#don't murder me @ ELFs

[grapetriip]

anyone up for bg3 aftg au w dark urge neil

[eldergremlin]

making new bg3 files for all my dnd pcs and i don't know why astarion has decided to NOT SHUT UP EVER around mariya. sir! you're on the thinnest ice!

better hope she doesn't clock you because the girl has vampire trauma and WILL kill you.

if i can avoid the forbidden midnight snack camp scene, i have a feeling the vibes are going to be very much this:

[arrenkae]

Fucking Astarion I swear to god

[thasdorah]

the thing with elves is i think all of them care more about their little elf groups than factions or whatever

[hikarinokusari]

Your revenge made my day ;w; ♥

Here’s moooost likely the last of my revenges for this year! Edmund for @venisonhare and Rahadin for @hnk-art 🥀☀️🗡️

[dontmixpaintinyourcoffee]

I don't know how to explain how much these two mean to me. They are the non-biological-not-raised-together siblings of all time. They are so ride or die. One time a man threatened Riz and Fig got that guy to jump out a window. One time Fig pretended to be a doctor and Riz helped her successfully do magic surgery without ever coming out of hiding. They both decided together to never ever tell Gorgug that Fig did the sealing spell without ever saying a word to each other about it. Fig joins Riz and Sklonda on their murder investigation road trip. Riz ate dinner all the time with Fig and her elf dad. They comfortably hang out in hell with a sentient blood blob and a motorcycle that's secretly a dog. He's her legal counsel. She encourages him to hiss at people more. They trust each other with their lives. They are celestial and infernal, connected to the outer planes by their relationships to their fathers and then making that connection their own. Their parents are dating but honestly that's the least relevant detail in all of this. Do you see the vision

[astronicht]

Incomplete list of stuff that made me go apeshit reading Fellowship for the first time, medievalist edition (part II)

Part I here. Disclaimer: this is for fun!

Love that people keep stressing that they are going to the ELVES for COUNCIL. Old English names, especially among the rulers of Wessex, Northumbria, Mercia, etc, were often Elf Theme Names, one of the most famous and enduring of which is Alfred. Written the old way, Ælfræd or Ælfred (as in Alfred the Great), means Elf-Council, aka "counseled by elves". In their hearts... everyone wants to be Alfred... possibly this is only funny 2 me.

Tom Bombadil doing a training montage in the fucking magic system of Middle Earth?? He teaches Frodo to recite a poem that will summon him, Tom Bombadil, in times of need! Frodo gets kidnapped by undead wights in a barrow (like many a good young person in an Old Norse saga before him) and dutifully recites this magic poem. Frodo learned Recite Magic Poem! TOM BOMBADIL SMASHES THRU THE WALL OF THE BARROW LIKE THE KOOL-ADE MAN AND RECITES A BIGGER, STRONGER POEM??

At this point I gave up on trying to be normal about anything. As such, I'm pausing on Tom Bombadil again.

It helped (?? not psychologically) that Tom Bombadil recited something that felt a bit familiar, when he banished the wights. It's not anything like a direct translation, if indeed it bears any purposeful resemblance to the actual recorded medieval galdor called Against a Wen. Regardless, Against a Wen is an okay?? example of what a spoken word magic poem would look like, and why it's similar to what Tom Bombadil (and later Gandalf and others) do. Left screenshot is Bombadil against a barrow-wight. Right is Against a Wen, in English translation. (a wen was possibly a skin ailment, like a mole or a cancer). Banishing to/beyond the hills and shrivelling are the apparent themes. You don't have to follow me on this one, much less agree. Frankly this is the point I went off the deep end, probably.

Galdor can also protect! This just happens to be a banishment.

Gollum got exiled (the worst thing the early medieval and apparently proto-hobbit law could do to you) but not even for murder. No one found out about the murder. He just sucked.

ALSO Gollum lied and said that his matriarch (who exiled him) gave him the Ring. This implies it was plausible she'd give out rings, implying female ring-giver (standard role of a king). This is mentioned once and never again. ok!!

One last fun fact about galdor: it is the word at the end of "nightingale" isn't that lovely? Luthien's name in-universe means nightingale. This is fine!

I spent a lot of time researching Aragorn's favorite rock. I love these books. If I recall correctly it's a real rock! but possibly. just a cool rock.

[felassan]

DA:TV spoilers under cut.

The Felassan Files (DA:TV-specific post)

Post will be updated if/when needed as I go. This post is a WIP. :)

Please let me know if you have found a codex entry or note etc that I have missed in this post.

DATAMINING

“GENERAL FELASSAN AGE RANGE: 40 CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: The second in command of a resistance army. You’ve an elf who’s fought against the tyranny of your gods, cruel despots who’ve enslaved your people. You’re practical, level-headed, and have good sense for what other people are feeling, which makes you well-suited for your role. Your leader is an elf called Solas, a powerful mage who isn’t quite the people person you are. You respect him, and are there to help him with whatever he needs - especially when he needs guidance about being the face of a resistance.”

“BETRAYAL OF FELASSAN CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: A powerful undead born from Solas’s regrets and betrayals (in this case, Solas’s murder of his friend Felassan by stabbing him in the back).”

[original source, original post]

Betrayal of Felassan is an undead - a revenant - embodying one of Solas' greatest regrets, his murder of his friend.

CODEX ENTRIES

Codex Entry: Introduction to the Lighthouse

"Introduction to the Lighthouse Once, the Lighthouse was a place of learning, with tools to study the secret workings of great magic. When Solas rebelled against those who call themselves our gods, the Lighthouse became his center of operations, with tools to study the best ways to free ourselves from the tyranny of the Evanuris. You are safe here, both those of flesh and those of Fade. Any who wish to help are welcome. The magic of the Lighthouse will provide for your needs, see to your comfort, and even help you understand different tongues, for those who escaped here from distant parts of the empire. Should you have any other needs, ask for the Slow Arrow, and I will help. --Felassan"

Codex Entry: The Dread Wolf's Eluvian

"The Dread Wolf's Eluvian Most of us have only traveled through the eluvians at the whims of those who called themselves our gods. We know them as mirrors that always go from one to another, a bonded pair linked no matter the distance. Solas has outsmarted the so-called gods. If we used normal eluvians, they could track us to our lair. Solas has improved upon June's work by creating a mirror whose singing stone can change its tune to take us to any eluvian and not just its bonded partner. Thus, we can travel wherever this rebellion needs us, with no fear of pursuit. Travel is as safe as a normal eluvian. If you have questions, ask for the Slow Arrow, and I will guide you. --Felassan"

Codex Entry: About the Freed Slaves

"About the Freed Slaves We got word from the warding sites. Many dead, far more than the casualties we inflicted. The story being spread is that we killed everyone. Andruil's servants made examples of a few and claimed the Dread Wolf is trying to weaken Arlathan by attacking servants and destroying the wards. It's hard to tell what people really believe now. I know you're likely berating yourself reading this. Just remember the faces of the people we saved. We can't control what the Evanuris do. And yes, we have to keep playing up the Dread Wolf. The people need someone they believe is strong enough to protect them, or they'll never join us. Don't worry. I promise to mock you viciously if you ever start believing those stories yourself. --Felassan"

Codex entry: Aftermath of Disparaging the Gods

[codex entry is from game files]

"Aftermath of Disparaging the Gods You were right. The Evanuris did not like the insinuation that they need protection. The good news is that public sentiment has turned against the lyrium knights, and our agents got information that let us destroy one of the sarcophagi. The bad news is that Andruil and Ghilan'nain made a big show of putting down a protest in the east personally instead of sending the knights. Andruil left a crater where the town stood, and Ghilan'nain is using the people taken prisoner as fodder for her experiments. This isn't your fault, but still, this is exactly what I was worried about. It's not enough to be right about these things. We have to think about the consequences. --Felassan"

Codex Entry: Felassan's Concerns about the Dagger

[codex entry is from game files]

"Felassan's Concerns about the Dagger I'm keeping calm in front of the new recruits, but you've been dodging me for weeks now. We need to talk about the lyrium dagger. Yes, it's powerful. So is an erupting volcano, and nobody would try to harness that for power. (Well, maybe Andruil, but do you really want to be compared to Andruil?) We need to stop the Evanuris, but I'd rather we didn't destroy the world in the process. If you're certain you can control its power, tell me that. In those words. No equivocating. Also, you and I both know what this dagger means to you. I don't cast my best spells when my spirit is unbalanced. Do you? (That's a real question. Maybe you do!) I'm with you no matter what. --Felassan"

NOTES

Note: Mirrors Upon Mirrors

"MIRRORS UPON MIRRORS This place is amazing. June's normal eluvians function with twinned lyrium fragments. One always leads to another. Solas somehow talked the Crossroads into making Fade-eluvians that override them. His own network to run our rebellion. Provided you ignore all the old stories about holding mirrors up to mirrors and getting caught in the infinite reflections. - Felassan"

Note: An Unknown Artifact

"AN UNKNOWN ARTIFACT What are the Crossroads doing? “The spirits of the Crossroads do as they must, Felassan. As do we all.” Thank you, Solas. That's incredibly useful. Really helps your old friend pull together a rebellion against the Evanuris. - Felassan"

Note: The Blighted Tree

"THE BLIGHTED TREE This is a holy place. The tree draws strength from the earth, just as the first elves did. Some younger elves grow trees in the cities to honor their ancestors. Roots have a tendency to dig down and gnarl up, then twist around things they aren't supposed to, though. Hoping that metaphor doesn't stick. - Felassan"

Note: The Cathedral of Roots

"THE CATHEDRAL OF ROOTS When we first started, this was a safe place for spirits who joined our cause to find peace from the stress of battle. Now... I don't know. Not a lot of spirits use it any longer. Have they grown stronger, or has the fight against the Evanuris made demons of us all? - Felassan"

Note: A Refuge for Mythal

"A REFUGE FOR MYTHAL Solas always thought Mythal would join us eventually, that she was better than the rest of the Evanuris. He made this place so she'd be comfortable here once she joined the rebellion. Now it's too late. Solas has sealed this place off out of grief. He won't let me in. I'm sorry, my friend. There was something left for the war to take from you after all. - Felassan"

Note: Calm Before The Storm

"CALM BEFORE THE STORM I come here sometimes when I need to be myself. Not Solas's friend Felassan. Not the Slow Arrow of the rebellion. Just me. He hasn't been right since what happened with Mythal. He's planning something with the dagger. And if it were a good idea, he'd have told me. Damn it, Solas. I'm with you as long as we're protecting the innocent from the powerful, but you make it hard sometimes. - Felasan"

Note: The Empty Forest

"THE EMPTY FOREST This place used to be full of spirits who flocked to Solas's cause. When his ritual went wrong - when everything went wrong - he vanished, and the spirits stopped coming. Where are you, my friend? You stopped the Evanuris, but broke the world. Please tell me you didn't leave me to fix all this alone. - Felassan"

Note: Faded Note

[this note is not explicitly signed as being by Felassan, but it seems likely to me]

"FADED NOTE Look at this place. We planned a rebellion here once. Said we'd change the future of the elves, throw off tyrants, and we did. Now the path outside is fractured. It'll be hard rekindling all the eluvians. Solas, if you see this: I'll be looking for you, out in this world and in the mortal one. Don't cause too much trouble before I get there."

FELASSAN'S RUNE

"FELASSAN'S RUNE The power of Felassan's Rune is based on how much of the gods' influence you drove back in the Crossroads. Equip Felassan's Rune at the Character screen, and use [buttons] to activate it. This rune can only be used against Elgar'nan."

Close-up of the image of the rune from the pop-up above:

The rune comes in three different strengths, each with a differing design. The design increases in complexity as the rune's strength does. Image of the Ultimate version of the rune, called "The Ultimate Salvation of Felassan":

The design of the carvings of the Felassan runes btw are shaped like arrow-heads, very fitting for the Slow Arrow... :)

I think the two weaker versions of the rune are called The Lesser Salvation of Felassan and The Greater Salvation of Felassan respectively. The appearance of the "Lesser" version is the one shown in the close-up image from the pop-up. And the appearance of the "Greater" version is:

Morrigan's dialogue when she gives Rook the Ultimate version of the rune:

Morrigan: “‘Tis a difficult battle you face, but you are among more allies than you know. You have purified the Crossroads, uncovered ancient truths lost for ages, and earned the essence of Mythal. You are truly the champion of the Fade. Take this. Should your fight against Elgar’nan grow desperate, invoke the memories of the Dread Wolf’s rebels. For you, they will stand against tyranny one las time.”

Rune effects info boxes, explaining what the Ultimate version does in gameplay:

DIALOGUE (this section is a WIP)

The boss "Betrayal of Felassan" has the following lines of dialogue, said as combat barks during its boss fight:

“His back, turned.”

“A story, unfinished.”

“For the Wolf.”

“For freedom.”

These lines of dialogue refer to Solas' murder of Felassan as depicted in Dragon Age: The Masked Empire (and his regrets around this), Felassan's role in their rebellion, and Felassan and Solas' relationship.

MISC

Voice actor: Chris Gordon [IMDB]

Hair: I think Felassan's in-game hairstyle is available in the CC - Hair 47

Vallaslin: Mythal's (as was known before DA:TV released), specifically I think it's Design 34 from the CC

Armor: I think Felassan's in-game armor is available as an appearance Rook can have for theirs. The name and description of it are as follows -

"Arlathan’s Fall (Arlathan) Appearance The harder they hit you, the stronger your resolve. Crafted from ancient Arlathan alloys."

[fwoosheye]

I mean those kinds of strats are surprisingly effective when trying to figure out the personality of new characters

'yeah i'm working on my next novel'

is actually trying to figure out her characters by wondering what daemons they would have and why

[thesummerestsolstice]

Things that Absolutely Happened while M&M were Raising E&E:

Maglor keeps an ever-growing list of all the weird things they do and tries to figure out whether they're because the twins are part human or part maia. He is frequently wrong.

"Wait, how much do half-elves need to eat?" "I, uh... hmm."

All of the Feanorian followers get really attached to the kids. They regularly argue about who gets to babysit. This is the origin of Elrond's Feanorian Murder-Elf Posse™️.

"Maedhros you cannot give them real swords!" "Why not?" "They're eight!"

The entirety of Amon Ereb freaks out every time the twins get sick. Even if it's just a cold. Yes, they've had human healers tell them it's nothing serious. No, that does not reassure them.

"Just do what I did!" *the twins stare up at him* "Actually no that's terrible advice don't do that."

M&M waking up late at night to see one of the twins, eldritch, glowing, levitating a few inches off the ground and freaking out, only for the kid to be like "dads I threw up :("

E&E shapeshift and all the Feanorians panic because "Oh Eru we lost them!!" Only for them to emerge a few hours later, very confused about why all the adults look so worried

Maedhros makes dad jokes you cannot tell me otherwise

"Well on the other hand... oh wait!"

E&E also hide in Maedhros's cloak all the time

And of course

"NO OATHS!"

[doberbutts]

I'm pulling this out because this shit is funny as hell hold on

Merry and Pippin (2 in 1) actual hijinks and shenanigans of mutual stumbling over each other's first times. Bonus points if they are hours apart. Pippin finds Merry rolling in the hay in the morning, decides he wants in on this and doesn't want to be outdone, finds himself a willing partner, and Merry interrupts them by accident. Comedy gold.

I don't view Frodo as someone interested in sex (boos and hisses from the Sam/Frodo crowd) however Sam I think would similarly be Frodo opening the door to their shared living space after the quest and Sam's, err, "helping" Rosie in the kitchen. Sam stutters an apology, Rosie starts trying to explain, and meanwhile Frodo's just like "really? where we eat???"

Blink and you'll miss it moment between Legolas and Gimli OR the most intense, drawn out, intimate yet tasteful scene with a bonus at the end where Gimli goes "wait wym we're elf-married now". Probably in Rohan, after the drinking contest.

I'm choosing to believe that the scene between Arwen and Aragorn in Rivendell before he left, where she's wearing a mostly translucent shift and he is in a state of far more undress than we've seen him prior and ever seen him again, is a post-sex scene. So just put it there.

There is not a single person who will ever be able to convince me that Boromir did not get mad pussy in Gondor. The same goes for Faramir, who was loved by all except their father.

Gandalf, also, is not a sexual being to me. But with PJ's insistence on highlighting Gandalf's relationship to both Galadriel and Celeborn, I would believe him to be a third in whatever dynamic suits them.. Maybe he and Galadriel have telepathic elf magic ring sex and Celeborn is just like "yeah sure that's fine w/e". This is movie-canon only, of course.

Bilbo also- reclusive, kept to himself, constantly wandering the wilds alone or with Gandalf? Either he and Gandalf are regularly FWB adventure buddies or they're just plain uninterested in the whole deal.

I'm of two minds with Smeagol. On one hand there is great comedy gold with the little fucked up loincloth man and on the other hand there is so much tragedy to his character that I can't decide if it would be funnier to have him still have sexual desires or if it would be sadder to take him at his word when he states that he lost all desire and interest and pleasure in everything except the Ring. Perhaps he attempted to have sex with another Stoor early on in his possession of the Ring, before he was chased away. Maybe someone he had been trying to court, before the murder of Deagol and the subsequent chained events of consequences.

[alijuan]

Ascended Astarion is true unlike Spawn Astarion who pretends to be good for Tav

If i see that opinion again i will explode🫠

It's funny because Astarion will only approves if you persuade him not to perform the ritual.

A lot of people don't understand the concept of grey morality and it shows. Many people justify him but this type of AA fan thinks worse of him than he really is. He needs the ritual not because he's a power-hungry villain, but because he needs safety for himself and his lover. Depending on Tav/Durge's actions, he either stays with the feeling of fear (AA is still afraid deep inside, the game files confirm this) or he fights against it and becomes truly free of Cazador and fear (spawn ending). The dialogue with Durge about not being afraid is wonderful and shows difference between SA and AA.

Astarion: This little adventure of ours has taught me that we can't let our lives be ruled by fear. Or else we never really live. Astarion: I'm not afraid. Not of you, not of your darkness, and not of our future.

The point of the spawn ending is that Tav/Durge saw him as more than just an outward image of a power-hungry killer incapable of becoming a better person. But if you can't see beyond that image, he will think that he has no choice but to continue living in the world that Cazador has built for him. If you think that AA is his best ending because he is evil then you have failed to understand his whole personality.

I feel safe with you. Seen.

Despite of his love of killing (he is a vampire after all), he repeatedly showed compassion and guilt for luring people. Before the ritual, he literally convinced himself that he should kill spawn for power. Astarion rationalises this to protect his psyche, because he’s clearly not the type of guy who can sacrifice thousands of people to the devil and not feel anything about it.

Durge/Tav: This isn’t you, Astarion. Not really. Astarion: It should be.

I really like that the player technically makes the insight check and that there’s an advantage when they're romancing Astarion. Tav/Durge could see through the image Astarion was trying to create. They saw an elf whose fear prevented him from seeing all the possibilities.

Astarion: When I look at my future, anything and everything feels possible now.

Just as Astarion saw Durge not just as serial killer, but as someone who could defeat Urge and become a better person.

Durge: I am myself at last. You don't need to fear anything from me ever again. Astarion: I knew you had that sweat heart all along. I was alarmed by you sometimes, scandalised even, but somehow by your side, I still only ever saw you.

AA fans also often ignore the fact that the game has good and bad endings in the companion stories. And it's not about morality. All companion quests are literally about how the desired and obvious path leads to a bad ending. And Astarion is no exception. In a good ending, he gets the chance to heal and finally acceptes himself and his vampire nature, in a bad ending, he gives up and regresses as a person.

Spawn Astarion knows what he wants and says it. SA is ready for a relationship and sex. Ascended Astarion can’t answer the question of what he wants, so he acts as a vampire lord should. AA is literally back to the state of the first act and has started manipulating Tav/Durge through sex again (even repeating the same phrases). This is why he doesn’t really want sex (he approves if you choose the no sex option and he definitely dissociated during the sex scene) unlike Spawn Astarion who initiated it.

Spawn Astarion is the same Astarion who enjoys “murder and terror” and you can see that clearly in his “hero” ending (more like “antihero”). And this is the ending without romance, he chose it himself. And the whole idea of him pretending to be good for Tav is actually meaningless without romance.

Ascended Astarion is the same Astarion, but stuck in a black and white world of fear and domination.

SA scene ends with hope music (instrumental version of I want to live) AA scene ends with chains.

And there’s so much more. Larian specifically showed the difference between good and bad endings in the dialogues, scenes after ritual, recent updates and even the interview so people would definitely understand, but they didn't🙃 Some AA fans (especially on youtube and larian forum) are on a new level of delusion.

[iamnmbr3]

I find it incredibly creepy how Dumbledore views Riddle as being this sort of inherently seductive 'femme fatale' type. In book 6 he implies that Tom used his looks to endear himself to his teachers when he started school and hide his supposedly inherently evil and corrupt nature.

Like. Albus. DUDE. Tom was ELEVEN. Why would you assume that teachers would be swayed by or even paying attention to the attractiveness of an eleven year old?! WTAF?

And then he portrays the Hepzibah Smith memory as another example of Tom using his seductive charms for evil. But although he does bring her flowers he doesn't do anything else to encourage her and in fact seems uncomfortable and determined to keep the conversation focused on work.

She is actually the one who is being creepy here given the power differential between them. I mean, yes, Tom is putting up with her because it suits his designs for the moment and could and would kill her in a second if provoked. But even though we know that she certainly doesn't. As far as she knows she's creeping on this young store clerk without wealth or connections whose job depends on keeping her happy.

And certainly while she enjoys his looks and his attention she also seems quite happy with the persona he puts on where he addresses her in a highly respectful manner, not as an equal. She's certainly not complaining about how he calls her Miss Hepzibah or asking him to drop the honorific. She likes that. She likes that he addresses her not much differently than how her House Elf does. She likes his whole "I am only a poor assistant, madam, who must do as he is told" thing. And as far as she knows he is just that, with no particular special power or talent other than his good looks which she evidently appreciates. This is not him leading on and taking advantage of an innocent sweet old lady.

And yes he brings her flowers, presumably to keep her happy, but other than that he tries to keep the conversation professional and steer the discussion towards the purpose of his visit. He doesn't say anything overtly flirtatious or even try to prolong their discussion by asking to see some of her other things.

She brings that up on her own. Nor is there any indication that he is the one that decided to move their relationship in this direction. It seems more like she saw a young and good looking man, apparently far below her in terms of station and magical power, and made her move. He probably isn't the first.

The way she casually touches him is just so creepy to me. And though he tolerates it, he did nothing to encourage or solicit it. Riddle is someone who is in general quite averse to touch. We only see him voluntarily touch one person in 7 books and that's when he touches Harry, just for a second in book 4, just to show that he can. I don't think he enjoys this kind of attention. He was probably glad to kill her for more than just the purpose of getting the cup and the locket.

And yet none of her creepiness is acknowledged. Instead, Dumbledore draws our attention to how Riddle cruelly seduced and murdered a nice old lady whose affections he sought and then betrayed:

[bloodlust-1]

You’re too sweet for me ₊ ⊹ part 2

Halsin x fem Tav (dark urge) — Explicit 18+

Summary: Tav takes a dip in the river to calm those pesty dark thoughts, hoping it'd help settle these murderous urges. But things turn interesting when Halsin finds her, offering to keep her company in the water. If only he knew just how pure he was in her eyes, a shame it'd be to destroy such an image.

TW: SMUT!

Note: Enjoy sinners.

-> Part 1 <-

AO3

Lovely photo by @moonslittlestar

He leaned in, pressing tender kisses along Tav’s neck, feeling the litter of goosebumps under his lips. His tongue traced delicate patterns along the sensitive veins of her skin, sending waves of pleasure through her body. Tav closed her eyes and surrendered to the tingly sensation of his lips.

Halsin nipped at Tav’s skin, his teeth enticingly grazing her nape. With each touch, he left behind a trail of gentle marks that faded darker into hickeys on her collarbones.

The warmth of his saliva felt like firey lava on her skin. Tav's breath hitched in response to every touch, bite, and suck.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, arching into his touch. Her teeth caught her lower lip, releasing soft sighs that mingled in the air. In a husky breath, Halsin groaned into her skin.

He was enjoying himself in her body. Like a follower worshipping their god.

The heat built heavily into the air, and then, a small gasp. Halsin had found Tav's nipple between the grit of his teeth. Nibbling on the bud with a rough gentleness.

It hurt too good, and she was not surprised that Halsin was delivering so well.

“You’re better than I thought.” She complimented breathily.

With a pop noise, Halsin released her nipple, “I was afraid to hurt you…" He bites down at the plush of her breast roughly, leaving behind a purple bruise, "I could have tried to be gentle, but I don't think you're interested in such softness."

Okay, now she was intrigued by his words. Tav pulled him in for another tender yet passionate kiss. It was full of teeth and tongue with the occasional lip tug.

Halsin responded quickly, lowering her body closer to his as their kiss deepened. Her fingers traced patterns on his scalp and shoulders, eliciting soft groans with a hint of pain from him.

"Take me out of this water before I change my mind." Tav roughly bit down on his earlobe, whispering dominantly into his ear.

Halsin held Tav close in his arms, pushing past the river's waves. Tav’s heart raced as she felt the strength of his embrace, her breath quickening with anticipation. He occasionally bit down at her neck, sucking until it bruised under his tongue.

When they reached the shore, Halsin laid Tav down on the soft sand, their bodies glistening with droplets of water. Their lips met again, roughly ravaging each other while Halsin's hands kneaded Tav's breasts between his fingers.

Tav’s nails traced red lines into Halsin’s back, and a mixture of pleasure and pain danced off his tongue. It wasn't anything he couldn't take.

Their kisses were passionate and intense, until her palms met Halsin's chest, and pushed him with a gentle but firm tug away from the kiss.

He hovered over her with fast breaths, confused.

Tav spoke threw each ragged breath, "Lay back."

Halsin obeys her wishes, laying his back against the soft sand. With the softest touch, Tav climbed up his body, slowly, teasingly. She burned kisses into his chest, neck, and cheekbones while positioning herself perfectly to sit upon his face.

The eyes of a hunter stare down at its prey. This hunk of an elf was no match for Tav's uncanny attitude and desires. Although, this was new for him, exciting.

With watering lips, Halsin peered up at Tav. From his pov, her wet hair hung over her face, her chest dripping with water off her breasts, and then - the pheromones of the juiciest fruit nature could offer.

He wetted his lips and waited for her command.

Tav rolled her eyes light-heartedly, "Must I give you permission for everything? Do you not know how to eat when people put food in front of your face?"

"Of course I do. I don't need an introduction for such a treat. I'll enjoy this more than you." Promise lingered in his words.

And it brought a smile to her face.

His tongue teased the outside of her folds, tasting the sweet tinge on his tongue. Tav pushed her hips closer to his mouth, practically smothering him between her thighs.

Nails dug into her hips as Halsin held onto them, forcing her even closer than before. This caused her clit to be smothered perfectly against his mouth. And his tongue didn't take long to find it.

Halsin's tongue flickers and circles eagerly on her clit, rewarding him with the sweetest moans. It'd been the nicest thing he's heard Tav speak this entire night.

Her hips rocked against his face and his cheeks had flushed a deep red shade. The blood boiled in his face and his eyes squinted tightly when the sharpness of Tav's nails dug into his scalp.

Her moans were rapid and sloppy, constantly gasping between Halsin's licks. She loved the way his face looked buried between the plush of her thighs. It fit him quite nicely.

Tav's hips swayed and Halsin's hands directed her riding his face, pulling and pushing the rock of her hips.

Tav tangled her fingers between the braids of his hair and went stiff, "F-Fuck.." Her words trembled and Halsin knew she was coming close, "Don't..Nghh - M-Move.."

Halsin fluttered his eyelashes up at her and nodded his head 'yes' continuously. His groans between her folds vibrated against her clit, making Tav throw her head back with whimpers.

Tav wanted so badly to stain his face with something more than just those tattoos.

A yelp ripped out of her lungs and she trembled and twitched under Halsin's hold, coming undone into his mouth. She could feel the warmth of his tongue dancing on her core, licking up the cum.

Tav hunched over, her palms firmly on the ground between his head, horasly catching her breath.

"You taste absolutely lovely." Halsin pops his mouth off her core, licking the corners of his mouth. His chin was covered with his spit, juices, and white slick.

Something clicked in Halsin. If he continued to let her bully him into pleasure, she'd never look at him as an equal. Only someone who can take instruction very well, not that he minded.

The time was now.

In her moment of vulnerability, Halsin grabbed Tav by her hips, lifted her back onto the sand with a soft, thud. She gasped, quickly clutching onto his shoulders before Halsin wrapped his large hand around her neck.

He squeezes lightly, pulling her up to meet his lips, but he doesn't kiss her. instead, he spoke with a deadly tone she'd never heard before, "I'm going to fuck you until every living creature knows my name."

Tav's eyes went wide and she opened her mouth, only a whimper coming out.

"Shh..There now, my heart...The only thing I want to hear is my name cry out your lips." He squeezed her throat, forcing her chin up before crashing a searing kiss on her lips.

"Now - be a good girl for me."

Tav's eyes darted down, eyeing the hardened length between his legs. And gods, was it absolutely huge. Her mouth watered at the thought of even fitting that deep in her.

"Impress me, druid." Her eyes challenged Halsin with a cheeky smirk.

Oh she was so close, if only that pretty mouth didn’t sour it.

Halsin put his hands on her knees, spreading her legs slowly apart and watching the folds of her core expose to the cool air.

Hooded eyes bore down on Tav like a peace offering. Her body folded in every way perfectly, with curves as smooth as a petal. Halsin leaned over and pressed kisses into her stomach, looking up at her as he did.

“You’re beautiful.” He mummered between kisses, suddenly planting a kiss on her core.

“M-mmmh…” She squirmed slightly, arching her back up in an attempt to follow his fleeting kisses.

Halsin's knees dug into the sand while his hand dipped into Tav's core, collecting the excess juices she provided, leaving his fingers coated in slick.

He then used that to coat his cock with his already pre-cummed tip. Slowly pumping his fist a couple times to wet his shaft.

Tav looked down at him with glistening eyes. Just how far could she fit him before it started to hurt?

The veins on his hardened length bulged out and begged to be buried deep in Tav. The invisible string pulled them closer and closer until his tip eagerly rested perfectly on her entrance.

Tav locked eye with him, not a single stammer in her words.

"Fuck me."

A sly smile crossed both their features.

His hips slowly fed inch by inch into her wet core. She took him well, except for the stretching pain more than halfway down his length. Tav dug her fingers into the sand with gritted teeth.

"Look at you." His fingers tickled her legs in small strokes, "Taking me in so well."

"Ahh...You're so big." Tav squirmed and adjusted her hips closely into his, causing a deep chuckle to rattle Halsin's lips.

"Hah - I know, love." He hunched over her body and positioned himself comfortably between her legs.

A kiss was placed softly on her lips and it eased her of the slight discomfort, "You're doing good, relax and it'll feel much better." He whispered between gentle kisses.

She let out a breathy exhale and tried to relax her lower body, opening her legs wider which earned her praise.

"Very good girl."

Tav's eyes darted at him to such praise and her face turned a dark shade of red.

"Hmm...Is that what you wanted to hear after being so bratty?"

Tav averted her eyes and went silent, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him closer, deeper into her.

Halsin smiled softly, knowing already what the answer was. He began to jerk his hips in and out, skillfully, passionately, and possessively.

Their foreheads connected, breathing heavily amongst each other's lips. Tav's walls clenched and twitched around his girth, letting herself go in a plethora of moans and whimpers.

The bed of stars with Halsin hovering right above, it was the perfect POV. Not to mention the tingly sensation that tickled between her legs up her back.

Tav hungrily searched for his lips between the constant thrusts, causing her to bob like the river waves onto the shore.

Their teeth clashed in a fight for dominance, both moans mingling heavily between sloppy kisses. He reached to cup her ass, kneading and groping the plush while fucking harder and deeper.

His harsh thrusts buried himself deep in Tav's warm walls. The sounds of whimpers and smacking skin mixed with nature's atmosphere.

Tav dug her nails into his back, causing his blood to clot under her nails.

“Nnghh - fuck.” Halsin keened in both pain and pleasure - broken, raw moans leaving his mouth uncontrollably.

Tav smiled in satisfaction, the little evil thoughts in her head giggled at his every wince and whimper.

This smile didn't last too long, because Halsin suddenly shoved two fingers into her mouth, bullying his way inside her throat until she gagged and moaned around them.

His fingers rested in the sweet spot of her throat, making Tav's eyes gloss up so prettily.

Drool slicked down the side of her cheeks as her mouth hung open with hazy torn eyes. The tears streamed down her wet cheeks, and it was Halsin's direst imagination coming true.

And yet, even with gagged fingers in Tav's mouth, split apart on his cock, she still was shameless enough to be mouthy. Words muffled around his thick fingers and challenging eyes. “I want it more.”

His tone is teasing, but there's an undercurrent of seriousness that sounded so sweet in his voice, "You want it deeper, don't you? You want me to fill your cunt."

With strong arms, Halsin scooped Tav body on his lap, as he laid back and let go of her body completely. She sat perfectly on his length, twitching and trembling, gravity pulled her deeper until she was balls deep.

Tav mewled for a moment, her hands planted firmly on his broad chest. But Halsin jerked up into her just once, playfully edging her on, "Go on - show me just how much you want it."

Taking initiative, Tav dug her feet into the sand, arching her back. Her hands fell flat on his chest, knowing this would take a lot of her energy.

She leaned into her arms and began to bounce up and down on Halsin, groaning against the sweet bliss of him slipping in and out of her.

Their skin smacked against each other, and Halsin watched in complete awe as Tav's body crashed against his, her breaths and every plush of her body bouncing to her plunges.

Tav practically moaned out her lungs, fucking his cock until her knees burned and her body crumbled. But Halsin quickly grabbed a handful of her hips, using his strength to help her continue bouncing.

Their stomachs knotted into a ball of pleasure, sending tingles up their spine that dared to send them over the edge. Tav stared down at Halsin, noticing the flicker of yellow magic in his eyes with ever twitch she felt deep in her womb.

Slamming down, up, and down, Tav fucked him at a merciless pace. Loving every bit of attention he gave to her, pleasuring him.

Tav moaned out his name, knowing it would be music to Halsin's ears.

Purposely, Tav clenched her walls around him, pulling him over the edge with a yelp from their climax as both their juices spilled into each other. While Tav still bounced, the sound of juices swashed and sloppily dripped down Halsin's hips.

"Fuck - Tav..!" He breathlessly clutched tightly on her hips, forcing her into place.

She melted down onto his chest and met the swell of his lips, tongue exploring his moist mouth. She devoured his lips and lavishly kissed him with such passion.

Tav knew Halsin would forever be at her mercy, always remembering this moment when he lays lonely at night.

And there were soo many days to come.

She expects to see him more often, sauntering over after the sun goes down.

Tav traced small circles into his chest, feeling his heavy beating heart under her own, "I think we need another bath, huh? What do you say?"

There were hearts practically in his eyes. "Y-Yes...Just...I need a moment to catch my breath and I will carry you there, my heart."

A smile spread across her face, a look of trouble in her eyes, "That's what I like to hear."

Any thoughts? Comment 👇🏼 I love to engage!

[the-rebel-archivist]

Finally finished Veilguard a few days ago and took some time to process and put my thoughts in order. In brief: 8/10 game as a whole, a really fantastic gaming experience, but 5 or even 4/10 as a dragon age game since it does no meaningful exploration of any nuance or moral complexity and seems to have forgotten what made Thedas distinct. My thoughts, critical and positive, coming from a place of love for the series with little to no spoilers:

Thedas has always been special to me because it was a nuanced world. Different groups had different opinions based on their pasts. City elves and the dalish had divergent histories. Injustice against magic was common, but you could understand the justification for it even when you didn’t agree. Now, the worldbuilding is flattened. A mageocracy is fine, it’s only bad apples. Slavery is never addressed. City and dalish elves are basically the same but one lives in the forest. There’s no conflict about what’s best from each individuals’ perception, all groups are monoliths.

“Elves won’t follow the gods just because they’re elves,” yes they would, in past lore. Perhaps not all but some would - these are their Creators. The game refuses to deal with religious belief in any meaningful way, to the point that I don't know if its impact is fully understood. Dalish religion is as much about cultural preservation as religion and it would be CRUSHING to lose that connection to the past when it had been all you could cling to for thousands of years.

And no, seeking out relics of Arlathan would not make up for the foundation of your society shattering and what that would mean to the dalish. Bellara being guilty that her gods are evil is not the takeaway I expected when I thought the dalish would explore that everything they believed was a lie. I'd also like to briefly comment on how an elf can comment that they weren’t raised dalish but adopted their tattoos. Their closed practice tattoos. Closed even to city elves unless they fully joined a clan. Removing cultural boundaries didn’t make the material less 'problematic', it just created a new blind spot.

“They’d never sanitize the Crows” I said before release. Assassins who walked the line between murderer and hero depending on perspective. But in this game they give you absolute truth: they’re freedom fighters. Responsible government who, the mob is benevolent and that is never subverted. They see themselves as the 'good guys' and so they are.

“They wouldn’t put powerful mages in charge of the shadow dragons” I said. “Surely they will explore the nuance of Neve having the privilege of magic in a mageocracy even when she comes from a lower class beyond ‘everyone is welcome in the shadow dragons’.” “Surely if Maevaris is connected her intersectionality as a magister and altus and trans woman will come up - not what Tevinter expects, helping with change, but still privileged and upper class. Surely low class non mages and slaves would be leading the Shadow Dragons, not the powerful being benevolent.”

But no. All factions in the game are black and white, good and evil, no moral complexity. The bad people want power and collect bad people who want power and only bad people do bad things. The antagonists I liked most were the ones with a motivation beyond simply power and they were few.

And that’s setting aside the fact that all of the mystery and fantasy was removed from the setting by the end. The things that mattered before, the religious conflicts, the approaches to history? All false or meaningless now that we know absolute truth. Everything that set Dragon Age apart from generic fantasy was flattened. All of the lore for the world that I had spent hours, days, years in and creating fanfic for became simple groups of good and bad, subjectivity replaced by objective truth. It’s not a world I want to unravel and explore anymore.

That hurts more than the slap in the face that was every cameo and past reference. If they wanted a soft reboot, why include them at all? Every time I saw or heard about a past character or event I felt hurt and angry and it actively harmed my experience of the game. When the choices are pared down to only do something "meaningful" with them and then that meaningful thing is a codex that had been so disdained in dev comments? I do feel pretty let down. Especially when that codex isn’t even personalized.

They never use Rook or the inquisitor’s first name in text once. Vocal I get, but no codex? The Inquisitor, a person depersonalized into a symbol, signing off “Yrs. The Inquisitor” when we input their name in CC was a twist of the knife I didn’t expect. It’s like every time I lower my expectations to grant grace they need to be lowered yet again.

Similarly, the romances in the “most romantic game yet” are paper thin throughout the game depending on your choice, with few chances to truly connect on an emotional level and have deep conversations in some routes. It’s not all about kissing but having the chance to say how you feel, or try to.

But that’s part of a larger problem, that this is a “found family” but Rook is the outsider in it. Rook isn’t asked how they’re handling things or about who they are or what they want except by Solas. The team needs them to fix problems but has little interest in giving back. The companions are lovely, but I can’t help wishing they were friends with me and not just each other. Or wanted to romance me and not just each other, as they begin to flirt before I can and have more banter comments than the player romance. At least if no one got me I know Davrin got me.

These last comments are the reason it’s 8/10 as a game rather than 10/10 for me - the lore I care about but others won’t. The lack of connection is a genuine issue, along with how unbalanced it is depending on romance. I just feel sad at the lost potential to reflect and gain support from companions.

On a positive note, this is the most fun Dragon Age game I’ve ever played. The gameplay is top notch and combat is so fluid and fun. I felt excited to fight rather than dreading the next battle. Really getting into the roleplay of a slippery rogue

The environments are so gorgeous. Lighting, animation, level design, sound design, all spectacular. I’m bad with maps and yet I never got lost and always managed to find my way around. Secret passages to treasure were just the right length to be satisfying. The puzzles were exactly the right amount of investment for the reward. I never felt frustrated by them but also not disappointed by the simple ones, there was a good balance. I had a lot of fun uncovering them. So many areas looked like a perfect representation of thedosian places I had never been to and wanted to visit.

Every time I was in the necropolis it felt like coming home. Maybe it’s because the lore was the most similar to past lore, maybe it’s just because it was cool, but I loved being there. I loved the wisps most of all. And I loved Emmrich’s journey and sympathetic exploration of death. The Hossberg Wetlands were also a standout area. Absolutely horrible (complimentary). Evka and Antoine my beloveds and the environment storytelling was fantastic. Like a hideous combination of the Fallow Mire and Chateau d’Onterre and I was so there for it. Davrin’s story broke my last flight loving heart.

The set pieces and narrative flow in the major battles and main story missions is really wonderful. I also did enjoy the faction reactivity, even if there were few chances to explore the intersectionality of being a particular lineage with a particular faction. I’ll make our House proud Viago!

It’s such a fun game that when I play I can almost forget all of the things that I dislike until a codex or cameo punches me in the face. It has such great gameplay that I can finally discuss DA with my partner who refused to play the other games in the series. But what a monkey’s paw. I know from their previous work that they can foster nuance. From the art book that their instincts were there from the beginning. But somewhere after multiple reboots they made a world with contradiction and complexity removed, more reactive to fan discourse than to telling a complex narrative.

It kills me because if the nuance and subjectivity and moral complexity had been there, I would have considered this the best Dragon Age game ever made. It will always be the most fun. But it is legitimately more fun for people who don’t know lore than people who do, and that is soul-crushing. It's the most beautiful Thedas has ever been, and the least like Thedas it has ever felt.

I’ve played it once. I already started a replay. I enjoy the game a lot when I am playing it, overall. But I miss Thedas, and I miss that the “world worth saving” that I cared for is a slate wiped clean and this new world is a more simplistic place.

[dunmeshistash]

I genuinely think Kabru would have been a villain if it wasn't for Milsiril adopting him, like mf literally just witnessed a massacre, his own parents being murdered and yet he's still relatively well adjusted, it's still genuinely baffling to me he's like mostly okay (from what we see), I'm very curious how Milsiril met Kabru? Like was he just on the ground trying to processs what had happened and then this random elf lady shows up and goes "don't worry I'll be your mom now" or something??

I don't think he would have, I don't see anything that indicates his sense of morals comes from Milsiril, since Milsiril herself seems avoidant of the things that upset her, he was already 7 so he probably had a personality developed somewhat by then? I think besides his PTSD he would have elf trauma similar to Rin's because he would probably have been raised the same as her, but I think his sense of "I must stop this from happening again" would be the same.

Btw from the QnA Kabru had a real name with surname but he doesn't remember, Kabru doesn't sound like an elvish name tho, I wonder if his Mom renamed him when they ran away from their family and that's why he doesn't remember his real name and surname.

I imagine Kabru was found alive and Milsiril ended up adopting him, she doesn't seem like the type of person that would just randomly pick up a kid like that, by the Rin extra it seems like she worries about their quality of life (admitting she can't take any more in) so I imagine she would have been kinder and gentler than just "You're coming with me", the way she asks Kabru if he would help also makes me think that (it was a request not an order)

That's all assumptions based on my perception of her tho as far as I know there's no canon description of their first meeting.

Edit: He was buried in rubble and Milsiril saved him.

Edit2: Adding this cause I think it's necessary, Milsiril definitely made Kabru's life easier than it could have been but I think his achievements are his own. His drive, his sense of justice and his observation skills come from him, what she did was facilitate his journey and teach him all he wanted. She's just his mom at the end of the day and good moms are great to prop you up when you're down but they can't walk for you.