are, nose crookedness, and more

There are hundreds of sliders for body proportions

CC detail: “Features like skin hue, tone, melanin”

There is nudity in DA:TV, “which I learned firsthand while customizing my Rook” in CC

Rook’s backstory also affects “reputation standing”, along with the other previously-known things like in-game dialogue etc

Lords of Fortune are pirate-themed, “piratic”

Rook ascends because of competency, not because of a magical McGuffin, contrasting with the 'destiny-has-chosen you’ angle DA:I has for the Inquisitor

Rook is here because they chose to be, “and that speaks to the kind of character that we’ve built. Someone needs to stop this, and Rook says, ‘I guess that’s me'”

The 4 voices we can choose for Rook each have a pitch shifter in CC

The game starts inside the bar (as previously detailed in other coverage)

In some dialogue wheels there is a “romantically inclined ‘emotional’ response” option. These are the replies that will build relationships with characters, romantic and platonic alike, but you can ignore them if you want to. Giving a companion the cold shoulder might nudge them into another companion’s embrace however

Bellara’s surname is Lutara

In the streets of Minrathous (in the opening segment of the game), there is a wide, winding pathway with a pub which has a dozen NPCs in it (is this The Swan tavern?)

The devs used the DA:TV CC to make each in-world NPC, except for specific characters like companions

There is smart use of verticality, scaling and wayfinding in the gameplay

If you play as e.g. a qunari Rook, the camera adjusts to ensure larger characters like them loom over those below. The camera also adjusts appropriately for dwarves to demonstrate their smaller stature

Neve Gallus is described as being capable

The Venatori Cultists we fight in the opening segment of the game are seizing the chaos caused by the demons unleashed by Solas’ ritual to try and take the opportunity to take over the city

As you traverse deeper and deeper into Solas’ hideout, more of his murals appear on the walls, and things 'get more elven'. Rhodes says “this is because you’re symbolically going back in time, as Minrathous is a city built by mages on the bones of what was originally the home of the elves”

At the heart of Solas’ hideout is his personal eluvian

Demons are fully redesigned in this game, on their original premise as creatures of feeling that live and die off the emotions around them. “As such, they are just a floating nervous system, pushed into this world from the Fade, rapidly assembled into bodies out of whatever scraps they find”

In the opening, we stop Solas’ ritual and save the world. “For now” anyways. Rook passes out moments later and wakes up in a dream-like landscape to the voice of Solas. He explains that a few drops of Rook’s blood interacted with the ritual, connecting them to the Fade forever. (I guess this is why they said in the Discord Q&A on June 14th that Rook has good reasons to want to avoid blood magic)

He also says that he was attempting to move Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain (confirming who the two Evil Gods are) to a new prison, because the one he had previously constructed was failing. Unfortunately, Solas is trapped in the Fade by our doing, and the two gods are now free. “It’s up to Rook to stop them”, thus setting the stage for our adventure

Rook wakes up after this with Harding and Neve “in the lair of the Dread Wolf himself”, a special magical realm in the Fade called The Lighthouse. It’s a towering structure centered amongst various floating islands. This is where the team bonds, grows, and prepares for its adventures. It becomes more functional and homier as you do. “Already, though, it’s a beautifully distraught headquarters for the Veilguard, although they aren’t quite referring to themselves as that just yet”.

Because it was Solas’ home base, it's gaudy, with his fresco murals adorning various walls, greenery hanging from above, and hues of purple and touches of gold everywhere. Since it’s in the Fade, which is a realm of dreams that responds to your world state and emotion, the Lighthouse “reflects the chaos and disrepair of the Thedas you were in moments ago”

Clock symbols over dialogue icons signal optional dialogue options

At this point you can head over to Neve, engage in dialogue, and try and flirt with her

There is a dining hall in the Lighthouse. A plate, cutlery and a drinking chalice are at the end of a massive table. Matt Rhodes says that this is a funny and sad look at Solas’ isolated existence, and an example of the detail BioWare’s art team has put into DA:TV. “It’s like when you go to a friend’s house and see their bedroom for the first time; you get to learn more about them”

There is also a library, which is the central area of the The Lighthouse. It’s here that the party will often regroup and prepare for what’s next

The team decides that it must reach the ritual site back in Arlathan Forest. Corinne Busche said that the writer was "missing unique dialogue options here because I’m qunari; an elf would have more to say about the Fade due to their connection to it. The same goes for my backstory earlier in Minrathous. If I had picked the Shadow Dragons background, Neve would have recognized me immediately, with unique dialogue”

The team decide their next move. They go to Solas’ eluvian and back through to the ritual site in Arlathan Forest. However, it’s not fully functional without Solas, and while it returns them to the Forest, it’s not exactly where they want to go. Then a demon-infested suit of mechanized armor known as a Sentinel attacks them, and two NPCs appear to save you: the Veil Jumpers Strife and Irelin. Harding recognizes them, which you would expect if you read the comic Dragon Age: The Missing. They are experts in ancient elven magic. A cutscene ensues and we learn that Strife and Irelin need help finding Bellara Lutara. This cutscene is long and has multiple dialogue options.

“There’s a heavy emphasis on storytelling and dialogue, and it feels deep and meaty, like a good fantasy novel. BioWare doesn’t shy away from minutes-long cutscenes”

For Rook, this story is about what does it mean to be a leader? We define their leadership style with our choices. “From the sound of it, my team will react to my chosen leadership style in how my relationships play out.” This is demonstrated within the game’s dialogue and a special relationship meter on each character’s companion screen

Bellara is deep within Arlathan Forest, and following the events of the prologue, something is up here. Three rings of massive rocks fly through the air, protecting what appears to be a central fortress. Demon Sentinels plague the surrounding lands.

In gameplay/combat, players complete every swing in real time. Special care was taken in development for animation swing-through and cancelling. We can dash, parry, charge moves, and a completely revamped healing system that allows us to use potions at our discretion by hitting right on the d-pad. You can combo attacks and even ‘bookmark’ combos with a quick dash, which means that you can pause a combo’s status with a dash to safety and continue the rest of the combo afterward

Abilities can be used to customize your kit. They can be used on the fly as long as you account for cooldowns

When you pause and pull up the ability Wheel, it highlights you and your companions��� skills. There you can choose abilities, queue them, target specific enemies, and strategize with synergies and combos

Each character plays the same in that you execute light and heavy attacks with the same buttons, use abilities with the same buttons, and interact with the combo wheel in the same way, regardless of which class you select

Sword and shield warriors can hip-fire or aim their shield and throw it like Captain America

Warriors can parry incoming attacks which can stagger enemies. Rogues have a larger parry window. The mage the writer played couldn’t parry at all. Instead they throw up a shield that blocks incoming attacks automatically, so long as you have the mana to maintain it

On the start/pause screen: it has the map, journal, character sheets, skill tree, and a library for lore information. You can use it to cross-compare equipment and equip new gear for Rook and their companions, build weapon loadouts for quick change-ups mid-combat, and customize you and your party’s abilities and builds via an easy-to-understand skill tree. There aren’t in-depth minutiae, just "real numbers". For example, an unlocked trait might increase damage by 25 percent against armor, but that’s as in-depth as the numbers get. Passive abilities unlock jump attacks and guarantee critical hit opportunities, while abilities add moves like a Wall of Fire to your arsenal if you’re a mage. As you spec out this skill tree, which is 100 percent bespoke to each class, you’ll work closer to unlocking a spec, complete with a unique ultimate ability

“Sentinels and legions of darkspawn”

Combat is flashy and quick, with different types of health bars. Greenish-blue represents a barrier, which is taken down most effectively with ranged attacks

The game is gorgeous, with sprinkles, droplets, and splashes of magic in each attack a mage unleashes

The game looks amazing on consoles both in fidelity and performance modes

The mission to find Bellara is called “In Entropy’s Grasp”. You find her. She is the first companion you recruit (as Neve auto-joins). If your background is Veil Jumper, you get unique dialogue here with Bellara. She explains that everyone there is all trapped in a Veil Bubble, and there’s no way out once you pass through it. Despite the dire situation, she is bubbly, witty, and charming. She is spunky and effervescent

Companions are the faces of their factions, and in this case with Bellara, their entire area of the world. She is our window into Arlathan Forest. She is described as a sweetheart and a nerd for ancient elven artifacts, which is why she’s dressed more like an academic than a combatant. Her special arm gauntlet is useful both for tinkering with her environment and taking down enemies. While Neve uses ice magic and can slow time with a special ability, Bellara specializes in electricity, and she can also use magic to heal you. Her electric magic is effective against Sentinels. “However, without Bellara, we could also equip a rune that converts my ice magic, for a brief duration, into electricity to counter the Sentinels”

If you don’t direct your companions in combat, they are fully independent and will attack on their own

You progress at this point through the Forest, encountering more and more darkspawn. Bellara says that they have never been this far before because the underground Deep Roads, which they usually escape from, aren’t nearby. However, with “blighted” (BLIGHTED!) elven gods roaming the world, and thanks to the Blight’s radiation-like spread, it’s a much bigger threat in DA:TV than any prior DA game

The Forest has elven ruins, dense greenery and disgusting Blight tentacles and pustules

The style of the game is more high fantasy than anything in the series thus far and almost reminiscent of the whimsy of Fable. Matt Rhodes says that this is the result of the game’s newfound dose of magic: “The use of magic has been an evolution as the series has gone on. It’s something we’ve been planning for a while because Solas has been planning all this for a while. In the past, you could hint at cooler magical things in the corner because you couldn’t actually go there, but now we actually can, and it’s fun to showcase that.” The Forest’s whimsy will starkly contrast to the game’s other areas. The devs promise some grim locations and even grimmer story moments because, without that contrast, everything falls flat. Corinne says it’s like a “thread of optimism” pulled through otherworldly chaos ravaging Thedas. At this point in the game, Bellara’s personality is that thread

We can advance our bonds with our companions on their own personal quests and by including them in our party on main quests. Every Relationship Level you rank up, shown on their character sheet, nets you a skill point to spend on them. “The choices you make, what you say to companions, how you help them, and more all matter to their development as characters and party members”. Each companion has access to 5 abilities.

Each companion has issues, problems, and personal quests to complete. “Bellara has her own story arc that runs parallel to and informs the story path you’re on” (They’ve said that all of the companions have this too in previous promo material)

You progress deeper into the forest and Bellara spots a floating fortress and thinks that the artifact needed to destroy the Veil Bubble is in there. To reach it, we must remove the floating rock rings, and Bellara’s unique ability, Tinker, can do just that by interacting with a piece of ancient elven technology nearby. Rook can acquire abilities like Tinker later to complete such tasks in instances where Bellara, for example, isn’t in the party

Bellara has to activate three of these in the Forest to reach the castle. Each one you activate brings forth a bunch of Sentinels, demons, and darkspawn to defeat

You can create Arcane Bombs on enemies. It does high damage after being hit by a heavy attack

It sounds like mage characters can charge heavy attacks on their magical staffs. “then switch to magical daggers in a second loadout accessed with a quick tap of down on the d-pad to unleash some quick attacks”

Some enemies are “Frenzied”, meaning that they hit harder, move faster, and have more health

After a few more combat sections, including against a Frenzied sentinel, we reach the center of the temple. In there is an artifact called the Nadas Dirthalen. Bellara knows that this means “the inevitability of knowledge”. Before we can progress, a darkspawn ogre boss attacks, hitting hard with unblockable, red-coded attacks and a massive shield that you need to take down first. It is weak to fire

After defeating it (it’s a climactic arena fight), Bellara uses a special crystal to power the artifact and remove it from the pedestal, which destroys the Veil Bubble. Then, the Nadas Dirthalen comes alive as an Archive Spirit, but because the crystal used to power it breaks, we learn little about this spirit before it disappears. Bellara thinks that she can fix it (fixing broken stuff is her thing), so the group heads back to the Veil Jumper camp. The writer’s demo then ended.

The design of the game is not open world. The devs describe it as a “hub-and-spoke” design where the needs of the story are served by the level design. A version of DA:I’s Crossroads return (the network of teleporting eluvians) and this is how players will traverse across northern Thedas. “Instead of a connected open world, players will travel from eluvian to eluvian to different stretches of this part of the continent”. e.g. Minrathous, tropical beaches, Arlathan Forest, “to grim and gothic areas and elsewhere”. Some of these areas are large and full of secrets and treasures. Others are smaller and more focused on linear storytelling. Arlathan Forest is an example of this, but it still has optional paths and offshoots to explore for loot, healing potion refreshes, and other things.

Each location has a minimap, though linear levels like In Entropy’s Grasp won’t have the 'fog of war' that disappears as you explore like in some of the game’s bigger locations

The game has the largest number of diverse biomes in DA history

The Thedas of DA:TV “lives in the uncertainty”. “the mystery of its narrative”, “the implications of its lore”

The writer is surprised by BioWare’s command over the notoriously difficult Frostbite engine, and by how much narrative thought the dev team poured into these characters, even for BioWare.

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[source: the Game Informer pages from Issue 367 - the cover story from June 18th (link), two]

[galactic-magick]

Cosmic Love: Viktor/Machine Herald x Reader

Summary: You try to resist your corrupted lover, but you ache too much for his touch that you can’t refuse any longer.

Words: 1.0k

Warnings: SMUT, overstimulation, no pronouns but reader has afab anatomy

Author's Notes: As promised, here is the galaxy quaking, star bursting, 5th dimensional, cosmic anomaly Viktor smut. Takes place between when Jayce tries to kill him and when he goes through the full Machine Herald transformation. Hope you enjoy.

-

He’s been calling to you.

You’ve been ignoring the echoes, ignoring the voices of those he controls. You told him you want no part of it, that you won’t stand by his side if he continues down this cultist path. But even still, he finds ways to continue begging you, sending his followers your way and speaking through them. He pleads for you to join him, to experience the higher awareness and power he has gained. But you must stay strong.

After several months, the cult followers completely lose their humanity, becoming lifeless white and gold husks akin to an army of mannequins. They all look the same, retaining no glimmer of individuality, only the great Machine Herald’s voice to be heard.

As expected, one of them attempts to gain your loyalty back once again, breaking into your house and talking as a mechanized version of the man you once loved.

“I give you one last chance to join me,” it says. “I want you by my side, my love.”

“Viktor...what you’re doing is wrong. You know I can’t do that.”

The form he possesses steps closer to you, metal fingers brushing your cheek. You shiver, but you don’t turn away. You’ve yearned for his touch again for so long, that even this form of him makes you question your answer. His fingers are placed so meticulously, gliding down your neck, your breasts, your hips. It’s so easy to imagine it’s Viktor’s face you’re gazing upon, covering up the blank slate that’s actually in front of you.

“If you won’t join me…” his voice rings clear in your ears. “Allow me to have you one last time.”

You squirm, begging every damn desire in your body to say “no” while the machine’s fingers drop ever closer to the space between your legs.

But you won’t say “no.” You want this as badly as he does, even if it means casting your better judgment aside.

“Please.” you moan.

He takes action at your consent instantly, picking you up like you weigh nothing and dropping you on the bed.

“Soon, love, I will show you all I’ve discovered,” his voice gives you chills while the white figure pulls off your pants and underwear. “But I must start with what you already know, mm?”

You nod and close your eyes, sighing heavily as two fingers tease your clit and slowly enter you. He curls them, pulsing them in and out, his thumb circling your nerves. He does it exactly like he used to, having memorized your body in such detail that he can unravel you through this other vessel. The touches are so like him, you almost forget he’s not really here with you.

You lose yourself to him like clockwork, humming as the machine’s hands crawl up to your face.

“Shall I show you what I see now, dear?”

His fingertips glow against your forehead, and you feel a shock through your system. You suddenly feel weightless, like your cognizance is no longer tied to a physical form. You see beautiful stars and nebula surrounding you, the city you came from now looking so small.

Then you see Viktor, ethereal with his hair aglow. His face is just as it used to be, his body free of worldly constraints. He takes your face in his hands again, something electric pulsing through them.

“You must understand, love,” he says. “This is my destiny. But I would hate to have to accomplish it alone.”

He caresses your form, every stroke and squeeze feeling like another orgasm. Whatever higher being or dimension your consciousness is in now, it’s too much for your physical body to process back home. It isn’t painful, per se, but it is incredibly overstimulating—eliciting more intimate sounds from your mouth.

Your fingers grasp onto his iridescent locks, screaming in ecstasy as Viktor continues to give you sensations you never thought possible. He makes love to you among the stars, your mind filling with the visions of an astral plane and glorious evolution beyond your comprehension. He wordlessly shares his dreams and desires with you and for you—a life of healing, immortality, and ascension. Stars burst around you, and your physical body has likely gone numb, with your current form not far behind.

“Viktor...it’s too much,” you cry out.

The sensations slow down, fading out of your body as you regain your ability to think again.

“This place does have quite the effect on the mind,” Viktor explains, pulling you close to him. “The longer you stay, the less overwhelming it becomes.”

“What is it doing to me?” you ask breathlessly, falling nearly limp in his arms.

“The feeble human psyche cannot grasp the transformation that must take place, and the body suffers from such extremes,” he kisses you softly, “If you are to join me, you must find me, and together we will complete the process.”

You stare into his heavenly eyes, your thumbs tracing his cheekbones, “How do I find you?”

“The Noxian has been keeping my physical body alive. You must go to her.”

“Viktor…” you exhale, his face leaning into your palm and kissing it. “I want to stay with you. I do. I just...all of this is so far beyond what I can understand…”

“I know, darling. I know,” he reassures you, running a hand over your hair, now golden just like his.

“Something just feels so wrong,” you admit. “I don’t want us to do things we’ll regret.”

He shakes his head, “Trust me, love. This is our destiny.”

Ignoring the shrieks of your conscience, you wrap your form around him, inhaling his lips desperately as you both plunge through layers of galaxies. Every nerve in your body is blaring with pleasure, chasing the high you had moments ago. It’s addictive—the sensations experienced as a cosmic power—and you realize now how Viktor could get so consumed by it. Your bodies aren’t limited to any constraints, intertwined and becoming one in every way. You feel him everywhere, his mind and matter melded with yours.

Indescribable pleasure washes over both of you in constant, unstopping waves. You feel his every thought, the need to speak quickly diminishing.

But you still yearn to hear his voice.

“Viktor?”

“Yes, darling?” his hands never leave you, again pulling you into his magnetic essence.

“I’m going to come find you.”

A smirk pulls at his lips, his voice going low.

“I look forward to it.”

[datvtranscripts]

Signs and Portents Deleted Dialogue

The End of the Beginning: Minrathous

Dialogue is sorted in scene order to the best of my ability.

Signs and Portents Masterpost

—

Varric: In his final fight with the elven gods, Solas imprisoned them and created a Veil that split our world from the raw magic of the Fade. But now he wanted to tear down that Veil and destroy the world… and some poor suckers had to stop him.

—

Bartender: Not that you’ll ever see it.

—

Civilian: Nice to see those Venatori cultists eat dirt for a change. Just watch your back. They own half the guards in this city.

Merchant: Don’t worry. Anyone asks, we didn’t see nothing. Merchant: Appreciate it. Merchant: Stay safe out there. The Venatori are out for blood tonight.

Dwarf: Get inside if you can! There are demons pouring from the sky!

Varric: I’ll have the Venatori wipe their feet next time.

—

Varric: Take the win and get home, ma’am.

—

Rook: Why are they still firing?

Varric: Run!

Varric: More of them?

—

(Amplifier) Looters will be subject to the full martial power of the Imperium!

(Amplifier) All citizens must stay in their homes. Anyone suspected of looting will be subject to martial authority.

(Amplifier) Remain in your homes. Imperial forces are containing the demons.

—

Varric: The Archon’s Palace. It floats over the city with a big cannon pointed down at its own people.

—

Rook: Let’s hope they’re done firing at us.

Varric: Who are they firing at now?

Harding: Hope they’re back to firing at demons instead of innocent people.

—

Harding: There! If you can bring down that crate, we can climb over.

—

Rook: See? That way would have been blocked without me clearing a path with those barrels.

Harding: I stand corrected.

—

Harding: There is where we need to go. Looks like the Venatori walled off the path.

Harding: This is where we need to go. Looks like the Venatori closed the gate.

Varric: Right. Let’s see if we can find some way through.

—

Rook: This way’s blocked. is there some other route?

Harding: Sure, if you want to be in the open for the Archon’s Palace to fire at.

—

Rook: Hang on. If I’m right about what’s in those barrels, this could be helpful.

Rook: Knew it!

Harding: That’s one way to clear a path.

—

Harding: I’m sure that will come in handy somehow.

—

Varric: Can’t get it from this side. Let’s see if we can find someplace with a better angle?

Varric: Just hit that big crystal in the middle to bring that barrier down.

Varric: There’s the crystal. Still can’t reach it, but I bet you can hit it from range.

Harding: There. The barrier’s down.

—

Venatori: Destroy the interlopers!

Venatori: Kill them, you fools!

Venatori: Death to all who oppose us!

—

Venatori: Just hit them!

Venatori: It’s three dwarves! How hard can it be?

Venatori: It’s two dwarves and lumbering Qunari! How hard can it be?

Venatori: It’s two dwarves and knife-ear! How hard can it be?

Venatori: Two of them are dwarves! How hard can it be?

—

Venatori: For Tevinter reborn!

Venatori: The glory of the Imperium runs in our veins!

Venatori: You will learn the power of the Venatori!

Venatori: Let their blood anoint a new Tevinter!

Venatori: We cannot falter! This is our destiny!

—

Venatori: Shadow Dragon Scum!

Venatori: Grey Warden fool!

Venatori: The Crows hold no power here!

Venatori: We do not fear your necromancy, Nevarran!

Venatori: We do not fear your magic!

—

Harding: There’s Dumat Plaza! Come on! Let’s get to Neve!

—

Harding: There! That’s Neve!

Varric: And lot of Venatori. Come on!

—

Neve: Nice of you to drop by!

Venatori: Strike down any who oppose us!

Venatori: Let nothing stop us!

Venatori: You’re the ones who destroyed our bar!

Venatori: The Venatori will rise again!

Venatori: You will pay for what you did!

—

Rook: How did the Dread Wolf handle the Venatori?

Neve: From what I saw? He turned them to stone.

Rook: Oh. Great. That’s a thing he can do?

Varric: Yep.

Rook: Right. Good.

—

Harding: The Venatori were everywhere before we got to you.

Neve: Of course they were. Lucky for us, they shouldn’t be a problem from here on. I put up a barrier because this district was full of demons. Any Venatori around will have plenty to worry about.

Harding: So will we.

Neve: Of the two, I’d take demons any day.

—

Harding: Why are there so many Venatori out here?

Neve: The Venatori feel powerful when people fear them. Demons running free in the streets the Venatori claim to control? That makes them look weak.

—

Neve: Not many people out. Avoiding the demons?

Varric: The Archon’s Palace is helpfully firing at anyone out in the streets.

Neve: Of course they are. Just like the Venatori. Can’t let the demons make them look weak.

—

Neve: Venatori. They must have tracked the magic to this building as well.

Harding: And then the demons found them.

—

Varric: So they were having a pissing match with chaos. Wonderful.

—

Varric: Couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch.

—

Harding: Watch out. Lots of demons between here and there.

—

Harding: Another barrier. It looks different from the last one.

Neve: Venatori sometimes augment their barriers with supporting crystals. Let’s look around. We need to destroy those crystals before we can take down the barrier.

—

Neve: That’s a Venatori barrier. We’ll find more of them inside.

—

Varric: They’ve got no idea what they’re walking into.

—

Neve: That barrier’s simple enough. Hit it right, and you’ll bring it down.

—

Neve: Good. The main barrier crystal should be vulnerable now.

—

Neve: Right. Now let’s see what the Venatori were trying to seal away.

Harding: Maybe they found Solas and tried to trap him.

—

Harding: Looks like the entrance is through here. We’ll need to break through.

[lulu2992]

I appreciate your time so much!! ♡

1.) Jacob wasn't married, but in your opinion, why do you think they kept the song only you and the music box in the game for him.

2.) The first time you meet the siblings, Individually Joseph isn't with faith and Jacob, but with john, he is do you think it's because be didn't trust him.

3.) Who was holly and Terry to john

4.)john mentioned a woman in they dlc that she gave him everything, but she made him angry. Did he kill her or just physically hurt her?

No problem :D

Question 1:

We indeed know from the lead writer that, before that idea was eventually scrapped, Jacob’s backstory was different: he had a wife and “Only You” was the song they danced to at their wedding. So why did they keep the song even though it seems it doesn’t mean anything special to him anymore?

Maybe it was too late or too inconvenient for the devs to pick a new one, or everyone still liked it, or there’s something very dark and ironic about turning people into mind-controlled killing machines using a love song, or they decided the lyrics didn’t really have to matter anymore, or maybe because, as Jacob suggests after Eli’s sacrifice, “only” the Deputy could have done it.

They are the chosen one in Joseph’s prophecy, so maybe they were also the person Jacob was waiting for all along and the song was always for them. He apparently believed his destiny was to die for Joseph and the Project so, in a way and as the lyrics say, only the Deputy could “make all this world seem right”, “the darkness bright”, and were his “destiny”.

As for the music box, it’s simply a conditioning tool, and it plays “Only You” because it’s still the song Jacob uses as an auditory conditioned stimulus, I guess.

Question 2:

Good question! You’re probably right because we also know Joseph personally contacted John to basically tell him to calm down and there’s no evidence of him doing the same for the other Heralds. An NPC also says she heard that, unlike Faith, John “never had the Father's full confidence” and, while she’s not a cultist and it seems to be a rumor, this is fiction and the line exists for a reason. That, plus the fact Joseph says the abuse his younger brother faced as a child turned him into “a monster”, “not perfect” and sometimes “not even good”, may explain why he came to the baptism. Judging from John’s reaction, it was a surprise inspection and he didn’t expect his brother to show up!

Deleted dialog also suggested Joseph may have come to this specific Cleansing because the Deputy was there, but I can see him wanting to keep an eye on John to make sure he doesn’t hurt people more than necessary too. By the way, it makes me sad he arrived precisely when John, who was apparently doing pretty good before seeing the Deputy, lost it for just a few seconds...

On a side note, I like to imagine that, canonically, since Jacob represents the Horseman of the Apocalypse riding the Red Horse of War from the Book of Revelation, which inspired Joseph’s prophecy, he was supposed to be the second seal to be broken and therefore the first Herald to die. That could not only explain why John is so angry upon seeing the Deputy and wants to hurt them, but also why Jacob is not angry at all the first time we meet him. I know he’s not as emotional as John, but if the Baptist is already dead at this point, I find Jacob oddly calm for someone who’s just lost the little brother he “always tried to look out for”, says an NPC who then adds, “Imagine what [Jacob]'s gonna do when he finds out you killed him.”

Question 3:

Who was Holly to John? In the novel Far Cry Absolution, someone he had a casual sexual relationship with. In the game, though? Nobody, it seems.

In Far Cry 5, we learn thanks to an NPC and even in the unused encyclopedia that there is (or was) someone named Holly in Hope County who joined the cult, but she lived in the Henbane River region when, in the novel, she was Will Boyd’s neighbor, implying she lived in the Holland Valley. Also, in-game Holly had a girlfriend named Charlie who is never mentioned in the book (she had an abusive husband instead).

Sure, you can find a note at the Pepper Residence that she supposedly wrote and in which a husband is mentioned, but I think it’s inconsistent with the rest of the information the game gives about her. It feels like they wanted to make it look like she was the same Holly as in Absolution... but I don’t think it works very well. Plus, we know Eden’s Gate forbade fornication (sex between unmarried people) so it feels very out of character for cultists to do that and openly admit it, especially John who is obsessed with sin and always seeking Joseph’s approval.

Who was Terry to John? Most likely another cultist, but I don’t know more. The only time he’s mentioned is in the note “Your Question”, which John wrote as a reply to him, but there is no information about Terry or what his question was. Did John even know him personally or did he call him by name simply because Terry’s note was signed?

I wish we knew more and I really want to know what he asked, but yeah, all we can conclude is that he was a cult member. I like to imagine he may be the “T.J.” who wrote this note (in John’s Gate), though:

LOST KEY Has anyone seen the weapons locker key? I spent the whole day caring for the new arrivals and lost it somewhere. Last thing I want is for John to find out. If one of you is playing tricks on me, cut it out! T.J.

It’s also very possible they’re two different people; I’m just “headcanoning” here!

Question 4:

What happened to the woman in the DLC is unclear but, since all John does in Collapse is cut people because of those “urges” he can’t control, we can assume that’s what he did to her. Did she survive? They don’t say it, but the fact they made John say, “They’re going to find out what I did to her” makes me think she can’t talk about that herself anymore and is probably dead...

I’m going to talk more about John’s characterization in Collapse and more specifically about how it influenced people’s perception of him and his actions in my reply to your other ask.

[rainbowolfe]

[Originally Written 9/25/2023]

[Present Day Note: Why the FUCK didn't I post this? Not only was it mostly done BUT I WAS RIGHT IN THE FIRST HALF?]

Not to be a Narinder apologist, but for all his supervillain-esque "I'm gonna rule the world" and claims of having a "cold, unbeating heart", I think he really was the one that was betrayed lmao. The true victim after all. Just on a destructive rampage.

He's just. Too upset about it for this to be a manipulative front. I am 99% sure this isn't supposed to be a glow effect. Unless he's got spring allergies, this man has been ugly-crying for a millennia.

He's so sad that the tears manifest in his transformation. That's some deeply-rooted sadness!

So when Shamura asks Lamb about betrayal and then summons a follower to fight them, what that's supposed to mean is that Shamura attacked Narinder. And the greater implication would be that they did it because they were dissenting.

"Dissenting" is presented as someone believing they've seen through some kind of illusion and are now enlightened with the truth. But the thing is, they're wrong. What Dissenters believe is that their doubts were right and their fears have become reality.

Which, ya know, they are the ones with hearts *squints* cast in vile, impermeable, unrelenting terror.

"And in my imprudence I loved him."

It could very well be that "in my imprudence" is Shamura's flowery way of saying "while I was dissenting". Meaning they feel that their love for Narinder is not only foolish, but born from their heretecism. In their mind, the two options can't coexist. They can love Narinder, or they can serve the Old Faith. And their attempt to combine those two things (have their cake and eat it too) ended in disaster.

And it's fascinating that, because Shamura's skull was damaged, they seem to be fading between their Dissenting and Not-Dissenting states of mind. Dissenter Shamura, who sent Narinder kits in the void so he wouldn't be lonely. Who feels guilty for what they've done. Faithful Shamura, who locked Narinder up in the first place. Who participated in killing all lambs so he wouldn't ever be freed.

The God of Knowledge vs the God of War. Cultist Shamura vs Heretic Shamura. Blessed Shamura vs Damned Shamura.

Bearers of the Red Crown have been troublemakers for multiple millennia, so that means there's already a seed planted that one day Narinder may succumb to the crown and betray them all. So if he starts asking questions that make others uncomfortable or even doubt their faith, it would not be difficult for someone to poison the well.

Then there's the second time Shamura summons your followers. It could be foreshadowing for Aym and Baal, but that would mean that Shamura expects Lamb to try to usurp the crown. Which is entirely possible, but would be an odd decision for someone who has seemingly accepted their fate and subsequent punishment. And in a world where sheep/lambs are expected to amount to nothing more than sacrifices. I have two ideas:

A) This is a parallel to how Shamura and Narinder's relationship formed. A "bond forged by the spilling of blood" is what Shamura says. The two of them fought against their 'leader', potentially a Red Crown user, in a bid to change one or both of their destinies. One of them (most likely Shamura based on that moon on their crown) was slated to be sacrificed.

B) This a parallel to how Shamura and Heket ganked Narinder and sent him to the realm beyond. As at this point, they would both be dissenting against the Red Crown. But instead of abandoning it, they sought to banish it.

[veilkeeper]

Zevlor: We were ambushed by cultists, yes. And then I heard... Her. Their false god, whispering promises in my mind. I would be a paladin again - with a god's purpose, a god's power. Everything I needed to protect my people. And all the while, the cult tortured them. They fought, and ran, and died around me, while I imagined myself their saviour. By the time I regained my senses, it was too late. I did not just surrender to the Absolute. For a moment, I welcomed it.

the way this game, especially this act, addresses divinity and the desire for... purpose and a sense of destiny. zevlor submitting to something he knows is wrong because he thought it might give him the power to be a saviour, shadowheart's whole arc, ketheric's god-hopping and desperate bid to save his daughter. in a world where gods are literal, real beings, where they can talk to you and direct you, why wouldn't you try to reach for them? and just how much would you be willing to give for their favour?

[dailyadventureprompts]

Do you have any ideas/tips/tricks on running a campaign with (former?) bandit-likes as the protagonists? Inspired by your deep dive on the archetype, kinda had ideas of 'main prophecied adventurers are slain by the party, have to take over for the prophecy so as the world wont explode', but if you have alternate ideas or ways to spruce it up, super open.

Adventure: Where the Low Road Leads

Through unworthy means the sword has come to you, and with it you grip a destiny that some part of you knows is too glorious for your dirty hands. You can't help but think perhaps this is your chance to be remembered for anything other than an ignoble end.

The Sword can come into possession of the party in any number of ways:

As the original asker suggested, it would be a great opening for an evil or dark-grey aligned party to pull it from the bodies of a group of adventures or bountyhunters who were hired to stamp them out. If I were running this as the start of a campaign I'd have the story pick up shortly after the fight and subsequent looting has taken place, to ensure your anti-heroes are set on the right course.

Alternatively the sword could very easily be found in a treasure horde, picked off a corpse lost in a the wilderness, or bestowed upon them by some wellmeaning patron.

All that matters is that the sword finds them, and then shortly after that the dreams start: Pitched battle in darkened corridors, a few valiant warriors standing against an onslaught of robed figures and formless horrors, warriors bearing the same amber and knot design that decorates the hilt of the sword's crossguard. The last echoes of a desperate struggle.

After one or two of these visions a strange messenger arrives: Jott, a boisterous homunculus delivering a greeting and a communication stone from his master Telbhar the Wizard. Mostly bound to his far off tower these days, Telbhar is relieved beyond measure that he managed to tack down whoever was in possession of the sword, as it is the keystone in a great undertaking he has been involved in since his youth.

As Telbhar explains, back when he was but an apprentice he and his teacher served a now extinct group known as the Order Fulgoric, who battled many evils in their day but perished preventing an incursion from an unknown otherworldly entity. The blade, Sequester, was crafted to shut out that entity forever, but it was lost in the final rout against the entity's cultists and though the ritual of its summoning was disrupted, the entity ended up half in, half out of our reality, bleeding out its corruption into the world.

Challenges & Complications:

As you may have guessed, Telbhar is not being completely forward with the truth. He was in fact one of the cultists trying to summon the otherworldly entity on the day the Fulgoric order made their final march, and though he fled while his fellow acolytes were being slaughtered he retained enough of their knowledge to reconstruct the ritual many years later. It didn't matter, the Order had succeeded in trapping the entity between worlds and the only way to un-trap it was lost with the sword. Telbhar spent decades searching for it... only for it to resurface in the party's possession. Now he either needs to convince them to bring it to him, or find a means of picking it off their corpses.

The entity the cultists were attempting to summon was a powerful quori dreamspirit known as Uaxt, which was spoken of by ancient sources as a thing capable of granting wishes. Called "Yearning beyond reach" by those that studied it in the past, the entity's true power was in mass delusion, creating waking dreams that would seep across entire kingdoms like a plague. While its body remains entwined through the depths of the dungeon, flash fossilized by the energies of botched planear travel, its mind is imprisoned in the blade, slowly taking root in the party's minds as it uses their dreams to reconstitute itself.

Consider introducing Telbhar when the party is in a deep bind, most in need of wizardly council. It should not be directly related to the sword, alternatively, if your party ends up wanting to seek out a lorekeeper of some kind you may consider introducing Telbhar first and have him ask them to seek the sword in return for helping them with their current woes.

[savyir-genesizz-the-wizard]

All Cogito-4 fics chronologically

Will be updated. If a fic isn't here it means that it's not canon anymore sorry

Pre-D1

Destiny 1 Report from the bottom of the canyon [X] Report from secret Operation Powerplant [X] Report from the Last City [X]

Destiny 2 Report from the crashed ship [X] 9 sayings of the Nessus scouts in A5341 sector [X]

Post Beyond Light Report from an unimportant rock [X] Report from a rock marked with yellow paint [X] And I killed Cayde-6 (old but still somewhat canon) [X] Lost and found [X]

Post Final Shape A house and a clothing line [X] Fragmented, Vex [X] Together (Wawrzyn's report) [X] Rebirth (Report from Savathûn's Court) [X] Ensnare (Of course I did) [X] Divine [X] Fireteam Colide plays a board game [X]

Full timeline, abriged:

BrayTech scientist (chemist)

pirate on an Eliksnii pirate ship after 4th reset

Killed while defending the crew from a ambush

Risen during the Great Hunt (1st of July)

Student of a Warlock named Štefan Ryba

Leaves the City for missions after the Battle of The Burning Lake (after Ryba goes missing)

Takes part in The Great Disaster (he's greatly affected by it (terribly scared of Hive) but doesn't let anyone know)

Doesn't oppose Osiris but doesn't align himself with the Cultists

Leaves the City more often after Osiris'es exhile (to avoid the tensions between fractions)

Takes part in The Battle of the Twilight Gap (as defending the ammunition suply chain)

Works on planets and other objects distant from Earth as a reasercher (notably the Asteroid Belt)

Recieves a vision from Traveler and finds his mentor's light artifacts

When the Red War starts he returns to Earth but doesn't take part in the final battle (stays at the Farm)

Confronts rumors of his mentor being Taken but doesn't find them in the Ascendand Realm nor the Reef

Investigates Nessus and the Vex for the first time

Fights on the Leviathan

Establishes a permament camp on Nessus

Confronts the nightmare of his mentor

Assigned Warlock Vanguard Deputy by Ikora Rey

Gets involved with Misraaks'es Splicers (works with them during and after SotSplicer)

Investigates alternative timelines and learns how to manipulate Vex structures

Leaves Nessus after the Echoes Incident

[narwhalandchill]

also mistake not my silence on the summer event story now that its all out for not paying attention bc. well firstly not going to be the subject of this post but seriously just the . Overall implications of the whole thing when it comes to teyvat and genshin as a whole? wild stuff like are they rly out there revealing the entire cosmology now 😭 (tho i kinda have. Mixed thoughts as well)

anyway secondly and most importantly because of course i have priorities (its ajax we all know) . soooo simulanka and names eh?

HUH!

well not that i was any doubter to begin with in that it like. meant something when hit game jenshin impact featuring guy already foreshadowed and being set up for some real curious world-overturning and celestia torching business etc etc etc coincidentally named. ajax. among other things. that the same game happening to Also begin introducing this whole other ajax/aias as an actual historical figure featured within the games lore and legends. would very much be just a massive fucking thing we Should be taking very seriously in terms of his future development but like thanks very much for confirming it too uwu

anyway let us look at my favorite french cultist scribbled note for no particular reason once more just to celebrate the occasion

i mean what can i say man . truly the endgame relevance long term allegations continue undodged 😤😤

anyway whats kinda funny to me is the way a lot of ppls reaction to this name confirmation seems to be like. omg ajax is in trouble now bc irl mythology ajax died and ajax/aias of genshin also seems to have possibly had a shit fate by the end im so worried omg . when like. literally the second part to this whole "name = inheriting destiny" thing we see in simulanka is that . with the right circumstances . the one that inherits the name and destiny is not necessarily doomed to that exact same outcome as the original . like we all did see how we saved simulanka durin right?? and how the existence of mini durin may now open up the possibility of teyvats durin to receive a different outcome to his tale???? right??

like why do ppl have so little faith in childe im 😭 like if you ask me hes Already giving indication of defying his fate in a multitude of ways (vision malfunction being a big one) so personally i simply think we need to let him do his thing and see where he goes with it . i have faith in him like if Anyones abt to subvert the fate hes been set up with be it due to his name or any other reason . its gonna be him lmao

like. its not even new stuff kwdwdjkdwjk

either way tho . even if this fucker straight up "dies" or goes MIA im not even that worried bc. ppl worrying about this "tragic fate" his namesake seems to be conferring to him by default with simulankas explicit confirmation of a names meaning . and its just are we straight up missing the fact that this historical ajax/aias is Literally connected to that rent free narzissenkreuz note that EXPLICITLY aligns this "tragedy" with the theme of REBIRTH. and becoming a descender straight up .

like maybe its just me but this Really isnt giving "omg childe is going to die due to mirroring the fate of ajax" its giving "childe is Literally being set up to become sth descender equivalent one way or another AND theyre doubling down on it now" im sorry 😭

like. even the implications of phrases like. "forsaking the self" to be reborn in the abyss just reminds me of this. weird panic people have around childes vision malfunction as if its like. vision is GOOD ambition and his GOOD ending and his GOOD characteristics and it malfunctioning means BAD EVIL SIN ambition and WRONG characteristics is taking over!!!!!!!11! hes being torn into two different directions and the abyss is bad and vision (=celestia) is good!!!!!1

and its like. say we even buy that (but like dang what a sustainer sponsored take to have in a. gnostic inspired lore environment JWSJKJKSF) . that his. "correct" and "healthy" destiny as vision wielder (that Every single recipient of a "gods EYE" gets like forcibly and irrevocably bound to by design and surely this isnt problematic at all) . is a part of that "self" that is being forsaken and twisted as his destiny pushes against celestias control and his connection to said vision falters . lets say we assume that is a "bad" thing for his "intended" path and destiny somehow .

(which YES it prolly is. but only within the bounds of a world order set up by the heavenly principles!!! of COURSE the HP would force people into destinies and paths that Only serve the continuity of its rule!!! and doesnt shake up the system!! like yes a vision likely represents and assigns to people a "Good" ambition but thats not from the recipients POV thats from celestias POV and at this point its just. fellas. we are not supposed to buy into that at face value lmao)

which like. again. i v much dont buy anyway i think every single time genshin calls something sin or forbidden it should be assessed v critically.

but even with that assumption we can still see how this very note is already implicating that "forsaking the self" is Literally a prerequisite . in this grand destiny featuring ajax/aias . for reaching True rebirth as a holy infant and a descender and all that . for defying the shackles of the heavens . for gaining a will that rivals the world . right???

+ also if like. forsaking the self being mayhaps and perchance more of a GOOD thing in a world with preordained and unyielding destiny set up by false divinity wasnt already established enough

welp thank you rene narzissenkreuz.

oh "excising the self" you say?? that sure sounds a bit like "forsaking the self" doesnt it ??? how curious that it would be considered less of a "death" and more of a "rebirth" indeed . and that a vision to a cultist very invested in the methods available to Defy a prophecy and fate is very much a bad thing to receive . like what a coincidence that we would have a note like this as an established character already tied to a note you wrote about acquiring a descenders will is experiencing vision compatibility issues its very funny indeed.

so like ig what im trying to say is just idk for me personally if ajax is out there forsaking his self by any metric im just gonna be cheering him on <3

but yeah jkqjkwdjkwdjkwd dont mind me im just kinda rent free with how its now just even more confirmed by hoyo that this insane ajax/aias note stuff is Not meant to be coincidental At All (even tho its very funny ppl doubted the signifance to begin with at all). but also i just dont get the panicking abt it being some bad thing lmao like this is just genuinely hype as fuck for him 😭😭😭

[illumiera]

Fic Rec Fredas: Week 1-10 Wrap-Up

it's been ten whole weeks since I started up Fic Rec Fredas (with the occasional belated Fic Rec Loredas sprinkled in between), and to celebrate, I thought I'd make a wrap-up post to highlight not just all the fics I've recced so far, but all those that have been sent in to my askbox, too!

without further ado, I suggest you check out the following:

my recs:

#1: mint roots into my heart by pelinalblancserpent (2.9k words, oneshot, Revyn Sadri/LDB)

Revyn never thought that he would care for the savior of Tamriel, but flames always burned brighter than one wanted.

#2: Mirrors Within Dreams by ladydov (57.4k words, ongoing multichapter, Miraak/LDB)

The Last Dragonborn is a Skyrim-raised, two-centuries old Altmer, named Byrdie. She is one who has lived in relative solitude, throughout the wilds of Tamriel, for the majority of her life. She is reserved and humble, though her character has been nothing but questioned since reentering the cold, frigid land of the North Kingdom. Much has changed in the 180 years since she last walked its snow. A year has passed since the discovery of her soul's true nature, and, as expected, she has earned a controversial reputation across the war-torn land of Skyrim. Some see her as the land's savior; others, as its destruction. If you ask Byrdie, she, through sheer virtue, only tries to do what is best for all, for both Skyrim and for the rest of Tamriel; all the while, a group of her estranged-kin threaten all life on Nirn as the people know it. However, now, by a whirlwind chain of events, she finds herself thrown away from the world; she has become shipwrecked, on the remote island of Solstheim, being forced to deal with another ancient evil that gnaws at the very roots of its foundation. Does she have enough time to save this land from this imprisoned dragon? Meanwhile, a ravenous shadow continues to soar over Keizaal.

#3: The Priest and the Dragoness by Lady_of_Fire (155.3k words, ongoing multichapter, Miraak/LDB)

Jia is the Last Dragonborn: the heroine of a legendary destiny complete, a fire-breathing dragoness trapped in a mortal body. Miraak is the First Dragonborn: a Traitor undefined, a frost-breathing dragon trapped in Oblivion, of the same destiny forsaken. But was it ever truly forsaken? What does the First mean for the Last? What will they both mean to Skyrim, divided, kingless, and bleeding as it is now?

#4: EVER-BOUND: FIRST AND LAST AND ALWAYS by aethergardener (10.3k words, completed series, Miraak/LDB)

Powered by spite and destiny both, the Last Dragonborn breathes life into the bones of the First, unaware of the consequences.

#5: I'm Still Here by etcetera_nine (154.9k words, ongoing multichapter, Argis the Bulwark/LDB)

When Argis is made housecarl to the new thane of Markarth, what he expects is a boring life, trailing after a spoiled, disdainful nobleman. What he wants is a brave warrior, a friend he can fight alongside. What he gets, though... is one surprise after another.

#6: The Sprouts of Future by PinesCiderr (4.6k words, oneshot, gen)

Spring is coming to the Reach, beautiful and scary, like the future. What will it be like? Hevnoraak can tell fortunes on grass, blood, and bones, but all he knows for sure is that he must die for the tribe to live. For the sake of his own life, he is ready to go down to the valleys for the first time, to the nords and their dragon bastards. The story of young Hevnoraak, before he became Hevnoraak. A lot about the Reachmen, religion, and love.

#7: Wherever you go, there you are by the_drunken_sailoress (87.1k words, ongoing multichapter, Miraak/LDB)

Ravonna's life was turned upside down several times: when her father was murdered, when she absorbed her first dragon soul, and when cultists tried to kill her, calling her a "false Dragonborn". Little does she know that her life will be turned upside down many more times, especially once upon an epic battle, when the mask of the First Dragonborn falls and she sees nothing but kindness and gentleness.

#8: The Gallows and God's Whisper by Kiir_do_faal_Rahhe (10.4K words, ongoing multichapter, Miraak/LDB)

Alduin has awoken, and the Last Dragonborn is nowhere to be found. After nearly a year of dragon attacks and Skyrim’s citizens fearing for the days to come, there are whispers of rumours that a mysterious Dragonborn has emerged on Solstheim through cultists stirring trouble in his name. One lone adventurer with troubling visions and nothing to lose sets out to learn more and perhaps force him to defeat the World-Eater, only things don’t go as planned when the first dragon is killed…

#9: Epistle and Elegy on the Guardian and the Traitor by BodyLathe (12.1k words, ongoing multichapter, Miraak/Vahlok)

"What a fool you've made of me. To allow your hands to take my love and life; could you not grant me one such intimacy?" Apostled as savior, crowned as Solstheim's Dragon Cardinal, and burdened with the title "Vahlok the Jailor", Vahlok has spent nearly seventy years suffering the weight of the myth of the Guardian and the Traitor. Unable to reconcile his grief, he composes a memoir of his years with Miraak, back when they were still Mika and Loukas, in hopes it somehow reaches him in Apocrypha.

#10: Magelight by jjgremlinson (16.3k words, ongoing multichapter, Original Male Character/Original Female Character; Savos Aren/Original Male Character[s])

In 4E 121, a young, bright-eyed mage named Finnegil travels from Valenwood to enroll in the College of Winterhold, an institution known throughout Tamriel for its excellence in the arcane arts. Finnegil is eager at first to delve into her studies and learn everything there is to know about becoming a master wizard. But when she and a group of fellow apprentices design an experiment that has deadly consequences, her world is forever changed, and the path ahead grows darker. This is the story of Winterhold’s fall from grace and the people left to pick up the pieces.

your recs:

A Taste of Death by Semla (22.6k words, ongoing multichapter, Mannimarco/Original Female Character)

What was supposed to be a chance at a new life for Ria slowly turns into one of her worst nightmares. Trapped in a dilapidated fort with a group of mercenaries, only her brother Rith is left to stand by her side. But the group's dubious patron has his own sinister plans, and they involve Ria.

I Didn't Know You Were Keeping Count by A_Midwinter_Night_Dream86 (129k words, ongoing multichapter, one-sided Bishop/LDB; eventual Ulfric Stormcloak/LDB)

Leara Ormand, the Last Dragonborn, is trying to fulfill her destiny and stop Alduin while battling with her own feelings of self-doubt and anxiety. In walks Bishop, the ranger from the Skyrim Romance Mod, whose obsession infatuation only serves to make Leara worse. Along the way, she reencounters Ulfric Stormcloak, who she knew during the Great War — she prays he doesn’t remember her. Add in the Thalmor hunting her and Leara’s got a full plate. Naturally, there’s always a way to make it worse!