#thedosian meta

[tevinterdays]

i have new Two Fucking Moons and they're staying safe inside my brain (because I don't have it in me to write a new essay)

[exhausted-archivist]

Informal Thoughts on Universal Pantry Staples in Thedas

Yes, I'm thinking about food again. So, part of what I’m working on for the Thedosian food project I have is figuring out universal pantry staples for Thedas. I am largely working from canon, but I am also working from a watsonian perspective on what isn’t named canon. Which can be really hard because I have to look at BioWare and not try to explain why a tropical environment would not have an abundance of cherries, or how certain foods don't ship well even in modern terms and thus, no, Ferelden likely shouldn't have access to tomatoes. But hey, I'm working on the suspension of disbelief and trying to figure out how it could work in a world with magic, but where magic is feared and typically reserved for luxuries.

I also didn't include things that would spoil easy, such as: cherries, grapes, lemons, oranges, plums, tomatoes, ect. Essentially anything with a high water content that would spoil easy. But are also super common around Thedas. Mostly because when I think pantry, I think long term storage. I also tried to keep out dairy products and eggs. But there is a way to keep butter for prolonged periods of time, so it got in by a slim technicality.

A quick note: when entering the suggested or speculated portion of these listings, this is not accounting for all economic levels because to do so would mean next to nothing was universal.

Additionally, when it comes to spices, we know that the Avvar value "lowland" spices heavily and use them for special occasions. However, because they aren't staples I was hesitant to include them in these list but opted to do so for no other reason than an idea that if they can get to the Avvar, they are likely commonly available else where. So spices are marked with a *

The canonically stated staples

These are actually pretty sparse. They aren't typically directly called out, but these few are, and so they have their own little section. Outside of that, well it is mostly suggestion.

Barley (At times mentioned to be specifically Fereldan)

Elfroot

Grease

Lentils

Onions

Wheat

Some canonically suggested universal pantry staples due to their common appearance in recipes, use in abundance, use in hard times/as rations, and seen prolifically in-game:

Allspice*

Almonds

Apples

Basil (dried or fresh)

Bay Leaves*

Black Pepper* (Coarse and finely ground)

Butter (typically goat, but cows as well)

Cabbage

Carrots

Cheese

Chocolate

Cinnamon* (ground, whole stick, ect)

Cloves*

Cumin* (crushed, ground, grated, ect)

Dill Seeds*

Dried Beans

Dried Berries (currants, cranberries, raisins, ect.)

Dried Meat

Dried Peas

Fennel Seed*

Flour (typically wheat)

Garlic

Ginger

Ham

Honey

Jam

Leeks

Mace

Mint

Mustard Seed*

Nutmeg*

Oil (not specified)

Oregano (dried or fresh)

Parsley/Mild green herb

Pickled Vegetables

Potatoes

Salt (historically Orlesians in the highlands salted a dragon worth of meat on an annual basis)

Salted Meat

Squashes (Pumpkin and others)

Sugar (typically from sugar cane)

Thyme

Turnips

Vanilla

Vinegar

Wine (Most common seems to be red wine)

If you think I missed anything or have any recommendations or thoughts of your own, please do share! I would love to hear any thoughts on what you think would likely be staples in the pantries of Thedas. If you need to know what is available, you can check out this post I have listing all the flora currently mentioned in Thedas.

[dieverged]

NIMA & LANGUAGES.

During their time traveling, whether it is slipping through the cracks and seams of another world or roaming their own land both familiar and unfamiliar, they take great care in notekeeping things of interest. Do they keep one journal or many? Few can say, and Nima ever reticent hides her truths behind a smile. If you were to chance a glance, a great many notes flood beige pages, intelligible in a messy hand only they can read── Terms and phrases, meanings, often accompanied by questions! Some separated into sections, specifically in the case of Elvish and Orlesian which each have their own pages allotted to them. Their notes are held as loose study guides, picked up from primarily from listening and speaking; both a means of interest, curiosity and fascination, and safety to best camouflage themselves with the world around. A people person through and through, Nima does what they can to envelop themselves in the land and culture of those who are willing to share their insights.

They prioritize verbal chiefly above written, though they do attempt to seek what knowledge they can find and taking notes down as they can; copying scripture as best as they can to piece together as they find out more. As you can imagine, this often results in a fair bit of crosses, scribbles, and disjointed connections that only they make across the entirety of their journals. They always keep an eye, ear, and hand out. Sneaking to grasp at scrolls, literature, tablets and landmarks.

In the presence of a native speaker, someone willing to teach, that is one of the few times where she is willing to allow view of certain pages; unless she is feeling particularly indulgent. Otherwise, while she would certainly enjoy reading various scriptures or practicing her hand, she focuses primarily on speaking── Not proficient by any means, but she uses what she can if she finds the company amenable. Common is her default, otherwise. A lot of the time, she will take various sources and accounts to help her, never afraid to ask questions.

Regarding Elvish, in her travels she has happened upon City and Dalish elves alike, picking up what she can from both. Granted not all have been welcoming and she never overstays, but there have definitely been some who've entertained her queries. Dalish clans more tolerant of humans is where a good portion of her knowledge comes from, and in kind she offers little pieces of information from her various travels, substituting what she lacks from memories forgotten to any interested! Language, culture, history and religion are things she has picked up from City and Dalish alike, scarce though it is, and has made a few ally's in so doing.

The same can be said for Orlesian, the fair few she has met who are willing to engage with her endless intrigue. Orlesian is a language she can speak ... perhaps mildly conversationally? Enough to get her where she needs to be, more or less. She isn't adept at either, and less so for any languages further outside of Fereldan and Orlais aside from phrases she jots down, but she knows enough── With more of a grasp on Orlesian, as the Elvish she practices is often predicated on whether she is able to locate the few friend's she has made who are willing to teach.

This is not specific to just Thedas either; Across the many worlds she slips into, if she is there for long enough whatever the reasons may be, she will do her due diligence to embrace the languages and the cultures therein. She's also kind of a history buff, so the two go hand in hand for her. She enjoys having knowledge at her fingertips, and learning it is as thrilling to her as traveling!

During her Inquisition verses is where she learns a great deal more from the resources they have which she takes full advantage of. Whether she is a companion or Inquisitor, she spends a great deal of time studying. If she is a companion, on the days she is not accompanying the Inquisitor, is when she travels by her lonesome or slips into Skyhold's library for hours at a time. As the inquisitor, she has the benefit of being taught first hand as time allows for it, which it doesn't always ... that's not going to stop her though, lol. Going traveling early in the morn? She'll be in the library til midnight hours. Sneaking in lessons between meetings when she can, which has definitely caught a disapproving sigh or two, but she can't help it!

[theheartmold]

This is the hub for my characters and worldstates! For now, I’m only linking to my Dragon Age OCs. Click on the name and it will take you to the relevant tag! Worldstate One - “To the Victor Go the Toils”

Mahanon Tabris - My original Warden, his story is about themes of death, life, rebirth, and the blood of the baptism. His story is focused on gender, gendered violence, identity, and the resolve to live despite all else. You can also click here to go straight to his fic on AO3!

Elyon Andras - When Mahanon abandons the Grey Wardens in the aftermath of Origins, it is Elyon who is selected to take his place as the Warden-Commander of Vigil’s Keep. Elyon’s story is one of hope throughout despair, motherhood, and the loneliness of never being able to return home.

Laurent Surana - a Veteran of the Blight and a side character in Mahanon’s story throughout Origins. His focus picks up during the events of Dragon Age 2, as an unlikely companion to my Garrett Hawke in Kirkwall. His story focuses on romanticism, chivalry, knighthood, intrigue, and the lies one has to tell. His fic is on the way!

Iveani Lavellan - My Inquisitor, a Dalish somniari and rift mage who has slowly been blinded by his Dreamer abilities. Relying on his staff–all at once a magical conduit, a cane, and a polearm–he leads the way for the Dalish in the rapidly shifting political environment of Thedas. Worldstate Two - “Blood of the Covenant, Blood of the Womb” Naoise Cousland - The Warden I’m currently playing, his story focuses on the themes of loss, grief, vengeance, toxic masculinity, and politics, both noble and gendered. Not yet sure how his story ends, so join him along the way! Trystan Hawke - The parentified eldest sibling of the Hawke family, Trystan must take his father’s place in protecting Bethany from the Templars and dangers of Kirkwall. Angry, jealous, and demanding of the world and what it owes him, his relationships with his friends–and Anders–will shake the very foundations of Thedas. Jurian Amell - The younger cousin to Trystan, Jurian is everything that could be wanted in an Amell grandchild. A gifted mage, clever, and lovely to look at, his story is built off of the folktales of Fereldan into an epic saga that Kirkwall won’t ever forget. Arlan Trevelyan – The youngest child of the faithful and devout Trevelyan family, Arlan being a mage was a stain upon their honor and faith in the Chantry. What he knows about the inner workings of Thedosian politics will shape the Inquisition and its dealings for years to come.

Cas Meta – This link takes you to all META thoughts about all of my characters or the Dragon Age series itself, if you want to dig through my analyses and headcanons without the character spam!

[ms-katonic-of-tamriel]

Age of the Dragon Meta

Spoilers for most recent chapter

Twice in that last chapter, we had people invoking the Maker... but the one to answer was Alistair.

We had Corypheus daring people to call down their Maker - you cannot for he does not exist!  And at that precise moment, Alistair and Barbas arrive to challenge him.

And you had Cassandra making a vow to the Maker to lay down her life if necessary in order to fight Corypheus.  No evidence the Maker ever heard it... but Alistair did and could grant that bargain.

A silent Maker being replaced by a Daedric Prince who can grant wishes.  There’s something in that.

(Namely, in about a century or so’s time, a widely held belief that invoking Alistair of the Fifth Blight and Inquisition can get you your heart’s desire if your heart is true.... but dragged off to the Fade by demons if it isn’t.  Also you have to be nice to dogs.)

(Thedosian nations start passing wide-ranging animal welfare legislation at the same time, and the rulers in question suddenly all seem to have good fortune befall them.)

[old-archivist]

Foods of Thedas: Master Post

Here is the very, very long and complete list of all dishes, ingredients, and drinks in Thedas as of Tevinter Nights.

This compiles all the canon posts. My headcanons are separate from this list to avoid any confusion but you can find it linked along with the other individual posts below.

Like in the individual posts, the list has the country of origins next to each item and any relevant information. Such as ingredients, use, notes, or trivia. For the canonically suggested foods and drinks I list what their real world uses are for your reference as to what they might be used for in Thedas.

For "Shorter" Food Posts

Dishes, Sauces, and Sides

Drinks

Raw Ingredients

Prepared Ingredients

Cannonically Possible Foods and Drinks

Disclaimer Though real life plants may be listed here as edible it is for fictional use only. This is not intended to be used as a reference nor guide for what plants are edible or safe to eat. Please do not use it as such.

Dishes

Breads and Desserts

Breads

Biscuit

Whole Grain Biscuit - Commonly made in Chantry cloisters. A staple in their simple diets.

Black Bread

Braided Honey and Date Bread

Brown Bread

Buns

Butter Puff - This is bread where butter is folded into the dough allowing it to become puffy and softer than usual bread. (Orlesian)

Crumpet

Dark Bread

Dried Bread

Honey Loaf

Lichen Bread - Bread that is made using lichen. (Orzammar)

Peasant Bread - A hearty type of bread that is made with a variety of grains.

Raider Queen's Bread of Many Tongues - Created by the Raider Queen, this bread calls for flour, baking powder, salt, butter, brown sugar, molasses, eggs, bananas. The creator calls for Par Vollen bananas but another version of the recipe says Rivaini bananas are an acceptable replacement. (Rivain)

Ryott Bread - Made of a protein rich grain that is valued throughout Ferelden.

Sweet Bread

Sweet Rolls

Thin Bread - A thin bread used to make wraps in Seheron.

Whole Grain Bread - Another staple made in Chantry cloisters.

Desserts

Cake

Cake with Apples

Chocolate Cake

Cupcakes

The Exquisite Misery - A little cake topped with a dusting of anise, deep mushrooms, and gold dust. (Orlesian)

Hearth Cake - A pan-made Dalish cake; made of flour, hardwood ash or baking powder, halla butter, sugar, mixed dried fruit (currants, cranberries, etc), egg, milk.

Honey Cake

Lemon Cake

Petit Fours (Orlesian)

Pound Cake

Round Cake - Often topped with poppyseed and honey. In Serault, they will sometimes have the antlers baked into the crust.

Sugar Cake - Made with strawberries and sugar-cream icing on a pound cake.

Sugar-drizzled Lemon Cake - A type of lemon cake that was used in Antivan Crow history to assassinate templars.

Sugarcake - A dense cake usually topped with powdered sugar.

Sweet Cake

Candy

Black Licorice Candy - Can be salted.

Bon-bons

Candied Almonds

Candied Dates

Candied Fruit

Candy Cane

Candy Apple

Carastian Candy - A candied chocolate. (Tevinter)

Peppermints

Spun Sugar (Fereldan)

Sweetmeat - A confectionery treat, sometimes candy coated fruit.

Toffee

Unnamed Candied Nuts with Spice - A candy that is sweet until swallowed, then they leave a spicy aftertaste. (Orlesian)

Cookies

Biscuit - A hard, flat, and unleavened baked treat that can be sweet or savory.

Butter and Sugar Cookie - This cookie isn’t specified as it is only described by these ingredients.

Raisin Cookies

Shortbread

Tea Biscuits

Wafers

Donuts

Ice Cream

Orlesian Guimauves - Another name for marshmallows.

Pastries

Apple Pie

The Blessed Apple - A pie made by a small cloister of Chantry sisters tending to the orchard, they use the windfall apples and share the pies freely; as well as the apples. The ingredients are flour, salt, butter, water, apples (golden apples from Lady's Orchard preferred but others are acceptable substitutions), brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. (Orlesian)

Cinnamon Rolls

Croissant

Honey and Nut Pastry (Tevinter)

Macaroon

Marie du Lac Erre's Sweet Ruin - One version of this pastry with a dramatic history, the recipe contains; butter, powdered sugar, chocolate, vanilla extract, flour, orange or mint extract, baking powder, and milk. (Orlesian)

Minced Pie - filled with finely chopped fruit and sweet things.

Tarts

Unnamed Blueberry Pastry - A light, sticky pastry with blueberries. (Possibly Nevarran)

Pudding

Caramel Pudding

Dessert Pudding

Sticky Jellies (Orlesian)

Gravy and Sauces

Ale Cooked Mushroom (Dwarven)

Apples Stewed in Brandy Sauce

Applesauce

Cream Sauce

Deep Mushroom Flavored Cream Sauce (Orzammar)

Dragon’s Blood Sauce (Nevarran)

Gravy

Honey-glaze - A sauce used to glaze various foods, particularly meats.

Hot Sauce

Llomerryn Red Sauce - A sauce that goes on almost everything, contains pulped tomatoes, onions, red pepper, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, mustard powder, hot pepper powder, salt, cinnamon stick, allspice, cloves, fennel seeds, dill seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, bay, garlic. (Rivain)

Nesting Roast Gravy - Gravy made from the pan juices of a nesting roast. Meant to be served with the roast. (Orlesian)

Plum Sauce

Red Wine Marinade

River-herring Gravy - a gravy as white as apple blossoms. (Orlesian)

Special Sauce - A sauce infused with the essence of fifty-two herbs, prized for the ability to help with “inadequacy”. (Kirkwall)

Wild Flower Glaze - A honeyed glaze made of wild flowers, it is recommended to use flowers plucked at dawn and the lowest blossoms.

Main Dishes

Beans and Bread

Boiled Roots

Braised Nug with Elfroot (Dwarven)

Braised Ram with all the Trimmings

Bread and Cheese

Broiled Boar Head (Fereldan)

Cacio e pepe - A dish of three ingredients; spaghetti, pepper, and pecorino romano. (Antivan)

Canapé - a type of hors d'œuvre.

Chicken Wings - Sold in The Rusted Horn as 'Wyvern Wings.'

Dalish Deep Forest Comfort - String squashes, halla butter, garlic, mushrooms, elfroot or spinach, diced tomatoes or beetles, hot red pepper, rock salt, halla cheese or goat cheese, edible wildflowers (borage, chicory, etc), pine nuts. (Dalish of Southern Orlais)

Dried Bread and Fruit

Eggs à la Val Foret - An egg dish served with a cream sauce. (Orlesian)

First Day Chicken - a dish served during First Day in some parts of Orlais.

Fried Mush (Orzammar)

Gilded Swan with River-herring Gravy - An eastern spice, flour, gold leaf, river herring, swan, yolk. (Orlaisian)

Gnocchi (Antivan)

Goat Custard - A broiled goat head (Fereldan)

Ham

Anderfels Smoked Ham - It tastes of despair

Avvar Ham

Ham Stuck with Cloves

The Jade Ham - Honeyed with wild flowers (especially those picked at dawn), masterfully seasoned, and spiral-cut.

Orlesian Ham

Smoked Ham

Herbed Chicken and Biscuits

Jellied Meats

Jellied Eels

Jellied Pigs Feet - A delicacy in the Free Marches and originally a popular commoner food that has risen to the tables of nobility. Pigs feet and/or pork hocks, salt, onions, garlic, allspice, peppercorns, bay. (Free Marcher)

Veal Galentine (Orlesian)

Liver

Mad Burnard's Gift of Flesh - A nesting roast unlike any other, involving a whole wyvern, stuffed with a whole gurn, stuffed with a horse, stuffed with a large halla (horns and all), stuffed with a swan, stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a quail, stuffed with a bunting that choked on a gold piece. (Orlesian)

Meat Pies

Dove Pie - A pie made with live doves, for the theater of the meal. (Orlesian)

Pigeon Pie

Pork Pie

Turnip and Mutton Pie (Fereldan)

Unmentionable Pie - It is a meat pie that uses the typically undesirable parts of an animal. (Fereldan)

Venison Pasty - A hand pie filled with venison. In Serault, it is served with curls of goat cheese. (Orlesian)

Nesting Roast - This dish is classically made with a quail stuffed in a pheasant stuffed in a swan. Served with gravy made from the pan juices. (Orlesian)

Nug Steak (Orzammar)

Nug-gets (Orzammar)

Nug-loaf (Orzammar)

Nug-Nug - A dish meant to resemble a nug peeking from its burrow; made of ground meat (beef preferred), parsley, egg, salt, crushed cumin or mustard seeds, black pepper, cooked rice, tomatoes, onions, chives (Orlesian)

Pancake - The breakfast food and savory dishes.

Crepes - A very thin pancake that can be filled with sweet or savory ingredients.

Nug Pancakes - A savory pancake made with nug. A favorite among dwarven children. (Orzammar)

Porridge

Bland Porridge

Deer Porridge - A savory porridge.

Pig Oat Mash - A constant dish on The Hanged Man menu, a popular hangover cure if washed down with brandy spiked cider. This warming porridge contains apples, dried salt pork or smoked bacon, dried rolled oats, berries, ale or water (Kirkwall)

Porridge with Raisins

Savory Porridge

Pudding - A sweet or savory, steamed dish that can be topped with gravy or chocolate.

Rack of Ribs (Fereldan)

Ram Chops

Ram Cutlet

Rice and Boiled Vegetables

Roast

Roast Boar - On cooking method involves the boar being stuffed with apples

Roast Chicken

Roast Duck

Roast Hog

Roast Lamb

Roast Turkey

Roast Wyvern

Roasted Cave Beetle (Dwarven)

Roasted Giant Spider (Dwarven)

Roasted Nug (Orzammar)

Roasted Phoenix - One of the most infamous meals in Thedas, it is served with sweet red wine.

Roasted Rabbit

Roasted Venison with Wild Greens

Spit-roasted Deepstalker (Dwarven)

Spit-roasted Nug with Hot Sauce (Orzammar)

Sandwich

Ham Sandwich

Sausage - There are about twelve different kinds of sausage unnamed mentioned in Last Court.

Black Pudding - A type of blood sausage made from pork or beef blood, pork fat or beef sue, and a type of cereal. (Orlesian)

Smoked Sausage

Spiced Sausage

Seared Nug - Usually served with a deep mushroom cream sauce. (Orzammar)

Sera's Yummy Corn

Shredded Dried Meat and Cheese - A dish that is commonly used as a spread by the dwarves. (Orzammar)

Simmering Partridge - Cooked with sweet onions and pale beans (Orlesian)

Smoked Meat

Smoked Boar

Smoked Rabbit

Smoked Venison

Spiced Nug

Sticky Figs Rolled in Nuts

Venison with Apples Stewed in Brandy Sauce

Wandering Hills - A delicacy made from large creatures of the same name. (Anderfels)

Wyvern Steak

Seafood

Alamarri Pickled Krone - Krone, Brine, (Optional) pine pitch and druffalo dung.

Baked Fish - An Avvar cooking method where they wrap fish in pungent leaves and clay before cooking it in banked coals.

Baked Krone with Honey - The honey is typically used as a side sauce for dipping. (Fereldan)

Fish Wrap - Fish wrapped in thin bread (Seheron)

Fluffy Mackerel Pudding - Celery, pepper, mackerel, diced onion, mustard, salt, Antivan pepper, ground mace, cardamom seed, eggs (Fereldan)

Fresh Oyster

Fried Fish

Glazed Krone (Fereldan)

Lutefisk

Smoked Fish

Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie - Fish from the Minanter River (carp, trout, or others), wine, onion, carrot, thyme, bay, sea salt, dried currants, sliced almonds, boiled sliced eggs, butter, flour, fish broth, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cream, fried whitebait or other small fish. (Starkhaven)

Soups and Stews

Barley Soup

Butter Soup - A simple, inexpensive, and easy soup. Made as midmorning meals or midday refresher for field workers. It is commonly fed to children and convalescents due to its nutritious nature. Ingredients include water, potatoes, cinnamon, star anise, clove, bay, peppercorns, salt, noodles, cream, butter (Orlesian)

Cabbage Stew

Deepstalker Stew - A stew of deepstalker is made when rations run low. (Legion of the Dead)

Enchantment Soup - Made by Sandal, edibility unknown.

Fereldan Turnip and Barley Stew - White beans, oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, stock, turnips, turnip greens, sausage, barley, cumin, dried basil, oregano, salt, pepper, herbed wine vinegar

First Day Festival Stew (Orzammar)

Fish Chowder (Antivan)

Fish Stew

The Hanged Man Stew - The tavern’s featured dish, made with a different mystery meat every morning. (Kirkwall)

Lamb and Pea Stew (Fereldan)

Norbotten Fruit Stew - This dish is used to rehydrate dried fruits: dried apricots, pitted prunes, raisins, mixed dried fruits (cherries, apples, cranberries, etc), lemon or orange, cinnamon, cloves, water, sugar or honey, brandy. (Anderfels)

Pea Soup

Ram Stew

Turnip Stew

Turnip-Goat Stew (Fereldan)

Wild Rabbit Stew

Sides

Antivan Olives - Soaked in vinegar and stuffed with capers.

Brandy Soaked Cherries

Beer Nuts

Dried Fruit

Dried Meats

Jerky

Jerky Ball

Fried Potatoes

Hard-boiled Egg

Jarred Olives (Tevinter)

Meat Skewers (Orlais)

Peeled Grapes (Tevinter)

Picked Foods

Pickled Apples

The Pickled Apples of Arlathan - Apples said to be from the time of Arlathan. The taste is described to be one of fresh apples, with the same crispness.

Pickled Eggs - Eggs, sugar, salt, vinegar. Favored in Ferelden.

Pickled Fish

Pickled Lamprey

Pickled Nug

Pickled Ox Tongue

Pickled Vegetables

Pickles

Roasted Chestnuts (Nevarran)

Roasted Potatoes

Smoked Bacon

Steamed Beans

Toast

Wine Soaked Fruit

Miscellaneous

Hardtack

Provisions

Rations -Typically consist of dried meat, nuts, and a variety of other simple foodstuffs.

Dry Ration

Qunari Ration

Drinks

Absinthe

Absence - One of the bottles of Thedas you find in Inquisition.

Absinthe - also referred to la fée verte - “little green fairy”

Petite Absinthe - Made from a certain type of wormwood.

Ale, Beer, Drafts, Lagers, and Stouts The Tapster's Tavern in Orzammar serves 52 types of ale, some are listed.

Ale

Ander Stout - This stout is stored in oak casts.

Barley Wine - Despite its name, this is an ale.

Beer

Brakien Brew (Orzammar)

Brown Ale

Coconut Draft

Fereldan Beer

Fereldan Lager - A pale ale.

Lichen Ale (Orzammar)

Oghren's Homebrew - An amber coloured ale with a slightly sweet, nutty flavor and described to have a hint of toastiness, and is spiced with cloves. (Dwarven)

Qunari Ale

Ryott Ale (Fereldan)

Ryotte Beer (Fereldan)

Valenta’s Red (Orzammar)

Watered Beer - While watered beer is served to reduce the price of beer and stretch it along, it is also served as a provision. In Serault, the peasantry drink watered beer to stave off the summer heat.

Watered-down Ale

Wildwine - An ale made from ryott. (Chasind)

Wilhelm’s Special Brew - This dark-colored ale gives off a thick, oaky smell. When swirled in its tankard, it takes on an unexpected glow.

Brandy

Aged Antivan Brandy

Antivan Brandy

Antivan Plum Brandy

Apple Brandy (Orlesian)

Orlesian Brandy

Plum Brandy

West Hill Brandy (Ferelden)

Cider

Brandy-spiked-cider

Cider

Serault Cider

Winter Cider (Wycome)

Cocktails

Benediction (Orlesian)

The Emerald Valley (Orlesian)

Dragon’s Piss - The name is probably figurative, but no one knows for sure. BioWare gives the "recipe" for Dragon Piss as "1 oz light rum, 1 oz dark rum, filled with iced tea". (Orlesian)

The Golden Nug (Orlesian)

The Heart of Spring - A "restorative" drink from Verchiel made with violets. (Orlesian)

The Hissing Drake (Orlesian)

Ice Cream and Beer

A Night of Shame (Orlesian)

Posset - A drink made of hot milk curdled with ale, wine, or other liquor and typically flavored with spices. Can be drunk as a delicacy or as a cold remedy.

The Randy Dowager (Orlesian)

To Cure a Cold - a folk remedy that requires boiling whiskey and adding lemon juice and crushed garlic.

Gin

Gin

Prophet’s Laurel Gin

Grey Warden Liquor These are bottles unique to members of the order, as each warden will combine half-full bottles in order to save space. No bottle is ever fully emptied or cleaned. In order to preserve the base flavor. They are called Grey Whiskey, Ritewine, or Conscription Ale, each vintage is named after a warden with a small note.

Vintage: Warden Anras - Bottled whimsy.

Vintage: Warden Bethany Hawke - Princess piss.

Vintage: Warden Carver Hawke - Toast them all.

Vintage: Warden Daedalam - Extra red.

Vintage: Warden Eval’lal - Griffon Wing Ale

Vintage: Warden Gibbins - Don’t frigging touch! I spit in this! I mean it!

Vintage: Warden Jairn - Smash when dead.

Vintage: Warden Korenic - Notes of fruit and anger.

Vintage: Warden Riordan - Serve yourself.

Vintage: Warden Steed - Joining juice.

Vintage: Warden Tontiv - Home.

Mead The Tapster's Tavern in Orzammar serves 17 types of mead, some are listed. Honeywine is another name for mead.

Avvar Mead

Chasind Sack Mead

Lady Odette Guillory's Family Honey Wine

Mead

Orlesian Honeywine

Port A sweet, fortified red wine, typically served with dessert.

Antivan Port

Tevinter Port

Rum Boot Screech is another name for rum.

Alvarado’s Bathtub Boot Screech

Blackwater Rum

Dark Llomerryn Rum

Tea and Other Drinks

Coffee (Antivan)

Cocoa/Hot Chocolate

Juice

Fermented Fruit Juice

Pickle Juice

Pomegranate Juice

Prune Juice

Punch

Spicy Punch

Tea

Almond Tea

Anderfels Mint Tea

Bitter Tea - An unspecified tea so bitter it is astringent. Served during the Fourth Blight.

Black Tea

Black Tea with Juniper

Fires of Change Tea

Herbal Tea

Iced Tea

Lattenfluss Tea (Anderfels)

Mint Tea

Nameless Tevinter Tea

Rivaini Spice Tea Blend

Rivaini Tea

Rosehips Tea

Spiced Tea

Stripweed Tea

Unsweetened Tea

Verimensis Tea (Tevinter)

Whiskey

Cinnamon-infused Whiskey

Ferelden Whisky

Legacy White Shear

Mackay’s Epic Single Malt

Wine The Tapster's Tavern in Orzammar serves 12 types of imported wines, some are listed.

Agreggio Pavali (Tevinter)

Alyons Black

Amaranthine Red

Anderfels Red

Antivan Red

Bitter Black Wine

Celestine Black Wine

Dandelion Wine (City Elves of Orlais)

Elderberry Wine

Elfroot Mixed with Wine

Finale by Massaad

Flames of Our Lady

Flat Wine

Ghislain Red

Iced Wine

Montsimmard White

Mosswine (Orzammar)

Mulsum (Tevinter)

Orichalcum mixed with Wine - Considered to have aphrodisiac properties.

Orlesian Red

Plum Wine

Red Wine

Serault Yellow Wine

Serault White

Silent Plains Piquette (Tevinter)

Southern Black Wine

Spiced Wine

Sweetened and Spiced Yellow Wine

Val Chevin Red Wine

Vint-9 Rowan’s Rose

Watered Wine

White Seleny Wine (Antivan)

White Wine

Yellow Wine

Additional Spirits

Abyssal Peach

Antivan Sip-Sip

Aqua Magus

Aquae Lucidius - A potent liquor made of wyvern venom; a rare drink known for its hallucinogenic properties.

Bottle of Rotgut - Rotgut is slang for cheap whiskey.

Butterbile :84

Carnal 8:69 Blessed (Orlesian)

Dwarven Ale - Not actually an ale, but a black liquid reputedly made from fungus with a reputation as being almost undrinkable for anyone not a dwarf.

Garblog’s Backcountry Reserve

Golden Scythe 9:40 Black

Hirol’s Lava Burst (Kal'Hirol)

Maraas-Lok (Qunari)

Moonshine

Potent Moonshine

Sun Blonde Vint-1

**Fruits, Mushrooms, Nuts, and Vegetables*

Edible Plants

Fern Fiddlehead

Lichen

Moss

Pungent Leaves - Unspecified leaves used in Avvar cooking of baked fish.

Rose

Rose Petals

Rosehips

Stripweed

Sugar Cane (Tevinter, Rivain)

Wildflowers

Borage

Chicory

Dandelion

Honeysuckle

Violet

Fruits and Nuts

Apple

Applewood Apples (Orlais)

Golden Apples (Orlais)

Green Apples

Le Pomme Vie et Morte - Apples that grow by the gallows in Val Royeaux.

Red Apples

Windfall Apples

Apricot

Banana

Par Vollen Banana

Rivain Banana

Berry

Blueberry

Cranberry

Elderberry

Raspberry

Strawberry

Caper (Antiva)

Cherry

Cocoa/Chocolate (Donarks)

Coconut

Coffee (Antiva)

Currant

Black Currant

Date - A purple and red fruit with a pit, it has a sweetness and tangy taste. (Tevinter)

Fig

Grape

Lemon

Lime

Nuts

Almond

Chestnut

Pine Nut

Olive

Antivan Olive

Orange (Orlais, Antiva)

Passion Fruit

Peach

Pear

Plum

Pomegranate

Pomegranate Seeds

Grain

Barley

Pot Barley

Oats

Rolled Oats

Rice

Ryott

Ryott Flour

Wheat

Wheat Flour

Whole Grains

Whole Grain Flour

Mushrooms

Deep Mushroom

Field Mushroom

Unspecified Fungus - Used to brew Dwarven ale.

Truffle

Unnamed Glowing Fungus

Wild Mushroom

Vegetables

Beans

Bush Beans

Green Beans

Pale Beans

White Beans

Cabbage

Carrot

Purple Carrot

White Carrot

Celery

Chive

Corn

Checkered Corn

Golden Corn

Yellow Corn

Cucumber

Eggplant

Fennel

Lettuce

Mustard

Onion

Red Onion

Sweet Onion

White Onion

Pea

Pepper

Antivan Pepper

Green Pepper

Hot Pepper

Hot Red Pepper

Red Bell Pepper

Sweet Pepper

Potato

Radish

Spinach

Squash

Marrow Squash

Pumpkin

String Squash

Tomato

Turnip - aka navet

Turnip Greens

Wild Greens

Animal Products

Dairy

Butter

Cow Butter

Goat Butter

Halla Butter

Herbed Butter

Nug Butter

Cheese

Ativan Smoked Cheese

Blue-veined Cheese (Orlesian)

Brie Cheese

Brined Goat Cheese

“Dalish” Cheese - An ill described item as it is unclear if it is actually cheese. One thing is for sure it isn’t Dalish.

Feisty Cheese

Goat Cheese

Halla Cheese

Pecorino Romano (Antivan)

Ram Cheese

Cream

Spiced Cream

Thickened Cream

Whipped Cream

Milk

Cow Milk

Goat Milk

Halla Milk

Ram Milk

Soured Milk

Eggs

Caviar

Chicken Egg

Egg Whites

Egg Yolk

Fish

Carp

Cod

Eel

Krone

Lamprey

Mackerel

Mussel

Oyster

River Herring

Sunfish

Trout

Whitebait

Insects

Cave Beetle (Dwarven)

Giant Spider (Dwarven)

Scorpion

Snail (Avvar)

Wood-burrowing beetle larvae (Dalish)

Meats

Beef

Ox

Ox-tongue

Rump Roast - A cut of meat from the hindquarters

Veal

Boar

Bronto

Cat

Deepstalker (Dwarven)

Dog

Dragon

Druffalo

Goat

Gurgut

Gurn

Halla

Hare

Hart

Horse

Liver - General name given, animal isn’t specified.

Lurker (Avvar)

Nug

Phoenix

Pork

Pig's Feet

Pork Hocks

Pork Saddle

Quillback

Rabbit

Ram

Rat

Sheep

Lamb

Mutton

Varghest

Venison

Wandering Hills (Anderfels)

Wyvern

Poultry

Bunting

Chicken

Dove

Duck

Partridge

Pheasant

Pigeon

Quail

Swan

Turkey

Misc.

Dragon Blood (Nevarran)

Druffalo Dung

Honey

Honeycomb

Miscellaneous Ingredients

Baking Ingredients

Ash

Elfroot Ash

Hardwood Ash (Dalish)

Baking Powder

Yeast Cake

Salts

Fine-ground Salt

Rock Salt

Salt

Sea Salt

Others

Brine

Clay (Avvar)

Pine Pitch (Alamarri)

Herbs and Spices

Herbs

Basil

Dried Basil

Bay Leaf

Catsbane

Elfroot

Elfroot Leaves

Royal Elfroot

Lavender (Orlesian)

Mint

Anderfels’s Mint

Foxmint

Peppermint

Oregano

Dried Oregano

Parsley

Prophet's Laurel

Rosemary

Spindleweed

Verdant Spindleweed

Thyme

Spices

Allspice

Anise

Antivan Cord-seed

Cardamom

Cinnamon (Seheron)

Clove

Cumin

Cumin Seed

Deep Mushroom Powder (Orlesian and Dwarven)

Dill

Dill Seeds

Dragon Blood Powder (Nevarran)

Eastern Spice - Unnamed

Fennel Seeds

Garlic

Ginger

Dried Ginger

Hot Pepper Powder

Hot Red Pepper, Crushed

Juniper

Licorice

Mace

Mustard

Mustard Powder

Mustard Seeds

Nutmeg (Seheron)

Grated Nutmeg

Pepper

Black Pepper

Peppercorn

Black Peppercorn

Poppyseed

Saffron

Spice Ball - A variety of mixed spices wrapped in a cheesecloth

Star Anise

Vanilla (Rivain)

Prepared Ingredients

Basic Ingredients

Alcohol

Brandy

Cinnamon-infused whiskey

Dark Llomerryn Rum

Hirol's Lava Burst

Prophet's Laurel Gin

Red Wine

Watered Down Ale

Whiskey

White Seleney Wine

Broth and Stock

Broth

Deepstalker Broth

Fish Broth

Stock

Brown Stock

Eggs

Hard Boiled Egg

Essences and Extracts

Essence

Orange Essence

Extract

Mint Extract

Orange Extract

Vanilla Extract

Golds

Edible Gold Leaf

Gold Dust

Grains

Noodles

Grain-based Noodles

Pasta

Spaghetti

Pie Dough

Oils

Cod Liver Oil

Oil

Sugars

Brown Sugar

Molasses

Powdered Sugar

Sugar

Sugar Syrup

Vinegars

Apple Cider Vinegar

Herbed Wine Vinegar

Vinegar

Desserts and Sweets

Desserts

Buttercream

Caramel

Chocolate

Chocolate Bitters

Custard

Pound Cake

Tea Biscuit

Toffee

Wafer

Jam

Plum Jam

Raspberry Jam

Misc

Sugar Cream Icing

Sugar Flowers

Sugared Rose Petals

Syrup

Dried and Cured Foods

Dried Fruits, Vegetables, and Fungi

Dried Apple

Dried Apricot

Dried Beans

Dried Cherry

Dried Cranberry

Dried Currant

Dried Mushroom

Dried Peas

Prunes

Pitted Prunes

Raisin

Cured Meats

Bacon

Smoked Bacon

Cold Cuts

Dried Meats

Dried Mackerel

Jerky

Lutefisk

Salted

Dried Salt Pork

Salt Pork

Salted Beef

Salted Dragon Meat

Salted Fish

Salted Goat Meat

Salted Meat

Sausage

Blood Sausage

Smoked Sausage

Spiced and Salted Sausage

Smoked

Smoked Beef

Smoked Fish

Smoked Goat Meat

Pickled Foods

Pickled Ox Tongue

Pickles

Prepared Animal Products

Gelatine

Grease

Ground Meat

Ground Beef

Ground Nug

Lard

Spiced Meat

Miscellaneous

Lyrium

Wyvern Venom - There are 47 ways to distill wyvern venom to be safe for consumption.

Canonically Suggested Food and Ingredients

Raw Ingredients

Edible Plants, Fruit, and Vegetables

Edible Plants

Aspen - The inner bark is sweet and starchy. It is edible both raw and cooked, it can also be dried and ground into flour. Some aspens have edible catkins as well.

Beech - The young green spring leaves can be cooked as greens. The inner bark, once dried, can be turned into bread flour.

Birch - The inner bark can be dried and used to make bread flour. Strips of the inner bark could be eaten raw or boiled like noodles. The sap was edible directly from the tree or boiled down into a slightly sweet syrup.

Cactus

Cattail

Clover

Flowers

Cosmos

Daisy

Dog-rose - The rose hips and flower’s petals are used to make teas, preserves, jellies, and pickled relishes.

Elderflower

Gorse

Hollyhock

Jasmin

Lilac

Marguerite

Orchid - The dried corms (tubers) are used to make hot drinks.

Pansy

Peony

Poppy

Snapdragon

Sunflower

Tulip

Wysteria

Lotus - Both the roots and the large seeds are edible when cooked. However the seeds can be eaten raw.

Maple - Along with the sap, the inner bark of maple can be eaten cooked or raw. The seeds and leaves are edible as well once boiled.

Northern Prickleweed - Young prickleweed shoots can be eaten raw, cooked, or pickled.

Palm - Heart of palms are eaten as well as palm oil.

Pine - Aside from pine nuts, the pine pollen, pine cones - only the females, may be eaten once shelled and roasted. Pine needles are used for tea or chewed on for the juices, and the inner pine bark can be dried and ground as flour, used to thicken soups and stews, cooked like spaghetti, or eaten raw. The sap is high in vitamins a and c and has been used to fend off scurvy in the past. The sap can be drunk as a tea in the spring.

Fir Pine

Stone Pine - Produce large pine nuts that make them easier to eat and forage for.

Red Cedar - The inner bark can be dried and ground into a powder, treating scurvy and acting as a nutritious ration added to foods.

Seaweed

Spruce - Spruce tips, spruce needles, spruce tree cones, and the inner bark of a spruce tree.

Thistle

Water Lily

Willow - The inner bark can be scraped off, cooked in strips like spaghetti, dried and ground into flour, or eaten raw.

Wormwood

Fruits and Nuts

Berries

Blackberry (Ferelden)

Blackthorn Berry - also known as sloe berries or sloes.

Rowan Berries - Bitter berries that can be cooked to make jelly or used as flavoring.

Bradford Pear - This small variety of pear comes from a rather foul smelling tree. The pears can be used for jellies, ciders, and hand pie. (Ferelden)

Citron

Melon

Nuts

Acorn

Black Walnut - Used to make syrups and liquors.

Hognut

Peanut (Seheron)

Walnut

Seeds

Sunflower Seeds

Sour Cherry

Sour Grape

Fungi and Mushrooms

Morel mushrooms - There is a blighted morel, so it stands to reason there is a non-blighted morel.

Grain

Flax

Flax Seed

Herbs

Elfroot

Bitter Elfroot

Gossamer Elfroot

Sage

Winterberry

Vegetables

Artichoke (Orlais)

Beet

Daikon Radish (Ferelden)

Animal Byproducts

Dairy

Butter

Goat Butter

Horse Butter

Sheep Butter

Cheese

Donkey Cheese

Horse/Mare cheese - Cheese made from milk of a horse.

Sheep Cheese

Curds

Milk

Buttermilk

Donkey Milk - High in nutrients but low in fat, it can be used as a milk replacement for infants when mixed with a bit of cow/goat cheese to add fat to the milk.

Mares Milk - Milk from a horse, it can be used as a milk replacement for infants.

Sheep Milk

Whey

Eggs

Crocodile Eggs

Duck Eggs

Goose Eggs

Gull Eggs

Partridge Eggs

Peafowl Eggs

Pigeon Eggs

Quail Eggs

Turkey Eggs

Turtle Eggs

Fish/Seafood

Clam

Crab

Crayfish

Jellyfish

Octopus

Shark

Squid

Sturgeon - The source of caviar.

Insects

Cricket

Locust

Meat

Badger

Bear

Crocodile

Donkey

Elk

Fox

Frog

Gazelle

Lynx

Marmot

Moose

Mountain Goat

Otter

Raccoon

Squirrel

Turtle

Wolf

Poultry

Albatross

Eagle

Goose

Grouse

Gull

Lark

Owl

Parrot

Peafowl

Ptarmigan

Quail

Turkey

Miscellanious

Fat

Goose Fat

Maple Syrup

Marrow Bones

Lamb

Ox

Prepared Ingredients

Plant-Based

Almond Milk

Olive Oil

Rice Flour

Rose Water

Sources:

(If you want to find direct links or page numbers check out the wiki’s food and ingredients page.

Dragon Age: Origins (Base and DLCs) Dragon Age: Awakening Dragon Age 2 (Base and DLCs) Dragon Age: The Last Court Dragon Age: Inquisition (DLCs + Multiplayer) Dragon Age Tabletop RPG Core Rulebook Dragon Age Tabletop RPG: Blood in Ferelden Dragon Age Tabletop RPG: Game Master's Kit: Buried Past

World of Thedas Vol. 1 World of Thedas Vol. 2 Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne Dragon Age: The Calling Dragon Age: The Masked Empire Dragon Age: Asunder Dragon Age: Last Flight Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights Short Story: Paper and Steel Short Story: Paying the Ferryman Short Story: Riddle in Truth

Comics: Silent Grove Mage Killer Knight Errant Deception

DA:O Codex Entry: Feast Day Fish Codex entry: The Frostback Mountains Codex entry: Ghilan'nain: Mother of the Halla Codex Entry: The History of Soldier’s Peak: Chapter 3 Codex Entry: The Noladar Anthology of Dwarven Poetry Codex Entry: Praise of the Humble Nug Codex Entry: A Tattered Shopping List Codex entry: The Casteless Armor: Clamshell Plate Armor Armor: Wade’s Superior Dragonbone Plate Boots Item: Ale Item: Brandy Item: Brandy Cheap Item: Chasind Sack Mead Item: Figurine Item: Food Item: Found Cake Item: Garbolg's Backcountry Reserve Item: Golden Scythe 4:90 Black Item: Grand Oak Acorn Item: Lamb Bone Item: Legacy White Shear Item: Love Letter Item: Mosswine Item: Rare Antivan Brandy (Gift) Item: Sugar Cake Item: Sun Blond Vint-1 Item: Wilhelm's Special Brew Item: Wine Weapon: Cat Lady’s Hobble-Stick

DA:A Item: Aqua Magus Item: "Dragon Piss" Item: Hirol's Lava Burst Item: Mackay's Epic Single Malt Item: Moonshine Item: Pie Item: West Hill Brandy

DA II Codex Entry: Elfroot Codex Entry: Orichalcum Codex entry: The Qunari - Asit tal-eb Codex entry: Viscount Marlowe Dumar Codex Entry: The Wine of Chateau Haine Codex Entry: Wyvern Letter: Feeling Inadequate? Item: Dragon’s Blood Junk List: Bottle of Aged Antivan Brandy Junk List: Bottle of Potent Moonshine Junk List: Bottle of Rotgut Junk List: Dwarven Ale Junk List: Orlesian Honeywine Junk List: Qunari Rations Junk List: Stale Biscuit Junk List: Stuffed Parrot

DA:I Codex entry: Andruil's Messenger Codex Entry: The Ben-Hassrath Codex Entry: Blackwall the Last Few Years Codex Entry: Bottles of Thedas Codex Entry: Charred Notebook Codex Entry: The City of Starkhaven Codex Entry: A Compendium of Orlesian Theater Codex entry: Correspondence Interruptus Codex Entry: The Diary of Triolus Hertubise Codex Entry: Grey Whiskey/Ritewine/Conscription Ale Codex entry: Hard in Hightown: Chapter Ten Codex Entry: Hard in Hightown: Chapter Eleven Codex Entry: Hard in Hightown: Chapter ??? Codex Entry: In the Mist: The Windline Marcher Codex Entry: La Pomme Vie et More Codex Entry: A Letter to Harding Codex Entry: Mad Emperor Reville Codex Entry: A Magister’s Needs Codex Entry: A Nutty Affair Codex Entry: On Avvar Cuisine Codex entry: The Perendale War Codex Entry: The Pickled Apples of Arlathan Codex Entry: Plant vs. Corpses Codex Entry: Ram Codex Entry: Redcliffe (Inquisition) Codex Entry: A Scholar’s Journal Codex Entry: Spindleweed Codex Entry: A Supply List Codex Entry: Surviving the Western Approach Codex Entry: Three Little Empresses Codex Entry: Waterlogged Diary Note: Betta’s Travel Journal Note: Cook’s Note Note: The Gilded Horn Drink List Note: Instructions for the Maid Note: Knight-Captain's Orders Note: A Note from the Skyhold Kitchen Note: The Rusted Horn’s Menu Note: Scribbled Note Note: Short Note Item: Carved Cricket Charm Item: Eagle Feather Charm Item: Fox's Pendant Item: Grouse Feather Charm War Table Mission: Abernache over Under War Table Mission: Dance with the Dowager: The Allemande War Table Mission: Disaster in the Deep Roads War Table Mission: Gain Access to Ghilan’nain’s Grove Wartable Mission: Inspire Wartable Mission: Plant Crystal in Venatori Headquarters War Table Mission: Smash Wartable Mission: The Tevinter Resistance Weapon: The Jade Ham Weapon: Wedge of Destiny

The Last Court Cards: The Acerbic Dowager The Anchoress (Card) The Antidote The Arrival of the Divine Atop the Tower of Lights The Boastful Neighbor The Chantry Unsealed Decide the Archoress’s Fate The Elegant Abbess The Fields Flames of Freedom Glass The Glassblowers' Anger Go Hunting Good Neighbors Graffiti Grant a Petition The Heartwood Feast The Hounds The Next Course Outlaw Councils A Plea for Sanctuary The Purveyor of Teas A Swift Stream Thieves A Tumbledown Shack An Unofficial Meeting The Wayward Bard The Whispering Woods The Wyvern is Cornered Your Bailiff is Attacked Your Bard is Restored to You

Like this stuff? Wanna support the blog? You can check out my ko-fi.

[musetta3]

Some Musings on Thedosian Calendars

So in one of the Dragon Age server I’m in, the question of the Thedosian calendar came up. So I did some digging and analysis, and found some really cool correlations. Please note that these are my opinions, based on the Dragon Age Wiki and canon sources. There are many interpretations, not just mine <3 

Southern Thedosian Climate Thoughts

Thedas is, from what we understand, in the southern hemisphere of their world, for the sheer fact of south = colder, north = warmer. However, if we look at the Common names of the months, there can be 2 different interpretations

-1. Either Southern Thedas has climate like an IRL northern hemisphere, where Wintersmarch = January = winter weather/snow, and thus follows seasons that way. It's easy to consider it that way, because the 8th month in Thedas and Earth, match: they're both August (according to the wiki, this is carried over from when Andraste was named Augusta in earlier drafts of the game)

 -2. OR the Thedosian calendar year starts in, say, what we would consider summer in the IRL northern hemisphere/winter in the IRL southern hemisphere (such as IRL March) and then follows a southern hemisphere pattern of weather. Considering the Tevinters first set up the calendar, and the Roman calendar year starts in March, that can also be a consideration.

either of these methods can work. I personally use the first method in my longfic, The Songstress and the Swordsman, but, as stated above, there are many proverbial roads to Rome, and different interpretations.

As for the Southern Thedosian climate: from what we see in the games, there’s so many different climates present in DAI. So you can interpret it a number of ways, including: 

-visiting different regions during different time of the year. We know that DAI takes place over a period of time, so that’s not a stretch. ex: ‘I’m visiting the Hinterlands in the summer, and the Emprise in winter’

-The Frostbacks could act similarly to the Rocky Mountains  in the Pacific NW of the US, where one side is lush and green, and the other is dry prairie/grassland

-some areas could be affected by magic, which would also affect things in its own way

But, we can mostly agree that it’s relatively temperate in Ferelden and the Free Marches. There's some snow in parts of it. 

What of Tevinter/the North, though? That's where things get interesting.

Tevinter Calendar and Climate

Here is the calendar, directly from the Wiki

so let's break this down. Tevene shares roots in Latin, so I used Latin to translate this... 

 1: Spring-month/Wintermarch; celebrate First Day 

2: 'it rains' (from that Latin verb 'to rain')/Guardian; celebrate Wintersend 

3: 'hazy/ cloudy'/Drakonis 

4: Eluvium: sediment/rock debris formed from running water or rain/Cloudreach 

5: I strive/work (or, alternatively a tweak of 'melior' which is 'better')/Bloomingtide; celebrate Summersday 

6: Hot/boiling (from 'fervens')/ Justinian 

7: Sun (easy: sol for sun)/Solace 

8: Pertaining to matrons/married women (further push it to Mothers)/ August; celebrate All Souls Day 

9: Small (can be interpreted as ‘little ones’ or children)/Kingsway 

10: Grain/Harvestmere 

11: Shadowy/cloudy/Firstfall; celebrate Satinalia 

12: Hollow or empty/ Haring 

Notice that we have a clear period of 3 rainy months, 2 intense summer, a harvest, and then a cloudy, empty period of not much going on. This, to me, follows the typical climate found in India. 

If we ascribe to the first theory of 'Wintersmarch = January = Winter' I would consider SE India, where there are monsoons during the IRL winter months (speaking from a northern hemisphere perspective, at least) 

 If we use Theory 2 'Wintermarch = IRL March' then this aligns with the SW monsoon pattern during the IRL summer (again, northern hemisphere perspective <3 ).

I interpret it as this:

Guardian-Cloudreach: monsoon season 

Bloomingtide: super short respite, planting season 

Justinian-August: S U M M E R 

Kingsway-Harvestmere: autumn 

Firstfall-Haring: winter 

Wintermarch: super short spring

Could it be that it these names are simply cool names slapped onto the IRL Earth calendar? Possibly. However, the correlations are a bit too coincidental for me to rule that out completely.  

Tevinter Calendar, The Weather, and Holidays

I found some correlations between the Old Tevinter names of the holidays, and the translated month names in which they occur

Wintersend/Urthalis: dedicated to Urthemiel, the god of beauty. How does holding tourneys match up with 'beauty?' well, two ways: flex your political muscles and put on some epic pageants/events that are beautiful. OR celebrate this right before the monsoons start, when the weather is still 'beautiful.' Parts of Tevinter will become muddy and muggy, soon, definitely not pretty

Summersday/Andoralis: dedicated to Andoral, the god of unity. We celebrate this in Bloomingtide/Melior, or the 'I work' month. Andoral is the god of unity, so why honor him during this month? To unify together and plant before the summer comes 

All Souls Day/Funalis: dedicated to Dumat, the god of silence. this is a very interesting holiday, because after Dumat rose in the first Blight, Thedosians rededicated the holiday to remembering those who have passed. In the South, it represents Andraste’s death, coming from August (Augusta was, remember, an old name for Andraste before the devs switched it over). Bonfires are common, to represent Her pyre. In the Old Tevene, Matronalis is ‘pertaining to matrons/married women.’ Andraste is the Bride of the Maker, a married woman, and mother.

It’s interesting to note that in some Northern countries, people dress as spirits and parade down main thoroughfares at midnight. Is it a carry-over from Dumat’s celebration in the ‘dead silence of night?’ Perhaps!

Satinalia/Feastday: originally attributed to the god of chaos. Now. This is like... two letters off or something from the Ancient Roman Saturnalia, and bears some really close resemblances (not to the month name, this time). Wild celebrations, masquerades, gift giving: in some areas, like Antiva, it lasts a whole week! So a whole week of chaos! Epicness! It’s my favorite holiday, and I never attended it before <3 

It’s a good thing to note that the holiday got its name from Satina, the second moon. It could be that, during this time of year, Satina is really visible/prominent in the sky, hence why the holiday is named for it. 

[mistresstrevelyan]

Rhiannon Cousland wearing her family’s colours. (Silver, blue and black)

Silver for Highever’s famed diamonds, blue for the azure ocean of Highever’s ancient coastline and black for the werewolves her ancestor famously slew long before she was born.

[tevinterdays]

my theory has since been revised to thedas and satina both being satellites of the “primary moon,” a rocky planetary body. no long writeup. i lost my notes and such on all this years ago. alas.

Was anybody going to tell me Thedas has two moons or was I supposed to find that out while trying to research trade routes myself?

Anyway, I have thoughts about that and spent far, far too much of my night on this.

Laying it out:

We know the second moon is named Satina, but since we don’t know the name of the other, I’m going to call them the primary moon (big boy) and second moon (little guy) when I do refer to them directly. They would have different orbital periods (which should affect the calendar more, but whatever) and both have an equatorial orbit (like our moon does!). These are presumptions, but they’re also how things usually work. Especially considering that Thedas is habitable. That’s important to maintain.

Also, whenever I look at maps of Thedas in detail, I’m reminded that this has to be a teeny tiny planet. That’s not really relevant to this post, but it’s weird to think about.

The main thing covered here will be the effect of this on the tides, but first:

Flavor:

There are two moons in the sky! That’s neat and cool to look at! They would both reflect the sun’s light, so that would make nights brighter. This would have evolutionary effects, potentially, but that’s enough of a technicality in the fast and loose world of Thedas that I’ll pass it by right now. There would be more eclipses, which is also neat. Unfortunately, we never see both of them at once in the games, but here’s a mod to have two moons overhead in the Hissing Wastes.

Tidal effect:

This part is really long. Under the cut!

The primary moon, which we see in the sky in the Hissing Wastes, is either very large or very close in comparison to Earth’s moon (proportionally). Since Earth’s moon is improbably large, it’s more likely that it’s very close, which actually has a more significant effect on its tidal pull than size would (proximity > size; we see this IRL with how minimal the Sun’s affect is on Earth’s tides). The second moon is presumably smaller and further away, but its proximity still has a significant effect on tides.

Most of the time they would balance each other out to a relatively normal cycle, but high tides would be higher on average. Not catastrophically, but higher – and dramatically so when the moons enter orbital resonance (same place in orbit at the same time) and both of their gravitational pulls have affect at the same time!

Initially I thought that that would greatly impact coastal settlements and trade hubs, and it would, but not many that we’re super familiar with. Tides are greater with greater bodies of water, and a lot of the trade centers we see are around the Waking and Shining Seas (Kirkwall, Highever, etc.). They’re just little guys. Western Thedas is mostly landlocked as well, and all of Thedas is sub-equatorial; tidal pull with an equatorial moon decreases the further you are from the equator, since you’re further from the moon(s).

Let's look at some maps! Mostly using the map from Tevinter Nights for reference here:

Cities that aren't named are marked by little symbols that look like houses. I'll give crops of each location for a visual as we go, because everything is small.

Other major coastal regions:

- Tevinter is predominantly coastal at this point in history, but the Nocen Sea isn’t enormous; Seheron is quite close on the other side; and the coast around the Arlathan forest isn’t populated.

- The eastern Ander coast is paralleled across the Colean Sea by a Tevinter peninsula, if they actually make use of that coast.

- Antiva isn’t notably populated north of the White Spire (the Antivan mountain, not the Orlesian Circle Tower, which has given me some grief); its coastal population is on the Rialto Bay.

- Eastern Ferelden has a significant amount of coastline, but the Brecilian Forest blocks most of it off, and Gwaren (city south of the Forest) is far south enough that it’s probably bordering the planet’s Antarctic circle.

- Those little northwestern Fereldan islands don't have coastal focuses. Image from the wiki used because Alamar's tiny.

- Northern Seheron would be affected. We don’t know the concentrations of Seheron’s population. Much of Par Vollen would also be affected and the same holds true for them, but their technology (extremely seaworthy vessels, extreme perseverance, etc.) and cultural mindset lends to the idea that they would use the tides to their advantage strategically, as well as take advantage of the major boons spring tide would have on fishing! When the tide is coming in to its highest, it shakes things up and brings in all the fish.

- Rivain isn’t notably populated east of its dominating mountains. Its major population centers are in the Southeast, on the Rialto Bay. Except Llomeryn. Rivain, as descendants of seafaring islanders, would have a long cultural history of being able to deal with this anyway. Why is Llomeryn (little house icon on the east coast of the southern island) on that side? I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense. It’s fine.

- I’m sure that Estwatch is doing just fine. They can handle themselves.

- Wycome is a major fishing hot-spot, taking advantage of the fishy boons the tides provide.

- Hercinia is coping, I guess.

In regards to coastal port cities on the Amaranthine ocean – the largest body of water on the map – a special situation may exist where they have ports designed to accommodate the very high high tides when they come in (how often would depend on the moons’ orbital periods and how often they are in orbital resonance). I’m sure there are examples of docks and ports designed like this from real life, and if anyone has info on that, hit me up.

This concludes the post about the implications of two moons in Thedas that nobody asked for!

Huge thanks to @feastforworms and @unshatters-your-teacup for science and input and humoring me on this.

[dieverged]

nima who probably didn't plan to be visiting thedas again and ending up trapped there for 2+ years having to deal with the inquisitions politics. they are mad as FUUUUUUUUUCK

edit: thinking about them stuck in thedas for 10 years dude. in the event that it's relatively canon compliant & they don't get help from, like, anyone so ... kind of a worst case scenario for them basically? on a personal level. because them getting help would require plotting

edit 2: okay i'm mad as FUCK i forgot tumblr puts a bullshit limit on tags. i had an entire section dedicated to dorian & varric & the inquisition, how it all culminates into an eventual home for them & how they would go back n forth between tevinter & kirkwall with varric taking her under his wing (and the outlier in that nima would end up telling varric about their circumstances eventually if they were close enough but hey! varric dgaf about that, he sensed the bs, he knew they were hiding something, as long as it doesnt directly harm him/his people/the fucking world whatever man it doesn't change who nima is potentially) & also nima's complicated struggles & relationship WITH hiding this information because she isn't thedosian. she is a complete outsider, a mimic, an imposter wearing the skin of those around her. while she doesn't lie, she also doesn't speak the truth of it either. & as a traveler, you'd think oh why does this bother her so much? it bothers her bc she can typically escape in other circumstances but here, she can't, she is trapped for the forseeable future and/or permanently, she can't return home. & the FURTHER struggles of what that means for her identity & also of her relationship to people within the inquisition

I'M SO MAAAAAD I'M SO MAD THOSE WERE SUCH GOOD ANALYSIS' fuck off tumblr i can't believe i forgot. okay well reminder that i need to write some relationship metas. specifically with solas, varric, dorian & then the inquisition at large.

also the conversations between these four would be funny as fuck is all im saying. discussing theoretical magic & the fade & like varric is just There dude it's too early for this shit. he was dragged out

also augh cole was another element in this as well but cole is... difficult because nima just avoids him straight up a lot of the time, but i think she would really like his insights :') i really do. i think they would have such engaging conversations

but anyways yeah there was so much haha.... gripping my desk so hard it splinters & shatters can you tell im mad as fuck. im also tired, writing essays with no sleep lets gooooo

(though honestly, maybe their character arc is centered Around never actually finding out how to return in inquisition & making peace with that too; at least not until Trespasser. i.e, they are entirely vague about everything, researching all sorts of old forbidden magic & the history of it, & part of their character arc's resolution is that they aren't alone in this yknow? they aren't alone, they have to come to terms with their placement here, and hey people do give a shit or something to that effect anyways. because them going at it alone, e.g you didn't do their companion quest, is going to result in them just leaving once they have what they need information wise whereas doing their companion quest results in them staying & begins the gradual process of relying on the people around them, relinquishing that iron grip independence but also trying to learn not to have this... fixation on home and what that means for them. which is an objectively important concept throughout their entire narrative, it drives them, BUT yknow in this it's finding a way to be healthy--- they don't let go of it obviously, although that would be an element brought up (and also if that was a choice you picked, basically telling them to give up, it would result in them leaving too), but it's more so .... that they aren't losing parts of themselves by not finding the answers that they need like home isn't one place & it definitely isn't lost. basically just easing their grip on it, like they're not losing who they are. i had something more profound to say here but i forgot where i was going originally lol so this'll just have to do--- it's just coming to terms with a lot of things about themselves basically)

referring back though to the best case scenario, it would probably be like. plotting territory & the baseline is always going to be a mage, spirit, a... god? if they interact with one? or an ancient? basically someone with profound arcane knowledge. & the plotting would come from like, hey, can we actually find a way around this in all its forms (im talking fade travel, im talking dabbling with old, forbidden magics, going on long adventures, uncovering mysteries, hell. possession would be awesome dude, spirit or fragment, or literally whatever the hell else)

& the consequences of that bc fucking around with ancient magic that counteracts your own innate magic AND with nima already having a god's mark on her by virtue of being revived. all of that...... it would be very much hey, let's see where canon can take us, let's do the implausible, let's keep making ideas etc.

because while i do just default on, even in a plotted situation, nima being unable to find their way back home by virtue of not being able to use their specific abilities to unlock that access (which, haha, im just saying wouldn't it be awesome if someone helped nima only to use her powers for their own gain. like it would be awesome) it would be very fun and very tragic for them to finally find their way home. maybe them gaining access to their own powers again causes fucky shit to happen! maybe they are blocked from ever returning to thedas! many things can happen.

& also side plot but equally as important in this ^ is them being able to recover some or all of their memories via fade shenanigans which would be peak but made worse by A. what if by doing so, they've made it so their own spirit is bound to thedas & they can't leave so they have these memories but at what COST or B. idk maybe they just die dude straight up. maybe there's some crazy ass consequences that follow. there has to be some kind of tragedy i can't let nima be happy. ever. or even some crazy shit happening to Ur muse in all of this bc who doesnt like seeing their muse suffer (& which would hurt nima in the process yippie)

but yeah ultimately their worst case scenario is arguably the best case scenario and the definitive canon bc anything else, like actually helping nima, requires nima to A. tell you they aren't from this world (& by virtue of that their memory loss maybe bc hey all hands are on the table now, but tbh they would've probably mentioned the memory loss casually Anyways so its not a big deal) B. probably a fair bit of plotting but it'd be really fun devil emoji

[sylvansmercy]

me: i love the knight enchanter specialization!!!! also me: the knight enchanter specialization is effectively a form of cultural appropriation bc it’s created from a kind of elvhen magic that’s otherwise been all but wiped out by humans so they’re looking down their noses at elvhen magical practices while also picking them apart for whatever they decide is useful 

[inquisitor-julia]

the people of Haven know what a zoo is

implying that zoos exist in Thedas

are you telling me Thedas has at least one zoo and there are zero games/dlcs involving said zoo?!

[crackinglamb]

Do you research before writing or while you write? Is it fun or boring for you?

Short answer: yes.

Long answer: Okay, this will take some background.

I've been writing fanfiction for almost six years now. My early stuff, set in Fallout 4, Borderlands 2 and Mass Effect, I never needed to research, unless I was looking for something incredibly specific that I couldn't remember off the top of my head. I'd played all of those enough to quote whole sections and knew story arcs for characters like I knew my own name.

I started writing Twist before I'd ever played DA:I.

See, I only had a vague idea of what the games were, knew a couple names, had some spoilers for the ending, that sort of thing. It wasn't until I had the urge to try my hand at writing for that universe (which actually was more DA2 than Inquisition, and was a Hawke/Varric fic) that I really sat down and dug into the story and action. So I watched some playthrough videos. And then I watched some romance and banter compilations. And then I started seeking out meta posts.

The reason I did all that was because some Dread Demigod came along and informed me that he actually had nuance and I fell down a rabbithole from which I've yet to emerge. I just wanted to write a happy ending Solavellan, dammit! How did I get here?!

So yeah, there was a lot of research that went into writing my DA fics. And there still is because...yes, I'm aware of how this is gonna sound...I still haven't finished playing the game. Haven't even started DAO and DA2. I've watched other people play the DLC's more than I've played them, with the notable exception of JoH. I'm still constantly looking things up, whether it's details for quests, specific dialogue, hell, even Thedosian native plants.

And I love every minute of it. I'm very detail oriented; research of this nature is fascinating to me. Distracting, yes. Often frustrating because the canon is always contradicting itself, yes. Boring, no.

(I promise, someday I'll finish Carly 1.0's save file. I'm so close.)

From this list. Thanks for the ask! 💕

[dragons-and-ages]

Planning out the new worldstate here…

My best-loved worldstate is Surana->mage!Hawke->mage!Lavellan.

I prefer mages for both gameplay and story reasons. For race, I love the elves, both city and dalish. In terms of romance, I enjoy mages with non-mages, and romance crossing race lines. (Honorary shout-out to the raw, started-from-the-bottom storylines of Brosca and Tabris. I love them so much!)

But… I’m gonna keep this new play-through boring. All human ladies.

Since this is my lore refresh play-through, I’m sticking with humans, as the narrative seems to favor them at times. Particularly in the case of Cousland and how they fit in with the nobility of Ferelden and the sub-plot with Arl Howe. So, yeah. Gonna give up playing a mage warden. Also, with a Trevelyan, I won’t feel as compelled to drink from the well of sorrows as I was with Lavellan. (How dare Morrigan say she was the better option when a Dalish elf is literally standing right there) Even with these deviations, I’m sure I’ll enjoy the play-throughs. They’re all just gratuitous self-inserts and I’m still gonna make all of my favorite choices. I’m a creature of habit.

So we have:

Amalthea “Theo” Cousland (rogue)

Ayesleigh Hawke (mage)

Augusta Trevelyan (mage)

Artemisia *surname TBD* in DA4

Human she/theys with “A” names. I’ll call it my Andrastian worldstate lol. …Although all of them were raised in the Chantry faith, they’re all different levels of non-belief now. I can’t bring myself to play a Chantry lover. Yikes.

Amalthea is one of the names used by Divines and I’m headcanoning that it’s an old Cousland family name, including a use by Teyrna Elethea Cousland for one of her daughters. Also headcanoning that it was Divine Amalthea I who wrote a favorite hymn of Cousland’s mother, Eleanor. However, she(/they) prefers to go by just Theo.

Ayesleigh is, of course, the name of a city. One that was the final battleground of the Fourth Blight. In my headcanon, Leandra chose this name for her first child after Malcolm’s work with the Wardens. He never revealed to his wife what the Wardens had forced him to do, but she was aware that they were instrumental in her release from her father’s house. Also, that makes the Hawke siblings start with A, B, and C in order. Leandra strikes me as the kind of mom to do that.

Augusta, in meta was originally going to be the name for Andraste, which is why one of the months in the Thedosian year is August. I’m headcanoning that Augusta was the name of an early and vocal proponent of the Andrastian faith who lived in the hundred-some years after Andraste’s death and before Emperor Drakon established the Orlesian chantry. The Trevelyan family are very pious and many of their traditional family names I’m sure are taken from ancient Chantry faithful. My Augusta is not super fond of her name, especially since her brother calls her Gussie to get a rise out of her. They often just go by August and is actually a bit relieved when folks start calling them The Herald/Inquisitor.

Artemisia Gentileschi is a favored artist of mine and the name sounds like it could be possibly from Tevinter or Antiva. For now, it’s a placeholder. We’ll see if it changes as more info come out about the DA4 protag.

…I really hope the DA4 human option isn’t a noble again.

[old-archivist]

Drinks of Thedas

Thedas has a variety of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic alike. Though their liquor vastly outnumbered any other type of beverage. As with the other posts, the following list are canonically named in the series.

For Additional Food Posts

Dishes, Sauces, and Sides

Raw Ingredients

Prepared Ingredients

Cannonically Possible Foods and Drinks

Master Post

Absinthe

Absence - One of the bottles of Thedas you find in Inquisition.

Absinthe - also referred to la fée verte - “little green fairy”

Petite Absinthe - Made from a certain type of wormwood.

Ale, Beer, Drafts, Lagers, and Stouts The Tapster's Tavern in Orzammar serves 52 types of ale, some are listed.

Ale

Ander Stout - This stout is stored in oak casts.

Barley Wine - Despite its name, this is an ale.

Beer

Brakien Brew (Orzammar)

Brown Ale

Coconut Draft

Fereldan Beer

Fereldan Lager - A pale ale.

Lichen Ale (Orzammar)

Oghren's Homebrew - An amber coloured ale with a slightly sweet, nutty flavor and described to have a hint of toastiness, and is spiced with cloves. (Dwarven)

Qunari Ale

Ryott Ale (Fereldan)

Ryotte Beer (Fereldan)

Valenta’s Red (Orzammar)

Watered Beer - While watered beer is served to reduce the price of beer and stretch it along, it is also served as a provision. In Serault, the peasantry drink watered beer to stave off the summer heat.

Watered-down Ale

Wildwine - An ale made from ryott. (Chasind)

Wilhelm’s Special Brew - This dark-colored ale gives off a thick, oaky smell. When swirled in its tankard, it takes on an unexpected glow.

Brandy

Aged Antivan Brandy

Antivan Brandy

Antivan Plum Brandy

Apple Brandy (Orlesian)

Orlesian Brandy

Plum Brandy

West Hill Brandy (Ferelden)

Cider

Brandy-spiked-cider

Cider

Serault Cider

Winter Cider (Wycome)

Cocktails

Benediction (Orlesian)

The Emerald Valley (Orlesian)

Dragon’s Piss - The name is probably figurative, but no one knows for sure. BioWare gives the "recipe" for Dragon Piss as "1 oz light rum, 1 oz dark rum, filled with iced tea". (Orlesian)

The Golden Nug (Orlesian)

The Heart of Spring - A "restorative" drink from Verchiel made with violets. (Orlesian)

The Hissing Drake (Orlesian)

Ice Cream and Beer

A Night of Shame (Orlesian)

Posset - A drink made of hot milk curdled with ale, wine, or other liquor and typically flavored with spices. Can be drunk as a delicacy or as a cold remedy.

The Randy Dowager (Orlesian)

To Cure a Cold - a folk remedy that requires boiling whiskey and adding lemon juice and crushed garlic.

Gin

Gin

Prophet’s Laurel Gin

Grey Warden Liquor These are bottles unique to members of the order, as each warden will combine half-full bottles in order to save space. No bottle is ever fully emptied or cleaned. In order to preserve the base flavor. They are called Grey Whiskey, Ritewine, or Conscription Ale, each vintage is named after a warden with a small note.

Vintage: Warden Anras - Bottled whimsy.

Vintage: Warden Bethany Hawke - Princess piss.

Vintage: Warden Carver Hawke - Toast them all.

Vintage: Warden Daedalam - Extra red.

Vintage: Warden Eval’lal - Griffon Wing Ale

Vintage: Warden Gibbins - Don’t frigging touch! I spit in this! I mean it!

Vintage: Warden Jairn - Smash when dead.

Vintage: Warden Korenic - Notes of fruit and anger.

Vintage: Warden Riordan - Serve yourself.

Vintage: Warden Steed - Joining juice.

Vintage: Warden Tontiv - Home.

Mead The Tapster's Tavern in Orzammar serves 17 types of mead, some are listed. Honeywine is another name for mead.

Avvar Mead

Chasind Sack Mead

Lady Odette Guillory's Family Honey Wine

Mead

Orlesian Honeywine

Port A sweet, fortified red wine, typically served with dessert.

Antivan Port

Tevinter Port

Rum Boot Screech is another name for rum.

Alvarado’s Bathtub Boot Screech

Blackwater Rum

Dark Llomerryn Rum

Tea and Other Drinks

Coffee (Antivan)

Cocoa/Hot Chocolate

Juice

Fermented Fruit Juice

Pickle Juice

Pomegranate Juice

Prune Juice

Punch

Spicy Punch

Tea

Almond Tea

Anderfels Mint Tea

Bitter Tea - An unspecified tea so bitter it is astringent. Served during the Fourth Blight.

Black Tea

Black Tea with Juniper

Fires of Change Tea

Herbal Tea

Iced Tea

Lattenfluss Tea (Anderfels)

Mint Tea

Nameless Tevinter Tea

Rivaini Spice Tea Blend

Rivaini Tea

Rosehips Tea

Spiced Tea

Stripweed Tea

Unsweetened Tea

Verimensis Tea (Tevinter)

Whiskey

Cinnamon-infused Whiskey

Ferelden Whisky

Legacy White Shear

Mackay’s Epic Single Malt

Wine The Tapster's Tavern in Orzammar serves 12 types of imported wines, some are listed.

Agreggio Pavali (Tevinter)

Alyons Black

Amaranthine Red

Anderfels Red

Antivan Red

Bitter Black Wine

Celestine Black Wine

Dandelion Wine (City Elves of Orlais)

Elderberry Wine

Elfroot Mixed with Wine

Finale by Massaad

Flames of Our Lady

Flat Wine

Ghislain Red

Iced Wine

Montsimmard White

Mosswine (Orzammar)

Mulsum (Tevinter)

Orichalcum mixed with Wine - Considered to have aphrodisiac properties.

Orlesian Red

Plum Wine

Red Wine

Serault Yellow Wine

Serault White

Silent Plains Piquette (Tevinter)

Southern Black Wine

Spiced Wine

Sweetened and Spiced Yellow Wine

Val Chevin Red Wine

Vint-9 Rowan’s Rose

Watered Wine

White Seleny Wine (Antivan)

White Wine

Yellow Wine

Additional Spirits

Abyssal Peach

Antivan Sip-Sip

Aqua Magus

Aquae Lucidius - A potent liquor made of wyvern venom; a rare drink known for its hallucinogenic properties.

Bottle of Rotgut - Rotgut is slang for cheap whiskey.

Butterbile :84

Carnal 8:69 Blessed (Orlesian)

Dwarven Ale - Not actually an ale, but a black liquid reputedly made from fungus with a reputation as being almost undrinkable for anyone not a dwarf.

Garblog’s Backcountry Reserve

Golden Scythe 9:40 Black

Hirol’s Lava Burst (Kal'Hirol)

Maraas-Lok (Qunari)

Moonshine

Potent Moonshine

Sun Blonde Vint-1

Sources: ( If you want to find direct links or page numbers check out the wiki’s drugs and alcohol page.)

Dragon Age: Origins (Base and DLCs) Dragon Age: Awakening Dragon Age 2 (Base and DLCs) Dragon Age: The Last Court Dragon Age: Inquisition (Base and DLCs) Dragon Age Tabletop RPG Core Rulebook World of Thedas Vol. 1 World of Thedas Vol. 2

Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne Dragon Age: The Calling Dragon Age: The Masked Empire Dragon Age: Last Flight Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights Short Story: The Riddle of Truth Short Story: Paying the Ferryman

DA:O Codex entry: The Casteless Item: Ale Item: Brandy Item: Brandy Cheap Item: Chasind Sack Mead Item: Garbolg's Backcountry Reserve Item: Golden Scythe 4:90 Black Item: Legacy White Shear Item: Mosswine Item: Rare Antivan Brandy Item: Sun Blond Vint-1 Item: Wilhelm's Special Brew Item: Wine Weapon: Cat Lady’s Hobble-Stick

DA:A Item: Aqua Magus Item: "Dragon Piss" Item: Hirol's Lava Burst Item: Mackay's Epic Single Malt Item: Moonshine Item: West Hill Brandy

DA II Codex Entry: Orichalcum Codex Entry: The Wine of Chateau Haine Junk List: Bottle of Aged Antivan Brandy Junk List: Bottle of Potent Moonshine Junk List: Bottle of Rotgut Junk List: Dwarven Ale Junk List: Orlesian Honeywine

DA:I Codex Entry: Bottles of Thedas Codex Entry: Charred Notebook Codex Entry: Grey Whiskey/Ritewine/Conscription Ale Codex Entry: Hard in Hightown: Chapter 11 Codex Entry: Hard in Hightown: Chapter ??? Codex Entry: In the Mist: The Windline Marcher Codex Entry: A Nutty Affair Codex Entry: Three Little Empresses Note: Betta’s Travel Journal Note: The Rusted Horn’s Menu Note: The Gilded Horn Drink List War Table Mission: Gain Access to Ghilan’nain’s Grove

Last Court: The Acerbic Dowager The Anchoress (Card) The Antidote The Boastful Neighbor The Elegant Abbess Go Hunting - Take Extra Provisions Good Neighbors Grant a Petition The Next Course The Purveyor of Teas The Wayward Bard The Whispering Woods Your Bard is Restored to You

Like this stuff? Wanna support the blog? You can check out my ko-fi.

[felassan]

the stuff we learned in trespasser and in tevinter nights really makes the elven cave found in the dalish elf origin make a lot more sense. especially the strange statue that reads "A strange statue commemorating the emergence of--and short-lived trading with--dwarves who dug too high and too frugal and struck elves".

Hi Nonnie! This answer is cut for length.

Ahh, the first Brecilian Forest ruins.. in a way it’s kind of where it all began. Who knew that the Dalish Origin, which arguably of the 6 seemed the most unrelated/disconnected from the main narrative of DAO, would not only come to have the ‘default’ BioWare Warden and its clan prominently featured in DA2, but turn out in the end to be so plot relevant? It’s the staging ground for everything to do with eluvians and the Taint that would come later in the series and play a key role, and it’s there that we get the first esoteric hints about these aspects of the Thedosian past and of the major overarching plot that they’ve been building towards since before DAO was launched.

[What Tamlen Saw]

Tamlen perceives the ruins to be human architecture, and notes the presence of a statue of the People (the one he and Mahariel look at in a cutscene is of Falon’Din, and Marethari later wonders if the ruins were a temple to an old god), and a stone with carvings on it which he suspects are written elvish. “Can these ruins date back to the time of Arlathan? We must have lived in other places, too. Even if elves didn’t live here, its architects knew of our gods.” “This looks like a very old human place. Why would they build this? And why would elven artifacts be here? Maybe some of our ancestors lived here, in caves, like the dwarves. Maybe whoever lived here still wrote and spoke elven.” “I'd never have guessed ancient elves might have lived here - with humans!” When Merrill arrives she also feels that the ruins are of human origin, yet with elven artifacts scattered throughout. The in-game map for the area labels it “Elven Ruins”, and game item category-wise the ruins contain Tevinter-type treasure. Duncan later says the eluvian is Tevinter in origin and used for communication, and of course we know he’s mistaken in his knowledge here, both in terms of origin and use. Were Tamlen and Merrill also incorrect in their assessment of the architecture as human?

Then as you say, if you explore a little, the Strange Statue reads “A strange statue commemorating the emergence of--and short-lived trading with--dwarves who dug too high and too frugal and struck elves". The statue visually looks dwarven to me, short and broad and blocky and with the suggestion of helmet-like lines looking like a stylized and simplified version of the head and shoulders of one of the iconic repeating dwarf statue assets. The statue’s legend itself is a meta allusion to the Dug Too Deep trope. It’s a humorous reference to and reversal of one of the archetypal instances of this trope, which is the dwarves of Lord of the Rings: “Moria. You fear to go into those mines. The Dwarves dug too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dûm... shadow and flame.” (The Balrog)

[The Balrog Theory: old post from before I named it, more recent posts one and two]

So we have “Elven Ruins”, containing elven artifacts and writing and statues, but which are read by two characters as having human architecture, and which have Tevinter items and assets, and which also contain a dwarven statue commemorating a trading relationship with the elves who lived there. Apparent evidence of three different races.. what are we to make of all that? The mystery continues in the main game with the Brecilian Ruins. Given the location in the same forest and the visual resemblance to the Origin ruins, I think it’s safe to assume they’re of a kind. These other ruins contain Elven Tombs and the imprisoned soul of an Arcane Warrior who remembers them as a place “where the Eldest [elves] come to slumber and [were] visited by those who offer tribute to the gods on their behalf”. Yet our companions notice both elven and Tevinter elements: "The ruins certainly look Tevinter, but are filled with elven trappings. How very odd,” “Is this an elven place? Did the elves live underground just like the dwarves?", “It seems that elves once lived with the Tevinter humans? Or the Tevinter built this place for them? I never heard of such thing”, "I wonder what this ruin used to be. Is it Tevinter, or elven?". The trapped soul recalls that it was humans who built this place, and that both humans and elves were there. 

The ruins stuff, despite the dwarf reference or perhaps except for it, leans away from elves and dwarves and towards elves and humans. (Saying that, we don’t have all the pieces yet, especially considering what the trapped soul remembers, which isn’t clear but is some kind of ancient war: “Something else, something that killed both the humans and elves that were here. You see images of a great battle, elves and humans both screaming and attempting to flee from some terrible presence. What that presence was is blurry and lost to time.” What was that? Other humans? The First Blight? But at the time of the First Blight elves were slaves in Tevinter, not people who they cohabited with and apparently built elaborate Burial Chambers for, for their elders? Unless it’s one of those Tevinter-built-on-Arlathan-bones situations, and the trapped soul is remembering humans who lived there who had elven slaves among them. But if they were slaves, would they even permit one of them to become an Arcane Warrior? Do you guys’ heads hurt or is it just me?)

The elves and dwarves stuff is another, different strand. I conceptualize this stuff like:

interactions between ancient elves and humans/Tevinter long ago

interactions between Mythal/the Evanuris/ancient elves and dwarves/the Titans long ago

In TN we find a Ghilan’nain lab-pool beneath a dwarven thaig. The Wardens in that story descend into areas of dwarven make then come across the ancient elven bas-reliefs and iconography and everything in deeper areas that are exclusively elven. The narrative mentions that Grey Wardens have previously found a mix of elven architecture deep down in the Roads. In Trespasser and Descent are the flags for what Mythal/Evanuris/ancient elves might have once done to the dwarves/Titans.

The Torn Notebooks in the Deep Roads are telling -

These statues are old. Better shape than anything I've seen on the surface. Many of them are for Mythal, though. And Fen'Harel. Not in a spot of honor, but guarding, attending.

Protector and All-Mother, why are you honored here, so far from the light of the sun? And why was the Dread Wolf at your side?

These statues are older than anything I saw in my days with the clan. The area's dwarven, though. What were the ancient elves doing down here? Mining? Where were the dwarves? Easier to have them mine it. Not a trading post. You don't go into a friend's home, knock over their gods, and put up your own.

War? I don't remember any legends about our people fighting the dwarves. Though I remember my Keeper telling a story about how the dwarves fear the sun because of Elgar'nan's fire. A metaphor for the elves of Arlathan driving the dwarves underground?

Written beside each elven line is a corresponding phrase, likely a translation:

I am empty, filled with nothing(?), Mythal gives you dreams. It fills you, within you(?), Making our leaders proud. My little stones, Never yours the sun. Forever, forever.

Hahren said we had lost some of the old words. What if they have changed? Durgen'lin from durgen'len? Little dwarves, never yours the sun? What did Mythal do here?

What did Mythal do here indeed.. Well, something caused the Titans to fall, and the fate of the dwarves with them. The Evanuris/ancient elves hunted the Titans, and saw the dwarves as “witless” and “soulless”. Their mining of the Titans’ bodies for their blood and hearts (powerful resources) is covered in the prior Balrog links. Eventually Mythal was hailed as an adjudicator and savior for striking down the Titans and giving their ‘land’ to the People. Suspect this is what sundered the dwarves’ original connection to their Titan parents. Generations later the dwarves of Kal-Repartha still feared the urtok (dragon) and had folktales of a dragon scourge that they were still worried about even then.

Skipping back to the dwarven trading relationship with that group of elves, it wouldn’t be the first time dwarves and elves struck up an amicable relationship in times past. After the destruction of Arlathan, some elves who fled formed an alliance with dwarves of the ancient settlement Cad'halash, and they took refuge and hid there to escape the Imperium, ostensibly. “The Lights of Arlathan will illuminate the scryer’s path. The Archons possessed them, but they were misused, befouled and lost, like so much the Imperium touched. Some were saved, carried by fugitives from the elven city. Their sorrow awoke the Stone and her children sheltered them. They found a sanctuary in the deep halls of Cad’halash, now known as Cadash.” It’s revealed that Kal-Sharok destroyed Cad’halash after discovering they were hiding elves there, in order to cover that up so it wouldn’t risk their alliance with the Imperium.

Not sure how to tl;dr this ramble. Maybe, I don’t know if the Elven Ruins and the Brecilian Ruins themselves are connected to the ancient elf-dwarf conflict, they seem primarily elf-human in makeup. There’s definitely a Lord of the Rings Easter egg. But definitely oh man, yeah, what we can infer about those Mythal/Evanuris/ancient elf interactions with the dwarves from Descent, Trespasser, and Tevinter Nights is.. arresting, to say the least (Titans/dwarf stuff on this front for DA4 pls 🙏). Maybe, assuming it’s even temporally relevant, the trading dwarves’ relationship with the elves they met there was short-lived and the statue legend is phrased in such a way (as to imply that them meeting the elves was a bad thing that they would have been better without) because of what would eventually happen between elves and dwarves? That legend (and potentially the Evanuris statues in the Elven Ruins) remind me a lot of “Not a trading post. You don't go into a friend's home, knock over their gods, and put up your own.”

Was the “terrible presence” killing humans and elves in that place that the Arcane Warrior’s soul remembered, an angry Titan?