#dragon's mirror

[trident-dragion]

I've long considered the idea of Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste in a Dragunity deck, for a couple reasons. The first is thematically it's a pretty good fit, but the second is that Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana is a compatible fusion target we often leave in the Graveyard, making it ideal for Dragon's Mirror. The problem though, is finding a suitable Warrior. The best option I can think of is Destiny HERO - Malicious, since it works very well with Dragon Ravine, plus Elemental HERO Stratos to search it. You could also try something generally useful like Necro Gardna or Junk Synchron, but fitting those can be tough. Idk, I feel like there's something here but I don't know what

[zazrichor]

I will kill any god you ask.

[senseandaccountability]

Sorry, but I accidentally checked what Solas has been saying about spirits and demons and broke my heart.

[webdiggerxxx]

꧁★꧂

[housederiva]

[vaguely-concerned]

I understand and agree with a lot of the frustrations about the shortcomings of Inquisition as a story. but sometimes when I hear people complain about the chosen one narrative in it I do want to just be like... you know it's a deconstruction of the concept more than anything, right. the inquisitor isn't actually chosen by anything except stumbling into the wrong (right?) room at the right (wrong?) time because they like, heard a noise or whatever. or if you think they are chosen, as many do in-universe, that's something you have to take on faith, the maker-or-whoever moves in mysterious ways indeed-style. the Inquisitor isn't actually a Destined Chosen One, they're a Just Some Guy in a fancy hat, self-delusions of grandeur to taste as you'd prefer.

a running thread that goes through all of the personal quests of the companions is the concept of a comforting lie vs. an uncomfortable truth, upholding old corrupt structures vs. disrupting them, and the role of faith in navigating that. (blackwall the warden vs. thom rainier the liar and murderer. hissrad vs. the iron bull, or is that the other way around? cassandra and the seekers -- do we tell the truth about what we find, even if it means dismantling the old order of the world? and so on.) and your inquisitor IS at the same time a comforting lie (a necessary one, in dark times? the game seems to ask) and an uncomfortable truth (we are the result of random fickle chance, no protective hand is held over the universe, it's on us to make a better world because the maker sure as hell won't lift a divine finger to help anyone, should he against all odds exist). faith wielded for political power... where's the point that it crosses the line into ugliness? is it before it even begins? what's the alternative? will anyone listen to the truth, if you tell it?

interesting how you also get a mix of companion agency in this -- you have characters like dorian who ALWAYS choose one side of the comforting lie vs. uncomfortable truth dichotomy. he will always make up his own mind to go back to tevinter and try to dismantle the corruption of the old system no matter what you say, or how you try to influence him. meanwhile iron bull is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum -- so psychologically trapped and mangled, caught in an impossible spiritual catch-22, that his sense of identity is left entirely to you and your mercy. you cannot change dorian in any way that matters; you can be his friend or not, support him or not, but he is whole no matter what. you are given incredible and potentially destructive-to-him power over bull's soul. it's really cool (and heartbreaking) to think about.

this is a game about how history will eat you even while you're still alive, and shape you into whatever image it pleases to serve it, and for all your incredible power right now you are powerless in the face of the gravitational force of time -- of more than time, of History. you won't recognize yourself in what History will make of you, because you belong to it now. you don't belong to yourself anymore and you never will again. the further you were from what it needs from you to begin with, the more you will find yourself distorted in its funhouse mirror. (why hello there inquisitor ameridan, same hat!)

and to me this is so much the core of what Dragon Age is about right from the Origins days -- how and by whom history gets written, the inherent unreliable narration of it all. I hope you like stories, Inquisitor. You are one now.

I do think it's probably still the weakest of the games narratively, and it's hampered by its structure and bloated systems. but I also find it disingenous to say that there's nothing deeper or actually interesting going on with it, thematically. if you're willing to engage with it there is Some Real Shit going on under the high fantasy-tinted surface.

[888-fr]

I made a Pushpin Mirror Doll of my own! His fins are fully poseable and he's made from a pair of old denim pants.

Bonus: very scary head-on shot and wip photos

[semolinaart]

Memento vivere

Coat of arms based on Mirror dragons and Plague Flight.

Also I didn't look at the official art for a reference while I were drawing this Mirror.

[ayrennaranaaldmeri]

"I'm glad you're here. I couldn't do this alone."

[kaleidoskull-fr]

I JUST HATCHED A LIGHTNING EGG FOR THUNDERCRACK AND GOT THIS GUY???

(96756192 if anyone wants to scry him!)

[simpforsolas]

solas dragon age is like what if there was a man who kept running into the trolley problem over and over again except the stakes are thousands of lives no matter what choice is made. and instead of focusing on the lives saved through action, he and everyone else instead decide to focus on the people he actively killed through making his choices and villainize him for it until he and everyone else sees only that narrative.

and then rook dragon age is like if someone else was presented with the trolley problem and you think they're going to learn the same lessons and gain the same pains and regret as the first man except instead they a) end up putting the blame on solas for their decision to switch trolley tracks at the beginning and then after that b) god descends from heaven and tells them "it's ok you're perfect let's make this issue easy for you so there's a clear right answer" and uses magic to teleport away the people on one path of the trolley so they don't have to make any meaningful sacrifice.

and then rook turns to solas and goes "see you're such a stupid bad guy, i was in the same situation as you and i made Good Choices because i'm a Good Guy" and in the end solas and everyone else are basically like "yeah that's true time for solas to give up his silly little plans that had no merit and let's not even bother seeing if we can address the problems he was trying to fix in different ways" and rook gets to end the game pretending like they faced the same difficult decisions as solas but rose above when he couldn't.

[thatone-highlighter]

I love you albums. I love you songs connected by similar themes. I love you listening to songs in a specific order picked by the artist. I love you reoccurring motifs throughout the same album. I love you album covers. I love you albums with extended editions. I love you songs that reference each other.

[blighted-elf]

Games I Played For The First Time In 2024

[figfull]

fish woman

(Skin: in the bay by iconoclasm)

[psyrapmafia]

couple of flightrising doodles (find me there as psyrapmafia)

[housederiva]

Lucanis get over here, we gotta have a conversation real quick