#Nomaris mahariel

[transprincecaspian]

literally the mahariel origin is so horrifying in terms of this disconnect from identity forced upon you by your clan refusing to share your parents’ past with you but simultaneously fostering this idea that “you don’t belong to just yourself”.

If Mahariel leans so staunchly into their identity being tied up as one of the clan (as you are repeatedly encouraged to) then being told by your keeper that you need to become a grey warden to survive is like.

“Please don’t cast me away.” You are begging for your identity!!! For everything you’ve known!! This is a different type of death sentence: you’re leaving behind the only family and home you’ve ever known, and just before you do, you find out they’ve been lying to and keeping secrets from you “for your benefit”.

What do they think would’ve happened by telling you? Sparing you from sadness? You carry the grief of your fallen empire on your shoulders constantly. Why can’t Mahariel know the sad truth about their parents? What else is being kept from you? And so there’s a little bit of distrust about your clan being sown.

But you have to cling to it because the distrust and fear of the humans is even stronger. You’re the only dalish elf in the grey wardens. You’re carrying your whole culture and people into this organization that demands you lay it down “for the greater good”. What the HELL.

#dragon age #dragon age origins #mahariel #Mahariel origin #nomaris mahariel #casposting #dragon age meta

[domnorian]

Inktober 2017 - Day 13: Teeming

“A darkness that pervades us, compels us, drives us to rail against the light.”

My Mahariel, Nomaris, when the Taint was spreading under his skin.

#inktober 2017 #Inktober #inktober challenge #day 13 #dalish #mahariel #nomaris #dragon age #bioware #my art

[dalesception]

picrew. my second timeline: harea mahariel / gunther hawke / nomaris lavellan.

[transprincecaspian]

i think i forgot to upload their little postcard moment. look at this happy group of friends

#they tried to kill each other in the following dialogue #they are all 3 mean bitches #nomaris wants to LEAVE lmao #cas plays dao #oc: nomaris #nomaris mahariel #morrigan #alistair theirin #dao #dragon age origins

[transprincecaspian]

once again. this is fucking insane that they just. never told you.

your FATHER was the PREVIOUS KEEPER. how do you NOT mention that. how does it not come up. truly winning for the most insane family dynamics ever i think this drives me the most insane out of all of the origins.

YOU HAVE TO PASS A PERSUASION CHECK TO GET THIS LORE. ASHALLE CAN CHOOSE NOT TO TELL YOU. how can they do this in good conscience. literally this has always driven me fucking insane.

i always end up having Nomaris have this conversation straight after talking to Paizel, where the storykeeper emphasizes the importance of knowing the Dalish heritage and where you come from. HOW CAN THESE TWO LINES OF THOUGHT EXIST CONTEMPORARY TO EACH OTHER?

"yes actually it's important we know our heritage and history or else we will forget the old ways. except you you're just the orphan we raised" BECAUSE THEY TALK ABOUT UR PARENTS BUT JUST NEVER TELL YOU HOW THEY ACTUALLY DIED. OR THAT YOUR FATHER WAS THE PREVIOUS KEEPER. OR THAT YOUR MOTHER WAS A HUNTER FROM ANOTHER CLAN. OR THAT THEY DIDN'T DIE TOGETHER.

like how long do you think Mahariel went believing that their parents both died in a tragic attack when they were a baby only to find out that their mother actually lived long enough to give birth to them but was so overwhelmed by grief that she disappeared. like what the FUCK is going on there.

#this drives me insane. constantly. #cas plays dao #oc: nomaris #nomaris mahariel #dao #dragon age origins #mahariel origin

[transprincecaspian]

pile of bones that oddly did not have bones in it only a health poultice

#bg/3 had me like bones? idk what else i expected #cas plays dao #oc: nomaris #nomaris mahariel #dao #dragon age origins

[transprincecaspian]

#god. yeah #this is it. #this is the part that gets me every time lol. #cas plays dao #oc: nomaris #nomaris mahariel #dao #dragon age origins

[transprincecaspian]

setting alistair's tactics to defend mahariel and threaten enemies is something that can be so so so personal. to me.

#and harker. #i probably won't keep that because nomaris is extremely hostile and independent #and would eventually resent alistair LOL #but for now its fun #cas plays dao #oc: nomaris #nomaris mahariel #dao #dragon age origins

[transprincecaspian]

boyfriends of all time. doomed by the narrative

#cas plays dao #oc: nomaris #nomaris mahariel #dao #dragon age origins #tamlen

[transprincecaspian]

oh fuck i forgot the dog

okay well. rip. i wasn't making saves so no barkspawn in nomaris's run. oopsie

#its okay guys uhhh he escaped and lived a healthy life <3 #with someone evidently far more responsible. my bad #cas plays dao #oc: nomaris #nomaris mahariel #dao #dragon age origins

[transprincecaspian]

this is insane to say to a mahariel whose backstory has been KEPT FROM THEM AND STILL IS. like hey ur father the former keeper was absolutely slaughtered by humans--

#cas plays dao #oc: nomaris #nomaris mahariel #keeper marethari #dao #dragon age origins

[transprincecaspian]

the last of the horrible nightmare mahariel content. "evidently we have been carrying around this chest of items that belong to your parents while we travel for aT LEAST two decades and we are only just now deciding to share that information and its contents with you".

HUH. HELLO. YOU DON'T THINK THAT MAYBE MAHARIEL DESERVES THAT INFO??? BY THE RIGHT OF BEING BORN AND EXISTING??

#this origin drives me fucking insane. whatever #ah yes we have carried around this ghost of ur mother and until u came to talk to us abt it on a certain near death experience #we didn't think you needed to know about it. #like be fucking fr #cas plays dao #oc: nomaris #nomaris mahariel #dao #dragon age origins #mahariel origin

[transprincecaspian]

daveth down

the wilds not going well for local dalish elf

#cas plays dao #oc: nomaris #nomaris mahariel #dao #dragon age origins

[transprincecaspian]

another conversation option that makes me insane. if you prompt tamlen as to why he wanted to explore the cave ("because minstrels might write songs about us!" and then insist he isn't fooling you), each of these three options implies... something very different?! like if you go with the first option: YOU were very clearly up to something that you weren't supposed to be and Tamlen took the fall for you. what were you doing? why was it punishable? it's clear whatever it was meant that you got sent on poopy border patrol, or at least Tamlen did for covering for u. FASCINATING IMPLICATIONS?

The second option: brawling. were you brawling each other? others? why? why was only tamlen punished? what was the context?

the third option is the least interesting but does at least affirm the idea that Tamlen is a habitual troublemaker ... if you're playing a worrywart.

#anyways i chose the first one. #for the impies. implications #cas plays dao #oc: nomaris #nomaris mahariel #tamlen #dao #dragon age origins

[transprincecaspian]

putting some of my favorite shots from the dao cutscene before you start the tower of ishal. includes 1) the chantry sister with her incense amidst the soldiers 2) the soldier beginning to turn coward before he is stopped 3) the archers preparing to fire at the hordes 4) duncan and cailan's wince when one of the dogs is killed 5+6) alistair and mahariel witnessing the first fall of the ruins from two angles. also some of these were def mentioned to me by @zevsurana so i made sure to pay attention and grab them lol

#this cutscene is insane ur right harker. #cas plays dao #oc: nomaris #nomaris mahariel #alistair theirin #tower of ishal #ostagar #dao #dragon age origins

[transprincecaspian]

maybe it's time i liveblog my dragon age playthrough again

#nomaris mahariel #legend that you are #also coming off the back of harker's playthrough #i was tempted....