#so i may have my first game of veilguard be 'she will save solas from himself'

[luckyjak]

I'm debating about changing my personal canonical world state for Veilguard because I fear "choosing to stop Solas at any cost" will get me a "Lavellan hates him now" ending and not the murder/suicide my Lavellan actually planned.

[thedinanshiral]

Bellanaris.

After witnessing Solas' regrets through his murals in The Veilguard many wondered, what exactly was his relationship with Mythal?

Even the Veilguard members had questions and discussed about it.

Spoilers for everything. Goes with this one too, if you want more of Solas analysis from me.

He followed her without question -or reserving the ones he had- and maybe reconsidered that love in their friendship when her crimes with the evanuris outweighed what Solas could stand, when he asked her to run away with him and she declined, and by the time she listened and tried to stop the others it was sadly too late. When Solas started his rebellion he was already carving his own path away from her, but their love was still present and it was because of that love that he warned her, and that she finally decided to listen. She may have been his dearest friend and he did everything for her. When he writes to Ghilan'nain and says "you would not be the first to sacrifice your morals for love" he was talking about himself, he was referencing his personal experience because that's what he did with Mythal.

I'll be blunt, i don't think they were romantically entagled. It's been mentioned in past games that the ancient elvhen related with each other on different levels that present Thedosians may struggle to comprehend. Now knowing they were originally spirits helps understanding things a bit better; spirits are beings of raw, intense emotions, whatever they feel they do so on a much higher degree, and whatever words they used to communicate it once translated fail to convey their real, full meaning.

I think Solas and Mythal were friends, but friendship for them was felt much strongly. There was love between them but not in the sense we'd imagine it now.

They were not equals, there was an imbalance neither were truly aware of until Solas rebelled and maybe then he started understanding their differences and from there his feelings for her changed, as he changed, his purpose twisted from Wisdom meant to guide in times of war, into a rebel leader fighting in what were supposed to be times of peace. He went from being a friend to becoming the enemy.

The romance with the Inquisitor may have been a last minute addition to the game (I have my doubts, it's too perfect and fits too well with everything to have been improvised) but it makes perfect sense only a female elf Inquisitor can sway him like that..because it's reminiscent of his relationship with Mythal, that past bond coming back to haunt him except this time the roles are a bit reversed: he's the powerful god, she's the simple mortal. But Lavellan is far from being a simple creature and she reminds Solas of all he ever loved and cared about and changes a terrible broken world into something that can be fixed, She turns his despair into hope, the fact she came out in such a way from the same world he broke tells him something may still be saved..

In both instances Solas finds himself in the service of a powerful elven woman in a position of leadership trying to save the world. But with Lavellan there's no protocols, there's no real hierarchy, with Lavellan they're more like equals, they're partners. There's no master and servant, there's people on equal standing fighting together for a common goal.

Lavellan becomes Solas' partner in a way Mythal could not and would never be able to.

Mythal was possibly Solas' first relationship, whatever label you'd like to apply there, a loyal friendship sustained mainly on his one-sided devotion to her that he eventually grew out of. While Lavellan is real, realized love, a relationship that may have started out of necessity, finding mutual respect that turned it into friendship, later developing further into something both wanted and neither could ignore. There's no one-sidedness with Lavellan, there's only mutual desire, this love unlike the past one is overwhelming, requited and wanted. Lavellan makes the first move, she's the one that isn't running away and in fact, in Trespasser and later finally in Veilguard, she shows him she's the one willing to run away with him. She's the one willing to do for him the sacrifices he once made for Mythal, even when she doesn't have to, when there's no ancient bond, mandate or obligation of any kind. Lavellan is willing to be with him out of her own free will and for the love she holds for him.

For roleplaying and replayability it would have been great if Solas could have been romanceable by more Inquisitors, but by his nature and personal history it makes absolute perfect sense that only a female elf could. Now we know he was a spirit and spirits are at their core very simple and fixed creatures, interestingly ironic considering they come from a realm where nothing is fixed. Solas isn't just stuck in his ways, he's a spirit! There's a limit to what he can understand and experience, even if he's a spirit of wisdom and is very knowledgeable, his nature is still limited (as we all are), his focus is singular, and a female elf Inquisitor fits right into that singular focus of his. Making other races romanceable for him would have broken that and it would have taken away from the Thedas pattern and his personal pattern as well.

He left the fade to enter the physical world because an elvhen woman he loved asked him to, and he followed her loyal to a fault until he had to break away from her when she chose an abusive status quo over his desperate cry for freedom and justice.

He destroys the world as a result in a desperate attempt to save it, and wakes up thousands of years later to find one person who shows him something of all he loved lives on and in doing so gives him purpose. Spirits need and crave purpose and Lavellan gives him just that.

He falls in love, something he could have never foreseen, an event completely out of all his calculations, but the pattern is shifting, there's no longer an evident imbalance, he's treated as an equal, even when she learns who he is she still talks to him like he's just the man she loves.

And on his lowest point when he's about to repeat a past mistake and destroy a world trying to save it, he returns to the Fade accompanied by the elvhen woman that loved him back with a devotion he was never shown before. Some may argue they're not equals, because he's Fen'Harel and she's a mortal elf he lied to for the better part of a year, that they're not equals because he always kept that secret from her and maybe took advantage of her affection to get what he wanted. But they are equals in the end in the sense that they feel the same way, and are capable of the same sacrifices for each other, and their respect is mutual in equal measure.

Solas may have been mistaken, but had their circumstances been different you know he would have stayed with her, as he wanted to. Most of his dinan'shiral is fueled by monumental guilt, regret, shame and a hurt sense of duty and that's what prevented him from giving in to his feelings for Lavellan, just as he understood Lavellan wouldn't abandon the Inquisition for him, and wouldn't just let him burn the world without opposition. Because Lavellan also has duties she's devoted too as much as she's devoted to him. They're an unstoppable force and unmovable object clashing against their will and if it weren't for the people around them you know a Lavellan that is on equal standing with Solas would have confronted him, maybe neither would have succeeded, maybe they would have died in each other's arms if it came to it.

But fortunately it didn't have to end that way, and yes, I'm sure Solas knows too well he doesn't deserve her (because she's too good), that she doesn't deserve him (because he's such a mess), but Lavellan has always been there to prove him wrong and he welcomes that with a smile.

I headcanon my Gallia Lavellan would be a spirit of Devotion. Wisdom and Devotion make an odd pair, but she's Devotion all around, mostly for him, their love that endured everything, but she's also devoted to the truth, to their causes, to the people, to Thedas, she's devoted to doing the right thing and to doing it as best as possible; she's devoted to continue learning about the world, protecting those she love, and those who have no one to look after them.

She does all that by following him into the Fade, by becoming the fixed point in his life, his North, his Anchor, to remind him what should be done, not only what must be done, to remind him of what truly matters. She doesn't simply follow him into the Fade out of love for him but out of love for the world, which is another thing they have in common.

Lavellan is truly his match, and Solas is aware of it in a way that makes him more ashamed for everything he's done and feel more undeserving of what is yet to come for him by her side.

I don't think Wisdom turned to Pride, I think Wisdom became Pragmatism in the wars, later turned to Regret for most of his life and through Devotion's love and perseverance he returned to Wisdom with a renewed love for life. Maybe he's become Love now, love for her, love for the world he's protecting, love for his people, and for all that love he decided to sacrifice himself, his own freedom, to spend in eternity with his one true love.

And for once in his very long and troubled life i think this time he made a choice he does not regret.

[roykentschesthair]

The more we learn about Veilguard, the more I’m dreading the inevitable companion betrayal.

It’s my least favorite thing that BioWare does with the Dragon Age franchise. And other than Anders has been very clunky, in my opinion.

Morrigan isn’t really a betrayal and honestly her willingness to do a ritual pushed on her by her mother (who she’s terrified of and asks you to kill) in order to save you and Alistair feels more like a confirmation of friendship than a betrayal to me.

(Her not forcing the issue and instead opting to leave makes me question her own reasoning in terms of the ritual being a selfish choice for her)

Solas is incredibly clunky and obvious that he isn’t who he says he is. No I’m not saying I knew he was the Dreadwolf from the first conversation however he looks drastically different from other elves and it’s incredibly clear that his knowledge coming directly from the Fade is a lie (he slips several times, especially if you take him to the Winter Palace/travel with both him and Sera)

So while Blackwall is a decent red herring in terms of betrayal. Let’s be real, Solas was always suspicious as hell.

Anders “betrayal” is an inevitable consequence of his descent into madness. (Depending on your Hawke you may not feel betrayed, but even a romanced fellow mage Hawke is lied to and participates in the actions without the proper knowledge to consent to it)

So while Anders is the most successful and in many ways the most obvious companion betrayal it at least feels like a character progression instead of a removal of a mask?

Plus it’s desperate and bittersweet and while I don’t personally like Anders, it’s a great bit of character writing, the tragedy of it.

But in all honesty I find it boring.

I want a group of loyal companions. I don’t want someone inside waiting to betray you, especially if it’s going to be another mage character.

I want internal struggle and clashing (suddenly living with people you don’t know that well is a great start to character writing/building/development) but the ticking time bomb of someone working against you is a rehash of Inquisition, and they barely managed to pull it off.

I’m beyond excited for the game. I can’t wait, but I want my companions to surprise me and argue with me and have their opinions/morals but a betrayal is boring and I’m ready for something else.

[anti-eluvians]

First Veilguard playthrough thoughts! Spoilers obviously. I started writing things down about 24 hours in, most of which was exploring the maps and avoiding plot (as is tradition).

Overall I loved it. Obviously. One doesn't cry for twenty minutes over a world they don't care about. Or write however many words this post ends up about events that didn't affect them.

Post introduction- I'm really worried about Lace. She's taking everything too hard and I don't know if I can save her without romance.

Bellara is so cute and so smart, but basically Merrill if Merrill had been supported. That romance may appeal to me later but not on this run

So they really put something to steal on the very first aravel we can ever board. Really? Really???

After D'Meta's Crossing- the chat with Varric where he comforts us about the hardship of leading and says he met us during our faction's catalyst event. Doesn't that make him this game's Duncan? So all Rooks happened but only the one he was WITH got recruited? I love and hate that because we know what happened to Duncan.

Solas said the Blight we've dealt with since Origins is a tiny fraction, and that his rebellion drove the Evanuris to turn to it as a weapon. That sounds a LOT like the time Andruil went too deep "into the Void" and Mythal had to beat her ass to cleanse her. So WHO or WHAT is in the Void that actually created the Blight? Is it Titans?

If the lyrium ritual dagger is such pure lyrium dwarves wouldn't work it... is Rook gonna be okay carrying it around??? Clothing is not enough to protect someone from lyrium poisoning! Are we gonna start hearing the song and hallucinating like Origins Templars?? Honestly I would love that lol

I'm quite pleased that my pre-game take on Rook has panned out! My Rook chose to join Varric & Lace on their mission so she's not nearly as weighed down as my other three leads. Warden was forced to Join or die. Hawke was forced to flee and stumbled into infamy trying to protect their family. Inquisitor picked up the wrong rock and was shunted into their role as Herald/Inquisitor. Rook could have said no, but chose this path. Having had a choice is so freeing!

Reading that Lorelei (the Shadow Dragon vendor) was from Denerim is the second time I cried. Loghain sold her into slavery before the Warden could rescue her and I feel, weirdly, personally responsible for failing her.

I can't believe Lucanis is so charming and doesn't even try. I can take him out with anyone and they get along. Not sure yet if that's a HIM thing or Bioware avoiding the friction of Anders/Fenris and Vivienne/Blackwall.

So the Dalish and Veil Jumpers know that the Evanuris sucked actually. That is AMAZING for me because I've wanted my Lavellan to shout what she learned (from the Well of Sorrows and in Trespasser) from the rooftops. That it is now common knowledge means SOMEONE shared what the Inquisition knew! And I have no reason to think it can't be my girl at an Arlathvhen. Which is what I always wanted for her; spread the word, brace the world against whatever Solas did next.

My clever brilliant snarky sister pointed out that maybe there are seven Old Gods for Tevinter but nine Evanuris because Mythal and Solas weren't sealed and don't count. I had to stare at a wall for a while. And if they really are the same entities, which Archdemon was which Evanuris?? And also, we're out of dragons so what happens after? A question Solas snarked at Blackwall in 9:41, the ass.

They really got to built the Kirkwall they WANTED with Minrathous. Twisting winding streets so easy to get lost in. I wish DA2 had gotten the development time it deserved.

Griffons made me cry happy tears and jump up and down. Losing the griffons immediately had me in stunned silence. And now.... it's Amaranthine all over again. Virmire. This sucks haha

I looked up the consequences of "Minrathous or Treviso" because I had to stop and go to work in the morning & cannot wait another 10 hours having simply CHOSEN. Mostly I feel like I made the right choice but Neve may never forgive me and that hurts. Reddit is also saying that the faction shop in the abandoned city is GONE. Does that mean I failed Lorelei again?? That she's dead??? Or just won't sell to me anymore? I have to wait until I get home from work and I really don't want to know!

Update: they fucking executed her. By burning. I have never sought out fights with a Dragon Age faction before but I scoured Minrathous for Venatori. It felt like hunting Cerebus after the ME3 coup. I wanted blood and by god I took it.

In Arlathan forest after Davrin's mission I think I found the trail of the fourth Forbidden One. I had forgotten I even hoped they would be in the game!

The book club throughline is very cute and very sweet. I may even use it as the DAV group tag somehow. The cooking and domestic life stuff is heartwarming. Healing. I hope someone has written lovely canon-compliant fanfic for me to find after I finish the game.

The devs really went all out with the set dressing stories. Finding the corpse clutching an Evanuris relic made me put the controller down for a sec. And finding Keeper Hawen's skeleton made me outright cry.

I can't remember if Varric narrated in DA2, but I know he didn't narrate as much as they have him doing in this game. While it is fun listening to him write our story while we're still in it, it's also kind of disheartening to know how many people are stacked against us! Shut the fuck up Varric!

Gotta love the devs leaving little treats for players by key locations. Loot bags, ore, small chests-- like tempting a dog into a car with snacks lol

Tell me why the map that feels most "Dragon Age" is the worn down, miserable, dark, decrepit farm swamp. It feels like Lothering and I hated that place

I take it back I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVE THE ECHOING WELL

After the Cobbled Swan meeting:

Wow okay wow okay so the South is OVERRUN with the new Blight and that's why Inquisitor isn't involved. That makes sense and I appreciate Bioware acknowledging there would need to be a Good Reason. that said I am still annoyed she has a prosthetic at all but also started shaking and crying immediately.

Still thinking about this. everywhere we've ever loved is burning. And despite trying to rally the South again the Inquisitor made time to save Lace's Ma? Shut up I'm emotional again. though I wonder how "evil inquisitor" players feel about that move... Also glad to see that APPARENTLY non-Well Morrigan and Well-Drinker-Inquisitors reached a truce in the last 10 years. I hated having any PC who distrusted Morrigan.

Regrets of the Dread Wolf:

Wow. There was so so SO much information stored in the Regret murals. So many theories confirmed. Solas was a wisdom spirit, ALL elves were spirits, the elves waged war and killed the Titans, Solas and Mythal were Very Close, the Black City was elven/the Chant is incorrect. I should be reeling but really I am just. Vibrating out of my skin. Seven years of wondering, vindicated. What I did NOT expect is for Solas's dagger to have caused the Blight by sundering Titans and their dreams/lyrium. We thought lyrium and blight could be connected but never quite to this extent. THAT has me reeling.

So like. The Evanuris used Solas' dagger to end the Titan war, which also created the blight. They then went mad with that corrupted force (including Andruil and her Void swim) (Void = the emptiness left behind by the death of Titans?) and killed Mythal. Solas locked them, and all knowledge of the blight, away in slumber using their life force to power the prison. However the prison/veil also split magic and spirits from the material world, destroying the world order. Then the magisters siderial (one per locked-away Evanuris) accidentally let a pinprick of that power out, starting the First Blight. Do I... do I have it right.

Hold on (reviewing footage) the FIRST MEMORY we can view says Solas and Mythal met in secret because he had already split from the group. So is his rebellion NOT rooted in her murder?? Which is what he said in Trespasser??

the Regrets questline is destroying me. Morrigan ended up carrying Mythal anyway, after seeing her mother's ghost regret dying? After all I did to keep her as herself! Then that final word from Mythal that the elves of today can and will surpass Arlathan-- I started crying again. Leave me alone!!

Weisshaupt. Very emotional and too immersive for me to remember any thoughts. But I swear to god if Cabin In The Blight is Anders I will SCREAM.

Genuinely worried that Varric is a fade ghost and that's why no one ever visits him. That he died at the ritual and Rook is hallucinating.

You know the longer I think about it the more upset I am that Morrigan inherited Mythal. I spent the last 3 games trying to prevent what was, apparently, her inevitable fate. Why even give us the choice of the Well? Why offer the Dark Ritual at all? I'm used to going against canon (Warden Alistair) but this feels like a slap in the face to all my choices. All this along with essentially wiping southern Thedas off the map. So what was the point of our hero's effort? Just to, as Solas said in Trespasser, buy a few more years of peace?

Lace's fight with the Shade was such a great scene. I can't help but remember that she was present for the DAI Corypheus finale and saw him split the earth, lifting the Inquisitor's party into the sky. When she turned around to split Rook & Co from her own platform I gasped.

Emmrich wants to be a what

~~~

Took a 3 week break for the holidays, came back and started the loyalty missions. Sad I don't expect to see Cole or Sandal in the last act. This game broke Sandal's perfect score!

I also realized while gone that Lace was so angry at the start but seemed to settle down suddenly because the Shade split off. Her anger LITERALLY LEFT her body. And now she has dwarven/Titan magic. If we get another DA game I NEED it to be about the dwarves.

Poor Taash. Shathann (Sumalee Montano) knocked that final scene out of the park and I wept.

Loved the treasure hunt! And a new Compassion who talks like Cole and wants a big hat!! Cuuute

All these Chasind/Alamaari references got me emotional too. Makes me miss Jaws of Hakkon and Ferelden.

Wow the Warden puzzle in Sharksmouth is both so satisfying and so annoying! I love all the nods but hate that none of these statues are people from Last Flight. You know. The book about the Fourth Blight. That one.

On the other hand I got the Meredith unique item (mage flavor) so I can't stay mad loll

Okay! So! Wow! I would never guess that Taash's plot would be the one to highlight What Lies Across The Sea. frankly, I thought the executors would be on the same level as the snake men: namely, a joke that Bioware would never follow through on. And WHAT is all this NOISE about a STORM! Green clouds like Fade magic? The original Kossith settlers fled across the sea only to fall to the First Blight. The tablet says those blessed with dragon fire "see the unseen" so what is it about dragons (and archdemons) that means they can fight back? Is the Qun a sign that the Kossith left behind failed? So the Executors founded or inspired the Qun? This quest left with so many more questions I worry we'll never have answered.

Lost and Profane left me so upset I didn't write anything down. Seeing what became of Isseya was too terrible to feel good about saving the griffon babies. And then having to choose what happens to the griffons left me actually out loud sobbing for 15~ minutes. My sister sat with me until I calmed down. Yes I chose Arlathan but I feel like a traitor to my Warden and everyone who ever hoped to see a griffon again. And not being able to show Isseya Revas' feather because I decked the First Warden does not make me want to load an old save, it makes me angrier at the writing.

Bellara's mission hit less hard. I thought we would have to choose Cyrian's fate not... that. She really is Merrill The Second. So just like with Merrill I encouraged her to keep the item with lore of her ancestors. Also Anaris was looking for shelter from a storm. Bioware what are you up to

Still worried about fade ghost Varric. Are we keeping his soul from peace? IS there an afterlife for dwarves? Only if the Maker is real! Or is it all bad/slipshod writing because Mary Kirby was sacked before writing ACTUALLY wrapped???

I feel the need to point out that with the new rules introduced with Corypheus and enforced by Isseya, The Architect COULD TOTALLY COME BACK. UTHA WAS RIGHT THERE HE COULD ABSOLUTELY BODY HOP AND JUST BE CHILLING IN THE DEEP ROADS COME ON

Emmrich saved Manfred. My personal distaste for undead was less important than saving Emmrich's son (though we couldn't ask Fred's permission and that does bother me a bit).

~~~

Okay it is January 2025. My sister says I will likely finish the game this weekend. So here are my 'pre end of act 2 and/or third act' thoughts:

If Solas really killed Varric I may just take any chance to break the egg. I've had Varric way longer and he's been too important to too many of my heroes to go out like this.

IDK how to feel about the option to encourage my Inquisitor to actually get back with Solas. I had thought before playing DAV that she might DIE with him so if that's on the table I'm prepared for it. But they had her mention "give it all up for him" and uhh was that an option? Yes she loves him enough to die with him but does she love him enough to LIVE WITH him, and accept allllll his bullshit? I don't know. It'll depend how they present the choice, I guess.

I also said pre-release that if I could sacrifice Rook like we could sacrifice Warden in DAO that I would. That WAS before I romanced anyone so I don't know if I would go through with it given the chance. That's what save files are for I suppose?

My sister is being SO OMINOUS about act 3. She gives me the saddest looks but also says she loved the ending, I don't know what to think!!

I also built my Rook playlist on the idea of playing a Lawful Evil/Renegade Rook but the game has not allowed or led me in that direction. So now I'm considering going full renegade in act 3 as like a character breaking point... but my girl Mercar has held up far better than any of the other three did this far into their plots.

Knowing who writes the Randy Dowager has me in stitches and also agony

~~~

Well. Finished the game January 12. So much happened in the last four hours of gameplay that I really haven't processed it yet. Let's start with: I hate being right about Varric. Loved the prison quest, hated everything that happened. And how long were we gone? Days at least, weeks more likely, but the damage to Minrathous could happen in moments if Elgar'nan wanted it to. Viper is so strong and noble and definitely dying soon. Take the Joining you ass!

The Juggernaut(s) looked so much like Meredith's final form I got angry at her all over again.

So the Evanuris are gone and there will be no more blights. That's.... huge. The Evanuris were real and also the Tevene dragon gods. So the only religion left with a leg to stand on is Andrastianism. I do noooot want to meet the Maker. If the Maker is real then Varric can be with my Hawke. Don't turn that into another spirit thing.

And the void that sucked up Lusacan's body. Was that The Void where Andruil found the blight? Where does it go? Why did it take the dragon? He would have been a good source for more Joining materials, which are now a finite resource. The end of Grey Wardens, Dragon Age's staple faction, is in sight. That plus only having 50 years left to the "dragon" age really worries me for the future of this franchise. We cannot keep skipping a decade ahead.

Absolution ending Solas is just... wandering free? That is the OPPOSITE of what I want but having seen the other options, it is certainly the one I prefer. Finding out he CAN call himself a god (fight end) did fuck me up. And hearing DAI music followed by Lost Elf made me cry again. My Lavellan going with him feels less terrible if they can still visit her family and friends. And help people. However she IS still mortal so there's still a tragic end coming. This also means every headcannon and drabble I have are entirely plausible...! ...?

And what was with that stinger?? The Veilguard Remains Vigilant. Sure but do we get DLC? A book? Comics? A DLC?? The thought also occurs that a "storm that drinks the sky" sounds like the black hole that ate Lusacan. So are we veering into space metaphors/magic now? And is the consistent mention of Andruil hinting that she or the Void WILL return?

Wait was that slide about Arlathan saying the Golden City had returned? I read it as the Elves had a chance to make their own nation again, but the phrasing is actually very different isn't it... oh my. That would be cause for an Exalted March when word gets out.

That the Well of Sorrows song (any Inquisition song really) made me gasp every time it played highlights how flat this score is. I can mentally listen to Lost Elf or Dawn Will Come at will. But the only noteworthy DAV song was the menu theme and that's disappointing. Lorne Balfe and Hanz Zimmer have both done AMAZING work: what happened? I want to want to listen to this album, but I can't think of any specific song. Sometimes Arlathan sounded Mass Effect. Sometimes Minrathous sounded Anthem. I hope data miners will find and share the unreleased tracks, but I WISH the score had more emotion.

As much as this game hurt me, and as much as the world state choices let me down, it DID give me more Fade missions than all other games combined. I would love it for that alone.

And finally, quality of life improvements I wanted:

Beacons labeled on the map (so I know where the hell I'm going)

Previewing clothing & weapons (so I know what I want or don't)

Any explanation of the Valuables/faction points system (so I know not to sell everything to Veil Jumpers!!)

Enemies as red dots on the mini map. This seems self explanatory. I had to check with my party if there was another enemy nearby.

And an interrupt system. There were several cutscenes I would have liked to interact with via interrupt, especially at the end. This is less QoL and more something I said out loud several times.

[mythals-whore]

Author Ask Tag:

@thedissonantverses @basedonconjecture

Not you guys making me think deeply about my writing. Is this just an excuse for me to yap and assign meaning to my smutty fanfic??? Love that for me

What is the main lesson of your story?

What a good question, not to be colored with my own general musings on life lately.

There’s a lot to be said for the main theme of Veilguard being about regrets, but i think I’ve leaned a lot into the lonely island man from Varric/Solas DAI banters?

“That's the world. Everything you build, it tears down. Everything you've got, it takes. The only choices you get are to lie down and die or keep going. He kept going. That's as close to beating the world as anyone gets.”

So…basically that. Yes, the world is bad and everything is falling apart and you should try to fix it but you also have to LIVE. It’s scary and sometimes it sucks but you have to Do It Anyway.

If you don’t let yourself experience the love and the good things as they come and you’re always thinking about the end goal, then you miss the good that happens on the way. And the good moments that happen are the reason you’re fighting to save the world at all.

What did you use as inspiration for your world building?

It is Dragon Age fanfic, so Dragon Age. The Veilguard specifically.

My MC is from Tevinter and canonically from a military family so i have done some research on the Roman Empire’s military/also some modern military terms/practices.

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them?

I mean the main goal is to stop the elven gods/blight save the world.

But obviously there’s the romance which is more at the center of the story. So i guess ill say that the character arc for my MC is that love (romantic & platonic) can be a source of strength.

Also i think there may be something to be said for learning that you’re worth more than what you do? I would say that my MC has always been fighting/working toward a goal. She’s very job oriented so i think she’s sort of learning that she is a Person and not an entity and that is okay (leaning into the Solas parallel/foil a bit).

How many chapters is your story going to have?

It has like...26 now? and I have at least ten more planned but I'm going to round it out and call it 40. (I am not well)

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Dragon Age Davrook fanfic, it is posted on ao3.

When did you start writing?

I think when I was 13ish?? I was on Quotev back in the day, and I can't lie i think my first was Mortal instruments fanfic?? I haven't written anything in a long time, and i have not posted anything ever?

Small anecdote but i did take a screen writing class in college and my professor had other students read your script to the class. I used to beg to go out in the hall bc the thought of anyone reading my writing was so mortifying (he did not let me go out on the hall but I was allowed to put my head down on the desk which i always did). So this is a big step for me.

Do you have any words of encouragement for fellow writers of writeblr?

Write it anyway!

You think you’re bad at it? Write it anyway! (you’ll get better!) You think no one will want to read it? Write it anyway! (they will!) You think you don’t have any unique ideas? Write it anyway! (you do, i promise)

Read books, watch movies, play video games, make playlists for your stories/characters! Find inspiration in other art(: fill your cup, as the saying goes.

ALSO find other writers. They will help inspire you and keep you going when you feel like quitting (:

No pressure tags for: @flowersforthemachines @rook-laidir @thebarghestiest

Only if you feel like yapping about your writing for the group(:

[call-me-liquid]

Lily's weirdo Dragon Age hottakes

As I've actually experienced some of the Dragon age franchise I can now comment on Lily's weird Dragon Age hottakes.

1. Not to jump straight unto bullying Mikaila here but[t]. . .

I'm already a little high off cough syrup and kinda loopy in general due to having a lung infection right now, and I was staring at this for ten minutes wondering why this dude had like, a big thicc ass backwards on his body with these furry parachute pants before realizing this was supposed to be someone's head lol.

2. VARRIC is "blandest"!?

Varric is literally one of the most OP characters to have in your party in 2 because he unlocks SO MANY unique dialog options and, frankly with Bianca he kinda makes all of the other Rogue companions unnessesary. A shame, since he's the first one you get.

He's also one of the better written and acted characters throughout the whole series in general (saying something in a franchise full of standout characters and performances.) A surface Dwarf with a complicated relationship with his brother and culture, something that reads to me as a sort of gray ace vibe, and a respectable degree of crossbow autism.

Considering she's got just one male companion on her "best" list and it's the pretty boy elf from Veilguard who may or may not be played by an Andrew Tate fan, I'm guessing her "best" companions are actually the companions she goons for.

Keep my bby grill Merrill's name out of your mouth Lily. I will defend her honor.

Also-- Dorian, Anders, Josephine, Solas and Isabella are apparently not even worth mentioning to Lily . . .

I'm not far enough through Inquisition at the moment to really compare how the mage/Templar conflict is handled in that game-- but I can tell you one of the big complaints I have about DA2 (despite still really liking it) is how much I feel the mage/templar conflict was fumbled in the third act.

Lily, the fuck are you talking about? Like, honestly I'm kinda shocked this isn't one area we agree in. The templars are just like . . . Objectively in the wrong. They are the direct cause of the systemic issues they are trying to "defend against." Which isn't an inherently bad thing narrative wise-- only, that the game doesn't seem to fully respect the player may have come to that conclusion. The third act strong-arms you into dialog options and missions that assume the player is role-playing as/sees the templars as a much more neutral force, even if they disagree with them. But, no, I was basically trying to rp as a character who was 100% ideologically aligned with Anders-- and during the third act it fucking stopped letting me suddenly tell the templars to go fuck themselves as much as I did in the first and second act.

It was to the point where I assumed I had just messed up certain mandatory missions, only too look it up and be shocked that nope-- you are literally forced to murder mages in crisis and mages you saved in the first and second act in the third.

Are you saying you somewhat agree with the Templars, Lily? You called the fucking inqisition a religious cult, and you may or may not be quietly dickriding for the templars!?

[midnightwind]

(DAtV)-Music Shuffle Game

tagged by @pixiedurango, this should be Funny lmao

THE RULES: You gotta shuffle your 'on repeat' playlist on Spotify then post the first 10 songs.

I barely use Spotify anymore for, uh, reasons but youtube music has a similar playlist function! it's just 100 songs long so we're Gambling on how many from the Rook/fic playlist happen, but take my hand and let's see what happens (I'll try to spin it for the companions or story if it's a true random song lol)

(hey person reading this, does it sound fun? do you wanna take part?? you're tagged now, go, thrive)

Traveler's Song - Aviators (this one is just a bop, like all his songs honestly, but you could spin it pretty easy to apply to the Veilguard... hm)

Spite the bloodstains on these cobble streets A message to the gods to see us through Ever heard, yet rarely sung So raise your voice and praise the sun I call a new rebirth to keep us strong Countless souls along the path Lost to fiends and lords of wrath But we'll return to play our final song

Just Can't Win - 10 Years (this is a fic song!! this is Rook and Solas yelling at each other lmao)

We have lost All communication When words fall On deaf ears I'm starting to Feel a transformation How did I get here I don't Recognize My own reflection It's a ghost of What once was

Curses - The Crane Wives (this is partially a Rookanis song because Crow romance is Normal and never Messy, you can trust me on this- [I fucking Love a clarinet going for a walk])

Oh, ashes, ashes, dust to dust The devil's after both of us Ooh, lay my curses out to rest Make a mercy out of me All my aching bones are trembling And I may yet fall apart Won't you stay with me, my darling When the war starts in my heart?

Even If It Kills Me - Papa Roach (OH BABY it's my baby girl's de Riva anthem heyyo, she's so normal about her loyalty to Viago [and family in general, good luck Luca])

'Cause I hope that you know when you're broken, I'm broken too If you need me, I'll bleed for you Even if it kills me inside Even if you burn me alive I'd carry that pain that you don't need I'd carry that weight that you don't see

Are You Really Okay? - Sleep Token (we're on a fic streak, this is the last song on the playlist for both Lucanis and Rook because man... going home to the messy Crow politics after All That is going to be rough!)

And are you really okay? Are you really okay? You woke me up one night Dripping crimson on the carpet I saw it in your eyes Cutting deeper than the scars could run

I Want Blood - Dance with the Dead (BANGER ALERT I like this song a normal amount, anyways this is for Lucanis while Rook is in Regret Jail) hi I can't find the lyrics so we're doing it from scratch lmao

I want blood If I can't have love It's never ever gonna be enough Blood, I want blood and to love is to die

Nightmare (The Devil) - Fame on Fire (alright somehow shuffle toggled off between songs, but funny because this is for Rook while trapped in Regret Prison)

I'm in the middle of a nightmare And it's not going away I'm buried under the broken dreams I don't know who to blame I'm in a never ending nightmare I know I'm going insane And when I'm under the curtain call There's nothing left to save

My Demons - Starset (ANOTHER BANGER this is just one of my top songs in general because I fucking love Starset a normal amount, but honestly? it's a solid Rookanis song for obvious reasons below)

I cannot stop this sickness taking over It takes control and drags me into nowhere I need your help, I can't fight this forever I know you're watching I can feel you out there Take me high and I'll sing Oh, you make everything okay, okay, okay (okay, okay, okay) We are one in the same Oh, you take all of the pain away, away, away (away, away, away) Save me if I become My demons

Don't Fight It - 10 Years (this is The Rookanis song for me, it's so good for them)

Memories stuck in my head All the things I should have said If I fall back into you Don't fight it, Don't fight it Gone are all of the days this was easy Tomorrow can't hold onto yesterday If you come right back to me I won't fight it, I won't fight it Show me what you need from me Don't hide it, Don't hide it

Pick Me Up - Saint Motel (I've only listened to the new album twice, but okay youtube lmao I think you could apply this to Rookanis where one or both of them is Having A Day tho)

And I could use a little pick me up Something that is heavy like a brick Yeah, I could use a little pick me up So, hit me with a little fire Yeah, I could use a little pick me up Something kinda stiff will do thе trick Well, I could use a little pick mе up So, pick me up a little higher

alright I tried to get artist variety in there, but it rolled two of the 10 Years songs on the playlist and I wasn't gonna skip any from the actual playlist lol... honestly impressed we got so many from the it! thank you for the tag, and I hope you guys liked the genre hopping lmao (but seriously, look into Aviators, he makes good music in all kinds of genres and does a lot of Soulsborne fan songs)

[butterflydm]

It's ~official~ (DAV posting)

I don't know how much of the game is left but it feels like things might be picking up towards the endgame. My save game data tells me that I'm currently over seventy hours into playing this character (though that includes menus and such, I assume), so no complaints if we are headed towards endgame! But I am loving the game, so I will be sad when we reach the ending (though I do already have my plans to replay as a dwarven and/or Shadow Dragon Rook).

Put down those two blighted dragons that attacked Treviso and Minrathous, so that's a win, and I shot a ballista bolt into Ghilan'nain. So that was a pretty big success, and I'm back to doing all the side quests and character quests that popped up in the aftermath of that story quest.

We finished through Harding's personal quest and confronted the Titan's Shade, so she's now officially a Hero of Veilguard. It feel fitting that she be the first one to get that status, considering that she came from DAI and all. She's finishing what the Inquisitor started.

I really liked learning more about the history of the dwarves and the Titans, heartbreaking as it could be at times. And since I took Bellara with me on Harding's personal quest, it was two elves that were talking to her at the end. Unintentional on my part there, but it really made a lot of Harding's lines feel like they resonated even more, because it was the elven people who benefited from what Solas and the other elven gods did to the Titans.

The damage that history does feels like a big theme - both in things like the elven gods being the ones who shattered the Titans, or in things like those same elven gods trying to recreate their glory days of being worshipped. One of the lines that Harding says at the end of her personal quest - "we will thrive in spite of you" (and having two elves there definitely gave that line a special punch; I wonder if that line is different if you don't play as an elven Rook or if Harding processes that part any differently if you're also a dwarf) just really felt powerful.

Sins of the past would be an other way to put it -- that applies in most every case we've seen. Regrets that stem from the past.

I got confirmation on a few of my guesses from last time -- the Gloom Howler was a Gray Warden who left on her Calling. More specifically, she's an elven mage who blighted the griffons on the First Warden's orders in order to win the fourth Blight.

Emmrich also interrogated Rana's body and confirmed that Illario is a traitor and sold Lucanis out to her in order to gain his place as First Talon of the Antivan Crows. But she was supposed to kill Lucanis, not use him for her experiments, so Illario was genuinely shocked when Caterina learned that Lucanis was alive and imprisoned.

Harding haunted by the trauma of what was done to the Titans centuries ago (millenia ago? i haven't plotted out the timeline), the splintering that created the dwarven people. Bellara is haunted by her brother, who she thought died chasing the very elven artifact that we first found with her (the archive spirit) but who made a deal with one of the Forgotten Ones of the elven gods instead. What she could have been, a deal that she fears she would have made if put into his place.

Emmrich haunted by an old colleague and Neve by an old case that got away.

Darvin is haunted by the ugly legacy of the Gray Wardens and what it means to be willing to do anything to stop the Blight, no matter what the collateral damage may be. Even if that's an entire species.

Taash's struggle has been against gender expectations, as set against the background of growing up with a Qunari mother and having escaped the Qun. A legacy of their birth culture, and deciding what they want to take from their differing cultures they grew up in. Not the sins of Taash's past but of the culture that they escaped from but still feel some connection to.

And Varric, of course, is haunted by Solas -- a friend that he's worried he can't save (and who is the echo of a friend that he believes he failed to save -- Anders and Solas have a LOT in common).

(the list of things that Solas is haunted by span the entire game lol)

On a lighter note, I took Harding and Taash out together and they flirted! <3 And then they flirted again back at the Lighthouse! <3 Harding had a dream about Taash! <3 It's charming! <3

And to get to the title of the post -- I went through Lucanis's Inner Demons quest and then we talked in the kitchens afterwards and we are officially exclusive.

It was really great too -- the quest. Spite leading me through the prison that Lucanis had constructed around himself, because he's afraid of himself after what happened in the prison. Being able to support Lucanis and also to talk to Spite to let him know that... that Lucanis isn't trapping him in that prison deliberately. It's just that it takes time for people to heal from deep trauma like that. I love how it was entirely dialogue-based and not about literally fighting to get to Lucanis but about talking to the parts of himself that were afraid and hiding.

It seemed like a good place to stop for the weekend, since I do have some non-DAV things to do.

[5mcsinatrenchcoat]

for the veilguard hype thing, 4 and/or 6?

Dragon Age: The Veilguard HYPE Q&A

4. What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

Hmm. Well, my Tabris saved Ferelden and lived to tell the tale, also Kieran is her son by whatever (blood) magic we lesbian Morrimancers decide that happened - I'll have to put my Warden as male in case any of that happens to be relevant, I guess. Anora rules Ferelden alone, while Alistair was a Warden and got left in the Fade, sorry, my guy.

My new Hawke, whose playthrough I'm currently finishing up, will side with mages and that will ultimately result in a dead Fenris, which will be... interesting in case of any potential cameos. Bethany is in the Circle, altho I don't think that will be relevant.

EDIT: False alarm, Fenris did stay by her side! Somehow! Yay!

And I'm not changing my forever Inquisitor, so, human, Trevelyan, sided with mages, took the Wardens in, did NOT drink from the Well, Leliana (softened) is the Divine and last we checked Briala was pulling the threads of the Orlesian throne. Kinara herself is married to Sera and I am flinching in advance awaiting the inevitable explanation on why they are separated when Inky appears in the game (as was with Hawke and their LI previously).

She also kept the Inquisition going and swore to stop Solas by any means instead of trying to change his mind so uuuh yeah Varric does not act with her authority there. Curious to see how THAT plays out.

6. Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

I have a thought, although we'll see if I'll run with it. Way back when I was playing the Inquisition for the first time, at some point I conjured a non-Inq OC who was a dwarf pirate, which would nicely translate into a Lord of Fortune backstory. She wasn't especially detailed (or I do not remember), so she could be a nice jumping point for the Rook.

That said, I would need to rethink her design a bit, 'cause she suffered from the same careless choices Kinara did - and I know better now!

But also I may open the CC, say "Woooow" and hard pivot in some other direction entirely, who knows. This is the only thought I have by now.

I am thinking dwarf either way, though, to break the elf-human-human line a bit. And most likely a two-hander warrior, my beloved. Hopefully the swords stopped clipping through the ground on short MCs...

The first mission should look fun btw. Snow White and seven dwarves are out, Neve and three dwarves are in!

[bunbunsama]

Funnier moments for the Veilguard crew in my worldstate include:

1. Sil’lean & Zev have a running bet on who their daughter (Rook) will end up with first; their first son ending up with the leader of the Shadow Dragons was not on the bingo board (ie all of Sil’lean’s kids are like their dads lol)

2. Rook telling Taash “It’s nice to see your moms active in your life” feels like a joke but her mamae & babae have become very active in supporting her new hero lifestyle

3. First Warden called Rook “simple minded” & not only does her da’s (still) hot necromancer husband come to her rescue, her mamae suddenly starts planning to take over the Wardens as a whole

4. Heroes of Veilguard getting to experience the full spectrum of “wait, your mom is the HoF & she’s married to the Black Shadow, AND your bio da is the Inquisitor who is married to the new Archon???” BONUS: “Your mom can turn into a dragon! What kind? How big? How does she do that? YOUR BROTHER TOO???”

5. Lucanis getting an awkward yet wholesome talk with Sil’lean, who also was once imprisoned & tortured & had a demon put into her (love those southern circles) & she can hear Spite, see him in faint light, & Lucanis realizing where Rook gets her goodness from. BONUS: Zev talking to Rook about how he helped Silli through that trauma, how he talked her down from throwing herself out the widow of the circle tower after they defeated Uldred & how in saving her life, he’s saved as many lives as he’s taken

6. Morrigan, exasperated: “Did he (Solas) listen when your tried to talk him down those years ago?”

Bel, just as tired: “now you sound like my ex-wife”

Silli, storming in: “Probably because she has good sense.”

7. The bet did not include the potential that Rook has the same taste as her bio da if she pursues Emmrich. Silli unceremoniously tells them they are going to dinner with her no questions asked, only to travel to Soldier’s Peak where Loghain (cause fuck you that’s why) is still kicking thanks to Avernus’ weird tincture they drank all those years ago. Silli still visits when she can & everyone knows but says nothing to the soft way they handle each other & how she kisses the corner of his lips when she pretends no one is watching. The age gap is miles long betwixt them, a half-elvhen son with dark wavy hair & silver-blue eyes as proof, & she hopes maybe it can settle Emmrich to the idea that it’s okay.

8. Rook spending so much time hiding that she’s a spirit mage while her mom & brother practically exudes old magic

9. Bellara telling Rook about her younger brother & suddenly Bellara finds herself surrounded by Rook’s younger siblings (she knows the twins cause they’re the youngest VJ) who ask questions & listen to her ramble as to make sure she knows she’s not alone

10. Everyone being embarrassed for Rook at how openly, unapologetically down bad Zev is for Silli & how they are barely PG-13. Rook is used to it & happy that they finally are able to be together since she may have joined the crows solely to help Zev in his mission to fuck around & find out AND help Silli with information regarding dragons

I have been enjoying re-imagining Veilguard with my worldstate & finally having the game that lets me explore Silli’s first born.

[dota2apologist]

i have gathered some dragon age thoughts post veilguard for you all. i guess ill put under cut for the people avoiding spoilers still.

i dont care if the maker is real or not, andraste is and that's all that matters

they really missed the opportunity w the andraste coin not meaning anything personal for neve. you dont think a girl trying to save the common people in a tevinter city could believe in the woman who marched on tevinter???????

only two of the character final personal quest choices are going to be controversial. davrin and emmrich. (yes the griffons stay w the wardens literally bite me. and being a lich is emmrichs dream and also i was just curious what he'd look like and its sick as hell the end)

a lot of the character interactions didnt live up to the hype for me. unfortunately, all the ancient elves part and the solas conversations were the hypest parts. but i love lore. so yehaw.

antoine and evka had charmed me in my letter from home and when i finally see them in game im already obsessed. they are perfect.

WHY the hell do all my party members get pissed off when i dont punch the warden in the face. fuck off. he's got blight dementia and is gonna die, im being NICE. in death, sacrifice. my sacrifice was not embarrassing this old man right before he dies!!

annoying that i say i married cullen and i dont get to hear ANY lines about my husband OR my dog.

god morrigan's haircut is so good. she is always so fine.

i am OBSESSED with all the warden outfits. that alone had me in a vice grip. yes i made skyhold a faux warden stronghold. yes i made my lighthouse the warden theme. i have taste.

why the fuck did they act like taash's mom was being transphobic?? why cant qunari have any rights smh

isabella after what happened in kirkwall i dont think you should be within ten feet of another qunari relic i never forgave you

i knew varric was gonna die this game, the reveal at the end was like hmm. just do it in the beginning.

OH MY GOD. speaking of dying. HOW THE FUCK can we not kill illario. 'oh he just sent me to prison' 'oh he just faked my death and held me prisoner' whatever that's family business. but he colluded with the fucking venatori. yknow the extremist group from tevinter that's to the right of the people that already say slavery is okay?? i should be able to execute!!! HoF would never.

i will never believe redcliffe fell. alistair and my warden would hold it till the maker himself came knocking.

unfortunately the faction side characters interested me the most. ily antoine and evka. ily viper and tarquin. ily the nevarra people i dont remember the names of rn.

i dont think i appreciated the writing in inquisition enough the first time around. it must be so difficult to encompass this whole world.

OK. back to lore. im thinking about how the dragons were the evanuris still putting their influence out to the magisters, hence unleashing the blight. NOW think back to the high dragon that was there at andraste's ashes, ([she came down in a bubble voice] and who ELSE had a high dragon, that's right flemythal) ......... bioware literally give me a blunt, two hours, and a whiteboard. ill solve all your lore problems.

i really need more lore exploring the first warden and the creation of the wardens. we understand how blight and shit came to exist. we get that solas created the black city. then years later the magisters find it blah blah. i still dont care about the maker. so blight gets unleashed, well let's talk about who's answering the call!!

i think maferath's regret is actually awesome. i think it's awesome that he regrets it. everyone go replay The Gauntlet in dao.

i miss alistair

i dont like that you can flirt w everyone all game and they just commit at the end and then you dont really have much established relationship time. i like that you basically get battle married in the other games. like yeah !! the world may end tomorrow!! we're your parents now you listen to us.

also im sorry and this is literally for no good reason its just bc im controlling and terrible but i dont like when the companions have separate relationships w each other. excuse me you are all supposed to be in love w me right now.

the strategy part of the games seems to be getting simpler ... the skill trees, the inventory, etc. requires less management.

also the three party makes sense bc the combat got so simplified but at first i was like how am i supposed to bring all my friends? and then i didnt really become obsessed w any of them so it was fine.

im already replaying and trying a new romance, just begging for one to scratch the itch. i have a good romance in every other one even DA2 the game where everyone will sell you for a corn chip (ily fenris) so !!! any thoughts or feedback here will be welcome bc im searching (i did neve the first time, i was holding out for the warden companion but i thought she had so much potential to be sooo interesting. im gonna do davrin now bc warden 4ever)

[sage-nebula]

Found this Dragon Age Protagonists Questions post and decided to fill it out for my own Dragon Age OCs from each game. The original post only includes the protagonists from the first three games (since Veilguard wasn't out yet), but I'm going to include my Rook as well since I love her. I also may rewrite the questions a bit, either to condense them or otherwise add in Rook. (And some questions will be skipped, also, either because I can't or don't want to answer them.)

So without further ado . . .

The Cast:

- Warden Lyra Mahariel

- Briar Hawke

- Inquisitor Lucia Trevelyan

- Thalia "Rook" Mercar

1.) What would your protagonists all think of each other?

Lyra: "I like Hawke. She's funny, and not afraid to do what has to be done. Trevelyan is weak, and as annoying as humans come. Thalia's fine, but it's a shame she didn't get to grow up among the Dalish."

Briar: "Good on Lyra for saving Ferelden, and it's fine that she's grumpy; I'm used to that from Fenris. Lucia is all right, I suppose; though anyone that close to the chantry can't be all that trustworthy, can they? I really like Thalia; she reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger. Hope that naivete doesn't come to bite her, though."

Lucia: "The Hero of Ferelden is, well . . . a hero. She managed to save Ferelden and not die killing an archdemon somehow. She's amazing. Hawke is . . . Varric's friend. His best friend. But she's kind of shady, don't you think? And Thalia . . . I thought she understood. I thought we were the same, but she didn't even try to talk Solas down in the end . . . I don't know that I've ever felt so betrayed."

Thalia: "Lyra could stand to relax a little. Scowling that much can't be good for her face. Briar's the best; she gets it, you know? She knows exactly what it is to be in these fuck-ass situations. And Lucia . . . I can't believe she'd still think Solas could've been talked down, after all that. After what he did to Varric. What is wrong with her?"

2.) What do they think about each other's love interests?

Lyra: "Isabella is fun, and not afraid to get her hands dirty. She gets a pass from me. Josephine is a human bureaucrat; she cannot and should not be trusted. Davrin is Dalish, he has griffons, he is devastatingly attractive -- where was he during the fifth Blight? Could we rewind the clock so I could trade Alistair's ungrateful ass for him? 'Going down a dark path' -- that ritual saved both our lives and you agreed, you twit."

Briar: "Zevran's a riot; Isabella has good taste in friends. Josephine seems nice enough, and I like her well enough for that, but it's never a bad idea to be careful of what you say around someone like her. Davrin's a bit gruff around the edges, but again, I'm used to that from Fenris and a bit of Anders. His griffon's a cutie, too."

Lucia: "Zevran is an assassin; one of the Crows. I don't feel comfortable around him. Isabella also makes me uncomfortable, though for a different reason; I've never met anyone who talks so dirty like that, and in public! And to me . . . and how gorgeous she is . . . oh Maker, I can feel my face on fire just thinking about her . . . Davrin is a good man. Brave and honorable. He would have been an asset to the Inquisition."

Thalia: "Zevran is funny! But is what he said about the Crows and what they do to children true? I need to have a chat with Lucanis after speaking with Zevran. The Lords of Fortune couldn't be more lucky with a leader than they are with Isabella; she's a riot like Zevran is. Josephine is warm and kind; I think anyone would feel comfortable in a presence like hers."

3.) Are your Inquisitor and Rook jealous of the Warden's and Hawke's mabari hounds?

Lucia: "No. Mabari are fine from a distance, but they're rather loud, and Skyhold has enough animals as it is."

Thalia: "You have no idea. There's no such thing as too many animals. Still a bit miffed we couldn't bring Assan's siblings back to the Lighthouse."

4.) Combat classes and specializations?

Three rogues and a mage, and the specializations are as follows:

Lyra learned to be both an assassin from Zevran, and a bard from Leliana. Her focus was on ending fights as quickly as possible, by any means necessary. She used both her bow and blades as needed.

Briar focused only on blades, and went for both assassin and shadow. Her focus was being the one to do the hitting, fast and hard, rather than being hit.

Lucia was only ever an archer, and went for the artificer specialization, preferring to lay traps to hinder her enemies and give her more time to shoot them.

Thalia, as a Shadow Dragon, specialized as an Evoker, focusing on entropy and ice magic. She has a staff, but is equally skilled with an orb and spellblade.

5.) What do the others think of what happened in Kirkwall? Would they have supported Hawke's decisions?

Lyra: "Kirkwall is a cesspit and everyone in power there should be gutted like fish. Anders was right to do what he did and I only wish I had been there to help. Hawke should have helped more than she did."

Lucia: "Kirkwall is tragic, but that doesn't mean acts of terrorism are all right. I don't believe in capital punishment if it could be avoided, but Anders should have been arrested."

Thalia: "Where are Kirkwall's Shadow Dragons? The people should rise up and form their own Shadow Dragons there, to root out the corruption and make a difference. I don't think anyone should blame Anders for what he did; it's the least those in power there should have expected."

6.) Would the others have accepted the role of Inquisitor?

Lyra: "Fuck no."

Briar: "No."

Thalia: "If I had to, but would they seriously ask me? Me? You're really telling me there's no one else?"

7.) Do they share the same opinions on the Chantry?

Lyra: "The chantry is a joke, and so is their Maker."

Briar: "If there is one thing living in Kirkwall taught me, it's that the Chantry can't be trusted."

Lucia: "The chantry wants what's best for everyone. Even if there are a few bad apples, the whole chantry shouldn't be stroked by that same brush."

Thalia: "I don't care about the chantry, honestly."

8.) Do they share the same opinions on mage rights?

Lyra: "Everyone should be free, regardless of their birth. If the mages want assistance killing their oppressors, they need only ask."

Briar: "My father and little sister were apostates, and so are two good friends of mine. What do you think?"

Lucia: "Kirkwall's Circle was bad, but that was the exception to the rule, wasn't it? I don't think mages are all bad or dangerous, and Circles should be healthy and safe places. I think both things can be true."

Thalia: "It's hard to imagine mages not having rights. Couldn't they just set someone on fire if they felt they were disrespected? Seems to happen often enough in Tevinter. And honestly, good for them if the alternative is being made slave, locked away in some 'circle' or whatever they call them down south. Seriously, what is up with that?"

9.) Do they share the same opinions on blood magic?

Lyra: "If you're using it to enslave someone, fuck off. Otherwise, I don't care so long as elves or halla aren't your sacrifices."

Briar: "Merrill is the only valid blood mage."

Lucia: "Blood magic is evil."

Thalia: "Blood magic is the magic of the enemy. The mages among the Shadow Dragons do not have need of it, and do not use it."

10.) Do they have the same opinion on The Game?

Lyra: "'The Game' is literally too stupid for me to care about."

Briar: "Seems like a lot of petty bullshit those in power do to avoid having to do any actual work for the people."

Lucia: "It's fascinating, and takes great skill. Josie's ability to navigate it is enchanting."

Thalia: "They can play if they want, but if they start playing to make people suffer, that's when the Shadows come to call."

11.) Who would they have romanced from the other's choices?

Lyra: Fenris from Kirkwall, Leliana* from Skyhold, and Davrin from the Lighthouse.

Briar: Zevran from Ferelden, Iron Bull from Skyhold, and Neve from the Lighthouse.

Lucia: Leliana from Ferelden, Merrill** from Kirkwall, and Bellara from the Lighthouse.

Thalia: Alistair from Ferelden, Isabela from Kirkwall, Sera from Skyhold.

*Leliana is not normally a romance option in DAI, but would be for Lyra since they have prior history. They weren't compatible in DAO, but they are now.

**Lucia would be able to grow past her anti-blood magic biases if she got to know Merrill.

12.) If Origins and Inquisition had the three personalities (blue/diplomatic, purple/sarcastic, and red/aggressive), which ones would they have? And what did your Hawke and Rook have?

Lyra: Red/Aggressive

Briar: Purple/Sarcastic

Lucia: Blue/Diplomatic

Thalia: Purple/Sarcastic

13.) What is the biggest similarity between your protagonists?

None of them asked for this ("this" being their quest).

14.) Who handles responsibility the best? Who handles it the worst?

The worst is probably Lyra, because she doesn't want it and will fight against it every step of the way. It's rotten work, especially to her and especially if it's the fate of the world. She'll do it, but Mythal alive.

The best is Lucia, who although she didn't ask to be made leader of the Inquisition, ended up happy there and handling it very well.

15.) Do they share any of the same hobbies?

Lyra and Briar both like to steal. Lucia and Thalia can both play musical instruments (piano for Lucia, violin for Thalia).

16.) How old were they at the start of their journeys? Looking back, would they make any major choices differently?

Lyra: 23, and she would have never gone on that treasure expedition with Tamlen if she knew it would end up with her blighted and forced to become a Grey Warden. Other than that, no.

Briar: 17 when leaving Ferelden, and she wishes she had not taken Bethany with her on the Deep Roads expedition with Varric and Bartrand. (Keep in mind she doesn't know this would have ended up with Bethany arrested by Templars.)

Lucia: 24, and no, she thinks she did everything as correctly as she could.

Thalia: 27, and she wishes she would have convinced Varric to not try to talk Solas down, or that she could have warned Varric somehow that Solas would hurt him, or something.

17.) How do each of your protagonists handle loss?

Lyra: Vengeance.

Briar: Heavy drinking.

Lucia: Lots of crying, and prayers to the Maker.

Thalia: Distractions, lots of distractions.

18.) What is / was their relationship like with their family?

Lyra: Her parents died when she was too young to remember them, but she considered her whole clan to be her family. She loves them dearly still, and misses them strongly.

Briar: Loved her father dearly, and had a great relationship with him. Loved her mother, but had a much more complicated relationship with her, since Leandra never loved her as much as she loved the twins, and it showed. Loved her younger siblings, though found it harder to get on with Carver due to his resentment toward her having their father's favor. Had a very strong relationship with Bethany, though, until Bethany blamed Briar for pushing her into the arms of the Grey Wardens after she was blighted.

Lucia: Had a wonderful childhood. Wasn't the heir and so was allowed much more freedom to do as she wanted (hence taking up archery), but became the pride and joy of the family after she became Inquisitor.

Thalia: Has a complicated relationship with her parents. They love her as their only child, and she does love them, but although they felt themselves very progressive for adopting an elven child and not treating her as a servant or slave, they also didn't correct people out in public who made that assumption, and their "it doesn't matter what they think" attitude didn't make Thalia feel better about it. They got her books and scrolls on elven history, but made sure to tell her that the Dalish gods weren't real anyway and that they were just nice fairy tales; only the Maker was real. (Joke was on them, Thalia didn't believe in any of them.) They were upset any time Thalia "acted out" in trying to discover her own personality. They wouldn't join her in learning elvish, etc. She left home at seventeen and joined the Shadow Dragons shortly after, and though she feels guilty for how that must have hurt her parents, she still has not gone back.

19.) Do any of your protagonists marry and/or have children?

Lyra: No, though she and Zevran do stay committed to each other for many years.

Briar: Also no; her relationship with Isabela is on-again, off-again.

Lucia: Yes; she and Josephine get married (and it does not take ten years to do so) and adopt three children.

Thalia: Yes; she and Neve elope, though they don't have children. Instead, they are the DINK aunts who bring the gift reckoning on their friends' kids.

20.) What would their fears on the graves in Here Lies the Abyss be?

Lyra: Being bound in slavery.

Briar: Bethany dying because of her.

Lucia: Being the one who actually doomed the world.

Thalia: Getting her team killed with her faulty leadership.

21.) How do they each feel about the Deep Roads?

Lyra: "Why are we always in the gods-damned fucking Deep Roads?"

Briar: "Fuck the Deep Roads."

Lucia: "The Deep Roads are frightening . . ."

Thalia: "The Deep Roads are both interesting and exciting."

[manystarredface]

Rambling Thoughts on the end of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, spoilers below

I think it's hysterical that Solas had to be convinced NOT to tear open the Veil by two ex-girlfriends and a kid he backstabbed TWICE. I would have liked a harsher tone a little bit from Lavellan, but that doesn't play into 1) the themes of Regret and Forgiveness of the game and 2) Solas likely wouldn't have heard her if she'd been harsh about the whole thing. I liked their ending.

I loved the way they played more into the cunning aspect of Solas in DATV rather than the knowledgeable aspect from DAI. I romanced him in my only true playthrough of DAI (i don't think i ever finished the other runs), so while he was a little cheeky and did lie about the big stuff or omitted it, I don't remember any out-and-out manipulations or word play in DAI that were at all like in DATV.

I WISH my Rook could have laughed in his face when she waltzed into the cutscene with him in Minrathous!! XD

I thought that manipulation of Rook was fantastic and a good character moment. I also loved that he very specifically swore that the veil would not be opened by his hand and then gave us the Final Quest "you're the only one who can save us" bullshit by saying "the final blow must be dealt by you." I wish Rook could have laughed in a "this fucking guy!" way when Bellara revealed the consequences of killing Elgarnan.

Because then, yeah, Solas may have been a little truthful when saying "shit Rook, I made a mistake, I can't defeat him as I am" because he really is going into the fight with NOTHING and NO ONE and he probably realized "ah, I do not have the support I once had in the first fight, this was a bad call," BUT I think he was mostly just manipulating Rook again. He wanted to set her up as the fall guy so he could say "I didn't really betray you. I told you that it wouldn't be by my hand and it wasn't."

The game did a great job of making it feel like I'd chosen "the" combination of characteristics for my Rook. She was an elvhen Mourn Watcher, so she was connected to the issue through her heritage and her job/skills. I'd be interested in trying a different combination to see if it fits just as well (based on some posts I've seen, it sounds like they do a pretty good job of it).

There was one post that pointed out how wild all the Fade Physical Walking was and I'm going to chock that up to us only being in Ferelden in DAO where it's established to be a bad thing and the kingdom mostly being hyper conservative when it comes to magic. I'd be interested to know if the Mourn Watchers move regularly between the Fade and back, given their jobs.

I worry a little bit about the future game, given the power creep of the whole series. We're at God Level enemies who destroyed most of Southern Thedas with the Blight and took out a LOT of northern Thedas with the Blight, too. The road to recovery may mean the formation of new kingdoms, I'd imagine, especially since Denerim was overrun completely and, I think, so was Redcliffe, which were the primary spots of power. Orlais might make its way out of the apocalypse, but I don't see how Ferelden does.

My next play through is going to have Solas redeemed again and my Lavellan show up again, but I'm going to swap around who lives and who dies in the Harding side of things. I'm glad she passed on some of what she knew to the Kal-Sharok dwarves. :( I didn't expect her to get wiped out like that, but maybe she returned to the stone and we haven't seen the complete last of her in some form or another?

[ryniadora]

So I finished Veilguard.

As a game, about a 6/10. As a DA game, about a 3/10.

First and foremost, it runs like absolute dogshit. Now this may be on me because it warned me not to install in on my HDD but I thought it'd be fine ... nope. Constant popin, having to wait minutes at at time for quest objectives to spawn, quests breaking because certain NPCs didn't spawn/I accidentally moved over the trigger too fast ... oh and every now and again when I load a save my character returns to default. I could handle the long loading screens but UGHHH.

I love Lucanis with my entire chest but the romance feels so unearned because you can never just talk to him, get to know him outside of heavily scripted scenes. Well-written as they are, it's just not enough and it makes the entire thing feel ... not real? He makes you a dessert (cute af by the way 10/10) and then ... everyone starts saying you're a thing??? And I'm like ARE WE??? Then suddenly he busts into your room and is all lovey dovey and adorable and it's just ?????????

Looking forward to writing it though.

Gameplay is meh, but I expected that. Played on baby mode and basically stomped everything, had to actively stop DPSing to hear all the dialogue sometimes xD Mage was frustrating as you'd get stunlocked all the time, though that may be a skill issue.

Main story was OK. Very much too focused on certain people who shall not be named, but it was okie. Please let the inquisitor hug egg, he needs a hug.

Companions were very disappointing. I went in expecting to love Davrin, but found him very boring. Bellara was too "look at me, I'm SO QWERKY". I never liked Harding much so was meh. Neve I expected to like but went cold on relatively quickly. Taash pissed me off from the get-go, and I got bored of their shit real fast.

Emmerich, though. I went into the thing fully expecting to LOATHE him, but he turned out not to be a snarky rat man but a very nice, sweet college professor and I was actually very tempted to romance him. May well do so on a second playthrough.

Side stories varied in quality wildly, and a lot of it felt like it was written with entirely different games in mind.

Definitely not enough Dorian, and too much Isabela.

But the most egregious crime is that nothing matters. Nothing we did in the previous games mattered except "what was your inquisitor's relationship to Solas?". It even let me pick who she romanced but it didn't matter, even when Dorian teased her about it in one throwaway line there were no names mentioned, not even a mention of her GOING HOME TO HER HUSBAND DORIAN PLS. I feel that choice is there just to ferret out the Solavellans ...

Where is Hawke? Where is the Hero of Ferelden during this crisis? You can't even choose who the Divine is, and it seems to default to it being Divine Victoria based on some Harding dialogue.

Fenris was lurking around Tevinter being a menace, where the fuck was he? I was holding on to hope I'd see my husband =(

Also I was proud of myself for only getting one person killed through the whole thing (sorry Harding I couldn't risk Assan's neck, he is best boy) on my first try. I feel like it's possible to get everyone through? Maybe? Difficult to say.

Overall I had a good time but it didn't feel like what we'd been waiting 10 years for. They threw out most of the established world building and just kind of winged it.