#also can you tell... i get very attached to the warden origin characters.......
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Hellooo ^^ Long time no see (and also apologies for the radio silence). I've recently been noseying around your OC tag and loved what I've seen of Kalagna Brosca and Neira Surana 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀 So, if I may, for them & also for Var'Renan and Noya (whom I already know better but am also pondering from time to time), may I request Friendship and Future? Feel free to pick and choose between OCs ^^ And have a lovely day!!
[ask game]
Heyy, it's good to see you! :D Of course you may, it makes me happy to hear you enjoy them! <33
Friendship: What's your OC like as a friend? How are they at making new friends? What are the most important friendships in your OC's life?
Neira: She is actually Really Bad at making new friends because she usually keeps to herself a lot and worries too much, so her getting on with practically all her travelling companions was quite the change.
As a friend she is very supportive and a good listener, always happy to lend an ear and to offer help where she can. On the flip side it can be very annoying to get her to do the same for herself, but well.
Honestly all the friends she's made during the blight are important in different ways, but Alistair's friendship is at the top. During the blight they were very close and big anchors for each other, and part of that bond stays even when they start to grow apart. Before that was Jowan, who was her only close friend in the tower.
Kala: Even worse at making friends than Neira lmao but she is entirely fine with this. The few friends that she has are more than enough for her, and she cares about them deeply.
As a friend Kala is, first and foremost, unwaveringly loyal. And protective. Not in a coddling way, but in a "i will prioritise your wellbeing over anyone else's Always" way.
Rica was by far the most important person in her life, and still is, to an extent. As much as they hated separating, the forced distance actually made their relationship way more healthy. Alistair has become an equally important person in her life, and Zevran isn't far behind.
Noya: She's that proactive friend who tries to get you involved in events or drags you along for shenanigans. Can be A Lot but really just wants to share their excitement and wants to make their friends feel involved.
Reactions to her are definitely split; she can be intense and pushy and there were more than enough people in the alienage who gave her her wide berth for her troublemaker reputation. If she likes you though you can be absolutely sure that she has your back.
She is very close with both her cousins, although she can't deny that Shianni is her favourite. Yes, even though she fought with her more than with anyone else.
Var'renan: The friend who is dubbed the Sensible friend but is actually just as bad. ...Ok maybe he's a little more sensible. Or at least they have a decent judgement of when to stop before things go Too bad. And then when you go through with it anyway they will stand by and tell you "i told you so." Will still defend you in front of the Keeper though.
And yes all of this is mostly in reference to Taren lol. The two of them were inseparable and there were teasing whispers about them boding, but there was never any romantic intention between them. After being conscripted Morrigan was the first person to make them open up and feel less isolated, and he hates that they parted ways on bad terms.
Future: Is there anyone your OC is looking forward to meeting or to seeing again? Who? What might that meeting or reunion look like?
Neira: She never saw Jowan again after Redcliffe, and part of her really wishes she could meet again and apologise. She feels guilty about what happened to him, but she also just. Misses her oldest friend.
Kala: She never got close to many people in the first place so there aren't any people who she misses/wants to see, really. She was desperate to see Rica again after being conscripted and that reunion went better than she could have hoped (she half expected Rica to be dead, so seeing her alive and well and with child lifted a huge weight of her heart)
Noya: After Duncan took her away, the one thing she wanted was get back to her family. When she was finally there, the reunion was... about as bad as she expected, but not in the way she expected? The situation was bad but she didn't anticipate it feeling so bad as well, in that moment.
After all that is dealt with, since Warden duties keep her away from home a lot, she is happy to see her father and cousins and childhood friends again whenever she can. And she'd love to get to see Sten again sometime!
Var'renan: Well. The one person they wanted to see again the most was Tamlen, and we all know how that turned out :') Apart from that probably Merrill; if they met Renan would have very mixed feelings about her eluvian project though. Provided they survive, they also have an urge to find Morrigan again after hearing the rumours about a roaming witch. Which.. wasn't something he realised he wanted this badly. He isn't even sure why; revenge? closure? an explanation?
#so many wardens!! >:] perfect timing tbh cos i've been hearing the sirens call of dao again fsjdlfsgfd#i maybe lied a little about jowan being neiras only friend bc ive been rotating an amell in my brain but they arent really solidified y#*yet#but who knows!#also can you tell... i get very attached to the warden origin characters.......#oc ask game/ my answers#my ocs#oc: neira surana#oc: kalagna brosca#oc: noya tabris#oc: var'renan mahariel#ty again! hope you have a nice day too!! <3#i really gotta catch up on your guys too x'd
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listen I love DAO, DA2, and DAI very much and will replay all three on repeat but DAO really spoiled me with the whole "origins" part, something DA2 and DAI severely lack.
In DAO, you get to play through one of six origins that show how you got recruited to the Grey Wardens and affects how you play. I play as a Tabris and that plays a part in every decision she makes from how she views the Grey Wardens as a whole, who she romances, what she does with Loghain at the landsmeet, etc. It's incredible because that origin you get adds so much to the immersion each playthrough.
But then there's DA2 which I do adore with all my heart, but I can't lie, the first time I played it was very much "Oh, I have to be this human named Hawke? and the only differences in backstory really come from whether I'm a mage or not ...Ugh, okay, but only because you showed me Carver and now I'm attached, I'll keep playing, I'm sure nothing bad will happen to him."
And then DAI, which I also adore, comes along and just, "Okay pick who you wanna be. Great, here's a paragraph detailing your backstory, but you get to start in the same spot no matter who you make your Inquisitor to be, have fun."
It's not like it's a deal breaker that we can't play through an origin first before jumping into the main story. The player can take that element into their hands to make up for it. We see it all the time with players sharing the upbringings and family dynamics for their Hawke, or fully fleshing out their Inquisitor and why they were at the conclave in the first place.
I think DA2 does this a little better since at least it feels like Hawke had a life before Kirkwall. Your mother and survivng sibling are reminders of that life, as are every mention of your dead sibling and father. You're always reminded that you're a Fereldan refugee. You lost everything to the blight and now you have to rebuild yourself up in a new city.
But the Inquisitor? A lot of times it feels like the Inquisitor didn't even exist until they fell out of the sky. Sure, Cassandra can ask you where you're from or Josephine will ask you questions about your life prior, but that's about it. it's so unfortunate because DAI was the perfect set up for a origin stories the same way DAO was; what lead the Inquisitor to be at the conclave? What specifically put them there?
The first time I played DAI, I didn't put much thought into my Inquisitor. It took me playing through DAO and DA2 and starting a replay of DAI to actually figure out my Inquisitor and you know what I ended up doing?
I used a DAO origin.
Yeah, we know that all the wardens exist and the player picking their character decides where Duncan will be to recruit them and the others are just shit outta luck. I decided my Lavellan's actually Surana who escaped the circle with Jowan and she eventually joined the Dalish and adopted a new name after he died. Lemme tell you, roleplaying that as my Inquisitor's backstory makes everything in DAI just 10x better.
Every staff Ash crafts is named after Jowan. She wasn't born Dalish but her cover story says she was, and she slips up a lot. Her accent doesn't sound typically Dalish. Threnn tells her "Loghain was super cool actually" and Ash flashes back to when Jowan was taken by Loghain's men and when she tracked him down to Redcliffe only to find out Loghain planted him there to poison the arl, he was caught and tortured by the arl's wife, she begged a pair of wardens to let him go if they found him.
Ash is very against blood magic after it eventually killed Jowan and she isn't shy about expressing it. So you know Varric pulled my Hawke, a blood mage, aside like, "Listen, keep the blood magic stuff to yourself, the Inquisitor has a thing about it." and Edgar just gives a thumbs up and keeps going, "man, blood magic bad, amirite?"
Every conversation Ash has with Solas and Vivienne is just her biting her tongue and forcing out, "...yeah, okay." She knows the Chantry and Circles are bullshit but can't go off about it because hmmm, you know an awful lot about this for being Dalish?
Ash and Cullen see each other again after ten years and both just, "Hmm... you look famil...liar.......... oh no."
But that's my point: If I'm going to replay DAI, I boot up DAO first. I play through the mage origin as Ash, and as soon as Jowan runs off screen, I quit out of the game to boot up DAI with a little "Ten Years Later" mumble to myself, and it's so much better.
Honestly if I could find a way to incorporate an unused origin into my Hawke's backstory, I probably would! Because DAO knew what it was doing and it's super effective. I can't gush about DAO enough, I swear.
I can only cross my fingers that DA4 y'know, goes back to it's origins.
#dragon age#dao#da2#dai#dragon age origins#dragon age 2#dragon age inquisition#dao surana#dai lavellan#dao jowan#dai has it's issues but this has fixed a lot of them for me#i just have a lot of feelings about dao okay#i mean i have a lot of feelings about dragon age in general but you get me
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*I* don't know about Milgram lol What is it, I see that word a lot
Hey i'm glad you asked!! Milgram is a music/multimedia project. It tells the story of 10 prisoners who are in the prison called Milgram. These prisoners are all here because they all committed murder. The prison extracts the prisoners' memories into music videos, and the audience, through the eyes of the warden Es, have to figure what they did, why they did it, and then have to judge wether or not you think they are innocent (you forgive them) or guilty (you don't forgive them). The project is divided in three trials, the last video for trial 2 was just released a few days ago. The veredicts each character recieves affects not just how they act and react in the prison but also affects how their videos are and what information is shown. It's very very cool and interesting and the songs are all bangers.
The project is written by Takuya Yamanaka and the music is done by Deco27 which is why i mentioned it in that post, cause that song is a Miku cover of the original that was made for the 1st anniversary. And as a bonus along with their original songs each prisoner also covers a song from Deco's catalogue, which is fun cause these covers while not "canon" (as in they are not mentioned in the story or videos) are very relevant to each character and tell you things about them that their videos don't get into.
Here is a very useful post that explains the watch order of the videos and voice dramas with links attached, and also compiles all the extra content like the interrogations, translations for the tl conversations and profiles. Though i love this series it is imo very hard to get into cause there is a lot of extra content outside of the videos that can feel taxing to go through but that's only if you decide to get fully into it and i think with the voice dramas and MVs you can still enjoy it.
And also a big disclaimer this series does tackle a lot of very heavy topics. Aside from the very obvious depictions of murder there's also things like child neglect and abuse, teen pregnancy, online harassment, bullying, medical malpractice, cults, workplace abuse, depictions of child death, animal death, psychological torture, ableism, suicide. A lot of the videos also include flashing lights and images. A lot of these are mostly implied and not outright shown and there's some others that come up mostly in fan discussions about the characters. If any of these seem triggering then you don't have to watch it and if you want a more specific explanation about a specific warning you can just ask.
If you're otherwise fine with it then, yeah go ahead and try it. Again it is a hard series to get into but i do love it and genuinely love what it does. The characters and the writing are absolutely fantastic, they're all terrible but i love them all. Again if you have any questions you can just ask!!
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wingfeather saga next generation?
(I’m so sorry this took so long, wholy toothy cows, my life has been a mess this month)
I’ll try but you're probably asking the wrong person, next generation stuff isn’t really my jam. I get very attached to original characters and want to follow them forever. it’s the autism
Spoilers, obviously
Uhhh okay, so we can assume Janner and Sara get together and have kids. I’d say they have at least three, maybe a boy and two girls… okay and a little brother to finish off.
Leeli and Thorn are another likely couple since he already proposed to her ajghkljadf, uhhh I think their oldest would be a girl and then they have like three boys. They have a surprise baby like five years after the last boy is born and it’s a little girl and she’s their last one.
Kalmar’s hard because ironically, even though he’s the king he’s the only one who ends the series without a clear ship. Still, I think he’d end up with either Maraly or Galya (the girl who was a Fang in the dungeon in Ban Rona). It would be cute if his kids were the reverse of him and his own siblings- so two girls (Throne Warden and Queen) and a little boy for the third (Song Master).
Also to add to this, I maintain that Artham and Aurendelle end up with at least one child. Either they adopt children (I have headcanons about that) or they have twins (a boy and a girl). Their kid(s) are obviously older than the cousins, but I imagine they enjoy hanging out with/babysitting them.
The oldest of the cousins are Janner’s son and Kalmar’s first daughter. Then Janner’s first girl and Leeli’s oldest daughter are born the same year. Actually, you know what, I’mma get confused so let’s make a list, I’ll do their ages when the oldest ones are 12 and go from there:
Janner’s son- 12
Kalmar’s 1st daughter- 11
Janner’s 1st daughter- 10
Leeli’s 1st daughter- 10
Kalmar’s 2nd daughter- 9
Leeli’s 1st son- 8
Leeli’s 2nd son- 7
Janner’s 2nd daughter- 7
Leeli’s 3rd son- 5
Janner’s 2nd son- 5
Kalmar’s son- 4
Leeli’s 2nd daughter- a few months to a year old
Janner’s kids: boy 12, girl 10, girl 7, boy 5
Kalmar’s kids: girl 11, girl 9, boy 4
Leeli’s kids: girl 10, boy 8, boy 7, boy 5, girl 6ish months
Artham and Aurendelle’s kid(s)- teens or young adults depending on if they adopt or have biological kids. Or both. They could have both tbh.
So obviously Janner, Kal and Leeli’s kids get the experience of having cousins that their parents never got. The cousins get up to a lot of shenanigans. The 12-10 year olds tend to group together and Kal’s younger daughter leads the littler ones (to practice being queen, she tells everyone). Despite this, Kal’s daughters are still very close and often go off on solo adventures. Leeli and Janner’s oldest daughters are close because they’re the same age. Janner’s little boy and Kalmar’s little boy are very close and gravitate towards each other- they’re both pretty calm and chill. Janner’s younger girl, and Leeli’s three boys are a force to be reckoned with and are often getting into mischief. When Kal’s younger daughter is there she can rein them in a bit- but only if she wants to (and usually she doesn’t).
Janner’s son tends to try and lead/look after everyone since he’s the oldest, which sometimes bothers Kal’s two girls. Kal’s older daughter especially resents him sometimes and at least once tells him that he’s not the Throne Warden, she is. He takes that about as well as you would imagine and the adults have to help their kids realize that they should help each other when they need it and not worry about who’s the leader or the Throne Warden. The kids eventually get it.
Leeli’s kids, independently, form their own singing group. Kal’s son is the only cousin allowed in it. Leeli’s oldest daughter has her innate gift for singing. Her boys… do not. But that might in part be because they don’t try very hard just to bother their sister.
The network of people who can hear/feel/see things the other ones are doing when Leeli sings just got a LOT wider. The gift passes on through her daughter and Kal’s son and when they sing with Leeli everything that everyone can sense is a lot stronger and clearer.
Artham takes all his new tiny relations flying with him just about whenever they want. He ends up designated babysitter a lot and he loves it.
Sara is the one who can organize and handle every single kid at once. She’s also the one they all listen to without question 98% of the time. Nia’s very proud.
Nia loves her grandkids but she doesn’t spoil them. And all the kiddos know that if grandma Nia makes a rule you’d better not break it. They’ve seen Kalmar- the KING- get in trouble for disobeying her rules (some things never change).
Uhhh, yeah, so that’s what I’ve got. Sorry if it wasn’t what you were hoping for, like I said this isn’t really my forte. And again, so sorry it took so long! I’ve been sick for weeks and it doesn’t leave a lot of brainpower to think about such things.
Oh, and, as unlikely as this may be, if anyone wants to use my ramblings as like, a template for a fanfic or something then go right ahead! Just credit me somewhere. :)
#the wingfeather saga#wingfeather saga spoilers#janner wingfeather#kalmar wingfeather#leeli wingfeather#sara cobbler#artham p wingfeather#nia wingfeather#thanks for the ask!
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And to finish the trifecta, it's time for the Rogues (my default class so there's lots of them). I tend to play rogue first so I retcon a lot of the mistakes I've made or I make what turn out to be the "stereotype" characters. I love them all so if you tell me I'm boring for romancing Alistair with a Cousland I will block you.
Do what makes you happy friends.
Cringe is a lie
Links with my mages: https://tastyfishistasty.tumblr.com/post/707642197702492160/origins
And my warriors: https://tastyfishistasty.tumblr.com/post/707646415816540160/origins
Origins
Aoife Cousland
Aoife has a very modded background by now because she's honestly one of my favourite play throughs and I've played her 3 separate times.
She's a dual wielding rogue duelist and assassin (shadow in awakening). She said started sword and dagger but following game start, she goes dual sword with the Cousland sword (upgrade wand my fave mod). She uses poisons and the grenades but sneak is always her highest attribute. She can also tank because she's near impossible to hit and does so much damage (this was an accidental discovery when I forgot a warrior in the party and realised her threat level is pretty damn high when she's visible).
She's the stereotype sneaky, manipulative, spy master type, always planning to get the best outcome for anyone she cares about (which includes her country, she's very duty focused). A lot of her skills come from what she needs to do to take care of the world, rather than personal preference. Though the canon reason she can pick locks is because she's a nosy bitch.
Elwyn Mahariel
Elwyn is an archer elf (see above point about cringe being a lie). She's a ranger and all about damage. You won't know she's killed you because she's a "one-shot"er, but your friends will and they will follow along quickly. She's only sneaky if she has to be, which when hunting food.
Thorvalyn Aeducan
My first ever play through, Thorvalyn is a dual welding rogue who ends up with axes. She's not that sneaky and is a Duelist and Bard, which has the in game reason of she won't shut up and out of game reason as she romanced Leliana by accident whilst actually romancing Alistair and I liked the idea of it without reading the abilities.
She's more of an in front fighter (because I didn't know what I was doing) because she's raised in dwarf society with a focus on leading armies into the deep roads.
Gryffen Brosca
Gryffen was made for an achievement and then I got too attached... They're Brosca and as I was playing with gender (my own) at the time, they're neutral but everyone thinks their female. They're infertile and that led to all the mess with the Brosca game start being complicated. They're supposed to sacrifice themselves to kill the archdemon, but I've never actually done that bit...
They're dual wielding daggers and a ranger, they've always had an affinity to animals and so dog is always on the party. They also have assassin because they are sneaky and hidden. They're technically selectively mute because the game makes the warden speak in battle, but I like the idea that all the speech options were what they wrote down or signed.
DA2
Curtis Hawke
Curtis is a shadow dual daggers rogue and so much fun to play. He's part of my twins AU with Abigael and he's always been protecting his family from the shadows and from templars. He also takes assassin because it works really well with the shadow and the sneaky sneaky.
His main areas are subterfuge and scoundrel because he won't be pinned down and you'll never see him coming.
Cassady Hawke
I spent an hour trying to come up with a name for this lady in character creation and eventual thought "Cassandra! That's a great name!" Entered it and then Cassandra reappears and I'm like, oh yeah that's where the name came from... So she became Cassady.
She dual wielding because Varric goes everywhere with my Hawkes so why have an archer? She's a Duelist assassin with a focus on lingering damage with Sabotage and Specialist and lots and lots of grenades.
Lowell Hawke
I like to try everything so Lowell is an archer, but I don't like archery in DA2 so I've never made it very far with him. He's technically a Duelist and Specialist but not sure how far I've ever got him and if he branches out I've not decided. He's supposed to be a lot like my Mahariel with the whole hunter, sneaky but damaging thing, but who knows how he might change in the future.
Inquisition
Hanin Lavellan
Hanin is a dual daggers tempest because I love the tempest abilities. They're not sneaky and are sabotage focused with the daggers and the setting themselves on fire.
Canonically they're more of a defensive part of their clan that a hunter, but that's retcon because I love tempests.
Merryn Cadash
My first Inquisition play through, she's based on the meme of the hamster with a banana and romanced the iron bull. I am hilarious.
She's dual daggers, sneaky subterfuge and was originally an assassin but once I saw the skill tree I went back a couple saves and made her a tempest. Story wise, she was an assassin for the Carta and is leaving her old life behind, so she's more sneaky and then boom there's an on fire dwarf stabbing you in the back.
Somaazi Adaar
Somaazi is another tempest because they are the best. She's dual daggers because she romances Sera and I can't have two tempest archers in one party all the time.
She's not sneaky because she's a Qunari and she is a leader in her mercenary group. She tends towards sabotage, but is mostly focused on her dagger skills.
She's very much a diffuser/negotiation type so she didn't pick up warrior so that she not *as scary*. She's still kinda scary, but she's a people person and loves colours so people get over her being Vashoth pretty quickly and genuinely like her. She wants people to like her very badly.
Christopher Trevelyan
Chris was the designated rogue in the human category (see my warriors post about having one of each race of each specialisation), so he's a dual daggers (I have a type) assassin with heavy sneak subterfuge. My Trevelyans are all siblings so as the oldest he would be the one in the family to sneak off to get things for his siblings when his abusive mother was in the way. He's got a badly healed left wrist so whilst he's left handed he uses his right for everything, which is also why he's sneaky because he can't really defend himself well. He's a bit of a glass cannon in game.
He's got a lot more going on and I feel bad leaving it here, but it's not directly tied to him being a rogue so I'm leaving it there.
Amalia Trevelyan
Amalia is another achievement play, siding with the templars (I think it's a better quest, but I ain't choosing them over the mages). She's an archer and was supposed to be a templar warrior but I don't like the templar tree at all, so I decided she is a very attack and not sneaky rogue, but she's actually an archer. Origins had archer warriors which whilst never a focus was a cool idea and that's what Amalia technically would be, as I don't think in-world the distinction between rogue and warrior is as obvious as in the mechanics.
She's an artificer because she likes knowing how things work and when she was young, she was unwell and not allowed to leave home so she made do with what she had. She's all subterfuge and traps, but she doesn't really sneak, except in that she's quiet because she grew up having to be perfect and dainty.
Her backstory is a bit complicated but she ended up as a lay sister in the chantry after several abusive situations and so is very indoctrinated into the chantry, hence the templars. She gets better as time goes on, but the damage is done with the templars at the begining.
All of this adds up to her being a bit of a manipulator who doesn't always realise what she's doing, she's just trying to be safe and protect herself. Her perks are all knowledge and manipulation/power focused from the war table to give her every available option to take her enemies down.
Ta-dah! Done! I have so many ideas for fics from all my OCs but I am very busy and easily distracted so if anyone has actually read any of these and is at all interested, let me know, it will help me actually focus and do things!
#my ocs#fifth times a charm#dragon age#dragon age inquisition#dragon age origins#dragon age 2#ocs#oc tag#lavellan#cadash#mahariel#cousland#Hawke#Trevelyan#Adaar#Aeducan#Brosca#dao#dai#da2#reference
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Thoughts On Dragon Age II after Replaying (Massive Spoilers)
Hello fellow DA fans! It's been quite some time since I last posted anything here on Tumblr. Hope everyone has been safe during all of the world's craziness. Figured I'd post something to let people know I'm still alive.
Anyway, DA2 was first released back in 2011. I was 20-21 years old at the time. Back then, while I still acknowledged the lack of genuine player agency with Hawke (in comparison to the Warden before them), I did belong in the camp of people believing that people went way overboard with the DA2 critiques regarding those complaints, at least back then.
Now though? After replaying the game again a decade or so later, and also in light of the Inquisitor and DAI, I now personally believe that Hawke's story stands out as (overall), all the more unbalanced in comparison to both the Warden and Inquisitor.
Massive Spoilers for the franchise abound beyond this point. Last warning.
Despite a lot of the old critiques leveled at DA2, it isn't a 100% terrible experience, and despite the oncoming rant, I do love the game overall.
Even though I've personally always thought that DA2 story was centered around tragedy a bit TOO much, in light of the growing franchise and the directional tone of the other protagonists thus far, it unfortunately stands out even more to me, and not in a good way.
A shame really because DA2 could have been a better and interesting contrast to DAO in tone and direction had it been more balanced with meaningful successes and failures for Hawke as a character rather than veering too far over into angst and tragedy.
For example, in DAO, your Warden character is railroaded into success against the Blight no matter what. Regardless of the origin, regardless of what sort of allies you acquire, no matter if you live or die in the end or which warden gets the final blow, you succeed.
This sort of narrative framing gave the writers a much easier way to balance genuine tragedy and success throughout the journey without veering too far in one direction or the other, and also without making nearly everything the player does seem like an exercise in futility.
In other words, there were failures and successes more properly balanced throughout, from experiencing meaningful failures and heartache during the chosen origin stories, to failure at Ostagar, to having more balance with the party members and their struggles (they weren't too boring or too dysfunctional), romances that stood out as a light for the Warden amidst all the fighting and death and their massive burden, to succeeding with building the army to take on the Darkspawn, to potential personal sacrifice to save the world and so on.
The option to play a more tragic, angsty or "evil" character who alienates everyone around them and then ultimately dies in the end is there too. The point is that the game largely gave the player the reins and let THEM decide what sort of story they were interested in shaping within the confines of the narrative railroading.
This balance just isn't there with DA2 as the player progresses. Hawke is railroaded into failure in almost every way from start to finish, whether in their personal life or with the massive political struggles in Kirkwall.
I'm sure most people would have been fine with the main plot between the mages/Templars spiraling out of their control in the end (thanks Anders), the Qunari rampaging no matter what, and even the Hawke family being forcefully separated as the story progressed.
However, to me some of the railroaded bleak tragedy should have been offset by Hawke (and by extension the player) at least having the OPTION of being able to keep their family alive.
I'm fine with the tragedy of losing the whole family being ONE POSSIBLE option in the game, but when this tragedy along with the main plot failures, the dysfunctional party members that are too problematic to help ease Hawke's burdens (in fact, they all add to Hawke's worries, which if Inquisition shows anything, that it finally takes its toll on Hawke) is THE ONE AND ONLY OPTION in light of everything else wrong in Kirkwall, then that's a potential writing issue and could potentially alienate the player more than make them care about anything that happens and wonder why they aren't given the option to just nope out and leave Kirkwall to its fate.
Tragedy can be fine, don't get me wrong, but not everyone wants to role play a COMPLETE AND UTTER tragedy from start to finish with no option to deviate in any way from that narrative. Options in the way people progress (especially where people can break the story down and see the holes in the narrative where it COULD have possible but just wasn't allowed), should be presented in a ROLE PLAYING game.
I personally find it more realistic and relatable when a character experiences a nice blend of both MEANINGFUL success and failure. However, the writers seemed intent on railroading Hawke into just being at the mercy of the main plot with little to no agency.
In stark contrast to DAO, planning for the entire story in DA2 (or just in an RPG period) to end in failure no matter the player choices is already a bold enough risk on its own. It can definitely work with the proper balance of both positive and negative experiences along the way though in both the political and personal aspects of the player characters life, to keep the player actively engaged in a way that doesn't leave them thinking that their presence in the story amounts to little more than the equivalent of holding a book and simply turning the page rather than actively doing something.
But combining an already planned bleak ending with a very corrupt setting where the leaders on all sides are either completely moronic or passive, party members where the majority of them have too many burdens of their own to give Hawke a genuine sense of a reprieve from the madness even if romancing one of them (except for Varric, Aveline, and Bethany, if alive, everyone else is either a whiner or dysfunctional. It's very telling that Hawke's PET DOG gets more no strings attached visits from the party members than Hawke does. Just saying), railroading Hawke to lose the majority of their family in some way, AND having what little success and influence Hawke DOES acquire to come back and bite them in the ass in the end (Hawke struck it rich and became Champion of Kirkwall?! Awesome!.....right up until its revealed the red lyrium idol they found in the deep roads played a part in screwing up everything), then at that point, a serious argument can be made that the writers veered far too heavily into tragic overdone melodrama for some people.
How cool would it have been to be able to leave the game with "Well, okay, I couldn't do anything about the corruption in Kirkwall or the mage/Templar tensions spiraling out of control, but at least my whole family is alive and well"? There could have even been an achievement/trophy for this very outcome called "The pride of the Hawkes" or something.
Just one possible example of how the railroaded political failures could have been offset by giving Hawke, (and by extension the player), the OPTION for personal success in a more meaningful way. The option for extreme tragedy with some or even all of the Hawkes dying can still be there of course for people who want that degree of angst, but again having multiple OPTIONS is more likely to accommodate more people and their preferred play styles or stories, and thus, give more reasons to play the game multiple times.
As it stands now, sure, Hawke can save the life of one sibling, but they're still railroaded into losing one of them before the prologue is over, the other is either killed by the Blight or forced from their side in act 1 because the game said so, and the mother is forced to die in the most shock value induced way possible (nevermind not even being able to warn Leandra in act one or follow up on this quest until it's too late in act two or the guards and Templars being forcefully incompetent for this to play out like the writers want).
Those have just been my thoughts as of late. Some people argue that in a way, this is the entire point of the game. That sometimes only REALLY crappy choices exist and there may not be a third option. I agree with that to a point.
But "there might not be" and "there NEVER is" an option for an ideal third way are two very different things and IMO, DA2 suffered in veering far too heavily in the direction of the latter, often being too focused on heartbreak and shock value (looking at you "All That Remains") to really work as well as it could have.
Anyway, these are just my thoughts a decade later. Make no mistake, I still love DA2 for what it is, love the general concept and idea of DA2, just not the execution. It's just sad to me that this game could have been so much better with more development time, more options to shape Hawke's story on a more personal level (whether with an ideal outcome of everyone in the family living, or a semi tragic one where some can die depending on choices, or everyone dying), and not being railroaded into tragedy to nearly nigh ridiculous levels to the point where a giant spider nightmare residing in the Fade in a whole other game mocks Hawke for their "failure is the only option" status.
And just to further clarify my point here, true, Kirkwall was a ticking time bomb with or without Hawke being there. They made the tensions between the two factions apparent as far back as DAO. A Mage/Templar war was all but inevitable, as was Anders eventually losing himself to Justice/Vengeance and after exhausting all peaceful options, finally doing the unthinkable and "forcing everyone to choose a side". That part was fine. And it makes sense for this part of the story to remain static and unchanged no matter what (as I said before, the issue isn't necessarily that DA2 had a planned tragic ending or was framed as a set story within a story).
The issue is that, at the end of the day, regardless of whether this is framed as a recounting of events already played out, Bioware still chose to present this part of the story to the world as an RPG, not a novel. It's just too easy to pick apart the current execution of the narrative and find too many holes and inconsistencies, far too easy to see that Bioware wanted tragedy and completely railroaded the player into it regardless of whether or not it made sense to do so at times. Part of it is definitely that it was rushed, but not all of it.
" Genuine inevitable tragedy" (example: the mage/Templar rebellion) and "railroaded and just never given the option to question/change anything because the game/developers said so but still forcefully insisting and trying to frame it as an inevitable tragedy" are two very different things (outright confirming in Act 1 that the remains of the serial killer's vicitms did indeed belong to one of the missing women (Ninette's wedding ring) and he gave them white lilies but conveniently never given the option to bring any of this up to the guards/Templars or pursue the quest or warn Leandra until it's far too late). Leandra's death isn't the only example of this problem, but it definitely is one of the most prominent and IMO, takes away from the intended story of a good woman who met a bad end with their oldest son/daughter being unable to prevent it when the game failed to let them (and by extension the player) truly try.
DA2 could have been a great contrast to DAO. Rather than having the influence to shape the fate of the world like the Warden and succeed in their goal, they could have compromised in DA2 with having the fallout of the Kirkwall Chantry destruction and the rebellion still happening no matter what (i.e. Hawke "failing" to stop any of the madness and still ultimately forced to flee Kirkwall in the end after finally dragging the Amell line back into prominence) but still given the player the option to save their immediate family members across the story if certain choices were made throughout. I'm sure most people would have been fine with a more "bittersweet" option being presented for Hawke, (and by extension the player) in the game, especially where again, one can pick apart the narrative and see where it could have been an option, but just wasn't allowed for no other reason than seemingly because of the "True art is angsty" trope.
Bioware could still have their own canon (similarly to how Alistair is shown to be king in their canon no matter what as an example) of the ultimate tragedy if they wanted, but again, DA2 is still an RPG where players expect to have more meaningful choices reflected in how they progress, even with an inescapable darker and downer ending.
Complete and utter tragedy is fine, but I just don't think it was the best decision to have it as THE ONLY option in an RPG.
#dragon age 2#da2#dragon age origins#dragon age inquisition#marian hawke#garrett hawke#bethany hawke#varric tethras#leandra amell#leandra hawke#da inquisition#dragon age#carver hawke#dai
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I love the worldbuilding details of the Southern Gothic urban fantasy! Can you share any more details about this WIP? What are the main characters like and do you have a favourite character type to write?
The bones of the idea were originally inspired by the movie Bright, which is a vaguely Shadowrun-esque cop flick starring Will Smith if you're not familiar. I have no interest in writing gritty urban cop stories, especially not in this day and age, but a modern-day setting in which magic and fantasy elements not only exist but exist openly alongside the familiar, an established and acknowledged part of the world rather than a hidden one, is always interesting to me.
What's the same? What's different? How do the mundane and fantastical elements intersect and impact one another?
My other major inspiration is the manga/anime series Mushi-Shi, which is hard to describe but in some ways almost resembles a cross between a nature documentary and a paranormal investigation reality show with its focus on the strange, surreal ecologies of the supernatural critters that inhabit its setting, the impact they can have on humans who can't always perceive or understand them, and the efforts of the protagonist to find ways for the one to coexist with the other.
It's a mixture of soothing, dreamlike natural beauty, quiet psychological spookiness, and skin-crawling body horror and I highly recommend it, but let me try to refrain from getting too far off the subject.
Back to the WIP in question, behind the cut for tldr.
The primary setting is a small Southern town based to some extent on Oakland, Mississippi and places like it. The main POV character is Raine Mallory, who is a member of the Warden service I described previously as basically "faerie animal control." She's a local girl who kind of fell into her job due to growing up familiar with all the spooky stuff that goes bump in the night out in the kudzu, and also being an introvert who is just as comfortable with nature as she is with people. The rest of her family has moved to the city a few hours away, but Raine inherited her grandparents' old farmhouse (most of the farmland once attached to it having long since been sold off in pieces) and lives there on her own. She's pretty content with her life, but at the same time she doesn't entirely fit in with the small-town community - a little too educated and well-read, a little too liberal in her values compared to most of her blue-collar salt-of-the-earth neighbors.
Then a dead body turns up - not a local, and there's suspicious circumstances, by which we mean suspicious magic circumstances - and then a special agent from the FBI Magic Regulatory Division shows up, which means elves because elves are great big snobs and think magic should be strictly controlled and by that they mean "controlled by elves."
Special Agent Alsandír is the other lead character. He's actually the rebellious liberal kid of his clan in that he's not nearly so much on the "elves uber alles" train as most of his relatives and has seen too much of the dangers of careless magic use to think anybody should have much to do with it, elf or otherwise. He's still an elitist image-conscious snob, though. He and Raine represent more or less opposite ends of the same general line of work - managing ways in which humanity runs up against the preternatural elements that share their world and working to limit the potential damage that can come from such collisions - but the Warden service is county level, underfunded and understaffed, mostly dealing with low-grade hedge magic and magical wildlife, and Raine in particular takes a very "live and let live" approach, where the Magic Regulatory Division is more elite and focused on bigger threats like people actively misusing magic for their own ends.
There's a whole lot of culture clash is what I'm saying, but they're also both a bit out of place among their own, which is a source of common ground.
As per usual, I have no idea where I want to take this idea, beyond the general premise of these two characters having to work together and rely on one another to unearth whatever nefarious goings-on are happening in Raine's little town that left a dude dead in a gully apparently killed by magic. There's far more worldbuilding than plot attached to this one, as you might be able to tell.
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literally no one asked but that’s never stopped me before; my inhibitions are low bc i’ve been awake since 4am and idk if any of this is even going to make sense when anyone reads it but i want to talk about my 𝑓 𝑒𝑒 𝑙 𝑖 𝑛 𝑔 𝑠
having to choose between hawke and alistair in the fade is literally like the most stressful video game decision i have had to make—and actually, considering i’ve done alternate playthroughs where i choose each of them, i still technically haven’t “chosen” because it’s. so. hard.
if Loghain or Stroud are the warden, they’re obviously the expendable option because loghain has no rights and stroud simply isn’t a character the player was given the opportunity to emotionally invest in. unless you make a specific party decision in da2, you never even meet him. but when it’s between alistair and hawke, now the emotional stakes are astronomical, because not only is it hard for me to pick on an emotional level, even when thinking in terms of narrative for each of these characters it’s hard to decide which is the better option.
we’re invested in both these characters; we traveled with alistair through origins and either romanced him or became his best friend through our wardens, our wardens with whom i think most players have also developed an emotional attachment to because they’re our own characters. and hawke was our character in da2, and you could sort of “mold” him into one of three general personalities, he’s still a pretty strong character on his own, regardless of if he’s snarky or angry or benevolent. and sort of opposite the case with alistair, we know that hawke’s friends are attached to him.
so now it’s down to the wire and you gotta pick one. there’s no other way out. it sucks. and i think on one hand i can actually appreciate that because it means the games did a good job of making me care about not only both of these characters themselves, but their impact on the characters around him. when i think of sacrificing hawke, my mind at once goes to varric, the living hawke sibling, and the love interest. with alistair, my mind goes to my warden, who in terms of the game itself isn’t a strongly defined character because like most custom protagonists a lot of the emotional investment comes from our own imaginations and projections. but in that regard it’s like the relationship to alistair is more personal to the player themselves, in my opinion. when choosing who to sacrifice, i think about who is going to hurt. i literally burst into tears when i played the hawke route and varric comes up to you in adamant and says, “where’s hawke?” like i fuckin lost it man lmao, and when you talk to him later and he tells you the story and they play hawke’s theme sadly in the background?????? im like im going to pass away now but ANYWAY
so not only do i think about the emotional consequences on hawke and alistair’s companions (and myself), i struggle to choose which option is better narratively. because i feel that both of them have a very strong reason to stay behind. for hawke it’s obvious: with corypheus, it’s personal—way more personal than it even is with the inquisitor who is meant to defeat him. it’s literally in hawke’s bloodline. not only did his father cage the magister, but hawke is assuming the responsibility of “releasing” corypheus upon the world. of course he would give up everything remain in the fade and deal this huge blow to corypheus. it’s more than playing hero, it’s about vengeance for him, and you could even say it’s about protecting his family, if his sibling is a warden and if you romanced anders, protecting him too.
alternatively with alistair: all through origins alistair is characterized as believing himself expendable. “i wish i had died instead of duncan, i’ll kill the archdemon so you don’t have to,” etc. and yes he is young and insecure in origins, and it’s clear when we see him again in inquisition or even the cameo in da2, we can see him more confident, more assured, capable of making his own decisions. but—and i acknowledge this is largely headcanon, but this whole post is explaining why it’s hard for me to choose—i think especially with the romanced hero of fereldan still alive, in that pivotal moment in the fade i would assume alistair would be thinking of her, sorry to leave her and knowing she’ll be hurt but confident she could be the capable hands the wardens would need to recover, even if she is sort of in the shadows by that time, i project that the HoF would assume a sense of duty in helping them recover, even from the background somehow if she insists on kind of staying in “hiding.”
i think characterwise, alistair is always going to have some degree of innate self-sacrifice, that when it comes down to it, he’ll be the one to take the blow. so it would make sense that in the fade, he’d say “no, hawke, you go,” maybe no longer from a place of lower self-esteem like in origins, but i think in his mind, especially since he’s literally been a fugitive from the wardens, he makes the decision in a fairly rational state of mind. he acknowledges the wardens have messed up, and maybe this sacrifice can even be the start to redeeming their honor because he cares such a great deal about them. even hawke changes his tone in the final moments, saying yeah the wardens fucked up but they’re not beyond saving. so even then i think alistair would take comfort in knowing whether it be hawke or the HoF or the Inquisitor or whoever, the wardens will be left in good hands.
i know a lot of the alistair stuff is more headcanon than anything, but going off my own world history with the games and my own role play ideas and stuff, these are the associations in my head and how i interpret the cost of his sacrifice alongside hawke’s. and i’ve even tried jotting some fic ideas exploring so many different post-fade concepts depending on which was left behind to see if i could construct some mental narrative to help me “commit” to sacrificing one of them, and in honesty, i think in the end i would go with hawke, because even though it’s more of an immediately impactful death (VARRIC IM SO FUCKGIN SORRY), it is personal, and i think that motivation is beyond alistair’s more “honorable” motivation. i think alistair could be convinced to help the wardens before hawke could be convinced to step back and let someone else take care of corypheus “for him,” for lack of a better term.
HOWEVER. it may be wishful thinking in order to cope, but i would be willing to bet that in da4, we find out whoever was left in the fade is not dead after all, because if it is hawke you leave behind, or even with alistair, these are both two protagonists that would have rather unceremonious deaths. narratively, that’s kind of lame writing if we were to forgo the closure of their actual deaths. even in the choice tree it says the person will “most likely” die; in the cut scene as the inquisitor and the non-sacrificed character run toward the rift, you see in the background the other character fight the monster and hit the ground under an attack, but we don’t see an explicit “death.” they are then, understandably, assumed dead. but there’s no actual confirmation. and i don’t know the writing team personally, who am i to say they’re indisputably above this, but i would like to have enough faith in them to expect they would not commit to such an unsatisfying ending for that character’s story. even with a more “expendable” character like stroud, i think there’s too many questions left behind.
the introduction of walking physically in the fade and surviving is a huge revelation in-game. it’s reiterated that that literally hasn’t happened since the first magisters entered the black city. that’s ENORMOUS. and if they’re only going to explore that twice—or more like one and a half times because we get the vague opening cut scene of escaping the fade, then the adamant sequence—it again feels very inconsistent and sloppy. dorian even says that essentially once people realize it is possible to survive the fade physically, they are going to try it, however unwise and irresponsible. i think the da4 teasers alone (i haven’t followed da4 updates very closely tbh bc i haven’t been able to play trespasser yet bc i only have a ps3 and i’m trying so hard not to get too spoiled beyond the main inquisition ending asjkfd) imply our experiences with the “real” fade are so far from over. and thus, i feel “comfortable” leaving hawke in the fade because i would like to believe he’s going to come back. i mean, he’s hawke right? and if hawke’s character can come back, that would then further suggest if you left the warden in the fade, they would have to come back too for whatever the da4 narrative might be.
ok sorry this is rly long and disorganized im bad at communicating ideas effectively but i have been thinking about this lately way more than i care to admit lmao
#dragon age#dai#alistair theirin#dragon age 2#da:i#inquisition#dragon age inquisition#da2#bioware#da4#dragon age hawke#grey wardens#warden alistair#dragon age alistair#alistair dragon age
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what is the best dragon age game to start with? ive never played and my whole familiarity is basically your blog lmao but i’m in need of a new game to play on my ps3
hmmm. okay so I'm going to put it like this. if you're not following me for Dragon Age, I'm assuming you're following me for Critical Role, and I saw someone else make this comparison that is actually pretty fucking accurate: "Vox Machina is Dragon Age Origins and The Mighty Nein is Dragon Age 2."
Dragon Age Origins is the first that came out. It's an epic story about adventurers who are goofy and fun and kinda dicks sometimes but care so deeply about each other taking on this big bad evil but also dealing with making alliances with big governing forces and fighting dragons. there's a guy who's secretly nobility, and a woman of the church who isn't as innocent as she seems. there's a guy who hits on every person he meets and a barbarian beserker who likes to drink and isn't very smart. there's even a talking tree. but it's also older and some of the storylines and jokes are little ehhhh to modern audiences. the game isn't quite where it needs to be yet and I can see someone being like "this isn't that fun" in 2020 where for me it was the best game ever I love it so very much but I also first played it in 2009.
Dragon Age 2, on the other hand, is very character driven. the heroes aren't heroes as much as just an eccentric band of misfit friends dealing with little problems and realizing they're in way over their head. there's a hobo mage who loves cats and a sweet girl who does forbidden blood magic and consorts with demons and a, I'm not kidding, goddamn pirate captain. it's so much fun and it's dramatic and it's short without being too short. your main character even has a family! (who you will get absurdly attached to and will still be writing meta about literally ten years later). it also plays more like a video game which will be better for someone playing on a console like I do. Origins was clearly made to be played on the PC and while it's still fun on the console, it's a little wonky in places. Dragon Age 2 is simply a game I can see appealing more to a modern audience.
(I do not think anyone should start with Inquisition. it's my least favorite game. I mean it's fun and worth playing, my url is even a reference to my favorite character from the whole series who's only in Inquisition. but I genuinely do not care about it nearly as much as the other two. don't start with Inquisition period.)
I started with origins and I want to tell you to start with origins bc I can't fathom not playing them in order, but if you read this and say "actually, I'd prefer the character driven small scale story to the more traditional fantasy story." I'd rather you play DA2 first, fall in love with it, and then play Origins than do it in order. still, wardens for life. DA:O is the best game ever.
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Black Emporium 2020 Letter
Thanks so much for checking out my letter! I’m so excited to see whatever you’ll create. These notes are more geared toward fic than art, but hopefully will give you some good ideas regardless of your medium.
General notes -
Fluff is a-okay if that’s what you like to write, but I prefer when stories have some conflict/plot/problem to overcome.
I’ve got no preference between established relationships or first-time-meeting fics. In either case, I like relationships to have a combination of “interest at first sight” and “people who grow to understand/love each other more over time.”
I’ve got a weakness for people who seem very different but find out they have more in common than they expect.
Humor in fics is really wonderful?? Feel free to let the characters get into silly situations, be awkward and unsuave, and to flex your humorous narrative voice.
I deeply enjoy rivals-to-lovers with a fun/competitive vibe, if you feel confident you can pull it off in a way that’s not mean.
I love angst. Feel free to give me messy (not abusive) relationships, and imperfect people trying their best to do right by each other. People who *could* have a good relationship, but circumstances beyond their control make a relationship impossible. You’ve got permission to hurt my heart, basically.
For E-rated fics - feel free to write E-rated stories for any ship I indicated (except for Gen& ships), but I’m personally gonna be way more interested in F/F than other categories for PWP.
Dragon Age Fic Specific Notes
I'm not a fan of AUs that are fundamentally different from canon (e.g. modern AUs, soulmate AUs.) A specific point of canon divergence is often very interesting (e.g. what if Morrigan showed up in Kirkwall during the events of DA2?) and will probably be necessary for a few of the more obscure ships I requested.
When my prompts include a Warden, Hawke, or Inquisitor, I don’t have a preference for their personality. Want to write about your OC? Feel free! Want to write somebody generic with a default name? Go for it. Want to write about one of my OCs? Be my guest, but there’s no obligation.
Likewise, please don’t feel like you have to stick to any particular worldstate or set of decisions. Whatever you feel serves your story best.
On to details on my prompts!
Leliana/Marjolaine
Zevran Arainai/Rinna/Taliesen
Zevran Arainai/Isabela
Prompt set: "pre-Origins relationships." I love imperfect (or downright shitty) past relationships and how people learn from them. Would love to see a story with companions starting off in their careers (bard and assassin), learning new skills, basically becoming the people we meet. How did their early relationships shape them? If you choose to write for Zevran/Isabela, would strongly prefer a “friends with benefits” vibe to a romantic vibe. For Leliana/Marjolaine or Zevran/Rinna/Taliesen, I don't expect or particularly want these fics to have happy endings, but I would prefer that their relationships were characterized as messy, complicated, or imperfect, rather than actively abusive. Any rating.
Female Aeducan/Anora Mac Tir
Female Cousland/Anora Mac Tir
Female Amell/Anora Mac Tir
Prompt set: "Let Anora kiss a lady." Want these two as co-rulers of Ferelden? Want them to meet at the Landsmeet and develop sudden and unexpected feelings for each other? Want Amell as Anora's secret mistress? Lots of options here. Any rating.
*It's fine if Alistair is around, but I would prefer not to have him be a partner in this relationship. (e.g. If you want to write about Anora and Alistair co-ruling, with a Cousland as Warden Commander in a relationship with Anora, I’d prefer the story not become Anora/Alistair/FCousland.)
Leliana & Morrigan
Zevran Arainai & Leliana
Leliana & Wynne
Prompt set: "Leliana gets to sit down and talk to somebody." Wanna format this as an extended, canon-like companion dialogue? A story where the two of them work together to overcome a challenge/solve a problem without the rest of their squad? A story where they start off adversarial, but unexpectedly bond over something? They fight at one another's side and discovery they work well together? Maybe they meet up after the events of Origins (or during the events of Inquisition?) and have a glass of wine and catch up on what they've been up to? Only G-M ratings, please. Only interested in exploring platonic friendships with this prompt.
Bianca Davri/Isabela
Rinna/Female Tabris
Female Adaar/Leliana
Prompt set: “Unusual femslash grab-bag: rogues edition.” I'm not attached to any particular plots or ideas for these. I'd love to see Bianca and Isabela in some kind of sexually-charged flirtatious professional rivalry, sometime before the events of DA2, or between the events of DA2 and DAI. For FTabris/Rinna, it would need to be some manner of Rinna lives!AU, however you want to manage that. Would love to see how you choose to characterize this gal who got fridged to fuel Zevran's tragic backstory. For FAdaar/Leliana, would prefer that Leliana was not in a relationship with the HoF.
*These are good for anybody looking for a challenge (and looking to be the first fic in a particular tag!) Any rating.
Merrill/Morrigan
Flemeth/Wynne
Female Adaar/Vivienne
Prompt set: “Unusual femslash grab-bag: mages edition.” I'm not attached to any particular plots or ideas for these. Some possible plots: Flemeth and Wynne have an unexpectedly flirtatious afternoon tea where they bond over being magical old ladies with big secrets. Merrill gets a chance to tell Morrigan that *she* should be the eluvian expert - yet they have unexpected chemistry. Also, would just generally love a story about a female mage Adaar discussing magic as a Tal-Vashoth with Circle Mage Vivienne.
*These are good for anybody looking for a challenge (and looking to contribute to a tag with less than five fics!) Any rating.
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Pairing: Cait Cousland/Loghain Mac Tir
Story Summary: Word of a plot against Anora comes to light, and Cait Cousland and Loghain Mac Tir must go behind enemy lines to hunt down the source.
aka Cait and Loghain have to pretend to be married and attend a fancy Orlesian party. What could possibly go wrong?
Sequel to Yield though you don’t need to have read it to read this one. Rated E
“Good morning, Anora. Another bouquet of flowers arrived for you,” Cait called as she opened the door to the queen’s office. She hoped Anora was actually in there; she couldn’t see over the riot of flowers in her arms.
“They're lovely,” Anora replied unenthusiastically. Cait made her way in the vague direction of her voice. “Who are these from?”
She sat the vase down, the flowers covering the surface of the desk and hiding the mountains of paperwork that were probably on it. She pulled the card out of her jacket pocket and read it as dramatically as possible. “‘To the Radiant Anora Mac Tir, All flowers pale before your delicate beauty, but I hope they brighten your day just the same. Lord Otwin De Calis .’” She dropped the card onto Anora’s desk, to get lost among the rest of the chaos. “Should I know who that is? He sent me a bouquet too.”
“I'm not familiar with the name,” Anora said, appearing from behind an especially large pink rose. “What did your card say?”
“He said my beauty was mesmerizing . And something about my strength of character,” Cait rolled her eyes and dropped into an empty chair. “I think I'd rather be radiant.”
“At least he has a decent grasp of language.” Anora stood up to carry the flowers to the window to add them to her collection. There were over a dozen bouquets of various sizes and colors, all from hopeful suitors that seemed to think a bunch of roses would be enough to make them the next king of Ferelden.
Cait propped her feet up on the desk and watched her friend walk across the room and back, poised and controlled even after hours in this little room. “I suppose. Anyone who'd call you delicate doesn't know who they're dealing with.”
“Delicate next to you, maybe,” Anora said, eyes flashing with amusement. “I assume you've already sent replies?”
"Of course." Cait intoned in an expressionless voice, "Her Royal Highness and Chancellor Cousland are very flattered by your gift and your words, but completely uninterested. Try chocolates next time.”
“Good.” Anora pushed Cait’s boots off her desk and sat back down. “I received word from Warden-Commander Amell.”
That got the Warden’s attention and she sat up straight in her chair. “How’s Carah doing?”
“There may be a situation with the darkspawn in Amaranthine. She says she doesn’t need help at this time, but she’ll keep us updated.” Anora handed Cait the letter in question and she read over it quickly.
Once she’d handed the letter back, Cait slouched into her chair again. “Better her than me. I’ve got too many memories attached to Amaranthine. I’d rather be here.” Carah Amell was a natural-born leader and deserved every bit of praise and power they could give her. Cait only hoped that whoever she had helping her in Amaranthine knew more about politics than she did. Carah was a sweet girl; the bannorn would eat her alive if they could. “She’ll be a better Commander than I would be anyway. Patience of a saint, that one.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be killing darkspawn than glaring at politicians?”
Cait shrugged. “Nah. If I wanted the easy job, I’d have volunteered. I like it here, believe it or not.”
"Since you are here, I would like a word with you." Anora stared at her, inscrutable as always.
Cait grinned to hide her sudden unease. "Am I in trouble? Because it kind of sounds like I'm in trouble."
Anora laced her fingers together on her desk and said calmly, "When I requested you find a healthier way to spend your evenings than getting in bar fights, I did not mean to imply you should start having sex with my father."
Cait studied the queen, trying to read anything in her expression. She didn't seem angry, but beyond that she couldn't tell what she was thinking. Hoping she was reading this right, Cait kept her grin firmly in place and said cheekily, "You didn't explicitly tell me not to have sex with your father."
"I'll endeavor to be more specific in the future," Anora said dryly.
“Is this a problem, Anora?” Cait asked bluntly. She sat up straight again so she could lean forward over the desk and started gathering together a coherent argument in her mind, in case Anora tried to tell her to stop her relationship with Loghain. Could they even call it a relationship? An affair, maybe? Liaison?
Anora was still studying her, and Cait hoped her poker face was good enough. “That depends on you. What are your intentions with him?”
Cait started laughing. And then she kept laughing, until her sides hurt and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. Anora just watched her stoically, patiently waiting for her friend to stop being so dramatic and answer the question. “I’m sorry, I just… I never thought I'd be on the receiving end of this kind of conversation.” Cait wiped the tears from her eyes and added, “We made it clear that we're not looking for anything serious. I'm not out to become your stepmother, if that's what you're worried about.”
Anora paused before quietly saying, “I'm worried about the opposite, actually. My father is a very loyal man. He does not do anything lightly.”
Cait watched her face for any kind of disapproval, but Anora looked as serious and unreadable as ever. “You're concerned that he's after a commitment and I'm just in it for a bit of fun.” She wondered how honest she should be. Anora seemed to just genuinely be interested, and since Carah and Leliana had left the city Cait was severely lacking in female friendships. But it was also Anora’s father that she was having ‘liaisons’ with.
Oh well. In for a copper, in for a crown. “I thought it might be the other way around, though now that I say it out loud it sounds stupid. Everything Loghain ever does is serious . He doesn’t know any other way to do anything.” She dropped her head to a clear space on the desk with a hollow thud. “He and I are a really good fit. Or we could be, if we decided to be. But I can't even get him to call me by my name when other people are around.”
Anora was quiet for a long time, but Cait stubbornly refused to look up and see the expression (or lack thereof) on her friend’s face. After an indeterminate amount of time, either seconds or hours, the queen simply said, “Perhaps I can help.”
She handed her a stack of papers as soon as she sat up again, and she flipped through them, trying to make sense of it. There were a lot of names she didn’t recognize and things written in very fancy filigree. “You lost me.”
“There are rumors of unrest in Orlais. Some courtiers seem to be upset that Empress Celene failed to acquire Ferelden after her plot with Cailan was interrupted." Anora didn't react to that, though her face went a little stonier. Cait sneered on behalf of both of them. "One of these lords, a Duke Dubost, seems to think he'll gain support if he succeeds where she failed. He seeks to supplant me, either by force or by marriage. And since I do not intend to remarry, not now and maybe not ever, it is only a matter of time before he tries something.”
Anora shuffled through the papers until she found the one she was looking for, and pulled a very fancy gilded party invitation to the front. “He is holding a fete at his estate in Jader and I would like you to attend. Find what he's planning and stop it.”
Cait could just imagine how well that would go. The Orlesians were sure to be very accommodating to the blighted Hero of Ferelden. “I'm behind you completely, you know that, but if I walk in there, everyone will either run screaming for the hills or fill me full of arrows.”
The look Anora gave her reminded her of the ones her mother used to give her, when she said something very stupid and Mother was too polite to tell her so. “That is why you will not be going as yourself.” Another shuffling of papers to bring a new one to the top, filled with Anora’s elegant handwriting. “You are Lady Adela Roth, a minor noble from near Highever. You were invited because your cousin, Elena, is married to the youngest son of a marquise, making you technically a noble in both Ferelden and Orlais. You said your Orlesian friend taught you some of the Game, yes?”
“Yes. Bardic basics, at the very least. Don't know that I'm ready for this , though.” Cait was pretty sure Leliana’s exact words were ‘if you keep punching every lord that insults you, there will be no chevaliers left without broken noses.’ Probably best to keep that to herself. “And what does this have to do with Loghain?”
More papers shuffling. “He is your husband, Lord Christoph Roth.” Anora paused, waiting for Cait to refuse, maybe. When she didn’t, she continued, “I did not feel comfortable sending you in alone, and as you said yourself, you work well together.”
Cait had a lot of questions, but she didn’t know where to start and doubted Anora would answer most of them. She liked to be cryptic, a trait Cait found equally frustrating in both Mac Tirs. “Did you ask about my relationship with your father out of genuine concern, or did you just want to make sure we wouldn't be too awkward on your mission?”
“I don't see why it can't be both. You leave in four days. I've already taken the liberty of having some dresses made for you.” Anora sat back in her chair, apparently taking Cait’s lack of dissent as approval. Maybe it was; Anora’s plan was foolproof, and probably even Cait-proof. She couldn’t think of a way to refuse without just seeming childish.
Business concluded, the stern expression on the queen’s face faded into a small, sympathetic smile. “Some time away will do you good. Who knows, maybe spending a week pretending to be a married couple will give you and Father a chance to work a few things out.”
Cait knew that Anora meant well, but when she put it like that, it just sounded like a threat.
-------
Loghain was having a good day, which, for him, mostly meant a quiet day. He spent the day in his room, at his desk, answering letters. Some of them had been there for weeks, waiting for him to find time to reply, but even if he was no longer a teryn or a general, work kept piling up just the same. No messengers came to his door with news of a new fire he needed to put out and the only sound was the scratch of his quill and the cold wind whistling through the half-open window.
He should have known it was too good to last.
Three terse, loud knocks on his door broke his mid-afternoon solitude. He tried not to growl at whomever was on the other side. "What is it?"
Cait breezed into the room like she belonged there, kicking the door shut behind her and moving through the space with her easy, thoughtless grace. She'd never been in his room before; until this moment, Loghain didn't know she knew where his room was.
She was in one of those Nevarran-style suits she was so fond of, with their high collars and thousands of tiny buttons, her hair in a neat braid and, near as he could tell, she was unarmed except for a stack of papers. Probably, that meant she was here on business.
"Warden," he greeted because he liked the face she made when he did.
"How many times do I have to ask you not to call me that?" Cait asked, making a face like she'd just bitten into a lemon. Without waiting for a reply, likely because she knew she wouldn't get one, she added, "Are you in the middle of anything?"
"Nothing that can't wait. What is it?"
She looked around for a place to sit and, finding no other chairs, sat down on the edge of his bed. She held out the stack of papers she'd brought with her. "Anora has some work for us."
He flipped through the pages, skimming over the words to try to put together the story. "She wants us to pose as a married couple to infiltrate a party in Orlais and stop a plot to overthrow her rule."
"You caught on a lot faster than I did." Loghain couldn't tell if the wide smile on her face was from nerves or excitement. Probably both, knowing her. "We leave in four days. Take a carriage there, snoop around for a while, come home with the evidence we need. Easy as lying."
"I see," he said, trying to keep his voice as even as possible, "and Anora sent you to tell me in hopes of softening the blow?"
Cait laughed, a warm, throaty chuckle. "Is that what I do now? Here I thought it was my job to make your life more difficult." Her eyes were as warm as her voice, but much sharper, seeing through his attempts at stoicism. "I know we're asking a lot of you. She's asking a lot of us , really. If you don't want to do it, I won't push."
"And what happens if I refuse?" he asked. Spending any time playing nice with Orlesians was pretty high on his list of worst nightmares. Judging by the way neither Cait nor Anora were ordering him to do this, Loghain assumed they were aware of that.
"I don't know," she said plainly, shrugging one shoulder. "Maybe she sends me alone. Maybe she finds me a new Lord Roth. Maybe she replaces us both. It needs doing no matter what." She paused, still watching him. Her stare was like a physical touch, and could make him feel underdressed even in full armor. Finally, quiet and honest, Cait added, "I'd prefer it's you."
"Hmm. And why is that?" Loghain knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it - or the excuse she made instead.
"We work well together." Her lips curled in a sly, private smile. "You know we do. If I have to go to Orlais, I want to do it with someone I know I can trust. And Anora must have chosen us for good reason."
She was probably right. His daughter was not the type to throw her greatest supporters to the wolves. She was also not the type to have only one motive behind anything she did; life was a game of chess for Anora, and they’d just have to hope that they weren’t being cast as pawns.
Cait held his gaze unblinking, not quite a challenge but close. When she looked away, it didn't feel so much like a surrender as it was a mercy. There was something she wasn't saying, but he tried not to make any assumptions. She was not in the habit of keeping secrets. If she wasn't talking it was because she wasn't ready to.
"I'll do it," he said, as if there was ever really any doubt.
Her face lit up with a pure, joyful smile that hit him like a suckerpunch and he regretted his decision immediately. "Good. We leave in four days, as I said before. Anora is providing us with clothing, but the rest is up to us. We'll make our way to Highever first, then take a more discrete carriage from there."
There was nothing he needed to add to that, so he just nodded.
Cait nodded too and slid off the bed. "I'll let you get back to your work, then."
She hovered for just a moment more. She looked like she wanted to say something, or was waiting for him to. But she didn't, and neither did he, and then she left as quickly as she'd arrived.
The room was cold with her gone, and too quiet. Her perfume lingered in the air and on his sheets from the handful of minutes she'd spent on his bed. Sleep tonight was going to be impossible.
He struggled to remind himself to think of her as the Warden. To maintain that careful distance between them. That distance closed a little more with every moment spent with her, and every day it got harder to remember why he thought he needed it.
Loghain had not loved many people in his life, and all of them were dead now except his daughter. But the Warden-- Cait --she was Celia’s ferocity and Rowan’s grace and Maric’s charisma all wrapped in wildfire and he knew if he fell for her he wouldn’t survive the impact.
A week in her constant company would probably kill him.
He turned back to his desk, but just stared unseeing at the blank page in front of him. He couldn't concentrate to write anymore, his focus chased away by easy laughter and storm-colored eyes and the scent of summer flowers. With a frustrated growl, he stormed out of the room to find something else to occupy his thoughts.
#loghain mac tir#loghain/warden#dragon age origins#dragon age#dragon age fic#otp: I yield#rhi writes#I have been working on this for WEEKS#and I don't know why I took so long to start posting it! but here it is!#unresolved romantic tension + fake!married + fancy party = complete self indulgence
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Cousland Fandom CRITICAL
VERY VERY LONG and under the cut due to it’s length. (We’ve gotten complaints/hate mail when really super long confessions have posted before which is why we’re putting this under the cut to give people a choice to read it and to be honest...We don’t want to receive hate mail due to its length and format)
And we’re also we’re truly sorry for the way its formatted. We just copy and pasted the confession exactly the way it was submitted to us. -The Mods
CONFESSION:
The way some Cousland fans have interacted with me and others in the community has made me wish that Bioware never gave us the option to have a Cousland warden marry Alistair.
I’ve only interacted with the fandom for a few months and I’m already sick of having complete randos tell me that my (elf) warden’s relationship with Alistair is less valid/romantic/happy/immersive/etc than theirs. Like, kindly go away.
It’s especially annoying when they tell new players to play a Cousland/do this or that so the newbie can get the “best” ending. (just let them discover the game for themselves!)
Honestly, it’s made me hate the Cousland origin, and whenever I see another DA fan with a Cousland I can’t help but be wary of them because I’ve had so many bad experiences.
I feel weird and petty for being so bitter about this, but I’m extremely attached to my Warden and I don’t like having people tell me to change her to a Cousland so I can get a “better” ending (when I lament about how difficult I found deciding between the outcomes at the landsmeet was, maybe it was a memorable quest /because/ that was hard! I ended up making different AUs because I liked the drama the different options can cause)
Her being a city elf is a major part of her character! I bet you wouldn’t like it if I told you (or new players) to play a different origin to get whatever result/ending I want.
Maybe I am jealous of the fact that my Warden doesn’t get it easy like the Cousland one, that there’s a negative aspect to both outcomes for non-cousland Alistairmancers.
(For a warden Alistair, it feels like I’m robbing him of his “birthright”/character development even though the choices leading to this result are the ones my Warden would choose. Doesn’t help that fans tell me that he ‘has to be king’ or else I’m doing his character a disservice or that I need to save Hawke (maybe I prefer to sacrifice Hawke regardless of who the warden is :/)
For a mistress King Alistair, you have to harden him and you get no references to the relationship in later games aside from one or two lines in DA2 that might not trigger. As a Cousland you don’t need to worry about that cause of the marriage option. Would have been nice if Alistair and the HoF’s letters in DAI had some changes to reflect their loving mistress-relationship rather than nothing at all…)
So yeah.. I wish it wasn’t an option.
(Sorry to Cousland fans who are decent, this isn’t about you)
#Dragon Age Confessions#DAOrigins#Cousland Fandom Critical#Cousland Discourse#LONG POST#We're especially sorry for those who use mobile devices
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Hi Leo! I'm curious, can you tell me about Dragon Age?
AJSKSDJSKFSG THIS IS PROBABLY LIKE A 3 HOUR CONVERSATION IF YOU GET ME STARTED, BUT REAL QUICK:
Dialogue heavy, story driven RPG where you are a Chosen Hero (or Unfortunate Bastard of Circumstance) and gather allies
You can build up friendship with party members and even romance some of them. Shoutout to all my love interests that left me…I cry about a new elf or mage ex every time a new game comes out…
The combat’s fun!!! I’m especially partial to playing a mage in DA2 and Inquisition–this will also heavily impact the story cause mages and mage rights and lots of other plot based stuff,,,
You can be a snarky smartass and in DA2 that’s my whole personality
Real quick basic plot summaries for each of the main three games:
Dragon Age Origins: Nightmarish creatures called Darkspawn exist. And rarely, they manifest in one huge plague known as the Blight that consumes everything in its path. Like in Inquisition, you can choose your race and background. But here, you actually get to play out your origin story, hence the title. You eventually end up whisked away from your home to become a Grey Warden, honored–and cursed–heroes that are specially trained to end Blights. As it happens, you and another junior Grey Warden end up being the only Wardens left in the country, so you’ve gotta figure out everything you never got to learn in your (x1) day on the job, gather allies, lead a war-torn country, and maybe pet your dog.
Dragon Age 2: You can only be a human. However, class does still play a huge role. And in this case, whether or not you’re a mage will determine so much of how your journey plays out, as this game is entirely about mage vs templar politics (mages aren’t trusted to control their power, so they’re guarded in towers by templars, it’s a whole thing). As a way to balance team mechanics, whether or not you’re a mage will also determine which younger sibling your Hawke gets to keep (iM REALLY SORRY BETHANY,,). You are Hawke, and your day just keeps getting worse. You’re one of the refugees fleeing the country that got devoured by the Blight in DAO. You’re just trying to get by in this hellhole of a city. Reluctant hero gets plunged into the heart of all their city’s problems until the whole place is torn to pieces. Try and protect your family–or whatever’s left of it–and hope you trust your friends enough to forgive them. I always saw DA2 as being as much about your companions as your PC, so really pay attention to them. I also think a lot of this game is about redemption and whether or not someone deserves it, ect. Also, Fenris did nothing wrong and I’d die for him.
Dragon Age Inquisition: Rifts into this thing called the “Veil” that lead to a magic world known as the “Fade” are torn open. And by unfortunate happenstance, you end up receiving a mark on your hand that is slowly eating away at you–but is also the only thing that can seal the rifts. People from across the lands look to you for help as their supposedly chosen savior because of this, and you are heralded by the dominant religion as such–though opinions of this will vary if you’re not their ideal candidate, as in,, not human, a mage, ect. You can choose to bask in your newfound glory or publicly denounce that some god has fuck all anything to do with it. Either way, you become the leader of an Inquisition and have entire armies at your disposal. Also Cole is so good and I’m still crying over him.
DAO AND DA2 ARE!!! HARSH!! WITH CONSEQUENCES!! You can absolutely get party members accidentally killed. You can also commit absolute atrocities against them. DA2 is especially unforgiving with this because you can end up automatically losing people if you don’t have their approval high enough based on their personal allegiances. But like, Inquisition is really forgiving. None of the party members can die, but they can ditch you. Which is Fair
Inquisition is probably the easiest game to get right into. Aspects of DAO just haven’t aged well and the combat’s so much more tedious for me. DA2 and DAI have much better combat systems, but I think DAI feels a lot more like a traditional “DA” type high fantasy game. There’s also lots of different places to explore as opposed to being confined to one city and such and you get into lots of really different lore with throwbacks to the older games. DA2 is also, uhhhh….depressing,, like, I love it and replayed the hell out of it, but the ending isn’t that big triumphant hurrah or happy comfort you get in DAI (and in endings for DAO). So yeah, I think if you just want a glance at DA, you can try out Inquisition.
DA2 is treated as the ugly black sheep of the franchise but it’s the Best story so that’s that on that. Also, Hawke is by far my character I’m most attached to. Warden is badass and legendary and Inquisitor was fun but,, I dunno,, Hawke was just very different and personal. They weren’t leading an army or anything, they were just trying to get by and I kinda liked that
If you’re playing Inquisition I hope you like elves (i love them lmao) but yeah it’s huge on ancient elf lore!! If you’re playing an elf you might be more into that
COLE IS MY BOY IF YOU PLAY INQUISITION PLS TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIM HE’S A GOOD GHOST BOY AND I WOULD DIE FOR HIM
There’s also a fair bit of lgbt rep, though there is some discussion as to whether or not it’s as progressive or representative as people would like, but, real quick on potential relationships for your PC: There are 2 bi romance options in the first game. Every romance option but an added DLC character is bi in the second game. The third game’s romance options include a gay man, a lesbian, two bi characters, and a pan character. And of course there are characters that are queer beyond just the romanceable NPC’s. Krem, for instance, is one of the only trans characters in a video game I’ve ever seen that isn’t treated like a joke and is a fully dimensional character where that part of their identity isn’t shoved under the rug.
There’s lots of Fantasy Politics so like,, hope you’re into that. Also, fuck the templars and the Chantry.
NOT NEARLY AS MANY DRAGONS AS ADVERTISED,, CERTAINLY NOT ENOUGH TO BE CALLED “DRAGON AGE,” SHOW ME THE DRAGONS BIOWARE,, PLS,,–Inquisition has absolutely the most dragons, so there’s that
Morgan and Leliana are fucking amazing and seeing so much of them again in Inquisition was the best
Fenris is Best Romance and that’s that on that
I’m so sorry this was so long, but its not as long as all the hours I’ve logged in every one of these fuckin games
#you innocently: 'hey can you tell me a little bit about dragon age?'#me stressed and trying to procrastinate at 1 am: 'BOY--'
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Dragon Age Question Meme
Tagged by @galadrieljones ❤️😘 Thank you, Sweets!
Tagging: @wrenbee @joufancyhuh @kvpowers @nerkierants @solverne-02 @ellstersmash @swimming-squids @roguelioness And anyone else who'd like to!
01) favorite game of the series?
Inquisition. I hadn't played Origins or DA2 in so long, I had practically forgotten they existed. I had gotten out of gaming for a long time, until I finally caved when I moved away, and got into Skyrim. I played so much I literally maxed out my levelling, and was starting to get bored...which made me sad. Inquisition not only rekindled my love for Dragon Age, it brought out more fresh inspiration to my creativity overall, and that in turn has improved my life,
02) how did you discover Dragon Age?
I played Origins and DA2 at friends' houses when I was in school, but while I enjoyed them, I wasn't in a place in my life where I could appreciate them. Then I was telling my amazing baby-brother-in-law about how sad I was that Skyrim was feeling stale to me, and he told me to play Inquisition. I was speculative at first, because I was so in love with Skyrim's open-world format and lack of any real Good +/- Evil alignment...but once I got past the Intro, I felt so immersed and so connected to the characters, that now Skyrim feels a little empty in comparison (though I do still love it)
03) how many times you’ve played the games?
Origins and DA2, only once each. Inquisition & its DLCs, 6 times all the way through.
04) favorite race to play as?
Elves. It's a bit embarrassing, but I'm an Elf Person. Though I'm sure it hasn't been obvious at all.
05) favorite class?
ROGUE!!! Especially dual-weild 😍 Mage is super fun too, though, ngl
06) do you play through the games differently or do you make the same decisions each time.
NGL It depends on which character I'm playing as, mostly. I also base new decisions based on the effects of decisions in past play thrus and how they played out. If I'm contented with the results in respect to the character, I'll make the same decisions 😂
07) go-to adventuring group?
Solas, Iron Bull, and Dorian, though I rotate Varric and Cassandra in and out a lot, too.
08) which of your characters did you put the most thought into?
😂😂😂 Halesta
09) favorite romance?
Solas, because I enjoy torturing myself. Sera was cute, too. Cullen was fluffy and sweet, and was good for me after my first play thru with Solas. I was in a bad place after the first Solavellan go 'round, cried for weeks. It was not pretty 😂
10) have you read any of the comics/books?
First Flight and Masked Empire
11) if you read them, which was your favorite book?
Masked Empire, hands down. I don't know why, but I couldn't really get into First Flight? But Felassan in Masked Empire, are you kidding?! SWOON.
12) favorite DLCs?
Trespasser. I also love the Descent, especially for the lore! But the Deep Roads scare the ever-loving shit out of me, so I have to psych myself up before I can play it 😅 While I am hot for Ameridan, Jaws of Hakkon didn't really grab me.
13) things that annoy you?
To steal Gala's answer: "Not much. Mostly I get annoyed when parts of the fandom fixate on things that annoy them. That annoys me, because I’m here for the positive vibes, not the negative."
14) Orlais or Ferelden?
Ferelden for the people and culture, Orlais for the varying environments and the history.
15) Templars or Mages?
Mage Rights
16) if you have multiple characters, are they in different/parallel universes or in the same one?
Halesta + Laleal Verse is technically the same Verse as Camber + Somber, since their stories converge, but their timelines are a little different. Ghani is Omniversal. She's in any and every Verse. She's in your Verse right now, and you don't even know it 🤫
17) what did you name your pets? (mabari, summoned animals, mounts, etc)
The dogs in Origins and DA2 were Bryna and Nilo, respectively. Halesta's horse is Da'assan and her little fox is Ghestlin ("lil monster")
18) have you installed any mods?
No...PS4 😟
19) did your Warden want to become a Grey Warden?
Noooooo.
20) Hawke’s personality?
She's a spiteful, sarcastic bitch and I love her so much I can't even.
21) did you make matching armor for your companions in Inquisition?
Ahahaha, God no. I made armor for each companion that I thought fit their personalities.
22) if your character(s) could go back in time to change one thing, what would they change?
Oh God, uhh, I have no idea.
23) do you have any headcanons about your character(s) that go against canon?
SO MANY. Felassan doesn't die, Halies's father is an Ancient Elvhen Sentinel, she is sent by Fel to kill Solas before he can get the Orb to Corypheus (she doesn't), she knows Solas is Fen'Harel, she saves the Orb from breaking but won't give it to Solas, is able to master the Orb and use the power of the Anchor without losing her arm (though it is severely scarred), etc. etc. ad nauseum.
Also, @galadrieljones , about the barefoot elves: I kinda like that they're barefooted! Though probably because I'm always barefooted 😅
24) are any of your character(s) based on someone?
Halesta's personality is based loosely on my mother combined with certain self-insert aspects of my bipolar disorder. Laleal is pretty much based on a combo of my best friend and my husband. Camber's personality is based a little more accurately on my Momma, and her relationship with Somber is based on mine with my own brother (though we're not twins) when we were younger (we're still close, but you know how things change sometimes with age and distance). And Ghani is just a straight-up personification of my depression and anxiety 😂
25) who did you leave in the Fade?
Stroud. I couldn't live with an alternative.
26) favorite mount?
While Halie has a horse she's very attached to in my fic/hc, I don't use mounts in-game. To quote Gala: "My party and I run around on foot like children and get eaten by bears like men."
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2017 Writing Review
Total Number of Stories Completed
Technically none, which to be honest was super discouraging and almost had me not filling this out. I really enjoyed reading this from @ma-sulevin, though, and her tag was open to all, so fair is fair. So while I didn’t finish any of my long, multi-chapter stories, I got a lot of writing done this year, for my Dragon Age OCs on my DA sideblog @talesfromthefade (thanks in no small part to the @dadrunkwriting group), several new chapters for my longest and on-going WIP “Symbiosis” for Pacific Rim, and various other one-shots.
Total Word Count
Marina Amell: 21,051
Eloise Trevelyan: 14,643
Sonja Hawke: 12,230
Garrett Hawke: 9,315
Orana: 25,897
Neva Lavellan: 8,438
June Lavellan: 16,404
Non-OC DA one-shots: 19,174
Other AO3 one-shots: 30,693
__________________________
Total: 157,845
Fandoms Written In
Dragon Age, Pacific Rim, Mass Effect, Turn: Washington’s Spies
Looking Back, Did You Expect To Write More Fic Than You Thought You Would This Year, Less, Or About What You’d Expected?
Like I said, initially going into this I was quite down on myself, and sure I’d written a whole lot less than I could or may have wanted to this year. I am pleasantly surprised, and resolved to try and be kinder on myself in the new year. I had a lot on my plate in 2017, and got a hell of a lot of writing done considering.
What’s Your Own Favorite Story Of The Year?
Ugh, that’s tough. I am very attached to a lot of the stories I write for different reasons. I suppose I’d have to say “Symbiosis” is very dear to my heart, though I’ve been slowly chipping away at that one since mid-2016. Actually, since I’m working on finishing writing and editing the final chapter it will probably be the first multi-chapter story that I finish in 2018. I’m also very attached to “Come Undone” my Mass Effect fic, though. I’ve been getting back into writing chapters for that one as I find the time and inspiration and am hoping to update that one soon. I couldn’t really pick a favorite amongst all the vignettes for my Dragon Age OCs, there’s too many I love to choose.
Did You Take Any Writing Risks This Year?
I don’t know about risks, per say, but I challenged myself to try a lot of new things this year. I wrote my first ever fight scene- probably about half a dozen times from various POV’s, but finally came up with a result I was happy enough with to publish, and I’ve dipped my toes into the water with writing more smut and various kinks.
Do You Have Any Fanfic Or Profic Goals For The New Year?
Finish “Symbiosis”, ideally start (or even finish) part two of that series. Get more chapters up for “Come Undone,” continue to write and explore my OCs. Ultimately, I’m trying not to set too many goals for myself. If I make it all about the goals it can get to feeling suffocating, and I want to continue to love and enjoy the process of writing and creating things.
Best Story Of The Year?
I’ve written so many this year, but probably “Songs” with Orana and Cole, or “Mother in Law” with Marina Amell & Fiona. I love the opportunity to explore and for some of the secondary or lesser characters to have a little bit of the limelight.
Most Popular Story Of The Year?
Evidently everyone really enjoyed poor Cullen being flustered by the unexpected arrival of someone claiming to be Eloise Trevelyan’s betrothed (X). To be fair, I did have a lot of fun writing that one.
Story of Mine Most Under-appreciated By The Universe, IMO:
There’s a couple I would love to see get more love or discourse about them, but I think I’d have to say my pre-Origins one-shot with Marina Amell and Anders "Extra-Curricular Studies”. I love the idea of the two of them knowing one another and having been friends before she became a Warden and they meet in Awakenings and that was my first foray into exploring that. I definitely will be doing more with that in the future.
Most Fun Story To Write:
Another difficult one to answer. I have fun with most of the things that I write. At some point, if it isn’t fun, why do it? That said, I really enjoyed my College AU piece for Eloise and Cullen from last week’s DWC "Paper Hats & Kisses”. I’m always a bit nervous about putting my OC and canon characters into a Modern AU because there are so many other fantastic authors out there I don’t feel my skills will stack up against, but I really enjoyed this one.
Story With The Single Sexiest Moment:
I’ve mostly skirted around the edges of writing actual smut this past year, since I feel it’s a skill I still need more practice with, so the sexiest piece I’ve written is probably as much, or more foreplay than actual smut, but would have to be “Lamposts” about Marina Amell & Alistair’s first time. My third part in what’s now become a series of Fenders pieces would be a close second. It’s doesn’t quite cross the line to explicit either, but definitely skirts the edges and will with the next installment (X).
Most Sweet Story:
I think I’d have to say “Snowed in” with Orana and Cullen. It wound up being a bit heavier than I had originally thought I would get out of the prompt, but among many other reasons, Dragon Age has always been special and important to me for its representation of LGBTQIA characters, something I also strive to do with my own writing. Orana is my adaptation of an existing canon, but otherwise tertiary character in DA2 with a LOT of liberties. As such, I don’t necessarily expect her to be welcomed by the more skeptical or discerning fic reader, but she will always have a special place in my heart. Her dysphoria and journey learning to accept and love herself, and ultimately find and accept that Cullen loves her has always been a personal one, important to me, and a story I wanted to tell.
“Holy Crap, That’s Wrong, Even For You!” Story:
I don’t know that I’ve written it yet. But I have a couple of headcanons for possible Darker AUs for some of my OCs floating around in the back of my mind or half-brainstormed that I suspect would get some complaints for their angst and torturing the characters.
Story That Shifted My Own Perceptions Of The Characters:
Again, not really sure that I had any. Most of my writing process is character-based first and foremost, and plotted out second. That is, that I develop the hell out of the characters and try to largely let them guide the story, so nothing I wrote for any of them in 2017 really surprised me about them.
Most Unintentionally Telling Story:
I don’t know, most of my stories are telling in one way or another if you dig deep enough. All of the characters I write, whether they are OCs or canon, I’m often drawn to because I can relate or identify with them or some aspect of them in one way or another, so there are pieces of me in them or the narrative sprinkled throughout most of what I write. That said, I borrow a lot from personal experience whenever I write Newt Geiszler’s struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder or Hermann’s chronic pain in “Symbiosis,” and Orana’s dysphoria and journey to self-acceptance and self-love in her stories.
Hardest Story To Write:
“I Will Not Allow It” with Fenris and my Garrett Hawke, because it was my first earnest attempt to include a fight scene of any detail with a one-shot. There was a lot of hair-pulling at one point, but I’m happy with how it finally turned out.
Biggest Disappointment:
Probably not finishing any of my bigger, multi-chapter works this past year, but as I said, I’m trying to temper that. I got a lot of writing done in 2017, and that’s nothing to sniff at.
Biggest Surprise:
Pretty much any time I get a new follower on my DA blog, or one of my stories gets more than a couple of likes or reblogs. It’s a wonderful surprise when a story about one of my OCs finds an audience. I love to read people’s tag and comments in the reblogs about my stories and characters.
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OC Questions!!!
I was tagged by @dragynfox the wonderful!
I’ve only talk a very little about any of my OC characters on here because I’m shy about them. The few mentions have been from Dragon Age and since that’s my current obsession it’s what will be appearing here as well! I kind of winged this - sorry if it seems disjointed!
I’ll go ahead and start at the beginning with 2 of my wardens: Surana and Tabris - both originally inseparable troublemakers of the Denerim Alienage! Surana is my “canon” HoF . . . but I head-canon that Tabris manages to somehow survive everything and they manage to reunite in Denerim.
1. What is your name?
BT: *smiling sweetly* Beatrix Tabris! Bea to my friends and Death to my enemies, think 'bout which category you’d prefer to be in.
NS: *does not look up from a large tome she’s reading*
2. No seriously, what is your name?
BT: *poking Surana*. . . . Nara. . . . NARA!
NS: *still not looking up* What, Bea?
BT: *rolls her eyes, before responding in a sing-song voice* civilized people introduce themselves!
NS:*turning a page* well, since we’re just a dangerous elvhen mage and an impudent alienage thief then there is no point!
BT:*snatches the tome before dancing out of NS’s reach* ah-ah-ah~! Be a dear and introduce yourself to our lovely new friends, won’t you?
NS: *raising a brow* well, if my lady of shadows insists! I am Nehnara. Nehnara Surana. *sends a minor shock at Beatrix, who gasps and drops the tome which Nehnara promptly picks up*
BT: Andraste’s flammable ass! Shite, that stings, you friggin’ piss-bucket!
3. Do you know why you were called that?
NS: Presumably my parents were partial to the name.
BT: *rubbing her side* since she sucks the joy out of things, her da thought they’d at least put some joy in her name . . . hmmmm, Nehn?
NS: My, my, my! Someone’s picked up some knowledge!
BT: See! Even outside of your fancy-pants circle we sometimes learn things!
NS: *actually smiling* well . . .you were always a quick study.
4. Are you single or taken?
BT: *with an innocent expression* Taken? Taken where?
NS: *snorts* Don’t be falsely obtuse. It doesn’t suit you; they would like to know about you and your chantry sister.
BT: You’re the one who introduced us! Besides, wouldn’t you rather speak of your pretty, witty crow?
NS: *smiles coyly* Are you asking for details?
BT: Admit it: you have a soft spot for us sneaky types!
NS: ...Perhaps.
5. Do you have any abilities or powers?
NS: *cocks head* one could say so. . . .
BT: HAH! And false Modesty doesn’t suit you! Prodigy of Kinloch Hold! Mage of the Circle! Hero of Ferelden! Commander of the Grey! Arlessa of Amarathi-
NS: That last one has nothing to do with abilities or power-
BT: Now you’re bein’ dull, sparky-fingers, political power totally-
NS: AND FURTHERMORE, considering the average Circle mage I very much doubt that’s much of a title to take pride i-
BT: Aaaaand now we see why false modesty doesn’t suit you, besides all that magic stuff seems plenty powerful to us normal folk.
NS: “Us normal folk” from the Shadow of Denerim? Spymaster of Amarathine? The Dancing Blade? Slayer of evil shem lordlings who were never taught to keep their hands to themselves?
6. Stop being a Mary Sue.
BT: Mary what now?
NS: . . . ? These questions are going from slightly annoying and inconvenient to downright inane.
7. What is your eye color?
NS: . . . . absolutely INANE.
BT: *flutters eyelashes* will you write me sonnets to my . . .what is the phrase? Cerulean orbs?
8. How about your hair color?
NS: *sighs* My eyes are hazel. My hair is auburn.
BT: She’s a ginger alright!
NS: AUBURN.
BT: *winks* I’m a brunette.
9. Have you any family members?
NS: . . . . inane and personal I see.
BT: *gently placing a hand on Nehnara’s shoulder* It’s not uncommon to lose relatives to bigotry and harsh conditions . . . I’m lucky enough to still have my da and cousins . . . but we’ve all lost someone.
NS: *glaring* Those who were mine just also happen to all be dead. That enough for you? Move on.
10. I see… what about pets?
BT: C’mere girl!
NS: *whistles* Phaelan!
*Two mabari war-hounds and several puppies come bounding towards the interviewer. . .I’d brace myself if I were you.*
NS: My hound imprinted on me during the Blight. Named Phaelan . . .aft. . .after my father.
BT: *pulling Nehnara into cuddles with the mabari* And this is Blossom; Nara introduced me to her! As well as their pups: Linmi, Tulip, and Duncan!
11. Tell me about something you don’t like.
NS: *deadpans* Inane questions. And those who ask them.
BT: *her smile suddenly turning sharp* Entitled little pricks. That sort usually finds they have very little good coming to ‘em. *smile returning to normal* Nara also dislikes onions and hot weather!
NS: I do better with heat than I use to . . . I seem to recall that you dislike tomato juice. Not tomatoes, just the juice.
BT: ‘Cuz it’s gross!
12. Do you have any hobbies/activities you like doing?
BT: I really enjoy music! Leliana has been teaching me how to play the lute! Oh! And since I’ve left Denerim I’ve taken to collecting and pressing flowers!
NS: Actually, luckily enough, I do in fact enjoy the study of magic-
BT: And of history, and languages, and science, and politics, an-
NS: Yes, thank you for that insightful clarification. I’ve also been working with Bea on picking up by old slight of hand and lockpicking skills . . .
BT: And then laughing as your lover fails to pick locks you could open with ease!
13. Ever hurt someone before?
*both start laughing*
14. Ever… killed anyone before?
BT: *still giggling* w. . wait. . . are you seriously asking that?
NS: *smirking and shaking her head* I’m the Warden Commander of Ferelden, and she’s my spymaster in Amarathine. . . what do you think?
15. What kind of animal are you?
BT: *laughter cuts off abruptly* . . . beggin’ yer pardon; wot?
NS: *snorts* The dangerous kind.
16. Name one of your worst habits.
BT: She has a tendency to be rude and grouchy. Also, she’s a slob. And she forget’s to eat or sleep! Swear I’m more of a caretaker than a spymaster!
NS: She’s an obnoxious busybody. Probably why she makes such a good spymaster AND caretaker. Guess I’ll keep her around.
17. Do you look up to anyone at all?
BT: *points at Nehnara*
NS: *smacks her hand away* Stop that! . . . I suppose we’ve both done relatively well for ourselves besides everything this Maker forsaken world has thrown at us.
BT: Honestly - and I think we’d both say this - we’ve been lucky enough to have been raised by pretty fantastic people. They had their flaws, but, without them we wouldn’t be who we are today. All respect to Cyrion, Adaia, Misyl, and Phaelan!
NS: . . . well said.
18. Sexual orientation?
BT: *winks* All are welcome! . . . well were welcome - rather not piss off Leli!
NS: Why are you so interested in absolutely ridiculous trivia? I’m more interested in the person’s character than what’s between their legs.
BT: Yeah, but you seem pretty attached to what’s between Zevran’s-
NS: Indeed.
19. Do you go to school?
NS: . . . I was educated in Kinloch Hold, if that’s what you mean. Though I gained more knowledge from personal study in the libraries than from my teachers. . . . though to be fair there were several competent instructors.
BT: My mum taught me before she was killed.
20. Do you ever want to marry and have kids someday?
BT: ooooh! Maybe Leli and I can take in some of the orphans in Amaranthine! Get a big ol’ house, piss-off the shem neighbors-
NS: Your lover is in fact Human as well.
BT: -get a few more dogs and nugs-
NS: The dogs will eat Leliana’s nugs.
BT: - train them up a bit -
NS: Are you speaking of the dogs, the nugs, or the children?
BT: Be one, big, cozy family! Well loved and protected!
NS: *snorts* It sounds rather noisy and messy. Terrifying.
21. What are you most afraid of?
NS: The child, dog, and nug infested house that Bea is apparently planning on inhabiting.
BT: You faced demons and darkspawn and all manner of nastiness, and you’re telling me your afraid of a lil’ noise and mess?
NS: From children or animals that you raise? Yes.
22. What do you usually wear?
BT: Well, I do like a lil’ bit of pretty or shiny here and there, but overall I dress for practicality. Mistress Fancy-mage over here is the one who has a penchant for dressin’ up!
NS: I do like fine things. I admit it.
23. Do you love someone?
NS: . . . Did we not already cover this question? I suppose it is possible to be in a relationship without love, but I do in fact care quite deeply for Zevran. It may have taken awhile to sort things between us, but there you are.
BT: I think you’re gettin’ better at this speakin’ on emotions thing.
NS: Shut it.
BT: I love my Leli very much! *side-hugs Nehnara* and I love this grump like the sister I never had!
NS: *blushes* ugh. Yes, yes, I care for you too.
BT: Me, her, and Shianni use to create all sorts of mischief! Drove Soris right up the wall!
24. What class are you?
NS: . . . class? As in . . . what sort of mage I am? I’ll admit I’ve dabbled in different fields quite a bit, but I’m particularly skilled at Spirit and Entropy. I’ve also studied the ancient skills of an Arcane Warrior.
BT: And she can turn into a spider!
NS: *sighs* Yes. I also picked up some shape-shifting my Morrigan.
BT: I never did get to really meet that bird. . . heh, bird. Leli’s been trying to teach me some bard skills!
25. How many friends do you have?
BT: Surprisingly lots! Nara tries to be anti-social, but somehow she just attracts them like flies! Guess what they say about vinegar and honey just ain’t true.
NS: . . . I think you’re definition of “friend” may be off. Someone who you are acquainted with who hasn’t yet tried to kill you is not automatically a “friend”.
BT: Of course not! You’ve got a very close friend who HAS tried to kill you after all!
NS: Ugh. Besides we have plenty more enemies.
BT: Keeps things interesting!
26. Thoughts on pie?
BT: Berry filled pies are a bit of a weakness of mine! But Nara here-
NS: Please don’t start.
BT: Nara can put some pies AWAY. Sweet pies, savory pies, pies she just filched from the cart down the street! I grant you I don’t think she’s had to steal pies recently. . .
NS: No. I haven’t.
BT: It’s funny, for someone who can forget to eat AT mealtime, you sure do love your food!
NS: As with clothing and finery - I do enjoy the finer things when it comes to food and drink . . . I’m just not great at time management.
27. Favorite drink?
NS: Honey wine.
BT: Any wine!
28. What’s your favorite place?
NS: Not Kinloch Hold.
BT: pffffft!
NS: . . . I haven’t felt particularly attached to any location in a long time. There are some places I’d like to visit though.
BT: Gettin’ your parent’s wanderlust are ya?
29. Would you rather swim in a lake or the ocean?
NS: Lake.
BT: Ha! Either!
30. Are you interested in anyone?
NS: How many variations on this will you be asking?
BT: This one does seem to becoming repetitive? Unless you mean like person of interest? Like under suspicion? There’s a list somewhere . . .
31. What’s your bra size?
BT: My what size?
NS: Bra? . . . . Please ask sensical questions or let’s end this.
32. Well, what’s your type?
NS: Oh for the love of . . . !
BT: Bwhahahahaha!
33. And what attracts you?
BT: *still laughing* You are really curious, aren’t you?
NS: *sighs* . . . Fine. Cleverness. Thoughtfulness. Adaptability. Flexibility.
BT: *smirks* Flexiblity you say?
NS: Shut. It.
BT: Hahaha! Someone I can have fun with is attractive to me. Someone who is caring as well.
34. Any fetishes?
NS:Why do I even bother? How is this any of your business?
BT: Ooooh! Well, Leli and I were just discussing this thing they apparently do in Orlai-
NS: Please don’t.
BT: And I had a friend who worked at the Pearl who taught me how t-
NS: This is really more than I want to know. Does Cyrion know you were being taught skills from the Pearl?
BT: Don’t see how that’s Da’s business!
NS: *rolls eyes* Yes. I have fetishes. I have a very satisfactory sex life. I don’t see how it’s pertinent to this interview however.
BT: You don’t want to tell us more about Zev’s flexibility?
NS: No. I don’t.
BT: Hah! As for me, I’ll try almost anything once! Have a hard-limit on physical bondage though . . .
35. Top or bottom? Dominant or submissive?
BT: *winks* I’m a switch.
NS: I am not by nature a particularly submissive individual. That holds true in all aspects of my life.
36. Camping indoor or outdoors?
NS: I believe that I’ve done enough outdoors camping to last a life time. Unfortunately I doubt it will end anytime soon.
BT: Both can be lots of fun in the right company!
37. Are you wanting the quiz to end?
NS: Quite. If you will excuse us we’re both quite busy individuals.
BT: *with a final wink and smirk* Catch you later! Don’t do anything that’ll have to knife you for!
I’m not sure who has done this already, but I’ll tag @thema-sal-shiral, @wardsarefunctioning, @extravagantlies, @fadedforyou, @thranduilsausage, @elfsplaining, @circadian-rhythm, and @love-in-nature. If you’re already done this or don’t have the time feel free to skip! :)
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