#masked empire briala

[losttr3asur3]

I finally finished reading masked empire and I'm so conflicted now. Celine and Briala are so toxic but they are also the only person the other loves. I was so set on having Briala rule through Gaspard but I wonder if Briala would have more sway over Celine long term? Celine definitely loves Briala in her own twisted way but I feel she will always do whatever she can to still retain her power, while for so long Briala would do anything for Celine. It really drove home to me in the final fight scene when Celine risked herself for Michel but not Briala.

At the same time Celine is far more sympathetic to elves than Gaspard, who openly speaks against elves being given anything throughout the books. Gaspard does have his honor with being a Chevalier but how long will blackmail and his honor allow Briala to control him?

[linka-from-captain-planet]

DA fans: I just can’t stomach keeping Celene on the throne after reading The Masked Empire… she just doesn’t care about elves and never did, not to mention the unspeakable violence she carries out against them. Elves will never be safe or advance under her rule; Briala cant possibly change her. Gaspard backed by Briala is the moral and safest choice

Gaspard, to Briala’s face (The Masked Empire p 150-151):

[aldanil]

The Masked Empire Briala “tarot” card

[ealyblu]

Some of the best characters ever, no I'm not taking notes

[dalishious]

Briala my beloved

[dechevins]

I love the Masked Empire

[lost-in-thedas]

Not much interesting concept behind this but tried to draw Briala

[shimylli]

The first thing I did after the DATV gameplay trailer is binge read the Masked Empire. I am so excited ! Lot of drawings are coming but here a little Felassan/Briala

[nandivina]

Morally gray lesbians with knives?! Yes please

[snurtle]

Felassan enasalin!

A tribute to my best boy Felassan; he's not gone in my heart, just wandering the Fade somewhere. ; ; Featuring my attempt at Elvhen writing! The sidebar says "Felassan enasalin" -- the other bit is just my signature transliterated. I might or might not make a guide at some point in case other people want to use written Elvhen, who knows.

The Elvhen writing in this is a cipher based on the carvings we see in game + the scrap from Last Flight, stylized with flourishes. Any similarities to real languages are coincidental and unintended! The pose is from a portrait of Henry Woodward by Violet Oakley (1921).

[riddleredcoats]

Was looking for something I once said on another hellsite, unrelated to this lmao, and came across someone saying how Briala and Celene's relationship is toxic (sure, I can see that) and how Celene has so much control over Briala and that's the issue of their relationship when.... no. No.

That ain't it.

Celene and Briala, for all their issues and there are many, in the way Weekes writes their relationship is far more balanced than people give it credit for.

To the point that when it isn't balanced, it jars.

(More under the cut if you're interested.)

To get this out of the way; yes, Celene has more power than Briala. That is a fact we can't deny and even if you reunite them, while the power disparity does lessen, it doesn't go away. Celene is, by virtue of her position, always going to be more (politically) powerful than pretty almost everyone else in universe.

However, the way Weekes turns this on its head is by having Briala have more agency.

It is Briala that comes back to Celene out of her own volition every single time. She comes back to Celene after Celene sends her away when they were young. She comes and goes to Celene's bedroom at her own pleasure. She spies for Celene because she wants to - and enjoys it. Briala is the one that rekindles their reconciliations in the novel; after Halamshiral Celene doesn't even try to talk to Briala about what happened, respecting Briala's imposed distance, and only when Briala opens the door does Celene enter the conversation. It's even Briala who comes back to Court - after having rejected The Game and Orlais - with the intent of, at least, returning to Celene's side during the war: they- Well, Briala really, was already planning to work with Celene.

It is always, always Briala.

This isn't because Celene loves Briala less - it isn't, because we can see she's much more emotionally compromised than Briala due to her reliance on Briala to function like a normal human being. It is merely because Briala has the space to act towards Celene as she wishes, more or less.

The one time in the novel Celene does try to use her power to control Briala - having her arrested, so she could spend a few lavish years in prison... which yes, it is fucked, but even that panic-driven decision-making is shown to be a testament to Celene's emotional vulnerability, not necessarily her desire to dominate - it goes horribly wrong.

It - they - don't work when the relationship is THAT unbalanced and they have been working together for 15 years. That moment showed how their relationship falters when it becomes too unbalanced.

Celene and Briala aren't unconscious of the power difference. They work around it.

Especially, Celene.

She constantly says she does understand if Briala wants to leave her, she reassures Briala over and over that leaving her won't have repercussions to Briala's most dear cause. Celene's brain is always so aware of it that she always tries to give Briala the space she needs if she wants to leave. I will take joy in my love finding her people, even as my breast aches with every heartbeat I live without you. Those aren't just words, that is how the relationship works. Which is why Celene's most consistent and ardent belief - when she's being a rational human being and not the Empress of Orlais terrified for the fate of her country - is that Briala needs to be free to act as however she wills.

It's why those are the last words they say to each other.

It's why them getting back together - or the possibility of it - was almost a forgone conclusion.

Ultimately, Briala’s autonomy within the relationship is one of it's defining characteristics. She may not have the political power of an Empress, but she holds the agency to act - which is why always needed to get those Eluvians; she's the only one who CAN use them, but that's another conversation. While Celene, for all her power, respects Briala’s independence and choices, and is often hamstrung by her lack of freedom in choosing what she can do - something she pointed out in the novel as well, even though its often misinterpreted.

TLDR: This relationship is not defined by Celene’s control over Briala, but rather one shaped by Briala’s autonomy, Celene's understanding, and their shared emotional connection.

[notkirstinetheartist]

*crunching bark noises*

I can't post a lot of the new stuff I've worked on yet because the projects aren't released, but once they are, the floods shall be opened. I haven't had a lot of time otherwise to do a lot of "for me" art, so have a throwback Felassan sketch.

[linka-from-captain-planet]

Briala and Celene - The Lovers, in their adventuring gear because I didn’t want to draw dresses

[shem-fatale]

Uhh so, hey, quick question regarding this survey question. You people who want to reunite Celene and Briala. As rulers and as a couple. Have you read The Masked Empire and if yes: how ... i mean why. WHY??

[vhentheneras]

i just had to put them together. so i can cry a little.

"You know, I suspect you'll hate this, but she reminds me of-"

do u guys think briala reminded felassan of solas because brialas fucked up relationship with celene is like solas fucked up relationship with mythal

[sapphodera]

Lady Briala and Inquisitor Lavellan walking in their gardens