lyfeward

[lyfeward]

y'know what I gotta leave a more detailed note for myself or I WILL forget and I like this idea so —

the Horned Knight obviously is the Lord of the Forest with a court of dryads [including his wife, who is a dryad] and human servants who are ensorcelled with moss + flowers growing over theirs mouths + eyes. will dive into that at some point. but he is a knight so I have a thought of there being what I will call the Order of Yore. this is a knightly order, which he leads, consisting of spirits who — well I'm gonna steal a phrase from Solas: "reenact the bloody past in ancient wars both famous and forgotten." I feel we can assume that dryads are spirits inhabiting trees, and so I will say the Order of Yore [aka the yorder as I like to call them] consists of spirits inhabiting animals but in a way that anthropomorphizes them. like, you don't just have a possessed fox who can talk. you have a possessed fox who can talk, walk on two legs, wield a weapon, and a wear a jaunty feather cap. it's a whole thing. anyway, these knights are drawn to great deeds of valor, chivalry, honor, battle, that sort of thing. they can often be found reenacting such deeds that have occurred in the past. in an instance where they come upon a deed that is currently happening / has happened recently, they will reward it. however, if they come upon someone acting dishonorably, cowardly, against their code of chivalry — well naturally they punish them. and it's known they've been punished. thus it's no surprise folktales paint the yorder as an ill omen. it's said if you come upon them, you will soon meet your death and it will be a grisly one. in fact, some say that if you come upon them they will kill you themselves and drag away your soul to serve as game in their hunts for all eternity. tales of their rewards in recognition of noble deeds are rarer owing to the rarity of noble deeds themselves.

#OOC / HOLLY. #note to self #I have a whole thing on HK I've been saying for ages I would polish #ever since I started writing Amis basically #the basic gist is that he's not just some spirit #rather he IS the Tirashan and in the bitheistic beliefs of northwestern Orlais he is a face of the gods #which is to say he is a god #that's why the Shame summoned and bound him: an attempt to gain control over the very land itself #but whatever the Shame did did not go as planned and being bound like that just. doesn't work for a being like HK #so it kinda screwed with his memory and sense of identity #he is an amnesiac in a sense. he has this kind of instinct to do certain things but he doesn't really REMEMBER who or what he is #like acting as the Lord of the Forest because although he doesn't remember it he IS the forest #and having this fixation on duality with the Marquis/e because duality is his very nature #he is meant to be one end of a duality and another deity is the other end #in his case the other would be the spirit of Serault / the parts that aren't the Tirashan #aka the roads and fields much like he calls the Marquis/e the Lord of Roads and Fields #this also manifests in him taking a wife. he is meant to have an 'other half' #although he doesn't really remember that it's part of his nature and seeks to be fulfilled somehow

[lyfeward]

no one's ready for me to do proper development on Posy and the Horned Knight. no one's ready for the echoing themes in both their stories.

#OOC / HOLLY. #the Horned Knight who considers himself half of a duality with the Marquise de Serault and has a sort of fixation on her #which stems from his fixation on the Shame aka her grandfather who was once the Marquis de Serault #because the Shame summoned and bound him but rejected and abandoned him after #thus his fixation is akin to an abandoned child haunted by that rejection and needing closure and to understand why #and honestly wanting to 'fix' it. to 'earn' the acceptance of the one who abandoned him #and Posy who is utterly alone with his mother gone #abandoned by his father and rejected by his community and desperate for the acceptance of the only family he has left #[and he'll never get closure or understanding or anything with his father much like the HK because him and the Shame are dead] #the only family he has left being the current Marquise de Serault and her brother #feeling like love and acceptance are things he has to earn and things he can earn if he just tries hard enough #to the point of breaking himself to gain these merits #HK who sees this boy rejected and lost like a mirror of himself #HK who is also at this time grieving the murder of his son by hunters #HK who takes Posy to foster and will in time become the father Posy never had as well as the father HE never had #using the term father a lil loosely because HK is a spirit so it's like [wobbles hand] #oh the lore I have in my head for HK y'all don't even know #there are issues with this relationship i.e. Posy is being fostered but has to 'earn' adoption #but it's a journey for both of them they're both growing it's a joint story

[lyfeward]

popping on here to leave a note for myself to talk about the Horned Knight and his court and his order of yore in the future

#OOC / HOLLY. #note to self #the order of yore. the yorder if you will #hopefully by the time I find this note again I'll still remember my ideas #fat chance tho

[lyfeward]

I should clarify helping Posy and him following you around is like “you saved my life so now I’m your problem. the Maker wanted me dead and now you get to find out why.”

#OOC / HOLLY. #MOBILE. #he’s trying to be helpful but he’s so cringe fail #he keeps smacking into you #he tried to tramblw brambles to clear your path and got scratched up and stuck in them #trample* #he knows the woods SUPER well tho and as the Horned Knight’s foster son he can go pretty much anywhere #and a lot of the dryads + wisps + animals + etc have to pay deference to him #but is it worth disentangling his antlers every 15 steps

[lyfeward]

if Serault had been a DLC instead of a lil war table mission, the Inquisitor would’ve met Posy in the woods while he was in the form of a deer. more specifically, they would have found him with his antlers stuck in a tree trynna get them out.

#OOC / HOLLY. #MOBILE. #they have the option to help him; kill him; or leave him #if they help him the Horned Knight owes them a favor and also he’ll follow them around the woods trynna be helpful #if they kill him they can harvest his antlers etc but now the Horned Knight has it out for them #if they leave him he turns back into a human a little later and is like ‘well this is embarrassing. . . BYEEEEEE’ and scampers off #if they make the right choices to get an invite to the Horned Knight’s court #he is there behind his ‘foster parents’ aka the Horned Knight and his wife desperately trying not to make eye contact with the Inquisitor #honestly there’s probably like 2 more times you can run into him if you don’t kill him #each time he’s stuck somewhere stupid and needs help #like one of those times he’s been cornered by a HARE #he won’t admit he was in a tight spot but even though he was a deer you could tell his expression was like 😰

[lyfeward]

honestly altho landing literally in the Horned Knight’s lap was unideal, it could have been worse. he was a few inches off from landing in the lap of his wife.

#OOC / HOLLY. #MOBILE. #can you imagine what the Horned Knight would do to you if you insulted his wife like that #accident or not you’re FUCKED #and how do you explain yourself #‘oh no I didn’t mean to! see I was actually trying to assassinate you —‘

[lyfeward]

I'm trynna remember the timeline . . . I probably have it saved somewhere but I don't feel like looking it up. Anyway iirc I said Dyaine has been in power for like 5 years, and I think I said she was around 30 when she became marquise. It's unclear when her father died, but both the Marquis/e parents seem to be dead so. Not that that's Super Relevant because Posy would be born quite a bit before she became marquise. I think I'll put him at, like. 20 at the most when he's cursed. He was probably 15 when Dyaine became Marquise. So he's like half her age.

#OOC / HOLLY. #what kills me is Alloine would accept him gladly #Alloine is a sweetheart #but he hardly knows Posy exists let alone that he's his brother #and Dyaine ain't telling #anyway this is Part of why Posy is so cringe fail #he's just young and dumb and desperate to be loved

[lyfeward]

Okay so cringe fail Seraultine ranger time ❤️ He is connected to my Marquise de Serault aka the Huntress, Dyaine, and her brother aka the Scholar, Alloine, but he is based on details that are canon regardless of the PC. The Marquis/e's father (Aurois) cheated on their mother multiple times. He attempted to be discreet to avoid her wrath but well. He is the result of one of these affairs.

His name is Hyacinthe because those are the flowers Aurois would bring his mother during their affair. Unfortunately, she remained in love with him long after he'd forgotten her. However, his sobriquet is Posy, which can mean both a small bouquet and a person rather intent on impressing others. Not only is he rather small in build but he is also intent on proving himself and earning a place in his community. Maker knows it was not particularly welcoming to a bastard, especially one as hare-brained as him. Always letting his mouth write checks his ass can't catch, a braggart who can't back it up.

His ultimate goal in life thus became to obtain the recognition of his half-siblings and be accepted into their family. To that end, he found a ranger in Dyaine's service who was willing to take him on as an apprentice. Although Posy isn't half as clever as he thinks he is, he took to the training shockingly well, doing at least well enough to join Dyaine's hunting party. When she charged off on her own mid-hunt, as is her wont, he miraculously kept up with her. Seeing that they were alone, he took the opportunity to explain who he was and express his genuine hope that they might regard each other as siblings. This was only a headache to Dyaine, however.

The previous marquise was Dyaine's mother, and daughters are favored for inheritance in Serault, so on that front he wasn't much of a threat. But, he was still a nuisance with which she simply couldn't be bothered, so she sent him on a fool's quest. This was in those few months before the Divine's visit to Serault when Dyaine's relationship with the Horned Knight was freshly established — another headache she would rather not have, frankly.

Every Seraultine knows that the House of Glass' ancestral mask was confiscated by the Chantry in retribution for the Shame's actions. Dyaine explained that the mask has beautiful antlers made of Seraultine glass, and she had a mind to make a mimicry to greet the Divine. (She did not; this was all to fool the idiot youth.) The antlers would have to be equally as spectacular but more fitting to her particular tastes. She told him that if he could bring her the horns from the helm of the Horned Knight deep in the Heartwood, he would have proven himself a true brother indeed. The mere idea terrified him, but his braggart's tongue wouldn't let him refuse.

Dyaine expected he would simply disappear, not actually attempt the quest. But, the trouble with his bragging is he tries to back it up even when he knows he can't. Thus he did indeed hunt the Horned Knight to the depths of the Heartwood where he holds court. There the Horned Knight sat in feast with his dryad court; Posy thought to take advantage of the situation but failed, as is typical, rather spectacularly. Fell out of the tree he was hiding in and landed literally in the Horned Knight's lap.

Terrified, he stammered out an explanation and boldly declared (as boldly as one can declare whilst their teeth chatter) that he would succeed. The Horned Knight's rage turned into pity looking on this foolish boy who had so clearly been sent to his death. This insult could not go unanswered, but there was some room for mercy in his heart. This youth was orphaned and unwanted by the only family he had left; the Horned Knight had recently lost a son. Thus he declared Posy would be bound to him to take the form of a moon-white stag at sunset and at the Horned Knight's will, and that he would perform the necessary duties which had once fallen to his son. Perhaps, if he proved himself, he would even be adopted. Of course, he could also trot himself out before his half-sister and submit himself to her arrows. If it was antlers she wanted from him, he now had a most impressive rack.

#OOC / HOLLY. #infidelity cw #ask to tag #Posy: I want a family and a place in my community 🥺 #the Horned Knight: [makes him his changeling foster son with a role in his court] #Posy: NOT LIKE THAT

[lyfeward]

( continued // @valorcorrupt )

HE BLINKED ONCE, TWICE, SURPRISED by the shift in topic. He was accustomed to comments on his mask, but it was rare to hear someone express desire for one of their own. Especially in Ferelden. ❝This, my lady?❞ He leaned the top of his walking stick on his shoulder and cupped his face with both hands — rather cutely, in fact. ❝This is no more than an old healer's face. It is plain, but it is the only one of its kind.❞ And, masterfully made, whatever his words implied.

❝Unfortunately, it does not help with my work.❞ His hands fell from his face and the playful tone of his voice fell with them. ❝There is a village in your arling that suffers from a contaminated water source. I have done what I can to address the effects on their health, but if their water cannot be purified or they cannot be relocated, it will matter little in the long run. I had hoped you would take an interest in the matter.❞

#VERSE / TBA. #valorcorrupt #from cute to serious in no time flat

[lyfeward]

what if I actually did some building on my Seraultine ranger OC later and subjected y’all to my rambling

#OOC / HOLLY. #MOBILE. #cringe fail dumbass who got himself cursed by the Horned Knight ♥️

[lyfeward]

DRAW A MONSTER ⠀⠀. . .⠀⠀ WHAT MAKES IT A MONSTER ?

#PROMO. #MOBILE. #okay but Vex is sick af #amazing amazing OC honestly

[lyfeward]

( continued // @sabiyi )

THE PILGRIM SMILED BROADLY BENEATH his mask. Though it could not be seen, it would surely be heard when he spoke. It was not Zevran's words that amused him but the truth they unwittingly hit upon: he really didn't have a nose. One of several things he'd lost to leprosy decades ago.

But, it wouldn't do to reveal that. Instead, he tilted his head just so. ❝Will you take off your face then, ser assassin? This mask is to me as your skin is to you — but I am a believer in equivalent exchange. If you show me yours, I will show you mine.❞

#VERSE / ORIGINS. #sabiyi #pft icb he immediately likes Zevran for this #also I hope it's fine I'm continuing this even tho it's old and you've changed blogs dkjfh #if not of course just ignore it

[lyfeward]

okay thread tracker is not showing any tracked threads, so Imma scrabble through my drafts and tag to see if I've missed anything. if y'all know of anything I've missed, just shoot me the link.

#OOC / HOLLY. #the multi still has a stranglehold on my brain but . . . my funky lil dead guy . . . I miss him

[lyfeward]

I am logging in specifically to say do y'all ever think about Surana just being a ghost? All the other origins have echoes and ties and family, some story that is there, some link to the rest of the world, something outside themselves, but never Surana.

Aeducan is a former royal with a reputation whose brother potentially sits the throne. Brosca was a casteless but they triumphed in a Proving and their sister is potentially the queen consort of Orzammar, the mother of the future monarch. They both can become Paragons, immortalized for eternity.

Cousland is a survivor of one of the most powerful families in Ferelden, younger sibling to the Teyrn of Highever, and potentially the consort of Ferelden. Amell is connected to the prestigious Amell family of Kirkwall, cousin to the Champion of Kirkwall even if they never meet.

Mahariel is a member of the Sabrae clan and one of Merrill's only friends; they are mentioned by her and others many times. Tabris has family still in Denerim's alienage and is related to who is potentially the first elven bann in Ferelden.

Then there's Surana. Surana who has no family. Surana who has no knowledge of their origins. Surana who has nothing outside the Circle and within the Circle only has Jowan. [We know how that goes.] Surana's whose prologue storyline isn't even their own; they share it with Amell. They have nothing unique to them, nothing that's theirs. All the other origins get passing mentions in the games even if they weren't chosen, but them? If you do not play Surana, it is as if they do not exist. They are a ghost of the DA narrative, and they don't even have the chance to haunt it. They are so tragic to me for this.

#OOC / HOLLY. #Mahariel might be my 'canon' Warden when I play #but that's purely because I don't care for mages in DA:O #the first Warden I ever played was Surana and they are SO DEAR TO ME

[lyfeward]

all the Dragon Age OCs that still live in my head are like.

bitch ass Orlesian noble, epitome of “kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the mouth”

horrible Fereldan mercenary / captain of the Blackstone Irregulars, heaven won’t take him and hell spit him out

the Fereldan ex-templar mercenary who really needs to get away from the aforementioned, potential candidate for Knight-Vigilant after DA:I rip 2 her

Rivaini Lord of Fortune who’s here for a good time not a long time

Vashoth Mortalitasi who can subdue the restless dead with One Withering Stare

cringe fail Seraultine ranger who fucked around and found out

the Marquise de Serault aka the Huntress aka the worst woman to have ever lived but I’d let her step on me

the Scholar aka her twin brother who is a pile of books with legs and followed his husband into exile but it’s fine cuz they’re vibing in Starkhaven with their adopted daughter

#OOC / HOLLY. #these are the ones who have endured #there’s also my rogue Hawke but that’s just me deep throating tragedy #I love him so much #I mean technically I have many other OCs but they’re kinda NPCs so [hand waves]

[lyfeward]

talking to Nixe led me to rediscover a codex they linked me ages ago and I haven't been able to find again hallelujah

"The Iron Bull and his Chargers have prevented another Civil War from sweeping across Orlais with their efforts in Perendale. The Iron Bull in particular defeated the would-be usurper in combat."

I THINK SO MUCH ABOUT THIS. and I should probably share those thoughts but my brain is marshmallows

#OOC / HOLLY. #note to self

[lyfeward]

Charity still works here in a way because I mean charity in the sense of unselfish and unmerited love, of agape. it’s been used as a translation for agape in the past, such as in 1 Corinthians 13 which is very much applicable to Amis. it’s been said to be the root of all other virtues, and it is the root of all Amis’. leaving Charity behind then is perhaps even more poignant than leaving behind Compassion.

mmmmm on the one hand, changing Amis’ spirit companion back to being Charity. on the other hand — perhaps the only time Amis has set out with the Intent To Kill was when he took revenge for his last apprentice, killed and left to rot. the symbolism of Amis setting Compassion in a ward so she does not follow him, she who has never once left his side, as he starts on this dark road.

#OOC / HOLLY. #MOBILE.