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New travel posters for my recent obsession.
Update: Now available on Redbubble and Etsy!
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I’m actually very much wondering if we’re going to get the title “magister” because despite that everyone associated them with mages, magister is a political title and as far as I know there’s nothing saying you CAN’T be a magister without being a mage, it’d just be really hard to hold your own power as a non-mage
not a grey warden, champion, or herald of andraste, but a secret forth thing
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Okay so while everyone's making killer theories and observations about the teasers we have for Dreadwolf on top of piecing together more and more of the lore and imagery from Inquisition and 2 and even Origins, I just needed to put this observation of my own down as well.
So, the final, incomplete, Solas mural in the rotunda, right?
Clearly, the dragon slayed with the sword, and a.... beast, of some sort. I've seen it referred to as a wolf, a dragon in and of itself, and just some representation of the Inquisition itself.... maybe.
But that's always not quite fit for me. It seems odd that Solas, who is beyond skilled at painting and iconography/symbology, would make something so…. hard to parse. And granted- this was clearly roughed out in a rush, to put it lightly. He's left at this point, the mural forever unfinished.
But in Tevinter Nights, it's described specifically (as written by Lukas Kristjanson):
"The eighth and final panel of the fresco, meant to commemorate the battle against the blighted magister Corypheus, was unfinished. It showed only rough shapes, outlines...."
"... The story was well known- the Elder One, the false god Corypheus, had torn a hole in the sky to steal power from the heavens. He couldn't be killed until his blighted dragon was dead, and the Herald, the Inquisitor, had somehow countered with a dragon of their own. And there was a dragon on the panel, with an Inquisition blade in its neck. But according to the story, both creatures had fallen first, leaving the final victory to the Inquisitor.
But here, unfinished, was the outline of a beast that stood over both dragon and sword. This was not the battle, or the victory. This was after. And the beast was not a dragon. The outline alone might have allowed that assumption, but now, filling with black and red, it was something other. The creature was reptilian, but also canine. The snout was blunted and toothy, but edges came to a point in houndlike ears. [.....] revealing scales and tail, and paws with talons. It looked like two figures painted on either side of a pane of glass, then viewed together, their forms confused. A wolf that had absorbed a dragon, and now stood crooked over all."
Now, without getting too deep into spoilers for that short story (I really recommend it, and the rest of Tevinter Nights!), the depiction could be warped by what happens in the story (and is unfolding in that scene). But due to the reason it's warped, what 'colors' it, I think that the depiction is still accurate (it just becomes a bit more Spicy, let's say). I think that what Solas was starting was a creature like that - a wolf, that absorbed a dragon.
Of course, the question then is what that means.
As lore's revealed over the series, dragons aren't just associated with Archdemons, or even with the potential legends of qunari 'origins' (as dragonkin). Dragons are also specifically associated with the Evanuris - from the fact that only those as powerful as might-as-well-be-god mages could shapeshift into dragons, to their personal symbolism, to hints that different archdemons might be connected to each one (their numbers match, for one...)
Was it Solas leaving some hint as to who, what he was, then? The Dreadwolf, but also the Trickster God? Perhaps how despite simply attempting to free/help his people (he speaks of the loyal, steadfast wolf in the game more than once, wise and wonderful), he was elevated to the status of legend and god (dragonhood)? Was it symbolizing the blended might of the Inquisition, both protector Wolf and godlike Dragon? Some blend thereof, or extrapolation beyond?
Fuel for thought, for sure. But beyond that... the silhouette kept reminding me of something.
It took me a little too long to realize - it wasn't until I was idly staring at the Steam startup image for it while waiting for Origin to hurry up and connect that it hit me.
It's.... it's right there on the box/start screen.
It's... way, way closer to the creature Solas had begun to depict than what we've seen in dragon silhouettes in the past. And I get it- even as I write this, I hesitate, because I mean, the whole silhouette included has wings, right?
(sidenote, but major props to whoever designed this piece, the details are so good, including the fade/fireball/comets shooting off the 'wings' to look like support bones for wing webbing)
That's why I hadn't really thought about it before. But when that hit me, I went back to look at dragon silhouettes in previous games, and I mean-
That's the usual Origin one - and yeah, that's.... way more narrow a snout, though of course you're still getting that dragon spine spike along the neck. The neck itself is far more narrow, too, and its teeth more needlelike.
Okay, what about DA2?
Alright, now we've got some framing that is like DAI. (also, more props for the designers, and the silhouettes of Kirkwall friends/foes, hot damn).
But that face - the dragon's face. I keep catching on it. DA has a really great track record of being pretty specific about its silhouettes, symbols, and general representations, at least where it matters.
The dragon-made-by-silhouette in the Inquisition cover art is significantly blunted in its snout, the neck much broader, shortened in horn (or ear), and even the angle of horn (ear??) is different from past dragon iconography.
I dunno. I definitely don't think it's unreasonable to leave it at artistic representation/liberty, it just ended up a bit rounded, whatever. But where I get less inclined to leave it at that is when coming back to this final incomplete mural panel.
... It's all of it. The down-rounded snout, the way the teeth are depicted, the horn-ears, the spikes-that-could-be-fur, the obviously shorter and wider neck, the over-exaggerated sternum bone that strikes as dragon (/reptilian) before you think it could also be wolf rib cage-
It's.... close. Awfully, curiously close. At the very least, the Inquisition splash art feels like it could be the middle step between dragon and this. The splash is dragon, but wolflike - this is wolf, but dragonlike.
........... now, why the heck does this matter? Well, maybe it doesn't to most people, haha. But I'm an imagery and lore-reference obsessed nerd, and Dragon Age really does go hard with it's laid lore and hints of the future. So I can't help but ask-
Is the mural really depicting the Inquisition Defeating Corypheus?
... even the Tevinter Nights story, the way it's phrased casts some murkiness.
"The story was well known...." ".... This was not the battle, or the victory. This was after."
.... With dragons representing the Evanuris, perhaps.... is this instead a note, a hint, left depicting Solas' intent? To slay the dragon, the true dragons, what remains of the Evanuris after he tears down the Veil - because it would not only cause chaos, but also release them from the prison he'd made via the creation of the Veil?
Is the dragon-wolf not the Inquisition, but Solas, or rather - more importantly - Fen'Harel?
The shape of the maw, the way the ears point back, the trailing scruff/magic along the neck 'spine'....
Even the way the rips are traced, and the paw is drawn-
Hmmm.
Hmmmmmmmmm.
... I think it's depicting more than Corypheus' defeat.
But too, there's two other elements that keep rolling around in my mind with all this-
) "... On the mural, all Messere would say is, 'Skyhold is [their] fortress' (meaning of course the Inquisitor). 'These are [their] actions.' "
If these are their actions........ how does the potential for this image to be depicting the downfall of elven gods play into the picture (literally)...?
And thus, the second thought:
2. ) On that very same splash image for Inquisition, the silhouette of the dragon (with hints of wolf) is made via the energy of the Mark coming off the Inquisitor's hand. The dragon-ish creature is of the Inquisitor's making.
The creature is what the Inquisitor has made. Their actions. The mural, a depiction thereof; their choices, their efforts, their impact.
Their impact - a changed Solas... or, perhaps, one all the more committed to his cause. Fen'Harel, or a wolf-dragon hybrid, roaring at a slain dragon, sword of the Inquisition buried deep.
Trespasser, revealing just how much further Solas' network of spies and agents has expanded through the Inquisition. And whether through friendship/love or rivalry/antagonism, Solas coming away from it with his determination redoubled, his mission certain.
Whether it was intended to depict the effect of the Inquisitor on things they don't yet grasp, or their affect on him and his intent to bear out his mission........... I think this mural's about a lot, lot more than just the defeat of Corypheus.
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Heyy check it out, we’re in the news. (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و
The Last Court Will Live On: DA fans are using this time to not only play through The Last Court, but preserve it in their own way. A preservation effort to screenshot every aspect of the game was organized, in the hopes of fully documenting TLC for the wiki page. Though it is a small game in the grand scheme of things, the call for preserving TLC showcases not only the passion and dedication of the DA fanbase, but also the importance of preserving media that could easily be lost without warning. [excerpt slightly edited] [source]
[The Last Court community lore-saving effort]
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Mmmm yes I agree in terms of coolness factor. Except that it makes sense for Ferelden to have a coin with a sovereign because they in fact have a sovereign. Kirkwall just has a viscount so it makes sense that they don’t have coins called sovereigns. And in Inquisition you’re dealing with multiple countries so being able to use the same currency makes no sense at all. Anyways I hope in DA4 they call their currency archons (lowercase) or some nonsense like that
Also I want them to fucking say Sovereigns again in Dragon Age. I'm tired of "gold pieces", gold pieces are boring- SOVEREIGNS ARE WAY COOLER AND HAVE MORE WEIGHT TO 'EM.
"Oh that is 5 gold please!" Weak pathetic anyone can fucking use gold, I have 2000 gold on me right now, I spit on you and your basic bitch coinage.
"Oh that is 5 sovereigns please!" You fucking asshole 5 sovereigns for a goddamn pair of boots how dare you, I only have 50 to supply a whole crew!!!
I'm right.
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I’m v interested in which character origins romance which love interests in dao and dai. like how many f!lavellans have romanced Josephine compared to m! and nb!lavellans, and how many lavellans of any gender have romanced her compared to any other inquisitor?? I want a pie chart. is this data out there somewhere
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I think it’s kinda neat how the absolution writers had us fooled in a similar way as Miriam was fooled. As soon as Hira mentioned Hanged Man in Kirkwall, we were on her side because we all assumed Varric!! And we were ready to turn on Fairbanks. Because we trust Varric by proxy and Miriam trusted Hira. But nope, Hira had both us and Miriam fooled. But anyways the misdirection as a narrative tool was kinda neat, it’s not often you purposely get misdirected as an audience as opposed to just not being told what’s happening
#still fuming that Meredith’s still alive though#da: absolution#da absolution#dragon age absolution#absolution#absolution spoilers#spoilers#dragon age#da#miriam#Kirkwall#Varric#Hira#meredith stannard
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Obsessed with this first gif. He’s not casting with the staff. He’s casting with his hand and throwing it at the staff to amplify the spell. That’s so fucking cool, we haven’t seen anyone else do that
He’s still awful though.
A Poor Little Meow Meow if you will
Dragon Age: Absolution
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Anders’ act 3 quest is very funny tho. “babe I think I wanna try being a little more health conscious and I found this great smoothie recipe! I just need you to pick up the ingredients for me from the grocery store. yeah it’s uhhh gasoline and styrofoam. yeah this is gonna be so good for me”
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i always forget that fenris is a mercenary in general, presumably as well as what he does with hawke. how offended do you think the party acts when he’s busy with a different job
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