#Also still has abilities of a grey warden

[nelyoslegalteam]

please tell me about your dnd campaign, stranger

hi hi hi hi hi hi hi do you have any idea how happy i am to get this ask. you have activated my trap card this is going to be SO long i am sorry in advance but The People Need To Know About My D&D Campaign.

so we’re playing in Adventures in Middle Earth, which is. supposedly a Tolkienverse-specific 5e mod but frankly it’s robust enough to fully count as its own system if you ask me. like it has its own guidebooks, character sheets, premade adventures, and features mechanics that 5e just straight up doesn’t have. it’s like if 5e were actually good. anyway. may i present to you:

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ The Mirkwood Campaign ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

so what, exactly, happened in the intervening years between the events of the Hobbit and LOTR? we did, BAYBEEEEEE!!

we are:

Murdoc, a hobbitish warden (adventures in middle earth’s version of a bard), played by yours truly!! raised in the shire and eventually moved out to the middle of mirkwood by an eccentric uncle who idolizes bilbo baggins, murdoc is the heir apparent to the brandybuck family inn. unfortunately for murdoc, he has developed extremely nasty prophetic dreams and is now burdened with the ability to see the future! a skill that has definitely left him with a very normal relationship to his new day job of Being An Adventurer!! i am unhinged and have uh. Talked About Him A LOT If You Care To Read This, but he is full of murderous rage and also tea and loves his friends very much. he also, more recently, surrendered himself as bait to the great werewolf plaguing mirkwood, trusting completely that his friends would come and save him. he was right. they did. and he lost his right hand in the process. :)

Ríros, an elven warrior (aime version of a fighter), played by @jaz-the-bard. tall, buff, sunshiny, and an absolute himbo. ALSO loves his friends VERY much and this is KEY. unfortunately for ríros, he is a redhead, and that does cause problems in a world where maedhros feänorion once existed. (stranger, i am so sorry if you are not one of my silmarillion regulars and did not know what you were getting into by asking me, a silmarillion blog, to tell you about my d&d campaign, and now have no idea who or what the fuck i am talking about). ríros is notably not maedhros though! he isn't even noldorin!! maedhros is a ghost who lives in his sword (and who is also played by jaz)! and who also maybe kind of accidentally possessed him one time, if you wanna read this here for a better explanation of ríros mostly but also all of the above.

The Bearer, a human slayer (aime barbarian), played by @thymo-leonta. grumpy old man. unwilling father to all these young and stupid adventurers he’s been stuck with. are they all adults? yeah sure. they’re still Children. we are making him go grey. also full of murderous rage. looks like he's running from his perfectly normal, happy, loving family. is actually acutely aware of the fact that he has been doomed to die. killed the werewolf that took murdoc's hand. as a consequence, became the werewolf that took murdoc's hand. has two dogs, both named Dog <3

Déorwyn, a human wanderer (aime ranger), played by @shadowkat2000. resident party Horse Girl. a fellow sufferer of The Bad Prophetic Dreams^TM. because this is not quite unfortunate enough for her, déorwyn Hears Dead People. apparently our GM gives her extra secret bonus ghosts that the rest of us do not hear or know about! this being the source of her foresight makes her pretty distinct from murdoc, despite them both seemingly suffering from the same thing, in ways that i have LOTS of emotions about. her horse is named windrider and Their Bond Is Unbreakable uwu

and @potatoobsessed999, our obligatorily Extremely Ominous GM!

(we are also occasionally joined by Ioreth, a human treasure hunter (aime rogue), whose player is unfortunately not on tumblr. a founding member of the party, has earned the epithet The Feral, mostly loves to hang out in the woods by herself, look for shiny things, and cause chaos. as a beorning, she CAN astral-project herself as a bear. it rules. once got possessed by a ringwraith, probably holds the most compassion for characters who have been through similar out of any of us. is usually covered in mud.)

initially in the employ of radagast the brown, a tenure that did not last due to murdoc's insistence that saruman is evil (i mean. yeah lol.), we're a group of adventurers traveling mirkwood with the aim to defend it as sauron slowly gathers power. we are

very

successful at the Fighting And Killing Things part of this

we specialize in:

lugging unconscious bodies through the woods!

lugging DEAD bodies through the woods!

lugging EACH OTHER'S bodies through the woods!

lugging things through the woods in general!

setting things on fire (usually murdoc's fault)!

making fun of our enemies so bad they just give up!

INCLUDING the ringwraiths (shoutout to ríros)!

serving annoying politicians subpoenas!

murdering them like the one time it was totally justified we promise!

accidentally convincing the council of mirkwood that murdoc's inn is a small fiefdom!

being generally cursed (except for ríros) (he just looks that way)!

HIRE US to take care of whatever problems are happening in YOUR local cursed forest! wights? patricidal politicians? generally awful politicians? sauron? the same fucking werewolf again? it's definitely just tuesday to us!

you can count on

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ the union of murdoc ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

anyhow, jaz is absolutely wonderful and has written several fics of our party, including (but not limited to):

Cooking Contest for the Free Peoples, based on an in-game conversation about beating sauron at competitive cooking,

In Which There Are More Ghosts, which is not canon to game but is in fact Extremely Representative of the exact kind of nonsense we get up to (campaign's haunted),

A Stranger With a Friend's Face, a canon to game horror story of how ríros got slightly possessed, the party acquired maedhros, and neither murdoc nor déorwyn managed to explain the presence of the vengeful ghost residing in murdoc's scepter and bullying him in his dreams to any of the rest of the party right up until this very moment,

and this wonderful drabble from the horror arc in which we were isolated inside of a haunted longhouse. complete with party memes here.

there's more, and i am going to a.) pick on jaz to add them if they can find them, and b.) pick on my beloved friends in general to Please Help Me Infodump About our Game!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Murdoc, the Bearer, Déorwyn, Ríros, Ioreth]

#so sorry to this random stranger. the op of the post about d&d games being five-person fandoms. who was kind enough to Ask Me This. #this is way more than you bargained for #even if you care about none of this I Love You Now. Just For Asking. #you must understand. i am compiling a sales pitch for my campaign. i need to get tumblr Invested. #also i truly have NO art of one-handed murdoc and this i MUST correct #my boy! does not have that second hand!! #his design has changed so much from even the point when this art was commissioned but that's a post of its own lmao #begging my friends to Descend upon this post because there *are* Things I Have Missed and i want them to infodump too .w. #mirkwood campaign #<= is my tag for everything from this game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! go check it out pls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #nelyo askbox #hoping that this doesn't have a million typos before i finally post this lmao

[dailycharacteroption]

Imperial Agent (Vigilante Archetype)

(art by Larian718 on DeviantArt)

We’ve covered plenty of vigilante archetypes here on the blog before, but as we’ve pointed out, despite the narrative origins, not every vigilante is a hero or even a good person. Sometimes people hide their identity to do very bad things.

One such example are the imperial agents of the former empire of Lung-Wa, who work behind the scenes, sometimes alone, sometimes in groups, to try and destabilize the various successor states in hopes of them unifying them into a true heir to the old empire. So basically Romance of the Three Kingdoms by way of spycraft.

Such sneaks and spies not only work under a cover identity, but also establish disguises that paint them as agents of foreign powers to try and insight war and distrust.

Given the politics of many of the major powers of the world and their clandestine acts in other nations, I think we can agree that even stripped of the context of the Pathfinder core setting, this archetype is not very heroic. At best, you could use it for an infiltrator trying to destroy a villainous nation, perhaps the alliance of multiple such antagonists, from within, but the vibes point to this usually being an NPC antagonist archetype, or at least a morally grey one.

Even still, we’ll look and see what it has to offer.

The primary skill of these instigators is their mastery of spreading rumors and slander about an individual or group, souring the locals against them. Of course, if they fail, they might face investigation or reprisal if they are found out.

Master manipulators, they also are good at intimidating or lying to others.

Finally, they learn how to create an extra identity in the form of a member of an organization, making it easy to fool a layperson that their activities are performed by a member of said organization, placing the blame on them. However, they have to be careful, as actual members of that organization are very likely to see through their disguise.

This archetype is rather unobtrusive, so you can still build them how you see fit. Their real strength is working in intrigue-heavy games where they can manipulate public opinion and place blame upon their enemies. That being said, unless it suits the game for the GM to roll for it, most of these abilities won’t get used when in the hands of an NPC, making it somewhat superfluous in its most common role.

Agents like this in the real world are loyal, very loyal to a cause. One might argue that they are selected based on their lack of introspection about the cost and impact of their efforts, but there is always room for someone to have a change of heart. Whether the character remains true to their beliefs of changes is up to the user, of course.

The river wardens proudly wear the symbol of the wakandagi, a powerful river spirit, on their armor to show their devotion to keeping the waterways clean and safe. It is utterly shocking, then, to hear rumors of groups of them suddenly demanding tolls and protection money from merchants and civilians that use the river and channels in their daily lives.

Crotchety and bitter, Kovas the bleachling gnome has taken his jaded and cold demeanor to a new low… by becoming a company plant in the builder’s union. By day he is a grumpy but hardworking worker, but by night he uses a copious amount of dye and makeup to appear as an unbleached member of his kin, sowing mischief while wearing the union’s insignia, and when that doesn’t work, he dons a full disguise for enacting more blatant forms of sabotage.

General Kir runs a tight ship, brooking no insubordination. When rumors reach his ears that some of his troops are abusing the citizens of the outlying providences, he immediately launches an investigation with the party at it’s head. It becomes increasingly clear that all troops were accounted for a the time, so it becomes a quest to find these bad actors before the dissatisfaction with the locals reaches a head.

#pathfinder #archetype #vigilante #imperial agent #wakandagi #gnome #Blood of the Ancients

[faux-fires]

(Not-a) Drabble-a-day #5

let us hold a memorial service for the 200 word a day limit because i clearly do not know her. rip my ability to keep things concise at the moment i’m taking anything under 1k as a victory

(h)anders not-a-drabble day #5, prompt, “Naked”, some (relatively) non-explicit sexy times herein

The night had been going great, but it was what happened after they fucked that throws Anders for a loop.

His experience has taught him that fucking is the climax (so to speak) of the evening, followed by a hasty separation lest you get caught. Even in the Pearl he got bounced out after finishing, Madame needing the bed for someone else.

But Hawke wants to cuddle, and Anders, unsure how it works, submits to it with a white-eyed tension that almost undoes all the good work getting his back blown out did an hour before. He's handsy. He keeps kissing Anders, on the face sure but also on the throat and chest and arms; his beard is whisper-soft. And he won't stop petting Anders, stroking his hand along the curve of his shoulder, sweeping his thumb over his ribs, fingers seeking out knots of scar tissue and tracing them with a calm acceptance Anders has no idea what to do with.

Anders knows he can be... intense. He doesn't know how not to be; the emotions are too big for him to keep inside. But he has absolutely no idea what to do with the quiet contentment on Hawke's face, the satisfaction he sees there. Perhaps it's a sex thing? Carefully he offers, "I should be ready for another round in about fifteen minutes," and when Hawke's eyes widen, adds, "Grey Warden, remember?"

"Maker's furry arse crack," Hawke breathes, his reverent tone making his blasphemous words something of a mixed message. "It's like you stepped right out of the Fade," and Anders must have misheard, because he's not - that's not - that cannot be him.

He's mean. He's paranoid. He's crazy. He's angry. He lives in a fucking sewer. He literally almost killed a helpless child not even twelve hours ago, and he feels himself flinch, but before he can open his mouth and say any of this Hawke's eyes go soft and he says, "Stay with me, love."

Anders swallows. "Where else would I go?"

Hawke shrugs. "I don't know," he says, and he rolls on top of Anders, then, in a fluid motion - Anders is aware he's flushing, his skin singing with the ghosts of before, which is ridiculous because Anders once sucked off a senior enchanter under a dining table ten minutes before curfew. He once got fingered by Neria Surana in a laundry closet right in front of a Tranquil, whose only comment was to ask him not to come on the clean towels. He once took himself in hand in the baths of the apprentice dorm with a templar wandering up and down the tubs, and came while making direct eye contact. He cannot be blushing, now, here, because Hawke is lying naked atop him, looking at him with affection.

How humiliating it is, to be brought down not by the amazing sex or the flowery words exchanged leading up to the moment, but by the aftermath - for the gentle touch of Hawke's calloused palms against his hips, the whiskery press of his beard to Anders's throat as he kisses his way along Anders' jawline. He's had so much sex, and none of it ever felt like this - the vulnerability not just of being still abed after the act but in being loved. His breathing is too quick and he's blinking too fast and Hawke doesn't seem to mind, not even slightly, and is instead treating him like something fragile: something to be treasured.

Once Anders got caught in the infirmary after hours with two other apprentices and a well-polished wooden wand, and paraded back to the dorm by Gregoir himself, not allowed time to dress: and he still felt more clothed then than he does now, when Hawke kisses him so sweetly and says, "Would you like that sandwich now, or after?"

Maker's furry arse crack, indeed.

#reikah writes recklessly #anders #hawke #handers #drabble a day #whenever i type anything about anders living in a sewer my traitor brain immediately begins blaring #WHO LIVES IN A SEWER UNDER A CITY? AN-DERS SQUARE-PANTS at mach volume #which lemme tell you #is a real mood killer when you're trying to write mushy romance about healing from ur childhood trauma #anders vs the mortifying ordeal of being loved

[dragonageif]

"How far are you willing to go to keep your oath?"

Set long before the stories of the Hero of Ferelden, the Champion of Kirkwall, and the Herald of Andraste ever took place, there was the Champion of Starkhaven, a veteran of the Fourth Blight, hero to all that lived during the Exalted Age, and many other lofty titles.

However, who were they? How did they rise to power? Where did they come from? Just who was "Rook" truly?

Well, that will be your story to tell.

Exalted Age: Oath is rated 18+ for heavy topics, fantasy violence, language, and suggestive content. Added warnings to be applied in the future.

🐦 DEMO (TBA) 🐦

🐦 FEATURES 🐦

Build your Rook to your liking! Is Rook a human, elf, or dwarf? Are they a warrior, rogue, or mage? If they're a warrior or rogue, do they prefer a sword and shield? Two-handed weapons? Or maybe duel wielding, or even archery? If they're a mage, what school of magic will they focus on? Creation, entropy, primal, or spirit?

Customize your Rook's general appearance, from skin tone, to hair color, style, texture, and shape, eye color, gender, pronouns, etc.!

Choose your Rook's personality and how they react to the characters, with mechanics similar to Dragon Age 2.

Build relationships with your family and companions, do you start on friendly terms, or does a rivalry begin between you?

Start a romance with one of four of your companions if you so choose! Are you smitten by the seafaring elf rogue? Have your heart soar with the dwarven Grey Warden? Feel the magical pull with the qunari mage? Captivated by the lay brother human warrior?

Meet legacy and historical characters from a variety of Dragon Age media, maybe even come across the ancestors of your favorites...

Adopt a mabari! It's not a story in Thedas without your trusty dog by your side.

Become a champion that goes down in history, for better or for worse.

🐦 COMPANIONS 🐦

The older sister: Bluejay. Bluejay has been the protector ever since you became a family many years ago. She's blunt and quiet, often taking the time to gather her thoughts in as little words as possible. With her exceptional fondness for birds, she is the one that gives the affection nicknames to those she cares about. However, she is willing to go to whatever lengths to ensure your family's safety, since isn't that what big sisters are for?

Bluejay is a dwarven female rogue that duel wields daggers. She is an average height for a dwarf, with tanned skin and a solid build, cropped chestnut brown hair, and has dark brown eyes. She also has a fading deep blue casteless brand on her face.

-----

The older brother: Ziv. Ziv is as nervous as they come, but who can blame him as a mage? While very aware of what his magic brings, he's quite proud of it and hopes one day he can use his abilities for good and to help society, instead of being shunned or feared. Though, despite his hope, he strongly prefers being with his plants over others, excluding his family...most of the time.

Ziv is an eleven male mage that opts for freehand magic but uses his staff as a focus when he is able to. He is considerably tall for an elf, with olive skin and a lanky build, he keeps his long black hair tied in a loose braid, and has light green eyes. His hands and arms have nicks, scars, and old burns from his previous magic training attempts.

-----

The mystery: The Battering Ram. "The Battering Ram", or simply "Ram" for short, is a completely unknown entity to everyone around her. No one from the Free Marches to the Anderfels has ever seen, or even heard of a "qunari" before, and Ram isn't the most talkative to share details on the matter or where she comes from. Often times coming as cold and aloof, she is truly simply inexperienced in socializing and finds the company of her books more comforting.

Ram is a female qunari mage that only will freehand magic without the aid of a staff, but will occasionally use her focus. She is average height for a qunari but still towers over everyone else in the group, with slate-grey skin and a well-fit build, she keeps her silver hair short but long enough to hide the nubs where her black horns usually grow to better conceal them under her hood, and has black sclera with golden irises. She has needle hole scars on her lips and scarring on her arms and shoulders from being bound most of her life.

💕 Ram is a LI for all Rooks.

-----

The protector: Sergio. First and foremost, Sergio is a kind-hearted and gentle soul that seeks to help those that are unable to help themselves. As an affirmed rank member of the Chantry, he strives to be a role-model for those around him, including his friends. Still, he understands while trying to maintain the peace is good, not everyone would be so understanding, something he claims, he picked up from his life in Antiva.

Sergio is a male human warrior that uses two-handed weapons and favors his maul. He's an average height for humans, with brown skin, and a hefty, muscular build, he keeps his short black hair cropped, and has hazel eyes. He has several scars on all parts of his body from previous fights and skirmishes.

💕 Sergio is a LI for male and NB Rooks.

-----

The Grey Warden: Ogosa. Ogosa is a punch first, ask questions later type of gal. She leapt directly into becoming a Warden and leaving her casteless life behind the very first chance she got, and never looked back. After undergoing The Joining and impressing her superiors, she was given the honor of becoming a griffon rider and being picked by a young griffon, she affectionately named Brosca. With youth, brashness, and bravery on their side, what's not to love about them?

Ogosa is a female dwarf rogue that is proficient in archery with a custom bow, as she's most often on griffonback. She's an average height for a dwarf, with fair skin and a muscular build, she keeps her medium length bright red hair in tight braids with copper pieces woven in, and has blue eyes. She also has a fading black casteless brand on her face.

💕 Ogosa is a LI for female and NB Rooks.

-----

The sailor: Revas. While hailing from Rivain, Revas regards himself as "an elf of the known world and then some". He regales anyone within earshot of his travels, such has his claims of leading the entire fleet of Antivia just to present the Queen with a flower (and the King, so Revas said, didn't care for floral gifts), or his claim of being the first to ride a dragon, though it was an "unpleasant way to go to Orlais". While it's unknown how true any of his stories, if any are at all, he still maintains they're all real, and why would he lie to such a pretty face?

Revas is a male elf warrior that is proficient in duel-welding bladed weapons, typically his long sword and dagger as a pair. He's short by elven standards, but is still taller than his dwarven companions, with ebony skin and a lean build, he keeps his long kinky black hair in elaborate cornrows, and has amber eyes. He has several tattoos adoring his body, some "just for fun" while others have cultural significance in his home country, and has a bladed scar that runs diagonally up from his rib cage to his shoulder.

💕 Revas is a LI for all Rooks.

-----

Your dog: Slagathor Player Determined. She's a good girl. :)

#dragon age #if #if story #interactive fiction

[narrated]

LANCELOT OF THE ASH FOLK. the weeping monk, disgraced templar, born with a heart that's never stopped burning.

deep within the wandering hills of the anderfels resides a group of elves known as the genise'elan (or ash folk). when the ancient elves assisted andraste, a few of them strayed north from tevinter rather than travel to their new promised home. they had a particular bond with sylaise, revering her fire and in turn being granted caretakers of a source of magical fire that never burns out. due to the physical separation, the genise'elan developed their own lore and culture and do not consider themselves dalish. their proximity to the veilfire has marked many of them with dark tear stains, not the same as vallaslin but of a similar significance.

lancelot was born in 9:01 dragon to giselle, a genise'elan mage, and armand, a human scribe from hossberg that was ceremonially accepted into the clan after lancelot's birth. even as a toddler, he was bright and wild and found his way into trouble if left to his own devices. often he would return to his maman covered in dirt after mock sparring with the few other children, and he would smile brightly and giggle as she wrestled her child into submission long enough to clean the cuts on his face. as he grew older, she begun to teach him more about the fire that gave them life and burned in his veins like the rest of the ash folk. it was the purpose of their people - fire is life and death, destruction and rebirth in one. his father, on the other hand, lulled him to sleep with tales of the grey wardens and the countries far to the south full of trees and water.

as he reached his adolescent years, it became evident that lancelot had inherited some affinity for magic. giselle and some of the other elders attempted to train him, but he was far too arrogant and reckless to control the fire. after it became clear that they simply did not have the right people to successfully teach him, giselle decided that it would be worthwhile to leave their isolated homeland and seek out a dalish clan, hoping their distant cousins may be able to offer better help. armand set out first back to hossberg to organize their journey, and pulled enough favours to get them over to antiva, notably without entering tevinter (as that would have been a death sentence to both giselle and lancelot). the three left the genise'elan and travelled by boat to bastion. a few months passed with very little success, and giselle opted to travel further south with just her and lancelot to try their luck in ferelden. onto another boat they went, not knowing what would greet them on the other side.

when the two arrived in amaranthine, they were greeted by the chantry, a group otherwise very unfamiliar to them. upon giselle revealing that she is both elven and a mage, the templars were alerted and quickly subjugated her with the intention of throwing her into kinloch hold. lancelot was separated from his mother and taken away by the templars back to the chantry, presumably not recognized as also being elven. at the time, a knight-captain named carden was visiting from denerim and immediately took an interest in the rowdy young boy. the templars told carden what had transpired and, assuming lancelot was an orphan, offered him a place in denerim under his wing. stuck in a strange land with nowhere else to go, lancelot accepted the offer.

while lancelot barely spoke, carden still discovered that he was half-elven but not dalish. moreso, he had an incredible ability for tracking and sensing magic, a talent that would make him a cut above other templars. lancelot quickly became a initiate of the templar order with carden becoming his surrogate father. the physical training was laborous, but what carden cared about more was making sure that the chantry teachings would stick for the boy. in between training, lancelot would kneel and recite the chant of light until his throat was hoarse. he was told that his heritage was a blackened sin to rise over, that his gifts were bestowed on him to fight the corruption of magic, that under the templars he could be a warrior of good. if he forgot, carden would remind him with violence. it did not help that he was ostracized by the other templars for the tear marks under his eyes, soon creating the moniker of the weeping monk. there was nowhere else to seek approval than from carden and the order itself, so lancelot pushed himself with diligence and a thinly veined ferocity to excel at his training. when he took his vows at twenty-one, he was one of the best templars to ever come through training, already wickedly talented at tracking down mages and an highly capable fighter.

carden never quite let go of lancelot, who knew him better as father now. rather than being assigned to a circle tower, he was always either kept in denerim or would venture out with carden on bigger quests. everyone knew that lancelot did not just have the usual leash of lyrium, but he had a reputation even within the order of being one not to fuck with. outside of the chantry, he was often titled the specter of denerim for his wraith-like mannerisms and stern demeanour. being kept in close proximity to carden meant that the man continued to exude a strong influence over lancelot, even though he sometimes questioned his status in helping terrorize the alienage elves or finding runaway mages. he sometimes thought of his mother when he saw how scared they were of him, the same fear she had in her face when the templars turned on her in amaranthine. he wondered if she was still alive. if she would recognize her son like this. whenever his thoughts strayed like this, carden would be there to remind him of his place. he was the golden child after all, he couldn't be setting a bad example for the rest of the templars.

he had heard the whispers among his fellow knights for a few weeks prior. a new blight was brewing, the royal chess board was shifting, something big was about to happen. his father (not carden, his real father, a million miles away from his son) had told him the stories of the wardens so he knew what was about to happen. what he didn't know would happen was the slaughter at ostagar. they were all practically doomed against the darkspawn and yet... not many people seemed to care. lancelot could not resist the urge from deep inside him to do something, and after all, he had talents right? talents that could be put to use outside of the order.

if the templars had trained him how to do one thing, it was disappear. they shouldn't have been surprised when he rode off from denerim into the night, looking for a new purpose.

lancelot / the weeping monk is originally from a netflix series that is a retelling of arthurian legend, however the series got canned after one season and is frankly kinda bad, so he's my oc now <3 this version of him has been almost completely expanded on me, using the basics of his arc in the show and translating them into the da setting.

because this verse was originally tied to a tabris warden, there are still some elements of that in play but i have scaled it back as much as possible since the person i developed all that with is no longer on tumblr to my knowledge.

also as a result, everything is very much based in origins timeline but i can work things around to fit da2 / inquisition, just ask.

for lance, because he has never been trained in magic properly, lyrium behaves as it normally does for a templar to him rather than a magic user. i'm saying this because of the training and also presumably the lyrium given to templars is slightly different than what is given to mages? also i don't wanna give myself more of a headache trying to decode the lore.

i will probably make a separate post with more information on the ash folk later. aka when it's not 1:34am.

#LANCELOT / 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭. #abuse mention / #if u read all of this ur insane and i love u #at some point this was a short post

[cecilebutcher]

⌊↝𝐏𝐡𝗼𝐛𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐧𝗼𝐬↜⌉

Based off Panic From Hercules

More info

⊱Bᴀsɪᴄs⊰

Name: Phones Spanos

Age: 17

Date of birth: August 19

Zodiac sign: Leo

Hight: 160cm

Dorm: Ignihyde

Class: C1

Place of birth: Island of Woe

Mother: Penelope Spanos

Father: Ajax Spanos

Brother(Twins): Aikat Spanos

⊱Aᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ⊰

Phobes is 160cm. He has light brown skin with bruises all over from being an idiot. His his hair is dark turquoise colored with a dark raspberry streak. He has bandages over his arm and face because of the bruises . His eyes are a grey-ish yellow color.

⊱Sᴘᴇᴀᴄɪᴀʟ Mᴀɢɪᴄ⊰

panic of the brain. The ability to cause hallucinations that look so very real, usually the hallucinations cause panic and stress but sometimes they can be nice and calming

⊱Fʀɪᴇɴᴅs⊰

Idia. Ortho. Phobes. Several Ignihyde students. Ruggie. Epel. Tao(oc). Jamil. Trey. Kalim.

⊱Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs Oɴ Cʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs⊰

𝚁𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚕𝚎: House warden Riddle is a bit strict. But he’s really reliable! Whenever I need help with something he has no problems giving me some advice.

𝚃𝚛𝚎𝚢: Trey is so cool! We hang out every now and then and usually bake, he taught me so many amazing recipes that I can’t wait to try!

𝙲𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛: Cater is….. a bit interesting. He’s loud and always seems to be making friends but can also be a bit weird at times but people seem to like him.

𝙰𝚌𝚎: I haven’t met him but Aikat says we might get along, so I’ll take his word for it!

𝙳𝚎𝚞𝚌𝚎: Deuce is great! We’ve met only a few times but he seems to be trying hard to be a good student, so I like him.

𝙻𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚊: Leona is so cool! He doesn’t even do anything and yet he knows how AWSOME he is. I hope I’ll be like that some day.

𝚁𝚞𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚎:…… I’d rather not say. People say whenever he’s brought up I talk too much about him^^.

𝙹𝚊𝚌𝚔: Haven’t met Jack but Epel says he’s super cool.

𝚃𝚊𝚘(𝙾𝙲): Have you laid on his clouds before?! They’re super comfy and make you sleep instantly. 10/10 would recommend.

𝙺𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚖: Even though he’s loud I really enjoy being around him! He makes me feel heard and that he actually enjoys my company!

𝙹𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕: Even though Jamil can be mean and cold at times he’s still fun to hang around with! He gave me a book that has recipes from the Scandaling Sands and I’ve tried making some of them, he says that they taste good.

𝙰𝚣𝚞𝚕: I’d rather keep my distance from his, Idia said so.

𝙹𝚊𝚍𝚎: He seems to be hiding something, so I’d rather not get to know that.

𝙵𝚕𝚘𝚢𝚍: why go to a chiropractor when you have Floyd to crack your back? But he’s pretty cool, an open book.

𝚅𝚒𝚕: Aikat looks up to him and I personally think he’s super pretty and cool.

𝙴𝚙𝚎𝚕: Epel is one of my best friends! He’s super cool and awesome. People might only see him for the cute guy he is but let me tell you he can throw a punch!

𝚁𝚘𝚘𝚔: I’m not a fan of running, but I’ll gladly run 20 marathons if it means he stays always from me.

𝙸𝚍𝚒𝚊: Idia is like an older brother to me!! I’ve known him since me and Aikat were kids!

𝙾𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚘: Ortho is like a younger brother. He knows anything and everything and I can just ask him the most random questions and he’ll answer.

𝙰𝚒𝚔𝚊𝚝(𝙾𝙲): He’s my Twin!! I love him so much and get sad when I don’t see him for too long(3 hours) we’ve been together through thick and thin and I hope that it’ll stay that way:).

𝙼𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚞𝚜: Haven’t met him, but he seems ok.

𝙻𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊: Aikat likes him so he’s ok with me!

𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚛: I often find him asleep in the botanic garden and whenever I wake him up he says he doesn’t recall falling asleep.

𝚂𝚎𝚋𝚎𝚔: really loud, like TOO loud. I tend to keep my distance from him

⊱Pᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ⊰

Phobes is a kind and sweet kid. He’s creative, independent and loyal. He’s dedicated, hard working and ambitious when it comes to something he wants. He’s open minded and pretty easy going. He’s also very patient and empathetic. He’s friendly and charming when he opens up. He’s also very trustworthy and dependable. He’s witty and people see him as talented and gifted.

But he’s also very anxious and fearful most times and can be possessive at times. Some people see him as destructive and uncaring. He can get very jealous and hateful at times. He’s also a bit forgetful and naive.

Phobes is shy quiet and calm when meeting people but he’ll open up if he feels the person means no harm. He’s a bit sentimental and stubborn. He’s curious about a lot of things and likes to explore those things. When people get to know him they see that he’s talkative and really soft. But a lot of people can see him as weird.

⊱Fᴜɴ Fᴀᴄᴛs⊰

Phobes is the younger of the two Spanos twins.

He’s seen as the quiet one out of the two.

He has anxiety problems.

He doesn’t like talking to people if he doesn’t have to.

He’s on the spell drive team and usually spends his time with Epel or Ruggie

Speaking of Ruggie, Phobes has a crush on him. But he won’t admit it

Autistic brain rot

Back at the Island of woe he had his own garden that he loves to tend to

Now that he’s in nrc he helps the gardener with the botanic garden

And that’s where you can find him a lot of the time

Loves loves LOVES spicy food

But hates sea food

Biggest sweet tooth

Cannot STAND tight clothes

90% of his closet is just over sized clothes

If you think some of them are Idias, you’re wrong. End of discussion.

Just like his brother he also has sensory issues so he also Carrie’s headphones

Has a corner in his dorm room just for his books

He calls it “my mini library nook”

A lot of people tend to give him love letters, weather that be in school or outside

He has zero idea why people like him like that and feels very bad after rejecting them

Has fangs

Looks up to Leona for reasons unknown

Has and will fought someone for implying they find Aikat annoying

His parents are very rich, so he’s also very rich by extension

Has a weird hobby of trying to figure out if he sold someone how much will he get

Continuing the last point: has told people what they’re worth like talking about the weather.

Loves games like DND

#twsited wonderland #ignyhide #twst oc

[cityandking]

1, 21, 40, D for Eniko and Minah

aw the rogues :') // uncommon questions

1. What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?

ENIKO — ages. hours and hours. all night if he has to. he's perfected his ability to hunker down somewhere and let time drip past. it took a lot of practice but it was part of his education and it (like most of his lessons) paid off MINAH — she gets a little fidgety, but she can zone out for a while when she needs to. she's been stuck backstage for a good chunk of a run, or staking out a house to burgle, or hiding from the guards, and left to marinate for a bit, and that's okay. I'd say a couple hours is when she starts getting all buzzy and anxious with nothing to distract her (she's pretty good at distracting herself tho)

21. Why do they get up in the morning? 

ENIKO — a clawing, desperate desire to make something more of his life than what he has right now. he can't stop. he just can't. MINAH — she gets itchy if she stops moving for too long. there's a constant fear nudging at the back of her head that says she has to get up, keep going, never let her guard down.

40. How sensitive are they to their own flaws?

ENIKO — not particularly. unless they're impeding him from achieving his goals, he really doesn't care what flaws he may or may not be sporting. it's all about getting the work done, and as long as he can do that, nothing else matters. MINAH — pretty sensitive. she's keenly aware of them, if nothing else. but she's also put years of effort into ignoring and downplaying them, so, y'know. conceal don't feel etc.

D) Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look?

ENIKO — he's changed a lot over the years! originally he was very pale, with a really stark black-and-white color scheme (he's half moon elf). then I learned that the human population of the campaign's setting was mostly dark-skinned, so he got darker. his color scheme has also trended a little more towards grey/heather/purple over the years. he softened, pretty much. (still with the same fashion sense and the sharpness, though—that's always been the same) MINAH — I just looked at the Q&A I did for her pre-campaign and she was originally strawberry blonde and much taller, kind of a beanpole. obviously that didn't stick—I shortened her by a good six inches and changed her hair. I think I'd also like to go back and adjust her (non-warden) look/armor—I had a hard time trying to find the balance between thief, archer, close-quarters combatant and traveling performer, and I'd like to have another crack at it. her color scheme (sort of maroon/red/gold) has stayed the same, at least

#thanks for these!! #my terrible rogue children whom I love #the niko links are the first and most recent art I have of him #minah #eniko

[valiantvillain]

Tell me anything about your OCs

Still in the process of properly caffeinating so apologies if this is a bit scatterbrained but here goes. Now as far as OCs for videogames goes: Kate Shepard (Mass Effect) -is a Star Trek fan like her parents were and was actually named after Captain Kathryn Janeway -in that same vein, has a lot of old earth sci-fi novels, some actual physical books when she could get her hands on them -back on Mindoir her parents worked in hydroponics and has wanted to get some plants into her cabin on the Normandy but has never had the time to actually plan that

Skye Ryder (Mass Effect Andromeda) -had a nail polish collection in the Milky Way and has been trying to somehow rebuild it in Andromeda -in contrast to Scott has always been the socially awkward twin -in not so typical hero form, is very fond of pastel color palettes -always gave me the vibe she studied anthropology and thus gets along very well with Avela and talking ancient culture with her

Katla Cousland (Dragon Age: Origins) -after becoming Queen of Fereldan insisted on wearing blue and silver almost constantly so no one forgets that no matter what she is a Grey Warden and she is the Hero of Fereldan -despite being charming and charismatic is also very cutthroat so long as she believes that the throats she's cutting belong to bad people, aka "I'm willing to resolve this peacefully so long as you are willing to play ball and if not then you better hope I don't find any dirt on you or you will be dead" -initially hoped the Joining would kill Nathaniel due to residual desire for vengeance after killing Arl Howe only for him to become one of her closest friends and comrades Wendolyn [(Baldur's Gate 3) and my current brain bunny] - Seldarine drow bard -since venturing from the Underdark to the surface finds she likes to sleep with the windows open bc she loves the night air -changed her name upon reaching the surface world -makes her own costumes and fixes the party's clothes...also firmly believes the Mindflayers took her favorite pincushion as opposed to just losing it because she refuses to believe she would have allowed herself to just drop it, though why they would take that and not her violin and weapons is anyone's guess -her mother is a cleric of Eilistraee -her dream is to open a theater and cultivate new artistic talent I also have had this one fantasy idea bopping around in my head for years and I don't discuss her much but I really should, so here are some little tidbits about the protagonist for what I hope will one day be a high fantasy series called The Memoriam Chronicles. Serinda Belwyn -memoriam abilities (which is basically the ability to absorb people's memories through touch) usually manifest around puberty, however, hers developed at the young age of six, and her mentor essentially became her adoptive father -specializes in animal memories -is initially very prickly, aloof, and guarded toward most people but is clearly a passionate scholar and pretty fearless despite not being a fighter -a major theme of her story is the realization of how history will attempt to whitewash and tone down her history and identity in order to make her and her heroic deeds more palatable to future generations, aka keep mum about her marginalized identity so no one has to question why people like her were/are treated differently -wears glasses -is asexual

That's just some information about my various OCs. Not all of them just the ones I find myself thinking about most.

#asks #my ocs

[wildlymish]

Mara Tabris

Hero of Ferelden

Race: Elf (City)

Pronouns: She/her

Class: Rogue, Dual wielding

Specialization: Duelist with some Assassin abilities

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Sexual Orientation: Lesbian

Love Interest: Leliana

Background:

Mara Tabris was born in the impoverished Alienage of Denerim to Cyrion and Adaia Tabris in 9:11 Dragon. While her life had never been easy, she found comfort in her community and family. Mara was especially close with her mother Adaia.

When Mara was 9, a human attempted to start a purge of the alienage, and targeted her. She defended herself, resulting in the death of the human. Adaia was the only witness, and when the guards came to the village to interrogate, she took the blame for Mara. Adaia was taken away by the humans, presumably to be executed, and Mara never saw her mother again.

Over time, Mara did a couple of odd jobs to support her family and alienage- many of them required her to be crafty, from jewelry making to shoe making. She also found herself having to get out of trouble numerous times.

When Mara was short of turning 20 she was engaged to Nelaros, an elf from Highever. She was not at all happy with the arrangment, but was willing to go through with it for the sake of her community. Human nobility disrupted the wedding however, and Mara, as well as a couple of other elves, were taken hostage. She found herself on a mission to survive, save the fellow elves and free herself. This resulted in the death of the human noble in question. Before she could be turned in, likely for execution, a Grey Warden named Duncan envoked the Right of Conscription. Mara was to become a warden, sparing her from execution and setting off the events that would lead to the end of the Fifth Blight.

Personality

The Tabris family has a reputation for being rebellious in nature, and Mara was no less different. Much like her mother, Mara is headstrong and brave, ready to take on any challenge. This can sometimes lead to recklessness, but she knew when to back down. She was not afraid to speak her mind and was often upfront and honest, unless her life would be in danger otherwise.

Despite the harsh realities of the alienage and its flaws, she always took pride in her elven community and heritage. She also had a particular fondness for the Dalish elves, started off from the stories she was often told about the Dalish. She obtained facial tattoos in honour of the Dalish, even though they do not really resemble Dalish Vallaslin.

She has trust issues when it comes to humans, largely from traumatic experience involving her being targeted by them. She is willing to work with them when it comes down to it, especially once she became a Grey Warden, but she will take longer to warm up to them. One of the only exceptions was Leliana, whom Mara found she quickly trusted, and fell fast and hard for. Her main specialization is the duelist, one her mother was proficient in, as she enjoys finessing her fighting skills.

Skillset

Much of what Mara learned was initially taught to her by her mother, Adaia, and even when she was gone, Mara still did her best to learn how to fight. She is very proficient in using daggers, and is a quick and nimble fighter. She can easily take down an enemy much much larger than her thanks to quick thinking and agility.

Due to Mara's handiness, she has also found a penchant for setting traps, disarming traps and general crafting. She likes to keep her hands busy, and can always be found with something, whether sharpening her weapon, fixing up a worn out shoe or trying to create some piece of makeshift jewelry. She also knows her away around posion and how to craft it.

#dragon age #dragon age origins #city elf #warden tabris #tabris #mara tabris #leliana x warden #mariana #mara x leliana

[lairofdragonagelore]

Arbor Wilds: Temple of Mythal - Part 2

Main Quest: What Pride Had Wrought

The Temple of Mythal was a place of justice, where petitioners walked religious rites of passage in order to have their pleas for justice from Mythal heard. According to some it is also the site of some mysterious religious artifact called the vir'abelasan.

This post contains the following sections

Outer Courtyard

Preparation for the Well

[This is part of the series “Playing DA like an archaeologist”]  

[Index page of Dragon Age Lore]

Outer Courtyard

When we enter to the Courtyard, we have a conversation with Morrigan and Solas, summarised in:

They realise Corypheus cannot die. He takes control of another blighted creature and is immediately reborn. Archdemons have the same ability.

The Grey Wardens have a way to kill Archdemons despite this ability, however, it seems that they could not apply it with Corypheus, hence they locked him away in Vimmark Mountains. 

Morrigan suspects that the power of the Blight is what has given Corypheus this power, but how he gained it, she cannot know [As players, we know already due to the memories of Corypheus in the Shrine of Dumat that he embraced the corruption he found in the Black City, so probably this is what gave him this ability. It's not clear if the Architect has the same power].

Morrigan explains that this part of the Temple is a vestibule, not the temple itself.

She also questions divinity: she says that elven pantheon may have been beings of immense power, in the same fashion that Old Gods are "mere" dragons that rise as Archdemons. She has a good hunch when she says that Mythal may have been a powerful elf who was a ruler.

However, Solas corrects her in a very vague way. Apparently, this description of Mythal felt like a dismissal to him, likely because how dearly he keeps her.

She also questions if Mythal was truly a single entity, which introduces in the player the idea that Mythal may have possessed many bodies before Flemeth.

Solas explains that there are many accounts of Mythal and he only supports, implicitly, the one that claims that Mythal was The Mother [as we see her in the mosaics], protective and fierce.

Morrigan assumes that Mythal is exiled with the rest of the elven pantheon, according to the unreliable Dalish Tales. She also assumes that it may have been Tevinter who simply killed them.

She also suspects these strange elves that protect the temple descend from the ancient ones, before the fall of Arlathan.

In this place we still find these mural paintings. From all these typical elvhen paintings collected in Nation Art: Elvhen, the Temple of Mythal only lacks one: The Armoured Figure. Maybe this detail will help us to understand the painting at some point. 

The central part of the courtyard shows a section with elvhen tiles and two short cylinders with ancient writing on them.

This inscription looks a bit similar [but not the same] to the text written in the Razikale Ceremony or in Horned warrior holding a sword. These grey stones also appear in the puzzle of the Exalted Plains: Ghilan’nain’s Grove and the Dead Hand. Of course the whole temple is filled with many  Dragon Myhtal statues and Humanoid Mythal statues.

With the help of Morrigan, the elven inquisitor, and Solas, we read the inscription of the grey stones. Morrigan explains that the entrance to this temple is free, it's not like a barred door. But to go further, you must perform the rituals [puzzle] as a way to offer obeisance and ask for justice imparted by Myhtal.

To a side of the vestibule, we find a sitting Fen'Harel with several Elvhen funerary lid, and an elven puzzle box [I found it cute how this element always seems to be close to this statue’s paws, the wolf is always playing with it, it seems. Or it can be interpreted as he being a guardian of a treasure, since these elven puzzle boxes sometimes are mere containers for loot]. 

Here we can trigger the codex The Rebel God, which analysis was done in Ancient Elven codices, Temple of Mythal. Basically it suggests that after the Exalted March the word associated with (Fen')Harel started to morph its meaning into “betrayal”, instead of being “rebellion” as its etymology seems to point out.

Morrigan is surprised about the presence of this statue in the Temple, she interprets it as a blasphemous gesture.  And elven inquisitor will comment that their clan uses this statue in a more "Emerald Knight" way [as a protector of the borders of a Dalish camp]. Solas replies something that reaches to the players: we have to be wary about the legends, about the tales, because even though they may have a grain of truth, they are not historical facts. 

I think here is one of the many examples where Solas chooses to omit instead of lying, and the reason why I trust him when he drops a bit of lore. He doesn't lie about history, he just omits it if it's too compromising or painful. We know in Tresspasser that he awoke in a world that felt like living among tranquils. He sacrificed his old world to give a future to the people, but he found out that they had embraced all the slavery icons, romanticised their previous tyrants, and he had turned into a god of betrayal, who had been, poetically speaking, being betrayed by the same people he wanted to save. I don't want to go too deep into character analysis, because it's a lot, specially with Solas, but I think these details are a good justification of his attitude to not answer anything else in front of this Fen'Harel's statue. Plus, in the beginning of the game, we learnt he had tried to share the truth with Dalish clans that mistreated him. 

We cross a door that glows in a soft blue and we find a corridor that depicts another of these strange murals. With all what I've already analysed in Nation Art: Elvhen, it seems strange to see them in Mythal's temple in particular.

Preparation for the Well

Morrigan speaks about what this place seems to be for her. Solas does not add any comment to correct her, so she must not be too far away from the truth.

As we enter in this new section of the Temple, we have two options to explore: following the path of Mythal, be respectful, and make the ritual-puzzles to be granted access to the Temple, or just skipping all this by following the path opened by the Red Templars.  

Solas and Morrigan agree for once: they suggest to complete the puzzles, while other companions will suggest to urge the access. We know later that Solas is asking for this in order to save "part of his People", elvhenan "such as him". He takes the risk of letting Corypheus get the Well instead of letting these people be killed by defending this place.  Morrigan, as we know, is a preservationist of the arcane and the old knowledge, so she wants to protect the well and have access granted to it, so she insists in respecting the rituals.

She also calls the Inquisitor to a side, and shares with them the last bit she understood from the grey stone but did not say it out loud: those who use the Well receive a great boon at a terrible cost, the sweet sacrifice of duty. We will understand this later as the loss of personal freedom and will [one becomes a servant] in order to perform a duty, while having a vast knowledge of the ages.

This place is a set of chambers with puzzles and corridors with the standard brown-yellow mosaics on the ground and golden mosaics on the walls depicting some of the gods. 

It's curious to me that, despite being Mythal's Temple, we have still these murals of the "zombie" white elves. In the most hidden areas we find Fen'Harel's mosaics, quite decayed too.

In a small chamber, we find Humanoid Mythal statue in gold, and a golden mosaic of Falon'Din.  On the opposite wall there is one of the mural paintings, the shifting halla.

The mosaic triggers the codex Song to Falon'Din, analysed in Ancient Elven codices, Temple of Mythal. It seems pretty curious that he is represented at the sides of the statue, when Solas tells us the following: 

After the codex, there is an interesting exchange of info coming from Solas. Morrigan and the elven inquisitor comment their knowledge based on the unreliable Dalish Tales, while Solas speaks from personal experience:

Falon'Din's vanity was so big and his need for adulation so intense, that he started wars to get more worshippers. [It's not clear for me if we can understand this as if Falon'Din would kill other evanuris in these wars in order to take their worshippers and join them to his. So far, in the Ancient Elven codices, Temple of Mythal, we learnt that Falon'Din  was eager to almost fight Elgar'nan, and Mythal calmed things down asking for them to solve the situation with a duel of champions. This line also makes me speculate what I said before in the posts of codices or in The Lost Temple of Dirthamen; maybe Falon'Din and Dirthamen had this "twin" nature because Falon'Din somehow bonded Dirthamen [since Evanuris are hard to kill, but not to merge, maybe?] and kept his followers to him, who couldn’t distinguish one from the other]

Those who would not bow, will fill pools as big as oceans with their blood [this is a nice interpretation-twist of a "god of Death", not as a guider in the afterlife but as a mass killer.]

Mythal rallied the gods when Falon'Din started to [I understand] kill Mythal's followers. It was almost late [sadly, Solas doesn't say in what sense it was late]. Falon'Din surrendered only when the other Evanuris [that's how I understand brethren here] bloodied him in his temple. We didn't visit a proper Temple of Falon'Din so far we know. In DAO there were Elven ruins of dubious mixture with Tevinter elements. So we don't know which place this is.

If the Inquisitor questions the fact that such a killer was left alive, Solas reinforces what he told us in Tresspasser: Evanuris are not easy to kill.

Similar chamber can be found across the main place, but the mosaics depict Andruil.

Here we trigger the rich codex of Elven God Andruil, explained and interpreted in detail in Ancient Elven codices, Temple of Mythal.

After it, we have some more info given by Solas: 

He knows Andruil was a goddess of Sacrifice.  

Even though Solas doesn’t say it, it’s implied that this is the reason why Andruil’s patron animal is the hare, a creature for sacrifices.

Sadly, Solas does not add much more against Andruil, as he did with Falon’Din.

My personal speculation about why these two gods have this preferred place in the temple, is related to the common aspect they have: both were a threat for Mythal in a way or another. Andruil put in danger everyone with her madness and weapons; Falon’Din killed Mythal’s people in his extreme desire for adulation. Maybe this is the reason why these two gods are beside a statue of Mythal, in chambers that have a “wall” made of a golden fence, as if it were a cage. 

Arbor Wilds: Temple of Myhtal - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

#main quest #playing DA like an archaeologist #Falon'Din #Andruil #Humanoid Mythal statue #Sitting Fen'Harel statue #Elven hart statue #Elven Archers #elven design #elven pantheon #mythal #Elven Owl statue #temple of mythal

[spainkitty]

DAO has really helped me be more inspired to do creative stuff. I'm actually really disappointed by the idea that later games don't have the Origin stories! But since I'm here, I just really wanna brag about my girls.

Aleandria Cousland is my main storyline. I finished her story all the way through Witch Hunt (though I haven't done the GoA yet). She's a baby, just 19 when her world falls apart, and full of optimism and faith and love. She grew up with a silver spoon and she knows it, so she tries, with every choice and judgement she has to make, to pay that privilege forward. She is the epitome of Lawful Good, with just a little bit of veering off the path of annoying righteousness thanks to her grey-moralled biffies. She and Alistair fall in stupid goofy love, obviously, and he trains her to use Templar abilities (she becomes better at it than him🤣). In the end, she becomes Queen of Ferelden alongside her devoted King. She chooses to ally with the Architect, and, while she doesn't quite regret it, she is uneasy with her choice for the next decade. (Then, Witch Hunt made me sob because she spent all that time and effort just to find her friend, to tell her she trusts her and loves her, and Morrigan doesn't have to do this alone! But Morrigan leaves anyway and I fell down sobbing at Morrigan's last look over her shoulder. Spending the time to get up Morrigan's approval as high as possible in DAO was so so worth it for the scenes with Morrigan calling Aleandria her friend and sounding like she was about to cry)

Lanil Surana is my elf mage and she is also Babey. She's aroace spec and her story is unfinished. Thus far: She's been in the Circle so long she doesn't remember anything else, and honestly doesn't care. Why do people keep asking about her elf heritage?? It means nothing to her. She's a mage. She's not exactly smart, but she's bright and strong-willed and confident to the point of arrogance. She is talented at magic, very rarely struggles, and all she cares about is more magic. And (what leads her into trouble) wanting her friends to be happy. Jowan wants to be a farmer and get married and give up his magic? Gross, but okay. She'll help if it'll make him happy. Ofc he's not a blood mage, he wouldn't lie to HER. She knows her friend, there's no way he could hide something like that--oh. oh no. She's still unsure of how she feels about being a Warden; a part of her remains in the Circle, where she feels like she will always belong, even if it meant being made Tranquil for what she truly believes is her own mistake. Going out into the world, seeing something bigger than herself, will hopefully help her learn empathy and perspective. There is more to the world than the Circle, and not all apostates are evil or deserve punishment. Morrigan especially is a good influence on her. Going back to the Circle to save it was the most heartwrenching and terrifying experience of her life and she struggles between her trauma and her growth when it comes to blood magic and freedom. (Extra: everything with Cullen still lingers in the back of her mind. WtFUCK was that?? What was he... talking about? Did he love her or something? No way. Maybe?) In the future, maybe she'll even find a connection to a heritage she's never bothered to care about.

Danae Tabris is a city elf. And she's ANGRY. Her whole life has been about being made smaller, quieter, and scraping by for survival. She is pragmatic and cold to strangers (esp humans), but not unnecessarily cruel. When the Arl's son ruins her wedding day, a day she only half-begrudgingly accepted for her single father's sake, despite having zero interest in her would-be-husband (or any man), Danae's anger is unstoppable. Saving the young elf women around her, protecting them from the monsters masked in human skin, gives her, for a moment, power. True Power over her fate that leads to beheading the Arl's son while still dressed in her wedding finery. Being killed for it feels more like a reward than a punishment, there is true pride in her when she steps forward, it was worth it to save the other elves and end the life of even one oppressor. But then Duncan offers her a life in the Grey Wardens. While she can't truly trust him, she latches onto the idea of more power, the ability to be stronger, faster, and FREE. That freedom and power is all that matters to her, at first. Could Leliana be the one that shows her that she can forgive the world for letting her down? And that humans can, in the end, be good and true and... worth loving? She can not only save a few young elves, she can save the entire country and love wholeheartedly, unreservedly. She will be capable of wielding power, yes, but also capable of Greatness. (Though, she'll never be comfortable with the idea of being a "Hero" and definitely disappears so people will please forget her face.)

#dao #dao tabris #dao surana #dao cousland #i just really love my girls #i made two dwarves too but i havent played them yet #or figured out exactly what their personalities are #long post #please ask me questions if you want to about them #id love that

[msommers]

🧙 🎱 🌞 for riya and meredith

thank you!! xoxo // tarot card meme

🧙 I - The Magician : Making a deliberate decision, taking action, experiencing a sensation of power, deep thought.

RIYA — the first time she was able to summon her knight-enchanter blade gave riya an unmatched rush of power, fueled by the magic yes but also a great deal of pride. she always struggled with learning through study, even after she found a topic she was truly interested in with honing her magic to create a blade of pure magic for combat, and that moment of finally managing to pull off what she'd been working towards for weeks,,,,,too wonderful for words.

MEREDITH — well, every example there is very mere coded. while she’s adept at multitasking and juggles various responsibilities because she must, she’s still the type who hones in on one particular big picture goal that she invests great time and effort into completing. she isn’t afraid of making decisions whether they be little or small, but as someone in her position of power (lady, warden-commander, queen, inquisitor, etc etc) she prefers to take time to think things through before enacting those changes (usually to get ahead on damage control because some of her bigger changes can anger a lot of folk lmao).

🌞 XIX - The Sun : Enlightenment, finding the truth, a moment of glory or vitality, trusting your abilities.

RIYA — could yap on about the blind faith she has in her own abilities (however blind and egotistical she may be in that department), but “a moment of glory” just screams her victory at the grand tourney. there can be a lot of talk about the fact that the final challenge was against her own late lover, but that doesn’t change the fact she was stacking up wins all the way up until that point. riya was on top of the world for a good few hours there, riding the high and positively glowing with her joy.

MEREDITH — kind of dark given that this is a sun prompt, but all that points towards meredith piecing together every horrid deed committed or allowed by loghain and arl howe during the fifth blight. she had to discover certain truths and deduce some others, and though the truths were dreadful they did lead to a burst of vitality for her. to her it all told her a simple yet great fact: she was doing the right thing. it gave her a boost in energy to continue her, frankly, relentless work to tear down those men from the places of power they’d put themselves on. it took a lot of trust in her own abilities to reach the places she did, thankfully they were enough.

🎱 XX - Judgement : Moment of reckoning, taking a stand, making a choice, rebirth, absolution, cleansing.

RIYA — she’s quite literally receiving absolution by being recruited into the grey wardens, being yoinked right out of whatever judgement was barrelling her way for the crimes she had been accused of. not entirely a rebirth with her joining the ranks, though entirely possible for her to get there in time.

MEREDITH — did you mean: killing arl rendon howe, the tarot card edition. it was without a doubt an act of vengeance at its heart, that much is clear to the few who witnessed meredith demand retribution before launching herself daggers-first into a brutal, bloody fight with the man. though those same few can also attest to the cleansing affect his demise had on her, clear even in his final moments as she watched him fade. the fury building in her for months over the injustice done to her family and people began to dim, and the ever-present weight of knowing he was alive still harming others began to ease from her shoulders. there was still another who needed her judgement, but his was not as important, not as personal to her journey of growing into queen. if you want to be Extra about it, you could say she was reborn as a ruler right there. a queen ready to get her hands dirty and ensure evils were repaid no matter who committed them. or you could just call it a murder if you’re a lame apologist or w/e

#ch: valeriya de clairmont #ch: meredith cousland #two very different gals lmao #one who ran away from every responsibility that breathed in her direction #and one who has been happy to accept every responsibility given to her since she was little #also an innocent girl and a killer :) but like the murder was against the baddest of bads so it's fine we excuse it

[breninarthur]

The Warden Character Sheet: Part 1.1 [Prev][Next]

OPINIONS. Give your Warden’s opinions–do any of them change over the course of the game?

The Chantry: Kallian is mistrustful of the Chantry. She's very passionate about her elven heritage; despite not actually knowing that much about it. She knows that there was an Exalted March, she knows that that's why alienages exist, and she knows that the Dalish have their own deities. She rejects the Chantry and the Andrastian faith, but growing up with it she still does take the Maker's name in vain if she's really surprised.

Tevinter: She doesn't know a tremendous amount about Tevinter, only what the Chantry teaches about them basically being evil and at fault for the darkspawn. She doesn't fully believe it, knowing what the Chantry says about elves, but she doesn't see Tevinter as a good place either.

Ferelden: I suppose she has mixed feelings about this? She loves Ferelden, and absolutely sees herself as Fereldan, but it doesn't mesh well with her actual experiences living there. I guess she just sees room for improvement. Over the course of the game, she becomes a bit more disillusioned.

Orlais: Unbeknownst to her, her great-grandmother was Orlesian, so there was no passed down negative attitude about Orlais in her family. Truthfully, she doesn't have much of an opinion on it before meeting Leliana, and then she bases all her thoughts on it on Leliana and what she has to say. So Kallian sees it as fancy and probably a bit snooty, and The Game sounds irritating but not really all that different to Fereldan politics.

Mages/Magic: Again, she's sort of ambivalent. Ela Surana is her distant cousin who was taken to the Circle at a young age, but Kallian knew she was a mage before that. So mages are absolutely regular people to her, just with additional abilities. Again thanks to Ela, magic is cool and interesting! But she knows it can be dangerous too. I'd say she has a pretty realistic view on it.

Apostates: She knows what it's like to feel trapped, so she can't blame anyone for wanting to get out/stay out of the Circle. She knows that some apostates are genuinely dangerous, but also that some of them are just regular people trying to live their lives. Cousin Ela was kind of an apostate for a little bit, after all.

Blood magic: Okay, this, she has the common view on. Blood magic is bad. Dangerous, scary, immoral. She doesn't consider that some people might use their own blood, or a little bit of a willing participant's or anything like that. Saying that, she does drink Avernus's potion, and wants to free Jowan. In the first case because she's desperate and thinks, well it's already done and it could help them end the Blight, and in the second because she generally believes in second chances and doesn't think Jowan is a bad person; just that he made bad choices.

Tranquil/Tranquility: The Tranquil are a bit creepy, but it's ultimately just sad. She hates the thought of it and doesn't understand why it's done to people. She pities the Tranquil more than anything.

Templars: Right off the bat, she doesn't have a great experience with them. They took her cousin away, they're among the first people in Lothering that react badly to her being a Grey Warden, and she dislikes their general attitude during the Broken Circle quest. She thinks they're bullies overall, and is glad Alistair never became a fully fledged one.

Dalish and City Elves: At the beginning, she completely romanticises the Dalish, and always dreamed of running away and joining them. She finds out from Duncan that her mam, Adaia, was Dalish, so this makes her feel even more connected to them. At the Brecilian Forest, she was expecting a big welcome. She expected to feel like she was coming home, set the bar way too high, and was inevitably disappointed. Overall, clan attitude was high with her, so it wasn't that she had a bad experience? Just more that she wanted to feel like she fit in more there than she did at the alienage. As for City Elves, she definitely has a kinship with them! Especially as she actually leaves the alienage. She's very passionate about their rights and treatment, and a huge part of the reason she wants Alistair on the throne is that she thinks he could bring change for them. She dreams of a place just for them - not an alienage, but nice towns, where no one bothers them, and they can just live happily. That said; Denerim alienage is prone to "small town syndrome" and she hates that everyone's always in everyone's business... even though she loves the gossip herself. She's sad that there's such a disconnect between the Dalish and the City Elves.

Alienages: Cages. Yes, they keep out as much as they keep in, but she resents that too. They're slums, elves are shunted off behind walls so that nobody has to think about them. She always wanted to leave. But over the course of the game, she misses it a lot.

Dwarves: She doesn't have much of an opinion on them at the start. Surface dwarves were few and far between and the ones she did meet didn't seem particularly "different" in any noticeable way. But she really dislikes the general society in Orzammar, and her dislike for nobles definitely stretches to dwarven ones, who she unfortunately has to spend a lot of time around. They don't treat her with prejudice because she's an elf, which is different for her, but they lump her in with humans as just "surfacer". She absolutely hates that.

Dwarven Caste System: Like the alienage and treatment of elves but worse. She hates it, it's awful, and a massive part of the reason she chooses Harrowmont for king is because Helmi supported him and shared her views on castes. She thought that Harrowmont was a lot more progressive than he ended up being, unfortunately.

Qunari/Tal-Vashoth (do they even know the difference?): She does not know the difference, and again, has very little opinion on them due to a lack of experience. The only qunari she's ever met is Sten. She does assume they're all like him, and she hates some of the things he talks about. But she's not one to tar an entire race of people with the same brush because of it, so she treats them on a case-by-case basis, like with everything and everyone else. She does eventually get closer to Sten too.

The Qun: From what Sten tells her, there's strict gender roles, strict life paths that you can never deviate from, and a borderline hatred of mages. She doesn't like any of it. He doesn't share much else with her.

Humans: Ah, the shemlen. Her opinions change a lot. As a kid, she's a little bit weary, knowing about alienage purges and all that, but Adaia tells her stories about good humans too (Duncan and Leliana, unbeknownst to her), so she doesn't have a particularly bad attitude. Then humans kill her mother, so she really hates all of them for a solid chunk of time. A few years pass after that before the start of the game, though, and she's mellowed a lot to just a general sense of mistrust. Then the events of her origin happens, and that's ramped up by a lot. She's on constant guard at the beginning of the walk to Ostagar with Duncan and Daveth, but warms up to them after a little while. The amount of humans sets her on edge at Ostagar, but Alistair immediately treats her like a regular person, so there's never any trust issue there with him. By the end, she treats them like everyone else. Case by case basis. But she'll always be a bit more cautious when first meeting one.

Nobility: Never liked them before the game, blames them for the conditions of the alienage. After her origin? Ohhhh she hates them. She hates them so much. She has an immediate good first impression of Teagan, though, and took on board the nice things Alistair had to say about Eamon. But she definitely prefers Teagan. Apart from that, fuck the nobility.

The Wardens: I mean, she didn't know much about the Grey Wardens before the game? They're heroes who end Blights, and that's pretty much it. After everything she goes through though, she really gains a much bigger sense of respect for them, and pride too. She loves being a Warden, despite everything.

#kallian tabris #dragon age #dao #my writing #op

[wickedsrest-rp]

NAME: Gremlin

RARITY: ★★☆☆☆

THREAT LEVEL: ★★☆☆☆ | Not a direct threat, but their mechanical tinkering can be extremely problematic when you’re relying on that machine for your safety.

HABITAT: Found exclusively in populated areas, and usually living in peoples’ homes or vehicles. They can’t survive outside for long.

DESCRIPTION: Gremlins are troublemaking fae that are rarely seen, but the impact of their presence is felt by anyone who has had experience with them. Reaching only about half an inch tall, gremlins are diminutive enough to slip into very small cracks, and they use their tiny size to insert themselves into all kinds of machinery and electronics. They’re a nondescript grey color with floppy ears, cockroach-like wings folded on their back, sharp teeth, and dexterous little fingers. Gremlins eat wiring, nuts, bolts, and other things that are probably necessary to keep your machine from malfunctioning. Most people only realize there’s a problem once their car breaks don’t work so well or their heating system spontaneously combusts. Upon closer inspection (hopefully from a warden), signs of gremlin activity will be spotted. This rarely includes seeing the creatures themselves – they’ve already moved onto the next thing in your house they want to eat. 

ABILITIES: Where there’s one gremlin, there’s always more. They make real pests out of themselves by living in groups of up to 50 of the little things. They also have a fast rate of reproduction meaning controlling an infestation must happen quickly. Gremlins are fast, and their wings allow them to travel anywhere in the home; they easily evade detection and rolled up newspapers. Their sharp teeth allow them to chomp into even hard substances such as metals (especially metals), though they can’t tolerate pure iron. Diet aside, gremlins like causing trouble for the sake of it. This is usually an inconvenience for people, but every once in a while it can prove deadly depending on the severity of the malfunction they caused, and the timing. 

WEAKNESS: While gremlins have evolved a tolerance to iron alloys even when ingested, they still haven’t completely overcome the fae weakness to iron, and eating pure iron will kill them. They’re also physically very weak, and are relatively uncoordinated as a group, so they can be singled out easily and squashed. However, it’s hard to catch them. Wardens usually deal with infestations using a “trap” device that is essentially a tangled maze of non-functional metal machinery on wheels, which can be set up outside the infested house. After a couple hours, the curious and tempted gremlins will enter the trap, and the warden can collapse it, pressing all of the gremlins to death inside. Less efficiently, they can be lured out to your neighbor’s house with talk (or lies) of your neighbor being a mechanic.

#monsters #pest #populated areas #gremlin #fae monster

[griffonisms]

I’m pretty sure I spoke about it before somewhere here but? alas. I’m here to do so again. Duncan, as I’ve said in his bio, is generally written in Inquisition’s timeline as his main verse, and so, the explanation given for his being alive is no longer ‘because he is’, so much as it is, ‘because he is, but here’s maybe why?’ That maybe being: 1) he’s been brought back by some unknown force, no one knows who did it, why, or how, but here he is, no older and no different than he was when he died / disappeared.  He’s confused about it too, don’t expect a good answer from him.  or 2)  he’s actually a spirit who, in the fade, lingered among the old, powerful emotions and memories and echoes of events that passed at Ostagar (the fade’s mirror image of Ostagar anyway) and though found so many lost souls and echoes of emotions and whatnot, for some reason focused on Duncan’s ((as the echo of HIS emotions/memories/feelings goes through the events, what he’s felt, the betrayal, the sense of hopelessness, of anguish, of the fear, the anger, etc. Even going so far back as to remember his other life events, old emotions, old flashes of memories, etc, since it focused on him--)). And as many spirit and demons alike, found themselves floundering, stumbling and trying not to be sucked out into the mortal realm as the breach(es) broke holes into their world. This spirit was probably already on its way to ‘becoming’ Duncan [as it undoubtedly has done with others] - or the equivalent of him, spirit wise (though, less ‘’him’’ exactly as it IS simply a spirit, and more just.. the keeper of these things; memories, feelings, etc.... kind of like.. an echo of him, through learning and feeling all of these things he left behind).   And so, the breach happens. It gets pulled from the fade like many others had, but this spirit.... has something, something new and fresh in it’s mind and body. Pretty much... all that Duncan was, up until he died on that field. So, in a desperate attempt to latch on to the fade, or to not become corrupt, or driven mad, it.... becomes Duncan. Kind of like Cole, except.... much more human. It completely takes the role of the former Warden Commander of Fereldan, and when it ‘awakens’, it’s confused. For all intents and purposes.... this spirit that self actualized as this grey warden, IS him. It has his exact memories up until he died (though details may be hazy), his feelings, his experiences and wisdom and beliefs, it has every little thing he had... and should his true nature be revealed to him somehow, and the spirit (”him”) remembers what it is... potentially even more. His abilities very well may just grow, magic and fade stuff wise. But for now, Duncan is.... Duncan. He doesn’t remember how he got there, only that he was dying on the field of Ostagar, he’d just watched Cailan die a horrific death and was on the verge of dying himself, and his emotions-- raging, so powerful and overwhelming... and then he woke up, unharmed. Had a headache, felt woozy, confused, could barely walk at first... but... unharmed, and uninjured. Mostly just... confused. Wary, and uncertain. Somehow, he knew it wasn’t.... before. Something in him knew it had been some time after the blight. The world felt... different, and with the breach, he knew something was wrong, but the blight was over. he felt that in his bones. It takes him some time to get used to you know.... being here again, alive. And if asked, he won’t know how to answer any questions asking where he’s been, how he’s still alive, or why he’s suddenly reappeared, and. has not aged a day, since. He’ll be honest about it as well, if in company he thinks will not simply kill him on basis of suspicion alone. He doesn’t know what happened, but he’s here now.

#( long post ) #( ooc ) #( tbd ) #( muse stuff ) #shrugs a lot ! idk!! this is a thing though #i . rambled a bit there but anyone who knows me......you been knew. you know this about me jgdfgjfdg #did i read this over after i wrote it? no. no i did not. i dont intend to either rip #bUT HEY YEAH SO THATS A THING #TLDR? He's a spirit that took the 'form' of Duncan in an effort to not go fucking crazy. Turns into the guy almost entirely. #And in the process forgets that its NOT actually the grey warden / a spirit. #If he ever does figure it out anyway like. its going to take a very long time and plenty of questioning and effort to draw it outta him #can he bleed and be injured and die? Yes. All of that. Hes forgotten his true nature and so. He is for all intents and purposes... #Simply a human being who is very much mortal. #Also still has abilities of a grey warden? hears the callings and whatnot but like.... a little differently id imagine #still in tune to it... but.... not quite right. a little different. more just like. intuition and by memory of how its /supposed/ to be for #him #during the bit where all grey wardens are hearing the calling-- i dont think he'd hear it tbh. or if he did- it wouldnt be quite as scary #or terrifying to him because part of him thinks... that its not right. something isnt right about it.. still hears it but. he just kinda--- #squints at it a little...... still very much can get lost in the song sometimes... but.. meh #ANYWAY further rambling in the tags to no ones surprise #i gotta go take care of the animals so ill be back later .....maybe i /will/ write a little......... #so yes though. tldr for that tldr-- spirit clung to duncan's fade everything to survive. forgot its a spirit. p much turns into a human. Him #to be exact. and so. //IS// duncan in everything but birth. practically just a clone tbh ! is also confused as to why/how hes here and alive #......i repeated myself like 3 times but *makes fart noises* ah well!!

[typhonserpent]

Dragon Swap AU (DA2 Edition)

Different "pairs" of characters switch places/roles in the story but still keep their appearance, personality, and portions of their backstory.

Varric is a blight refugee, having narrowly escaped the darkspawn with his brother by his side. Consequently, it is Bartrand who is later faced with the option of dying of the taint or being a grey warden.

Hawke has lived in the Kirkwall slums for years, constantly trying to come up with schemes to restore their familys noble name. They propose a last ditch effort to enter the deep roads for fame and glory. Which sibling is driven mad by the red lyrium depends on the players actions.

Merril was an indentured slave, forced into blood magic by her former master. She lived a life performing horrific rituals in the name of the magisterium before eventually making her escape and fleeing to the free marches. She sees no point in abandoning the power of blood magic, which has protected her until this point, but as part of her pennance she's vowed never to use the blood of another.

Fenris is a former Dalish elf belonging to an incredibly reclusive clan. It was this clan that uncovered the sarcophagus which gave Fenris his markings and wiped his memories. Emerging from the sarcophagus left him confused, enraged, and hurt, and he lashed out at everyone around him, killing several and injuring many more. Now viewed as little more than a liability, Fenris was passed from clan to clan until he eventually wound up at the Sabrae clan outside of Kirkwall.

Anders attempted to escape the circle many times throughout his life until he was left with one option: escaping to the open waters. The pirate captain Anders and his elusive crew are a bane to any templar or circle ship that dare cross his path. Unfortunately, Anders is currently stranded in Kirkwall without a ship. He also may or may not have stolen a book from some Qunari (he's heard they treat mages very poorly).

Isabella is appalled by how the circle treats the mages. She's been in jail and hates captivity. Her rogue abilities make her the perfect woman to smuggle mages out of the circle. Bonus points if she has a new combat ability that involves sneaking and planting mines because you know plot.

Aveline dies while escaping from the darkspawn, leaving Wesley to take her sword and honor her memory. Bonus points if Wesley courts and marries Donnic in her stead.

#typhon talks #dragon age #dragon swap au #dragon swap #hawke #varric tethras #fenris #dragon age 2 #merril #aveline vallen #isabella #anders #da2 #open au