#with it being for nevarran nobility and all

[tarnishedtwill]

"9:50 Dragon — War of the Banners

An uprising of undead nobility began to create unrest, threatening all of Nevarra with civil war. Whilst many of the Senior Watchers were in the city above for ceremony, a small team of Death-Callers was assembled. The goal was to keep the rebellion at bay until the more seasoned mages returned. 

The team comprised of less than a dozen Mourn Watchers was lead by strategic adept Thea Ingellvar, they fought admirably despite being out numbered and overwhelmed, but ultimately were told to call a retreat. However, in a decisive moment, Ingellvar seized the moment to lead a risky ambush at the flank. She was able to defeat the leading noble, quell the rebellion and prevent war from breaking out in Nevarra City– all while keeping her team secure and free of casualty. 

 Despite this seeming victory: the Nevarran noble houses that these undead belonged to, were less than happy to have their ancestors dispatched and desecrated. Demanding repercussions and punishment for her neglegence. It was ultimately decided by the Prelate, that it was best the young Watcher take a hiatus from the order, and see the world."

I adore when people do timelines of their Inquisitors, so I decided to do one for my Rook, once I have them all I'll compile them but I was too excited not to post this first one!! ✨️

[shivunin]

For the Rook story promots, how about

8. A time Rook argued with someone they care about

or

18. Rook trying to impress someone.

Hope the distraction works AND that you have a lovely day ^^

Thank you!! This wound up a bit longer than I intended, but it dovetailed really well with something I'm writing about Lenore and Caterina.

Bias-Cut

(Rook Ingellvar/Lucanis Dellamorte | 2,369 Words | CW: Implied/referenced past child abuse)

In which Rook prepares to meet the former First Talon

“It’ll be fine, Rook,” Teia said from the settee, deftly spinning a dagger around her finger. “She’s tough and stubborn, but she loves her family. She’ll intimidate you a little. It’s her way. But really, after all that, it will be fine.”

Rook cast a doubtful look over her shoulder, shifting uncomfortably in her borrowed dress. Every small movement sent ripples of light over the silk, which seemed determined to cling to her skin. 

“And you’re sure that this is the appropriate sort of thing to wear to an evening like this?” 

Something about the gown felt wrong, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. It wasn’t the fit; she and Teia were more or less the same size, save around the hips. The color was even one of her favorites, a deep purple that leaned more toward plum than the usual indigo the Crows seemed to prefer. 

“Of course it is. I’ve done so dozens of times. You couldn’t go in what you were wearing before, Rook. Armor sends a message.”

“She won’t be angry that we’re late?” 

“She’ll expect it. She is the one who left the message for Lucanis with Viago. They’ll have to resolve whatever it was before you can leave.”

Borrowed dress aside, Rook still looked like herself in the mirror. That had been important to her for reasons she couldn’t place. Even so, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn something so fine, silk slippery and drifting over her skin with every movement. It felt like… 

“Antonia,” she murmured, taking half a step back from the mirror. 

It was absurd. Antonia had been taller and paler and human. Lenore didn’t look a thing like Antonia had; Antonia had never been her actual mother, after all, and had only playacted at being one when it’d suited her to do so. 

Still, she couldn’t help but recall being shepherded around some cocktail party with the Nevarran nobility, Antonia’s silken gown brushing against Lenore’s arms as she was ferried to and fro. She’d been the picture of politeness, the perfect child, had answered only when spoken to and commented only on matters intended for her ears. The only time she’d slipped up, that lovely, elegant hand had clamped onto her shoulder with bruising force while Antonia apologized to their host. 

And when they’d gotten home…

“Rook? Did you hear me?” 

“Hm? Oh—I’m sorry Teia. I was lost in thought. Can you repeat that?”

“Sure,” Teia said, standing to follow her. “I’m going to go check on the others. I thought they’d be finished by now. You’re alright on your own?” 

“Yes, of course,” Lenore said. She waited there, eyes locked on herself in the mirror, until the door clicked shut behind her. 

Her violin case had been left on the table by the door. Lenore crossed to it now, taking comfort in the familiar click of the clasps as they were undone. 

Willful child. Defiant child. You shame me.

There was the bow, smooth and warm under her fingers, rosin already applied. There, the familiar body of the violin, varnish gleaming over woodgrain in the lamplight. The strings shone silver, each carefully tuned on the other side of the eluvian while she’d waited for the correct time to step through. Lenore touched each piece in turn now, resisting the urge to tune and rosin and check one more time. All was already prepared for use. Anything more was fussing.

If she was allowed to, she would play for Caterina. It was a silly gesture, a candle against a hurricane, but it was worth trying. The Dellamortes must love something of the arts if they had their own opera house, right? She wasn’t certain if Lucanis thought this a good idea because she still hadn’t seen him yet. Teia had swept her off to the attic of the Diamond almost as soon as she’d stepped through the eluvian and she’d been here ever since, digging through the other woman’s apparently endless wealth of clothing. 

In truth, she’d brought the instrument for her own comfort. No matter what Teia said, she knew that Lucanis’s grandmother had no intention of giving Lenore her blessing. No beautifully executed sonata would sway her; nothing short of bending her knee and kissing the ring would suffice, she supposed. She knew the type very well; she’d been raised by the type.

Carefully, Lenore snapped the case closed again and rested her hand on the lid. The lamplight shone differently on the scars over the backs of her hands. They were very old now, faint enough that most never even noticed they were there. Lucanis had noticed. Lucanis had scars that matched hers. He had seen them, noted them, and never once pressed her to explain how she’d gotten them. She supposed they both knew very well. 

The marks of a cane and the marks of a wand didn’t look so different from each other, after all.

“Rook?” Teia said, leaning through the doorway. Lenore turned toward her, hand still resting on the dark wood of her violin case. 

“They’ll meet us at the canal. Soon,” this last said pointedly over her shoulder. “She’ll expect you to be late, but not so late she feels disregarded. Follow me.”

“Alright,” Rook said, and gathered the trailing end of the dress over her wrist so it wouldn’t catch on the wooden stairs. 

“You look more relaxed,” Teia said, patting Lenore’s shoulder as they descended the stairs. “That’s good. I thought you were going to run before I got back.”

The more tightly wound Rook felt, the more relaxed her body became. This, too, was a holdover from childhood. She had, at least, exorcised the need to flatter and appease when somebody else seemed angry. Perhaps someday she would leave this vestige behind, too. 

“Thought about it,” Rook lied. “But I know how much his family means to him. If this is important to him, it’s important to me. I just wish I’d been able to see him before…well.” 

“It will be better this way,” Teia said, pointing at the door they needed. “I’ll arrange you for full effect—it’ll be worth it just to see his face when he sees you in this.” 

Lenore allowed Teia to take her arm as they left the Diamond and stepped onto the streets of the city. In truth, she had difficulty imagining that Lucanis would think any more of her in a pretty dress than he had when she’d been coated head to toe in the blood of a god. Still, it was a pleasant enough distraction to pretend that it would matter, that there would be some pretty silver lining to this evening. The thought carried her all the way to the canal steps.

“Tsch,” Teia said to someone standing beside the dock, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She let go of Rook’s arm to plant both of hers on her hips. “You weren’t supposed to be here yet.”

“Perhaps you should move faster,” Viago said, still out of sight for Lenore. 

“You think I should take her running across the rooftops like this?” 

Teia stepped down and to the side, clearing the space between Rook and Lucanis. The latter stood in the gondola already, steady and balanced despite the faint rocking of the boat. Lenore looked at him, her grip loose on her violin, and he stepped from the boat to the ground. There was something soft in his face, something she’d only just begun to identify as affection for her. 

“Doesn’t she look perfect?” Teia prompted. 

Lenore had been left for dead in a crypt in the Necropolis before she was a week old. She had been raised by the Mourn Watch, save those four long years with Antonia. She’d never had a legacy to shoulder, a mother to mourn, a grandmother to appease. She had never had a name to live up to; Ingellvar had just been the word engraved on the crypt where they’d found her. 

“Always,” Lucanis said, his voice quiet. “Rook. Thank you for coming tonight.”

She would never really understand what it meant to Lucanis to have his family, but she would do everything in her power not to drive a wedge between them. One night was a small sacrifice. This was a conclusion she’d come to last week; seeing him now only reminded her of her purpose. The dress was nothing; the dinner was nothing. The ghost of her foster mother was less than nothing. For him, she had braved far worse than any of it. 

Lucanis met her at the bottom step, hand held out to help her down the last step. 

“Thank you,” she said. 

Generally, they avoided public displays of affection in Treviso. They’d agreed it painted an unnecessary target on her back. Accordingly, he held her hand only as long as might be considered normal, but he murmured to her as she passed.

“Did something happen?” 

“No,” she told him quietly and truthfully, and raised her voice when she went on. “Teia is good company. She was kind enough to lend me this.”

“It was for my own gratification,” Teia said, wrapping an arm around Rook’s shoulder and kissing her loudly on the cheek. “Look at her. She was meant to wear this, yes? It was wasted in my closet. You should keep it, Rook; it suits you.” 

Viago crossed his arms and grimaced at them, but Lucanis touched the bare patch of skin down Rook’s back. 

“We’re late. We shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

“Of course. I’m ready to go,” Lenore said. Lucanis stepped down into the boat and lifted a hand for her to take. Teia stepped closer one last time and Viago followed, still glowering. 

“Remember what I said and you’ll be fine,” Teia said quietly. 

When Rook would have turned away and taken Lucanis’s hand, Viago stepped between them.

“Don’t listen to Teia,” Viago said, voice low enough that he might think Lucanis didn’t hear. Lenore knew better. “Not all of us have the benefit of being the favorite. Be polite, don’t make yourself a threat, and you might make it back in one piece.” 

“Unusual for you to give me personal advice,” she said, voice faintly amused in a way she despised. Antonia again. She’d be hearing the damned woman all night. 

“For the sake of Teia’s dress,” he said, already turning away. “She likes it too much for it to end up bloodstained.” 

Lenore snorted and turned away from the two Talons, taking Lucanis’s hand at last and stepping down into the boat. It rocked faintly under her feet in a way she found unsettling. Boats were still strange to her, still a little dizzying to sit in. Drowning didn’t top her list of worst ways to die, but it came close. Accordingly, she sat on the closest bench as quickly as she could manage.

“Are you comfortable?” Lucanis asked, and waited for her agreement before pushing off from the dock. “Don’t listen to Viago. There won’t be any fighting. Caterina would never allow it.”

“Lucanis—” Lenore bit back the next words, struggled to find others to fill the space they left behind. 

“Go ahead, Rook,” he said, glancing down at her before returning his attention to the canals. Looking for assassins, she supposed, as well as navigating around the other boats in the canal. “Say whatever you need to say. You know I won’t hold it against you.”

Rook took a slow breath, filtered the things she wanted to say from the things she needed to say, then went on. 

“I’m not Antivan. I will never be a Crow. I don’t have a family name or anything to offer materially—no connections, no significant money or land,” she began, and hesitated. “I know this doesn’t matter to you, nor Spite, but it matters to Caterina. She doesn’t approve of me.”

“How do you know that?” he asked, and turned back to the canals long enough to steer around a gondola floating aimlessly in the center of the passage. He murmured something uncomplimentary at it and glanced back at Rook. 

“Something she said the last time we spoke,” Lenore said, and watched Villa Dellamorte rise as they approached. “I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise…”

“Then don’t promise,” he said, and surprised her by sitting down across from her. 

They’d moved into a relatively empty stretch of water, the sounds of the market and its shops far behind them. When he took her hand from her lap, there was nobody to see. 

“There are things I need to say, too,” he said, solemn. “Whatever happens tonight, Rook, it doesn’t change anything between us. What Caterina thinks is her business. You are mine. All I want from tonight is to share the place I called home and what’s left of my family. Without having to kill our way through it this time.”

“You know it isn’t going to be that simple,” she said, wrapping her other hand around his and squeezing. “So I won’t remind you. I’ll be honored to see the place you grew up, Lucanis, however Caterina feels about it.” 

He leaned forward and kissed her, quick and dear. She didn’t close her eyes when he did. She wanted to watch him, just in case…In case she needed to remember later. 

“Let’s go,” she said when he drew away. “I don’t want us to be any later than we already are.” 

“Alright,” he said, but paused a moment longer, still watching her expression. “If it’s ever too much—if you decide that you need to leave—”

“I’ll tell you,” she said. “I’m more worried that I’ll lose my temper. I don’t know if you noticed, but I don’t have the best track record with authority figures.” 

“That you do not,” he said, and kissed her again. He was smiling while he did it, and she caught the barest sliver of his teeth with her lips. They kissed for longer than was advisable, but she drank in the contact, the reassurance. Lucanis loved her wholly. She could never question something so obviously true. 

As long as she remembered that, she could handle whatever came next. 

She was certain of it.

[lightan117]

Cake

Lucanis X FRook (Mage/Mourn Watch)

**This is a little snippet of my ongoing story that I have inside my head. I have no idea what will happen in the game, so I am creating shit to fill my days until I do.**

(Fluffly story)

Daisy didn't know what was going wrong.

She's been stuck in the kitchen for almost two hours, and it felt like the walls were starting to close around her after her second attempt at baking a dessert. It doesn't help that she's trying to rely on memory alone rather than simply caving into asking her mothers for the recipe. It's not that she doesn't want to contact them; she just saw them not long ago. And it went...as well as one would expect.

Daisy and her comrades were on a rather rough mission to stop a group of Venatori mages from disrupting a special rite in Navarra. Once Daisy heard what was about to happen, she grabbed Emmrich and Lucanis to stop them. Of course, the undead turned against them, along with the mages summoning demons every five seconds, which wasn't helping at all. Emmrich and Daisy did what they could to turn the undead while Lucanis took out the mages. Oh no, it gets better. Somehow, the vints managed to pull off summoning a pride demon at the last second. Daisy was cursing left and right over the thought that she should have brought Davrin along to help. Until, of course, they had some unexpected help from her mothers.

Her mothers. How embarrassing.

Madam Valentina Dupont and Lady Catalina Chastain. Two of the small handful of influential women of Nevarran nobility. Of course, the gossip about them is only heard in the quietest of whispers as no one would ever dare to imply that the two ladies (one of whom was married at one point to Lord Adrian Dupont before his untimely demise). Those two ladies, however, were a force to be reckoned with. And it absolutely scared Daisy shitless.

To say that the pressure intensified tenfold while her mothers gave them backup was an understatement. Daisy did the best she could between healing her friends and pushing back more of the undead. Emmrich, of course, was beside her, commenting that her mothers would most likely give her an earful once everything was taken care of. "Shut it, Grandpa, or else I am going to tell them that you were the one who broke Lady Duflur's vase at her salon after one too many glasses of wine." Emmrich shot her a glaring look, which caused Daisy to giggle.

"My dear child, I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh? That so? I think I strongly remember you flirting with a serving girl before your lanky limbs decided to uproot from under you, causing you to stumble quite a ways into Lady Duflur's family vase that she never shuts up about. After that, you politely excused yourself, leaving me to deal with the mess I happened to just have walked into." Daisy rounded on the necromancer, pointing a finger in his chest. "Try me, Gramps. You owe me."

"Well then, it seems we've come to an impasse." Emmrich took the girl and spun her around to block an incoming hit for her. Daisy, in turn, let out a magical blast to throw some skeletons backward from them. "And I would prefer if you stop calling me Gramps. I am not that old."

"Never gonna happen, Grandpa!" Daisy called back to him.

Of course, Lucanis shouted at both of them, "If you two would focus for five minutes until this is over!!" Daisy threw the Crow a smile and a barrier over him before returning to the fight again.

Once the mages were dead and the undead themselves had returned to normal—as normal as one would say about the undead—Daisy's mothers, of course, came down upon her like birds of prey. Lady Catalina began fretting over her as soon as Daisy was within reach, pulling on her face, asking if she got hurt, whether any scratches needed tending to, and why she was there in the first place; the questions kept coming until Madam Valentina stepped in. Madam Valentina, being a hard woman, asked Daisy if she was truly hurt, and Daisy replied that she was indeed in good health. Lying to her mothers would put her in even more hot water, so she answered what she could to their questions. That was until Emmrich interrupted with a cough.

"My dear Emmrich, I didn't see you there." Madam Valentina commented with a smirk, which caused Emmrich's eye to twitch in annoyance. "I see you are in relatively good health."

"Madam Dupont, Lady Chastain. It's a pleasure to see you both, as always." Emmrich gave them a short bow. "Fortune smiles upon us that you happened to join our little scuffle."

"Indeed, we were not expecting my daughter to be here, but it seems trouble continues to follow you wherever my dear." Madam Valentina's mouth curled upwards into a smirk. "Who is your friend, my child? You have yet to introduce us officially. I'm afraid last time was cut rather short."

"Oh! Forgive me, mother, this is Lucanis Dellamorte. Lucanis, this is my mother, Madam Valentina of House Dupont. Besides her is Lady Catalina Chastain." Each lady gave a short curtsy in response. Lucanis went to bow in return, but Lady Catalina broke the formality of the meeting with a rather unladylike squeal.

"Oh my dear, this is the Crow you've written us about!" Lady Catalina smiled brightly as she gushed over the revelation. Daisy felt her face heat up at the sudden disclosure of information in front of said Crow. She could feel his eyes on her as she stared down her mother in shock.

"No, my dear. I believe this is the same Crow that threatened to kill the rat-face man should anything happy to our dear." Madam Valentina admitted, which caused Daisy to suddenly direct her attention to the Crow, who found himself looking anywhere but the woman next to him. "I must say, Dellamorte, you being so protective of my daughter was surprising, to say the least. It's lovely to know my daughter has such devoted friends." Emmrich, being the gossip that he is, continued to make fun of his two comrades until it was time to leave.

Hours afterward, Daisy found herself in the lighthouse kitchen, trying her hardest to create a simple cake from memory. Seeing her mothers again when she was not at death's door brought back faint memories of Lady Catalina coming to their home with sweets to share between them. Those moments of happiness were few in her childhood and very precious. With the friends she'd made along the way, she wanted to bring them a piece of that happiness. Even if it was just for a few moments.

Now, if she could only figure out why the cake wasn't tasting like she remembered,

"What did she do, add lyrium?!" Daisy threw her hands into her hair to stop herself from throwing her work against the wall. Sure, the first two times tasted fine, but something was missing. They didn't taste the same. "I am not going to call her, I am not going to call her, and I am certainly not going to call her."

"You are still down here?" A voice shattered Daisy's concentration, causing her to spin around with ethereal cerulean butterflies swirling around her.

"Lucanis! Oh, look what you made me do!" Daisy waved her hands around to try to get rid of her unfortunate habit. Lucanis chuckled softly as a few landed on him. "I know I've probably been in forever. I apologize. I'll try to hurry up. Spite hates me, doesn't he?"

"He doesn't hate you, strangely enough. More the opposite, he suggested seeing if you needed any help. I do not wish to bother you if you want to be alone." Lucanis stepped closer to see what she was making. One half of the table contained two piles of cake, while the other half was covered in every ingredient you could think of to throw into the cake.  

"Honestly, I need some help. For all of the holy undead, I can't figure out why these do not taste as I remember. Something needs to be added." Daisy said as she approached him with her current batter. Lucanis rarely saw their Rook in this state, covered in flour and stunning in an apron. When they first met, he thought she was annoying and borderline childish. Her always sunshiny disposition confused him, and it was her outlook on death that continued to confound him every time they fought alongside each other. But over time, Lucanis witnessed the kindness she held for everyone, living and dead. Daisy prayed even for the vints they fight everyday even when no one bothers to do so. She forgives people who have wronged her and leaves them frustrated that she does not show more anger towards them. And when Spite appeared in front of her when he lost control...

Daisy could have demanded him to leave. She could have killed him on the spot, but all she did was smile and say everything would be fine as he held a dagger to her throat. Her eyes held no anger or pity, just a softness that he hungers for with every moment they are caught together. Spite lost that fight then and retreated back inside Lucanis with no words. Spite was quiet for a long while after that and softly spoke Daisy's name from now on.

"Lucanis?" A hand waved before his face, drawing his attention back to the woman before him. "Spite talking to you again? Does he want something?" She sounded so concerned for him, and his heart continued to ache.

"Yes, he's interested in trying your creation. What is it supposed to be?" Lucanis could hear Spite calling him a coward and a liar inside his head.

"All I know is that it's supposed to be a citrus cake. Lady Catalina would always bring one over for tea, and I swear I almost ate the whole thing once. Since seeing them, I've find myself craving it. Not sure if she even-" Something wet hit Daisy's face. Lucanis chucked when she stood there, annoyed when she realized the crow had just taken the spoon to splatter her face. "Really?"

"I blame Spite." He smiled that dazzling smile that made Daisy's knees just a tad weak. He brought the spoon back to her face, but it was much closer to her mouth this time. In that short span of what felt like forever, Lucanis's head slowly lowered, his tongue eagerly tasting the batter on her lips before sealing his mouth over her own. When his lips touched hers, her eyes fluttered closed, and a sigh came from deep inside her. She neither fought him nor responded, but the shock wore off as his lips moved gently over hers.

With a mind of their own, Daisy's hand lifted, slipping around his lean waist while her other hand shakily placed the bowl on the table. Beneath her fingers, she felt the softness of his shirt and the firm muscled flesh beneath. Lucanis deepened the kiss immediately as he sensed her blooming response, no longer pleading but demanding. His own hand reached up to cradle her neck, tilting her face the way he wanted to as his tongue took to exploring her mouth with a thrust of possession. His other hand drifted to her waist, pulling her even closer to him where she was flushed against him. She could feel the heat of his body burning her like a band, adding fuel to the fire raging within her. Daisy wanted more, craved it, and didn't care who could walk in on them at that moment. She wanted to drown in whatever Lucanis was feeding her from his sinful mouth.

Lucanis's mouth finally left hers, returning to give her soft pecks before resting his forehead against hers. His nose rubbed against hers as he muttered words against her pleading lips. "What?" Daisy muttered back.

"Almonds." He gave her one more peck. "It's missing almonds." Daisy pulled away gently, blinking up at him with wide eyes. Lucanis chuckled as he watched her process the information he provided to her. When it finally clicked, she spun out of his arms, grabbed the bowl, and proceeded to finish baking. More butterflies emerged from her as she got more excited, words flying out of her mouth quickly in thanks to him and 'Oh how could she not have thought of that.' Once the cake was in the oven, she bounced over to him, took his face in her hands, and then proceeded to pepper his face with kisses.

"Oh, you wonderful man. Thank you!" He stopped her, gently grasping her chin, and slowly brought her to him for another deep kiss before releasing her.

"I call the first slice once you are done, cara mia."

[the-arcane-booty]

I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole of studying the real-life influences that went into the creation/worldbuilding of Nevarra.

For example: Antiva is based off of Italian and Mediterranean influences, Tevinter has Roman Empire vibes, and Orlais has a lot of commonalities with France.

I’m not saying that it these influences have to be 1:1, but I’m a huge anthropology/folklore nerd and it’s fun for my brain to dig deeper into stuff like this. It supports that fantasy is not just an escapist genre, but a method of deeper exploration of the world we already live in. More beneath the cut:

Nevarra is a tricky one. My initial inclinations were to lean toward ancient Egypt as its primary influence. Mostly their reverence for the dead is one that is very tangible. The mages work with corpses and cadavers, all while tending to tombs and cemeteries. A majority of Thedas deal with the concept of death in a spiritual manner, rather than a physical one, due to the nature of Andrastean beliefs.

The food culture is also described to be inspired by North African cuisine. Lots of flat breads, yogurts, and veggies are dominant in their dishes. It’s common for Nevarrans to be vegetarian. The landscape is also implied to be fertile with agriculture. Such connections are similar to that of societies along the Nile river. Beetles are also highly respected as a symbol. Like scarabs, people collect the wings and display them as decor.

While the Egyptian symbolism and archetypes surrounding death may play a big role in the cultural practices, there’s a few things that are also to Central European/Balkan culture. Like the concept of royalty/nobility more closely resembles the political structure of the Austrian empire. There’s mentions of dukes and duchesses being involved in cultural celebrations.

The artistry is also highly appreciated in Nevarran culture. There are so many artisans involved in making jewelry for grave dowries. There’s expert landscapers tending to beautiful memorial gardens. Sculptors that create magnificent statues to honor the stories of the dead. Nevarran art may seem morbid, but brings the subjects of darkness to light. This is a rather gothic approach to artistic expression and appreciation.

I like to think that Mourn Watch! Rook is artistically inclined as well. Even if it is in a way that is seen as dark or morbid.

ANYWAY I’ll probably ramble more about this later but I am interested in how the cultures mix to create a whole new world :3

[exhausted-archivist]

So new theory for Taash

There is a war table mission in Inquisition called Investigate the Hunter Fell.

(Following emphaisis is mine)

Based on the revelation at Haven that Venatori operatives report to a darkspawn believed to be the magister Corypheus, threat assessment of possible Venatori has been prioritized as vital. Duke Tythas Pentaghast rules the Nevarran city of Hunter Fell. A former military hero who prided himself on his open-minded attitude, Duke Tythas rules with the help of a secret network of old adventuring companions—and possible lovers, as they are all rumored to be beautiful women. Information on the "Five Belles of Hunter Fell" is limited, but they are known to include humans from both Orlais and Ferelden, an elf, a dwarf, and even a Tal-Vashoth. Known or suspected backgrounds range from respected Mortalitasi or dragon hunter to bard, smuggler, or even apostate. We believe one of the Five Belles of Hunter Fell is a Venatori agent working to advance the agenda of Corypheus.

Josephine's response and results:

Dragon-hunting is a noble's sport, usually. I should be able to find out about this hunter.

A letter to Josephine with information on the dragon hunter: Although dragons were rare until quite recently, she had slain four. Those who have seen her fight say that seldom does one see anyone so tall as she move so quickly, for she stands head and shoulders above both the elven member of the Belles and the smuggler, yet moves with a grace neither can match.

The next part of the quest line is Continue Investigation

An excerpt from a Ben-Hassrath information report: We still have neither race nor background information on the Venatori agent in Hunter Fell. The Belles are effectively nobility in the city; any information about them is protected. We have confirmed that the Tal-Vashoth, whatever else she may be, is not a mage. Whether she is or was one of Duke Tythas’s lovers, she now appears to be in a relationship with the smuggler.

Josephine's response and results:

A Tal-Vashoth cannot hide her reputation easily, no matter how protective she is. Let my ladies ask about her.

A letter to Josephine about the Tal-Vashoth: She is said to disagree strongly with the bard on matters of trade; she is a bitter enemy of the Orlesian after blood was shed between them early in their adventuring days, due to the Orlesian binding corpses with magic.

The final part of the quest line Identify Venatori Agent

An excerpt from a Ben-Hassrath information report: All information about the Five Belles of Hunter Fell has come back negative. The Tal-Vashoth is not the bard, the elf is not the Mortalitasi, and the dwarf is not the smuggler. And an addendum: We have learned that the Fereldan is the Venatori agent, but unless we can link her to a specific background quickly, we will lose this lead. We must remove the target immediately to stop Duke Tythas from falling prey to Venatori interests.

(no results to this is relevant to the Tal-Vashoth)

Summary/TLDR:

Things that line up between the two (considering what we know of Taash these are very vague and really easy boxes to check haha):

She is not of the Qun

She is not a mage

She moves fast

She stands head and shoulder above her elven companions

If Taash is from the Belles of the Hunter Fell then this is what we might know of her:

She is specifically a Tal-Vashoth *note below

A seasoned dragon hunter who has killed 4 dragons as of 9:41-9:42

She used to have a human Fereldan smuggler lover

She has an issue with mages binding spirits to corpses (suggesting she might have a problem with Emmrich)

*note:

Whether her being deemed is because the rest of Thedas ignores the third label for the horned race outside the Qun isn't clear. They tend to use Tal-Vashoth as a blanket term despite Vashoth telling them the distinction.

See Adaar, a vashoth being called Tal-Vashoth, and the vashoth Nevarran goat hearder fighting Genetivi over the terminology.

[cybershock24601]

Highlights of my Fancy Crow Party fic are as follows:

Lucanis in a fancy outfit looking so hot Rook forgets how to speak

Rook in a fancy outfit looking so hot Lucanis forgets how to speak

Exploring Crow politics (I have a lot of Thoughts on the matter)

Two Rooks meeting in the wild as Ingellvar and de Riva become besties

Viago all but having an aneurysm in the background as the Rooks become besties

Illario making a Scene

Exploring Illario and Rook's horrible in law relationship because Rook was the one who had him imprisoned due to the optics of the First Talon letting a traitor go without any punishment but also the one advising Lucanis on how to integrate his disgraced cousin back into the Crows because Lucanis wants to try and reconcile their relationship and Illario is really resentful towards Rook for both fucking him over and then trying to help him afterwards. Rook doesn't like him because he's an ass and hurt Lucanis. They both have to play nice because of Lucanis

Rook and Lucanis dancing together

Someone dying during the party because it inst a real Crow get together unless there are at least three attempted assassination attempts and sometimes they succeed. Lucanis' first thought is "ugh, I hope the blood doesn't stain the marble" before remembering Rook is there and immediately turning to check on her only to see her glowing with necrotic magic and muttering under her breath before the corpse gets back up, cleans up its own mess, and walks right out the room which causes so much more of a stir then the death itself because the Crows aren't used to the Nevarran response to "sudden assassination at a soiree"

Rook cementing her position as not only Lucanis' partner but as the First Talon's very scary necromancer lover that you should probably think twice before crossing (Rook's not even really trying to be intimidating, she just keeps letting her freak flag fly because turns out there's a surprising amount of crossover subjects between the work of an assassin and a mortician and while murder doesn't really bother the Crows, everything after death is a lot more disturbing especially when the person you're talking to just raised a corpse in the middle of the room not even half an hour ago)

Rook being upgraded from "tolerable annoyance on the path to great grandchildren" to "active threat" by Caterina as Rook who might prefer to act the clown, shows off that she's actually decently good at politicking because Rook is a mortalitasi and the ruthlessness of mortalitasi politics is not too dissimilar to the infighting between Crow Houses (not to mention me being able to explore my own headcanons about the factionalism within the Mourn Watch and Rook growing up dealing with the politics of both the living and the dead in the Necropolis because lets not forget Rook was kicked out of the Mourn Watch for stopping a civil war between undead nobility)

[beepoven]

Codex Entry: Demonology Rebuttal

Lady R,

I write again in profuse thanks for your sponsorship. Please know that while I regretfully understand your desire for anonymity, should your circumstances ever change I would happily provide you a tour of the Necropolis. You would not be the first scholar from Tevinter to benefit from the cultural exchange of our homelands. You will certainly not be the last, either!

And I hope that it is not too forward to presume your origin. Your Nevarran, My Lady, is flawless, but your talk of demons gives you away.

While I agree that Southern categorizations are uninspired at best and invalid at worst, I find Tevene conceptualizations of 'Demonology' similarly limiting.

Rage may be another facet of Passion. Pride may be another branch of Self-Esteem. In this sense, I fail to grasp the point of identifying 'demons' from spirits at all, unless it is for the Chantry to prescribe morality on beings detached from Andrastian doctrine.

If there are to be 'demons' distinct from spirits -- I hypothesize that the catalyst must be stress. When a spirit is forcefully pulled through the Veil, we understand that their forms transmute into the classically 'demonic' due to the shock of being thrown from one reality to the next.

More, we understand that these forms are intrinsically unstable. Spirits need homes. Anchors. Vessels.* When the vessel is alive, they are called an abomination. When the vessel is dead, they are called undead. (When laid out like so, My Lady -- how backwards it all seems!)

In your last missive you alluded to a vital question: if a stable spirit were to be anchored to a vessel that was subjected to stress, would it become a 'demon'? While this line of questioning is best kept hypothetical, I have attached several notes on the matter.

Yours,

Ingellvar

(A letter dated 9:52 Dragon. Translated from Watcher’s Nevarran. Recovered from the Ossuary.)

*(Translator’s note: Watcher’s Nevarran is most distinct from Nevarran Trade thanks to its antiquated verbiage. Linguists theorize the dialect could only survive in an isolated commune such as the Grand Necropolis, where Watchers live in close quarters with ancient nobility. Here the writer has attempted multiple Trade translations of an ancient Nevarran term.)

[space-cowboy-101]

✨Ateez as Dragon Age aesthetics pt.1✨

This is for my story on ao3 ‘i want to be where the sun warms the sky’ and 😭 i love them

Some backstory on them in case y’all are curious.

Captain Kim Hongjoong of the Destiny, he hails from the wealthy and famous coastal Antiva City—capital of Antiva. Growing up with two smartass parents, it wasn’t surprising that he spent most of his time reading the books in his family’s library and Antiva’s beginnings were revealed to his prepubescent mind. Pirates, raiders, plundering, Antiva was built by the pirates who wished for a calmer life after they were done with their wild days and Hongjoong became enraptured by that freedom. Now? Now he’s being held captive by a commander who couldn’t care less about his desire for freedom.

Park Seonghwa, a Nevarran with the grace and beauty of an Orlesian, a confusing case for Hongjoong to figure out. He’s sacrificed to give everything he could to one person and somehow it’s not the prophet he prays to every night, but he wouldn’t change that. His life was returned to him by a woman that would later be known as a Divine and while it gave him more than he could ask for, it would soon take much, much, more.

Crown Prince of Ferelden Jeong Yunho. A name many knew throughout Ferelden and its neighbors, but not because of who he is. The Fifth Blight ravaged the lands of Ferelden eleven years prior and it took the life of their king: his brother, but it gave him another, one that he was told was a stain on the Jeong name. The Landsmeet was the beginning of his end, when he’d be pitted against his new brother and forced to endure the fury of father as he slandered his uncle’s name while wishing he could leave through those doors with his brother and the Warden. Something festered in him during the coming times. Hate, rage, envy, something, until the Divine Conclave became his saving grace and his father sent him with a pirate as his escort.

Kang Yeosang, Orlesian nobility and the wearer of a mask that could easily be deemed ugliest of all. Eighteen years of his life spent attending special events, dawning the gold mask of the Kang family, and being groomed into the person his mother wanted to see representing their family. He’s watched his cousin humiliate himself to avoid the unavoidable, heard of his departure that lasted seven years, and listened to the stories he told about the adventures in Kirkwall. His cousin was his only connection to the outside world, and it sounded wonderful. Come time for his own attempt at humiliating himself before his father, to beg for his freedom, and failing, his cousin quickly became the sole key to the cage that locked him in Orlais.

Basically, everyone in this story comes with a little bit of trauma but I will not stop saying how much I love them because their stories are something I’ve spent days creating 🫶🏻 and I hope you love them too.

Each member is from a different nation in Thedas (I’m sad I couldn’t make anyone from Rivain but Hongjoong’s basically from there, right? He’s lived there long enough after he leaves Antiva) and I’m so excited to incorporate the nations cultures into their characters 😭

Anyway, feel free to ask questions about them or fangirl with me because my friend doesn’t share my excitement 💀

thank you for reading this if you’ve gotten this far! 🫰🏻

[sxrensxngwrites]

The Inner Circle Crushing on Someone from a Different Background -- Part One

this request comes from anon, who asks: 'Head canons for the main dragon age squard (if you feel up to it of course!!!!) About them crushing on someone from a different background (example: cullen and someone rich)'

I ended up splitting this up because I got carried away... my bad. If you want any of these to be revisited or you want me to go into more detail, feel free to shoot me another ask! The same can be said you want DA characters from different games. I ended up omitting the portion of the post with Solas, Varric, and Vivienne for various reasons, but if anyone wants to see those: please send me an ask and i'll try my best to get to it.

Part One (Blackwall, Cassandra, Cole) Part Two (Cullen, Dorian, The Iron Bull) Part Three (Josephine, Leliana, Sera)

BLACKWALL:

Blackwall is a good example of “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Or that’s what he thinks at least. Despite his efforts to join in on the group atmosphere in the Inner Circle of Inquisition, I think he sticks to what he knows best: being on his own. 

In the instance of meeting his opposite, I don’t think it’s necessarily someone from a different social or economic standing (although that could be true as well). In this case, Blackwall meets someone who is the embodiment of community. Someone who truly believes that being around like-minded individuals brings out the best in everyone–someone who believes in second chances and inclusion. Said someone would also be less militant than Blackwall, likely having grown up in a community or place that didn’t require them to be fighting at every chance.

When Blackwall begins to catch feelings, he thinks it’s a pipe dream. To him, it’s unreasonable that someone like him–a liar, stuck in self-imposed exile–would be deserving of someone so open minded and forgiving. He shoves every thought he has away, resorting to isolating himself more. He doesn’t want to ruin anything else.

His crush, being someone that believes in inclusion, would refuse to leave Blackwall out (even not knowing the circumstances of his isolation). They would pull him right back into the fray of the Inner Circle and whatever shenanigans they get into in between quests. Their insistence on including Blackwall makes him believe that he really might have a chance after all.

CASSANDRA:

Cassandra has an interesting relationship with her social status. She’s technically in line for the Nevarran throne, but she wanted nothing to do with the nobility. She gave up that claim and gave herself to the Seekers of Truth–but even there she couldn’t remain unremarkable. Cassandra is so good at most everything she does, so she finds standing at the right hand of Divine Justinia. 

Cassandra would likely find interest in someone who came from a different station than she did: humble beginnings and no titles. She finds it refreshing. There’s no nonsensical rituals that need to be done every time they speak, and the lack of formality makes her feel like she’s being treated like a real person. For her to even develop feelings in the first place, the object of her affection would need to be able to stand on their own–she likes someone who doesn’t hide behind orders, organizations, and titles.

When Cassandra meets anyone at all, she doesn’t dare bring up her family name. This is especially the case with someone who catches her interest–and especially if they have nothing to do with the nobility at all. Cassandra wants to be perceived for herself and her skills, rather than the family that has come before her. Not to mention, getting Cassandra to talk about her family history takes a considerable amount of trust.

It takes months of traveling together for Cassandra to begin to let her walls down. When she sees that this person she might have feelings for can be their own person, fights for what they believe in, and stands up against the unjust, she starts to let her own walls down. Sharing her past, her family and her titles is the next step for her–it’s probably the best sign of trust you could get from her. That trust is enough for her to see her crush in a serious light–that this is someone who understands her for who she is, rather than where she came from. 

COLE:

Cole’s origins are so different from the rest of the Inner Circle, having been the amalgamation of a spirit and a human boy. He doesn’t really remember the life that preceded him joining the Inquisition, and his days are shaped by the people that he’s helped rather than the things that happened. Everything about him is rough around the edges since he was never taught much of anything.

When Cole meets his crush, many of the Inner Circle think it’s a disaster waiting to happen–of course he decided to fall for someone with a very prestigious upbringing. They have a noble background and were always taught to be on their best behavior. Even around their friends, they’re formal and use proper titles. It takes a while for it to begin to wear off (only after Varric has insisted that it’s okay that they use first names).

Cole is immediately attracted to them. He doesn’t entirely understand the formalities, but the way that they speak to him on the same level as they do everyone else makes him feel special. That’s how it begins; He enjoys being treated with respect. They’ll even call him “Ser Cole” even though he doesn’t have a real title. And to them, Cole’s interest in everything is adorable. It’s so different from all the possible matches in the nobility. They often turn their noses up at everything, but Cole seems to find joy in even the smallest things.

The relationship begins smoothly. Most of the Inner Circle thinks it’s sweet, so there’s little objection. It’s likely the family of Cole’s love that objects. When they meet, Cole is immediately overwhelmed–all the unspoken rules that are going over his head, and the copious feelings he’s hearing all at once. The evening is a disaster, likely culminating in a family member saying something heinous to Cole. After that Cole begins to think that maybe he’s not worthy of loving someone like them, that it’d be easier to give it up just so he’d never have to do that again. Yet, his love finds meaning in the smaller things, and they’re willing to give up everything they grew up with if it means getting to stay with Cole.

PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE

[ndostairlyrium]

6, 9, and 18 for Ellie! C:

Hey you!!! 💛 sending a big hug in your direction ;u;

Rook Questionnaire

6: What companion are they platonically close with?

Oh, Emmrich, by all means! They're like colleagues from different departments sharing coffee as they gossip about things happening at their workplace. The vibe is, and I quote myself lol; "For Ellie, Emmrich is like that one professor that encouraged you back at uni and then you meet them after graduation and just develop a super polite and respectful friendship in which you're informally formal because the sense of reverence / gratitude towards them still lingers". And I'm glad that in the localized version of the game a formal pronoun (second person plural) is used, because it accentuates this vibe <3

Besides, Ellie is so nostalgic and having him around and being able to absorb not only a great deal of knowledge but also news from a place he's missing and yearning. His presence helps him cope with the tasks ahead of him.

...also they both come from a similar background and possess a certain disdain towards the upper class so picture their interactions as a tangent that starts from "union meeting" goes through "the social ladder favors only the higher classes who created a false sense of meritocracy that pushes the lowest classes to work under terrible conditions to gain positions that are crafted specifically to exclude them" and ends in "a good noble is a dead noble" <<'

9: Does your Rook get along with their chosen Faction?

They're family to him, and just like family, things can be complicated.

At first he felt like the Watchers had betrayed him, because they didn't stand for him after the whole Van Markham situation. His family hurt him rather than supporting him, and for political reasons nontheless! You can't cast away family just because they go against some nobles' interests.

However, after some time outside Nevarra he realized that he wasn't the only one left with wounds. Diplomacy is one of the hardest skills he'd ever learn, and never fully got the hang of it. His family of death nerds couldn't stand a chance against nevarran nobility.

The confirmation of his realization arrived when he met Myrna at the Lighthouse where she told him that a Watcher never really leaves, even if they're elsewhere. There he felt relief for the first time after months.

So yeah, when he got back home he just barked at his colleagues, then hugged every single one of them - who reciprocated enthusiastically <3

18: What would your Rook be doing if they weren't recruited by Varric?

Already replied here

Adding that he would totally have a nemesis, a tormented love story with the ghost of his first crush, and an orlesian patron that doesn't pay him enough for whatever he's putting him through. All in technicolor of course

[witchypandamonium]

Rook questionnaire--subject: Evelyn Ingellvar

1: Where in the Thedas is your Rook from? She was born on the road somewhere between Tevinter and Nevarra, but her home is the Necropolis, where her life truly began (both metaphorically and literally--her mother, mortally wounded, managed to get her there before dying, and the spirits, hearing her prayers, helped keep her alive until she was found by a Lich Lord)

2: What is your character's alignment? Chaotic good; incredibly compassionate, even to spirits, but with a penchant for mischief and rebellion if she believes a rule is unjust.

3: Race and subclass? Half-elf mage

4: If your Rook was a companion, where would they be found? Probably on the road to the Anderfels after being told to get out of dodge after her cover was blown smuggling some slaves to safety for the Shadow Dragons, exploring some ruin like a red wisp.

5: What emotion did they usually pick? Nice (blue, to use the DA2 parlance).

6: What companion are you platonically close with? Harding, Bellara, & Neve (although honestly she's great with all the companions).

7: Romantically close with? In an equal-interest polycule with Emmrich & Lucanis (& Spite).

8: Who are they suspicious of? She's not suspicious of any of the companions, so... Illario?

9: Does your Rook get along with their chosen Faction? The Mourn Watch still hold her in high esteem, respecting her choice in the War of the Banners, they just needed her to get scarce until the nobility (who did not) moved on to the next scandal & forgot.

10: Are they proficient in playing any instruments? Talharpa

11: Weapon of choice? Dagger & orb

12: What is their orientation? Bisexual & polyromantic

13: What are their thoughts on killing? Is it a necessary evil or do they enjoy it? Necessary evil--she will always try negotiation & compromise first; unless they're a Venatori or slaver, then it's on sight.

14: What hobbies does your Rook have? Reading, music, & sewing.

15: What NPCs do they like? Which one's do they dislike? I like to think she also knew Antoine & Evka from her time with Varric's crew--loves the two of them. Uncle Vorgoth and Aunt Myrna love their little crypt-child (when she's not stomping on the norms of social ranking or causing mischief), & she earned the Shadow Dragons' trust after a few years of spying & smuggling slaves out of Minrathous.

16: Do they have a favorite creature in the Thedas? Crypt moths & nugs (& griffons after she meets Davrin & Assan).

17: Do they enjoy life as an adventurer? Absolutely--so much to learn in the world outside the Necropolis!

18: What would your Rook be doing if they weren't recruited by Varric? Like I said in #4, probably on the road from Minrathous to the Anderfels, exploring ruins.

19: How do you think they'll meet their end? Either as an unfortunate result of her curiosity or compassion.

20: Would they side with Solas or fight him? As much as she'd dearly love to sit & pick his brain for as long as he has patience, she cannot let the Veil fall--the amount of death and suffering it would bring is unacceptable.

21: What is your Rook's favorite ability? Fire (Veilfire was her first & remains her favorite spell, but it has no offensive capabilities).

22: What languages is your character fluent in? Common & Nevarran, though she'd started to learn Tevene when she was sent from the Necropolis & wound up in Minrathous.

23: What do they do after an absolute crisis? Shut down the emotions & run on instinct until she can retreat somewhere to be alone, then practice fire spells & stare into the light as she attempts to process her feelings.

24: Does your character believe in the afterlife? Yes, & is fascinated by it like most Mourn Watch mortalitasi, but of course she has no idea what it is like.

25: What specialization best represents your Rook? Spellblade (specifically, she is a master at fire spells, using her dagger as the focus--not unlike Neve--& casting a Dr. Strange-esque shield with her other)

26: What animal best represents your Rook? Magpie.

27: What was their life like before the events of Veilguard? She very much loved her life and studies in the Necropolis, & expanding her studies in Minrathous while freeing slaves, but truth be told she was always a bit lonely, as she didn't quite belong with humans or elves as a half-elf orphan.

28: Is your character the de facto leader of the party? Or do they consider someone else to be the leader? She didn't want to lead--she was content to be the under-cover intel-gatherer & occasional muscle. But with Varric out-of-commission down, her ability to secure allies & improv her way to victory ended up being far too useful to turn the position down.

29: If you could choose a different faction for your Rook, which one would they have joined and why? If she knew the truth about her parents (her mother was a human Mourn Watch mortalitasi & her father an escaped elven slave), she probably would've run to join the Shadow Dragons even faster than she already had.

30: What's your favorite thing about your Rook? Her stubborn, indomitable spirit--a will to survive no matter the odds & the compassionate heart to turn any enemy with doubts into a friend.

[lightan117]

Mourn Watch Headcannons 2

I had to make more now that I've finished the game....

As a reminder - this is based on the character that I've used, but I've mostly tried to keep Rook's gender natural.

Mourn Watch in general:

Students 100% ship Myrna and Vorgoth together. They also have little betting pools on which professors sleep with whom. Many students also end up as couples that eventually lead to the next generation.

Speaking of students - the students are the entire gossip pool of the Necropolis. The teachers get their information from the students.

Nevarran beetles are 100% pets (think Scarabs). Mourn Watchers will try to have different colors and species. Golden beetles are rare, but green ones are common.

More on the Grand Necropolis is Hogwarts - first-year students ALWAYS get lost, and search parties always stand by the first few months to find the ones who are. Spirits who are restless might "lure" people away and just peace out when they are well and truly lost (Vorgoth is never happy when this time rolls around)

If students get in trouble, their punishments are to deal with the gentry and clean their tombs. Ever want to hear a spirit complain about how students are not cleaning their tomb correctly? No, didn't think so.

Everyone knows that Markus Pentaghast is dead or undead. It may not be confirmed, but low-key, everyone knows that man is not really "alive." Emmrich confirms it with Lucanis, but we all know Mourn Watchers just know in general just by reading the news. The king was poisoned again? Of course, it didn't work—the man is already dead, guys. Take a hint.

They love to throw any type of fancy party to one-up each other. If someone is having a fight, they don't brawl - they throw the biggest party to show off.

Mourn Watch Rook:

Mourn Watch Rook, when traveling to Treviso, will always look to see if there is anything that they can bring back for Myrna and Vorgoth (Big sister and brother energy). Def will try and get Vorgoth and Viago together to talk about paintings.

There is a scene where Harding mentions Rooks' speech not being as proper unless they are talking to a fellow mourn watcher—THIS IS ON PURPOSE, NO ONE CAN KNOW THAT THEY ARE VERY PROPER IN SPEECH! They worked really hard that first year with Varric to be "normal." They can switch back and forth really easily.

Minrathous is the place they dislike the most due to their view on spirits and power. Feels bad for those in Dock Town - hate everyone up top. Politics are almost the same but not as bad I feel.

Would pester Emmrich (in the best way) about what they missed in Nevarra and any lessons he could teach them. Lessons from one of the top professors in the Mourn Watch? Why the fuck not?! They can also nerd out together about all things undead.

Assan and Manfred are the favorites of the whole group

Rook has beetles in their room - fight me - everyone knows and thinks its weird when they show up at the lighthouse with a glass case full of beetles. Spite thinks they're cool.

(End of Game) Mourn Watch Rook and dating:

If Mourn Watch Rook is dating Lucanis, they would have a hard time once everything is...normal I guess? I'm sure the Mourn Watch would give the nobility the middle finger if they protest Rook coming back to Nevarra (they would be welcomed back with open arms - Rook just made them fucking famous). Their role, they take seriously, but they would find some common ground to meet in the middle. I could see that the Mourn Watch would allow Rook to work out of Treviso but have to make trips home for rites/reports/gossip. Rook is the only exception tho, everyone is shit out of luck until Rook decides to put forward change. Lucanis and Rook do end up getting married and having a bunch of kids (adoption or by natural).

If Mourn Watch Rook is dating Emmrich, they would move back to Nevarra to live together. Rook would be allowed back into the Mourn Watch cuz why the fuck not...

(Spoilers!)If Emmrich became a Litch - I would feel things would be difficult due that the man is undead and would outlive them (there is no going around that topic; it will be rough). There will be arguments and such, but after about, I would say, a year, things will die down into a routine. The topic of marriage might come up and there might be one. (Lots of convos about what happens when Rook does die). Emmrich might try to stay teaching students and opening up conversations with Litchs still having relationships with the living as per his relationship with Rook being an example. An uphill battle if you choose this route.

(Spoilers!) If Emmrich did NOT become a Litch - this route might be a tid difficult but not as much as if Emmrich is a litch. Since he's human with Manfred (Manny as I call him) you two are in your perfect little bubble that no one can pop. Emmirch would go back to teaching and Rook could do whatever they want. They could teach if they wanted, become an instructor, or even help Myrna. Emmrich does have fears of his death still but Rook would be there to help him along with Manny. When the time comes, Rook would not be left alone.

[himbopunk]

back on yuvan w inquisition guys okay i Do think yuvan would have to have had some interactions with dorian and solas

i do think he actively avoids solas cuz he was a little too invasive about the elven amulet stuff early on and at this point yuvan is like. only a couple years out from running away from home so i dont think hes dealt enough w his family issues to be anything but extremely uncomfortable. solas does want to figure out what exactly it is that he has but its hard to catch a teenager who is avoiding you normally, its even harder when hes got the "passes where others cannot see" falon'din magic stealth abilities

dorian i think hes interacted with more frequently cuz i feel like hed end up in the library here and there. dorians opinion of him is a little bit like 'omggg baby queer'. also picks up that despite being nevarran hes like, kinda culturally tevene so i think theres points where he tries to be the cool like. not Elder gay but like older yk, an adult who knows whats going on better who can Help. but idk if yuvan would take that well cuz dorian has habits of condescension towards people he /likes/. i feel like theyd end up a little bit like. bitchy to each other but its kind of amicable. like if you ask yuvan hed say dorians kind of a prick or if you asked dorian yuvans kind of a little shit but if you tried to actually shittalk them theyd come to the others defense if not outright like. Shut the hell up.

(also i havent decided which inquis is canon here, i might use oza which means dorian would be with bull which means yuvan sees even more of him. yuvan jokes abt iron bulls shit taste probably. also in that case when yuvan runs into dorian in vg dorian might say something about how bull was when he read yuvans note and yuvan would ask him to say hi for him .. ough)

i'm..... trying to decide what vivienne makes of him. i think she would think he has potential but is a symptom of the way the state of mage shit is failing these young mages who need instruction. i think yuvan would think shes a bit stuck up but respect her a bit weirdly? hed give her some kinda weird backhanded compliment about being okay for a stuck up nobility scholarly type or smth like that. i think he likes that shes honest to and about him in a way others arent usually. she doesnt mince words but shes not needlessly cruel either. cuz its like /he/ knows hes a risk as an apostate n all this stuff but hes kinda just playing the hand hes been dealt. he wanted to learn the right way but was neglected deliberately.. and i think she knows that. and she has some respect for the amount of control hes wrestled out of the situation, even though she thinks he could do better. idk. w him she gives me the vibe of that like hardass professor or teacher you have one year but youre cool with afterwards cuz you realize they were pushing you to help you reach your actual potential, whether you got there or not you can still tell they Actually have your interests at heart, ykno? i think she wouldve been disappointed that he ran off on his own again after inquisition (also i think if she knew the extent of the whole shit with his dad trying to deliberately bait him into becoming an abomination as a young mage she would end that man. if she knew any of it actually probably)

[exhausted-archivist]

Tastes of Thedas Lore:

New Fauna, Food, Ingredients, and General Lore Introduced by the Cookbook

I'm putting this all in one list separate from the master list so it will be easy to find. I am also including all the information we've known from the sample pages for completeness. Source of all this information is from Dragon Age: The Official Cookbook: Taste of Thedas.

I have not included anything that was mentioned in previous media, for a complete list of all the lore mentioned in the cookbook as well as the other sources that mention it, please see this post. I'm putting all this below the cut in case you are trying to avoid spoilers, as well as the post itself is long.

NOTE: I did not include any of the ingredients from the recipes themselves, just the lore blurbs as it has been made clear the recipes not only do not match up, but are also rooted more in reality than Thedas.

Culture

Anderfels has a robust pig farming industry, the climate being well suited for them to grow to a generous size.

Kirkwall is known for their crab cakes.

Nevarran's culinary practices view food to be a feast for the eyes and mouth and thus place heavy importance on plating.

Orzammar holds a competition for the Best Sauce and participants will hatch plots to steal recipes of competitors. Leading recipes to be closely guarded secrets.

Some Orzammar dwarves insist that the proximity to lyrium and darkspawn only improve the flavor of edible deep mushrooms.

Tevinter seems to be the origins of cupcakes. They historically would use them to poison people.

There are custard connoisseurs across Thedas.

General Notes on lore

Isabela has a drinking game based on the number of enemies one has. The game has killed at least one man.

Krem suggested that Bull and the Chargers use the rice they were paid with to make rice pudding.

Krem seems to hold knowledge of all dishes the Chargers eat.

Varric and The Iron Bull love sweets.

Vivienne eats croissants every morning.

Vivienne is known for dressing blancmange with white chocolate curls and whole jasmine flowers, serving the dish on a black plate.

Wyverns, like phoenix, can be deadly if not prepared right.

Fauna

Ayesleigh Gulabi Goats - Rivain

Cuttlefish - Waters around Antiva

Poussin - I want to note this is usually a term used for a young chicken or spring chicken used in a recipe, but the lore blurb alludes to it being the name of an actual bird.

Prawns - Waters around Antiva

Shrimp - Waters around Antiva

Flora

Bitter Greens - Nevarra

Black Cherry - Orlais

Black Lichen - Orzammar/Deep Roads

Blood Orange - Nevarra

Chickpea - Rivain

Leek - Unclear origins, likely Antiva

Lemon Verbena - Rivain

Lentil - Universal staple, unclear of origin

Mango - Unknown origin, but it is a common enough ingredient for Orlesian nobility.

Nettle - Mentioned to be in Ferelden, unclear if that is the only origins

Red Grapes - Unknown origin, but it is a common enough ingredient for Orlesian nobility.

Rhubarb - Ferelden

Sweet Cherry - Orlais

Spinach - Unclear origin

Watercress - Frostbacks in origin potentially

Food Dishes

In the cookbook, it does note that there are multiple varieties across Thedas for certain dishes. I listed the regions given for the recipe provided in the cookbook as they are either "classics" or traditional for that region. The ones with multiple variations that are mentioned, I have marked with a **.

Apple Grenade - Antiva

Bark Bread - suggested alternative to black lichen

Black Lichen Bread - Orzammar, as it is also plainly referred to as "lichen bread"

Blancmange - Orlais

Blood Orange Salad - Nevarra

Couscous Salad - Rivain

Crab Cakes - Kirkwall

Crouton - Unclear, simply mentioned one needs to cook chickpeas to a "crouton-like crispiness."

Crow Feed - Antiva

Eggs à la Val Foret - Orlais

Ferelden Farmer's Pie - A term for a type of pie; such as the nug bacon and egg pie.

Fish Pockets - Seheron

Flat Bread - Nevarra

Forest Fruit Cobbler - Dalish

Found Cake - Ferelden

Fried Crab Legs - a substitute version of fried young giant spiders, Orzammar in origin, but substitution created by Devon

Fried Young Giant Spiders - Orzammar

Gnocchi - Antiva

Goat Custard - Rivain **

Grilled Poussin - Chasind

Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce - Avvar

Hearty Scones - Ferelden

Honey Carrots - Orlais **

Lamprey Cake - Not actually made with lamprey, just themed. Recipe created by Devon.

Lentil Soup - City Elf **

Merrill's Blood Soup - Dalish

Nettle Soup - origins unclear

Nug Bacon and Egg Pie - Ferelden

Paella - Antiva

Pastry Pockets - recipe originates with the Grey Wardens, cookbook notes of the Orlesian Grey Warden variation **

Poison Stings - Unclear, presumably Tevinter as they were Dorian's snack when traveling from Tevinter.

Potato and Leek Soup - Ferelden

Pumpkin Bread - Tevinter

Red Grape Compote - Unknown origin, but it is a common enough in use for Orlesian nobility.

Rice Pudding - Unclear as rice comes from Rivain and Antiva, but Krem supplies the recipe.

Roasted Prawns - a substitute for cave beetles, Orzammar in origin, but substitution created by Devon

Snail and Watercress Salad - Avvar in origins, but created by Devon with the Avvar to make snails more palatable to lowlanders.

Sour Cherries in Cream - Orlais

Spiced Jerky - Dalish **

Strawberry and Rhubarb Cobbler - Ferelden

Stuffed Cabbage - Ferelden

Stuffed Deep Mushrooms - Orzammar

Stuffed Vine Leaves - Tevinter

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup - Ferelden

Traviso Energy Balls - Antiva

Tzatziki - Tevinter

Turnip and Mutton Pie - Ferelden

Unidentified Meat - Tevinter

Yogurt Dip - Nevarra

Food Ingredients

Couscous - Rivain

Nug Bacon - Ferelden

Peanut Butter - Unknown origin, presumably Seheron as peanuts are mentioned in Sten's dream or Antivan given the recipe mentioning it.

Puff Pastry - Orlais

White Chocolate - Unclear the origins, but is used in Orlesian cuisine.

Whipped Cream - Unclear origins, potentially universal but noted to be used in Orlesian cooking.

Suggested Food

As in these might be eaten or not, it is unclear if the narrator was simply suggesting them out of pure speculation due to the dish's mystery.

Dracolisk

Dragon Urine - Suggested that the drink name may or may not be figurative.

Giant

Additional Notes

I included fried young giant spiders on this list because it is technically different from the roasted giant spider legs we see in the TTRPG adventure Buried Pasts.

Stuffed Vine Leaves may have appeared previously in the comic Deception. However I didn't feel I could make that determination unlike the desserts clearly shown in the comic Magekiller that are easily identified to me.

Quillback was mentioned in Unidentified Meat but isn't included as suggested or speculated food due to it being eaten by Inquisition soldiers in the Western Approach.

Saffron isn't a new spice to Thedas, as it was originally mention in the Last Court. It's origins seem to come from Antiva both due to the recipe and the fact they import most spices from Antiva in Serault.

Roasted turkey was first mentioned in the Dragon Age TTRPG. Thought it is common in the Free Marches, this dish is also popular among the Chasind.

Cupcakes seem to originate from Tevinter, as Cherry Cupcakes have been tied to them both in the cookbook but also the comic Magekiller.

Pumpkin Bread referenced to Tevinter, however we know that other nations such as Ferelden and Orlais, also grow pumpkins. The dish likely originates from Tevinter given the reference of it being used to tempt one to visit the Imperium. But thought it would be worth noting that pumpkins also exist in the south.

Licorice is previously mentioned by Dorian, referencing salted black licorice candy. But it may very well come from Riviain as the Rivaini tea blend has a variation that uses licorice root and they export the tea blend.

Additionally it seems peppermint and oregano also originate in Rivain.

Chocolate is not a new item to Thedas, however it is known to be imported to other nations from the Donnarks and Rivain.

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

[soulventure91]

Justice and The Star for whoever you fancy!

rook tarot askies! | Mara is the hyperfixation of the hour so here we GO

Justice: How does Rook feel about the circumstances that led to them leaving their faction? What does returning feel like?

[In the background Justice gives Mara the sensation of a shit-eating grin]

Mara was on...weird footing with the Mourn Watch following her role in the War of the Banners. A lot of factors played into her departure: the fact a non-Nevarran got involved (let alone stopping Von Markham for good), Mara's being an abomination getting out to a good chunk of the Mourn Watch, and generally the Nevarran nobility not liking that someone just kicked in the door and got shit done. As much as Mara enjoyed her time in Nevarra and built up good rapport with Vorgoth and a little bit with Emmrich, she wasn't sorry to leave after Myrna got on her ass over Mara's identity and status nearly being fully revealed. Honestly, Varric and Harding getting slightly mixed up in it all was a safety net for Mara: it was go north with 'Uncle Varric' or return to Kirkwall and generally not have a good time. There was a lot of frustration but also an eagerness to keep getting distance from Kirkwall.

Going back, though? With all the shit of the Evanuris going on and Varric gone? Mara was...probably relieved, to be honest. Her time with the Mourn Watch let her start defining herself outside of 'Hawke's Daughter', so in a way the Grand Necropolis is basically a second home. Although for obvious reasons Mara's not fully on board with necromancy, she does appreciate its applications towards spirits; it was why Mara wanted to go to Nevarra in the first place, to figure out how a willing non-mage possession is supposed to work.

The Star: When things get dark, what gives Rook hope?

After Weisshaupt especially, Mara thinks of home when she's feeling down. As messy and complicated as Kirkwall is and Mara's relationship to its people, Kirkwall is Mara's home and always will be. It's where her family is, not just her parents but also some of the "extended family" of the Kirkwall Crew. Certainly Mara's 'legacy' - as Hawke's daughter, as Anders's daughter, as a magic-deaf child of insanely skilled mages, and even as host to a Certain Spirit of Justice - is a whole mess and she's only just starting to figure out who she is, but it's something Mara often falls back on and draws strength from.

[obibail]

apparently i’m not done talking about this haha shoot me

at its core, modern Tevene is a language that reflects the common people's desire to be part of the greater world (speaking a language with direct outside influence rather than insular and protected ancient Tevene, which even then has a certain amount of Elvish influence even if they like to pretend it definitely doesn’t) while also respecting and reflecting on their roots and refusing to be tied to their stained history forever like a ball and chain

its contentious existence is another way that the ruling class is demonstrably out of touch with its own people. it widens the already insurmountably huge social divide that exists between the Tevinter ruling class and its citizens, with the highest echelons of Tevinter society actively scorning the use of the language (refuse to learn it or allow it to be spoken by others, and in some cases will actively punish slaves and servants who do use it, to the same level of severity as speaking elvish in a lot of cases. both languages are considered threats. its use is either outright banned or considered deeply unprofessional and frowned upon in the Senate and the Chantry, and most Altus and high society Soporati families outright forbid the speaking of it in their homes) while the lower classes embrace it as a revolutionary evolution of Tevinter identity. Creates a literal language barrier between the classes that cannot be crossed unless the upper classes choose to "lower" themselves to learn from their own people

Dorian, Maevaris, and Ashur being so used to hearing/speaking almost exclusively Trade and Tevene (also also probably Orlesian bc i think it's funny and would track that they would all speak some Orlesian, with Orlais being another seat of empire. I'm thinking it would be like Russian nobility learning French for court) suddenly being fully immersed in modern Tevene like an exchange student dumped in a foreign country after only taking elementary italian I when somewhere like in the shop/dock town where modern Tevene is overwhelmingly common like what are you all saying rn are we having strokes. Meanwhile someone like Tarquin doesn't skip a beat moving between Trade and modern Tevene (and still using some ancient Tevene like spice, because nothing hits harder than an ancient Tevene curse, gotta give it to ‘em) as the need arises like. oh skill issue :)

modern Tevene is far enough away from ancient Tevene that it is not easily understood if you don’t speak it, to the point it's unintelligible even if you know ancient Tevene to the kind of levels that someone like Ashur likely would. and even with it having a fair few Qunari and Antivan (and Nevarran and Orlesian, and Elvish given the likelihood that Liberati and escaped slaves who remained in Tevinter would learn it and add their own words to the mix over time) loanwords and influences, even people who speak those languages don't catch more than a couple words in a full conversation, and usually it's roots of words that don't translate/are false cognates

also the tarquin x ashur brainrot part of me really loves the idea of ashur calling tarquin amatus but tarquin calling him drag/dragă, especially with drag not just being a slavic root meaning dear/beloved but it also being visually close to the latin draco, which is used in Tevene for dragons. i just think that would be neat :)

my favorite personal headcanon is that most Tevinter citizens don’t actually speak Trade tongue as a main language, or if they do it’s strictly a public language and not a home language. instead the non-Altus citizenry (esp. grunt military/lower class civilian Soporati, Liberati, and new Laetan) especially in Minrathous and other large cities with trade connections to countries outside Tevinter and/or a history of Qunari occupation speak something closer to Romanian in the home/among themselves

the language still has obvious Tevene/Latin-vaguely Greek roots and is very much a modern/less formal evolution of Tevene but it's got a fair bit of Antivan/Spanish-Italian and Qunlat/Arabic-Turkic influence on top of that. the language has been evolving for centuries but more recent wide-spread public use partially started out as something of a more liberal-minded reclamation of Tevinter roots while not wanting to revert back to speaking like they’re leading the full Latin mass at all times

it’s not nationalism, exactly, but it’s still a love of country, or at least a desire to love your country and reclaim or reshape (rather than entirely reject, by doing something like only speaking Trade) a part of a contentious and problematic heritage and culture without taking a hard right into Venatori-style Tevinter nationalism that either ignores, excuses, or outright exalts all the worst parts of Tevinter history and wants to bring back the Empire at its worst

a lot of Altus/higher socially ranked Laetan/higher military ranked Soporati families (especially ones that skew more conservative) scorn or reject the use of modern Tevene because it’s such a distinct and noticeable move away from ancient Tevene (or at least the version of the language still used in religious, military, and magic practice, as well as debate in both houses of the Senate, probably), and feels - to them - like a rejection of Tevinter history and culture rather than an evolution of it, so it’s very much a Soporati and Liberati thing to speak modern Tevene

(in my mind slaves either know Tevene and Trade, like Fenris, or only know one (unless they knew it before they were enslaved). no one who willingly owns slaves would lower themself to ever speak, little lone teach, “bastardized”/modern Tevene, and probably come down hard on slaves that do know or learn it)

most Shadow Dragons use it pretty liberally in missives and when speaking to each other about business, especially with the Venatori being one of the major factions that detest it and thus don't know it, and is something that the Shadows leadership that comes from Altus/other higher socially ranked backgrounds have to learn

of the Shadows leadership we meet in Veilguard, Tarquin would probably be one of the only ones that speaks it fluently/has likely spoken it all his life and is comfortable speaking it. Neve would very likely be fluent as well, being from Dock Town and likely being new Laetan. Dorian and Mae might have known some before, but, considering his background, Ashur definitely knew next to none originally

this obviously doesn't change that they're doing good things and that they're making positive change but it would probably be a point of contention somewhere within the group hierarchy that regular Shadows can't easily communicate with their top leadership in a language they consider socially revolutionary/a symbol of a more liberal and modern Tevinter