#work truly is a blight on the soul

[datadegroove]

it is pretty funny you actually do start making better posts when you're unemployed

#ive been off of work for like #idk #almost a month #and i find it easier to come up with stuff #work truly is a blight on the soul

[xzaddyzanakinx]

| Not Yet | part one

An Anakin Skywalker X FemReader Oneshot

18+ MDNI

Warnings: Eventual Somnophilia, Cockwarming, oral, fingering, unprotected vaginal sex, etc. (More warnings to come in part two)

Aggression, anger, biting, pinching,

Info: Unburned Anakin, Darth Vader Anakin - No Mask, Established Relationship, Anakin is broody but he adores you. He destroys something of yours he’s not sorry. NOT proofread❤️

Anakin Skywalker, leader of the Empire. A powerful Sith, a harsh and unforgiving presence looming over the galaxy. Known for his anger, his hatred, his ruthlessness.

No one would suspect that behind the mask, underneath the intimidating vocoder, is a soft smile. All boyish charm, beautiful sky blue eyes with just a hint of yellow. A scar across his right eye, a token of his past that he wears well.

The dark web of his blighted path is littered with holes of light shining through with the memories of his younger years. You see him for what he truly is. A master weaver.

And weave he did, straight into the missing piece of your soul.

Anakin, The Lord Darth Vader, would be seen as a weakened man if any one were to discover how he acts behind closed doors. The web of lies stretches far and wide, but never into the confines of your shared quarters. When the mask is removed, your Anakin emerges. Your sweet boy, loving, caring, considerate, everything that Vader is not.

The vastness of space always seemed to calm you, it was peaceful. The stars seemed close enough to touch as you pass the planets hanging in the surrounding darkness, watching them slowly shrink as the Death Star made its way to the next destination.

The long curved window of your living room was your favorite spot to sit and read, Anakin had a large oval shaped lounge chair designed specifically for you just for this very purpose. He couldn’t understand why you’d remove the couch cushions and place them on the floor just to be near the window, so he’d surprised you with the beautifully made black velvet seat. If you could call it that, really it was more of a day bed.

As you lay there, book in hand, the door opened abruptly causing you to jump.

“Ani?”

There was no response from behind you, just the hissing of the release of his helmet followed by the soft thump of hard plastic against the plush carpet. It was rare that he returned in a foul mood, and clearly this was one of those days. You knew better than to ask questions, he hated talking war and politics with you, work was work and home was home. He kept them entirely separate, no one dared to bother him with questions or updates once he’d stepped foot into your quarters.

You heard him huff in annoyance as he stomped off to the bedroom. You sighed and placed your book aside, making your way to the kitchen. A nice little glass of whiskey worked wonders on him on days like this. You poured a generous amount, grimacing when the smell hit your nostrils. You sat the glass aside, sliding the whiskey bottle back into its place.

You prepared his favorite snack, peanut butter and bananas, a strange pairing for whiskey… but he liked it so who were you to judge? You left the plate and glass on the counter for him and made your way to the bathroom.

You drew a steaming bath, complete with bubbles and fragrant oils, placing two fluffy towels and his robe beside the sink. He never asked you to do these things for him, but you knew he enjoyed it. It was a habit you’d started and followed religiously after the first time he’d returned home in a sour mood like this.

You undressed allowing the fabric of your dress pool at your feet. Slowly sinking into the hot water, you closed your eyes and waited for him.

Soft footsteps alerted you to his presence, a small smile upturned your lips as you opened your eyes to see him standing above you already nude. Whiskey glass in hand, he stepped into the tub in silence.

He settled in, taking a sip from the glass before setting it aside, letting his head tip back against the high wall of the porcelain tub. His hand felt for your ankle, pulling it to rest on his thigh, he rubbed his thumb gently back and forth against your skin.

He tugged at your ankle slightly, trying to get your attention after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

“M’ sorry I’ve been grumpy.” Anakin whispered, watching you with a pout as you opened your eyes.

“Had a rough day?” You asked him, earning a groan and a nod as confirmation.

He shifted, trying to crawl into your lap. His cheek rested on your chest, nestled between your water slicked breasts. His left hand came up to lazily circle your nipple, watching in fascination as it hardens under his touch. With your legs on either side of his torso you took the opportunity to trap him there with your thighs. Smirking at the low rumbling you felt his chest make against your abdomen.

“How can I make it better?” You asked, twirling a strand of his damp hair around your pointer finger.

“Neck.” He grumbled shrugging his shoulders to encourage you.

“Mhm,” you grinned, placing your hands on his shoulders but not moving. You were waiting for a ‘please’.

“C’mon, you asked how to help and this is how.” He picked up his hand and flicked water at your face.

You let your fingertips ghost across his skin, hearing him sigh, you guessed it was a mixture of gratitude and impatience. You pressed a little harder watching his skin dimple beneath your touch. A small strangled moan left his lips from the sensation, just like you’d hoped. A smirk crawled up the corner of your mouth as you stilled your movements.

“Fucking stop doing that!” Anakin pinched the skin on your ribs harshly.

“Ow!” Before you could think you had smacked the back of his head. “Oh shit oh Ani I’m sorry!”

He slowly raised his head and you couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the golden flecks in his eyes that so intensely burned into yours. Ani had a temper, that you knew, you rarely fought and it was never caused by something as small as this. A little teasing was just part of your love language but occasionally you’d find yourself stepping over the fine line of ‘cute annoyance’ and straight into ‘Jesus FUCK! Where’s my fucking stun gun!’, followed by laughter from the both of you.

Though this time, he wasn’t laughing.

He lifted himself up with his hands firmly planted on either side of your hips, a glare in his eyes that could’ve burned through beskar as he dropped his line of vision to your chest. Before you could think of a good apology for bothering him, your brain short circuited from an intense sharp pain.

It took longer than expected for your mind to catch up with what you were seeing. Anakin had bitten you right on the softest most sensitive part of your breast. He was merciless with it, sinking his teeth in and leaving a perfect impression on your skin. It was already bruising as you ran your finger over it gently. You looked up to see Anakin watching you with a glazed look in his eyes, no emotion on his face.

“What the hell Anakin?!” You shrieked.

He stood sharply, making sure to completely douse your face and hair in water as he kicked his legs up and over the edge of the bathtub. He snatched his robe from the counter and stomped off, leaving puddles as he went.

“Fine. Whatever.” You mumbled, knowing it was not fine and it was not whatever.

You drained the tub, taking extra time to pamper yourself once you got out since someone had decided that you were enemy numero uno. You wrapped your hair around a soft silk strip to create waves once it dried. Lotion and oils applied to your legs and arms gave your skin a delicious scent and a shine that almost glowed in the dim lighting. The bite mark was throbbing and warm as you rubbed bacta-gel over it with a wince.

Normally you wouldn’t mind sporting a bitemark like this. But right now, looking at it didn’t give you a shiver as you remembered an intimate moment, it brought a red blush of anger to your cheeks.

You exit the bathroom in your towel, peering cautiously into the bedroom. Anakin was no where to be found so you went in, throwing on the first nightgown and panties you could find. Your mind whirled with reasons for his anger, but there were none. This wasn’t something you’d caused. But it was something you’d fix.

Anakin POV

Everything was so constricting. My robes, my shoes, my gloves, the stupid fucking mask. My hands flexed into fists over and over as I walked.

“I can’t wait to get home to her.” I thought.

That breifing was shit. Absolute shit.

That moron Tarkin had gotten eight, eight Imperial Cruisers, damaged and one completely destroyed beyond repair. How did this happen?

“My apologies Lord Vader”

“Those fighter pilots came out of no where!”

“You don’t understand Lord Vader! It was just a routine visitation to the Outer Rim, we weren’t aware there were Rebels gathered there!”

If he wasn’t someone who’d never made a mistake in the entirety of his career under my supervision I would’ve crushed his windpipe while he dangled above the conference table. What a way to achieve your first mistake.

The moment I walked through the doors of my quarters I dropped my helmet, shedding my outer robes as I trudged to the bedroom.

“Ani?”

I sighed when I heard her sweet voice, smiled when I heard her set aside what she was doing just too brighten up my terrible day with my favorite guilty pleasure. I dropped my clothes to the floor, kicking them out of the way before walking out the door, not caring that I was stark naked.

We must’ve just missed each other in the hall because she wasn’t in the kitchen when I got there, and the sound of water running hit my ears a moment later.

I didn’t deserve such a woman. Someone so gentle and caring. But here I am, graced with her presence every day.

I chuckled when I saw she’d made a smiley face with the banana slices.

Her body.

Her gorgeous body lay before me in the bath, she looked so serene with her head resting tilted back, her slender neck exposed. Her gentle breathing lifting her chest from the bubbly water, exposing her naked breasts with each inhale.

The water was so warm that it drew an involuntary groan from me as I slipped into my spot across from her. Soon finding her ankle, rubbing my thumb across her soft skin, doing this to sooth myself more than her to be honest.

“M’ sorry I’ve been grumpy.” I mumbled, knowing my attitude was horrible since the moment I returned.

“Have a rough day?” She furrowed her eyebrows, always concerned for me, always worried.

I nodded, it was a rough day. Horrendous actually. I groaned and lifted my head hit the porcelain behind me to make my way over to her open arms. Melting into her body as I rested my head against her chest, centered between her soft, supple breasts. I couldn’t help but reach out and tease one, just to watch it rise from the simple touch.

She squeezed my sides a bit, gentle enough but much to hard for me after the day I had. I bit back my complaint, by bruised ribs not worth ruining the sweet moment between us.

“How can I make it better?” She ran her fingers through my hair, gently massaging my scalp.

“Neck.” I replied, a bit more gruff than I intended. I wiggled my shoulders hoping she’d take the hint.

Her fingers slithered across my skin, palms resting on my shoulder blades.

“C’mon you asked how you could help, this is how.” I flexed my hand, bringing above the water to throw little droplets at her face.

That seemed to do the trick, I relaxed against her under the light pressure of her fingers. Letting my hands travel up her waist to rest my thumbs in the crease created under her breasts.

Though I love her massages, sometimes she takes too long to begin to really work out the knots. She kept lifting her fingers, removing them completely, bringing them back for soft pressure only to take it away again. Finally she really dug in, hitting the spot that ached the most, it was almost satisfying. It would’ve been if she hadn’t ripped her hand off me again.

“Fucking stop doing that!” I growled, pinching the tender skin on her ribs a bit harder than intended.

“Ow!” She shrieked in pain.

I went to immediately apologize but before I could make a sound her palm delivered a swift ‘whump’ to the back of my skull. Something deep inside me snapped. My breathing stopped as I felt an intense streak of rage run through my spine.

“Oh shit, oh Ani I’m so sorry!” She yelped out, she clearly did it from reflex. But the apology fell on deaf ears.

I lifted myself above her, steeling my gaze into her eyes. Normally I wouldn’t mind being smacked around by her, I encouraged it actually. But this wasn’t the bedroom, and today wasn’t a normal day. Before I could stop myself my impulses controlled my movements.

My mouth clamped down into her breast, digging my teeth in harshly. Coming to my senses I quickly released her, feeling immediate shame as I looked in her eyes again. She was hurt, physically, emotionally… it only intensified when she inspected the wound.

Her eyes snapped up at me, fire burning in her irises.

“What the hell Anakin?!”

She sounded as hurt as she looked, I couldn’t bare it. But I also couldn’t force my mouth open to speak. So I did what I do best, avoided it. I left the tub in a hurry, not caring that I’d left a lake of water in the floor as it splashed over the edge.

“Fine. Whatever.” She whispered under her breath. It wasn’t fine, and it wasn’t whatever. It was wrong of me… but I couldn’t say that right now.

I grabbed my robe and headed to grab some pajamas, hoping to hide myself away so I could contemplate which way I’d prefer to grieve the loss of my marriage when she served me with divorce papers tomorrow morning.

You had searched every corner of your shared quarters, and Anakin wasn’t sulking in any of them.

“Anakin!” You yelled and waited but got no response.

You threw on your slippers and grabbed a throw blanket to wrap around yourself as you left the warmth of your quarters to search for him in the cold corridors.

Once you’d made your way to the end of the hall, you turned left in the direction of his office. You passed a few troopers on your way who gave you a wide berth as they passed, not daring to make eye contact.

“Hey!” You said, trying to get their attention.

You startled them so badly that they collided into each other before they quickly turned to face you.

“Y-yes ma’- sorry.” One cleared his throat and started over, “Yes Empress?

“Where is Vader, I need to speak to him please?” You asked your polite tone never ceased to shock the subordinates and it shows.

“Oh-uh he…” one started, and another cut him off.

“Last I know he was headed in the direction of your quarters Empress. Shall we escort you?”

“No that’s not necessary. Thank you boys, carry on.”

You turned on your heels, padding down the hall back in the direction of your quarters. Leaving the stunned troopers behind you.

Soon after arriving home again you searched the apartments. Finally giving up when you realized his helmet was missing from the spot it landed on the floor. You resigned to crawling into bed alone, for the first time in years.

Tag List:

@tsugumiholic

@kingdomhate

@burnthecheshirewitch

Let me know if you wanna be added/removed!

Thanks for being so understanding. I’m truly devastated that I lost part of this post. I’ll do my best to re-write it better than the original😭

#anakin x reader #anakin smut #sw anakin #anakin skywalker #star wars #star wars fanfiction #slutty anakin #star wars anakin #darth vader #darth vader smut #anakin skywalker x reader

[blueares]

You know, of all the bosses in Ender Lilies, I feel like Eleine and Gerrod kinda got shafted with their boss theme titles. I mean, all the others get a theme named to fit their story.

Julius: Accolade Julius only ever sought one thing: acknowledgement from his father. He rose up from nothing to become the captain of the royal knights, earning fame and prestige, even presumably partaking in the Battle of the Bastion. Despite all of his accolades, however, Julius never received the recognition he wanted until the very end.

Hoenir: The Sun As leader of the Dark Executioners, Hoenir spent most of his life living in the shadows. His duty was to remain unseen and unacknowledged by the kingdom he served. Hoenir spent much of his time in the dark, dismal dungeon that was the Stockade. To someone like him, the light and warmth of the sun must have been a nigh-foreign concept... And yet he defended the last light of hope from the Blight for as long as he possibly could.

Ulv: Bloom Ulv was known by many as the Mad Warrior. He was a stoic man of few words that mercilessly cut down the kingdom's enemies. Many of Ulv's own allies feared him, but in truth, he was actually a gentle soul deep down that simply lacked the ability to properly express himself through words. Fretia was the only one that saw Ulv for who and what he truly was, even instilling in him a love of nature's beauty. Ulv spent a great deal of time watching over a field of Fretia's favorite flowers; when Rain of Death came, his last moments of sanity were spent watching the flowers bloom.

Miriel: Evil There's a lot of ways you can interpret this one. Miriel was infected by the Blight while working alongside Fayden, and so he took to increasingly desperate measures to reverse her transformation. Even after Miriel fully transformed into a massive, hideous beast, however, she was... Different from the other Blighted. She attacks Lillie seemingly not out of malice, but to protect Fayden's lab. Though she may be corrupted, and while wicked deeds may surround her, one must ask: is this monster truly evil?

The Blighted Lord: Mother I mean... This one is pretty self-explanatory.

So yeah, you get all these clever, one-word song titles for most of the bosses in the game that hold significant narrative purpose to the characters, and then there's just... "Gerrod the Elder Warrior and Dark Witch Eleine." Like, yeah they sum up the boss you're fighting, but they feel kind of generic compared to the rest.

#Ender Lilies

[blackjackkent]

I was right - Hope got the whole crew in peasant gear.

I like that she made Hector and Karlach match and Jaheira and Minsc match. Very apropos. The leather vest thing that Hector and Karlach are wearing actually doesn't look half bad.

The room up ahead is the one to which Raphael brought the group when we first met him, and it's, uh, not looking so hot now.

The table is still heaped high with plates, but the food on it is spoiled and rotten, swarming with flies. Several of the chairs are broken or tipped over, and several of them hold skeletons that have clearly been here for some time.

"This place is all entrances and no exits..." mumbles a drifting spirit passing through the room.

An animated skeleton labeled "Infernal Mason" is sweeping up the floor, although I'm not sure it's having much effect.

"Another sorry soul come to wander these halls," it growls as Hector approaches. "What do you seek?"

"I need to find the Archive," Hector says carefully.

"I cannot help you," the skeleton rumbles. "This is not my home, even if I can never leave."

Hector relaxes slightly. This creature seems unthreatening, if not particularly helpful. "What ties you to the House of Hope?" he asks.

"I was an architect in life," the skeleton says with an air of regretful nostalgia. "A builder of tombs and temples, but mostly of towers. My proudest work reached for the stars and sought to dry Selune's tears. It was a monument to life and to virtue, and a happy home to my master for many years."

[SELUNE] "A life with Our Lady of Silver is a good life," Hector agrees gravely.

"It was a good life," the revenant says sadly. "I only wish our Lady had not averted her gaze from us. When tragedy came, my master fell into darkness and despair. He marshalled a great army to ruin the world and bring all into shadow. I could not let it happen."

Hector's head lifts and his eyes widen slightly. A great army...to bring all into shadow... This creature is speaking of Ketheric Thorm. Of the Moonrise Towers, those architectural wonders that became the home to abomination.

"I sought out the devil Raphael and signed an infernal pact with him," says the architect. "He promised to destroy my master's army, and I promised him my soul in return. The devil was true to his word. Fiends slaughtered my master's forces, but he endured somehow, and blighted the land..."

Hector nods slowly. Yes - he knows this tale, or of it at least. Halsin has spoken of the original battle against Ketheric a century ago, and Raphael has made reference more than once to having had a hand in the drama and misery of the shadow-cursed lands.

He glances at Jaheira, who is watching the undead creature with an intense, unblinking gaze. When she doesn't speak, he does instead, asking, "This is a familiar tale. Are you the architect of Moonrise Towers?"

"You know my work?" The architect laughs, a hacking, rasping sound. "Oh, I am glad that it endures... Perhaps you also have the misfortune of knowing my master - General Ketheric Thorm."

Hector smiles humorlessly. Yes, he knows Ketheric. He knows the terrible thing that Thorm became after this creature's actions, too. But it would ease no suffering to tell any of that, so he holds his tongue. All he says is, "Ketheric is no more. I killed him."

"Then all came to pass as I had hoped," the architect says eagerly, and Hector can see its bearing straighten with some new hope, "though a century too late for my family and friends. Your actions may have justified the price of my soul. I thank you." A slight pause, and then, "Tell me - what became of my pride? What became of Moonrise Towers?"

Hector considers his answer for a moment before answering. He dislikes deception, and yet to tell truly of the state of the Towers when he left them would be cruel, for the place was full of mutated flesh and dead bodies and blood, a blasphemy against the goddess to which it was originally raised.

"The tower still stands," he finally says slowly. "But it is a hollow place now."

The skeleton nods slowly in acknowledgement. "Perhaps one day, new life will find it," it rasps softly. "Thank you." It points down the corridor. "Now go. Finish your business here, and leave while you can."

#bjk plays baldur's gate 3 #hector carlisle #gonna leave it there for tonight #should be a lot i can get through over the weekend/monday though :D

[deathbind]

MEKETI ORDERS.

This post will serve as an overview for Meketi's best known orders. This is not an exhaustive list of all orders, organizations, leagues, etc. throughout Meketi history. It's only the best known and most influential with a focus on those acting in present day. I Furthermore, I intend to keep these descriptions brief. More detail will come in future posts.

MANTHU.

The Manthu form one half of the Soshist priesthood. Soshe had many followers before Her martyrdom, and three were closer to Her than any other. To these, She taught the secret of drawing from the Plane of Life, granting them unique ability to heal and revive. These followers gathered Her ashes and still-intact heart after Her "death", and worked tirelessly to revive Her. Three days later, Soshe appeared to them. She chastised them for being so obsessed with Her physical remains, for that is merely the vessel for the soul, and regardless, She was no mere mortal. She charged them instead with safeguarding Her heart that remained: a symbol for safeguarding Her teachings. They gathered Her faithful thereafter, and formed both the priesthood and the beginnings of the faith.

During Serot's lifetime, they allied with his gathered ghul lords to heal the land of Meket after the Beetle Death. When Serot formed those ghul lords into the Anactaci, it was deemed the will of the One Above that they become part of the priesthood. This was as much to the Manthu's benefit as the Anactaci's. As drawing from the Plane of Death has consequences for the Anactaci, so does drawing from the Plane of Life have consequences for the Manthu. They become entirely locked into that plane, unable to draw from any other. They can only cast spells of creation and restoration — that which is in keeping with the nature of that plane. But over time, the Manthu become so full of life their bodies cannot contain it. Their bodies are consumed and cease to be, while their souls merge wholly with the Plane of Life. Close work with the Anactaci keeps this in balance.

ANACTACI.

Prior to Serot, the ghul lords of Meket — and, indeed, all of Zakhara — were scattered and outcast. Some found a place in remote communities as speakers of the dead, but their connection to the Plane of Death and the way their spells reacted violently with anyone else's led the majority to mistrust. Although they experienced a surge in business during the Beetle Death, there were those who blamed them for the appearance of the kheprer. Serot's role in gathering them together to end that blight changed everything.

Now they form one half of the Soshist priesthood, and they stand as one of Meket's most respected orders. The Manthu specialize in healing, revivification, guiding the souls of the living; the Anactaci specialize in divination, necromancy, guiding the souls of the dead. They are two sides of a coin, two ends of a scale, reflections in the river water. Like the Manthu, they are locked entirely into drawing from their patron plane. They may only cast spells relating to death and decay — that which is in keeping with the nature of that plane. Also like the Manthu, this comes at cost. Their health suffers over time, their life sacrificed to their casting, until their souls are lost and their bodies become restless undead. Close work with the Manthu keeps this in balance.

NRA MYETME.

When the Nra Myetme were founded is unclear. Truly anything about them is unclear. It must surely have been after Soshe's lifetime. Some speculate they existed in a different form beforehand but were transformed by Her teachings. Whatever the case, they are firmly Soshist now, keepers of Her Eternal Heart. They truly rose to prominence during Meket's subjugation beneath the newly formed Yikarian Empire in the early 400s DR, though there are indications they existed before.

They are a secretive order. How they are organized, to whom they answer, where they make their home — all this is uncertain, though they rarely hesitate to bow to the authority of a priest. They guard the oldest of Soshist relics, rites, and holy sites, and journey far seeking what has been lost. They're among the few willing to brave the depths of the Haunted Lands. They are also known to appear where "balance must be restored". This seems most often to be where great supernatural threats are afoot. Much of the populace takes them for legends. But when their presence is marked, they are greeted with mixed respect and wariness.

GUARDIANS OF THE SEAL.

It is part of Meketi funerary rites to inter the dead with all they might need in the afterlife. Everything from clothing to wealth to weapons goes with them — whatever their relatives can afford. Unfortunately, it has happened often that a family inters something with a loved one of which they later have need. More unfortunately still, unscrupulous treasure hunters, most from abroad, have invaded the houses of eternity to steal what they can.

This led to the formation of the Guardians of the Seal. These people work closely with the Anactaci to catalogue all goods going into a house of eternity. Their records are extensive and meticulously kept, dating back over a millennium. These are not open to the public, but individuals may petition for access. Additionally, the Guardians may be entreated to recover gravegoods. Working with the priesthood, they are able to do so respectfully. The bravest and most skilled of them may even enter the oldest houses of eternity where the kheprer keep their eternal vigil. (It is a rumored they share an alliance with the Nra Myetme, although this has not been substantiated.)

CHILDREN OF ERUTI.

Meket's prosperity has made them the target of conquest, failed and successful, many times over the centuries. Thus they were the first in Zakhara to maintain a standing army and navy. The Children of Eruti are an order of Meket's most skilled merchant captains, recognized by the Monarch. They are adept at navigating the most dangerous waters, whether the threat be piracy or weather or monsters from the deep. At times when Meket's navy is lean, they are called upon to act as privateers. Normally a lauded order, their reputation has become somewhat muddy of late. Meket's recent alliance with the Isle of Gardens has seen some pirate captains issued pardons and inducted.

Their name comes from a creation myth. It is said that there was a great snake, Eruti, who the One Above set to guard the border of Heaven. The many stars are said to be Eruti's eggs, as yet unhatched. Then Eruti became voracious and began to devour all in her path. When she tried to devour Toril, the One Above struck her down. Her body fell to Zakhara where it forms the Eruti River. Her eggs, the stars, are arranged into constellations depicting great legends that they may forever prevent her from repeating past transgressions. Now she guards the land of Meket and the boundaries between life and death. All souls sail down her lengths to the Great Sea from where they may enter Heaven. The unworthy will have their souls devoured by the great snake or else sail forever, lost on her undulating scales. Thus the Children of Eruti are so named for their ability to navigate the waters, as if favored by the snake herself, and their role in guarding the safety and sovereignty of Meket's waterways.

SERPENT'S FANGS.

The Serpent's Fangs are Meket's most elite soldiers. They are the Monarch's bodyguards, the protectors of the borders, and among the fiercest fighters in Zakhara. They say one Fang is worth thirty fighters. Their name was not given by Meketi, however, but by their enemies. They liken these ferociously effective soldiers to snakes hiding beneath the sands who kill a man with a bite before he has noticed them. They embrace the moniker readily. If they are the fangs of the snake, then that snake is Eruti, whose blood waters Meket's soil. They have sent many souls to her waters.

It is the dream of every Meketi child to join their heroic ranks, but few succeed. Their training is brutal, and has claimed the life of many an aspirant. They specialize in the bow and mounted combat. They are trained to be capable with a variety of weapons, however, and are drilled in tactics and strategy. This facet of their education is rigorous, but it is not the most grueling. What truly culls the ranks is survival training. They are taught to thrive in the harshest environments with the barest resources. They must navigate, hunt, forage, improvise tools, in groups and alone — whatever will enable them to accomplish their objective. There is no shame in failing the training, for it is enough of an accomplishment to have lived. Those who do not make it are still more effective than most soldiers and may try again if they reprove themselves.

THE MONARCH'S VEIL.

Details regarding the Monarch's Veil are even more scarce than those regarding the Nra Myetme. Indeed, even the Nra Myetme take them for ghost stories. It is said Monarch Khemiftreby founded them to spy on and assassinate their enemies. They have thus been passed down from monarch to monarch, always serving the interests of the throne. They say a goat can't fart in the desert without the Monarch's Veil fluttering, and one whose life has been marked is already in Eruti's coils. Most likely these are fanciful tales. Still, they persist.

#META / HC: WORLDBUILDING. #RE: MEKET. #RE: ANACTACI. #RE: SOSHIST CHURCH.

[lairofdragonagelore]

Comic: The Missing

This post belongs to the series DA comic. The main intention is to collect the basic story of the comic and highlight any potential lore concept that may be of interest and may be explored later in the game series.

This post has the following points:

Story

Relevant Details

Characters: a big cameo of various chars from the Tevinter Nights book

Lore

In the Lore section:

We have more details that keep reinforcing the idea that Solas knows very well how The Blight and the darkspawn work. This implies that this problem may have been older than we think.

The forest of Arlathan shows symptoms of having been a place deeply entangled with the Fade and the Veil in its creation. Since Solas is performing a long-time spell to destroy the Veil, the forest has been behaving chaotically in the recent time.

Veil Jumpers: group of Dalish mages and hunters and other non-elf people who try to contain the dangers that this alteration in the forest causes.

Shadow Dragons: Tevinter group that helps people in need inside the city [this includes elves].

The list of Tevinter cities under Qunari invasion increases: Carastes, Ventus, Neromenian, and now Vyrantium are all under Qunari attack.

Potential speculation that relates Arlathan to a city that was sunk, the Black City, and the Horror of Hormak. All this related to Blood Magic as well.

Another artefact has appeared: the crucious stone. We know nothing about it or its powers.

In the forest, there are paths where gravity works different than usual, people may age or return to their younger version as they walk through, and some spirits may force a temporary posession while the soul of the owner of the body is pulled away from their body [this last concept is a very annoying inconsistency with the usual concept of poseession in DA lore, in my opinion]

Two murals appeared: the central part of the famous “The Destruction of the Veil“ [without the figures of Meredith, Corypheus, and the archdemons] and another with two figures wearing dragon-like attires. Details inside the post.

[Index page of Dragon Age Lore]

Story

Basically, Varric and Scout Harding are after Solas to stop him. Varric wants to speak and knock some sense into him; Harding more like sinking an arrow in his head.

As they explore different places while following Solas’ tracks, we find several characters from the book Tevinter Nights. When they explore the Deep Roads, we meet the pair of Grey Wardens from the book: the female dwarf Evka and the male city-elf Antoine.

When they head to Vyrantium [Tevinter], now invaded by the Qunari, they find a powerful person turned into stone, showing how close is Solas. Here, we meet the Crows that killed Francesca’s brother: Teia and Viago, both of them also present in the Tevinter Nights book [they survived a Qunari plot that almost assasinated all the Talons, aka the heads of all the main houses of the Antiva Crows]. They had come to Vyrantium to kill the person who is now stone. They join Harding and Varric’s investigation in order to learn about the person who did it so they have explanations to give to the Crows.

Their investigation leads them to go to the Arlathan Forest, where “magic has run wild for the last thousand years”. They discover that Solas is after another artefact that we can speculate is similar to the red lyrium idol: an ancient elvhen artefacts of great power called the crucious stone.

Here is where the most juicy part of the lore comes: the exploration of the forest of Arlathan

The forest of Arlathan is chaotic and twisted, with paths floating and turning up-side down. Magic runs truly wild in here.

Before venturing forth, Varric and Harding meet another character from the Tevinter Nights: the mysterious elf Strife, who appears now with a Vallaslin of Andruil. We are introduced to the concept of the Veil Jumpers, which name is more dramatic than what they truly are. They are not “veil jumpers” technically, they are not violating the rule of “walking physically into the Fade”, but apparently, they walk “inside” the Veil that is part of Arlathan Forest, whatever that means. They know the ways of the Forest [they even have a detailed map of it]. The forest has been deeply affected by the creation of the Veil, and it’s similarly twisted like the Shattered Library in the Crossroads. What we can say with some degree of certainty is that this place has been deeply entangled with the Fade, hence the creation of the Veil, and probably the destruction of the city of Arlathan, caused this brutal disarrangement in it, going wild since the preparation of the Destruction of the Veil by Solas.

Since the Veil Jumpers know about the artefact that Solas plans to take [which is inside a ruined temple deep into the forest] and the danger that the Venatori who are behind Solas represent, they join forces with Varric and Harding in order to help them walk along the forest .

Clearly, their map shows that the path will be wild: there are part of the travel where their souls are taken while their bodies are temporarily possessed, others where they age as they step through, or walk upside down as if gravity works different here. 

Finally, they reach to the ruined temple and find out that Solas was there already. We know that he even painted a mural, the famous “The Destruction of the Veil“. It is not clear if this mural was painted recently and the chaotic magic of this place made it look aged, or it was painted long time ago, when the Temple was pristine.

In the temple, Solas left a letter where he explains that Varric and company don’t understand what’s happening. Solas also says that he will try to reduce the damage that his plans will cause as much as possible. As usual with these plots, we never know what’s going on exactly because the character who knows it considers us not enough to fully understand it.

It’s curious that so far, we know about two elvhenan artefacts that are related to alterations of the Veil. Maybe they were part of the creation of the Veil, so it makes sense for Solas to know so well their location and their importance in the process of destroying the Veil: The red lyrium idol was in the depth of a lost, odd Thaig, close to Kirkwall, where the Veil is the thinnest, and the crucious stone is located in the core of a Forest that was deeply entangled with the Fade and the Veil.

Without stop, the dwarves now go to Miranthous, the capital of Tevinter, where we find yet another char that was mentioned [but never seen] in the book Tevinter Nights: Neve Gallus; a private investigator and mage, who knows all what’s happening in the city. They learn that Solas passed through the city, helped to free some slave elves, and ended up using the dwarves to prevent the Venatori from recapturing them. This part of the comic is quite shallow in my opinion, with nothing interesting to highlight in terms of lore [beside the apparent existance of a group called the Shadow Dragons]. It contains a lot of “action” scenes that are not that great to see in comic style, in my opinion.

The last page of the comic clearly shows the cliffhanger of what will be the main protagonist of DA:D, a person who is unknown to Solas.

Relevant details

Why the title? I guess the Missing (person) represents Solas, the character that Varric and Scout Harding are after.

Time: After the DLC Tresspasser. I assume this because Varric is Viscount of Kirkwall and everyone is after Solas.

Places: Vyrantium is, like the other Tevinter cities [such as Carastes, Ventus, and Neromenian], under Qunari invasion. We also visit the forest of Arlathan.

Characters: There is a group of characters that appear in the comic and belonged to the book, but they are not explored deeply. It’s basically a cameo of each of them: the Grey wardens Evka and Antoine, the Crows Teia and Viago, the mysterious elf Strife, and the mentioned Tevinter private investigator and mage Neve Gallus.

Lore: The most important part of the comics; what can they provide in terms of lore?

We have a reinforcement of the concept that Solas knows a lot about the Blight: like Flemeth, he knows how to keep the darkspawn far away from him [similar to how Flemeth’s hut was free of darkspawns as long as she was around]. Morrigan told us in DAO that it was part of Flemeth’s magical tricks. Maybe it was something related to Mythal’s nature, which now is part of Solas’ too. 

Vyrantium is under Qunari invasion. This gives us an idea that Tevinter is being invaded by the Qunari with little resistance due to the inner fight against the Venatori. Tevinter is falling apart, fighting two wars at the same time; an external one against the Qunari and an internal one against the Venatori. This situation is extremelly dangerous for everyone in Thedas: if Tevinter falls, Thedas knows that they would have no other force to hold the line against the Qunari [we were informed about this in comic: Magekiller]. The situation is dire. So far we know, Carastes, Ventus, Neromenian, and now Vyrantium are all under the Qunari control.

Shadow Dragons: A Tevinter group that Neve Gallus helps; they apparently help people in need [this includes elves]. It’s not clear how and why, but seems to show, in contrast with the usually cartoonish evil Tevinter that we see, a group of Tevinters that want a better and kinder country. I guess it’s a concept that will be developed later in the DA:D game. 

Arlathan Forest

If we compare the Forest of Arlathan with all the strange things we saw in the Eluvian network but mainly in the Shattered Library [check the posts of the Crossroads in DA: Inquisition] we can conclude that they behave similarly, so we can assume that the Fade was deeply entangled with the forest, left to chaos when the Veil was created. This makes us pull a very easy conclusion with all the lore about Arlathan that we had via Solas and Felassan [read Felassan and bits of lore]: This Forest may have been where the original Arlathan was built. Thanks to some more-or-less “reliable” sources [read Tarohne, the Fell Grimoire, and Xebenkeck], we know this city was where the blood magic was originated, from a Seeker’s point of view [keep this detail in mind].

Thanks to Felassan’s words, we know this city was strongly dependent of magic, and potentially, of Fade itself [like the Shattered Library]. The unreliable tales of the Dalish claim that the city was “sunk” by Tevinter [read Arlathan’s codices in Ancient Elven codices; Din'an Hanin– Elgar’nan Bastion]. But on the other hand, we know that Solas colapsed a place where the Evanuris unleashed terrible things [read the main codex of “The Death of a Titan”], so there is potential lore that may link Arlathan as the place where terrible things were done by the Evanuris, and later it was collapsed, in similar fashion as we read about the The Horror of Hormak in the book. We also know that Arlathan seemed to be related to blood magic, which is a school that can produce horrors if misused [more details that may allow us to link it with similar horrors than the ones present in The Horror of Hormak ]. So, if Arlathan was sunk, or removed from existance [some people consider Arlathan is the Black City even though I can’t find any link or argument in favour nor against it], its magical nature may have been related to the Fade and, once removed/collapsed, it altered this place deeply, especially with the mofidications in the Veil that is experiencing now [Solas is performing a long-time spell to destroy the Veil].

Additional information can be found in the short story called Ruins of Reality:

We learn that Arlathan Forest has been behaving chaotically only recently, so we can suspect it’s related to Solas’ magic: he is performing a spell to destroy the Veil which takes some years [he implied that in Tresspasser’s ending, when he justifies that he helped the Inquisitor to avoid the Qunari invasion because he wanted to give Thedas some years of comfort before releasing the chaos that the destruction of the Veil will produce].

The forest shows alternate images of Strife; they are echos that have premonitory characteristics: they may show what is going to happen to him in few seconds.

Apparently, Strife is not a city-elf, but a Dalish from the clan Morlyn [but there are also implicit information linking him to the Excecutioners too, so maybe he “entered” the clan as a cover agent? It’s hard to specualte about Strife with the little info we have].

“His” clan had a leatherbound journal which started to write itself, describing sacred ruins in Arlathan Forest that guarded an artifact of fabled power. This is the crucious stone we see in the comic. Curiously, this journal sounds a lot like the book we find in a codex of DA2: The Emergent Compendium.

 One of the Veil Jumpers claims that this Forest is the Veil itself, and thanks to the short story, we can assume that these anomalies are recent: they have started since Solas may have begun the spell to destroy the Veil [every previous interpretration keeps making sense].

In Arlathan Forest, like in the Shattered Library [ Inverted Ward], we have places where we walk “upside down”.

However, there are effects that are unique of Arlathan Forest like spirits stealing your body, so you have to run after them for a good part of the path. Personally, this feels a bit of crappy lore. We never had lore in DA series that could explain or even suggest/suspect this, or could be close to this mechanism: possession [of a living creature] is a merge between the body’s soul and the spirit/demon, in the same body, and it’s hard to undo it. The Avvar have shown that it’s possible after an exhausting ritual [Sigrid’s quest explains about this part of the lore, check Stone-Bear Hold Avvars - Part 1]. Besides, this situation violates deeply the strong lore concept that possession cannot be performed unwillingly as we see it happens with Harding and Varric: they are not exactly informed to “allow” this temporal possession beforehand. One of the Veil Jumpers explains this only after Varric and Harding are “body-less” souls. Details like these make me question how much lore-consistent the DA:D game will end up being. Are we going to have a lot of crappy out-of-nowhere lore just to make a story that they can sell to new players while assuming the old ones are going to consume it no matter what? Anyways.

There are also parts where people age suddenly, because “time runs chaotically”. 

We also see a unique Varterral [details in DLC: Witch Hunt] that looks nothing alike the ones we know from the lore: 

creatures made out of stone and bark, that one can even suspect that they may be related to experiments similar to the ones performed in The Horror of Hormak. As usual, the Varterral is protecting something: in this case, the artefact [crucious stone] hidden in the ruined temple.

Finally, when we reach the Temple, two murals are seen: the central part of the famous “The Destruction of the Veil“ [without the figures of Meredith, Corypheus, and the archdemons], and another where we see two humanoids wearing dragon-like attires [Evanuris maybe?, one of them may potentially be Mythal?].

Mural of The destruction of the Veil 

This mural is the central part of the one we saw in the trailer promotioning the game under the name of Dreadwolf. A detailed analysis of it can be found in “The Destruction of the Veil“. 

This mural in this ruined temple may or may not be the same one we saw in the trailer, where Solas touches the wall. I have mixed feelings about this idea. On one hand, it makes sense that Solas may have reached this place in the Arlathan Forest and may have processed what he has to do through a mural, since it is his way to deal with his [lesser evil] decisions. We speculated about this in “The Creation of the Veil” and in “The Death of a Titan”. It’s also specualted in “The Dragon Slain” in  “The actions of the Inquisitor”.

Solas is a character who wanted to learn and teach more than leading rebellions and giving orders [Cole says this in Tresspasser in his line: "Bare-faced but free, frolicking fighting, fierce. He wants to give wisdom, not orders"]. He has been changing over the centuries as the Evanuris pushed the situation to a point of no turning back with the assasination of Mythal. Now, he has to destroy the Veil and unleash the sealed Evanuris to deal with them for good, and also to contain and erradicate the “true” evil that has been hidden behind the thickest barrier of DA lore: the true danger to the world contained in the Black City [considering how much he knows about The Blight and is against it, I imagine this ultimate evil is related to the Blight]. However, it is not clear if this mural is contemporaneous but looking old due to the chaotic nature of time inside the Arlathan Forest, or it’s indeed an old mural, painted ages ago.

In any case, the big difference between the mural we saw in the trailer and the one we see in the comic is that, in the later, there are no Corypheus, Meredith, nor archdemons. This detail made me wonder if this mural is as old as the temple itself. If so, it would mean that this was a “to-do-later” task; an “unstoppable” ending that Solas saw coming when he sealed the Evanuris. He may have known that this was a needed action that would requiere a solution eventually. He only borrowed time to Thedas.

If we think that he sealed the Evanuris in the Black City [with Andruil probably Blighted already, as her codex seems to suggest in Ancient Elven codices, Temple of Mythal], he may accidentally created the red lyrium, and put Great Dragons as guardians of the acess to this place [creatures who are resistant to the Blight but not immune, details in “The Creation of the Veil”]. One can suspect that Solas always knew that his creation of the Veil was a temporary solution, a trick to hold the big evil and give him time to plan and recover energy to truly deal with it in the future. For that, he needed the energy that the orb would gather for a millenia [but Corypheus wasted and broke].

Under this interpretation, the mural we see in the trailer would be a “redrawn” of the mural he did back in that time in the ruined temple of Arlathan Forest. In this recent version, he acknowledges two figures that were not a danger in ancient times: Meredith and Corypheus. Meredith somehow showed that Templars could use the power of the Red Lyrium [she showed how much power they can drawn from it; after all, Templars are the only ones who can use it without immediatelly die as common people do; we can conclude this from the many notes and codices related to experiments of red lyrium in Western Approach and Emprise du Lion]. Corypheus took the power of the orb and ended up destroying it. So now, Fen’Harel will need the help of the remaining Archdemons [if they are not blighted yet] and the remaining power of Mythal [within him], to erradicate the true Evil of the world [and avenge Mythal in the process? Flemeth wanted that for her].

So, in a short summary, we can assume two speculations about when this mural was drawn:

This mural was painted long time ago, probably by the time of the creation of the Veil and the caging of the Evanuris. Solas acknowledged that there was a bigger evil trapped in the Black City that should be eventually deal with it. This idea concords with the lack of figures such as Corypheyus and Meredith [they were not even born yet]. This speculation implies that Solas redrew this mural later [in the Dreadwolf trailer] with the additional characters who accelerated the need to deal with the Veil. I personally like this idea, although it adds inconsistency to previous interpretations [such as the potentiallity that the image of Fen’Harel with silvery-blue eyes was because he had absorved Mythal’s powers]. This could not be possible since back then, Solas was not aware that he will need to absorb Mythal’s powers to deal with this evil.

This mural was painted recently, but the chaotic nature of the Forest made it look aged and cropped parts of it, leaving only the central part of the original illustration. I don’t like this idea at all. The Magic of the forest is wild, but seems ridiculous to assume it can cut parts of a mural just because.

Mural of the Evanuris/Dragon priests

I suspect this mural shows dragon worshippers, or dragons in humanoid form. 

Design-wise, both characters have no way to show their ears or heads. We don’t know if that black thing is hair or decoration of their hats. We don’t know if they are elves either. Their sleeves have in their inner side a texture that may suggest “dragon/lizard belly/inner parts”

The green one has a face in her knee; similar design is seen in the Mythal’s Temple’s guardians and in Solas’s Fen’Harel’s attire.

The hat of the green one has strong similarity with the hat of the attire of the Tevinter Archon. Since Tevinter always worshipped dragons as gods [and the design of their clothes and cities are related to dragons most of the time, details can be seen in “outfit” section from Patterns and Styles: Tevinter], one may suspect that this char in green may be related to a dragon [because she is one of them or because she worships one]. This link makes me guess that Elvhenan worshipped dragons originally, until they took Divinity [dragon blood maybe?] for themselves. 

The shape of the hat of the green one is strongly related to Andraste’s helm and Flemeth’s staff too. In a less convincing way, it may be related to the strange figure in the Deep Roads that I called  moon head creature. This makes me suspect that the figure in green may be Mythal, giving comfort to another, in a motherly way, as she always was depicted. Mythal was also a [green] dragon so it does not contradict my previous statement.

The other figure wearing reddish attire has a hat with the shape of what I called Bull horn head creature. We even find an eluvian with this shape on its top that directs us to the Sundered Hall and Lower Archives in the Shattered Library. I can’t speculate who is this one. A wild, very wild speculation is the following: If the green one is Mythal, the red one may be Urthemiel, simply because Flemeth always wanted to protect Urthemiel’s soul in DA:O. But as you can see, it’s a super weak argument with no confirmation at all [and we know that Urthemiel’s symbols is not the Bull horn head creature, so this seems a very wrong speculation].

Since the strong similarity with the Archon’s attire and the lizard-like details of their sleeves, this image makes me suspect that these two characters are wearing dragon-icon outfits, probably related to worshipping dragons. I consider this because we can make an analogy with another culture of Dragon-worshipping: Tevinter has designs where normal Tevinter people wears Archdemons/Dragon iconography as part of their outfit [check “Outfits” section in Patterns and Styles: Tevinter]. 

If each Evanuris worshipped a dragon, and tried to imitate/earn their powers and shape [the shape of the divine], we know that Mythal did not need that since she was a dragon herself. This would imply that she was, alongside the other Old Gods, another Great Dragon that was part of the group that later was understood as the Old Gods/Archdemons. The fact that she represents herself may be related to the strange addition in DAI that may have existed a 8th dragon among the Old Gods that represented simply a dragon [Constellation: Draconis]. It’s worth noting that this 8th dragon is seen more as a serpentine dragon, and serpentine is the shape that Mythal took to fight Andruil [read the codex of Andruil in Ancient Elven codices, Temple of Mythal]. 

So, with all these details, I find myself inclined to think that these two were two Evanuris or two Old Gods. 

In the case of the Evanuris, they were worshipping or trying to have the “divine shape” [in an attire] of the dragons that controlled the skies when there was only “one song”. Dragons are, after all, “the blood of the world” [details in The Silent Grove, Those Who Speak, and Until We Sleep]

In the case of being Old Gods, the green one could be Mythal, considered the 8th Old God [the serpentine dragon] that was erased somehow, while the red one could be any other. One could suspect Urthemiel, but the shape of the hat has nothign to do with the symbol of Urthemiel that we know for sure. 

As a last speculation that has no arguments to sustain itself: another potential identity for the one in red may be Dirthamen. We saw in the Fade of Flemeth: Part 2, that she has a statue of Dirthamen in a central position, bleeding, and in a design that implies that he may have been betrayed too. Dirthamen is the only one with almost no codices and iconography in most of the game [since most of it is always co-opted by Falon’Din, the best example of it is the Temple of Dirthamen Part 1 - Part 2, which has no mosaic of Dirthamen, ironically]. I always had the impression that Dirthamen was the only other Evanuris who, beside Mythal, could work in a positive way with Solas. But that’s basically my argument here: the lack of negative narrations of Dirthamen against Mythal does not necesarily mean that they were allies. 

#da comic #comic #mythal #the blight #blight #arlathan #arlathan forest #veil jumper #strife #shadow dragon #varterral #dai murals #moon head creature #Bull horn head creature

[aladaylessecondblog]

Fallen Star, ch. 9 (female nerevarine x dagoth ur)

You disappoint me, moon-and-star. You defile yourself with the demon who calls himself a god. You gorge yourself senseless on the sweet wine of the forbidden fruit, and for what?

"If I can convince him--" Sadara started, in as low a whisper as she could manage. But she was cut off.

You cannot convince him. You cannot sway him. The Sharmat's eye is fixed upon the subjugation of Morrowind, and then, of all Tamriel - and you, Sadara, are nothing more than the vessel that carries that which he truly desires. You are set dressing. You are nothing.

"But to be his nothing is better than to be it alone." Sadara went on in the same low tone. "And why should I not save him, as long as it is possible? Why should I not show mercy to the soul who needs it most?"

He is the SHARMAT, foolish child! The devil of Dagoth, the source of corprus, the bane of all Morrowind! He does not DESERVE your mercy!

"And what of the people of the city of Vivec? The people who would die if Vivec himself could no longer hold back Baar Dau?"

Silence.

"Is it because they worship Vivec and not you?"

Silence still, but one she could feel fury from as well. A long pause, that was finally broke by a tense question.

Why are you so insistent? Do you not know he could kill you?

"I want to help him. I know if I don't try, then no will else will...and if I manage it - how much better off Morrowind would be for--"

Azura faded from her mind mid-sentence.

Sadara took a deep and shaky breath. This made it no easier. Azura either didn't see or didn't wish to see the benefit of what she was trying to do. If she could change Voryn's mind, if she could make him see the error of his ways...

If, if, if...

I have to try. But what if it doesn't work?

As much as she wanted to believe she could change him, it suddenly came to Sadara that Azura's point of view, though the complete opposite of Voryn's, was no less rigid at its core. She could not seem to persuade Azura, suppose that she could not change him either?

The thought she'd had before Azura spoke returned once again.

There were three courses of action if she could not convince Voryn to change his ways. To fulfill the prophecy and release the Heart of Lorkhan (and by the same action, murder Voryn), to join House Dagoth and participate in the subjugation of all Tamriel via Akulakhan and corprus, or...

Sadara swallowed, and shut her eyes.

...or walk away, leave Morrowind to tend its own prophecy, leave Voryn and all the love he and House Dagoth had to show and give.

To be alone again.

Her hands came up, and her face sunk down into them. No, no, she wouldn't let it come to that. She would change his mind; there would be no need to think of what to do if she couldn't.

Everything would be alright.

A sudden breeze brought dust against Sadara's face, and on opening her eyes she saw that a blight storm was beginning to kick up. The sunrise was ever more beautiful for it, but the stunning color was quickly overrun by the storm. She heard Rather drifting closer, and stood quickly, turning towards him.

"Right, right, I know, back inside."

Immunity to corprus or not, it wasn't good to be outside during a blight storm.

The answers she'd hoped for hadn't appeared. And there was no one but herself she could go to for answers. The closest option was Nibani Maesa, but she could already imagine what the woman would say...likely it would be a repetition of Azura's opinion on the matter.

You submit yourself to the Sharmat's will, and it is only a matter of time before you fall too far to rise again. Do not listen. Do not go back to him. Retrieve Wraithguard and give him the only mercy he is yet able to receive.

She thought then of the Divines, casting her mind about for any of them that might have advice or guidance for her. Certainly not Arkay, he didn't like the undead. Mara...well...she had prayed to Mara before...she had prayed to some one or the other of the Divines since coming to Red Mountain, and none had yet answered.

She thought of Dibella, one of her teachings. "No matter the seed, if the shoot is nurtured with love, will not the flower be beautiful?"

Perhaps with love she could fix this...

But Dibella cared neither for the undead nor relations with them, and however warm Voryn's embrace the heart in his chest did not beat.

So there would be no aid there, either.

Everything that would be done she would need to do all on her own.

---------------------------

The household of Kogoruhn seemed to have a definite routine, and in the interest of staying out of its way Sadara went to the Vault of Aerode to eat and look over the notes of the prophecy and associated things on Nerevar and the Sixth House that she'd collected so far. Perhaps she would find some wisdom to help her figure things out in their words.

It seemed to make the ash slaves nervous, to have her seated in one of the chairs, to not have it stacked with the others but they said nothing more when Ulen shooed them away with some order she didn't hear.

Ulen eventually returned to her, looking over the scrolls and books, the first of which was Saint Nerevar.

"I thought it might be helpful," she said, seeing him look over the title. "It was...mostly drivel."

She opened it and turned to a random page, noting the next.

Nerevar died not long after of his wounds, but he lived to see the birth of the Temple, and to bless the unity of the Dunmer into the safekeeping of Almsivi, the Temple...

"Made up nonsense that never actually happened." She shook her head, and moved on to Nerevar Moon-and-Star. "Funny how the Imperial view seems to be more accurate."

But after this great victory, the power-hungry khans of the Great Houses slew Nerevar in secret, and, setting themselves up as gods, neglected Nerevar's promises to the Tribes.

But it is said that Nerevar will come again with his ring, and cast down the false gods, and by the power of his ring will make good his promises to the Tribes, to honor the Spirits and drive the outsiders from the land.

"Not that I would say funny, of course," Ulen said, "Strange, perhaps. You have come to us again, and will aid Lord Dagoth in driving the outsiders from the land. If this were part of the prophecy, I might be inclined to remark on the fickle nature of such things. That the words can have more than one meaning."

Sadara nodded in agreement and then brought forward the Stranger.

Though stark-born to sire uncertain / His aspect marks his certain fate / Wicked stalk him, righteous curse him / Prophets speak, but all deny.

"Some parts might not even apply," Sadara replied, "I know who my father is."

She did not remember his name, but did recall her mother speaking of him, that he had died...the details of it all were very fuzzy, though. Righteous cursing, though...that sounded like Azura. All denying made sense too, no one seemed to believe in her until she wore the ring.

"His aspect marks his certain fate," Ulen said, "Perhaps it means your sign. What is it?"

"The Thief," Sadara said. "I thought it was 'most blessed and most cursed' but I mixed that up with the Serpent. Thief signs...I'm not a thief but that's not a certain thing under this sign anyway. It's said they takes more risks and rarely come to harm. But...that their luck would eventually run out, that they tend not to live as long as other signs."

"Appropriate, but also inaccurate. You shan't have to worry about death, now that the gift of Lord Dagoth runs through your veins."

She could not see his mouth if he had one, but she could hear the smile in his voice.

"This pleases you?" she asked.

"You make our lord happy, and his happiness is ours."

"Do you...feel his mood? How does that work?" She turned over The Seven Curses as she spoke.

"We do not receive specifics, if that is what you are worried about," Ulen replied, "But we feel his sorrow, his joy, his anger--the extremes, in essence. The higher in his service we rise, the more subtleties we may be privy to. For example...when first you came to him, I and other ascended sleepers felt something from him that we had never felt before."

"What...what was that?"

"Hope."

Sadara looked down to the paper. The words set a bloom in her chest, a warm feeling, and yet a fear along with it. So to distract herself she read over the Seven Curses.

First curse, Curse-of-Fire, second curse, Curse-of-Ash

"Clearly these two are about Red Mountain and its surrounding...area," she said. "And curse of flesh I assume is how the writer refers to the corprus and blights."

"If only they knew the blessing it can be."

"Curse of dreams...also obvious. The dreams were strange at first, but...after a while they began to be comfortable, despite the relations to death." Sadara took a deep breath. "I wonder what curses four, five, and six could mean, though."

"Which?" Ulen looked. "Curse of ghosts, curse of seed, curse of despair...from the writer's point of view, perhaps the curse of ghosts could be the discovery of your identity as Lord Nerevar's incarnate. Perhaps the despair that they assumed an incarnate would feel."

Neither of them remarked on curse of seed. She couldn't even begin to fathom what that might mean--there were certain references they could make, but nothing that would leap out as an actual solution to the riddle of it. And debating on it would be...awkward. Like, she imagined, discussing the enormous hornet's nest on the statue of Dibella she'd seen once that had formed between the statue's--

"What do you think it means?" he asked suddenly.

"Perhaps," Sadara swallowed again, and reached for the bottle of ale she'd brought with her, "Perhaps the writer imagined the despair one might feel, to be guided to act against her country. If I were--less inclined to join this house, I might feel despair. Torn between what I had been told in this life and what had happened in the other."

She took a few sips from the bottle and then moved on to the Lost Prophecies.

Blessed Guest counters seven curses / Star-blessed hand wields thrice-cursed blade / To reap the harvest of the unmourned house.

"Thrice cursed blade...Keening, obviously, given the association with the Tribunal." Sadara took a deep breath. "But as for the rest..."

There was a long pause.

"What wisdom do you hope to gain from this, Nerevar?" Ulen seemed to notice that she was struggling with something, "Perhaps you wish to understand the view that Lord Dagoth's enemies have on your return?"

"That and I am trying to put Azura's words from my mind by keeping it busy," Sadara replied. It wasn't entirely a lie. She knew her current course of action wasn't approved by the Queen of Dawn and Dusk, and wanted to keep the doubts that kept sneaking into her head silent for a while. "She spoke to me as I sat outside earlier, and...was not at all pleased by what I have been doing. She wasn't pleased by the--I told her I would not do what she wished of me. That I would not raise a hand against V...Lord Dagoth."

Ulen patted soothingly at the hand of hers on the table that was within his reach. "To be expected, of course. The daedric princes do not care for mortals that think for themselves. They are angered by those who decline to place a hand within reach of the silver-tongued viper's venomous fangs. And her you might have to fear, were it not for Lord Dagoth's protection."

"I am...fortunate, in that regard." Sadara replied slowly.

She was safe from all harm...so long as she did not leave Voryn.

------------------------

"The ash slaves will not admit it, but I think you've upset them."

Sadara looked up. She was currently kneeling on the floor, and attempting to scrub one of the symbols of House Dagoth from it. Uthol stood there in the doorway, watching her with something of an amused smile.

"What, why?"

"You've replaced the chairs and you're cleaning up all the symbols they've drawn on the floor," he replied, "I have to admit I allowed them to fool about with the chairs and the drawing because it kept them occupied...I hope you've something in mind for them to do otherwise, or you'll likely find your sleep interrupted by their wailing."

"I asked them to draw the symbols on the walls instead of the floor...and suggested if they erased them at night, they could repeat the cycle the next day," Sadara started, "If there were materials to spare I would suggest weaving the symbol instead of drawing it...something that could be repeated to ease the noise in their minds that would also bring some benefit or the other."

"Why clean the symbols yourself?"

"You're the noble one here, and I'm certainly not going to ask you to do it. I suppose I could ask the ash ghouls or the ascended sleepers, but..." she trailed off, and after a pause started again, "If this is meant to be the seat of House Dagoth, it shouldn't look as though a pack of children have been let loose with chalk."

Uthol laughed. "That is fair, I suppose. But perhaps don't let our lord find out we've been letting you do such menial labor."

"It's not menial if I enjoy it," Sadara replied, "But if you insist."

He left then, and she spent the rest of the day in further cleaning. The Vault of Aerode looked much nicer without stacks of chairs and clumsy drawings scattered all over the place. Such a mindless task as tidying up gave her time to think, though it did her no good overall in the matter of figuring out what to actually do.

But after it was done she had something to show for all the effort she'd put in. Perhaps, she thought, it could eventually be a proper library...if there wasn't already such a room in Kogoruhn. She hadn't seen all of the place yet, after all.

Though she had spent the day pondering her dilemma, she lay down to sleep with some small measure of satisfaction.

Sadara opened her eyes to the same ballroom as before. She gave a smile when a look in the mirror showed not just the sprig of red salvia Voryn had placed behind her ear in last night's dream, but an entire crown of it atop her head.

Even if he would never call her anything but Nerevar, to be so marked and wanted warmed her in a way she truly hoped would never end.

#sadara is really trying here #dagoth ur #nerevarine #tes #tesblr #elder scrolls #fanfiction #morrowind #dagoth ur x female nerevarine #morrowind fanfiction #tes morrowind

[socialprawn]

I want to eat Agape with a spoon! Bless you. What is her relationship with her companions?

Thank youuu, she will probably taste kind of bitter though /u\

I received a similar ask emmmm in 2018 and I said I would draw it but I never did. Now I can answer writing wise and use the other ask to draw, fulfilling its purpose (⓿_⓿)

It is LONG so, under cut:

DAO:

Alistair: They end up being together but that is only because he is a very brave dude, otherwise she would not have initiated anything :V She and him are not every much alike but they complement each other a lot, plus they are both very determined souls and goal-oriented so that is a plus for both of them. She makes him more determined and he makes her feel cherished (ಥ _ ಥ)

Morrigan: They are made of the same cloth. However Agape is pro-circle (sceptic for 'herself and people who can prove themselves', but pro-circle nonetheless) and very, very ignorant and inexperienced with the real life world. At first, Morrigan disliked Agape but her interest into the forbidden magics was very punk of Agape, and Morrigan got to appreciate her. She was her pillar when it came to dealing with Mouse. (For those who don't know, Agape is an abomination and failed her Harrowing). Basically, sisters.

Leliana: Agape loved that she was from the distant country of Orlais and she ended up dressing up with everything Leli was describing her; fancy ribbons, flowers, embroidered shoes. She let Leli braid her hair. Leliana found Agape both precious and fierce. Agape always went to her for advice and really enjoyed her brain. She appreciated that despite her melancholy, she was willing to chat about anything with great excitement, and they also prayed together 💪

Wynne: Very rocky.... Wynne didn't like Agape since the times in the Circle. Agape was very much a teacher's pet, and Wynne is not fond of snarky perfectionists. When Agape was found to be an abomination, Wynne tried to slay her, with the reasoning of Alistair taking over (which was basically doom for Ferelden). Agape found her disappointing and a hypocrite, all things considered with her being an 'abomination' also.

Zevran: Agape was kind of scared of Zevran's view on life and killing, but she was always encouraging his flirtations because she lovessss validation, making Alistair uncomfortable. Agape is very awkward with very confident people and they didn't have a lot in common, so Zevran liked to learn more about her over wine in the campfire. They spoke of their deepest corners of their souls with ease, in the end. Separating in the end felt natural but their company together was very important for Agape to feel more human and less of a Warden Mage Killing Machine.

Sten: Agape's crush 😪 Absolute respect for each other that took hard work by both of them... Agape only knew Qunari from legends but she had no idea she would see one in her lifetime, so she was curious. Sten appreciated Agape's determined spirit and no-bullshit attitude, however he agreed with Wynne for Agape to be slain after she explained her reasoning. He absolutely loathes blood magic and spirits. This later only made their bond stronger however, as he truly felt she was a master of determination being able to stop the blight while being tormented by a demon.

Oghren: Nope.

Shale: I think Shale found her adorable. Some moss grew on the crevices of her body and she said "We are matching, you and your flowers, me and my moss. Aren't we positively girly right now?"

DAA

Anders: They started out as how Morrigan and Alistair were in DAO pretty much, only they have way too much in common with their upbringing. They wouldn't shut up about the Circle. "And do you remember when x did this XDDD" Agape was a Commander now and with no demon whispering bullshit, so her confidence was sky-rocket high, and she was much chattier and relaxed. She liked joking a bit more and she received the Alistair sarcasm training. They were OK. Anders found her to be a bit of a stuck-up princess but he was also amused by it. Let it all floww attitude.

Nathaniel: They were more than OK. Agape's other crush 😭 As soon as he mentioned his expedition to Kirkwall she immediately went "I've heard tha the Amells are nobles in Kirkwall!!" They bonded over how obviously snobby they both are. It really helped Agape be comfortable with him despite his assassination attempt, over the fact that she pulled her Duncan-oriented BOSS move to recruit him. She was determined to help him. HOWEVER, she killed her dad 1970's Carrie style, so this doesn't help them get very very friendly. She did apologise in the end but obviously what she did was too harmful. (Especially knowing that she enjoyed it 😬)

Justice: Justice knew Agape was an abomination even though she doesn't use her blood magic or mentions Mouse in DAA. He wasn't distrustful of her as he judged her for her actions, and could truly see her separated from Mouse. When he decided to 'warn' her, she panicked and told him that after she finds someone to replace her, she will attempt to defeat Mouse. Justice evaluated her and believed her, as she has never done anything unjust. It's a different story if she's dangerous.

Velana: I think Agape was too impatient to deal with Velana's hatred towards humans. When she gave her the notebook, Velana immediately snapped at her and Agape threw it on the floor LOL. Short fuse. I think an older, more mature Agape would reflect on her relationship with Velana with great regret.

Sigrun: Sigrun is my favourite DAA companion (❤´艸｀❤) however Agape did not bond with her much as their relationship was very impersonal. Agape gave her a note with her favourite books and Sigrun followed it to the t <:

I haven't finished DAA yet and I know Velana's and Sigrun's personal quests are bugged so maybe these relationships will change...

That's it! There's a tonne more but I'd rather doodle them or write short fics maybe?! Whoever cares about these hehe c:

#i know most wont read but i need this as an archive for myself also! #referential point for my comics #sometimes i forgetttt #i dont like how i WRITE i dont think my stuff comes across but it is ok #we are trying 💪 #agape amell

[rma1031]

Hermit Age: Gem

This is a post in regards to my AU, Hermit Age, a crossover-esque AU regarding Hermitcraft (and other HC-adjacent series) within the universe of Dragon Age!

If you haven't seen my interpretation of Impulse or my plans for this AU, do check it out!

This post will all be about how I interpret Gem within Dragon Age!

Appearance

It seems so perfect that Gem is already an elf in the current season of Hermitcraft... so that's what she will be as well in Hermit Age! Slightly taller than a normal elf (elves in Dragon Age are shorter than humans), practically just a few inches shorter than the average human.

Her Minecraft skin will have to be changed though, at least the clothing. Probably something along these lines.

(from this picrew)

And as you can see, there are some face tattoos. These tattoos are called vallaslin, and there are many kinds of vallaslin for the Dalish elves. They are culturally significant to the Dalish and they designate some sense of responsibility and transition to adulthood (like a coming of age ceremony) as well as how they cling onto their traditions and cultures. Gem's vallaslin is for Mythal, the Protector, the All-Mother, goddess of love, the patron of motherhood and justice. Mythal is like one of the two leading figures in the Elven pantheon, the other is Elgar'nan, the All-Father.

Origins and History

Gem came from a once nomadic Dalish clan that moved around frequently in Southern Thedas, from Orlais to Ferelden to the Free Marches. During the Fifth Blight, they were displaced from Ferelden and sought refuge nearby the city-state of Ostwick in the Free Marches. As they tried to take root by the area, the humans felt tense by the arrival of the clan. Tensions swelled as the clan keeper stood adamant, wanting their clan to stay there until the Fifth Blight is truly over. Even after the Hero of Ferelden ended the Blight, the clan never left, having gotten accustomed to this place. Racial tensions between Gem's clan and the people of Ostwick still stood high, even up to the present day.

Just after the events of Dragon Age II Act 2 (after Hawke saved Kirkwall from the Qunari), Gem had always wanted to leave the safety and complacency of her clan life. She loves her clan but she wishes to explore the world out. She missed the nomadic lifestyle that they once had and if she could take journeys out in the world, she can make it work. The clan keeper vehemently protested against her wishes to go out and so she did the next best thing, she fled.

From that point on, she's an adventurer with a curious wanderlust, always looking for ways to explore Thedas with whatever way possible, be it by herself or with people. She was alone at first, but she found Impulse, Pearl, Skizz, and more of their friends. Together, they explore and venture out as both a mercenary band and a group of friends and companions.

Name

Gem got her name from her clan keeper for her piercing green eyes that look like emeralds, not for the beauty of it but rather the way they are striking and fierce. Gem took the name to heart and soon her birth name "Enasiel" (a name around the idea of victory or triumph or joy of triumph over loss in Elven) got overshadowed by it.

People call her Gem but only her closest companions get to call her Enasiel.

Personality

Gem is a curious soul with a wanderlust streak that stemmed from her nomadic childhood. She can get timid occasionally but she has the determination and perseverance to do her tasks and objectives. She's friendly and outgoing at one point and then deathly intimidating and distrustful by the next.

She is decisive, quick-witted and cunning which can help with any situation, but her curiosity can kill her. Luckily she has her companions to be there to stop her.

Equipment and Combat

What Gem wears is medium armor based on leathers, furs, and cloths of dalish elven style designed for agility and easier movement. She carries two swords at all times, dual wielding them during fights to finesse and strike at her enemies quickly. She doesn't use daggers (which are quicker to swing with)

As a rogue, she also carries a thievery kit so she can pick locks and steal what she can get. The thievery kit also helps with disabling traps.

Combat-wise, she prefers quick blows and strikes over heavy ones. She takes on a defensive posture during fights and will go on the aggressive once she sees the opportunity.

Her weakness in combat is her over-reliance on her agility and litheness and her lack of strength. Whenever strength is indeed required, she isn't responsible for it, rather Impulse or Skizz will be there to help.

As an elf, she has resistance against ranged attacks so she's quite formidable against archers and mages.

That's it for Gem! Once I manage to complete my interpretations for the Soup Group + Skizz, I may make a ficlet or fic thing for them! I love these guys so much and I can't wait to expand upon my ideas for each character possible.

If you wish to know more lore, the wiki has always been helpful.

#rma posts #mcyt #hermitcraft #empires smp #dragon age #hermit age au #geminitay

[julianobungus]

Luzador

Luz first met Alador in a dream, obscured by her friend Willow’s memories. Only a shadow of the real thing, he was tall and faceless and imposing, and threatened her then-girlfriend Amity into compliance. She decided then that she did not like him.

She met him a second time in real life, much different from his stylised self, as a quiet and sullen man who slaved away under his wife’s watchful eye, building her toys and machines. Luz almost died because of one or two of these things but found that she could not hate him.

When all was said and done, when the dust settled, and the worse times were (more or less) dealt with – as the Boiling Isles did its damnest to rebuild itself after the Collector’s wrath and Belos’s deception – Alador assured Luz that she would always have a place in their home. Se felt softened upon hearing that, his gentle and deep words washing over her ears. Only she didn’t, and neither did Alador nor his children. The divorce was not in their favour, and Odalia kicked them all out to have the manor as her own. Money always talked the loudest, after all. And so, the Owl House became home for four more souls.

It took some readjustment, but Luz was honestly happy for this change. She and her girlfriend were living together! She and Amity honestly felt it to be a dream come true. Alador took up a new engineering job within Bonesborough to support his kids (and Luz).

Two things happened. Alador started sleeping a lot better, and he found a personal fulfilment from his new job that he – much to his surprise in the realisation – hadn’t acquired in old post for years. Things between himself and his three children were still rocky at best, but it truly felt like a move in the right direction. He felt like a man again – like a father.

The second thing that happened was the dissolution of Luz and Amity’s relationship. Try as they might’ve, they just couldn’t make it work. Something had changed since their time in the human realm. Amity seemed to become brattier and quicker to anger than usual since moving in together, and Luz had a hideous time opening to her about anything (in anything, Amity was still bitter over her girlfriend keeping a secret from her for months, and yet sharing it with Hunter of all people). It all came to a head when the youngest Blight decided that they should take a break; Luz was heartbroken but reciprocating. She agreed.

Luz and Alador became fast friends despite the rift between her and his daughter. They found they were quite alike in some ways. Alador would sit and listen to her talk on and on about wild magic (something he had once been wary of under the emperor’s old regime), and in turn, the older man would infodump about his own interests – the machinations of abomitrons, of course, and the workings of his engineering job. Luz could listen to the man for hours, she found, and got so comfortable that she would lean on him as he spoke. Or even rest her head across his lap, or even sit in his lap. Alador was comfy enough to let her every time.

Something happened on the eve of her 18th birthday when Luz returned to the human realm to spend time with her Mami. Not only did Alador, Eda, King and a host of her friends come to join her on her special day, but he and Luz got closer than usual. Before Luz went to bed and Alador to his makeshift one in the basement, they shared a kiss. They wouldn’t tell anyone about it until months later.

Now a woman, Luz began a relationship with her ex’s father, but one that remained a secret affair for a while. They just weren’t ready for people to know. Instead, they confessed by piecemeal. Eda first, who was quite supportive. Then Camila, who was lukewarm at best. Lilith and Hunter next, the latter being very supportive of whatever made Luz happy (Luz assumed it was because he had never learned much in the way of taboos in relationships, a fact that she was shamefully thankful for).

Alador kept his kids out of the know., however. He wanted to tell them on his own terms, a fact that Luz was perfectly fine with, even if she did feel a bit guilty about keeping it from –

“You!”

Amity Blight stood on the staircase leading to the basement, looking down on her father and her ex. Her father with her ex, splayed out on the musty old couch and cuddling. Naked, too. Her heart sank like a stone.

As did Luz’s. She clambered off from Alador, trying to cover her shame. “Amity, wait-“

Alador was already throwing his pants on, leaving the underwear. Shame creeped at his chest. He felt like he was going to vomit. As did his daughter.

The young Blight was already storming up the steps, muttering obscenities as a half-dressed Luz came after her, the elder in tow. “You fucking…” the red-faced girl spat, seething with rage and hate and embarrassment all at once. “ You conniving, adultering…”

“Amity, listen, it’s not-“

“Amity. Mittens, please! Just stop for a minute-“

“No!” She stopped suddenly and turned around in the hallway, already on her way to the door. She had come over to talk to Luz specifically. She had wanted to ask for a second chance, her hopes were dashed now, and by her bastard father no less. “You useless fucking bastard! With Luz of all people?!” She demanded of her father, who had been pulling his shirt back on. She didn’t wait for Alador to answer, who just stood there in quiet shock and shame.

Amity didn’t stay long after that, but not before giving them an earful. Alador tried to chase after her, but she wouldn’t have it. Whatever relationship he had been trying to salvage with her, she assured him, was dead.

When he returned to the Noceda household, Luz was in tears, she looked up at him pitifully, lip quivering. “Alador, I am so sorry, I-I didn’t think-“ “You did nothing wrong, Luz,” he assured her, his big strong arms open for an undeniable hug. Luz slammed into him with need, heaving into his shoulder with guilt. “You have nothing to apologise for, Little Light.”

#Luzador #proshippers please interact #proship safe #proshipper #proship #proshipping

[s1ithers]

Ah, I didn’t know you were treating the oc challenge as a “send asks” thing, in that case:

“Fighting” and “above average” for Lisi?

ALSO kind of a dumb one but how do you pronounce her name? I’ve been saying it like “lisee” but I’m not sure that’s correct

yeah, like Lisa with an 'ee' sound instead of the a

Fighting. Skills or magic? A general description or perhaps a favourite spell? A special style or move? A situation where it was used?

from this list

2H warrior for life!

Canon sort of implies you and Carver join the Fereldan army as Blight recruits, but I had her enlist at 17 bc wanted her to be more proficient than she'd realistically get by training with her dad in the back yard, which was also pretty much Malcolm's reasoning. By that point they’re settling down in Lothering longterm and it’s clear she isn’t a mage, he’s training her hard to be his heir essentially as family protector, but he’s also still healthy and thinks they have time. so he hoped the army would teach her what his time with the mercenary company served him so well, the combat/survival skills as well as that discipline and the mental part of doing violence if necessary, yknow

& also to help with the household income, they're subsistence farmers in lothering right

she does really well, promoted to elite infantry to learn the longsword, almost gets married, she's an NCO by the time of the blight, so there’s 7-8 years where she's spending harvest and planting seasons in Lothering but otherwise has sort of a life outside the family bubble

which I like for her character development bc I think growing up, she has so much hatred for the templars & the chantry, she's radicalized on the issue that directly affects her, right, but it never really occurs to her to question the military as an institution and the feudal/monarchist system it upholds, or more broadly, yknow, examine the power structures that the chantry’s abuses are a facet of

Ostagar really shatters her world like, the mighty Fereldan army can crumble to dust. The king can fucking die. Loghain the national hero can leave her comrades to be slaughtered which is honestly a bigger blow.

Makes a nice thematic bookend to her story with the chantry boom, I think :3

Above-average. Does your OC excel in something? Do they have special features? How about in the opinion of others?

hm, most of her skill points are in combat and manipulation lol, she’s good at a few things but not really the Best of the Best. honestly I’d say the one thing she really truly has going for her is self-confidence to the point of grandiosity. just sheer readiness to play chicken with god

like you think about Hawke on that first night in Gamlen’s shitty apartment in the worst part of town, roof leaking, not a silver to the their name, whole family traumatized, refugees in a city that doesn’t want them, they’ve just found out templar influence in Kirkwall is even stronger than they feared, and she looks around and decides welp, i’m just going to have to become so rich and powerful not a soul in this patently hostile police state of a city will dare fuck with my sister :)

like that’s an insane response!! & it works for you bc you’re a video game character but that’s just not something someone who’s afraid of reality at all is going to think. I think by far the most fun way to characterize Hawke is to play that up to the max

#da #lisi hawke #sparing you all the longass tangent of a novel i started writing in drafts #but #yeah i do have a lot of thoughts abt maric(/cailan/anora) seeking to retain & professionalize a more modern-style standing army #as opposed to ye olde feudal levies #as part of a post-occupation nation-building project w/ the double benefit of defense against future orlesian aggression while also #consolidating the power of the monarchy vs the landsmeet #all of which may or may not be canon-friendly in any way i'll never know if i never read any of the supplemental content :)

[charmingbrute]

[ MISTAKE ]: a letter which is sent to the recipient by mistake, and which may contain sensitive information about the recipient. // for @formaedei

@formaedei

Dear Maxima,

I write to you this day with information of utmost importance and urgency. I have laid my eyes upon a person who, to my great surprise, elicited a mixture of terror and awe. This individual seemed small in stature for a Garlean, yet their appearance was unlike any other I have encountered in my travels. The machinery that surrounded their person appeared to be attached to their flesh, a curious sight indeed. I was torn between judging this person as friend or foe. Their cold glare was terrifying to behold, their eyes like the endless winter, the land they walked upon. Their hair, a blight flutter of ash, only added to their eerie presence. I struggled to keep my composure in their presence, for their gaze seemed to pierce through to the very depths of my soul.

Despite my reservations, I cannot help but feel that this person is not a danger to us, not yet. Their movements were measured, their speech calculated. They seemed to possess a wisdom beyond their years, and their knowledge of the world and its workings is most impressive. However, I must admit that I am not without my fears. Their mechanical enhancements and the power they hold is of great concern to me. I cannot predict the extent of their capabilities, nor their motivations. If I am making a mistake in my judgement, I shall hold myself accountable for any errors. But I assure you, I have considered all possible outcomes and have arrived at this conclusion with the utmost care and caution.

In closing, I urge you to keep a watchful eye on this person and their movements. I shall keep you informed of any developments in the future.

Yours truly, Warrior of Light

#inbox. #formaedei #metal gear music sounds playing #verse : endwalker.

[aispot]

Amity Blight had always been fascinated by the human world, and she longed to experience all that it had to offer. So, when she was given the opportunity to live in the human realm for a time, she jumped at the chance.

One of the things that Amity was most excited about was the opportunity to learn ballet. She had always loved the grace and beauty of dance, and she longed to be able to move with the same fluidity and elegance as the human dancers she had seen.

So, Amity enrolled in a local dance school and began to take lessons. It was hard work, and Amity struggled at first to keep up with the other students. But she was determined to succeed, and she threw herself into her studies with all of her heart and soul.

As the weeks and months passed, Amity began to make progress. She mastered the basic steps and positions, and she began to develop a sense of rhythm and grace. She was still far from perfect, but she was making steady progress, and she knew that with time and practice, she could become a truly skilled dancer.

And then, one day, Amity was given the opportunity of a lifetime. She was asked to perform in the annual production of "The Nutcracker," a role that she had always dreamed of playing.

Amity was nervous and excited as she took to the stage. She knew that this was her chance to shine, and she was determined to make the most of it. And as she danced, she felt the magic of the music and the movement fill her body and soul. She was lost in the beauty of the dance, and she knew that this was where she belonged.

When the performance was over, Amity was greeted with thunderous applause. She had danced her heart out, and the audience could see it. She knew that she had given everything she had, and she was proud of herself for that.

#toh #the owl house #amity blight #ballet #the nutcracker

[fancy-a-dance-brigadier]

🔥🥀

🔥 wild card: dealer's choice of quote from a wip

Just to prove that my FBTS AU hasn’t been abandoned, here’s an extract from one of the upcoming chapters:

“You’ve just told me that the mistakes of my past don’t matter, that I can be loved in spite of them. And yet mere moments ago, you’d decided that you aren’t loveable now because of some misguided thoughts you had when you were sixteen. Thoughts which, might I remind you, had only come about because you’d been subjected to some of the worst cruelty known to man.” Elijah’s gaze was more intense than he’d ever seen it before - but the intensity was that of love, not cruelty or grief. Only love. “If I am worthy of your love in spite of all the mistakes I’ve made, then surely you’re worthy of my love in spite of yours.”

🥀 favorite angst quote from a published work

This extract comes from my Garashir fic ‘Whistling in the Dark’, a fic I consider my crowning achievement of angst:

And then there were the memories of days long past, the memories that held no relevance to his current crisis but hit him anyway with unimaginable force. Almost losing Garak to the Obsidian Order’s implant, he and Major Kira trapped in an alternate universe, Captain Sisko protecting him from the harshest occupants of the twenty-first century, hallucinating in a telepathic coma, heart pounding as he talked Miles down from a suicide attempt, standing guilty in a sea of blighted corpses, losing Jake in the middle of a warzone. He didn’t know why he thought of these things now, but each recollection worked in unison to strangle him, culminating in a burst of pain in his head that no words could ever describe. He could not hold it back any longer - Julian screamed out in primal, animalistic terror. 

But then there was pressure - Garak, climbing onto the bed, pulling him into his lap and holding him tight, oh so very tight. He rocked Julian back and forth, letting him cry and scream and wail into his chest, letting him grieve for all he’d lost and all that had been taken from him. Because it was more than just what Tain had done to him that made him break down - his whole life had been leading up to this moment, weak and quivering and helpless in his lover’s arms. 

He mourned for his parents who’d only wanted a son they could love. He mourned for his friendships that would never recover now that they all knew what he truly was. He mourned for Tain who’d only wanted some comfort in his dying hours. He mourned for Garak who he’d left in the cold. He mourned for little Jules Bashir, whose withered and broken soul lived on inside of him and who had never truly understood why the world had gone dark. 

#ask game #fancyfics #ds9 #far beyond the stars au

[theodoredimas]

I regretfully read comments on a “news” piece about body positivity today hoping to see kind words. Unfortunately I only saw vitriol, which has triggered me immensely. No matter how I try to reframe my thoughts, I always come back to this basic fact: Society will never view me as worthy to exist as I am. I am never enough. No amount of love I give, kindness I show, or myself I sacrifice will be enough to make up for the fact that I’m fat. Society will look at me and only “see” a lazy person who doesn’t know how to stop eating.

They will never see the beaten, damaged parts of my soul. They don’t want to see the little girl that was sexually abused who turned against herself, who blamed and hated herself, when all she needed was love and support. They won’t see the years of self restricting and purging and exercising until I pass out, only for me to lose just a few pounds. They don’t see the fact that I self harm so I can feel physical pain over the emotional pain. They don’t see the inner fight I have each day to just get up and live instead of ending it all so I won’t be a blight to their ideals anymore. They don’t want to see me as a whole human being. They would rather I starve myself (because that’s the only thing that works for me, since I do eat healthy, portioned meals and exercise) and get skinny, than have me merely exist.

And the sad truth, the truly tragic thing, is that I’m just so tired of it all. I’m beyond exhausted of this fight, both against society and myself. I’m tired of fighting against my urges to purge and restrict. I want to self harm just so this unbearable ache in my chest will lessen. I’m once again hating what I see in the mirror. I’m left feeling less than and worthless. And society will blame me for that as well.

Perhaps I’ll feel different tomorrow or the day after. Today, though, I feel that to be seen as human, to be treated fairly, to be allowed to merely exist I need to get skinny at any cost to myself.

#tw self harm #tw eating disorder #tw suicidal thoughts #im a fat ugly blight to the universe #im sorry for existing

[deathbind]

Literally the only aspect of Serot's story that would be a challenge to translate to Dragon Age is him being reborn, but I think I could plausibly finagle it?

Just say that Serot's bond with Refhremmit essentially stopped time for his body and left it all sealed up like we see with Ameridan and Hakkon. Except the intent was to merge with Refhremmit, not seal them, so Refhremmit isn't stuck in the place where that happened. Serot's soul / consciousness is unable to move on, though, so he keeps getting basically reincarnated. (Am I playing fast and loose with canon? Absolutely, but tbh DA canon is held together by silly string. With more finagling, I could really make this work.)

Now Serot is definitely from Nevarra and definitely a forefather of the modern Mortalitasi. One thing we know about present day Mortalitasi is they're essentially running the country, using the aged King Markus as a puppet. This leads to some Mortalitasi getting too drunk on power and running experiments they really shouldn't. It also led to some allying with Venatori (who exploited that to steal sacred relics, infiltrate the court / mind control the king, etc.). They could easily have done something that fucked with Serot + Refhremmit's bond and subsequently unsealed his body. Serot's soul / consciousness returned to it, but devoid of his memories.

I don't want him to immediately get recognized as Serot, though. We'll say the Mortalitasi are able to clock he was one of them over a thousand years ago — or is made up to appear that way. Lots of questions about whether this is some disrespectful bullshit or if he's truly an ancient returned to life, etc etc.

Either way, for DA:O we can say that Genitivi's quest for the Urn of Sacred Ashes took him to Nevarra before Ferelden. Hector was slain before the gates of Nevarra City trying to prevent the Imperium from capturing Andraste, so it's probable Havard found safe harbor there while smuggling her ashes south. Serot was probably alive during that time period or was born shortly after? So although his memory has issues, between that and knowledge from subsequent lifetimes, he's very useful to Genitivi's research. He decides to join his quest as this is also the only lead he has on himself. He gets separated from Genitivi in Ferelden, though. The Warden will encounter him randomly on the road and can recruit him. The Urn of Sacred Ashes is what restores his memories in full. He has a lot to grapple with.

Idk how to fit him into DAII tbh. I think he only has a cameo. When he leaves Ferelden after the Blight, he sails from Amaranthine to Kirkwall. He's there circa Act II. Maybe he hits a spot of trouble with the templars and/or Chantry and Hawke can help him out, idk. Regardless, he takes ship to Cumberland from there.

I think he's trynna keep his true identity under wraps back in Nevarra, but how successful he is is a question for future me. Either way, he ends up back with the Mortalitasi and is working toward purging the corruption in the order. This leads us to DA:I. See the Venatori were active in Tevinter before DA:I began and had undoubtedly infiltrated Nevarra before then as well. This leads him to Ferelden where the cult is, oddly, beginning to concentrate. Leliana, who traveled with him during the Blight, recruited him basically the second her agents caught sight of him snooping around Redcliffe. He's already in the Inquisition when the prologue occurs, although it's up to the Herald whether they ask him to join their party. His side quests and war table missions really focus on combating the Venatori, especially in Nevarra. However, his personal quest involves Meresankh. The details can wait til I eventually polish up this verse sdklfhg Basic gist would be that, in this verse, Meresankh was basically consumed by / merged with a demon. Serot wants to untangle them and save Meresankh. Unfortunately, that's not easily done; in fact, it might be impossible. It's all a matter of whether Serot can be convinced to stop before he destroys himself trying to save them.

#OOC / HOLLY. #I can make it work if I just sit down and really polish it #we'll have to play fast and loose with canon in some places but [hand waves]