#rivani

[zoezenii]

messy sketches of my head canon of how these three look in act 3/postgame. but I did forget their matching romance red cloth around their wrists, so don’t look 😓

very tempted to redraw on digital...

[asparagusplaysthesims]

Dragon Age Modern AU - Isabela

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[solcarow]

4!

4. do you have any characters you wished interacted more?

we got that 2 second interaction with 63hsy & jophiel in the epilogues and it drives me fucking bonkers . yuri i think . i dont have enough brainpower to flesh them out but they live in my noggin . someone take over for me as president of the jophsooyoung fanclub

but serious answer i think we shouldve seen more sangah and joonghyuk theyd make a funny duo

wait i think i remember reading something i liked w those 2 aha found it

^ this dynamics great

WAIT NO MORE IMPORTANTLY ——— PERSEPHONE AND LEE SOOKYUNG . that’s self explanatory . go milves .

[depvotee]

I love my discord profile, like, RIP to Lucanis Dellamorte he would've loved Ethel Cain's scream on Ptolemaea

[echoes-sounds]

Wips and sketches of things I may never finish

[becaexists]

Thinking about my lovely middle aged queer tiefling warlock who's Patron is a childhood friend and is the godfather of said Patron's daughter I wish I got to play him more T-T

[seanmccaughan]

Robert Rivani, Who Bought The Retail Space at Zaha Hadid's One Thousand Museum, Has a "Game Of Thrones" Themed House

Robert Rivani, Who Bought The Retail Space at Zaha Hadid’s One Thousand Museum, Has a “Game Of Thrones” Themed House

[savoredsins]

veilguard got me remembering how solas fumbled the rivani baddie and the polycule smh

[kaija-rayne-author]

DA 4 Veilguard predictions

Okay so I wanted to get a whole ass post about what I think is likely to happen in DA 4 done before the reveals but I haven’t had the time between work and life.

There are MASSIVE spoilers for every Dragon Age game, book, comic, and most internet theories in this post. Proceed with caution.

Also I swear like the truckers I grew up around. So CW on language.

First and foremost, I’m going to warn you all that I’m a die-hard Solavellan. If you don’t like that? Don’t bother reading this. And for gods’ sake don’t bother arguing with me about it. Depending on my mood, I’ll either first roast your face off and then eat it with bbq sauce or if I’m feeling generous, I’ll just block your ass. You like what you like about games. I’ll like what I like. I don’t shit in your porridge, I ask you to not do it to me. As I’m writing this, I’m 47 years old and I’ve been gaming since I was 9. Which means I’ve been gaming longer than a lot of you have been alive. Stop yucking on people’s yum. There’s far too little joy in this world. Go find your own.

So, this is just a partial post (albeit, in true to me fashion, an incredibly LONG one XD). It will cover stuff I think we might see revealed in things this weekend at either SGF or Xbox whatever (I have no idea why they’d bother with the Xbox thing since they hold such a small share of the gaming market these days but whatever.) We’re seeing something between Friday and Monday. Hopefully, enough to give hope to the masses.

Depending on how much time I have before I have to serve dinner I might add some more of my theories.

It’s a bit silly of me to be so obsessed about this game because my computer definitely won’t be able to handle it, and because I’m a disabled, neurodivergent author with a family to support… well… the likelihood of me being able to buy both a computer able to handle it and the game itself any time in the near future isn’t good. So, I won’t be able to play it. I am going to add my links and a go fund me to the bottom of this post (which has taken me hours to research and write so if you would like to donate to the cause I would be so deeply appreciative. Dragon Age is one of my AuDHD special interests, and it’s killing part of my soul to know I can’t participate when it comes out. I promise I’ll write all sorts of interesting stuff about it!)

But I can’t help myself. Letting my research-oriented, lore-obsessed brain noodle about Dragon Age is one of my very favourite special interests. So, without further ado… here goes!

CLASSES

I think we have a good chance of seeing some of these as playable classes.

Knight-Templar ❌

Lord of Fortune ✅

Antivan Crow ✅

Mortalitasi (Nevarran necromancer) ✅

Grey Warden ✅

Shadow Dragon ✅

Shaper/Carta/Kal-Sharok/Sha-Brytol Dwarf ❌

Veil Jumper ✅

Fen’harel Fanatic (not his usual people, the fanatical ones detailed in Tevinter Nights) ❌

Companions

A lot of these ideas come from the supplementary material that I’ve read at least three times each. I’m obsessed. What can I say?

Qunari: ✅ Tal-Vashoth Sarrebas, maybe Qwydion? ❌

Rivani Lord of Fortune: ✅ ‘Hollix’ maybe? That would be fun, plus they are canonically non-binary! Please please please? With sugar on top? ❌

Tevinter Mage/Magister: ✅ Maevaris Tilani ❌ would be so cool, but I’d be equally as happy to see Neve Gallus. ✅ Honestly, they both have benefits for me. Mae is trans and Neve has a prosthetic leg. Alternatively, I liked Myrion ❌ well enough that he’d be a cool companion too. And he’s canonically bisexual from what I read between the lines.

Grey Warden: ✅ Please let it be Antoine! ❌ (Antoine absolutely has ADHD and I would love to see more of that rep in a AAA game.) Evke ❌ could be fun too.

Templar Knight-Commander: Rana Savras ❌

Spirit Companion: I really hope it’s not Audric. 1. He’s not really a spirit, he’s a higher undead, which is a Zombie by any other term. And all the poor guy wants is to organize his library. I’ll be quite disappointed with the writers if they go this route.

So, we’ve had Faith/Wynn, Justice/Anders, and Compassion/Cole. There are two other widely known benevolent spirits in Dragon Age canon. Valor and Hope. Given what I think is gonna happen in DA4, my money is on a Hope spirit. ❓

Antivan Crow: ✅ Illario Dellamorte. ❌ (I really really hope it’s not Lucanis Dellamorte. 💩 He’s so damned annoying and gods that is NOT how an assassin operates. Here's my professional editorial opinion of why Lucanis is an absolutely terrible character.

Veil Jumper/Dalish/City Elf: ✅ Strife. ❌ Please please please? He’d be so awesome as a companion character. He’s not young! I want an older companion character. (And it would let them get away with the white hair on a darker skinned character without it being racist as fuck.) I just really hope he looks better than he did in the comics. The art style in those was just fucking terrible.

I am hoping that we can somehow romance Lace Harding. ✅ But I just don’t see how she could fit in with the reported likely classes and things I’ve personally considered.

That gives me 8 even though reports say we only get 7. But did you notice in this picture that there are 8? So either we’re gonna get a ‘secret’ companion like Loghain Mac Tir. (Three guesses who that will be and the first two don’t count.) Or they have a surprise for us. Or the art is off.

I could also see Kieren ❌ as a companion. (Morrigan’s son) He’d be just about old enough if we get the time jump reports are saying we will. He was roughly 12 in DAI. + 2 for Trespasser puts him at 14. Ten years minimum between Trespasser and DA4 puts him at 24. So, it’s possible. I could also see Vaea as a companion. But I’m not exactly sure how she would fit with classes.

Potential Advisors

Some of these I’ve got as potential companions as well because I could see them fitting either.

Dorian Pavus for Tevinter Magisters (I think this is very likely given Tevinter Nights.)

Maevaris Tilani (Same as above.)

Charter (I think we’ll see Charter stepping into Leliana’s place as Spymaster given what we saw in Trespasser and Tevinter Nights.)

Myrna/Audric (Mortalitasi)

Ramesh (Grey Wardens)

Genetivi (Scholar) (given what happened in Tevinter Nights I have a feeling we’ll be seeing him again under a new name)

Viago De Riva (Antivan Crows)

Andarateia Cantori (Antivan Crows) I’d love to see Zevran again but considering what he was up to in DAI I think it’s unlikely. Although something did happen in Tevinter Nights that might make it possible.

Lavellan: With how the story in DAI ended and what we saw in the end scene of Trespasser, I think they’ll be important in some way.

Fenris: (Wandering Warrior)

Cameos we might see:

Fenris

Isabela

Arishok Sten

Antaam Rassan

Kieren (Morrigan’s son)

Zevran

Vaea

Sebastian Vael

Viago De Riva

Andarateia Cantori

Lavellan

People I don’t think we’ll see or if we do it won’t be for long.

Cassandra (thank gods)

Morrigan

Leliana (sads)

Most of the cast of DAI and the previous games.

Bosses we’re likely to fight.

Solas. He’ll be a mini-boss and maybe one you can talk out of a fight.

FleMythal

Elgar’nan

Ghilan'nain

Andruil. She and Ghilan’nain often go together.

Critters/bad guys we’re likely to see.

Bone creatures from the necropolis.

Changed darkspawn/humans from Ghilan'nain’s labs.

Tentacley sea creatures from Minrathous and other ‘experimented upon by mages’ monsters.

Werewolves may make a comeback.

Antaam.

Venatori. ✅

Fen’harel Fanatics (these are different from Fen’harel agents).

Whatever or whoever the people across the sea are.

Carta dwarves

Titans

Sha-Brytol dwarves

Antaam Rassan

Antaam

Things I think we’re likely to see.

We’re going to see trans/non-binary rep. ✅ I deeply believe this is happening. I will be so sad if I’m wrong.

Sad as I am to say it. Varric is gonna die. The writing has been on the wall in drippy red marker since they fired his writer. I hate this, personally. I grew up listening to Brian Bloom (Varric’s VA) and he’s just one of my absolute favourites. But I don’t think Varric is gonna make it.

The how? I think, narratively, they’ll do it in a way that hurts Solas a very great deal. In DAI, Varric is one of the few people that Solas listens to. Apologizes to and actually talks to with a sense of respect in his tone that he rarely does with anyone else. Given events in the comic The Missing where Solas saves Varric several times… yeah.

If I were writing it? It would be an angsty as fuck scene where either something Solas does accidentally kills Varric in a friendly fire isn’t friendly sort of situation or that Solas can’t get there in time to save one of the few people he actually probably considers a friend.

So, the pain of Varric’s death will be what in the writing/editing trade we call a pinch-point for Solas’s character arc. How the player decides what happens will likely be one of those crucial choices matters points that will turn Solas down a darker path or possibly toward a redemption arc.

Flemythal isn’t dead. I’ve talked before about how she is not the happy fluffy bunny version of a mother goddess. Sure, she might be a mother goddess. But she’s the type that reminds us that mother nature is often more red in tooth and claw than nurturing.

And the lady is bent. Bent on revenge. Bent on using people to get her revenge. Just… if she ever was the good and kind person that Solas remembers? She definitely isn’t anymore.

I have a feeling given one of the stories in Tevinter Nights that FleMythal has infected Solas (vs sharing her power in a simple power up to help him save people move) with the dragon soul. Which could have been part of Mythal's soul even before the dragon had it, if some theories are correct. There’s been a lot of imagery and description of a dreadwolf like creature that is half lupine, half dragon. So, something is going on there.

And honestly, I think that’s going to be Solas’s breaking point with mommy dearest. (Please, please don’t let them have been lovers, that will squick me out so fucking bad.)

“Betrayal is always worse.” Is one of Solas’s really heartfelt lines in DAI. If I’m right, and FleMythal somehow manipulated that dragon soul she got from Kieren (talk about fucked up action right there) so that it’s gonna change Solas into a half dragon half wolf demon thing… welp.

I think FleMythal will find that Solas has bit more backbone than he ever had in the past. He’s not alone now. He knows he’s not alone. He’s got friends. He’s got someone who deeply loves him in a romanced Solavellan playthrough. I don’t think Solas is going to be very happy with his dearest ‘best of them’ Mythal.

Best of them? Yeah. It doesn’t mean she was actually good.

So Mythal isn’t dead. I think she’s likely to be one of if not the BBEG along with whoever that voice was at the end of the teaser. My money is on Troy Baker for the VA and I’m really curious if I’m right. I’m thinking that’s probably Elgar’nan. God of Vengeance. Perhaps Mythal and Elgar’nan patch up whatever divine argument they’ve been having via celestial couples therapy or something. Who knows.

I think we’re going to see a split path depending on the choices of the player for Solas. Depending on our choices, he could go really dark, or he could have a redemption arc. Patrick Weekes tweeted to me that ‘there’s a possibility of a happy ending for Solavellan’ so I still have hope. I trust Weekes to write a satisfying conclusion to the Solavellan Romance. (I just don’t trust Bioware as far as I can throw them.) Weekes was the lead writer on this game, so I think it’s a good possibility that that’s how it’s going to be structured.

I think the game will very possibly be a multi-act structure like DAI. The first act is possibly going to be like the Hinterlands leading up to Coryphyfish blowing the hell out of Haven. I think the veil coming down is going to either be what starts off the game ✅ (like the explosion of the conclave in DAI) or will be the final ending situation of Act 1. Again. Player choices will likely affect this to some extent.

But y’all? That veil is coming down. ✅ And yes. I’m aware of that silly new name for the game. I don’t like it. (That ‘the’ was a mistake. Veilguard by itself would’ve been much better linguistically.) But if you’ve been following my ramblings about Dragon Age for a while, y’all will know I have issues with their linguistic usage and editing already.

Dumped Drunk and Dalishious did a fantastic piece on her blog about the veil. It’s here if you haven’t read it. Firstly, the veil was never meant to exist in THEDAS in the first place. If you deep dive the lore (and trust me, I really have. A LOT.) It’s obvious that the veil has been the cause of more problems than it has fixed. It’s been slowly killing magic in THEDAS since its creation. It has to come down. It’s also as holey a granny’s doilies anyway. Solas taking it down in a controlled fashion is very likely going to prevent far more deaths than if it keeps just falling apart piecemeal like it’s been doing forever. It’s unfixable and it really really needs to go. ✅

So once that veil drops… I don’t think it’s going to be as horrific as everyone has been bellyaching about forever. Solas’s often misquoted and wildly overblown lines from Trespasser (seriously do y’all even know what the word genocide means? You make me doubt.) are very likely a red herring at best. People are being willingly misled. ✅ I can’t really blame y’all.

Weekes is an absolute Master at playing people’s expectations and assumptions off of their preconceived notions, then throwing a bomb of ‘oops you were all wrong and it was right in front of you the entire time’. They’ve even said they really love to write things like that. I want to write as well as Weekes does when I grow up.

Humans existed before the veil. Why wouldn’t they afterward? Given some of the lore, Qunari also existed before the veil. Why wouldn’t they continue to? Will there be chaos? Yup. ✅ But change is often painful. And if anything needs change it’s the world of THEDAS. (Both for story reasons and for gameplay reasons.)

One of the changes I think we’re likely to see is the implosion of the Chantry. (I am absolutely hoping for this. I’m not a fan of organized religion on a grand scale like that and the Chantry has soooooo damned many skeletons in its closets and atrocities under its belt that I will absolutely celebrate when it burns to the ground.)

Which will happen if it comes out that Solas put up the veil in the first place and took it down too. The Chantry either outright claims or strongly insinuates that the maker put up the veil. It’s the cornerstone of their entire faith. Also, in the story Genetivi Dies in the End in Tevinter Nights, Genetivi is absolutely wrecked by the discovery that everything he’s ever written as a travelling Chantry Scholar has been a lie. The Chantry is going down.

So, there’s gonna be some chaos there. And that’s not going to be Solas’s fault because that veil is coming down anyway.

And can you imagine the absolutely hilarious chaos that’s gonna happen when word leaks that an elven god-mage was the one who is technically the ‘maker’ by Chantry doctrine? With all the horrific racism and sheer awfulness the Chantry has done to elves over the centuries? I’m popping popcorn.

I think we’re gonna see Felassan again. Cause that elf isn’t dead. And no, Solas didn’t kill him. Please trust me, I’ve combed through all the lore, I’ve read The Masked Empire where it supposedly happened several times, and there is not a shred of actual proof that Solas was the one who did the deed. It’s a Weekes misdirection again. They've got the nickname Tricksy Weekes for a reason.

The actual facts about the 'murder'.

It was someone Felassan worked for.

Someone he knew.

Someone who he knew wouldn't listen to his reasoning. (Solas has been shown to actually listen to his friends and let them change his mind.)

Someone who could very likely have been female because Felassan likens the murderer to Brialla.

It was someone who could fade-walk or move in the fade.

Mythal can do that.

A Somniari/Dreamer can also fade-walk.

Probably most of the still extant Elvhenan can do it (which there were quite a few of in Mythal’s temple).

And we know from DA2 that at least one modern born Somniari/Dreamer exists in the world.

Point being, there’s no actual ‘Solas killed Felassan’ spelled out anywhere. No, not even in Cole's lines in Trespasser. Those lines only indicate that Solas knows about Felassan’s ‘death’ and that he’s sad about it. Cole talks in riddles and references to modern TV shows all the time. I have no idea why people take him even remotely literally.

I have a few theories about this.

IF Felassan’s spirit actually was killed in the fade (possible) his body wasn’t. His body would’ve been just lying there in the woods breathing like any other Somniari. Possibly made tranquil (which we know can be reversed).

What if Solas lost his original body in putting up the Veil?

What if he had a deal with Felassan or maybe came to Felassan to help him get back to his body after the attack and Felassan decided he was done and wanted to move on?

They're said to be friends. Never said to be employer/employee.

If Solas was awake and in the fade and sensed an attack on Felassan, he'd certainly have gone to help.

What if he gave his body to Solas?

Felassan's 'death' chronologically lines up to when Solas 'woke up'.

Felassan has purple eyes. So does Solas.

Felassan has fade-green magic. So does Solas.

Felassan is incredibly powerful. Stares at Solas.

Felassan knows far more about Fen'harel than even a scholar would.

Felassan knew far more about Eluvians, ancient Elvhenan, and The Forgotten Ones (Imshael is a Forgotten One) than anyone would reasonably expect any elf to know.

Felassan let Imshael see into his head about what was coming in the future. Which Imshael almost got off on. Imshael loves destruction and chaos.

I can make a list as long as my arm on similarities there. So, either Solas didn’t kill Felassan and the old? Felassan will be in the game once the veil falls, or it will be revealed that Solas has actually been wearing a (voluntary because a soul cannot take a body involuntarily) Felassan suit the entire time.

Probably blew some minds there, huh?

So given that Weekes has said that if Felassan was a popular enough character they would consider bringing him back… I think it’s likely we’ll see something to do with him again.

Also? The sheer hilarity factor of elves who do not want magic (Fenris anyone?) getting magic returned to them is going to be sweet.

I think we’ll see blood magic as a much bigger mechanic than in previous games. (And I hope they did some work on it to make it make more sense this time.) The game is going to have a lot of Tevinter content. Blood magic is a big deal there. Ergo… it’s likely.

Given some of the things that happened in Tevinter Nights, which honestly really feels like a teaser book to DA4 (I really hate the Veilguard name) I think it’s likely that we’ll see the Templars again. They’ve been in every game and book so far. I doubt they’d get rid of the useless bastards in this one.

Given some of the things in Tevinter Nights, I think it’s possible we’ll see just as many puzzles as we did in DAI, if not more. I’m hoping for more. I do love puzzles in these kinds of games.

I believe it’s highly possible that whoever drank from the Well is going to be completely fucked. Especially, if they follow a ‘kill Solas’ route. Remember who the well binds you to in Trespasser? Bingo.

I think it’s very likely that someone close to the main character is going to be a dual agent of Fen’harel. And it will not be someone we expect. We’re all gonna be side eyeing the mages after the last three games. But what if it’s a warrior or rogue who hides their magic? There was at least one character that completely hid their magic in Tevinter Nights.

We’re going to see more of the Evanuris and The Nameless/Forgotten ones. I base that on Imshael being in DAI and in Masked Empire and some of the dialogue between Felassan and Imshael.

Titans. We’re going to see the titans waking up and being royally pissed off. This is going to cause so much chaos for the dwarves. Who will also regain magic and a kinda creepy hive-mind thing, too. Again. That’s not going to be Solas’s fault.

We’ll have at least one Gala event. Very possibly in Minrathous or Vyrantium. Hopefully with better clothing.

Finally, for things I think likely… The Grand Necropolis in Nevarra is gonna burn. People seem to forget that Solas doesn’t just fight for the freedom of the Elves. He fights for the freedom of spirits too.

In case you haven’t read it… the Nevarran’s imprison spirits in the corpses of their dead using mages called the Mortalitasi. I really don’t think that is going to sit well with Solas. In fact, I know it doesn’t. It’s spelled out in Tevinter Nights.

I think it’s probably going to be a quest line for the main character to go and save the necropolis or let it burn to free the spirits. This, of course, will be one of the choices that matter and likely another pinch point on whether Solas goes dark or gets a redemption arc. It will also deeply affect Nevarran politics and the way the country is run. The Mortalitasi basically rule the monarchs of Nevarra sooooo. It’s gonna cause chaos there too.

We’ll obviously see a lot of chaos with the Qunari. Their culture is splintering already. The Antaam have decided to go off the rails and attack anything and everything. Maybe the Ben-Hassrath will be able to rein that in. Maybe not. I don’t have very many predictions on the Qunari to be honest. They’re at war with Tevinter at the end of Tevinter Nights so that war will figure heavily in the game, most likely. But how that’s going to play out I haven’t a clue.

Some mechanics I think we might see.

Fade-touched weaponry that can stop mages.

Elemental interactions. (IE: Magic lightning x water = lots of zap)

Magically treated arrows.

More magical bombs and poison effects. (I might be just wishfully dreaming there because one of the things I miss from DAO is the poisons and traps mechanics. They felt like an afterthought in DA2 and DAI. I want to be able to make cool traps and set up ambushes again.) But there was that story with Dorian in Tevinter Nights where several of those things were used, so maybe? It would be cool.

I think it’s likely that we’ll see the Despair Demon from Tevinter Nights. And I’m still so mad that they fired the writer of that story. It’s one of my favourites.

Some things that are very possible? But I’m not sure of and could just be wishful thinking.

I think we might see Abelas again. (Abelas romance? Pretty please? ❌😭) His story does have one of those endings that kills him so it’s possibly just wishful thinking. But they brought Leliana back for DAI, so I don’t see why they couldn’t with Abelas too. And also, I have a voice kink and love his VA Matthew Gravelle.

We might see non-linear storytelling. I kind of hope we do because I love non-linear storytelling. Perhaps one storyline will be Arlathan (through dreams or time travel perhaps?) and the fall of it so we finally get some answers to all of this lore. (Please let us get some answers!)

We may see some problems from a rather irrational faction of people who say they’re working for Solas but are using methods he would never approve of. They may be sort of like the Venatori in the last game. Though I do think it’s likely we might have to fight a few more of the Venatori too. ✅ They’re still out there having really messed up rituals and stuff to destroy things.

I think it’s possible given a few clues in the lore and in Tevinter Nights that we’re either going to see not just a double blight (regular darkspawn and red lyrium darkspawn) but a triple blight with the green/yellow lyrium found in Ghilan'nain’s labs. Remember that Ramesh only destroyed one of them. There are eleven more. I think that’s going to very possibly be a big part of this game.

Settings/Levels/Areas I think likely.

So, we already know that the game will be taking place in the north of THEDAS. That’s a no brainer after the map reveal in the teaser.

But where exactly will they take us?

In Tevinter, I think it’s very possible we’ll see Minrathous ✅ and Vyrantium. We may see the Black Divine’s/Archon’s palace.

We’ll see Arlathan Forest. ✅ That I’m almost certain of. We’ll probably also see ancient Arlathan somehow. (Dreams or barely used time-travel mechanic from DAI?)

We’re going to be spending a lot of time in the deep roads and even farther below the deep roads. And dear developers please let me have some answers to all this lore.

We may spend some time inside a Titan again.

Pre-veil drop, we may spend some time in the fade. I actually hope that with the veil dropping we get to rescue whoever got left behind in DAI. That would make my heart so happy.

We’re likely to see the crossroads at least a little bit.

Antiva! Gods I’m looking forward to seeing Antiva.

Anderfels/Weisshaupt. We have no idea at the end of DAI or Tevinter Nights or Last Flight what the hell is going on up there, so I think we’ll have to find out in the game. Also… more chaos that is most definitely not Solas’s fault.

Rivain?

I think we’ll see the Golden City. And the Black City. Which is likely the same place.

And I don’t think it’s up in the sky. I think it’s deep underground below the deep roads.

Ships! I think we’re going to see some more ships. That’s based on a story in Tevinter nights and some of the splash art. But gods I really want more ships. Especially in a place like Minrathous or Antiva for fuck’s sake!

I think we might see some underwater levels for various reasons. And I hope we do.

These next things are honestly my hopes and dreams that would make me so happy, but I have little to back them up with as far as lore or books/comics and supplementary materials.

Polyamory options. PLEASE give me polyam romance options. BG3 did it. It’s 2024 and only 30% of dating people are monogamous. Get with the times!

I want CC body sliders so bad. ✅ Give me the ability to make a fat player character please! Not just because a lot of gamers tend to be on the heavier side but honestly? Because a fat adventurer is going to be able to go farther than any skinny twig. Real strong men/women/enbies do not look like gym bunnies and models. They have a good layer of fat over that muscle for stability. Guess what fat is? It’s energy storage. A fat adventurer is going to be able to survive longer than a twig. I could go on… but come on Bioware. Be brave. Let me have a fat adventurer.

Decent. Fucking. Hair. ✅ Please let the CC have decent hair options. LONG hair options! Let me have my long haired elfy prince dude!

Isabela cameo. She’s one of my favourite DA2 characters and some of the early splash art makes me hopeful we’ll see her again.

I’m hoping for DAO origin style stories for the Main Player Character. But ideally? We’d have something like BG3 where we could play one of a number of origin stories or make our own blank slate character. ❌ Given the gossip going around the gaming community I’m thinking this is unlikely, but damn do I want it.

Useful. Mounts. Please let us have actually useful mounts. And GRIFFONS. ✅ Give me flying mounts you cowards!

Prosthetic using characters. ✅ Bioware has the worst track record when it comes to ableism, but gods please. They’ve got it set up perfectly with Inky losing their arm. There’s a prosthetic leg user in Tevinter Nights. PLEASE LET ME HAVE PROSTHETIC USING CHARACTERS.

Better Crafting Options. The crafting was okay in DAI. Especially if you mod it in so you can buy the stuff to do so easier (I really hate killing dragons but it’s the best crafting material!). But it also often felt more like an afterthought?

Better. Clothes. Seriously. Give me some razzle dazzle with the clothing. ESPECIALLY since we’re going to Tevinter where how you dress is absolutely important!

I know this is sniffing the genie smoke here, but could we have actually attractive armour options? With BRIGHT colours? Research shows that a lot of historical armour was 1. Gorgeous and well fitting. 2. Brightly painted! Let me have bright colours! (And please not the yellow plaid. Ugh.)

I hope for more gardening options in whatever base we end up using. I loved the gardening options in DAI, but they weren’t big enough for my plant loving heart.

I really want to see Solas in flying Wolfie form. We see him like that in Tevinter Nights. So, I really hope we get to see him like that in game.

Finally… and I know I’m high on my own hopes here… I really hope we get the gifting options back. Completely unattached to approval is fine. I just want to be able to find the perfect gift for my companions like I do in real life with my friends. It brings me so much joy.

Things they’re likely to fuck up.

Sadly, I think there’s some things Bioware is very likely to fuck up. This could just be me being too pessimistic, but they’ve screwed these things up throughout the entire series and to my knowledge they didn’t hire any diversity consultants in the making of DA4 sooooo…

Ableism. Bioware has a terrible record when it comes to ableism. ✅ (the demon design is going to cause visual strain and possibly bad effects for epileptic gamers).

White-washing. The North of THEDAS is like the South of Earth. If they make most of the people there have light skin I will probably boycott the fuck out of Bioware for the rest of my life.

No fat character ability in CC.

Really fucked up hair options. Seriously Bioware. It’s bad.

And I think they’re going to be in trouble when it comes to the Lords of Fortune. Look. I love the idea of the class and I even love how a lot of them are described in the books. But it’s absolutely glomming onto the stereotype of the Romani, and I don’t think that’s going to go over well at all. It won’t for me with my Romani heritage, and it really shouldn’t for anyone. Cause you know what that stereotypical usage is? It’s Racism. Bioware also doesn’t have the best track record regarding racism either.

As more thoughts come to me I’ll either append stuff to this post or do others (probably the latter.)

And here are my links if you’d like to donate to the cause of me actually getting to play this game when it comes out. I’m disabled, so largely use a laptop because I’m in bed a lot. That’s probably going to be a pricey laptop. Though I’d be almost as happy with enough to buy a desk, chair, and tower computer set up (none of which I have). If you’re able to donate and so minded… thank you so very very much!

And if you're in Canada like me you can use Interac. Kaija.rayne.author@gmail.com.

As always, thanks for reading my rambles!

[scarfacemarston]

saw your post saying that you want ideas for Fenris, so here's my 5 cents;

You know the romance ending for Fenris? Whenever I see it and I hear Varric say "a hero was born" for some reason that makes me think that it is giving us the idea that Fenris has become a dad, soooooo, any thoughts on Fenris as a dad?

Have a good day/night

Hey! I LOVE that idea. Seriously, that is so heartwarming to think of. It's been months since I've written hc and I've never written for Fenris before, but I hope you like it! I have bonus hc's from the crew below the cut. Background: Despite being together for over several years since Act 3 and the fact that they might as well have been married, Varric and crew still found themselves surprised to hear that Fenris and Hawke were pregnant/adopting. "Broody with a Broody Jr on the way? I knew it'd happen at some point; you owe me 50 coppers, Rivani."

If pregnant - Hawke was initially worried Fenris would leave them because of their first night together, but he had proven himself loyal to a fault numerous times, the thought thankfully disrupted quickly.

Fenris is the worrying warrior until after the baby is born, or if adopting, til they bring them home.  His mind is always going a mile a minute risk calculation and problem-solving for things that haven't yet happened. Hawke has to get him to snap out of it. He's extremely attentive partially because he tries to think about any possible situation and discomfort and how to avoid it. If Hawke is pregnant, he's ready, whether through ginger tea, soothing balms, hot towels, massages, craving outings, you name it.

It's not original, but the baby would definitely be named Bethany, Leandra, or Malcolm if it's a son. With adoption, he feels a little more in control. (I love the idea of Fenris having a daughter, so that's what I'm using her. Feel free to hc differently!)

The baby loves his voice. Adores it. She perks up whenever Fenris speaks, even if it's the quietest of murmurs or humming. Fenris would talk to the baby if his partner is pregnant, calming her down, especially if she starts kicking.  

He doesn't mind getting up in the middle of the night to take care of her. He's lived on such little sleep before, but this was something worth it. He sometimes likes the quiet to reflect on his new life and gaze at the miracle in his arms.

Fenris has to be reminded to put her down sometimes so Hawke can hold her ---then Hawke has to be reminded to put down the baby so they can get work done.

Definitely lots of story time together and time spent reading books together. 

He wants his child to be curious about the world and not be afraid to question why things are the way they are. He encourages her to ask difficult questions, even if it's something he doesn't always want to answer. He will try to answer in an age-appropriate manner anyhow.

Incredibly protective. He never thought he'd have a family, and now he has someone who depends on him more than anything. He is never far from her; if he can't chase after them, she's in a playpen where he can keep watch. However, he also tells himself that falling and making mistakes is okay. Scratched knees or messes are to be expected. Fenris becomes very good at toeing the line between being protective and allowing her to pick herself up and figure out solutions "by herself." (Of course, he'll still be there to kiss it better or give her a boost.)

He and Hawke agree that they'd rather gift her love and time than gifts.

Somehow, Fenris has ended up with an extra Malbari, 2 cats, and a goat as pets.

He teaches her a lot of skills, Lots of nature excursions, and teaches her things like navigation, plant identification, starting a fire, and helping her learn a language. 

He and Hawke agree to teach her self-defense once she's old enough. He's a firm & thorough but patient teacher.

He and Hawke believe she should do whatever she pleases with her body. Does she want long-flowing hair? He'll show off his braiding skills. Does she want chopped hair like FemHawke? Done. 

If she turns out to be a mage, Fenris would accept it. He would know that was a possibility whether she was biologically theirs - because of Hawke's mage line or, if adopted, that it is a randomized gene. He would be lying if he didn't think their lives would be easier if she wasn't a mage - but that is because he is worried for her and the current politics - not so much because of his past treatment of mages. It would take him a little time to process it, but he would love her just the same……….he only hopes that Hawke or one of their friends can help with the magic because turning the floor into an ice rink or the smell of burnt hair can only be tolerated for so long.

Bonus:

The Hawke crew isn't always around, but I like to hear them stay in touch and visit. Maybe they still travel together. I hated the idea of them breaking up.

Varric has most definitely written a few adventures with her in mind - one being a talking animal version of Hawke's adventures. Another about griffons and another about malbari adventurers.

Merrill brings the sweetest gifts and loves telling stories and taking her foraging. Flower crowns are a must.

Isabela develops a liking for stuffed plushies. It started with a stuffed parrot, and before they knew it, the bed was crowded with stuff like Malbari, parrots, griffon, cats, and whatever she could find. Isabela also gives her her first pirate sword. Baby Hawke loves her jewelry.

Aveline - mage or not - offers to train her in combat. Of course, Hawke laughs and says, "She's a baby. I think she's fine for now." She'd offer to babysit - Hawke having a child really has her curious about starting her own family with Donnic when they can find the time. Donnic makes her a set of cards so she can "play" diamondback with them.

Anders offers medical care if he is around and also offers to tutor her in magic - but I think we all know what Fenris' thoughts on that would be. Still, Fenris would begrudgingly be thankful for any care he provided.

[sapphim]

speaking of varric's nicknames, doesn't he outright admit in banter with merrill that he only ever calls people by their nicknames to annoy them? or at least, he admits to calling isabela "rivani" to annoy her specifically? i just thought his tendency toward nicknames was merely his love for being the world's most annoying dwarf, or something.

Oh 100% the annoyance factor is real and true and shouldn't be dismissed. Like, what's the explanation for "Junior", besides that Carver is easy to get a rise out of and Varric is, at heart, an obnoxious little troll? But I don't think it's as simple as a broad "he's doing this to be annoying" all the way across the board. Like, conversely, where's the annoyance factor in how he addrresses "Sunshine"?

Hell, Aveline and Hawke both give Varric shit about not being given a cute nickname. Can't win! Also an indication that the annoyance factor of nicknames is specific and/or individual, and not all-inclusive. (Although Aveline is absolutely just complaining to complain. Again, can't win, grass is greener, etc.)

Aveline: Blondie, Sunshine, Daisy, Rivaini… what am I? Varric: Beg your pardon? Aveline: You don’t call anyone by name except for me. Where’s my nickname? ... Varric: Haven’t thought of a good one yet. What do you think of “Red”? Aveline: Too common.

That said, Varric's near obsessive avoidance of given names does prompt open annoyance from certain companions. Notably not Isabela (or even Carver, that I know of, though Carver gets annoyed about pretty much everything else Varric says, so). Fenris probably grouses about it most often, which is fair, considering. Anders, Fenris, and Merrill all get into it with him in some content cut from Varric's romance reaction conversation.

Varric: You and Whatshisname, that mage, seem to be getting pretty close. Anders: You’d think after three years the dwarf would learn my name. And I’m standing right here! Varric: Right, I see you there, Blondie. Don’t worry.

I love pretty much all of those reactions, except, I kind of really personally hate Merrill's bit?

Merrill: For the hundredth time, my name is not “Daisy!” And I’m right here, you oaf! Hawke: You’re just encouraging him, you know. He’s doing it on purpose to make you squirm. Varric: It’s true. I only do it because I love the way the points of your ears turn red when you get mad.

I just don't believe, given the whole sum of their interactions throughout the game, that Merrill has spent the last three years believing that Varric is being an oaf and getting upset about being called Daisy. Some people like this bit too, idk. Me, I don't buy it!

And at this point it's worthwhile to delve into Varric's development as a character. Gaider has said that Varric was originally supposed to be an "untrustworthy," "sleazy, slimeball" kind of guy, but that as development went on they found they "needed a character that stood up for you with all the opposing personalities in the party." He's more recently described Varric as "that 'slimy car salesman' character we'd planned."

Gaider has also said it's the case that, because development time on DAII was so insanely short, that "Everything was going to be a first draft... A lot of what we’re putting out is going to be raw. We’re not going to get the editing we need. We’re not going to get the kind of iteration we need."

So, all right, here's my extremely tagential onion, that was not asked for? I got a bit of a bug up my butt about the exchange above and a related one in Varric's rivalry path where he says "Don't call Daisy an ogre! You'll make her cry." Because they are just, kind of stand-out odd lines, to me. And so I checked to see when various lines of dialogue were written. We can do this! Every line of dialogue, when it's saved to the talktable, is saved with an ID number (the string reference), and they're saved in chronological order. If a line of dialogue is completely rewritten in a later revision, this number won't reflect that, but we also know that DAII did not have development time to allot for major revisions. So.

Here's what was written first, for Varric's dialogue: Act 1, Questions and Answers. Act 1, A Business Discussion. Act 1, his introduction. Act 2, Friendly Concern. And then so on and so forth etc. Mostly chronological order. Both of Anders' "whatshisname, that mage"s are comparatively early lines. But the banter, which is where a lot of defining character interactions take place, were all written fairly late in development, kind of in one big lump, after the vast, vast majority of Varric's general quest dialogue.

And that's interesting, right? You can kind of see echoes of Varric's concept drifting over time away from grimy car salesman toward your friendly neighborhood friendbuddyguy. You could even kind of read it as (not entirely intentional) organic character development over time, if things didn't get kind of muddled between acts which are, after all, supposed to take place three years apart, not that they really had the dev time to really nail that down and make you feel it.

Anyway! Sorry! Tangent! Circling back to the banter in question!

Merrill: Do you ever miss her? Varric: Isabela? Of course I do. Merrill: You called her by her name. I’ve never heard you do that before. Varric: No fun in calling her Rivaini if she’s not here to be annoyed by it.

It's interesting! Because like, first of all, it's wrong. Varric calls Isabela by her given name more regularly than he does any other companion, including Aveline (who he has not even given a nickname to). So, clearly Merrill's not been paying attention. (Not that I expect Kirby to have like kept a tally while writing Varric's dialogue lmao I just think it's funny.)

Secondly, he's deflecting. Because he misses her! He misses herrrrrr. He's a softyyyyyy. The two of them really got on. And, he's deflecting.

(Thirdly, if he is only deflecting, and not both deflecting and lying through his lying teeth: does him calling Isabela by her name fairly regularly mean that he only wants to annoy her sometimes? As opposed to, say, Carver and Fenris and Sebastian, who he is more than happy to needle all of the time constantly? I could see it tbh.)

Although, again, if Isabela is annoyed—and she would not be wrong to be! albeit she is an inveterate nicknamer herself—she's playing it pretty close to her chest.

Isabela: You’ve a nickname for everyone. Varric: That’s true. Rivaini. Isabela: But everyone just calls you Varric. That’s hardly fair.

Which is to say! Yes! Varric is the world's most annoying dwarf, and he loves it. But I think there's ~nuance~ as well as a lot of room for interpretation!

[princess-aeducan]

I would care at least a little less about a potential lack of worldstate choices if there weren’t clear opportunities and references to past games. Like Grey Wardens, Antivan Crows, Rivani pirates, Morrigan, two blights, etc. etc. How could past choices not connect to those things. But I’m holding out hope till we have the full picture 🙏.

[millenniumfae]

Dragon Age Demons vs Real-Life 'Inner Demons'

Way back in the summer of 2015, my symptoms got so unbearable I was bedridden. 20 years old and experiencing psychosis, quasi-hallucinations, and actual, unending panic for the first time. It marked the start of a condition that has never stopped since.

My aunt (and other relatives) helped me develop proper mindfulness skills based off of our homeland's folk Buddhism - the 'second arrow'. The meaningless of forgiveness. Devaluing control. And something that struck me as a new Dragon Age fan … 'Possession'.

Well, when translated to english, you'll find texts using the word 'insight' rather than 'possession'. But that's the word my mom translated from off the top of her head, and it immediately resonated with me.

"Imagine your panic as an inner creature. Something that is also you, but is acting independently. Treat your panic with kindness and mentorship, not antagonism. The more you struggle in the spider's web, the worse things get. But if you nourish what's hurting in you, let them tantrum, then come back in to nurture."

Up until the 2010s, the most acclaimed mental health books you could buy written in the english language would most certainly be christianity-influenced. Maybe not overtly, (but you'd be surprised how many have a chapter about "insert-book-topic-here and Christ") but there's little hints like how the reader must have left home at 18 to avoid mooching off their parents, or how to 'turn guilt into something productive' (???), the use of the word 'gamble' as a bad word, etc. But these books tend to include a chapter that would be some weird bullshit like "The Dark Souls Of Respawning?? What Daoism Says About Immortality" and take a brief moment to talk about the radical, never-before-heard-of methods from across the pacific that Will Turn Your World Upside Down.

Behavior therapists (of the 1950s) were aware insights about the origins of the problem usually weren't helpful. Exposure to the thing the patient feared was often curative. -When Panic Attacks by David D. Burns MD, Chapter 18, "Taking a page from the Tibetan Book of the Dead"

Now, it's no secret that the Dragon Age serial is very. Um. Christian. Catholic, specifically. Faith is written to be an unequivocally redeeming trait. Attempts at inventing fake elf/qunari/Tevinter 'religions' still have them be belief-based, colonialist, and conversion-heavy, while also at the same time implying that the 'Maker' of Chantry faith is the single actual true god.

So it's no surprise that the demons and spirits of DA are very seven-deadly-sins. Party banter and side-quests do point out the euro/christian-centricity of this demon categorization (Merrill, Solas), but that doesn't mean shit if, in overall story and gameplay proper, Pride is the most powerful demon while Faith is virtue at all.

So here I am, lying in bed and only capable of just riding the waves of panic day after torturous day. You bet I'm gonna try to geek-erize my symptoms. If people do it with Jesus, then I can do it with Dragon Age.

Enter Vigilance the Spirit. I was an at-risk young Rivani mage, so their Magic Welfare Government helped me join their クサビ-依り代 program and matched me with a spirit to induce possession. Can't boil two skulls in one pot, so to speak. I could have chosen to do their hemispherectomy program (I am made Tranquil but carry around a piece of the Fade like a pacemaker that keeps me perfectly lucid, only turning off when I sleep), but that comes with its own risks.

But it doesn't take much for a spirit of Vigilance to do a 180 and become Panic. They're still Vigilance, and I am still me, but the taste in the mouth is different. Our life will need to adapt.

I will not kick myself for 'failing' my friend. Vigilance has turned to Panic, yes. But they have always been one. Now, so are me and Panic. Such is the nature of spirits.

If I am kind to my spirit, then I am kind to myself. It's what we both deserve.

[dark-elf-writes]

The only judgement Percy would like is the Goat one.

He's merciful but also not on the throne. A throne given to him from a Rivani Pirate who wanted her ‘little nephew cause Hawke claimed you’ to have it of home. A throne made of driftwood and shells.

I think he'd also insist on the most ridiculous shirts (shirts that appear in his room and before the truth comes out he is angry his father doesn't show his face) to pass judgement in and somehow ends up starting a fashion movement Leliana is in despair of

Percy is barely holding back a laugh the entire time he is hearing about the Goat Incident™️ and makes Josie repeat it twice because he finds it so funny. He definitely takes the option of giving the avaar what they want under the official title of “exile.”

He never kills on the throne no matter what it makes people say. Some think him mercifully. Some think him soft. Some correctly see that the judgements fit the crimes and the only mercy to be found is for the truly innocent. (It puts a sour taste in his mouth every time. It all feels too… godly for his tastes.)

Hawke sees him scowling at the original inquisition throne and sends a message to Isabella. They understand what it’s like to hate something they see every day. After all they didn’t touch the door to their mother’s room for years after she died, and then it was too late to doo anything about it at all.

It helps a little. Sera handing him the ugliest plaideweave shirt he has ever seen helps a little more. Leliana and Josephine hate the outfit but can appreciate that Percy no longer looks like the throne is going to bite him… most of the time at least.

[contreparry]

happy friday! how about "you’ve stolen my heart, the least you could do is tell me what you intend to do with it" from the yearning prompts?

Here's some Surana/Zevran from the Corporate Espionage!AU for @dadrunkwriting!

There was something exquisite about the pairing of Rivani takeout and Orlesian champagne.

It was the bubbles and the spices, Zevran decided. They played off each other gloriously. The rich flavors of the chicken and noddle dish he ordered balanced the sharp, dry flavor of the champagne. He brought the champagne, of course, but Bran supplied the takeout. Zevran was rather impressed- he hadn't thought Bran ate anything outside of cheap ramen or the sandwiches he got from his friend Leliana's workplace. Or sweets. The man was a menace about sweets.

"This couldn't have been cheap," Bran idly remarked as he swirled the champagne in a short drinking glass that was once a jam jar. He didn't own champagne flutes. The jam jars were the nicer drinking glasses. Zevran asked him about it once. Bran's guarded shrug told him it was wrong to pry. Bran was a prickly thing, like a thistle, like a weed. He probably had to be, growing up like he did- and here Zevran had pried, did his research and dug deep into his target because that was what Crows did. They picked and picked and collected and sorted- and Zevran was good at his job.

So he knew Bran Surana, had a dossier on the man filed away in his head that he could pull out at any given time and rifle through at his leisure. Bran Surana, elvhen, born in the Ferelden city of Denerim, only child. Lost his parents at a young age- six, almost seven- in a car accident. Was raised by his paternal grandmother. Works and takes classes at Amaranthine University as a postgrad and works a side job at The Warden bookstore. Bran earned a scholarship to Kinloch College for his exemplary work with alchemy, then went on to Amaranthine University for postgraduate education on yet another scholarship. He was an alchemy prodigy, a mage with the skill, knowledge, and inner fire that could truly do something in the world. No wonder people- important people- wanted to know what he was up to.

But there were other things Zevran learned in the process of knowing Bran Surana, things that legal documentation and a barebones social media history couldn't tell him. Bran Surana had a sweet tooth. He put all his piercings in when he wanted to look dangerous, when he wanted to be left alone. He didn't cook. He liked reading. Bran collected scented candles and kept track of them with a spreadsheet that he organized by season. He cut his own hair- though apparently Morrigan trimmed it herself when it got particularly egregious. He had a dog, a mabari who he spoiled and took care of more than himself. The dog was sleeping on the floor in front of the couch right now. His massive paws twitched as he dreamed of squirrels and tennis balls and whatever else dogs dreamed of.

"A present, then? Promotional gift?" Bran asked, and he sipped at the champagne again. There was something charming about how he was looking at him, his dark eyes sparkling with interest as he swirled the champagne in the jam jar. To think he once thought him plain! To think that Zevran could be here, sitting on a ragged lumpy couch with a sleeping dog at his feet while drinking expensive champagne and eating takeout with a man who had become so dear that Zevran knew Bran's very touch was burned into his skin-

"Of a sort," Zevran replied. "A friend may or may not have given it to me as a gift." Not quite tea, Isabela called it when she handed it to Zevran months ago, but you have my sympathy all the same. Sympathy, yes, and pity too. Zevran could tell. She knew what he was suffering from intimately, after all.

Love had a way of making one wretched, after all. And oh, Zevran couldn't have fallen in love at the worst time with the worst partner if he tried. Not that it was Bran Surana's fault. Bran was being himself, as prickly and charming as he naturally was. He wasn't trying to charm Zevran, not the way Zevran had at first. No, he simply opened up to him, hesitant and awkward and so brave it broke Zevran's heart.

A heart. He didn't think he still had one of those, but Bran proved him wrong. Zevran sighed heavily and flopped across the couch, until his head was pillowed in Bran's lap and he was staring up into that lovely face. Bran stared down at him with a furrowed brow and a slight frown on his lips.

"Yes?" he asked.

"You’ve stolen my heart, the least you could do is tell me what you intend to do with it," Zevran informed him. The champagne was making him honest, the champagne and the takeout and the sleeping dog and Bran in his ragged bleach-stained shirt and black hair tied back into a stubby tail, loose tendrils clinging to the nape of his neck. His dark eyes went wide with surprise before a thoughtful expression overtook his face. A thoughtful, guarded expression, which Zevran filed away as another bit of information of Bran Surana. He knew that Zevran was waxing poetic. He knew. And it caught him off-guard.

"I... suppose it's an equal exchange," Bran murmured. "One heart for another. Morbid." He shuddered a little, and Zevran reached out to tug at a loose tendril of ink-black hair.

"Indeed," Zevran replied. "You may just have a bit of Antivan soul to your practical Ferelden sensibilities after all, mi amor." One heart for another. An equal exchange. But Zevran couldn't quite confess to Bran that he had the better end of the deal- not yet, anyways. Maybe not ever. He'd be gone eventually, and then Bran would know. He would know, and-

But that was for later. Another day. Until then, he could... he could enjoy this. The champagne, the food, the dog, and Bran. Zevran was greedy by nature, and he would take everything he could get.

[endless-bunny]

Pathfinder Iconics Update: I should really read the freakin books

I have owned Guns & Gears since it came out in 2021 and only now noticed that the one of the Gunslinger quick builds is Lirianne, the Iconic gunslinger from PF1. This puts her in the same column as Rivani and Alahazra, as characters who are no longer the Iconic for their class but who are still representatives of some aspect of their class.

Here she appears as the Pistolero and all her key components are here. She's got the scarf, the long coat, the chaps, the dual holsters, the dagger, powder horn, sabre... the brim of her hat is even covering the same eye. It's a powerful look.

This just leaves Damiel and Balazar from the list of characters who a) used to be Iconics and b) whose classes still exist in the same form. And when I found Lirianne you had better believe I went back and checked. But no.

The three quick build Alchemists presented in the Core Rulebook are the Chirurgeon (p.74), the Bomber (p.78), and the Mutagenist (p.80). The PF1 Alchemist didn't have to specialise in the same way that the PF2 Alchemist does; PF1 has a general version of the class, without an option of subclasses, which can be made more specialised with archetypes. Damiel uses bombs, elixirs and mutagens in roughly equal measure.

Similarly, the quick build Summoners are the Angelic Vessel (p.68) and the Godcaller (p.72). I find it interesting that most of the Quick Builds are pretty setting-agnostic, but the Godcaller is very much entrenched in the lore of the Lost Omens setting.

Also side note, but whenever I think of an angel summoner, I can't help but be reminded of this sketch from Mitchell and Webb.

I always use this video to illustrate the disparity between high-level casters and martial classes. 20th-level Cleric and 20th-level Rogue.

This might be the last update for a while. I've gone back through the books with a moderately-toothed comb and I can say with reasonable certainty that the remaining Iconics do not appear in them.