#orsino is alive

[moltensmusings]

Some quick sketches of DA2 characters.

[mstrickynici]

Ah...

You get trapped with two Dragon Age characters (spin the wheel) in one room for a day.

[eastern-lights]

I have mentioned my Dragon Age colour theory assigning spirits and demons to each installment and I am pleased to report that Veilguard actually fits right in. Basically

Origins: Despair, inflicted by the Blight but also suffered by Loghain (who is driven to atrocities by desperation). The Warden represents Valour, a possible opposite of Despair (also the first benevolent spirit they meet in the Mage origin). Valour is not just about bravery, but also self-sacrifice, which is a big part of the Warden's storyline.

DA2: Rage, that of the Arishok, but also Anders, Orsino and Meredith. Anders does what he does due to helpless rage at the injustice he is forced to witness every day. Hawke represents Love. It is their love for their family and eventually Kirkwall that motivates everything they do, and even though they fail to save Kirkwall, it is potentially their love for their companions that allows all of them to emerge alive.

Inquisition: Fear. The heroes fight it both literally in the form of Nightmare and figuratively by giving hope to the people. Fear is also what drives Corypheus, fear of there not being gods. The Inquisitor represents Hope. At mutliple points in the story, they have to come to terms with the fact that sometimes, hope is needed more than the truth, and they craft themselves into a figure that would bring hope to others even at the cost of their own individuality.

Veilguard: Pride (of course). Apart from it being Solas' literal name and the motivation that drives all three elven gods (the notion that only they know what's best for the world), the companion quests all include the characters swallowing their pride in one way or the other. Rook (bear with me) represents Wisdom. For all their snark and chaos gremlin tendencies, they also prove time and again that they have a deep understanding of human nature, as well as a firm grasp on morality. They are not the strongest or the most charismatic or the most powerful, but when push comes to shove, they are wise enough to listen to advice, to give it in return and potentially to find the good that is left in the heart of the God of Lies.

[thewardenisonthecase]

Questions for Hawke

Mixed some Act 2 and 3 stuff for the companions so that I didn't have to ask the same thing twice.

Questions for the Warden/HOF can be found here.

Does Hawke look more like Malcom or Leandra? Do they look like their siblings?

What is Hawke's personality and does it change during the years?

How did Hawke feel about Lothering? Did they like their home?

How did Hawke react when Malcom died?

What was Hawke's relationship like with their family prior to Lothering's destruction? Who are they closest to?

Does Hawke like Gamlen?

Who did Hawke join - the mercenaries or the smugglers? Is there a particular reason for it?

How does Hawke feel about taking care of their family? Do they feel like they're carrying a burden or do they assume the responsbility?

What are their thoughs on Mythal/Flemeth?

What's their first impression of Varric?

During their first year in Kirkwall, did Hawke recruit everyone? And what are their opinions on the whole group?

Who is Hawke closest to in their group?

Is there someone, from the Kirkwall gang or an NPC, that Hawke does not like? Why?

How does Hawke feel about blood magic?

How does Hawke feel about the rising tension between mages and templars?

What happened to Bethany/Carver after the Deep Roads expedition and how does Hawke feel about it?

Does Hawke like the Arishok?

How does Hawke feel about Cullen? Do they like him?

What was Feynriel's fate?

Did Hawke help Aveline get laid married?

Did Hawke help Merrill fix the Eluvian? And did Merrill break the eluvian or is it intact?

How does Hawke feel about the whole Anders-Justice situation?

What are Hawke's thoughts on Fenris and his opinion of mages?

Is Bartrand dead or alive? Did Hawke let Varric keep the red lyrium?

Did Hawke recruit Sebastian? What are their thoughts on him?

How did Hawke feel about learning the truth of Isabela's artifact? Did they feel betrayed or did they understand her?

What were Hawke's thoughts after Leandra is found dead? Did they blame themselves or someone else? How did they grieve?

Did Hawke initiate a relationship with any of their companions? If so, why were they attracted to that companion? Was it a frienship or a rivalry romance?

Did Hawke gain the Arishok's respect? And how did they handle the Qunari invasion?

How does Hawke feel about being the Champion of Kirkwall?

What are Hawke's thoughts on Meredith, Orsino and Elthina?

How does Hawke feel about helping Meredith and Orsino?

How is Hawke's relationship with their love interest after 3 years?

If Bethany/Carver is alive, how is their relationship after so many years like? And how is it after Leandra's death?

What is the fate of Merrill's clan?

How does Hawke feel about Anders behaviour (in regards to him being secretive about the 'potion') in act 3? Are they suspicious of him or are they understanding?

Did Hawke find Charade and how do they feel about discovering a new cousin?

How is Hawke's relationship with Gamlen after all these years?

How does Hawke react to the explosion of the Chantry? How do they feel about Anders's actions and do they kill him or let him live?

Who does Hawke side with - Mages or Templars? And why?

What does Hawke do after they flee Kirkwall (if Viscount, after they are disposed by the templars)?

Do they try to keep contact with the other companions?

How does Hawke react when Varric publishes the Tale of the Champion? Have they read it?

[thedastravelerer]

I just finished the Dragon Age Veilguard and I need to scream my thoughts into the internet void.

My Rook, Lucrezia, was bought along with other kids by the house de Riva when she was 3 years old. She doesn't remember anything before that. When her magic manifested at the age of 8, she begged Viago not to send her to the Circle. Viago saw great potential in the little elven chaos gremlin, so he decided to hire private tutors for her. From the age of 14, she became Viagos apprentice, accompanying him everywhere. Her sunny, bubbly personality was a great distraction in social settings. She was the Robin and Viago was the Batman, basically.

Inquisitor romanced Solas.

So that is the viewpoint, from which I experienced the game.

The good:

The music is AMAZING

The environments are gorgeous

Spellblade is sooo much fun. The perfect mix of rogue and mage.

Treviso is so beautiful. I am never saving Minrathous. That sh*thole can get swallowed by the ocean.

The final missions were great. The tension, the loss, the heartbreak, the betrayal—10/10. No notes.

Baby griffons

The conversations/dynamic between Lucanis/Spite and Taash crack me up

The dynamic between Viago and Lucrezia was everything I could have hoped for. I still laugh when I remember the letter from Viago starting with "IDIOT".

Viago and Teia—I would die for them. Every time they flirt, I picture Lucrezia sticking fingers into her ears and going LALALALA. I don't want those pictures in my head.

Harding wins the competition for the prettiest room in the Lighthouse.

I love the little offhand comments and banter between all of the Crows. It was fun to hear Lucanis or Lucrezia randomly mention Viago or Teia. It really painted a picture of them knowing each other for a long time and being able to poke fun at each other.

I loved Lucanis as a character. Also, the 3-way relationship between Rook-Spite-Lucanis is perfect. I loved that when Lucanis learns about Caterina being alive, he shuts down and Spite is like: "What?! Why are you putting more locks into our prison? I AM GETTING ROOK! :D

The "Solas therapy" ending was heartwarming (and also a bit funny)

I loved Solas as a character. I see, why he is the god of trickery and lies. And how his wisdom turned into pride. I just wish I could slap that stubborn liar. Just once.

You know it is real love when you spent the last few hours chomping on an archedemon and your Vhenan still kisses you.

I liked the relationship progression between Davrin and Lucanis. They went from open hostility to mutual respect to drinking buddies.

Lucanis questioning Bellara and Neve about their business decisions was hilarious. Crows are first and foremost business people.

Isseyas storyline. I just wish they delved deeper into her story instead of getting an infodump. I enjoyed seeing how the blight twisted her grief and regrets. How she remembered only her love for the griffons she saved. And the blight corrupted that love, forcing her into horrible mistakes.

The bad:

The story is so shallow in comparison to previous games. All of the nuance is gone. There is no Loghain, no Meredith and Orsino, no Anders. Everyone is either the good guy or the bad guy. Maybe except for the Butcher and Isseya.

A lot of the darker, complicated, interesting themes are ignored. After the Antaam Qunari (Sten in DAO), the Ben-Hassrath Qunari (Bull in DAI) we finally meet a scholar of Qun and we get NOTHING interesting from her. We can't have a deeper conversation about the Qun. We can't even talk about her hypocrisy of running away from the very rules she forces on Taash. The Antaam are the a$$holes and everyone else following the Qun is good. Until they disagree with their assigned role in life and get their mind broken until they fit the mold again. But we don't get to learn that.

Who TF is Anaris? Why is he the Forgotten One? What does it even mean? What beef did he have with the Evanuris? We don't get to learn that. We get MWHAHAHA I AM SOOO EVIL. Boring and disappointing. It would have been much more interesting if he convinced Cyrian his sister was a pawn for the Dread Wolf. There could have been a conflict between elves choosing Anaris, who promised them power after their gods turned out to be a$$holes, and elves choosing a new, free path.

Are we not going to address the EXECUTIONER in the room? Who is he? Where did he come from? Why is he totally cool working a desk job in the Necropolis?

We finally see Kal-Sharok and we learn almost nothing about the dwarves living there. How did they survive? How do they govern themselves? What is the culture like?

I don't understand the Titan powers Harding has. Like, I get the concept, but the details are confusing.

I am sick of the words "ritual" and "artifact"

The quests "press button in three places" or "destroy/place crystals so they link/unlink" were a bit repetitive.

Characters sometimes have lapses in memory. Ferelden has fallen to the blight, but Emmerich and Harding are going camping there... Mmmmkay. Rook, baby, you have used the teleport vortex like three times before. We have 2 in the Lighthouse.

I love Lucanis, but his romance is very undercooked. I get, that he pushes a lot of emotions down, and flirting is just another weapon the Crows use to get to their targets. But we see no inner turmoil in banter, no notes wondering about Rook. He touches Rook exactly once - in the romance scene at the very end. They never even address the almost kiss.

The brutality of the life of Crow recruits is smoothed over to be nice and family-like. We are talking about an organization that buys enslaved children and forces them into hunger games to shape them into elite assassins.

The widespread Tevinter slavery is mentioned minimally. The only mention might be the codex of Dorians speech in the Magisterium. Their whole social system is built on slavery and caste system. We don't get to talk to Neve about any of it.

Most of the helmets are hideous.

The "stealing cultural stuff is wrong and we, the pirates and treasure hunters, are not doing it. We are the good guys!" talk you have with Taash right when you meet her was so jarring. Like, it makes sense, because Isabella is in charge. It would have been funnier and less preachy if they went with "We don't steal cultural stuff, because Isabella stole something from the Qunari once and it was a sh*tshow".

No dirt, no persistent gore

You don't get to have deep conversations with your followers. Instead, you get to read their diaries and letters in the codex. I felt like a creep snooping through their notes and letters to each other. Same feeling with the Lighthouse banter.

I miss the more abrasive followers. Everyone is high on friendship. Why is no one protesting against the demon-possessed assassin cooking all of our meals? Why isn't Bellara more wary about the Tevinter mage? Emmerich gets a lot of sh*t for the creepiness, but nobody questions the morality of using body parts as Legos.

I wish we could choose a class for the Inquisitor. She looked so ridiculous and out of place in the last fight. She is one of the most fearsome fighters in Thedas and she wears the blandest outfit possible. She isn't even armed.

We find out the Andrastian faith is a fairytale and no one except Harding comments on it? All of the human followers grew up in Andrastian cultures. Religion forms the structure of society, customs, inner values, viewpoints on the world, and what is considered "normal" on a subconscious level. In DAI you have a conversation with Josephine about how the Andrastian faith provides common ground for negotiations across cultures. Cassandra walks through an elven temple that is older than her religion and still wonders who could believe this nonsense. Why aren't you more upset, people?!

I am going to pretend the post-credit scene didn't happen. You will not soil the beautiful tragedies of the very human mistakes and choices the imperfect characters like Loghain made. I will not accept some demon whispering over the wonderful multi-faceted people and their rises and falls. F*ck you.

The bug, where the game loads the preset character instead of your custom Rook is annoying and didn't get fixed by the patch.

I hate the UI with a passion

No grey streaks in Inquisitors hair is a crime.

I hate the underwater view in Rooks room. I have an irrational fear of deep waters and sea life. The Ossuary is a prison of my nightmares.

I hate the redesign of the demons. They look like dementors with their robes open.

It is not clear how long was Rook trapped in the prison of regrets.

Anyway... rant over. I enjoyed the game like I enjoy the Marvel movies. With half of my brain turned off.

[withasideofshakespeare]

Woah no way?? People (completely unprompted /s) want to hear my trans Shakespeare headcanons?? You bet I can do that.

I’ve done this once before:

But I have even more thoughts now!!

In no particular order:

Puck (A Midsummer Night’s Dream): Every single pronoun possible. He/she/they/it + all of the neopronouns and xenopronouns that exist currently or will ever exist. Fairy gender is always weird but Puck’s is extra weird.

Oberon (A Midsummer Night’s Dream): Fairy gender. Probably he/they/it?

Titania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream): More fairy gender. She/they/it?

Titania’s fairy attendants (Midsummer): Get a hat and fill it with various pronouns and draw them out at random for the fairies.

Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing): Could go either way, but I really like the idea of transfemme Benedick. Or he/him lesbian Benedick.

Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing): The she/they to end all she/theys

Viola/Cesario (Twelfth Night): Could be trans in literally any direction. I made a post about this too at some point. My suggestion is all of the directions: they/she/he

Sebastian (Twelfth Night): He/him, transmasc. I also made a post about this at some point.

Feste (Twelfth Night): I saw a great she/her Feste last summer.

Orsino (Twelfth Night): Specifically the himbo variety of he/they

Margaret of Anjou (Henry VI trilogy and Richard III): If I ever play Margaret, I will use she/they pronouns.

Catesby (Richard III): Just played Catesby with she/her pronouns and it worked!

Richard II (Richard II): Tell me Richard isn’t the most they/he or he/they guy alive (or… dead).

Hal (1 Henry IV-Henry V): Saw Hal played with she/they pronouns last summer and it was great. Could also see he/they Hal. Very nonbinary vibe overall. I personally believe that going by Hal rather than Henry for two whole plays is their way of pulling the “going by the first letter of what my name used to be instead of picking a name from scratch” nonbinary trick. He probably pretends to be cis after his dad dies and he becomes king—one more element of Hal’s lifelong identity crisis.

Hotspur/Harry Percy Jr. (Richard II & 1 Henry IV): He/they in denial.

Kate Percy (1 & 2 Henry IV): She/they, not in denial. (Also Katespur should be bi4bi)

Ned Poins (1 & 2 Henry IV): Transmasc Ned Poins?? Maybe he doesn’t actually have a sister and Nell is just his deadname. Ned Poins’ failed scheme to flirt with Hal.

Romeo (Romeo & Juliet): he/they (t4t R&J!!!)

Juliet (Romeo & Juliet): she/they (t4t R&J!!!)

Mercutio (Romeo & Juliet): they/he(/it?). Vibes alone. Look at them. Just look.

Nurse (Romeo & Juliet): she/her, transfemme!

Cassius (Julius Caesar): Would love to see a they/them Cassius

Hamlet (Hamlet): he/they. I’ve made multiple posts about this theory and I still love it.

Ophelia (Hamlet): she/they. As she should.

Laertes (Hamlet): she/him and NOT just because Laertes used she/her pronouns the first time I saw this play.

Rosencrantz (Hamlet): he/they/she. Vibes. Sometimes goes by Ros/Rose. Probably genderfluid.

Malcolm (Macbeth): they/he or they/them. Also vibes.

Lady Macbeth (Macbeth): stolen straight from my last post because this is still my HC: she/they; would insult you for “having pronouns in your bio” and then turn around and punch you in the face for using their pronouns incorrectly.

Angus (Macbeth): she/her, transfemme. (t4t Ross/Angus. I will die on this hill… Dunsinane Hill.)

Ross (Macbeth): he/him, transmasc

Caithness (Macbeth): she/they lesbian

Mark Antony (Julius Caesar and Antony & Cleopatra): I would not bat an eye at he/they Mark Antony

Edmund (King Lear): they/he, nonbinary, sexiest man (/gn) alive.

Edgar (King Lear): he/him. Transmasc Edgar is slowly becoming canon To Me.

Cordelia (King Lear): she/her, transfemme.

Goneril (King Lear): she/they. I would let them kill me.

Coriolanus (Coriolanus): transmasc OR transfemme Coriolanus is!!!! The butterfly/metamorphosis motif! Name changes during canon! Discomfort with scars/body! Lack of autonomy granted by society! This is THE transgender play. (Other than Twelfth Night)

Imogen (Cymbeline): Tell me she doesn’t want to be a she/they so bad.

Florizel (The Winter’s Tale): he/they(/she?). Literally just a vibe. I have a pet rock named Florizel.

Perdita (The Winter’s Tale): she/they. I also have a pet rock named Perdita.

Ariel (The Tempest): Similar to Puck, probably they/she/he? Even my conservative English prof consistently rotates between she/her and he/him for Ariel (possibly not intentionally? I’m not convinced he knows what her canon pronouns are.)

Ferdinand (The Tempest): she/they. PLEASE give me transfemme Ferdinand. PLEASE let Miranda realize she’s a lesbian during canon.

Miranda (The Tempest): she/they. Ariel taught them about the existence of she/they pronouns and she immediately started using them.

So in other words… every Shakespeare character should be trans, actually.

[lawren0]

Anders quotes, no context, part 3:

“Mages and templars, working together. I must be dreaming.” 

“The Circle has failed us, Orsino! Even you should be able to see that!”

“I think we're better off focusing on the task at hand.”

“He's not a slave! He's a friend. And also a cat.”

“Let me take this time to tell you how much I respect you.” 

“What is it with you and helping cute elves with no self-preservation instinct?” 

“I don't have much left in me.”

“That's the rumour.”

“Is everyone still alive?”

“Let's go anywhere but here. You lead the way.”

---

Part 1 | Part 2

[volkoss]

Fic: Dissonance (Ch. 3 - Phylactery)

CHAPTER 3: PHYLACTERY | MERESINO | WORDS: 736 | RATED: M A series of non-linear vignettes exploring the life of Meredith Stannard. Written for @14dayscirclemages.

1 | 2 | 3 Note: This chapter functions as Meredith's reflection on the events of Precipice, in which Meredith and Orsino sleep together for the first time in fourteen years. (AO3 LINK)

Sometimes, Meredith dreams about the first enchanter. Dreams not so much about the foolish dalliance of their youth, but the man Orsino had grown up to be.

By her own admission—by her own design—she had never expected anyone to replace Maceron after the elderly mage’s demise. It spoke to the state of the Gallows that it had taken his own senior enchanters several days to notice he was missing.

The smell truly had been something to behold.

But given the number of years that had passed since their ill-advised fling, Meredith had quite forgotten the extent of Orsino’s devotion. Forgotten, until Orsino had volunteered himself for Maceron’s now vacated position. Forgotten, until the now first enchanter had stormed across the corridor, flinging himself into her office like he owned the place, hands clinging tight to that ridiculous hand-me-down staff, demanding her attention.

She hated how time had treated him well, how he’d only grown more handsome in the intervening years. That the silver in his hair gave him a distinguished appearance. That those green eyes glittered shrewd and sympathetic in equal measure. His hands...

… It was better not to dwell upon his hands.

She hated how quickly he blew past the emotional walls she had so carefully constructed, using the history of their shared intimacy to lull her into a false sense of security. She hadn’t even known how easily her body would remember the steps of the old dance even after all this time, hadn’t even bothered to double-check that he’d locked the fucking door.

But what she hated most was how he’d completely unravelled her upon her desk then whispered those three words against her hair in her post-coital haze. Those three words that would have changed everything if only he’d told her fifteen years sooner. She could never have left everything behind for anything less than certainty. So, she had stayed. Thus, Orsino had stayed. Therefore, they would be trapped together in this nightmare forever. Truly, given everything that has happened since she’d been appointed Ser Wentworth’s successor, perhaps it would have been better to run away from it all. She’ll never give Orsino the satisfaction—the sorrow—of knowing he’d been right this whole time.  

She still remembers how hot and angry she had been in the wake of Orsino’s rude and abrupt intrusion back into her intimate life. Humiliation, rolling off her body in waves. Fourteen years of abstinence, yet one taste of him and she was back to craving him like lyrium. She had not known back then that the quick fuck on her desk shortly after his promotion would not be the last of it. Maker, she had desperately wanted it to be, could not allow herself to be pinned so expertly at the intersection of so many definitions of compromised.

The way she had felt when holding his phylactery in her hands should have been her first warning sign. It had glowed hot, hot, hot, but of course it had: Orsino was just across the hall. The fact she had stalled at all, marvelling at how she held his life in her hands, instead of simply sealing the damn thing as duty dictated and sending it off to Val Royeaux should have been the second. The third: that for a moment (the barest of moments, but still) she had considered how she could get away with not sending it at all.  But she had known then, just as well as she does now, that such a feat would have been impossible to pull off without a mage’s assistance. And there was no mage alive she trusted with such dangerous information. Not even Orsino. Especially not Orsino.

I would have helped, says Amelia.

Bile and panic race up Meredith’s throat. You’re not supposed to be here. 

But this is where I belong.

Meredith wakes suddenly, tangled in her sheets. As she so often does after these types of dreams, she reaches out at the space beside her, but it is empty. She hates how her linens still smell like him, even though months have passed since he’s graced her bedchamber. “The glow gives me a headache,” he’d complained, among various other unimportant things, and that had been the end of that. She doesn’t need him, anyway. She doesn’t fucking need him.

She’s used to being alone, waking up alone.

Alone, except for Certainty.

Alone, except for the Thing.

[vigilskeep]

this is a time sensitive question thank you

[deathonthe]

cruell'st she alive | 1633

pairing: charles/max

rating: mature (for now)

word count: ~7000 (chapter 1/3)

tags: twelfth night au, historical setting, rule 63, misunderstandings, mutual pining, truly catastrophic levels of lesbian yearning

summary:

“My Lady,” Charles greets as he walks up the entrance steps to her. He sounds like he’s had the wind knocked out of him—his voice breathless but his tone is sure. He leads with his hand outreached and Max steadily lays her gloved hand in his. He brings her hand slowly to his mouth and presses his lips gently against her clothed knuckle. “Mr. Leclerc,” Max replies, retrieving her hand modestly, “I have been waiting for you.” Charles beams at her. He looks particularly scruffy, with his chin dotted in black, his hair out of sorts, and a moustache that appears as though it hasn’t seen a practical end of a brush for days—he looks like he’s in desperate need of a grooming session, and a barber with a good shaving razor at that. He bends back to his full height, and is barely taller than Max by any means. It catches Max by surprise. Charles is a bit pink in the face—flustered, if she dares to guess.

Or: in which Max is Olivia and Charles is an odd combination of Viola and Orsino (the two people who love her the most).

will post further notes when i finish the entire fic (and if i feel like it)!

[afraidofchange]

3 & 16!

@rattlesnakeshine | 🔥 choose violence ask game 🔥

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr I fear I have SO many bad takes on my pookie Ashley Williams of Mass Effect because fandom constantly interprets her distrust of having a krogan mercenary and a dirty turian cop aboard the most advanced ship in the human fleet / her family's history with aliens as being "racist" (which actually would be xenophobic in the context of the games), and then never keep her alive past ME1, so they don't get to see how she later sees Liara as a friend and Tali like a little sister and has no problem working with aliens after all! And actually stands up to the pro-human political group and calls them out for their racism!!! Have two that really just... sent me.

Not once does she mention trans people. Actually the whole series never does but still.

Ash, who had voicelines recorded w JHale's femshep for a romance in me1: sure thing.

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc) I'll do another quick one for this: I really don't vibe with most "hatemance" stuff in fandom. For example, people ship Meredith and Orsino from Dragon Age all because sarcastic!Hawke can make a stupid quip about it. She hates him, he hates her, she has societal and institutional power over him and he stands in the way of her having total control of the Circle. She could easily abuse her power or simply try to kill him; she would not fuck that man! (She's also a lesbian but that's just my headcanon SDKJFHJSDF).

[daitranscripts]

Varric Conversation

I Have Questions About Hawke

Varric Masterpost

PC: I’ve read your Tales of the Champion, and I have a few questions.

Varric: That’s a pretty common reaction. Go ahead.

1 - Dialogue options:

Investigate (Anders alive): What happened to Anders? [2]

Investigate: Orsino’s fate made no sense. [3] -Varric slightly disapproves

Investigate (Arishock killed): You made up the Arishok fight. [4]

Investigate (Arishock lived): What happened to the Arishok? [5]

Investigate: Where are Hawke’s friends? [6]

General: Never mind. [7]

2 - Investigate: What happened to Anders? PC: What happened to the mage who destroyed the Chantry? The book never said.

Varric (Hawke sided mages): He fled Kirkwall with the mages from the Circle. Stayed with them a while. But he had to move on. Somehow, a lot of mages blamed him for making them live a fugitives. Varric (Hawke sided templars): Hawke made him stay to help put out the fire he caused. But he eventually moved on. Nobody else wanted him in Kirkwall.

Varric: I don’t know where he is now, and I don’t want to know. [back to 1]

3 - Investigate: Orsino’s fate made no sense. PC: In the book, you say that First Enchanter Orsino turned himself into a giant monster made of corpses. How? Why? Varric: Do I look like an expert on magical weirdness to you? I can’t tell you how. As for the “why,” all I can say is he was desperate. [back to 1]

4 - Investigate: You made up the Arishok fight. PC: There’s no way Hawke really could have killed the Arishok. It would have started a war with the Qunari. Varric: Apparently, the Arishok didn’t get permission before he attacked Kirkwall, and the Qun didn’t want another Exalted March. When they finally sent a ship to haul the wrecked dreadnought away, they just said, “We will never speak of this again.” As far as I can tell, that’s the Qun’s version of an apology. [back to 1]

5 - Investigate: What happened to the Arishok? PC: Your book doesn’t say what happened after the Arishok left Kirkwall. Varric: He kind of�� lost the Tome of Koslun again. Along with the thief. As I understand it, he returned to Par Vollen to find the Qunari equivalent of a court-martial waiting for him. There’s a new guy named Arishok now, and asking about the old one is a nightmare of logic and grammar. [back to 1]

6 - Investigate: Where are Hawke’s friends? PC: Where are the rest of Hawke’s associates?

If Merrill is alive and stayed with Hawke: Varric: Merrill decided to look after the elves left homeless by the fighting. She’s done a pretty good job of keeping them away from the mages and templars so far. I guess she had plenty of practice avoiding stupid human battles with her old Dalish clan.

If Fenris is alive and stayed with Hawke Varric: Fenris has kept himself busy, hunting down the Tevinter slavers who came south to prey on the refugees. I’m not sure exactly where he is at the moment. You can usually follow the trail of corpses, though.

If Isabella stayed with Hawke Varric: Isabella went back to the raiders. She’s calling herself an admiral now. I don’t know if she’s actually in charge or just has a really big hat. Might be the same thing, honestly.

If Sebastian was recruited: Varric: Sebastian went back to Starkhaven. I’m sure he’s boring all sorts of people there.

If Hawke was not a mage and Bethany survived the Deep Roads: Varric: Last I knew, Hawke’s little sister Bethany was doing something Wardeny near the Anderfels border.

If Hawke was not a mage and Bethany did not go to the Deep Roads: Varric: Hawke’s little sister is in the Free Marches, helping some of the other survivors from the Kirkwall Circle.

If Hawke was a mage and Carver survived the Deep Roads: Varric: Hawke’s little brother was off on some Warden business near the Anderfels border last I knew.

If Hawke was a mage and Carver did not go to the Deep Roads: Varric: Hawke’s little brother Carver is still in the Free Marches, helping the Kirkwall guard keep order.

Varric: Aveline is still guard-captain. I’m pretty sure Kirkwall would fall right into the sea if she quit her job. [back to 1]

7 - General: Never mind. PC: Carry on.

[fetabathwater]

BioWare doing an AMA was always going to be a shitshow but like. The shit they’ve come up with? Idk man but since when have ppl listened to the “canon”. They have two conflicting codexes about Hawke’s staff from promotional material. Cailan’s age has been incorrect since DAO. They added in the Orsino boss fight “to give players something to do” with no further explanation on the Harvester form. Anders’ writer used her own experiences with her ex who had BPD, intentionally portraying Anders and Justice’s relationship negatively. Gaider loves to try to stay relevant and say controversial things, particularly about companions like Fenris and Dorian, and killing them. Ventus, also known as Qarinus in all material published up until 2018, was Ventus all along, didn’t you know? (Don’t look at maps). Redcliffe is sitting in the wrong position geographically. Haven in DAI, also sitting geographically incorrectly. Same with Calenhad Circle. And Kal-Hirol. And Kal-Sharok. They forgot what keeping a genetically similar clutch of griffon eggs would mean for the future until they included it. Breaches opened up all over Thedas during DAI. Somehow only the south had a person with an anchor to rely on, but everyone else was fine and closed them.

And that’s from the old guard writers. Not considering people who’ve come in to the corpse kept alive on 6 second promotional material for the past 10 years. Like. Dang.

[idolbound]

Joining The Grey Wardens

Meredith 'Thorne', Your history cannot be evaded; those of us who were there know what you did. The terror you held as you ruled over Kirkwall's mages with an iron fist of fear and punishment was not a necessary measure, but a cruelty. You will serve the Grey Wardens with honour and duty, willing to fight against the Darkspawn until your dying breath - or the Calling, whichever comes first. You lived as a Templar all of your life; I expect you understand nothing more than duty first. It is no pleasure to accept you into our ranks, though you are not the only troubled soul with a bloodstained past to have joined us. I trust you will serve us without question, though I imagine this is as much a last resort for you, as it is a means for redemption. Go forth and be brave in these unprecedented times. - From First Warden Glastrum

As long-standing Knight-Commander, the fateful day that the Chantry was brought to the ground, set forth the spark that would lead to the deaths of most of the mages in the city of Kirkwall, including the Circle's own First Enchanter Orsino, and set the fire of the templar-mage rebellion across Southern Thedas.

Meredith Stannard's long-standing paranoia had ruled the Gallows with an iron first and a blind eye to injustice; her choice to seek out a cursed, blight red lyrium idol in the pursuit of power would lead to her very downfall. As Kirkwall's Champion, Hawke sought to stop Meredith from further destruction, and in calling upon the Maker as His most humble servant, the idol erupted from sheer force, shattering into hundreds of pieces in her face, severely injuring Kirkwall's de facto Viscount. While still alive to face justice, Hawke made a decision to strip Meredith of her titles and to send her into exile out of the city, caring little for where she wound end up or even if she lived.

For three years, Meredith hid herself, struggling through the effects of lyrium withdrawal after spending 30 years addicted to the substance; while she was able to find some here and there, most of her time was spent as a vagrant, trying to survive the horrific effects, surviving with disfiguring scars and gaunt cheeks. While still competent with a blade, she was made weak with no lyrium to supply the templar's magical suppression. For the years of the Inquisition, Meredith thought to find a way to redeem herself, but finding out Cullen Rutherford was in command of its armies, she doubted she could cross its gates (though, perhaps, in another life, she could've).

Desperate, reliant on hunting for food or begging for scraps in small rural towns, Meredith sought one last resort: The Grey Wardens. Known to take in all who were willing - including those with horrific pasts - Meredith sought out a local Senior Warden under a false surname. While certainly aware of who she was, given the events that had transpired, and led to the issues within the southern Warden Order, she was told to write the First Warden. While the response was not warm, it was not a rejection. And so, by 9:42 Dragon, shortly after the Orlesian Wardens were found to have been controlled by the venetori, Meredith became a Grey Warden at Weisshaupt in the southern Anderfels, somehow surviving her joining at the age of 50. While her background enabled an easier training, learning to fight amongst fellow soldiers with a new enemy in Darkspawn was a different approach than what had been expected as a templar against mages.

For years, Meredith learned to fight again; while she had survived lyrium withdrawal, the opportunity arose to retake it from the supply given to Warden mages. While hesitant, it was debated among her commanders that a templar's magical suppression could be useful, and gradually, she too reacclimated to its effects, and like old skills, they returned easily. Classed as both a trained sword and Templar, Meredith rose from recruit to an established Warden in a mere few years.

By 9:53 Dragon, as a Senior Warden at age 61, rumours are heard about blight returning once again, and the Wardens are called into action, with Meredith among them sent into the fray...

[thatgirlonstage]

Twelfth night!!

Yeah tumblr would throw that one at me. Okay, let’s talk about Orsino.

—before we can do that, though, in case you’ve never heard me yell about Twelfth Night before, we need to very briefly talk about Hamnet, because you need to understand that all my Twelfth Night thoughts stem off this:

Shakespeare had three children: Susanna, and fraternal twins Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet died in 1596, when he was 11 years old. Twelfth Night, a play about a woman who believes her twin brother has died and later discovers he is incredibly, miraculously alive, is written in 1601. However much you believe the plays are or aren’t biographical, I simply don’t think it's humanly possible for Twelfth Night to be uninfluenced by Hamnet's death. So: Twelfth Night is a play about grief, loss, and fantasizing happy endings and miraculous reunions.

Now back to Orsino.

Orsino… kind of sucks. A lot sucks. The guy is harassing a woman in mourning who has told him repeatedly and explicitly that she has no interest in him, and yet he keeps sending marriage proposals anyway. He threatens to murder Cesario because Olivia likes Cesario more than him. He's more than a little misogynist ("There is no woman's sides / Can bide the beating of so strong a passion / As love doth give my heart; no woman's heart / So big, to hold so much; they lack retention") and his turnaround to proposing to Viola when her identity gets revealed at the end is an hilariously quick heel turn from him proposing to Olivia again literally earlier in that same scene, which makes their happy ending feel very precarious and unearned.

However.

Much of Orsino and Viola/Cesario's relationship happens offstage—the first time we see them interact, we learn that Orsino has been showing Cesario favor and that Viola has already fallen in love with him. There's clearly meant to be some immediate chemistry there, with only the gender issue being a barrier to them being immediate love interests. We never see Orsino and Olivia directly interact until the final scene, when their relationship is already barbed and they're clearly just rehashing an old argument.

I think Orsino is most interestingly played when his "love" for Olivia is transparently a performance of heteronormativity. He might be lying to himself as well as everyone else, but I think the way you make Orsino Not Suck So Much That Seeing Him End Up With Our Main Girl Viola Makes You Wince For Her Sake, is to make it very obvious that he's just grasping at the thing he's supposed to do (fall in love with a woman, marry her) and that all his interest is in Cesario from the moment he turns up. I think it is both comedic and genuinely emotional if part of the reason Orsino sends Cesario to woo for him is coming from a place of, "Well I fell in love with him right away, clearly if anyone can convince Olivia to be in love my Cesario can." (and if the threat to kill Cesario is a very mixed-up "I'm jealous but I don't know of who" kind of thing). The scene where Cesario roundabout confesses to being in love with Orsino (the "I love a woman of about your complexion and years" scene) should, in that interpretation, be absolutely wrought with sexual tension, and the climax and turnaround to proposing to Viola not so much a sudden change of heart, as Orsino going "oh thank god, I have a societally acceptable way to marry this guy now."

Because remember, this play is about fantasizing miraculous happy endings.

It's funny, you know, that in Orsino's very final lines of the play, he still says "Cesario" rather than "Viola," and that his line of "Cesario, come— / For so you shall be while you are a man / But when in other habits you are seen / Orsino's mistress, and his fancy's queen" both refers to Viola/Cesario as being a man, concurrently and in this moment, not just in disguise as one, and also… doesn't precisely preclude the idea that he might be a man again sometimes in the future. There isn't a time limit on that "while you are a man." It's one of those things that's just ripe for trans/genderfluid readings of Viola, and a reading of Orsino that says he's not only okay with that, but actively in favor of it.

[recents]

the way to enjoy DA2 unironically is to play it once ironically, then play origins unironically, then start getting invested in the lore, then realize that critical thinking about the narrative you are presented with is one of the core themes of the series, then get spoiled for the fact that in inquisition if you side with mages orsino is alive and varric covered it up, then think about the differences between anders’ characterization in awakening vs 2, then have the thought “so what else did pro-mage varric cover up when he told this story to the chantry,” then start replaying DA2 but unironically and taking notes, th