#both in the context of da2 and just like in general

[thegeminisage]

star trek update time!! last night we watched tng's "rightful heir" and ds9's "the forsaken."

rightful heir (tng):

they were high when they wrote this one. like worf on whatever he was on to try and make him hallucinate

what's really funny about this one is that we were both just complaining that, even though we both like worf, we found the klingon episodes a little rough/dry. and then what do they do. they have worf hallucinate clone jesus

actually, i was really surprised picard laid into him so hard for being late to work. i know it was a tough-love kind of deal bc toughness "speaks" to worf or whatever and it was supposed to seem "nice" because he let worf go on a little field trip afterward but also like. who yells.

i did like that they referenced the klingon prison camp episode. girl i'd still be feeling that one too

clone jesus as a plot is really insane. like, it's already insane that everybody bought into it and GOWRAN of all people was the one to be like "you chumps are getting snowed." but then he's just a CLONE? they grew jesus in a vat somewhere? in a little test tube? and then they crowned him emperor??

no, scratch that, worf threatened to KILL people if they DIDN'T crown him emperor even though he was just going to be a figurehead because this is somehow supposed to fix the amoral klingons who have fallen into decadence. horrific.

side note. s6 has had a LOT of single-character episodes. we had some picard centric eps some worf centric eps a deanna centric ep and a beverly centric ep...when do we get the fucking gang back together? i feel like i never see them all at once anymore. like don't get me wrong i loved beverly's little romp and i feel like this way allows slightly more of the character work i have been craving but the format change is so weird. can we not have a little character work without singling out one character at a time? pretty please?

the forsaken (ds9):

i am sighing the deepest longest sigh i have ever sighed. my mixed feelings...

ok, to start with, i hate when tng characters show up in ds9. it's like they bring the bad vibes with them. BUT this is the least i've ever hated lwaxana.

i think the version of lwaxana as presented IN THIS EPISODE ONLY is very nearly a likable character. unfortunately, i have context for her

the flirting has actually grown on me. like, when she's doing it harmlessly. y'all know isabela from da2? like that. what i have a problem with is her being so touchy-feely - leaning into peoples space or trying to snuggle up with them or take them by the arm. the flirting IN AND OF ITSELF is actually kind of cute/sweet if you divorce it from the context of a horrifically overbearing mother and a woman who is narcissistic and can't take no for an answer. "i can swim" like ok girl i admit you have game. i just wish she would do less TOUCHING.

ok, on to odo, the real star of this episode. odo my new best friend odo

i actually think trapping him in an elevator to force him to turn into goop in front of someone else is a VERY clever premise. and at first i really wished it hadn't been with lwaxana but the more i thought about it the more i realized no one else on ds9 would do. in order for it to work it would have to be both someone who is a little pushy/loud/not totally respectful of his private nature AND someone who could offer a similar vulnerability ie taking off the wig. anyone who's too tactful/respectful of odo/a grownup in general like sisko, kira, dax, obrien, etc would simply turn around and leave him be. anyone who's NOT respectful or a grownup in general (i'm thinking specifically of quark, but julian could probably also work for this) doesn't have a metaphorical wig to take off. like, it would have been great ship material for him to be in there with quark or kira (i know about odo/kira bc i got spoiled, i am a little skeptical but VERY intrigued), but neither of them would have had the same vibe. so i am forced to conclude against my will that lwaxana was the right choice after all.

unfortunately a stranger is also easier to tell crazy shit to...and i looooooved learning crazy shit about odo's past, by which i mean i gasped aloud and covered my mouth with both hands in horror. HE SPENT HIS CHILDHOOD IN A LAB EXCEPT HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A CHILDHOOD!!! he doesn't EAT. his mouth is an approximation of one, it doesn't actually work!!! lwaxana, do you know then what else must be a nonfunctional approximation? actually, maybe he doesn't even have any of that going on. maybe he's smooth like a ken doll and that's why he keeps expressing disinterest in sex/romance, or because he has disinterest in sex/romance he never bothered to figure out how to replicate a working set of equipment. anyway the point is i know my king is somewhere on the aro and/or ace spectrum i just have to get to know him better to figure out where

in conclusion, yes it had to be lwaxana, NO i'm not happy about it, but i could have been if she was just less touchy. also, side bar, i don't like that she brought up the ferengi rape episode like it was haha funny. girl it wasn't funny to you at the time and it was definitely not funny to ME

TONGIHT: tng's "second chances" (this one looks good...i'm so hopeful) and ds9's "dramatis personae" (i haven't seen a summary or thumbs for this one but i trust ds9)

#personal #star trek blogging #tng lb #ds9 lb

[anneapocalypse]

for the choose violence ask game: 7, 8, 13 and 25 for dragon age

🔥 choose violence ask game 🔥

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

I'm honestly hard-pressed to think of a Dragon Age character that I truly hate. Most of my feelings range from love to indifference, probably because both the cast and the fandom are big enough that characters I'm not drawn to are easy enough to ignore.

So I do not hate Anders, I actually like him a lot as a character, but I do find a lot of the discourse around him very frustrating (and this is more complicated than whether I think he was right or wrong, for anyone about to jump to conclusions on that; if you really want to know, you can probably figure it out from various meta I've written), and thus I am very wary of engaging with it, and there's a certain flavor of Anders fandom that I just steer clear of when I see it.

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

In order for everyone to be wrong about something, everyone in the fandom would have to agree on something, and we all know that's impossible in this fandom. 😆 Okay no, I'll try to give some kind of answer to this, for very loose values of "everyone."

"The ending of DA2 both-sideses the choice between the mages and the templars." It really does not. It's very explicit about how incredibly unjust the annulment is, to the point that the game draws a strong distinction even between agreeing with Anders and defending the mages; Hawke can completely condemn what Anders did and kill him for it and still defend the mages. The game goes out of its way to point out to you that the Circle mages had nothing to do with the attack on the Chantry and that Meredith is just using it as an excuse to kill them. It's one of the least subtle portrayals of Circle atrocities in the series, even if a lot of the political details of Kirkwall and Meredith and Elthina are easier to miss. The game giving us a choice does not in itself mean it's drawing a moral equivalent between those choices. I think you can make a case for the games doing that elsewhere, but not here. DA2's ending is about as subtle as an explosion.

13. worst blorboficiation

I'm having to guess a bit what "blorbofication" means in this context, but given that the origin of "blorbo" is a meme about fans who see their fave in everything regardless of how well it actually applies, thus reducing the character to a generic blob of a person... I guess I'll go with Alistair. Part of it is just that he's been around a long time, so there's years of different fan interpretations and discourse to all sort of mush together about him, and I've definitely seen interpretations of Alistair that I felt like excised a lot of the messier aspects of his character. (He is for example more critical of the Chantry than he's often given credit for, and on the other hand he's also the guy who makes a remark about if you're going to get jumped when you walk into the alienage.)

25. common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

"The writers were lazy/stupid for using a cipher for Elvish and not making a fully functional conlang for an RPG they didn't even know for sure would get a sequel, never mind a full series." (Strangely it's only the elven language that I see people say should have been a full conlang when you'd think if that's the argument, surely they should have done the same for Dwarven and Qunlat as well? which becomes even more of a massive, unweildy, unrealistic project for a single video game.)

And basically, anything else that's just... wildly out of touch with the reality of how video games are made.

#dragon age problems #gwaren exports #ask anne #ask meme #choose violence ask game #v arbellanaris

[normal-goatboy]

Fanfic Self-Rec Thing

Thanks for the tag, @fandomn00blr, this has given me an excuse to go look through my fics! Idk who to tag, but if you see this and do it, please tag me, I love to see it

I hadn’t published anything in a while before this year, so all but one of these are old, but oh well. I’m also gonna include testimonials from the comments, cause that’s fun innit

1. Same Time, Same Place (Explicit, 4/6 chapters, 24,772 words) A post-canon Our Flag Means Death Lucius/Izzy fic, in which they’re each separately stranded in Nassau, losing their minds, and looking for a distraction from the horrors. Subtitle should be Izzy Hands and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known. While this is not finished yet, it is planned and I work on it literally every chance I get, so... it’s going.

From the comments: “[T]his fic is such a joy... it's so fun and funny to read. Beautiful writing, insane chemistry--love it, love it." (I get so many great comments on this one T.T)

2. Warm (Explicit, one-shot, 1,416 words) A little Merribela I wrote for a prompt and actually really like. It’s the last in a rough series, but I haven’t gotten around to actually putting them into one on Ao3, so there’s context but I think it’s evident enough you don’t need to have read any others.

From the comments: “This is so lovely and bittersweet...There's so much going on between Isabela's actions and the words she's not saying, and it tugs at me.”

3. Bitten (General-Explicit, 7 one-shots of various lengths but altogether 10,586 words) Both isolated and adrift in a place that doesn't quite feel like home, Carver and Merrill have a lot in common. Maybe even enough to overcome their massive differences. I ship everyone with Merrill and I’m not sorry about it lol

From the comments on Fingers (which is maybe my favorite one): “The perfect amount of sweetness and passion!”

4. A Visit (Teen, 929 words) An Awakening Tabristair fic - there’s a whole series for these two, but it’s all old and this is the only one I still like writing-wise. Also a prompt fill!

From the comments: “ so sweet and full of the single greatest angst mechanism in fanfiction-- pining”

5. Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of Your Fist (Teen, 1232 words) Directly post-DA2, platonic Warden Tabris/Anders. I just have to include two with my girl Halsa.

#our flag means death #dragon age #self rec #izzy x lucius #merribela #carvermerrill #tabristair #I now have two (2) fandoms #what a concept

[crossdressingdeath]

varric romance anon here and yeah i could've worded that better lmao

and i definitely agree that no romanceable dwarves in any of the games is weird (i THINK some writer or dev said he viewed them as child-like [1. wtf 2. the wording was probably different but the point was the same] and that's why there's no dwarf romance but i saw that a long time ago i don't have the source and it could've just been a hallucination so don't quote me on that--)

i just don't see varric as someone fitting for either hawke or inquisitor (when it comes to MY characters. again i don't think that OTHERS' views/hcs/whatever are invalid or wrong) as a romance but the fandom is obsessed with this idea. okay, not obsessed, but there's a lot of people who feel that way. idk. feels nice to have someone who's always your friend (yeah you can technically get him to rivalry or disapproval but i have not seen a single person do that, and i've seen a lot of... interesting stuff in this fandom)

this is a lot of words about a video game character lmao sorry

I do want to point out that you... kind of are suggesting that others' opinions on the smoochability of one Varric Tethras are wrong by talking like it's weird that a lot of people's characters have a dynamic with him that could easily be romantic if the game allowed it. As you yourself are pointing out, Varric doesn't have to always be your friend (you can make him hate you in DAI if you really want to); people just generally don't take that path because they don't see his relationship with their characters as antagonistic, like how you don't see him as a viable romantic interest for your characters. I don't think people are "obsessed" with romancing Varric any more than I think they're "obsessed" with romancing... I don't know, Solas: it's a dynamic that a lot of people like seeing in a romantic context, that's all. It's maybe made a bit more intense by the fact that the game doesn't let you actually do it, but that doesn't make it weird.

The thing to keep in mind with games like Dragon Age is that your player character might have basically nothing in common with other people's player characters, and that includes things like who they see as a potential romance; there are definitely people who hate whichever romance(s) you favour, and that doesn't make you liking them weird. Plus, both Alistair and Dorian (who I would argue fill the same "this character is intended to be your character's best friend" niche Varric does in DA2 in their games; yes, Dorian fills that role in DAI, I'll Fight You. Just look at his non-romanced, high approval epilogue in Trespasser, it's precious) are romance options! Romancing them in one world state doesn't make their friendship less important or precious in another, and their friendship in one world state doesn't make their romance less important in another. And with Varric especially, a huge amount of his character is designed around making as many players love him as possible; of course a lot of people are going to want to fuck him! Also I mean. in DAI the man has his tits out at all times on the side of a fucking mountain, if Bioware didn't want people to want to romance him they would've had him do his shirt up.

#i guess the chest hair keeps him warm? #dragon age #varric tethras #asks #anon

[witchblade]

didnt want to say it in the tags of that post but that scene is genuinely extremely hilarious 

#both in the context of da2 and just like in general #vow of celibacy moments

[mellow-honey]

Idk how badly this might get taken out of context, but I really do think it would have been more impactful to Varric’s character arc if he had been atheist (I am not atheist, if that’s somehow relevant to this).

It makes sense for him to have an aversion for religion considering his brother gave him shit regarding his lack of connection to the Stone. Also the fact that one of the many reasons Kirkwall was a mess was because ‘officials’ would use Andrastian beliefs to both exploit and hurt people. Sidenote: I can’t remember if it’s canon or fanon where templars can kill a whole family if it’s suspected that they’re hiding a mage, so if there’s a link to that, please send.

Conversations regarding religion could have been an interesting perspective because he’s friends with vastly different people. He could have also highlighted how devotion can be a dangerous thing and even have that oddly serious conversation when arriving at Skyhold. “Look, I’ve seen dwarves abandon their families, Chantry sisters condemn others, and even experienced a Qunari invasion. All that done in the same of their great beliefs. This thing we got going on? A lot of people are giving their lives for this, so much that they called you Herald of Andraste. Let’s do some good with it.”

(this got way longer than I wanted it to)

Lavellan: Nothing on the Dalish?

Mid-High Approval Varric: I have no idea what they get up to. But you and Daisy are alright in my books.

Low Approval Varric: I have no idea what they get up to. The only one I’m fine with is Daisy, and she worries me.

With that being said, I could see how easy it would be for Varric to be inspired by Hawke and the inquisitor; both who more or less came from nothing. Actively seeing how their decisions made a huge impact would be part of the reason why he sticks around (regardless of the approval rating). If he, as a storyteller went, ‘I don’t believe in talking rocks, or this hidden figure beyond the Fade, if there is anything beyond that place. I believe in people, who are alive, and what they’re doing right now’.

So much of Inquisition was the inquisitor being raised to this powerful standard; it would have been nice if Varric was the character to bring it all down to each character just being an individual with their own choices. Varric joining the inquisition could have been such a turning point for his character arc, as it would have been the first time he’s fully committing to something larger than himself.

Highlighting the fact that Varric is a storyteller, everything that happened between da2 and dai can be explained, even if the answer is just science/magic. Between Corypheus, the Titan, entering the Fade, and so many impossible concepts that Thedas was facing, everything could have been explained and somewhat survivable or defeatable.

Furthermore, if you separate religion from faith… It ends up being just stories. Varric taking a liking to the story of Andraste is totally fine, and it [EDIT Dec.02.21] was a nice touch when he compares the truth of Fen’Harel with the starting of the Andrastian faith because he’s looking at it all as historical stories. General commentary from him about the Call of the Stone, the Titan, and even Hakkon, could have been… not profound, but a bit more objective, if he didn’t have a religious connection. The whole ‘this belief system is just weird’ feels more like Sera, and not something from a well accomplished author who can more or less make friends with people from different backgrounds.

#just rambling about what could have been #it's just a game but I love complex writing and Varric could have been more #dragon age #varric tethras #dai critical #dragon age inquisition

[felassan]

hey! just curious if you know - do the blue wraith graphic novels create a “canon” world-state (ie. they mention the hero, champion, inquisitor or their choices) or do they leave that mostly vauge? i know some of the earlier comics had alistair in them - but in my origins he died so i just didn’t feel like reading them because i felt like it conflicted with that lol

Hello! This became a bit long so I put it under a cut.

So in a general sense: the first 2 novels are an integral part of all canon. Because they’re set before the events of DAO, they’re a part of the world’s history/backstory in all possible worldstates. The same is the case for Last Flight, as it’s set way back in history, so these 3 are like prequels.

Then more broadly speaking, all of the rest of the novels (including TN) and the Dark Horse comics are canon material, in the sense that they follow the ‘novels and comics worldstate’ that BioWare chose to set them in, or chose to have them set in. (The ‘novels and comics worldstate’ is technically a different thing to the in-game ‘default choices worldstate’. The ‘default choices worldstate’ is the one you get if you don’t import saves in earlier games or don’t use the Keep in DAI. The ‘default’ settings were kept as basic/minimal as possible for the purpose of simplicity/accessibility, because the devs didn’t want new players being confused by those returning characters that are optional/quantum who they had never met before, or by complex ongoing plots that they had no existing investment in the resolution of. It’s designed to be as clean a slate as possible. So in that world, the HoF died stopping the Blight, Kieran doesn’t exist in any form, etc. The ‘default’ worldstate doesn’t affect anything outside of it, so it doesn’t affect the ‘novels and comics worldstate’ or custom player worldstates.)

Back to the ‘novels and comics worldstate’: DG has said that for the non-prequel novels and comics, if a player’s choices line up with the events in those stories, those events unfolded as-shown and future games will reflect this. He then explained that if a player’s choices don’t line up, then the events unfolded in a different way somehow or simply didn’t at all in some cases. As an example, it’s easy enough to imagine Warden Alistair embarking on the same quest/plotline to find his father as King Alistair does in the comics, just as a Warden instead of a reigning monarch. Or in Asunder, if the HoF never recruited certain partymembers during the Blight, to imagine them still showing up somehow and just omitting the parts where they referenced meeting and/or being with the HoF (kinda like Garrus showing up to be recruited anyway in ME2 even if you didn’t recruit him in ME1). 

For the ‘Inquisition-era’ comics specifically (I think of these as the ones written by Greg Rucka, so Magekiller, and the ones written by Christina Weir & Nunzio DeFilippis, so Knight Errant, Deception, Blue Wraith and the upcoming Dark Fortress), it feels like the same ‘novels and comics worldstate’ as the earlier-era comics, as in them Alistair is King*. In terms of your question there are a few specific things, but it’s left mostly vague and they don’t like name/gender/class or mention the race or LIs of the PCs or anything. A few choices are depicted though - for example (hope these aren’t too much of a spoiler, trying to balance answering with not spoiling comic storybeats!), some of the optional Inquisition partymembers either make an appearance in an Inquisition-related context or from a particular detail in the comics clearly exist as Inquisition members, so the Inquisitor in this worldstate obviously chose to recruit [X] and [Y] and then to not send them away/kill them etc. Off the top of my head there’s also a place where one outcome of a minor DAI sidequest-type thing (like ‘war table operation & generic NPC models’-minor) is assumed, so the Inquisitor in this worldstate obviously chose to pursue that particular outcome of that sidequest. Also an optional DA2 partymember shows up (other than Fenris himself I mean), so Hawke probably chose to recruit them in this world.

Since Blue Wraith specifically focuses a lot on Fenris, by necessity in the ‘novels and comics worldstate’ Hawke clearly recruited and then didn’t kill Fenris. Fenris in these comics could have been both unromanced or romanced however, as while he’s not written specifically as if he and Hawke were together, he’s written without any reference to romance, so either scenario is feasible. Friendship/Rivalry also feels like it could be either or. As for the events in Kirkwall in DA2, they’re not specifically referenced. For the big one - the mages vs Templars choice - although Fenris is written as if he fought in defense of the mages with Hawke and friends at the end of the game, the story is still designed to work if Hawke sided with the templars too. iirc the comic writers found that writing Fenris in a Templar-siding Hawke worldstate would make his comic role not work for people who sided with the mages, whereas writing him in a sort-of mage-siding-Hawke worldstate allowed both paths to hold up:

We never reference what specifically happened in Kirkwall. But his interactions with mages are not characterized by wanting them all dead. This is a Fenris who hates the [Tevinter] mageocracy and is wary of those who seek too much power via magic. And he loathes slavers and has been killing them. So if your Fenris sided with mages, he will fit here. If your Fenris sided with Templars, he’ll still work - but his rage is focused on slavers to allow both versions to work. We found that writing him as if he sided with the Templars would break anyone’s Fenris who didn’t, but writing him this way allowed both paths to work. At least, that was our plan - you’ll decide if we pulled it off to your satisfaction. [source]

So tl;dr you may not feel like reading them if in your DA2 Fenris died, as that scenario is contradicted by the comics, is what I’d say. Other than that and the things described in this post they don’t mention or specify the HoF, Champion, Inquisitor and they mostly don’t mention or specify their choices. I feel like it’s been left mostly vague, and as vague as it can be. ymmv in terms of execution, I like it a lot but acknowledge it’s something subjective.

Basically, the DA comics are considered canon as far as they match up with an individual player’s worldstate. In Queen Anora universes, the events unfold similarly yet tweaked a bit in such a way as to allow for Queen Anora. And if “[x] dead char” turns up in a comic, we can safely assume that the events unfold in a similar way sans said character or not at all, fit- and Word of God-source depending. (I personally tend to assume in the dead char scenarios that the events unfolded anyway in a similar manner rather than not at all, despite what DG said that time, as it’s what makes most sense to me in terms of making the parts of the world ‘line up’ in my mind).

Btw, if you’re interested in reading Blue Wraith, I recommend to check out Magekiller, Knight Errant and Deception first if you feel inclined, as there’s an overarching story in this set of comics that’s kind of like one bigger serialized tale that develops throughout.

Hope this ramble helps some and doesn’t make it worse somehow lol :)

[* Alistair’s role in the ‘Inquisition-era’ comics is minor for the record, in case the idea of them being King Alistair-centric would put you off them, they’re not King Alistair-focused at all]

#dragon age #bioware #alistair theirin #fav warden #mj replies #video games #thomrain1er #garrus vakarian #best boy #long post #longpost #fenris #the Fenaissance

[dungeons-and-dragon-age]

Hey so I played DAI and fell in love with it and its characters easily my all time favorite game now and I've been thinking about playing some of the previous games. Is there one you would reccomend? Any particular hurdles with playing older games in the series (essential mods ect) or are they games that's fun to reminisce on but are hard to play in the modern era of gaming? I really appreciate any insight you have on this! Thanks!

Heya!

Okay so generally speaking? I would recommend both Origins and 2, especially if it's the companions and banter you like about Inquisition because they are easily my favourite parts of the other games as well. DA2 seems to get the most hate thrown at if from what I've seen, partly I think because it's production was pretty rushed and it shows (it does have its fair share of writing issues as well but that's another can of worms), but personally I still enjoyed it a lot.

I don't know how picky you are about graphics because obviously they are a little dated for both games, though I myself never had a problem with them (but I don't have a problem with older graphics in general, so,,,), and there's plenty of cosmetic mods out there to spice things up. As far as mod recs go I'm afraid I can't be much of a help because I haven't used any mods so far for either game ^^"

Other than that they do both have their pros and cons so it depends a lot on what you're looking for since their style does differ a lot. So for example..

Origins's combat system is much more fleshed out strategical than 2's, which is more straight forward and mostly hack-and-slash, but at the same time DAO's is also a lot slower and more tedious.

Since you asked about mods I'm assuming you're on PC, so key bindings shouldn't be an issue since you can remap them (the default should be very similar for both games though).

DA2's interface is objectively neater and more organised, but DAO's is more immersive imo.

Origins has quite a few extensive dungeons, while DA2's are very short but also repetitive, as it reuses maps a lot.

DAO's main plot is pretty much the high fantasy standard of "hero an co. go on a world-saving quest to defeat the big evil dragon", but its side quests, lore and general atmosphere are great imo, whereas DA2's story is much more condensed and focused on the political unrest in Kirkwall and the protagonists personal tragedy story. Origins is more gritty and grim but also more epic and heroic, while DA2 is less dark on the surface but also feels much more personal and down to earth in a way.

DAO lets you choose from one of six origin stories while in 2 you always play as Hawke.

DAO's protagonist is silent, Hawke is voiced and can adapt one of 3 base tones that change depending on dialogue choices.

DAO's approval system is more like DAI's, with approval and disapproval, while DA2 has a friendship/rivalry system.

Origins is also more gory than the other two games, as in there are a couple parts in the game that are genuinely really gross (at least I find them to be very gross), but not because it's excessively gory per se? Idk if that makes sense but a lot of the icky-ness comes from the context I'd say, but it's really well done, as in it fits the overall tone of the game perfectly. Just thought I'd mention it

Oh an most importantly, you get to have a dog in both games.

Edit: Forgot to mention DLC so I thought I'll do that real quick! For Origins has a few bonus campaigns, of whoch I'd highly recommend the Awakening expansion. It introduces some important characters and is comparable to Trespasser I'd say. Witch Hunt is intetesting too, Leliana's song is a prequel focusing on Leliana's backstory. The Darkspawn Chronicles are... interesting? But the weakest out of the expansions imo. Soldier's Peak has some lore about the Grey Wardens, Return to Ostagar gives some closure to what happened at the start of the game, and Stone Prisoner gives you an extra companion who's fun to have around imo.

DA2's Legacy DLC is really good, bring your sibling if you can becausr it reveals some things about Malcom Hawke. It's fairly relevant to the lore and plot of Inquisition (which you'll already know but it might still be interesting). Mark of the Assassin is... mediocre, if you ask me. It does have some hilarious banter though.

So yea.. dunno if this helps any, but tldr I would recommend both games for different reasons ^^

#I'm fairly new to DA myself so like #I'm probably not the best person to ask any of this haha #again don't know if any of this is helpful but maybe it's a bit of an overview at least? idk #those are my imressions of the games anyway xD

[mllemaenad]

So, due to lockdown I find myself with a ton of free time on my hands, so I'm rolling the dragon age games. Currently on da2, which brought me back to your rather excellent post on Elthina (it gets shared around a lot). Which took me down the rabbit hole of your "chantry are evil" posts, which you'll get no argument from me on. However, I noticed that you often avoid the fact that the chantry is also used to prop up the Orlesian hegemony. Which is almost as bad as mage treatment. Any thoughts?

Hi! Well – honestly, I’m a bit confused. Why do you think I avoid the subject of the Chantry as part of the Orlesian empire? I don’t mean that to sound accusatory. I suspect the answer is that ‘my blog is a disorganised mess, and the particular posts you read were about some other aspect of the Chantry – if you’re in DA2, then quite likely some of the ones about the extreme abuses perpetrated by the Kirkwall Chantry specifically – and those only touch on that occasionally’.

But I would have said that I spend a lot of time screaming that the Chantry is the religious arm of the Orlesian empire and that empires are really, really bad news. I screamed about it so much that I actually burned out a little bit, because it’s a pretty damn grim subject, particularly when you’re dealing with it in the context of people arguing that what Orlais does is okay.

I know I’ve talked about the Chantry as an imperial religion ... I mean, I usually refer to it as ‘the Orlesian Chantry’

I’ve talked about the persecution of the elves, and the use of religion as a pretext for conquest

... religion as a tool of empire building

... Circles and the Harrowing as tools of religious persecution meant to enforce Orlesian mores

... Kordillus Drakon doing this shit on purpose in the name of empire building, to the the extent that the view of Andraste present in the games is almost exclusively Orlesian

... the Right of Annulment as a tool of political terror

The Chantry as a fifth column in the Free Marches

... the coup against (and subsequent demonisation of) Perrin Threnhold in Kirkwall as a very specific Chantry-led plot meant to further Orlesian interests in the region

... and that’s just stuff I could find quickly in this pile of textual nonsense. So – and I mean this honestly, I’m not snarking – what do you think I’m avoiding?

If you wanted a quick summary, I would say that ‘propping up the Orlesian hegemony’ is not simply ‘almost as bad as mage treatment’, but rather that the latter is a symptom of the former, rather than separate things.

I don’t mean to suggest that only Orlais is capable of racism, prejudice or religious persecution; the Tevinter Imperium was its direct predecessor, and it behaved in much the same way. But due to the success of the Orlesian empire, the kind of persecution you see in Dragon Age lines up pretty clearly with Orlesian culture and Orlesian prejudices.

There’s a bit from Drakon’s biography in World of Thedas II I’ve quoted so often I just about have it memorised:

At the time, the ‘Nation’ his mother ruled over was not even half the size of modern-day Orlais., and unified only in their love of Andraste and their shared hatred of everyone else. Prince Drakon believed it could be much more. For he had a vision. He believed Andraste had appeared to him in a dream when he was a child and charged him with redeeming the world in the eyes of the maker.

He began his holy quest at the ripe old age of sixteen by taking to the battlefield. At the time each clan had its own variety of the cult of Andraste, its own rituals, traditions, and versions of Andraste’s words. Young Drakon unified them by the sword.

– World of Thedas II

It’s all there. Orlais is warlike and xenophobic. Orlais is prone to religious fanaticism. The Chantry’s first divine was a general. Literally all Orlais does is run around forcing people to behave like Orlesians.

Orlais’s hatred of the ‘other’ informs the Chantry’s persecution of non-humans

Orlais’s zealotry leads to the Chantry’s persecution of people of other faiths (both Andrastian and non-Andrastian) – and specifically allowing Orlais to represent their land grab in the Dales as ‘righteous’

Orlais’s warlike positioning of itself as the heir to Andraste’s conquest of ‘mage run’ Tevinter leads to the Chantry’s position on magic

It’s notable that nations like Nevarra and Rivain, that have a deep cultural respect for magic, contain back doors for mages to attain positions of power and respect, despite belonging to the Orlesian Chantry. Different nations resist to different degrees – or in some cases may simply align better with Orlais as a starting point. But when you dig into the cultures of other nations, that’s where you find them departing from the Orlesian standard.

The Chantry is Orlesian culture, enforced at swordpoint, and it exists largely to provide ‘moral’ justification and historical revisionism that favours Orlesian political moves.

#dragon age #chantry critical #Anonymous

[firelxdykatara]

My favorite thing is that everyone misses that Byleth's former students are now professors themselves to new monastery students? They sit at the faculty table with By! "Professor" being coined by them (said former, now grown, students) is a cover since Byleth's not referred to by name, but it's also something shared among colleagues who share the same employment? In general. It's wild to me that people are treating such an archaic in time world with such a modern perspective?

It really is so ridiculous! Like, first of all people calling it ‘pedophilia’ as if everyone involved aren’t fucking adults is just. So wild to me. And like, it’s not like there aren’t romance options who aren’t students! There are a bunch! You can romance any of the other professors, you can marry fucking Rhea depending on your route, there are a bunch of other people who can join you as allies rather than students. Anyone who doesn’t like the idea of a professor dating someone they taught doesn’t have to???? So really they’re just pissed that the option is even there which, like, I hate the templar route in DA2 but I’m not about to condemn anyone who likes playing it!

And even beyond that, even if you put it in a real-world context, like. I took a couple semesters of philosophy at my school from a professor who was two years older than me--super young, super gorgeous, of course I was crushing on him hard both terms, but obviously nothing came of it (I think he had a girlfriend anyway), but like??? It’s been about five years, if I met him in a coffee shop tomorrow and we hit it off, there’d be literally nothing wrong with that????

Everyone at Garreg Mach has a lot more to worry about than ‘oh they were my professor five years ago and now they are my/my leader’s closest adviser, we can’t date it would be Problematique’ like. good grief lmfao they go through an entire ass WAR together, there is no unbalanced power dynamic, the only reason they’re even still at the monastery is because it makes for a convenient base of operations. People really will just reach for reasons to scream about how other people play fucking video games, I swear, it’s wild.

#fe3h #fire emblem #also yeah literally??? they only call the MC 'professor' still because you can change the name #and the game is fully voiced so they need to call the mc SOMETHING #i just Do Not Get It #asked #Anonymous

[orsino-the-enchanter]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm.

My muse is:   canon / oc / au / canon-divergent (the mere existence of a post-canon verse is diverging from canon)/ fandomless / complicated

Is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO. It depends on what you mean as popular. Whoever has ever played DA2 knows Orsino because he’s important to the plot (especially in act 3) but the opinions on him are conflicted. like they are on any morally gray character. Still, he is a side character who has like 5 scenes in the entire game, so I believe he’s not getting the attention he deserves.

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK. Orsino certainly is not everyone’s cup of tea, I can say that much. Physical appearance-wise he is very attractive for what he is: a stressed/depressed middle-aged DA2 elf who has seen SomeShit™ in his life. He has aged way more graceful than what he could have, but still, he is in his late 40s/early 50s, which can be a deterrent factor to some; also, the elves in this game have distinctive inhuman-like features that people either love or hate. Personally, I think that there is harmony and beauty in his features, which makes him weirdly pretty to look at and i love the fact that they gave him an hourglass body shape. However, Orsino’s true beauty lies in his personality and his calm, collected, polite demeanor. His voice is another huge bonus.

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK. I mean... he’s a First Enchanter who keeps his knowledge on blood magic and necromancy a secret, there are hints that he’s a somniari mage throughout the game, he has some very badass scenes where he kicks the asses of bigger/stronger opponents than himself when he’s outnumbered AND he has one of the 2 boss battles in the finale of the game. There is no doubt that he is a force to be reckoned with in battle.

Are they underrated? YES / NO / IDK. I think he’s criminally underrated not just by the fandom, but even  the creators of the game, who gave him no backstory, only a handful of scenes and butchered his character just to add another boss battle.

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO. Meeting him along with Knight Commander Meredith and Viscount Dumar earns you an achievement (the “friends in high places” one). He is one of the main antagonists in the third and most crucial part of the game and you can either choose to side with him or oppose him.

Were they relevant for the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG. Lots of elements in the storyline depend on the protagonist’s political views on what’s going on in Kirkwall, and since Orsino is a prominent political figure, he is relevant to the protagonist’s views. He can be either an ally or an opponent, depending to what the protagonist’s views are. Also, he had been involved to the protagonist’s tragic loss of their mother -albeit indirectly-, since he was an informant of the murderer.

Are they widely known in their world? YES / NO. He’s a controversial but VERY well-known public figure, to the point where he can be recognized in the streets -even if people have never seen him before, they can recognize the staff he carries, his distinctive robes and the fact that he’s an elf (an elven first enchanter is news in itself, so he doesn’t go by unnoticed). The protagonist has heard of him -along with rumors and gossip surrounding him- before he had the chance to meet him in person. He has such influence and people skills that he even carried out a rally to overturn the Knight Commander’s rule of the city and almost succeeded.

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL. Depends on who you ask. Mage sympathizers see him as a brave advocate of his people’s rights who wouldn’t hesitate to put his life on the stake for them. The common folk and the city authorities see him as a potentially dangerous troublemaker and rebel.

How strictly do you follow canon? — I try to follow canon mostly in my canon verse, while taking some artistic liberties due to the lack of a concise backstory. In post-canon verses and au’s, I have taken all the insights on Orsino’s personality, views and way of thinking and I have adapted them to fit each verse’s context.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals.  —  For him ‘mage’ is not just a term describing his abilities, it is also a term describing his personality as a whole. He has that elegance, cultivation and mystical charm about him; he is morally grey yet charismatic; witty yet cunning and certainly not one to be toyed with. Despite the exterior of a powerful yet restrained scholar he maintains , however, there are many layers to him and each is darker than the last. He can be both the erudite conversation partner you’d like to have an existential conversation with over a glass of good wine, a trusted advisor you’d confide your problems to and a force to be reckoned with who would obliterate you or your enemies in battle, depending on the situation. Still, the First Enchanter has some very vulnerable sides too, but he tries to keep them to himself.

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).  — In the main verse he’s a minor character; with not as much involvement in the protagonist’s life as other characters (such as the companions). He’s also kind of secluded and not in touch with whatever happens in real life -not just because he lives in the Circle, but because he has been institutionalized, like any other person who has been brought there from a very young age. Also, there is the age gap which can make him a bit harder to reach than someone younger.

What inspired you to rp your muse?  —  When I played DA2 for the first time, Orsino piqued my interest because he was the very definition of a tragic figure.  He was the only voice of reason in the madhouse that is Kirkwall; yet he was fighting alone for a just cause that was doomed. He had the whole city and the authorities against him; still, he did not give up trying to protect his people; and he did his best to refrain from violence until the bitter end. His death -a suicide, no matter how you cut it- was equally tragic as the life he led; it was seeing the bringer of hope for mages losing all hope himself and deciding to go fighting and not on his knees. That, combined with his sarcasm and sophistication convinced me that I had to do justice to this poor underappreciated soul and dig deeper into his character -even try to write an alternative ending for him. Hence, this blog was created.

What keeps your inspiration going?  —  My amazing roleplay partners with all the good work they put into their characters and the love they have shown me and my character so far. I love you guys <3

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO / I SINCERELY HOPE I DO? i have my doubts sometimes, but i think i do ok. Still, I would love to have more feedback to see how i can improve even more.

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO / SORT OF Headcanons, metas, the works.

Do you sometimes write drabbles? YES / NO. I am not sure what is meant by ‘drabbles’ but sure, I’d love to write more of those.

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO. All the time, especially before going to bed. That is where all those rp ideas come from.

Are you confident in your portrayal? YES / NO / SORT OF? Again, i don’t really get much feedback, so i am not that sure if I am doing any good and if my Orsino sounds genuine

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO / SOMETIMES. I like how i have written some threads more than others, I’m not gonna lie.

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO / SORTA. I am a sensitive person in general, but not someone whose feelings are easily hurt/triggered or someone who takes things that are not my business to heart.

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?  —  Criticism is welcome only when it is constructive; in the sense that there are clearly stated arguments as to what I do not do right and suggestions on how to improve. If someone sends me an ask like “i don’t like x just because” or anon hate, I am just going to ignore it.

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character?  — YES!!! YESS!!! YESS!!!!!!! I cannot stress enough how helpful it is for me to receive suggestions and questions that help me explore sides of my character i have not thought about so far! Even if your questions are the randomest things ever, i’d still LOVE to answer them. I have received some asks like “what would Orsino do in x situation” in the past and they were SO fun to write!

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?  —  Of course! As I said, so far the opinion is supported beyond the ‘just because’, I will be happy to consider it. Anything that helps me broaden my perspective is welcome.

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?  —  same as the above.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?  — I do not really mind; i am the first person to recognize that Orsino is a controversial figure and people may hate him for whatever reason. I might not agree with the hate, but each to their own I suppose.

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors?  — If they do not do it in the typical ‘grammar nazi’ style i’m chill with it. Grammatical errors tend to happen more often than not, just because i almost never proofread. *shrug*

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?   —  I think so, yes. As I said, I am not easily annoyed, triggered or have my feelings hurt, and i am very excited to interact with new people. Still, i do recommend reading my verses/about/rules pages, if anything, to know what to expect from my portrayal and activity patterns.

tagged by: stolen from @theharellan tagging: @of-enormous-girth @oftevinter @the-old-and-the-hapless @soldier-of-visus @lathsuledin @redtemplarcommander​ @hisfavoritewolf​ @the-champions-of-the-just​ @lowtownbutcher​ @elderone​ @sworntoprotect​ @altuspavus​ @starkhavenprince​ @aqun--athlok​ @hornedchief​ @iamcole​

#meme

[anneapocalypse]

Being active on both tumblr and dreamwidth is weird, because it makes me very aware of the differences in culture between the two and just... how one posts, in general. I try to crosspost most of my substantial meta, for backups as much as anything, but sometimes a post is just really obviously written for one platform and not the other and I have to edit it before I crosspost to make it work better for that audience.

One thing about tumblr is it's really easy to post hyperspecific fandom lore stuff off the cuff and out of context because most people following you are either following you for that, or they're just generally aware of what bullshit you're on. On DW I'm speaking to a circle that's both smaller and more multifandom so it's more like, Hi, I'm talking about Dragon Age today, here's a thing that happens in DA2 for context, now let's get to my point. On tumblr you can just dispense with all that and post the point. Even if it gets reblogged outside your circle, the people who get it will get it and the ones who don't will just scroll past it because they don't go here.

On the flip side, when I post something on DW I know it's probably going to be read by like four people on my flist who are into that fandom, and no one else. Those four people know me and generally will have a pretty good sense of my intent. On tumblr I'm aware that my post might be reblogged outside my own circle and so I should probably add some points of clarification about my intent and be very aware of my tone, be careful of being overly snarky and making the post sound more negative to strangers than it's actually meant to be, qualify that I like this character very much and this isn't intended as a criticism of them... etc etc.

And this isn't a criticism of either website, because I enjoy both. It's just interesting to note what context is needed and what can be assumed in either space (and to be aware of why I sometimes feel slightly off-kilter hopping from one to the other).

#just a personal reflection #tumblr #dreamwidth

[bitchesofostwick]

First of all, I don't want to argue or anything, I'm just curious why you interpret Cullen this way, because I've got different vibes? You mentioned you see Cullen as a man who needs strong leader and likes to be told what to do, but I see his Inquisition arc as regaining control over his life and deciding for himself? He is very loyal to the Inquisition but at the same time he all by himself decided to not take lyrium and is described as "born leader" by his writer. (1/2)

I think Cullen is more loyal to ideals he believe in and in order and hierarhy in an army - he does what is expected on his postion (normal templar or Commander). Of course in bed he can be whatever you headcanon and I asked more about general interpretation of character. I find it interesting how differently people can see the same person. (2/2)

for reference, the post that prompted this ask is here.

Hi anon, and thanks for reaching out. I realize the details and nature of Cullen’s sex life and sexual confidence are a matter of contention among fans, but because you said you don’t want to argue, I’ll assume you’re just asking this out of curiosity toward my interpretation. That said, there are a few things here that I think should be addressed.

tldr: “competent leadership skills” and “sexual submission” are not mutually exclusive, and cullen (or anyone for that matter) can exhibit both.

I said, and I quote, word for word: “If he’s got a strong leader, for better or for worse, he can be a strong follower.” I did not say that he needs a strong leader, nor did I ever imply that he is somehow unable to make decisions for himself without one, and I certainly would never say that how he excels in following direction and another’s lead in any way impedes his ability to be a leader himself. His ability to lead and command the Inquisition’s armies and for that matter the remainder of Kirkwall’s templars may be questioned by some fans but is certainly not questioned by me, so please don’t confuse my purely for-fun sexual headcanon with my views of Cullen’s professional and personal character arc.

And for that matter, it’s very much worth noting that being sexually submissive does not equate to having no control over your life or being incapable of making your own decisions. A healthy sexual relationship requires a strong and clear understanding of what each person wants from the other, and, again in the context of a healthy relationship (which is how I write him with my Inquisitor and the lens through which I wrote my previous post) it takes great strength and self-assurance to relinquish your control and be vulnerable for someone else, if even for a small period of time. This is in no way done against his will, nor would my Inquisitor (and hopefully any others) engage in any sort of relationship where there was a power dynamic in which she would be taking advantage of his vulnerability. It’s done with the expectation that both parties should be respectful of the vulnerability offered to them for that amount of time.

Switching gears a bit, while I agree that, as you say, Cullen is loyal to the ideals he believes in, I also think that a recurring theme in Cullen’s life is actually that he is very unsure of his ideals on many accounts, or otherwise retroactively questions them. For example, he once wanted with all his heart to become a templar and looked up to the Order until he was able to join up. By DAI, he scorns the templars and has become very disillusioned. In DAO he’s to strike the killing blow if your mage should become an abomination; later he expresses relief that he did not have to do so, implying that the responsibility was either intimidating or otherwise questionable to him. Even in DA2, he follows Meredith’s command to the letter even when believes her measure as at times extreme. By DAI, he expresses regrets for the way he’s viewed mages, but he still pushes back aggressively should the Inquisitor side with mages over templars (and this is also in contrast to the way he wishes to cut ties with the Order). TLDR, sure, he’s loyal to his ideals and does what’s expected of him, but because of his conflicting beliefs and values, I don’t think this in any way would have an effect on his sexual behavior.

Finally, the post I made was written in both the context of a sexual headcanon and the context of Cullen’s relationship with my Inquisitor, who is herself strong, stubborn, opinionated, and assertive. Under past leaders with similar traits (i.e., Greagoir and Meredith), he has proven to be a loyal and attentive subordinate until extreme situations required him to do otherwise. Did I joke about these past relationships for the express purpose of making a comparison to his sex life? Yes. Should this have been read as “Cullen can’t make decisions for himself and needs someone to tell him what to do in order to lead?” No. 

You wrote “in bed, he can be whatever you headcanon.” Well, yeah. This was very specifically an in-bed headcanon. Thank you for asking and I hope that I could shed some light onto my interpretation of Cullen, but at the same time, I encourage you to not misunderstand my headcanons for his sexual behavior as an interpretation of his overall characterization.

#Anonymous #answered #cullen rutherford #cullen #anyway now i need to finish my chapter that i was working on before i got this #lemon #ish

[lavellenchanted]

25 Dragon Age Questions

Tagged by @denerim​, thank you Sophia!!!! ✨✨ Tagging: @whiskasgirl​, @lotsofthinkythoughts​ and any other Dragon Age fans who want to answer these!

01) Favourite game of the series? Inquisition. In terms of writing and narrative I think Origins in the best, but I enjoy playing Inquistion the most and it has more of my favourite characters.

02) How did you discover Dragon Age? My dad! He got Origins when it came out and told me he thought I’d enjoy it, so I gave it a go and never looked back!

03) How many times you’ve played the games? I’ve lost count, tbh, although I’ve probably spent more time starting new playthroughs and spending hours in the CC than actually finishing the games.

04) Favourite race to play as? ELVES. It’s gotten to the point where whenever my dad sees me booting one of the games up now he asks which of my many elves I’ll be playing.

05) Favourite class? Dual-wield rogue. I like being able to pick locks.

06) Do you play through the games differently or do you make the same decisions each time? I’ve created lots of different characters deliberately to roleplay different choices (and romance different characters), but there are certain choices/dialogue options I tend to favour because I feel bad if I choose meaner options . . . 

07) Go-to adventuring group? Origins: Alistair, Wynne, Leliana 2: Fenris, Anders, Aveline Inquisition: Cassandra, Dorian, Iron Bull/Varric (I interchange them a lot depending on whether I want another tank or ranged)

08) Which of your characters did you put the most thought into? Liadan, my Warden, and Eilidh, my Inquisitor, are probably my most fleshed out and the ones I’ve thought the most about as my canon heroes. 

09) Favourite romance? Cullen! I loved his romance so much and I have spent so many hours thinking about his and Eilidh’s relationship.

10) Have you read any of the comics/books? I’ve not read them, but I’ve read summaries. 

11) If you read them, which was your favourite book? N/A, I guess!

12) Favourite DLCs? The Stone Prisoner is a fave because I adore Shale, but I also loved all the possibilities that were opened up with Trespasser and the fact that I got to watch Cullen and Eilidh canonically get married. 

13) Things that annoy you? Yeah, gotta agree with Sophia, the fandom’s pretty awful. Also the horrific vanilla options for hair and eyebrows in the CC.

14) Orlais or Ferelden? FERELDAN. 

15) Templars or mages? In terms of the choices as offered in the game: mages. In a general context: both. I would reform the system that positions them as the mages’ gaolers and makes the mages prisoners, and I would want to address the use of lyrium that controls Templars by turning them into addicts, but I wouldn’t get rid of the Templar order entirely - in a world where not everyone has magical abilities, I think it makes sense to have an order of fighters who are capable of dispelling and combating magic. 

16) If you have multiple characters, are they in different/parallel universes or in the same one? The same one! I’ve created characters for pretty much every origin in both Origins and Inquistion and worked out how they all survive and fit into the wider context in which Liadan and Eilidh are the Hero of Fereldan and Inquisitor respectively.

17) What did you name your pets? (mabari, summoned animals, mounts, etc) Liadan’s mabari was called Fenrir (this was before DA2 came out and Fenris was introduced) and Marian’s is called Cerberus. Cullen and Eilidh’s mabari is called Cavall, and Eilidh’s hart is called Llamrei (yes, there was a theme in how I named them).

18) Have you installed any mods? Now that I have a PC capable of playing them instead of just a PS4, YES. 

19) Did your Warden want to become a Grey Warden? No, not really - certainly not if she had had another option. But her survival instinct is strong and given choices were a terrible, painful death from the taint or the possibility of life as a Warden (one that might have more resources for finding Tamlen), she went with Duncan willingly. 

20) Hawke’s personality? Mostly diplomatic, with some sarcasm thrown in now and then. Marian won’t hesitate to fight if provoked or backed into a corner, but she’s of the opinion that she will generally benefit more if she’s not the one doing the provoking. 

21) Did you make matching armour for your companions in Inquisition? Uh, no, I just focused on making Eilidh’s armour pretty and let the companions’ armour do its own thing.

22) If your character(s) could go back in time to change one thing, what would they change? If she could, Liadan would want to change things so that Tamlen lived - but she’d try to find a way to do so without then condemning the rest of Thedas if she wasn’t recruited. Marian would want to try and save Carver and her mother. 

23) Do you have any headcanons about your character(s) that go against canon? Mmm that they’re all in the same universe and most end up with the Inquistion? Ysabel romancing Krem is technically against canon, I guess, but idc, they’re in love, end of story. 

Also I headcanon that Ninaeve does move on from Solas - as much as she loved him, she feels that his choosing his not to give up his plans, even knowing it might mean the destruction of everyone and everything she cares about, is kind of a point of no return for the relationship and that she deserves more than that. She wants to save/stop him for his own sake, but she can’t be with him after everything that’s happened. Instead, she finds the true, reciprocal love she deserves in Zevran, who becomes the Inquistion’s spymaster after Leliana becomes Divine. 

Also that Marian gets out of the Fade and gets back to Fenris, I guess?

24) Who did you leave in the Fade? Hawke. It felt like the right character choice for her - she holds herself responsible for not killing Corypheus, so she would make that sacrifice to ensure the others got out. But also she has a habit of surviving things most people wouldn’t, so I like to think she kills the Fear Demon and finds a way out of the Fade eventually. 

25) Favourite mount? I tended to use the Brecilian Sure-Foot hart for Eilidh, because the harts look super cool.

#about me #dragon age #tag game

[chocochipbiscuit]

1 4 6 14 and 15 for we sleep in secret places!

we sleep in secret places (Dragon Age 2, Isabela/Merrill)

1.What inspired you to write the fic this way? I’ve always been a sucker for Merribela, and when I got a fisting prompt from @irondeficientbull I knew I needed to ease into it (hur hur, ease into it) because fisting’s not usually a first date activity! So I wanted to expand it and add some other scenes, plus show the depth of their relationship developing across the various acts of DA2.

4.What’s your favorite line of dialogue?

“I think that’s the trick about forgiveness— it’s never earned. It’s only given.” Another pass, another sip. Merrill lifts her leg, slides and half-crawls her way into Isabela’s lap, nestling into the curve of her arm. “It’s in the name.”

Oh man. This line still makes me sigh a little (a lot) because I was thinking a lot about forgiveness and redemption, the way that fandoms and culture decides which characters and people are worthy of either. We can hold individuals up as ‘pure’ before they topple into ‘problematic,’ and ‘problematic’ can be used to cover for everything from ‘they have done X, Y, Z things that inflicted serious harm on people’ to ‘they have an Incorrect Opinion on bagels.’ I like complicated, messy characters, and am (generally) dissatisfied with what passes as redemption in most fanfics. Some characters don’t need to be redeemed to interesting, some aren’t sufficiently redeemed in the narrative as presented because suffering=/= redemption, and sometimes a character can do their best to redeem themselves without having earned forgiveness from those they’ve harmed.

Obviously, this is still something I’m thinking about.

But in this context, I like it because all the companions (and Hawke themself) in DA2 have different moments where they can betray each other. Their forgiveness is a matter of perspective.

6.What makes this fic special or different from all your other fics? This was the start of my more recent effort to combine smut with longer character arcs. I love writing smut, but also realized that a lot of the stories that really resonated for me were ones that involved more character development and emotional narrative. I was (and still am, to a certain extent) used to a kink meme or PWP formula where the sex is disconnected from the story, or where the sex is used as a happy ending or ‘reward’ for when the characters finally get together.

(Side note: I don’t mean ‘disconnected’ in a negative sense, but to mean that it can be an isolated one-off that doesn’t reflect a change in the characters or how we view them. It can be one scene from an established relationship or something that’s a quickie get-together, but the sex itself is not used to advance or develop a story because the sex is the story, and can be read in isolation from the rest of the canon or narrative. Obviously not all PWP or one-offs match this description, but it’s a pattern that I have seen and that I know I myself have fallen into.)

When I was outlining this, I knew I wanted to have more than one sex scene, and I wanted each scene to be at a pivotal point in the characters’ lives, a way of either draining tension (as after Merrill and Isabela both betray Hawke in the Fade) or to show a transition in their relationship, like when they first become lovers or to provide one last warm fuzzy before the Chantry explodes. I also wanted to make sure it wasn’t ‘just’ sex scenes, so there had to be other bits of banter and camaraderie, plus showing Merrill’s developing relationship with the alienage. I still wanted to keep the sex integral to the story though. Someone who skips the sex would miss a lot of key points in the fic, and someone who tries to skip only to the sex would also miss a lot of key points.

So that’s it! This is still something I’m working on.

14.Is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic? Merrill’s not naive, just inexperienced. She might not understand all the dirty jokes and innuendo because she lacks context, but it doesn’t stop her from thinking dirty thoughts or wanting in on the innuendo. :P

Also, friendships are complicated and sometimes friends can hurt each other without meaning to. Endless forgiveness doesn’t work for everyone, but the Kirkwall crew at least knows that they’ve got each other’s backs they’re against the wall.

15.What did you learn from writing this fic? I’ve learned (and am still learning) to outline my scenes, to try and make it have an actual narrative to it beyond ‘and then stuff happens.’ It also forced me to be more strategic, trying to compact more history and character in every moment, so I would try to track the smut scenes, but also moments of character growth and when other characters (like Hawke, Aveline, Sam) made appearances, to help remind the reader of the people important in Merrill’s life.

This was a whammy of an ask! Thank you! :D

(Questions are from this fanfic ask meme!)

#choco writes #ask meme #fanfic meme #fireferns

[felassan]

What is your opinion on Flemeth? I see so many fans praising her for being a bamf grandma, for saving Hawke and it confuses me. Didn't she abandon Elves? Didn't she abuse Morrigan? According to them not, because she was hurt and sad during their confrontation or that she actually never planned to possess her body. Her supposed friendship with Solas is iffy to me too.

Hi Nonnie! This answer is under a cut for sensitivity as it mentions abuse, and for length.

I think there’s nuance here. Liking (or appreciating the storybeats from) a fictional character, in the context of them as a character, doesn’t mean liking them as a person or agreeing with their actions. It also doesn’t mean that you’d endorse such actions happening in the real world, or that you’d like, support or spend time with such a person in real life. We separate the two. It’s okay to like her character and it’s okay to not like her. Certain things can also be true simultaneously - for example, like many characters in Dragon Age, Flemythal has done things that have had good impacts (such as saving Hawke, although it should be noted that she did this for her own benefit and in pursuit of her own ends), and she’s also done things that are questionable or even bad.

I like Flemythal as a character in a fictional setting. I find her very interesting. Mysterious, complicated, cryptic, plot-integral. I like that she’s powerful (she is pretty badass) and clearly has her own ends and agenda. That’s agency. Her voice casting is second-to-none and I find her involvement to have been one of the intriguing (and arguably iconic) staples of the series. She generates a lot of speculation and theorycrafting given that a lot of questions still remain about her, her past involvement in events and possibly her future involvement also. It’s also nice to see a visibly older woman in a prominent role, as they are often underused or underrepresented in media.

That said, she wasn’t a good mother. I don’t think she’s a good person, and multiple elements of her relationship with Morrigan do read as abusive (in several different ways too, as abuse has several forms). Morrigan compares her to Kalah Brosca, which is self-explanatory. Morrigan recounts times when Flemythal broke her possessions, taught her harsh lessons, told her horrifying stories, punished her or only gave her gifts which came at a cost. Morrigan’s Fade nightmare in the Circle Tower consists of the spirit/demon emulating her mother hitting her and saying horrible things (and such Fade-scenarios do in a way reflect what happened or what was perceived to have happened by the ‘experiencer’ in ‘the real’). Flemythal was manipulative, insulting and told half-truths to her. Morrigan’s personality is also in large part due to her background, Flemythal’s influence, treatment and teachings; it’s why she values survival and power above all, thinks that love is a weakness and makes some off-color, heartbreaking comments about love as a concept. It speaks of both the reality of what the Evanuris were like (compared to the Dalish conception of them as the Creators), the impact the murder of Mythal had on her as a being and of the further impact functionally fusing with the intensely aggrieved/angered human Flemeth, that this is the kind of parent that Mythal the Protector and All-Mother, goddess of love and patron of motherhood, was to Morrigan. Thinking of it in those terms makes it seem sadly ironic and puts me in the mind of the perversion of spirits of Justice away from their purpose towards Vengeance (not literally exactly, but thematically?).

Prior to the murder, Mythal in her fullness was the “best” of the Evanuris, according to Solas’ account, but even then... The best of a bad bunch is not exactly much of an accolade, and although she cared for and protected her people and was often a voice of reason compared to other Evanuris that would mitigate the worst of their whims and excesses, she was still... a false-god divine-pretender, and essentially the queen of their extremely classist empire system. She may have had slaves marked with slave-brands. She struck down some Titans and gave their “land” to the People, and did “something” ominous-sounding to the Titans and/or the dwarves. She was a patron of vengeance as well as justice. Some accounts paint her as dark and vengeful, and Solas admits that she was “both of these [both the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ versions of her from the tales] and neither.” (“It’s more complicated than that”!) To add, Mythal being the best of them is Solas’ opinion, no doubt partially colored by his personal history with her. It’s difficult to comment on Mythal in her fullness and the Evanuris in general though, as all we have are partially biased accounts and scraps like misremembered tales and Codex entries which each come filtered through the respective lens of their writer.

Flemythal did seem to express sadness or regret in her DAI encounter with Morrigan. This is another one of those situations with nuance and where two things can be true at the same time. Flemythal was a bad parent and was abusive towards Morrigan. Flemythal also seems to care for her, in a way. I make no comment on other peoples’ experiences or on the majority of cases, and in no way would Flemythal’s treatment of and dynamic with Morrigan be acceptable in a real life situation, just, speaking from direct personal experience, there are sometimes instances where the abusive relative did care about their respective family member at the time, and later felt sad and regretful about the things they did to them and the impact it had on them. And she did intend the essence of her godhood as a gift for Morrigan, not hostile possession. 

Her abandonment of the elves is something that can come up both with Lavellan and other Inquisitors in those scenes: “If Mythal is a part of you, why haven’t you helped us? We’ve called to you, prayed to you.” “[looks away and looks sad] What was could not be changed.” “What about now? You know so much.” “You know not what you ask, child.” // “If Mythal is within you why not reveal yourself?” “And to whom should I reveal myself?” “To the elves, to everyone!” “Hah... I knew the hearts of men even before Mythal came to me. It is why she came to me. They do not want the truth, and I... I am but a shadow lingering in the sun.” I do wish she had interacted more with the elves in Thedas, especially given the lot of modern elves there and especially considering Dalish tales of and reverence towards her as Asha’bellanar (Merrill bowing to her in DA2, how Marethari sought her out in 8:82, the clan that turned Maric and Loghain over to her, the way Lavellan can mention their people speak of her legend).

The writing in that conversation is kinda frustrating in that it’s intentionally vague and more of a non-answer than a sufficient explanation to the question posed. But there’s some Thing we don’t know yet, something we’re not supposed to know about Mythal right now. It sounds like the truth of why and of the matter isn’t simple or... pleasant (“You know not what you ask” - that sounds like worshipping her, the reality of her, wouldn’t be good). In DA2 when Merrill bows, Flemythal asks her if she knows who she is beyond the title Woman of Many Years. Merrill replies that she knows only a little, and Flemythal says “Then stand. The People bend their knee too quickly.” It sounds kinda like “If you knew I was Mythal, and if you knew what Mythal and her compatriot gods and by extension our society was like back in the day, you wouldn’t be bowing to me and wouldn’t want to worship me.” sefesjfesfeksj this gap in our knowledge is maddening lol. Or perhaps she thinks that the elves wouldn’t want the truth, would reject it or would feel worse after learning it? The revelations in DAI that the gods are false and were actually jerks, that vallaslin were originally slavemarkings, that an elf caused their downfall (not humans) and that their ancient society practised slavery and all that - it’s a lot. If so, I do wish she would’ve let them make up their own minds about it though.

There’s also the question of whether the Dalish would believe her claims if she came forth with them. Some would, but her appearance is outwardly-human as the Inquisitor can note, and Solas didn’t make any real headway with most of the Dalish he encountered when he tried to talk about some of his knowledge with them before joining the Inquisition, and that was without including the undoubtedly seismic “btw, I’m one of your gods” part. Would she even be capable of doing much to help them in her current form? A shadow lingering in the sun sounds like she’s barely a fragment of what she once was, and only has a fraction of her old power. In the modern day she’s a powerful mage who can shapeshift into a dragon and cheat death with a Horcrux, sure. Is that enough to, say, destroy the human kingdoms, or radically alter the social position of elves in Thedas? To add, if you subscribe to the belief that there’s a connection between Flemythal and Andraste (with Shartan) and/or Tyrdda Bright-Axe (with her “leaf-eared lover”), it seems that she’s tried to change things before in the past along these lines and failed.

Who are “the elves” to her, anyway? She mentions to Lavellan and Merrill how they are of the People, but we can see a back-and-forth on that subject with Solas during DAI, who at times says modern elves are his people, and at other times says they are not. Who’s to say who “the elves” or “The People” are to Flemythal in her mind, millennia later, really? If her conception of her people is ancient elves, not modern elves or both... Recall Abelas, one of Mythal’s lead acolytes: “'Our' people? The ones we see in the forest, shadows wearing vallaslin? You are not my people.” Maybe that’s why she hasn’t done much to help modern elves? If her people are the ancient elves, and if Solas’ plans don’t include modern elves, perhaps that’s why she didn’t do much for modern elves all this time but /does/ help Solas power up so that he can carry out his plans to help the ancient ones (along with the fact that her desire for vengeance depends on his success, of course). She knew he would come after all. An alternative reading is that his plans do include modern elves, but in order to save the People (and again also to get her revenge) she needed him (to gift her power to and do The Thing), and so until he woke up from his many years of slumber, all she could really do was wait for that moment? Their respective natures in the modern world are different; she’s just a spark of a dead goddess in a formerly-human vessel, a shadow lingering in the sun, and he’s still his proper full self, albeit temporarily weaker than usual. He specifically says in Trespasser that his situation isn’t comparable to Flemythal’s - “Are you a fragment of what Fen’Harel once was, like Mythal?” “No, this is all I have ever been”. It’s a stark difference in their two conditions, and it ties back to the question above of whether Flemythal’s abilities in the modern age would have been Enough to do anything concrete. In this reading, Flemythal’s nudging and influencing of history along a certain course through time, which she’s been doing in order to line up events just so so that the Evanuris will be unleashed again by Solas, take on a secondary motive too: lining up events just so so that Solas will be able to carry out his plans and in so doing, save the People.

Mythal’s relationship with Solas is another one of those things that’s difficult to comment on, as we only have hints and pieces. They were close, that much is clear from the intimacy and familiarity on both their parts in the post-credits scene, from how he speaks of her in Trespasser, and from his desire to subject the Evanuris to an eternity of torment as a fitting punishment for the crime of murdering her. Fen’Harel statues in the Temple of Mythal, which Morrigan says is a thing that seems like naked paintings of Andraste in the Chantry. Wolf ‘guardian-like’ statues on either side of her Altar. The eluvian in the post-credits flanked by both a dragon and a wolf. Statues in the Deep Roads: “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?” Cole’s words, if they’re about Solas and Mythal: "He did not want a body. But she asked him to come. He left a scar when he burned her off his face.” Legacy dev notes stating that he was once her oldest friend. These are fragments and we can only try to infer. Were they involved? Was he her second-in-command, her spymaster, her consort, her enforcer, her confidant, the leader of her ‘kingsguard’, her right hand, her advisor, the ‘guardian wolf’ to her ‘Emerald Knight’, what? Was he once a spirit and he manifested a body at her behest? What events led to him burning her vallaslin off his face? Did they have a disagreement? To what extent was she using him? The specifics of their relationship and their respective positions therein aren’t, but what’s clear is that once, she needed him, he was in her service, and that there was fondness between them. 

(For the record I don’t believe she possessed him in the post-credits, or that he absorbed her essence/Mythal-spark and now the Well-drinker is bound to him. I think she passed her godhood through the mirror to Morrigan and allowed Solas to take her power/strength, that’s all.)

There’s an undertone that Flemeth may not really have full autonomy in what she’s doing (or was doing), at least where her broadstoke actions and goals are concerned. After her angry rant about vengeance, [worldstate dependent] she looks up at the statue of Mythal. In both scenarios her expression then becomes kind of sad, and she looks to the side. “Alas, so long as the music plays, we dance.” That sounds kind of like she has no choice? Like something’s fated or she’s bound to her cause? Before Flemeth’s end, Mythal was to her as our hearts are in our chests. They are intrinsic and carry out their function - beating - no matter what, until death. Given the dichotomy of Justice and Vengeance as explored by the nature of spirits and demons, and the ‘spirit-adjacent’ nature of elves, it feels like she’s compelled to do what she’s been doing all these centuries, in pursuit of the goal of getting that all-important revenge. “Our destinies are not so easily avoided.” She gets so incensed when she rages about her vengeance, it’s like she’s consumed by it. The burning desire for revenge is what kept her wisp alive through the Ages, after all.

#dragon age #bioware #abuse #abuse mention #abuse cw #morrigan #queen of my heart #solas #cole #spirit boy #mj replies #anonymous #video games #mj meta