#i never actually played him cause i played my DA inquisitor but he is the first dnd character i ever made!

[kroovv]

My first D&D character redraw🐉

2015-2024

[cityandking]

3, 19, 52, 71, 81, 89 + minah, narayani, and daichi

thanks!! / 93 fun oc asks

3. What is the meaning behind their name? Do they have any nicknames?

MINAH — according to my favorite naming site behindthename.com, minah is an alternate spelling of mina which means "fish" in sanskrit and "azure" or "enamel" in persian. I picked it cause I saw it in something I was reading and liked it. I don't think she has any nicknames (min? minnie? warden? hey you??). her surname, vo, is made up. NARAYANI — doylist explanation: it's an epithet for the Hindu goddesses Lakshmi and Durga; I chose it because it had the sound/cadence I was looking for and I liked that the associations were with things like beauty and the unattainable. watsonian explanation: it's her clan's pronunciation/spelling of na'alhani ("wild soul" roughly). her nicknames are rani and da'alhani (clan pron. darayani; means little wilderness). her patronymic is iravel after the elder who cared for her as a girl and her clan name is lavellan as per DA canon. DAICHI — daichi's name means "great earth" or "great wisdom" and was the perfect pick for my earth genasi cleric. his nickname is dai but tbh I'm not sure how many people actually use it; I think even the party may tend to full name him. his surname, amelkiir, comes from a name generator and is made up.

19. What is their occupation?

MINAH — grey warden! previously she was a traveling performer and part-time thief (honestly she's still a part-time thief. it's not like the wardens are paying her) NARAYANI — clan hunter/spy turned inquisition agent turned inquisitor turned spy again, only without the clan. rip. DAICHI — .....is demigod an occupation? I guess technically traveling adventurer. previously he was an acolyte and a garrison healer.

52. What is their body type? Are they muscular, chubby, skinny, etc?

MINAH — compact, highly flexible, on the curvy side. excellent shoulders, but not much by way of muscle mass beyond that NARAYANI — small, wiry, all lean muscle. runner's body. exceedingly fast and flexible DAICHI — stout, dense, sort of rectangular. soft tummy, thick thighs, high muscle mass. should be playing rugby

71. How are they with children? Do they have any? Do they want any?

MINAH — minah's fine with kids—she can entertain them for a bit; young audiences are always easily impressed—but she doesn't know what to do with them long-term (teenagers are a little better; she prefers when they can look out for themselves). at one point she was looking forward to having her own, but nowadays she has absolutely no interest in being a mom. NARAYANI — rani has experience caring for (and teaching) the clan's kids, and she's good with them—far more patient and gentle than she is with almost anyone else. she's never had any particular desire for kids of her own. (but if there were a solavellan baby— [I am forcibly removed from the blogging platform]) DAICHI — dai's never had much opportunity to be around kids unless you count the god baby the party helped create. he'd honestly never thought about kids before that but oh boy did the godling awaken something in him. not right now obviously but long term? yeah that man super wants to be a dad. (unfortunately I am not sure his boyfriend wants to be a dad but they've got literally eternity to figure it out so it's fine)

81. Are they bothered by the sight of blood?

MINAH — yes, but only in large or gruesome quantities. a flesh wound doesn't bother her; someone's intestines spilling out bothers her quite a bit. NARAYANI — no, she's an assassin DAICHI — no. he's a healer

89. What is their D&D alignment?

MINAH — true neutral but she trends a little chaotic NARYANI — true neutral DAICHI — neutral good

[agendratum]

this happens literally every year - i keep forgetting i have all the da saves and screenshots, from all three of the games, saved on my pc, that i have nothing to worry about, they aren't getting lost, but every year i forget *where* they are kept

anyway, given that soon i might have a chance to once more create a new da character, i wanna make a post for them, one that i will remember how to find

so here's my warden, ruth mahariel, dalish elf, rogue. tough character, romanced morrigan through the power of cheat codes, then morrigan left with their kid, and ruth was like, "well it is what it is" (years later she still actually loves her and want to meet their kid). my headcanon is that these days they travel the world with zevran (they're besties after all) and mostly she's still looking for the cure, cause dying for this world wasn't exactly her original plan

here's the boy, my champion of kirkwall, tarjei hawke, mage. romanced fenris, of course, purple dialog choices enthusiast, played chess with arishok, won that duel against him by running around in a circle and screaming (well, i did the screaming mostly), friends of anders and merill unconditionally, never blamed anders for anything, loves his dog and varric's writings. fenris would prefer if he stopped trying to kill himself

and here's the lady of the day, my inquisitor, kehaar adaar, qunari, warrior. romanced sera, well, married to her now. and what happens with her.. i'm about to find out. i have a hunch so i'll see how this trespasser turns out. but god knows, she tried to understand solas, she really did

[enasallavellan]

Cast of Characters

Hey guys! So I saw a really cute picrew here, and I wanted to share some of the images of my favorite OCs from my fics. OC from my new fic is below the cut (so this post doesn't stretch on and on for mobile).

Enasal Lavellan:

Inquisitor in my first (still incomplete) longfic. ADHD out the wazoo and has some weird behaviors, but her sincerity and eagerness to do something good wins people over.

Shiral Lavellan:

Enasals older sister. After being forced into a parental role of her sister at age 12, Shiral both deeply loves her sister but also has some resentment toward her. She worries about her and wants to protect her from the world, but unfortunately, the worry comes across as controlling and mean - she tends to infantize Enasal and still thinks of her as a little girl. Can't stand Cullen and accuses him on multiple occasions of taking advantage of her sister. Many of the denizens of Skyhold have some degree of fear of her.

Annason Garette:

Originally hired to make a dress for Enasal for a meeting with nobility. The twittering and overexcited young Orleisan is a borderline worshiper of Enasal, pleading with Josephine to become her attendant after she and Enasal spend some time together. Eventually, the worship turns into a legitimate friendship.

Serafina Tabris:

My Warden for my newer fic. Serafina was born in a crows nest in Antiva, but when templars raided and burnt the building down, she and a few other survivors were sent to her aunt's nest for five years to work in the kitchens. After an order came down for her death, she was smuggled out of Antiva and sent to her maternal uncle in Denerim. Incredibly timid and with exactly zero self confidence.

Warden Robin:

BAMF with a heat of gold, Robin acts as Duncan's second in command during the search for recruits. She quickly takes to Serafina and does everything she can to boost her confidence and help her feel safe in the camp full of men. It quickly becomes evident that this is a pattern for her, as she helps some of the other recruits with the same gentleness and skill as she does with Serafina.

On the other hand, will rip out someone's throat with her teeth if she thinks it's come to it.

Henrietta Brosca:

My usual dwarven commoner when I play DA. This trouble-making do-gooder loves nothing more than to tease and cause a ruckus. Complains about her companions' complaining by muttering, "Bicker, bitch, and bellyache." Very high energy and can be a little much for some people, but is actually incredibly smart and has a talent for lockpick and trap making.

Hanin Mahariel:

Snarky and a little bit of a pot-stirrer, Hanin tends to have problems with knowing when to stop talking and can ask some pretty obnoxious questions without really thinking them through. An expert with a bow, he can almost keep up with Leliana (though he never actually beats her) and absolutely demolishes Zevran when he quips about knowing how to shoot as well.

Cosette Amell:

A soft-hearted mage who holds tight to romantic and divine ideals. She is a skilled fire mage and delights in using her magic to set darkspawn ablaze. She is very sensitive and would be a pescatarian if she could. If catastrophe strikes her first thought tends to be, "But what about the animals?!"

Bonus:

Lorenzo Araiani:

Lorenzo -who probably won't appear in the fic, is Serafina's cousin. He's grumpy, generally dislikes people, and would really be happy if everyone just left him alone. It might have something to do with being a mage with stupidly strong mind-reading abilities - to the point he can hear all the thoughts of all the people around him. Gets migraines a lot. Likes a total of two people (one of which he sometimes wonders why he continues to let them breathe) and occasionally loses his shit when the headaches get bad enough,

Feel free to ask questions about any of these guys - helps me get to know them better, too!

[camelliagwerm]

i was wondering out of all your ocs, which one have you had the longest? for example, i have one that i've consistently worked on since i was like 12 LOL

This is actually an interesting one because if I have an oc that I fundamentally enjoy but I don't feel like they suit the world they're in anymore, I'll take them out, put them on a 'shelf' and wait until I find a new home for them. Taking that one into account, then the one I've had the longest is Leonelle, but she has gone through numerous changes over the years (started out as a Trevelyan for Inquisition -> general DA oc -> DA: the Last Court (Marquise de Serault) -> VtMB -> general v5 -> Pathfinder: Kingmaker) but I've had her since I was 19 and now I'm 26.

However, if we're talking ocs that have stayed in one place for the longest, then it's Arthur - who has pretty much been my Inquisitor after I 'retired' Leonelle from the role (originally, they were half-siblings). I think I played him once in Origins and once in Tyranny, but he never really fit there in the way he does Inquisition.

Oldest oldest oc, in the most basic way possible, was a custom champion that I made for Battle for Middle Earth II when I was 10 who bore a lot of similiarities to Tauriel - promptly causing me to go hey what the fuck when Desolation of Smaug came out; but like with a couple of other old ocs of mine, she hasn't seen the light of day for years at this point and probably never will.

[drunken-drengr]

DA asks 1, 28, 60, 73? 👀

Hey, thanks for the first ask!

How did you get into Dragon Age?

Ah, this is something I like to tell every now and then. My dad actually introduced me to Dragon Age! I always watched him play Origins and 2 on our old Xbox 360, what can I say, it was entertaining. Especially watching him fight those dragons... I can't recall how old I was, but given that I don't remember it all too vividly, I was pretty young. And, yeah, that's right, that would make me still a minor now! I feel like that's not something widely known, mostly cause I didn't think it mattered much, but turns out, people think I'm an adult. I guess I hardly see anyone my age in the fandom... Anyways, back on topic! Yeah, watched my dad play the Dragon Age games as a kid, though he stopped letting me watch after sexy time with Morrigan, lol. A bit after he finished the games though, Dragon Age: Inquisition was announced, and I was so excited to finally play a game for myself. I was a huge LoTR junkie back then, and I still am, so that's why such a young girl was interested in such a game. So yeah, my Dad got me into Dragon Age. Though he doesn't play games anymore, he still will smile when he sees me playing Dragon Age, and ask a few questions. Just something really old that bonds us.

Inquisitor’s feelings on being the Herald of Andraste?

Ooh, this is a complicated one. Might wanna sit down with a cup of tea! Karrie's beliefs are complicated as well. Her family is considered klana, or, traditional. They still like to hold themselves as warrior caste, and they still respect the Stone and the ancestors. But, with so much time on the surface, they've also slowly converted to Andrastians. They just don't follow the Chantry though. Prefer to worship the Maker in their own ways. And most recently, the family began to recognize Avvar gods/spirits. Or perhaps just Karrie and her father. They spent a lot of time with the Avvar, and saw things they deemed impossible. With that being said, Karrie's faith is mixed, but unfalteringly devout. She believes the Stone, the Maker, Avvar gods, whatever divine being out there, guides her. So, Herald of Andraste? Not a title she wanted, or is willing to accept. Though she is devout in her belief of the Maker, she feels it only heretical to claim to be his or Andraste's chosen one, their herald. She's sort of in the middle on that matter. She won't deny it, won't confirm it. Because she'll never have a way of knowing. Better safe than sorry, wouldn't want to upset the Maker by falsely claiming to be his chosen one, or denouncing him.

Who do you wish had been given more story?

Cole. At least, more story in game. I don't really read the novels/comics, but he probably gets more story in there. But damn it, Bioware! Put your lore in the game! I feel Cole didn't get enough in game. Like holy shit he's an anomaly. He just felt rather... irrelevant to the story, y'know? Huge potential there.

Favorite OST song(s)?

Ah, you can't do this to me. Can't make me choose just one! Okay, I'll settle for hmm two. My favorite would either be Sera Was Never, or Lost Elf. Sera Was Never is just such a catchy tune, and such a good song! It captures her perfectly, and it cheers me up when listening. She totally deserved her own song. And Lost Elf... cause Lost Elf. If you've ever listened to it you'd know. I'll be scrolling through Youtube at 3 am, and it pops up in my recommended. I debate myself in my head for 5 minutes, I say, "Don't listen to it, you'll cry" and then I listen to it and I cry myself to sleep. It's the never ending cycle. It just brings back so much, makes me hurt thinking about it. It is perhaps the most beautiful score the game has to offer. With that being said, I actively avoid it but I love it at the same time. Oh god now it's playing in my head.

Edit: I also love the main Descent theme! Reminds me of the Hobbit movies, and their epic scores of dwarf music. Man I love dwarves.

[other-cullen-ficrecs]

DA January Challenge: Day 13 - Breathless.

Pairing: (pre) Cullen/Krem Warnings/Additional Tags: talking about bad binding habits, fluff, crush, mentions of dysphoria Summary: This fic is specially dedicated to my new binder which is awesome but also one day will probably break me in half.  

Krem ignored his back pain with years of practice when he went to sleep but it was becoming more of an issue when it refused to go away in the morning. He tried stretching out as subtly as possible but Stitches eyes were immediately on him.

"Your back is bothering you?"

"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Krem said quickly, sitting up straight and ignoring Stitches' unimpressed look.

"We've talked about this, Krem. You need to be more careful."

"It's fine! I've done the same thing for years in the army and it was... alright. Oh, stop worrying. I'm just no longer used to it!"

"And a few years older with more injuries on your record and a longer history of abusing your upper body."

Krem frowned.

"... Are you calling me old?"

"You will always be a child to me," Bull assured him walking into the room just to start a day with a good breakfast and an impressive eye-roll from his favourite lieutenant.

"Thanks, chief."

Stitches would not be derailed.

"He's playing a dangerous game with his binding again."

"Now that sounds more like me than Krem."

"Leave him be," Rocky tuned in and now apparently it was an all-Chargers issue.

Just a usual mercenary business. Meet in the tavern's backroom for breakfast and talk shop so everyone stays updated. Chief just returned from three weeks long mission with the Inquisitor, Stitches needed volunteers to drag to the woods and collect herbs, they finally received the payment for their last job in Orlais, and oh, yeah, Krem was binding too tight and for too long.

"He came back after last training with the recruits panting like a dog, he could barely catch a breath."

"Oh, now I'm old and out of shape."

"Binding this tightly for the whole day while sparing and training recruits is just dangerous. Maker's breath, I'm your healer, not a nanny. You know this perfectly well. Either cut hours and take breaks for breathing or just skip full binding and keep the armour for..." Stitches finally lost the momentum of his rant and gestured vaguely with his hand, "You know."

"Aesthetics?" Rocky suggested helpfully making Grimm snicker.

"But his armour doesn't show off his ass," Skinner protested and Krem pointed at her happily seeing someone was finally on his side before he realized what she said.

"No, wait, what? That- That doesn't have anything to do with this."

"You're showing off and you know it."

"I- No!"

"For Maker's sake, you've shown off enough," grumbled Stitches. "Just tell him."

"Waiting for him to make a move might take a while," Dalish agreed sympathetically.

Krem carefully made sure not to look at the Iron Bull who was oddly quiet and his eye just kept moving between them, clearly catching on the developments he missed while he was stuck at Wounded Coast with the Inquisitor. Oh well, he came back with a Vint boyfriend from one of those trips. Let's see how he felt on the other end of that bargain.

Not that Krem had a boyfriend.

"It's not so easy and you very well know it."

"Sure it is," assured Stitches. "You go and say, hello handsome, do you like the look of me in this armour? I look even better without it and when I can actually breathe. - Wait can you actually speak that long once you're panting like a dog?"

"Stick to short sentences," advised Skinner.

"It's not that easy because he most likely doesn't like guys. And if he doesn't like guys then he won't like me. Or worse, he will like me despite not liking guys. And he might already know this or he might not know about me and he doesn't know why he likes me despite me being a guy and when he finds out it will be really awkward. Or maybe he does like guys and it will only be worse."

Finally, there was a moment of silence around the table.

"Going on a limb here, since I clearly missed a bit of foreplay, but is it possible you've been overthinking it a little, oh Krem de la Creme?"

"Absolutely not! I was very careful to overthink it A LOT."

Bull snorted and patted him on the back, careful to avoid any extra painful spots but paused quickly seeing how Krem tensed already and winced in pain. He just looked down at him and Krem sighed.

"I know, I know. I'll just wear armour today."

"And tell your boy you wanna do him over his desk," suggested Rocky.

"All in good time," assured Bull as Krem just threw cheese at the dwarf.

-

"Krem? A word?"

Krem ran a hand over his forehead, wiping off the sweat. He nodded, already moving towards Cullen who stood unobtrusively next to the training ground. Just Krem's luck to actually speak with the Commander when his armour didn't lay on him exactly as he would prefer. Logically he knew the soldiers would have to try hard to even notice but logic rarely was able to battle the tricks his mind tried to play on him. At least, he cheered himself, he had some breath to speak with.

"Commander?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were in good health, you seemed... unwell, yesterday."

Krem winced. So much for his aches and pains being easily managed and hidden.

"I'm fine," he assured, thinking fast and looking up at Cullen.

The man didn't seem worried like Stitches did, Stitches was a friend and a healer and knew better than anyone how far Krem could push his spine and ribs when he felt worse about his torso. Still, Cullen didn't look like a commanding officer annoyed that he will need to replace the man he talked with. He was frowning at Krem, his gaze focused and serious as if he was faced with the most important problem. As if it barely mattered if he was thinking the strategy to take on Corypheus' general or making sure Krem was alright.

Krem sighed, the whole daydreaming and overthinking could only go so far. And if Cullen turned out to be a dick about it, he could probably just knock him out on his ass. And if he couldn't, Chief would. It wouldn't do them any favours but Bull punched more important people for smaller offences. Krem squared down his shoulders, looking nonchalantly away as if it was just another calm chat they had leaning on the training rings' rails. Best techniques to train fresh recruits, tactics for fighting with and against mages, running training with your chest wrapped tightly enough to bruise...

"I overdid it a bit with binding my chest. Don't worry, I already had a talking to with Stitches... It was just a while since I was this close to being in the army, I think my old habits of trying extra hard came out." Cullen was blinking at him, clearly surprised and Krem bit down on a sigh and went for a reassuring smile instead. "Don't worry about it, Commander."

So much for the crush.

Cullen looked away from him as well. His hand going to his neck as he scratched it awkwardly.

"I-" he coughed. "Of course. I- We can also plan the training better, so you could have sufficient breaks."

"There's no need, I am perfectly capable-"

Cullen just raised his hand to silence him.

"I've no doubt. However training new recruits, while crucial to our cause, is not a task that cannot be scheduled in a better way. We may yet need you soon on a battlefield, I would rather not risk your abilities being limited then due to back pain or breathing issues."

Krem just stared, nodding slowly.

"It's a bit jarring how I went from being kicked out of the army for this," he said with a somewhat confused smile, "to having training rescheduled around me for my comfort. Templars get some special inclusiveness training or something?"

Cullen snorted, flashing him a smile. His hand clenched nervously around his swords handle.

"Hardly. Templars..." He paused and looked at Krem again as if he was trying to decide on what to say and looking for a suggestion. He sighed quietly and continued in a slightly lower voice: "Templars are not allowed to ask a healer to change their bodies in a major way until they're eighteen and completed their vows. There.... There's a lot of training before that."

He licked his lips nervously but his gaze never wavered from Krem, urging him to understand the unspoken implications. Krem nodded shortly, his eyes wide in surprise. He smiled brightly seeing the relief on Cullen's face. If any lingering recruits passed them and saw them smiling at each other silently for a long moment, they were smart enough to just keep walking.

[lunchador]

so when do we get the long post about your feelings about dragon age inquisition!!! i dunno if u wanna wait until dlc or not! i am i n t e r e s t e d (also its ok if u dont feel up to it im just!!!! again, interested in ur opinions/feelings)

kajsldkjf PLEASE I HAVE SO MANY DA FEELINGS ALL THE TIME and Inquisition was twice as long as the others so might as well do a word vomit now and I can always do another after the dlc (which several people have assured me are worth playing )

SO

Yeah so inquisition is long. I dislike open world games so a lot of the (super repetitive!!) side quests did grate on my nerves and that docks this game a few points but over all the LORE IS SO GOOD, and it tying in so many choices in from 1+2 is the greatest butterfly effect I ever experienced in video games. I thought telltale + Until dawn were fun for that but good LORD bioware has showed up all of those games and I am really stoked to try mass effect when its out later and play more bw games. I only played Anthem before this and that game seemed...idk, gutted against BW’s wishes.

ANYWAY

Yeah, I managed to go into the whole DA series knowing very, very little, despite how many artists I followed did fanart for it. Once I started playing, I added all the words I could think of to my blacklist but a lot of untagged stuff came through (fair, series is 10+ years old and inq is like what 4-5?). I allowed my friends to pressure me into playing an elf mage for the lore and to romance solas cuz they said he was as important to the story as alistair was. A lot of online followers said I should play how I wanted, which I def would recommend to anyone else, but honestly I can see where they came from and while he never would have been my first choice, I think he actually paired REALLY well with my Inq and how I was playing her. I put her as sensitive but trying to put her responsibility above herself, she was definitely the least funny of my 3 characters, but not incredibly serious. A bit reserved? Just more mature. She’s got faith but she didn’t think she was the chosen one but she’ll do her role the best of her ability. She makes hard decisions and then sobs her chest empty over them because how is one to ever feel like its the right one? I really like how the game lets you choose how you wanna approach the responsibility. Like i said, I wasn’t a reluctant chosen one, but she will do what she can. Versus my friend playing at the same time as me said he played as the second coming of jesus essentially lmfao Having so many characters come back for different roles was so GOOD!!! Like everyone told me Varric was in this one but were like ‘teehee you still cant romance him though’ but you how you play drastically changes your relationships with each person. Tons of characters I met I knew would be personal favorites but I ended up interacting way less because others were more fitting to my inquisitor. So i.e while I love Varric and would’ve smooched him a heartbeat with Hawke, I didn’t get that vibe with Clover. They were really good friends, he was a grounded friend with a sense of humor that was a good escape from everyone else and the ~inquisition~. At least, until the Beyond the Abyss quest. That obviously heavily fractured their friendship and hurt them both :( And i felt that for a long time, until the end. He looked tired. Poor guy is gonna be borderline dead in 4 at this point. But so many side characters you talk to coming back like Dagna and Samson??? Speaking of that quest, I got Stroud because, yeah...Alistair was dead for me and APPARENTLY IT COULD ALSO BE LOGHAIN??? If he stays a grey warden??  wish I did that so def would’ve preferred to save Hawke even if I think the wardens are more important as a concept but like.......i wanted to behead him, so....But yes even tiny details like..Varric wrote home to kirkwall to Carver for me because the rest of my family was dead and I never completed a full romance in 2 lkajslkdjf but the fact that changes based on your play through. BUT YEAH THE way this game weaves all your decisions in and how yeah, overall the story is the same but it makes it so personal to YOU and so different from everyone else ;w;

But I could see my Inq genuinely falling for Solas, and I see her best friends as Cassandra and Blackwall/Thom. Really close to Leliana and the Iron Bull as well. I just loved all their interactions. All the characters were so cool to get to know?? Like I thought I would’ve hated Cullen (hes a dick in O) and tbh I just got into the series as the VA was being a complete shit. But I liked him a lot!! I love the work buddies vibes between the Inq and the advisors. I thought I was going to love Sera!! And like, I did, but she hated my Inquisitor and their personalities clashed a lot. Shes the only one i didn’t get a cut scene for in the end :’) I loved coming back from story quests and having to take like 20 minutes to go around skyhold and make sure I talked to /everyone/ for their new dialogue. You genuinely feel connected to all these wonderful npcs ljkasljdf

I wanted to make Cassandra the new divine but I made leliana on accident and kinda dug it so I stuck with it. VARRIC IS THE NEW VISCOUNT??? h i l a r i o u s.

One of the things I loved the most in this game in particular, and while this is something in all of them it just really struck me in this one, was....everyone gave up so so much to devote themselves to the cause, y’know?? Like, it’s almost heartbreaking how much everyone loses and they’re still looking towards you with their belief and willingness to follow you to the end ;-;

The final fight almost felt, Idk, underwhelming? Dude dragons are way tougher than him asdkjhfkhjd. I even went up a difficulty in this game after feeling like I got the hang of the series. But at the same time, we just spend how many hours knocking down each and one of his advantages so fuck him lol.

But yeah there are so many things I wanted to do but I felt so worn out by mindless sidequests and story being level locked in comparison to the previous games. askdjhflkd

One of the things that blows my mind is so so many people were stoked i was playing DA and they couldn’t wait til I got to Inq, and so I find out most people I know only ever played Inquisition? TBH if I didn’t play O+2 I think I would’ve dropped inquisition and never finished it *shrug* all of the build up just means SO MUCH!!! Everyones argument seems to be the older games are ugly and yeah O has rough battle system but its easy to get over imo. Like, you need the chaos of 2 to get the real weight of the mage/templar stuff?? Theres so many characters and story and dialogue that go over your head without Origins?? Like yes inq can stand alone pretty well but, idk, I’m in love with this entire series and the world building and THE!! WAY!!! IT!!! ALL!!! CONNECTS!!!!!!!!!!!

I love how a quest can go differently by whos in your party, I love you can have more dialogue based on lore you’ve managed to pick up around, I love HOW COMPANIONS BICKERRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! The lore of these games are so good. It’s like playing an epic line of novels. It’s so immersive and I don’t think I’ve played too many games to this level.

I didn’t like the skill trees to being a mage in this one, Idk why. It wasn’t nearly as fun for me as 2, but then  again I really fucking liked being a force mage haha. I wanted to be a rogue to complete a diff class per game but everyone said mage brings a lot more interesting story/lore stuff so

but yeah I love having the full context now and seeing other peoples Wardens/Hawkes/Inquisitors and asking people how they played and how their options differed from mine and THERES JUST SO MANY POSSIBLE DECISION TREES!!!!! No wonder the fans play over and over.

but yeah ultimately so much fucking happened?? I’m probably missing a lot of key points.

[tevinterdays]

mentioned in tags of a previous post but (partially because of the intermittently mentioned person who got me into dragon age and enforced their opinions on my experience) i did not really give a shit about solas in the least until like. last month. after getting into DA over a year ago. recognized sure he's probably an objectively well done character bc I trust Weekes and I've heard people say so but whatever, I'm just gonna dunk on the eggman and pay attention to nothing about him (I'm still gonna dunk on the eggman until I die. no one is undunkable.) to the point where after trespasser i remembered little enough of it to be able to come away with "he could have been lying and just set everything up for it"

for some reason when I (f i n a l l y) finished reading TME last month I came away from it being interested in Solas. he's referenced through fables about fen'harel several times and implicitly appears in the epilogue and ends felassan's career, but that's it. that's his only presence in the book. my best guess is that I needed to redirect my love for felassan and for Weekes' writing and Solas is certainly one way to go about that (throughout the book I thought "this dude would be so perfect for a da4 feature. why is no one talking about that. something happens, doesn't it" and then something did happen) (this directly relating to the theory i was rbing giving me Life)

i played trespasser for my second ever time shortly after finishing TME and actually paid attention with all of that in mind. it helped that i'd played the other games and retained a lot more of the lore, too. on the one hand, I have fully lost my capacity for being an evanuris denier and just going "fen'harel made this up he's literally the god of deceit," which leaves me more concretely mad at bw in general for more "the oppressed are only oppressed because of themselves, actually" bs, processing that there's no wiggle room on it and it's not just questionable presentation and interpretation of events.

on the other hand. I'm now more invested and solas has joined my list of controversial characters I care about and he actually won that inquisitor over to his side inasmuch as is possible, even when they'd never gotten along until that point because I only play elfy elves and solas is a DICK about the dalish.

my dunking can now be complete and multifaceted. man caused pretty much every problem, but damned if he isn't well written, and apparently i am invested in him now. would also like to give credit to the 2 folks i follow who make m!solavellan content who definitely played a part in that

big part of why he escaped my notice was also because soooo much of the content surrounding him is (f!)solavellan which is pretty consistently waifish young blonde or white haired blue-eyed elf who's malleable and tragic with a power imbalance. it's honestly the single dragon age ship with the most content, and one of the single dragon age things generally with the most content in the whole fandom. and for obvious reasons those iterations of it are really not something I'm here for.

this has been my stupid personal solas ramble

[fandomn00blr]

It’s Thursday again! And boy howdy do I have lots of things that I should have thrown away a long time ago. Tagging @funkypoacher​ again, because we have an understanding 😉. Also tagging eranehn@parera-zuul-jar​​, @zuendwinkel​, @johaeryslavellan​, @convenientcoma​, @grumpkinvicky​, @serial-chillr​, @paraparadigm​, @cartadwarfwithaheartofgold​​, @factorykat​​, @pinkfadespirit​​, @barbex​​, @ginnyq​​, @lostinfantasies38​, @elveny​, @kunstpause​, and anyone else who has something that they never finished or cut from a WIP but couldn’t quite get rid of! Feel free to use the banner if you want! 

I dug way deep this week, to the very first DA fic-type thing I ever wrote down (and have subsequently never shared with anyone because it’s just that good). I may have mentioned before that I started playing Dragon Age games when I was pregnant (now it’s a theme, I guess), and I started with Inquisition, so I apologize to the entire fandom for what I’m about to share... 

Without further ado, here’s a fade-preggo SolAdaar/SerAdaar? baby shower situation at Skyhold (under a cut because I warned you...also, it’s pretty long):

“I know that I am incredibly popular now that I am the size of my own war nug, but at least one of you has to shove off and mingle before Josephine throws a fit.”

Solas only reinforced his dutiful stance at Adaar’s side, planting his feet, and clasping his hands together behind him, looking as immovable as a statue in his determination to stay.

“Hey, I’m following the rules for once. I’m on the schedule! At least, I think…” Sera turned pleadingly toward Dorian.

“Oh, but I really wanted to be a part of this adorable love triangle...er, quadrangle?” He winked at Solas, who met this gesture with the same stoney glare. “Very well, then. If you need me, I’ll just be entertaining your guests in the library upstairs.”

As Dorian strode away from them to break up some of the group of Orlesians that had surrounded Cullen, an unfamiliar masked visitor approached.

“Inquisitor Adaar, may I introduce myself? I was expecting a formal pronouncement in the reception hall, as is the custom in Orlesian society, but I see this is not Orlais.”

Sera made no attempt to hide her eye roll as she let out a loud audible sigh. Solas tensed slightly at his accusatory tone, but his facial expression remained unchanged as he stared out over the hall.

“I am sorry you were disappointed, friend. What is your name and your relationship to the Inquisition?” Adaar was the only one of them who even pretended to have any manners. Such was the burden she had to bear, she supposed, as she felt the other burden kicking at her insides.

“Oh, another unfamiliar custom, but I will take it as an honor that you call me your ‘friend.’ My name is Etienne de Beaulieu. My family was one of the first that Lady Montilyet asked to aid your cause in the Exalted Plains after Haven fell.”

“Well then, you are indeed a friend to the Inquisition. Thank you.”

“Excuse my boldness, Inquisitor, but perhaps you can settle a great mystery circulating throughout the lands.”

“Probably not. Solving mysteries is really not one of my skills.”

“This mystery pertains almost exclusively to you.”

“Even more reason I probably won’t be able to solve it!” She laughed, trying to mask her discomfort as the thing inside her did some kind of somersault into her bladder. How many knees and elbows could it possibly have?

This was, of course, not how these conversations were meant to go according to the extensive books on Orlesian etiquette that Josephine had provided her. Again, she found she just didn’t care. Her house, her rules, after all.

The other man, however, seemed perplexed that she was not willing to answer his questions with questions and go round and round until they both believed that the other had confirmed what the other had wanted to hear without actually saying anything.

“Well, I…”

“Oh just ask her your friggin question!” Sera blurted out.

“This is quite a departure from what I am used to.”

“I’m sorry, Etienne. But you will find that we are all quite terrible at the art of Orlesian conversation here. Please, just tell me, what do you want to know?”

“Well, there are many rumors, many speculations.”

“About?” Solas was growing impatient with this conversation as well, especially once he realized where it was headed.

“The parentage of the...child...growing inside of the Inquisitor.”

Solas shot Adaar a quick look, as if to warn her to be careful about her answer or retreat entirely from the conversation. Maybe she would need to use some of her conversation lessons, after all.

“Parentage? Well, I am clearly the mother.” She chuckled again, though it sounded far more strained this time. She didn’t know whether or not to play coy, pretend she didn’t know, or to turn and embrace Solas and loudly declare him the father of their mysterious Fade baby right there in front of the whole hall to dispel any other possible speculations.

As if he could read her mind, he shook his head just enough for her to notice, a thin smile across his lips as his eyes continued to stare out in front of him.

“Many fear that it could be the Tevinter Altus you have taken as a companion.”

This broke the spell of uncertainty that had suddenly made her pause and she burst out into deep, genuine laughter. This young, inexperienced nobleman had just given her the perfect out.

“Ah, Dorian Pavus? He is of high standing within the Imperium. Would the Orlesian nobility object to this match?”

Sera was pretending to puke behind her, an effective discourse strategy that somehow was not mentioned in any of the Orlesian handbooks she had read.

“I believe it would be quite the scandal, Inquisitor, to have the spiritual figurehead of the Inqusition, a Qunari at that, matched with a Tevinter of any standing,” he explained with the condescending patience of one who thought he was speaking to an imbecile. “But then, we hear other rumors, too...”

“Well, you may find the answers you seek in the Library, Monsieur de Beaulieu, but for now, I must bid you adieu.” Adaar felt the sudden petty rush of winning, however unconventionally, this small part of The Game, and her attempt at an ‘adieu’ was a bold show of chutzpah. Plus, it rhymed.

“Not that it’s important in the least, but it’s pronounced, ‘ad-yoo’...” He dared to try to get the last word with a pronunciation lesson? He truly was new to this.

“‘Frig you, nob!’ is how I actually pronounce it,” Sera announced, rather loudly, moving towards the nobleman menacingly.

He took a few steps back, realizing this was as much as he was going to get from the Inquisitor on this matter, and Solas shook his head at them, a broader smile creeping across his face as he looked down at Adaar’s swelling ankles.

“It is natural that they are curious, but I think you were wise not to declare the truth in front of everyone,” he murmured, once Sera had chased the man out of earshot.

“I wouldn’t have --” Adaar began to protest, but Solas turned and tilted his head at her with that infuriating smugness. “Aren’t you supposed to be getting me some cake?!” she demanded.

[bluekaddis]

You almost mentioned Cullen as the best written character, but tbh he is written quite bad, his abuse and hate is never confronted in Inquisition and he is made victim by narrative, while he was the very problem why Chantry sucks. Even his fans admit that. He is mostly liked because of romance.

Ugh.

I was waiting for that moment when admitting I like Cullen’s character and story arc will bite me in the ass.

TL; DR (for those who don’t want to get through my long rant) 

Let everyone enjoy any characters/romances/game choices they want. I have my reasons for having Cullen as a fav DA character and liking his story arc and I don’t think there are more problems with writing of his character than the majority of other companions in DA games. 

Full answer below

First of all – I don’t want to argue that everyone should like or dislike the same elements of fiction as I do – it would be stupid. We all have different tastes, like different character archetypes and have varying opinions on what makes a good story. I’m trying to keep my blog character positive and unless someone asks me directly to share my opinion on a certain character or plot element I prefer keeping my critique to myself. I also don’t feel entitled to confront fans who, in their own posts, state they find Cullen boring, unredeemable or overrated, even if I personally disagree with all these statements. 

If your ask, anon, stated the words “i think” or “in my opinion” I wouldn’t probably bother with such a lengthy answer, HOWEVER, you write your personal opinion like it was an objective statement, like you were in position to tell me how I should view the certain character. What did you expect, that I would suddenly realize “oh crap, NOW I see that a character and plot I had liked for my 200 hours of gameplay is actually bad, I was just too stupid to notice it!”.

Haha, no.

So, let’s go through your comment.

“tbh he is written quite bad”

In. Your. Opinion. There are people who don’t like Cullen’s character development. Some like the general idea but would make some changes if they could. Others (like me) don’t have problem with his story arc and just like to add some headcanons to fill the gaps.

It is understandable that when years pass between games, fans have time to develop their opinions and wishes of what they’d like to see. And because none of them actually writes the story it is very easy to feel disappointed and say “well, I would do it better (= my way)”. But the truth is - your way is not necessary a better way. It may be the case that “your version” would be even more hated by the fandom. Some opinions are just more popular than others and therefore may seem like they are objective but it’s an illusion. A well designed pool, with large sample size and good statistics may be objective. Opinions, on the other hand, are like farts – you always think yours are less stinky than the others’ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But I digress.

Yes, I think Cullen is a well written character and yes, I like his story arc. Cullen’s redemption works for me because I see it not as much about atonement for his actions as for his lack of action.

Let me explain.

Anti-Cullen fans tend to assume that he personally did a lot of atrocities, but when you look not at fandom assumptions but at his actual actions we see in games or WoT, you can see that he caused most evil by not doing shit.

He should have protected the mages.

He didn’t.

He should have questioned Meredith’s actions.

He didn’t.

He should have noticed she’s going mad.

He didn’t .

He should have stopped her before she evoked the Rite.

He didn’t.

He was very passive and basically let either Meredith or Hawke make all the choices for him. If he let Meredith decide – people died. If he listened to Hawke (based on player’s choices) he voted for whatever Hawke had proposed.

Why was he behaving like that? Probably because he had lost faith in his own judgment so he put all the responsibility on authority figures (Templar Order and Chantry teachings). Cullen’s core motivation throughout all games was to protect people and it never changes. What changes is his belief of what methods are moral or necessary to achieve that goal and whether he, as an individual, should be in a position to decide it.

In Inquisition Cullen does the opposite. He is a workaholic. He makes his own decisions (leaves Kirkwall, stops taking lyrium) and takes full responsibility for them. He doesn’t follow his leader blindly but openly states his own opinions and advice (whether they are correct or wrong is another topic). He gets really furious when someone in position of power lie to or sacrifice people under their command (like in case of Samson or Rainier). Finally, he dedicates his life, health, skills, basically everything, for a cause - to stop the war that can be blamed mostly on his former organisation, without complaint or asking for forgiveness.

And I love that aspect of his character.

In Inquisition Cullen is still a work in progress. He tries his best but his templar past comes back sometimes - and it’s good. If he was completely free of his biases, it would be damn unnatural. 

I would never say that Cullen is a flawless ray of sunshine. He can be stubborn, biased, narrow-minded, hypocritical, bitter, aggressive and vengeful. But guess what – so can all the other characters. That’s why they are interesting.

“his abuse and hate is never confronted in Inquisition”

It is, at least for the standards of this particular game. DA:I doesn’t have full developed friendship-rivalry mechanics like DA:2 and you can’t even get approval points from advisors. The Inquisitor basically has far less options to condemn the Inner Circle’s actions or change their worldviews than Hawke (you don’t really argue with Dorian about slavery or with Iron Bull about Saarebas or Reeducators either).

But even if the Inquisitor has limited dialogue options to confront Cullen’s actions directly, Cullen himself brings the topic to the player. Cullen’s dialogue and actions in DA:I show that

he is ashamed of the person he became after Uldred’s uprising    

he knows he needs to atone for his actions and he wants to work for it

but doesn’t really believe he can fully atone for what he did

supports the reform of the Chantry, Templar Order and Circles rather than agreeing to their traditional methods

That man already hates himself, give him some rest.

And if you still think he needs an extra punishment for his crimes - Cullen is actually one of only 3 companions/advisors in DA:I whose life you can literally ruin through your choices (the other two being Blackwall and Iron Bull). If your Inky thinks that Cullen’s actions are unredeemable and he deserves nothing better than to forever be chained to the templar life he has chosen as a kid - they can order him to take lyrium again. For me it’s a heartless and morally wrong choice, but anyone can play their game however they want.

„he is made victim by narrative”

Ok, that part really bothers me. Are you saying that it is a bad thing that a narrative treats a person who has been physically, mentally and sexually abused for weeks as a victim of that abuse? Or encourages empathy towards a character fed drugs, manipulation and propaganda? Acknowledging Cullen’s PTSD doesn’t automatically result in ignoring or diminishing traumas and abuse that happened to Anders, Carl or any other character. Empathy doesn’t have to be reserved to people you personally agree with, just saying.

„he was the very problem why Chantry sucks.”

I’d say he was an example showing why Chantry sucks. A symptome, not a cause. Chantry benefits only high ranking members of that intitution + some nobles and rich dudes. Mages are abused and denied most of the rights because of the Chantry. Templars are drugged and brainwashed because of the Chantry. Common folk can’t freely benefit from things like healing magic because of the Chantry. Non-humans are treated like heretics and barbarians - because of the Chantry. The Chantry, as we see at the beginning of DA:I is a corrupt, powerful institution that has forsaken almost all ideals it had been built upon and desperately needs a reform. Everyone can see that. I have NEVER met any fan who said „yeah, Circles, Templar Order, the Chantry – they were perfectly alright, no need to change lol”. Same goes to characters labelled by fandom as pro-Chantry (like Cassandra, Cullen or Vivienne). They all see that major changes must be done, they just believe the reformation is better than abolition.

„Even his fans admit that.”

Some, yes. Others don’t have a problem with his arc. Personally I don’t think there are many Cullen fans that would agree with every single point you made.

„He is mostly liked because of romance.”

Um, no. The reason why the game developers even bothered with making Cullen a romance option in DA:I is that he was already quite liked and popular among fans, despite being just a secondary character. I’d agree that the romance plot made Cullen even more popular, especially among players who didn’t play previous games, but it is wrong to assume that the only reason people enjoy his character is because he’s a pretty boy. I played the games in order and Cullen was one of my fav characters in DA2 - I just like paragon anti-villains with redemption potential. Fight me. 

To conclude this overly long rant - I’m generally under impression that some DA fans tend to point certain aspects of Cullen’s character and story as “stupid excuses made by Bioware and fans to redeem a son of the bitch” and then use almost exactly the same arguments to defend their own favs. It’s the topic for maybe another discussion, but I think it’s a good thing to confront your own biases sometimes.

P.S. I also recommend watching this video about writing redemption arcs. Just for fun.

I rest my case. 

(thanks, Ania, for the high quality picture to sum up my feelings)

[vitosscaletta]

da :))))

ty sexy I’ll do dai because it’s the one I recently played (even though it’s the worst loool)

otp🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 I dunno I don’t really do shipping except my ocs/canon characters (or a few other people’s)… I wanna say Inquisitor/C*llen (cause thats the only romance I’ve ever done &  ik he’s a cursed character and I don’t trust like anyone else with that pairing but I’m still weirdly attached to it) but I also love inquisitors who are paired with Blackwall, Cass or Sera those are neat!

favourite canon pairinghmmm maybe Sera/Dagna? Like I said idc about canon/canon but they have rights

worst pairing everCelene/Briala 🤢 idk if people just didn’t read the novel (in which case I understand bc that shit is not in the game) or just choose to ignore what happened?? In any case Celene is dead and Briala is in love with my Marquise of Serault!!! clink clink bitch!

guilty pleasure pairingnone lol

a pairing you want to see moreomg I don’t fuck with the fandom for obvious reasons but I remember there not being a lot of Cass/inquisitor content which is a shame.. I also love ppl shipping their characters with non romancable characters so 

that pairing everyone likes but you’re like “lol no”kjfdkjf Sorry but… So/lavellan. No offense to people who like it or anything, I can see the appeal and i kinda like the potential that it has?? It’s just not my cup of tea and his lines kinda make me cringe :( I’d also personally pair him off with an older Lavellan who’s as educated in elven lore/magic shit or other subjects as he is but that’s just me!!Also similarly the whole C*llen/Inquisitor gang back when the game released… I really like the potential that it has but the way everyone was writing it is soooo bad… actually that includes Bioware too omfg I’ll never forgive them for that “could you care for a mage :(” line JHXHJDJ I HATE IT SO MUCH!!!!! I’m all for inquisitors who romance him but call him out on his bs! (Or those who don’t romance him but still call him out yknow).. also again, I’d personally pair him off with a different character than the fandom norm shy & sheltered circle mage lol

favorite non-romantic pairOmG i love the inquisitor & Vivienne’s (potential) friendship it’s so sweet wtf!!?? She sadly hates my inquisitor nkjkfd but I think her friendship scenes are very cute!!!!

[dragon-age-companions-speak]

Heyo! Found this delightful little page surfing for more DA content (again; thanks trailer) and thought I'd try an ask! Could I request reactions of all the DA:I companions to an Inquisitor that has been nothing but focused and serious about the whole thing just suddenly finding the cutest random object (like an abandoned music box) and going completely fan girl/boy over it for a few moments before remembering they're not alone? Thank you much and looking forward to your work!

Sent in by @bottastic0201 !!

((Oof, I deviated a bit from the ask, hope you don't mind! Also didn't include Blackwall cause I don't know his character to well yet as I never really had him as part of my party. Not to fear, he will be added later on!))

Cassandra: After the demon fight at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, Cassandra always had a certain respect for the Inquisitor, despite their poor first impressions. They took the Inquisition's cause very seriously, and were focused on closing the Breach perhaps even more so than she was. Of course, that didn’t stop the Seeker from at least chuckling at the sight of the Inquisitor fawning over a fancy little elven music box they found when exploring Skyhold, tucked away in some corner long covered in dust. They were exploring the lover levels of the grand fortress together, though Cassandra guessed they forgot she was even there whenever they spotted the little thing. It was made out of a black, sleek wood, and covered in carvings of wolves and halla with golden accents for the wolves’ eyes and the halla’s horns. Cassandra cleared her throat, arms crossed over her chest and a light smile playing at her lips. “Found something you like, Inquisitor?” The blush that crept onto their face was worth the little tease, and she had to promise them not to tell any of the others. If this little scene did manage to make it into one of Varric’s new books, she certainly wasn’t the one who told him.

Varric: Varric had to say that, in his time of both writing and following heroes, the Inquisitor was probably the most… Efficient one the dwarf had encountered. Sure, being driven to save the world from becoming ass deep in demons and corrupted with red lyrium was certainly commendable, though he did find himself missing Hawke’s snarky comebacks and sassy remarks. The Inquisitor was a serious leader, and didn’t usually humor his, well, humor. However, whenever the two stumbled across a little gold and white painted music box in a random part of the ass end of nowhere and the Inquisitor let out a little squeal at the sight, the dwarf couldn’t help but laugh. “Really, Stiffy? That’s what cracks you? A music box?” His gruff voice reminded the Inquisitor of his presence, and the blush of embarrassment that followed just made the dwarf grin. When they asked him to keep this little scene out of his book, all they got in return was a wider grin and a wink.

Solas: Before this little incident, Solas had a pretty neutral opinion of the Inquisitor. They were focused and did their assigned role well, and he couldn’t complain much about their serious demeanor. To be the Inquisitor was a hard task, and he understood what they had to carry on their shoulders and the face they had to put on for nobles and pretty courts. After all, he had the same weight on his shoulders, as well as a face of his own. Unlike a few of the more boisterous companions the Inquisitor has taken under their metaphorical wing, Solas doesn't interrupt them whenever they spot a charming little Dalish themed music box while combing through the Exalted Plains. He watches them fawn over the little wooden thing, running their fingers over the raven and bear carvings all over its surface. They pouted slightly once they realized the small box no longer played music, the handle broken and the gears inside probably long since rusted, and placed the pretty thing into their bag. “Shall we move on then, Inquisitor?”If this is after his personal quest ‘All New, Faded for Her’, and they tried to help his corrupted friend, the Inquisitor will find a new music box on the desk in their quarters. It is covered with delicate little designs of wolves and elves, obviously drawn by Solas’ hand, and when it’s golden handle is turned it plays a lovely tune that the Inquisitor is humming for days afterwards.

Sera: First impressions of the Inquisitor? A stuck up nob with too many sticks up their back-end mouth. They’re not fun to joke with, absolutely no help in pranking, and don’t appreciate a good bee nest inside of a training dummy. Sure, being serious was good and all, and being focused on what you want to do is fine, though Sera finds herself a little aggravated with them after a short time. Unlike most of the others, she was not exploring with the Inquisitor when she spotted them gushing over some slightly beat up doll in the middle of Redcliffe, though she was planning on pranking them with a good pie. However, whenever she spotted them holding the doll with the cheesiest smile on their face, cradling the small thing against their chest, Sera almost couldn’t handle it. She almost fell off of the roof she was spying on them from because of laughing so hard, which, or course, startled the Inquisitor to no end, and instead of being embarrassed they were almost terrified at the quirky elf’s barking laughter. “A doll?! You’re just putting me on, right? It’s a doll and you’re smiling at it like it’s just watered your damn crops!” Sera spoke in between laughing, and in the end, her pie ended up ruined all over the roof as she jumped down to the Inquisitor’s level. It becomes a constant thing she teases the Inquisitor about, and it’s not long before the rest of the Inner Circle knows.

Dorian: Dorian is not an unreasonable man. All he wants is a nice glass of wine in the morning, some decent fucking literature, and an Inquisitor who at least humors his jester personality just a tad more than the current one does. They dismiss any of his playful flirting and sarcastic comments, and suddenly that one glass of wine turns into two. It’s not that he minds them being extremely driven- Far from it, actually, though he wished that their devotion also came with a little sense of humor. So one can imagine how unimaginably pleased the ‘Vint was whenever they came across a pretty little mabari figurine at the Winter Palace. They were supposed to be looking for some halla statues or something to open a door in their way, and instead, found a golden painted dog in one of the guest rooms. While Dorian thought it would be more fitting to find in Ferelden, the Inquisitor was overly pleased to have found it at all. The dog had a golden chain attached to it, and it wasn’t long before it was around the Inquisitor’s neck and they were standing in front of the best mirror they could find to see how it looked. “I personally think drakestone would suit you better. Really brings out your eyes.”Dorian spoke casually as he stepped behind the Inquisitor, looking at their reflection in the mirror as they nearly screamed at his. The flushed look on their face and wide eyes were more than enough of a reward for his teasing, and he spent a lot of their time left at the Palace making similar comments.

Vivienne: Similar to Solas, Vivienne’s initial reaction to the Inquisitor was pretty neutral. They were serious in the work that they did and driven to rid the world of this nightmare, so she had a certain respect for them for taking the role as leader of the Inquisition in stride. She didn’t have a problem with their serious demeanor, and it made speaking to them much more tolerable than speaking to someone like Cole or Sera, who were either too cryptic or too aggravating to understand. Whenever they did find a little pretty trinket and the Inquisitor all but gushed over it, she found it almost charming. A powerful, grand person of power absolutely fawning over a wooden doll was almost unbelievable, yet here they were. They were shopping in Val Royeaux when the Inquisitor spotted the doll, and Vivienne felt a little pity for them. After all, the Inquisition’s money was always tight, and a doll was seemingly worthless in the grand scheme of their cause. With a gentle sigh, Vivienne stepped forwards and bought the wooden thing with her own money, which rewarded her with another smile from the Inquisitor. “No need to thank me, my dear. Do keep that out of Sera’s reach, though. I fear she may end up breaking it.”While it was nice to have a devoted leader, they still needed their reasons to smile. Vivienne was many things, and cruel wasn’t one of them. Bluntly honest? Maybe. But never cruel.

Iron Bull: Having a serious leader such as the Inquisitor was somewhat of a change for The Iron Bull. Having been with his boys for so long took away a lot of the seriousness from his own personality, so it was a bit of a difficult transition. They didn’t seem to care for his beautifully crafted puns and endearing nicknames, and was nothing but straight to the point when invited to drink with him and his boys. Bull understood that certain jobs needed to be taken with a certain amount of committedness, though it was a bit of a damper whenever they didn’t respond to a joke or laugh at his foolish nicknames. So, whenever his favorite ‘Vint and lieutenant Krem made a stuffed nug for the Inquisitor to hopefully lighten their mood, Bull was the one to volunteer to give it to them. He brought it to them right after him and the Inquisitor slayed their first dragon together as a ‘congratulations’ for the kill. They eyed the nug carefully before taking it away from Bull, giving him a curt ‘Thank you’ before closing the door to their quarters. He was a little disappointed with their reaction, as he knew Krem would be, though before he left he heard the most suspicious of noises from inside of the Inquisitor’s room. He grinned as he realized the Inquisitor was squealing over their gift, and he swore he could hear them speaking to the stuffed nug as well. “I’ll tell Krem you liked his gift!”Bull called through the door, and the sudden silence was enough to make him laugh. He brought the good news to his boys (And Varric), and they drank over a good kill and finally being able to know what makes the Inquisitor tick.

Cole: Cole didn’t know what to think of the Inquisitor at first. They were bright- Even without the mark they were bright and blinding and good. He didn’t really understand why Sera and some of the others got aggravated at them whenever they were so devoted to sealing the Breach and helping people. He knew they didn’t laugh as much as the others did, but it was only because they didn’t know when to laugh.She grins, a joke meant to be laughed at and shared, but they don’t. An odd look, then embarrassed, but it’s too late to do what they were meant to do, and the joke is ruined.It brings him joy when they find the music box Solas left for them because it makes them happy. It sings a song belonging to skulls and paints a story they don’t know, but they still love it.Winding, winding until it’s wound and sings. It’s so like him, so strange yet so harmonious, like a wolf howling to the sun. How long did it take him? Days, weeks? So pretty yet so tedious- Have to thank him later. Cole doesn’t interrupt them, and instead, watches passively as they hold the box in their lap and hum along to it, the stress of their day melting as the music plays.

[agendratum]

okay so i just spent a really long time looking though all my old notebooks in order to find my notes on coming up with names for my dragon age characters, because i thought that remembering the logic i used for them might help me come up with a rook's name that would be more natural for my world state. and in the process i discovered several things:

a. it is NOT easy to find something specific like that in my notebooks. i kind of remembered how the page where the names were written on looked (i was wrong), but i didn't remember the exact year. and for context i have been leading some kind of a diary/journal since literally the day i learnt how to write. and i still have all of them. yes, after high school diaries mostly transformed into bullet journals, and after i dropped out those transformed into notebooks for anything and everything with no system other than dates, but i never stopped actually having a notebook. which is also where most of my creative drafts are

b. i very rarely wrote years on my notebooks. dates always. years - FOR SOME REASON NOT

c. i have two places where i keep my journals, apparently. and i didn't sort them chronologically very well

d. there are A LOT of notes on some creative ideas i had in the past that i have no idea what they mean now at all. what if i was cooking back then......

this is where i slowly started to find my da notes, thank god. read more to spare your dashes, but by god i'm noting my discoveries down

so first of all i discovered, which is something i forgot about, that i was trying to come up with a full name for ruth, my warden. because at some point i thought that ruth, the name i originally came up with, didn't sound very elven, so it had to be a nickname for an actual full name

well, i didn't exactly come up with ruth. i guess it wasn't long after i read fried green tomatoes, and when the game asked me for a name, i probably looked back at my bookshelf, thought, HEY the old time lesbians book! and named my warden after one of them lesbians from the book

so my notes on her full name are....

first of all, i looked at this and was like, what was the fucking reference. i had no idea. didn't feel like some dragon age inspired elven language, but i filed this for later research, cause i still haven't found others' names

second of all, i don't know how i feel about this "final" full name. not surprised i forgot i even had this thought process. but let's just say this is non canon. and besides, considering she's trans, that would make even more sense that her name is just ruth. that is her name that she chose and it doesn't matter much if she had any other names before that. that is all left behind, if not in her clan's memory, than in that cursed mirror

moving on i found the pages where i was making my hawke's name

so i just, while writing this, realised what happened. i think back then i was still mad you can only play as a human in da2 (listen i was yet to find out da2 is one of the best games ever made) so i was trying to headcanon my hawke as a half elf and make him a name that would reference his "elven" name. i don't think it makes any sense, there is not a single elf in amell's family (who i learnt a lot about today, while scrolling da wiki again). but yeah, his elven name was tariam? and that in human was tarjei

i will decree this also non canon. he's just tarjei, it's fine.

then i found the notes on my first, now also non canon, inquisitor, lavellan, who things didn't work out with

i do think corriro is a fun name tho, i'm happy with it

but once again, i used the same mysterious reference for elven names. what the fuck is this. anyway, i tried googling what i might have looked for back then, and i think i found exactly that. it was a pikabu (russian reddit basically) post from 10 years ago with a guide on how to make elven names, where op gave a link to their source, which was a post from 2010 made on one of them text roleplaying forums that i used to love so much (i mean i never rped on this one specifically but still the nostalgia)

links for my personal peace of mind:

pikabu post - https://pikabu.ru/story/yelfiyskie_imena_mozhet_komu_interesno_budet_1690760

rp forum - http://elfs.f-rpg.me/viewtopic.php?id=6

still no actual source given to what elven language this all is referencing. tolkien maybe?? idk, but not dragon age's elven that is for sure

and then i found one little note from january 2019, when my canon inquisitor, kehaar, was born, that just listed all my canon names again: ruth, tarjei, kehaar. with no notes on how kehaar's name was made. thanks me

overall, idk if this will help me come up with rook's name. especially since rook would be growing up in rivain, not in ferelden, and not with dalish elves. BUT fun journey

i need to sort my belongings oh my god

[dent-de-leon]

Hi Leo! I'm curious, can you tell me about Dragon Age?

AJSKSDJSKFSG THIS IS PROBABLY LIKE A 3 HOUR CONVERSATION IF YOU GET ME STARTED, BUT REAL QUICK:

Dialogue heavy, story driven RPG where you are a Chosen Hero (or Unfortunate Bastard of Circumstance) and gather allies 

You can build up friendship with party members and even romance some of them. Shoutout to all my love interests that left me…I cry about a new elf or mage ex every time a new game comes out…

The combat’s fun!!! I’m especially partial to playing a mage in DA2 and Inquisition–this will also heavily impact the story cause mages and mage rights and lots of other plot based stuff,,, 

You can be a snarky smartass and in DA2 that’s my whole personality 

Real quick basic plot summaries for each of the main three games:

Dragon Age Origins: Nightmarish creatures called Darkspawn exist. And rarely, they manifest in one huge plague known as the Blight that consumes everything in its path. Like in Inquisition, you can choose your race and background. But here, you actually get to play out your origin story, hence the title. You eventually end up whisked away from your home to become a Grey Warden, honored–and cursed–heroes that are specially trained to end Blights. As it happens, you and another junior Grey Warden end up being the only Wardens left in the country, so you’ve gotta figure out everything you never got to learn in your (x1) day on the job, gather allies, lead a war-torn country, and maybe pet your dog. 

Dragon Age 2: You can only be a human. However, class does still play a huge role. And in this case, whether or not you’re a mage will determine so much of how your journey plays out, as this game is entirely about mage vs templar politics (mages aren’t trusted to control their power, so they’re guarded in towers by templars, it’s a whole thing). As a way to balance team mechanics, whether or not you’re a mage will also determine which younger sibling your Hawke gets to keep (iM REALLY SORRY BETHANY,,). You are Hawke, and your day just keeps getting worse. You’re one of the refugees fleeing the country that got devoured by the Blight in DAO. You’re just trying to get by in this hellhole of a city. Reluctant hero gets plunged into the heart of all their city’s problems until the whole place is torn to pieces. Try and protect your family–or whatever’s left of it–and hope you trust your friends enough to forgive them. I always saw DA2 as being as much about your companions as your PC, so really pay attention to them. I also think a lot of this game is about redemption and whether or not someone deserves it, ect. Also, Fenris did nothing wrong and I’d die for him. 

Dragon Age Inquisition: Rifts into this thing called the “Veil” that lead to a magic world known as the “Fade” are torn open. And by unfortunate happenstance, you end up receiving a mark on your hand that is slowly eating away at you–but is also the only thing that can seal the rifts. People from across the lands look to you for help as their supposedly chosen savior because of this, and you are heralded by the dominant religion as such–though opinions of this will vary if you’re not their ideal candidate, as in,, not human, a mage, ect. You can choose to bask in your newfound glory or publicly denounce that some god has fuck all anything to do with it. Either way, you become the leader of an Inquisition and have entire armies at your disposal. Also Cole is so good and I’m still crying over him. 

DAO AND DA2 ARE!!! HARSH!! WITH CONSEQUENCES!! You can absolutely get party members accidentally killed. You can also commit absolute atrocities against them. DA2 is especially unforgiving with this because you can end up automatically losing people if you don’t have their approval high enough based on their personal allegiances. But like, Inquisition is really forgiving. None of the party members can die, but they can ditch you. Which is Fair 

Inquisition is probably the easiest game to get right into. Aspects of DAO just haven’t aged well and the combat’s so much more tedious for me. DA2 and DAI have much better combat systems, but I think DAI feels a lot more like a traditional “DA” type high fantasy game. There’s also lots of different places to explore as opposed to being confined to one city and such and you get into lots of really different lore with throwbacks to the older games. DA2 is also, uhhhh….depressing,, like, I love it and replayed the hell out of it, but the ending isn’t that big triumphant hurrah or happy comfort you get in DAI (and in endings for DAO). So yeah, I think if you just want a glance at DA, you can try out Inquisition. 

DA2 is treated as the ugly black sheep of the franchise but it’s the Best story so that’s that on that. Also, Hawke is by far my character I’m most attached to. Warden is badass and legendary and Inquisitor was fun but,, I dunno,, Hawke was just very different and personal. They weren’t leading an army or anything, they were just trying to get by and I kinda liked that 

If you’re playing Inquisition I hope you like elves (i love them lmao) but yeah it’s huge on ancient elf lore!! If you’re playing an elf you might be more into that 

COLE IS MY BOY IF YOU PLAY INQUISITION PLS TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIM HE’S A GOOD GHOST BOY AND I WOULD DIE FOR HIM

There’s also a fair bit of lgbt rep, though there is some discussion as to whether or not it’s as progressive or representative as people would like, but, real quick on potential relationships for your PC: There are 2 bi romance options in the first game. Every romance option but an added DLC character is bi in the second game. The third game’s romance options include a gay man, a lesbian, two bi characters, and a pan character. And of course there are characters that are queer beyond just the romanceable NPC’s. Krem, for instance, is one of the only trans characters in a video game I’ve ever seen that isn’t treated like a joke and is a fully dimensional character where that part of their identity isn’t shoved under the rug.

There’s lots of Fantasy Politics so like,, hope you’re into that. Also, fuck the templars and the Chantry. 

NOT NEARLY AS MANY DRAGONS AS ADVERTISED,, CERTAINLY NOT ENOUGH TO BE CALLED “DRAGON AGE,” SHOW ME THE DRAGONS BIOWARE,, PLS,,–Inquisition has absolutely the most dragons, so there’s that 

Morgan and Leliana are fucking amazing and seeing so much of them again in Inquisition was the best  

Fenris is Best Romance and that’s that on that

I’m so sorry this was so long, but its not as long as all the hours I’ve logged in every one of these fuckin games 

[tennyo-elf]

Thoughts on Cullen, both negative and positive:

Okay, so life crap aside (’cause if you think my hiatus isn’t life BS, you’d be wrong), I am slowly making my way back to Dragon Age. I started a new play through of DAI and I’m rerolling my Ellana (ofc, I love her too much - AND I have to get back to my last ME3 pt too, ‘cause I want to do a video series with ME after that). So generally, getting back into DA and ME makes me happier.

I’ve always liked Cullen! Ellana romances and marries him! This blogs has reblogged tons of gifs and images of him. But, sadly, I can finally see the haters POV, and pretty clearly too. Yet it all comes from Haven/Pre-Skyhold/that one convo after his Lyrium decision.

First, the way he speaks of Kirkwall, like he mentions only the bad things the mages did, like the templars didn’t have a hand in that chaos, and normally I’d say Cullen is blindsided but he knows better here (I’m thinking/hoping it’s just a knee jerk reaction). Then he speaks about how the mages watch the Templars just as much as the Templars watch the mages and states it pretty cluelessly, as if he doesn’t know why - which he honestly may not (the mages are scared and see you guys a jailers/executioners/oppressors/etc  !!***!!). Then later he states he fears for Redcliffe because the rebel mages are there - I know he worries about bad things happening (and bad things did happen, but not because of the mages, because of Alexius) but that means he doesn’t trust mages or think them capable of restraint.. It’s not in your face mage discrimination, but you can clearly see how he still thinks lowly about mages. He is still very much a Templar in thought and action at this time, despite how he wants to get away from the Order. I can see how and why people who don’t like Cullen, would go “ugh” with Cullen and never give him another chance. I’m yelling at Cullen on my screen, because he is too narrow minded during this time (just like I yell at Solas, whom I also love, lol).

I’m so conflicted right now, because I know Cullen gets better, even subtly, later on, but we don’t get the solid details on it. All we get are hints and only if you romance him as a mage. When talking about Maddox and how Meredith wielded the Tranquil brand for far lesser offences, Cullen does seem mad or finds the memory distasteful, but he never tells us what he thinks about it. Unless you count the whole “Meredith’s methods were harsh but they kept people safe” spiel. I don’t like his solution because he ends it with the words “neither freedom nor prison” (dude, your mage gf is right there, you don’t want her free?????). That hints he now realises that it’s a prison for mages or that mages see it that way. That’s something, a start, and it’s a different mindset than at Haven. After that I don’t remember if there is much from Cullen about mages anymore. (His silly worries about the Eluvian is actually pretty funny, because, one, if you joke with him he realizes he shouldn’t worry, and two, he verbally pouts when he states that “he not unreasonable” - it makes me wonder how much contemplation he gives to his opinions or thoughts, because sometimes it seems like he doesnt, while other times he does).

I’ve noticed how he finds it difficult to be or think in someone else’s shoes, not until they knock him over the head with their own experiences. He wrongly thinks about how Tranquillity was created by mages too (the truth is he is very much a parrot to Chantry indoctrination, until otherwise informed but even informed it takes him time to turn around and face the truth). And he is very set in his ways but seems to want to change himself or just not be who he was in DA2. I know he wants to be a good man and wants to protect people (that’s the core of his character and why I like him). He has seen the dangers of magic and I don’t disagree that protections against magical misuse should be in place, but the subject seems to cloud his judgement (and of course it does after what he went through in the Circle of Ferelden). But he doesn’t take nonsense from the Chantry, even though he is very devout, which makes him paradoxical at times too. He is also very unforgiving of those who do wrong, even if it was just an honest mistake, so his mercy bar is low. And yet he needs mercy too, says it himself at the end of the base game (he if it was him, he wouldn’t have given himself another chance).

It’s just, Cullen’s character is layered, and he has done good things (among his bad). And besides Leliana, and besides his botched and ridiculous suggestions for the Clan Lavellan War Tables mission, he actually has some of the best options for a lot of the elvhen centred war table missions. I mean, can someone who wants to change, to be a better person, makes friends with mages, dwarves, qunari, and is around an Inquisitor who makes Leliana Divine, still be stuck in that pre-Skyhold mentality?

I don’t know where I’m going with this. I’m just angry we don’t have a really proper redemption arc for Cullen (and yes, I agree a lot with the idea of DAI only having a recovery arc for him, but that means Cullen still needs a redemption arc and if you don’t want him DA4, how is he going to get that????). We really don’t see him change more from the beginning of the game. Like we get hints, to a subtle shift in his character, and it’s not apparent and can be easily missed or overlooked or even dismissed as Cullen not having changed a bit. It’s so easy to make your own version of Cullen. I choose to see him as changed and that having a Dalish mage lover than later wife, really opens his eyes to a different world he hadn’t seen before due to his insular life as a Templar within a very awful Chantry.

And like, I get the feeling that Cullen can’t shift too fast either because if he acknowledges that “what good he did” as a Templar was just bad/evil like murder evil in general he’d falter or come completely undone, and that can’t happen during DAI because he needs to command the army. Like, hey, that mage that failed her harrowing? If you just dampened her magic for a bit, you could have removed the demon and saved her life (admittingly that risks other lives) but there were options to give mages more chances at life, a better life, within in the Circle. Harrowings are evil, and I want Cullen to get that. Cullen needed more tbh, for him to be more generally likeable. His opinion  about mages, in the beginning of DAI, is annoying and infuriating.

Slowly he stops talking about mages and seems slightly more reasonable near the end, but it’s almost too subtle, or just plain unclear just how much he has changed. I understand he won’t be 100% pro-mage because of what happened in the Circle of Ferelden, but like being around mages, free mages no less, who don’t go spewing blood magic or summon demons willy nilly, etc, should have made a dent in his thick skull! I headcanon that it does, because knowing what I know of Cullen, it seems natural to me that he would learn and be better, slowly but surely. His stubborn, very stubborn, but to me his shift from DA2 to DAI means that he is capable of re-evaluating previously held beliefs. So what’s stopping someone like that from learning even more though proper guidance and exposure?  He’d always have certain traits, he’d always be devout to the Maker, but wouldn't evidence during DAI show him that mages can be free to govern themselves? We never find out though just how much his opinions can change though. We don’t hear his opinions or thoughts on the matter at all in the end (what does he think about Adamant or Mythal or Solas, on the College of Mages and the allianced mages who successful ran themselves?). That is what frustrates me so much!!! I just want a clear answer, if Cullen is around a pro-mage Inquisitor, who allies with the mages, and then has Leliana Divine, does that help him grow out of all that up there that has me yelling at him? I want it to be so, but that fact is it’s unclear, that DA4 might not mention it, or that if Cullen is in DA4 we won’t get to see how much he changed because he’ll be a quick guest appearance or..?

And throwing this out there, I like how he says to a Dalish LI, “I want your promise to be true” in such a serious tone, when they mention needing Dalish vows. But does that mean he cares about her faith or respects it (which seems like he would do, by this time, he’d need time to respect another faith besides his own at first)? Or he doesn’t care if she like recites some demonic passage to some daedric princes, so long as she marries him....(because he can be a stubborn, ignorant toad sometimes that needs to be taught)? We don’t know because we never get a chance for a Dalish LI to speak with Cullen about faith...

!!***!!Just came to me, Cullen is not very observant/is pretty ignorant about things. I don’t think he lies about things (that would be OOC for him), he just talks erroneously about things he doesn’t know anything about. (Thus, again, he needs better guidance...so would a pro-mage, pro-elf, merciful leader like my Ellana, truly help him change for the better?)

I still love Cullen, but my boy is problematic AF.  And I honestly believe bioware didn’t do him right (on point, to my liking, which I know others will disagree). Bioware either brushed off what he did or what he believes since they don’t think it’s a big deal, or because of time and budget, maybe they just couldn’t give him more of an arc. Or maybe Cullen is too much of a side character to get more story. Companions did have more than Advisors, so knowing that, I want Cullen as a companion is DA4 so he can get that arc I want him to have? Wishful thinking, I know. But tin foil hat on, maybe that’s why it’s only a recovery arc now, so later on, they can delve into more of his story? (Doubt it, wishful thinking AGAIN. But if what your Inquisitor did in DAI can vastly change him in DA4 and he has to go through that process of change. I mean, it shows just how much influence the Inquisitor had on her inner-circle and the world of Thedas?)