#oh no mahariel we're in it now

[vigilskeep]

ive never seen such a strong preference for player character/player character as amell/surana. does that come from somewhere in particular like was someones oc ship just that powerful or is the lack of childhood friends to lovers options in dragon age just that devastating

[bonesaints]

oh mahariel........... we're really in it now

[thedragonagebigbang]

Bang Creator Interview: Tumblr: @AmmoniteFlesh  |  AO3: AmmoniteFlesh

The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Dema, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!

Top Eight People Having An Absolutely Soul-Destroying Time in This City: number four will KILL you!

Faust and Dema discuss The Bog, the power of deadlines, and Ghila “So, So Blighted” Mahariel

Dema: We're well into the writing and collaboration period now; how's it going? Are you excited? Are you in The Bog?

Faust: Oh my god, I am extremely in the Bog.

Dema: Any particular monsters in that Bog with you? 

Faust: Well, I'm only just coming out of a massive writing slump that sucked away a lot of my ability to work on anything. But while I'm not nearly as far ahead as I would like to be, I've always worked best at the last minute (unfortunately lol). I feel confident that I can finish. The fic itself I'm actually feeling really good about! I like what I'm doing, I have like 90% of it in bullet points, there are some moments I'm SUPER proud of. It's coming together - I just wish it was doing so a touch more quickly! 

Dema: Oh, are you me? (LOL I really really empathize) 

Faust: Honestly, I'm in awe of anyone who doesn't work this way lmao

Dema: Same. What helped you emerge from your writing slump?

Faust: I'm not sure! Going easy on myself helped - sometimes you really just need to let the batteries recharge. Plus my artist sent some absolutely BANGER sketches and was just generally very complimentary about my writing, which is always nice. Also, just... lowering the standards I set for myself. Writing is also kind of my day job, so it's sometimes difficult to remind myself that this is the Fun Writing that does not need to be perfect. 

Dema: Yeah, perfect really is the enemy of good. I'm so glad you gave yourself some grace and are back on the horse! What is your ideal writing environment? Do you have any rituals around it?

Faust: I love writing in a cafe, if I've got headphones to cancel out the noise. It just feels so indulgent? Here I am, getting my work done over a hot chocolate, people-watching – makes me feel very artsy lmao. I'm trying to get better at bringing more of that energy home, though, because I cannot afford to write at a cafe every day. 😅 Usually I do two pages of journalling first, to get all the noise out of my brain so I can focus. Then it's pomodoros all the way!

Dema: I also love cafe writing! And the pomodoro method, for sure. How long do you usually write in one go? Or is it varying a lot?

Faust: It varies a lot - sometimes I only manage one 25-minute burst and then I get distracted. Other times I go for several hours. The reason I decided to do the Big Bang in the first place was that having a deadline makes me waaaaay better at actually sitting down and getting words on the page - that external structure is so, so helpful.

Dema: I agree! Are you pretty used to writing longer-form fic like this, or is the Big Bang stretching your wordcount?

Faust: Yes and no? I have my extremely in-progress longfic, which is currently sitting at about 25k words, but that's literally it. I've worked on long-form stuff a ton, but actually completed very little of it - again, because I struggle a bit without external structure. I've cheated my way into feeling more comfortable with my DABB fic by writing something that's kind of a long-form piece and kind of a collection of shorter pieces. This nefarious plan to make me less intimidated by the prospect is working great so far! 

Dema: Is your longfic a DA fic?

Faust:  It is! It's an Origins retelling featuring my Mahariel, Ghila - who is extraordinarily Blighted and just generally does not have a good time. It's actually the first DA fic I ever wrote and the first fic for anything that I published, so it's very very close to my heart.

Dema: Can you tell me more about Ghila?

Faust: I AM ALWAYS READY TO INFODUMP ABOUT MY GIRL/AMBIGUOUSLY GENDERED ENTITY! Ghila was the result of me looking at how Mahariel has to travel all the way from the Brecilian Forest to Ostagar while Tainted and going 'oh, you should by WAY more fucked up by this'. She almost dies of the Blight, gets saved by the Joining in the nick of time, continues dying of the Blight but more slowly, until Avernus is finally able to stabilise it. She then steadily gets more and more Darkspawn-like, unlocking some cool spooky powers along the way.

She's also just so, so full of love - and full of rage for how the Dalish have been mistreated. Her opinion of the world is very cynical, but she does her best to make it better anyway. A lot of her arc is about trying to find a way to exist and survive in a world that hates her - both because of her Dalish-ness and because of her newfound monstrosity. And she does get there in the end, but it's a long and bitter road. I have so many feelings about it.

Dema: I am adding immediately to cart, haha! She and your fic sound super interesting. 

Faust: Thank youuuuuu 🥰 I'm Love Her

Dema: Is Origins your favorite installment of the franchise, then?

Faust: It's my favourite to write fic for! Favourite full stop is probably DA2 - I just love the characters, the small setting, the tight scope of it. But Origins has a lot more missed opportunities and loose ends imo, just by dint of having more going on, so I find it much easier to dive into and play with! 

Dema: In our last minutes, you may have seen that I'm titling these interview posts with a click-bait title 😂

Faust: Oooooooh

I'm gonna go with Top Eight People Having An Absolutely Soul-Destroying Time in This City: number four will KILL you!

Dema: L O L amazing! 

Faust: why thank you 😄

Dema: And it has been delightful interviewing you, thank you for taking the time! I hope you have a fantastically productive writing week.

Faust: No worries!!! It was super fun, thank you for doing these.

[jpriest85-blog]

Another Dragon Age Origin comic based on a Brooklyn 99 meme. Featuring 3 elven rogues Zevran, my Grey Warden Sarai Tabris, and @malaroots Warden Pasca Mahariel. Because lbr I love the mental image of Zevran flirting with my city elf Warden the way Doug Judy flirts with Rosa Diaz.

Sarai Tabris: So I finally got Cammen and Gheyna to talk to each other, and now we're invited to their dumb wedding. The bride to be even braided these stupid flowers in my hair. (Holds up braid in disgust)

Zevran: Oh, it looks beautiful.

Pasca Mahariel: Yeah, it's kind of cute.

(Sarai cuts off braid)

Zevran, looking absolutely smitten: Please have my children.

Tbh, it's not that Sarai actually hates the braid or anything. It's just talking to the Dalish couple, and wearing flowers in her hair gives her bad memories of her own wedding. Also, it doesn't help that Zevran shamelessly keeps trying to flirt with her after Pasca convinced her not to kill the Ativan Crow after his failed attempt to assassinate them both.

[greypetrel]

Oh no, @ndostairlyrium tagged me again so I have to pick other songs from the playlists! :"( ALAS what a dreadful fate. Thank you for enabling me 💜

Game rules: choose one of your characters and list songs that fit them

Aisling Lavellan

- The Water, Johnny Flinn feat. Laura Marling Now deeper the water I sail / And faster the current I'm in / That each night brings the stars / And the song in my heart / Is a tune for the journeyman's tale

- Kells Destroyed, Bruno Coulais Instrumental for the VIBES.

- Lay me Down, The Oh Hello's See, I was born a restless, wayward child / I could here the whole world calling me outside / Of the masses I routinely sat behind / And Lord, I had to see with my own eyes (I was there, Gandalf. Before everyone got mad with Soldier, Poet, King, which isn't even their best song, sorry not sorry)

Raina Hawke

- Anti-Hero, Taylor Swift Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby / And I'm a monster on the hill / Too big to hang out, slowly lurching toward your favorite city / Pierced through the heart, but never killed

- Scotland the Braver, Captain Fantastic OST Again, instrumental for the VIBES.

- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Mago de Oz I come home, in the mornin' light / My mother says, "When you gonna live your life right?" / Oh momma dear, we're not the fortunate ones / And girls, they wanna have fun / Oh girls just wanna have fun

Alyra Mahariel

- War Pigs, Black Sabbath Now in darkness, world stops turning / Ashes where their bodies burning / No more war pigs have the power / Hand of God has struck the hour

- Spot, Jed Kurzel Instrumental for the VIBES. Also this movie is underrated.

- Siúil a Rún, Clannad I’ll sell my rock, I’ll sell my reel / I’ll sell my only spinning wheel / to buy my love a sword of steel / Is go dte tu mo mhuirnin slan ( And may you go safely, my darling )

Again, not tagging people because I'm afraid to perster, comment with the funniest idiom in your mothertongue to take litterally and I'll add the tag! (In italian we say "In the ass of the whale!" to mean "Good luck", for example)

[trans-ruffboi]

feel like talking about your characters? I’ve been cruising your blog and seeing a lot of posts about dragon age ocs you mention once and never again, and the curiosity is eating me. anyone anything I just want to know stuff about them.

oh I actually had something in my drafts for this! I love talking about my OCs. I make problematic transmascs and hot dangerous women, as a rule

- Adrian was actually engaged to Nathaniel Howe when they were children! (he's trans) He liked him and all but it got cut off bc Nathaniel preferred Fergus, which is also the reason he was sent to the Marches. I bleed this for some drama in his Awakening scenes but also he just partially makes up similarities between Fergus and Anders to tease Nate for his taste in men

("Well you know Anders, my brother was tall, a bit of a trickster-"

"Commander."

"-liked the whole wine, women, and song thing, though not always women, clearly-"

"Commander"

"-had a scruffy face, light hair-"

"Adrian now you're just lying")

- Renlin was being trained to be Fereldan's Court Mage before the events of the game happened. Fereldan might not have a big Court Enchanter position like Orlais but they do have a king's healer and Kinloch Hold intended to send Renlin once it became abundantly clear that Anders wouldn't work out. Renlin says it was lucky that he got conscripted, because "Cailan’s pet mage died at Ostagar, poor bastard."

- Also Renlin is straight up incapable of fire magic, and it is embarrassing. He excels in ice, electricity, and healing, but can't produce a candle flame to save his life. His Rod of Fire request form was met with sad little cringes from his teachers.

-She's not one of my Wardens but I think that Solona Amell was the girl who died in the one Harrowing that Alistair was forced to attend, and she was Renlin's friend, despite being a bit older. Once he finds out Renlin hates Alistair for it, for a while. And it isn't until he's had his revelation that neither of them really had a choice in anything the Chantry put them through that he starts to forgive and be able to grieve properly.

- Aberion adored and admired Merrill when they were kids, but was also a little jealous of her for having so much of his father's time. (Mahariel's father was Keeper before Marethari) When they go together to look for Tamlen in the ruins it is a bit tense, but he lowkey trusts Merrill more than Marethari, and keeps a fucking death grip on her hand the whole time whenever they aren't fighting enemies.

-Aberion also had the childhood nickname "little bear" which eventually graduated to just Bear, because "Oh, well, it's a bit silly, since we're grown now, but Aberion used to be so little, when we were children. Tamlen would just pick him up and he would growl and sputter like a little bear cub." He is decidedly not a bear of a man, which makes it at least partly ironic.

-Jenna Hawke gets attached to Anders pretty early on because he reminds her of Malcom. They bond over the Malcom's Honor staff, as well as her reminding him of Adrian with her fussing. ("Oh I remind you of the Queen of Fereldan? Maybe people should show me more respect" "The Commander was raised a noble, but I think if you called him the Queen to his face he'd stab you")

- Finn Trevelyan, whose full name is Finnegan Amari Trevelyan, is the youngest of six siblings and apart from one they all fucking suck! His eldest twin sisters are scumbags and his two brothers are templars; the only one of his siblings worth knowing is Rosalyn, who was also a mage, but weak and subtle enough that noone noticed and she wasn't sent away, which Finn didn't learn until much later. He came into his magic reaching for her and throwing a barrier around her when she fell from her horse. She was also the one that gave him the childhood nickname 'Tiger' because he used to be really energetic and feisty before they sent him to the Circle, where he became more reclusive and quiet. He met her again once right before the events of Inquisition and she was so sad that he was hardly the same kid anymore.

-Finn also has a couple ticks from the Circle, which are mostly shared by Renlin, though the context is different because he remembers life before the Circle, arriving at the age of 9 or 10, while Renlin doesn't, arriving at the age of 5. Such as: an appreciation for weather and being able to be in it, a lack of real knowledge on what a lot of animals look like outside of illuminations, and a poor understanding of money and value. (Finn might have been a Trevelyan but inflation really got to Thedas)

-Alraan's parents were a Tamassran-turned-Saarebas and and a Sten, who left the Qun separately for different reasons and found each other afterwards. When he meets the Iron Bull his first instinct is to recruit the Chargers just to make sure he keeps track of the Ben-Hassrath, but he gradually falls in love with him once he realizes how far Bull has strayed from the demands of Par Vollen and how they could grow together.

- Elgara'len, or El for short, is very much in agreement with Merrill that 'A Keeper's job is to remember, even what we don't like or is dangerous.' She thinks that to truly regain what makes them the People they need to get into the gritty and ugly parts of their history and learn what's at stake and what they should grow into. Look back but also move forward. The song Suledin is very near and dear to her.

Let me know if you wanted to know anything about anyone else specific! I love to talk about them even if renlin is clearly my favorite son.

[rickap22]

Playing through the Dalish Origin

Humans: There were demons in the ruins!

Tamlen: Let's go to the ruins!

Mahariel: What? No. We're supposed to be hunting, if it's important we can tell the Keeper later.

Tamlen: RUINS LETHALIN/LETHALAN

Mahariel: *sigh*

Tamlen: *is attacked by walking corpses*

Tamlen: Creepy. This must mean that the veil is thin and demons can pass through easier.

Mahariel: Doesn't that mean that the humans were probably right about being attacked by demons and that we should leave this to mages like the Kee-

Tamlen: HEY LOOK A CREEPY ASS MIRROR

Mahariel: *sigh*

Tamlen: Something moved inside it.

Mahariel: Oh goodie. Now get away from it.

Tamlen: Imma touch it.

Mahariel: TAMLEN NO

Tamlen: *touches it*

Mahariel: ...fenedhis lasa.

Eluvian: *creates magical blast that taints everything*

-A month or two later-

Tamlen: Lethalan/Lethalin, I'm sick and you have to kill me and our lives are ruined

Mahariel: WHAT DID I SAY. WHAT DID I FUCKING SAY.

[nevrossi]

Playing through the Dalish Origin

Humans: There were demons in the ruins!

Tamlen: Let's go to the ruins!

Mahariel: What? No. We're supposed to be hunting, if it's important we can tell the Keeper later.

Tamlen: RUINS LETHALIN/LETHALAN

Mahariel: *sigh*

Tamlen: *is attacked by walking corpses*

Tamlen: Creepy. This must mean that the veil is thin and demons can pass through easier.

Mahariel: Doesn't that mean that the humans were probably right about being attacked by demons and that we should leave this to mages like the Kee-

Tamlen: HEY LOOK A CREEPY ASS MIRROR

Mahariel: *sigh*

Tamlen: Something moved inside it.

Mahariel: Oh goodie. Now get away from it.

Tamlen: Imma touch it.

Mahariel: TAMLEN NO

Tamlen: *touches it*

Mahariel: ...fenedhis lasa.

Eluvian: *creates magical blast that taints everything*

-A month or two later-

Tamlen: Lethalan/Lethalin, I'm sick and you have to kill me and our lives are ruined

Mahariel: WHAT DID I SAY. WHAT DID I FUCKING SAY.