#Sitting Fen'Harel statue

[lairofdragonagelore]

The Crossroads [DLC Trespasser]: Unknown Ruin

This particular section of the Deep Roads seems to have been abandoned. It connects to a former lyrium mining site of unknown origin, which contains statues of Mythal, Fen'Harel, and of an unknown creature. Unlike dwarven constructions, this location lacks the usual lightning and heating produced by moulting rock, turning it unusually dark. There is no trace of darkspawn activity either.

This place is divided into

Overlook

Excavated Caves

Lower Walkways

Unknown Ruin

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

[Index page of Dragon Age Lore]

Once we visit the Lower Archives and the Scholar’s Retreat, we have access to a discharge power that blows rubble away and it can be used in the Deep Roads section against a rubble-blocked door. Free, we can see an eluvian inside a small room.

When we step into the eluvian, we are transported to an Unknown Ruin of dwarven architecture with Elvhen decorations: four golden Howling Fen'Harel statues and an Elven Owl statue welcome us. The Fen'Harel statue may represent protection of this place, while the owl, a "secret to keep".  These concepts seem to coincide with what the Dev’s note says for this room: a place where Solas reached to the conclusion that the Evanuris needed to be stopped, but their actions had to be kept in secret in order to avoid anyone else to be tempted of repeating their actions [More details in Murals in DAI].

If we see the details of the corridors, they are a rich combination of dwarven and elvhen styles: elvhen statues on dwarven-made bases. The walls are dwarven and show dwarven patterns, sometimes decorated with the golden lines or golden helicoids proper of elvhen design. 

The Elven Owl statue has Veilfire at its talons which is expected. If this statue is related to Dirthamen and secrets, it seems reasonable to see it as a source of Veilfire, with which the secrets are revealed. Fen’Harel howling wolves sit at its sides, again, almost as if he were guarding this entrance. We have seen this configuration with Mythal before: the central statue is in a position that means “being honoured”, while the wolves around it represent “protecting it”.

The small corridor we follow has typical decorated elvhen mosaics on the ground [which contains the asterisk symbol], as the walls are made of dwarven style, and decorated in golden with elvhen patterns. The ceiling is a combination of elvhen and dwarven styles. I don't know where in Thedas this place is located, since we came here through an eluvian in the Deep Roads, but what we can know for sure is that this dwarven-elvhen ruin is on the surface: we can see the Sun entering the room through the hole in the ceiling.

The corridors lead to a small room with a big mural.

Like in all the places where we find a Sitting Fen'Harel statue with an elven box in its paws, we know that a puzzle must be solved. As usual, there is a Stone in Razikale-Ceremony-style which gives instructions about it.

At a corner of the room, we find two Howling Fen'Harel statues, one fallen, the other broken, and a golden Elven Owl statue. It looks like there was a secondary altar here, with the golden figure in the middle of the two Fen’Harel statues. Here, the symbols again seem to relate in some way to Dirthamen with Solas. The pattern that Dirthamen is always around Fen'Harel's business is something that is repeated quite frequently, especially in Trespasser, but the exact relationship to understand it is never given. 

------------- A brief comment apart ------------------

Note: Even though one would think that the Owl statue is an undeniable symbol of Falon’Din, along all the posts we were visiting so far we have noticed an overlapping of “associations” for this animal: 

The owl is related to secrets and Dirthamen [The Lost Temple of Dirthamen shows a link between this statue and “a Path of secrets”, plus the whole Temple seem to imply knowing secret, horrifying spirit-bind processes that may or may not include Falon’Din].  

Tevinter art has an Arcane Flag where it’s obvious that represents an elvhen owl statue. This gives us an idea that magical knowledge is related to this symbol simply because Tevinter co-opted it from the Elvhen.

The relationship of the Owl with Falon’Din only belongs to the unreliable Dalish tales, as well as Dirthamen’s two ravens. This may represent that Dirthamen’s symbol was attributed to Falon’Din by accident given the strange symbiotic and inseparable relationship that Dirthamen and Falon’Din have. 

And in a less popular way, the owl has also been attributed as the messenger of Andruil [ Andruil's Messenger]. This knowledge is also based on the unreliable Dalish Tales. 

In conclusion, the owl is not exactly an animal we can link to any of the three Evanuris [Dirthamen, Falon’Din and Andruil] with a strong degree of certainty. However, to me, the strongest proof is the Tevinter Flag. The owl is related to arcane knowledge, and The Lost Temple of Dirthamen has shown us that Dirthamen has knowledge of bounding processes, strange manipulations made by Ghilan’nain [Her red mosaic and potential connections to The Horror of Hormak], and maybe including the scaled ones [given the paintings in his Temple]. It is also true that all of this may end up applying to Falon’Din due to the curious lack of any representation of Dirthamen in his own Temple and a lot of iconography of Falon’Din, but that may be attributed to their “twin” nature, that must mean a lot more than the Dalish Tales grasp.

Still, for simplicity’s sake, I will keep saying for this particular post that the owl represents Dirthamen but keep in mind the fragile pieces of information we have about this symbol.

For more details about the relationship between Falon’Din and Dirthamen, check Humanoid Dirthamen, the two parts of The Lost Temple of Dirthamen, and Ancient Elven codices; The Lost Temple of Dirthamen.

------------------------------------------------------

Once we solve the puzzle with the very creepy Sitting Fen'Harel statue, we can read one of the most important codices in Trespasser: Veilfire Runes in the Deep Roads.

The inquisitor gives us a bit more of context: the Evanuris fought the Titans, mined their bodies for lyrium [which is a reinforcer of reality and shape that they may have used to develop a slavery system based on Vallaslins], and “something else”. This “something else” may represent some forbidden or ugly magical procedure [hence the presence of the owl statue as a symbol of secret but also arcane knowledge] .

With Cole's cryptic messages at the Winter Palace, we can suspect that the Evanuris began to create bodies from the earth, and used the Vallaslin based on lyrium as a way to "reinforce" shape onto their own kind, maybe bounding the elves into these bodies. Metaphorically, it is a similar process to the creation of Golems that has been explained to us in DAO, with Caridin's Journal. Both final creatures are slaves.

According to Cole’s cryptic line, we can infer that this may have the cause for the Titans to feel the need to fight the elvhenan back: the titans saw in the ability to create bodies of the elvhenan a danger or an abuse, while the Elvhenan felt threatened by the Titans due to the shakes their creation process caused in the elvhenan cities.

The veilfire brazier is located on the heart of the Titan, drawing all our attention to it. It has the same symbol that the orb held by the elvhen at the right. This asterisk symbol has appeared in other murals as well and I think it’s safe to associate it with the heart of a Titan thanks to this mural. It’s also where you put Veilfire. More details about this mural in Murals in DAI.

When we solve the puzzle, we obtain the Heart of Pride, a staff that, in my opinion, is not the one we see in most of Solas’ murals. The model for the Heart of Pride is a twisted branch with two dogs tied to it. Looks more Alamarri than elvhen in design.

The staff we see that Solas has [1, 3, 4] is more similar to a head of a Halla with strange, messy horns. The option [2] may not even represent Solas, as we discussed in Forgotten Sanctuary. 

The description of Heart of Pride doesn’t add anything extra. It’s in any case creepy: laughter of pride while Fade energy clings to the staff, as if an echo of creatures of pride, diluted in this Fade energy, were desperately trying to reach to this feeling that this staff gives to its user. We don’t even know if it’s elvhen-made.

#deep roads #dai trespasser #dlc #Playing DA like an archaeologist #solas #titan #Sitting Fen'Harel statue #Howling Fen'Harel statue #Elven Owl statue #Stone in Razikale-Ceremony-style #asterisk symbol #dwarven design #elvhen design

[felassan]

In a recent email from Spacelab, there is some new info on Dragon Age/potentially on DA:D, and on the DA vinyl.

first of all, a simple thing - as part of the pre-sale, there will be additional merch available, including a t-shirt and art print, of the beautiful vinyl cover art piece:

secondly, the official names of these two vinyl color variants/patterns have been given. the turquoise and gold one is named "Golden City" Merge, and the golden one with black 'explosion'-style lines is named "Black City" Splatter - artfully bookending/contrasting Thedas' past and the present, the Golden City and the Black City, the pre-Veil world with the world post-Veil:

in a previous post I mentioned that the first one reminds me of an eclipse, and the second one reminds me of an explosion. with the reveal of the naming of these two color variants, I've finally realized what both 'color swatches' remind me of, and it's Trespasser, or rather the key art for Trespasser.

you could easily imagine the palettes for both color variants being sampled from or inspired by this image or ones/DA settings like it, right? the Trespasser key art also includes element of both patterns - the sunbeams emanating as the dragon's 'wings' remind me of the 'exploding' lines in "Black City" Splatter, and the light/dark color contrast, bright light and splotchy patterns of the clouds along the top of the dragon's 'wings' remind me of the design of "Golden City" Merge. for me I found being reminded of the Trespasser key art interesting, as in it the eluvians are teal/turquoise, like the color in "Golden City" Merge - whereas eluvians are sometimes (not always) colored purple or shown with a purpley 'tone' in the setting. idk, I just found that interesting :) other feelings that I had from these were 1) that in "Black City" Splatter, the black (Blight, corruption, Taint) lines extending outwards made me think of the Taint entering the world and corruption spreading after the City was blackened and corrupted. and 2) that in the "Golden City" color variant, the two colors are turquoise/teal and gold. to "merge" implies mixing something together to create something new. in the setting, green is a color often associated with or used to represent the Fade - there's the Anchor, the "emerald waters", the green glow of Veilfire, the general green tinge often present in depictions of the Fade, etc. and if you merge or mix turquoise and yellow, you get green. hh, its probably overthinking, but I just thought it was fun/neat the different thoughts and feelings the images/art & their names bring to mind. :)

oke so, as a reminder, we had also previously seen official flavor text for the cover art, describing it thus: "The beautifully detailed artwork presents a pictorial timeline following the lore of the Dragon Age series, beginning at the dawn of the Golden City, throughout the City’s Fall and culminating in its re-emergence as the Black City, seat of the Old Gods" and "From the land of Thedas, at the dawn of the Golden City". in the email, there is also an image containing two all-new art pieces:

on the left, in the black and gold color themeing that we've now become so familiar with (one, two, three) is a picture of a shattering eluvian. the eluvian sits on a Fadey-style floating rock piece. it's the 'tri'-style of eluvian (highlighted in purple below), rather than one of the simpler single archway-style eluvians. this is the style of eluvian that Solas meets Flemeth in front of in the post-Trespasser scene. it's always been an interesting eluvian shape - like the shape you'd get if a 'simple' arch eluvian was flanked on either side by beasts (wolves, dragons, or one of each), or the shape a stylized dragon could make if looked at front-on with its wings folded, like in this dragon Mythal mosaic or this Mythal dragon statue. it also resembles the shape of the shrine to Fen'Harel in the Crow Plains. the shattering is also interesting - shards of glass fly outwards from the center, thereby resembling "Black City" Splatter. shatter, splatter, "and I looked up and saw the seven gates of the Black City shatter, and darkness cloaked both realms"... are those clouds of smoke in the background? what's caused the mirror to shatter - an explosion? just what is this scene depicting or representing? lastly, the shattering eluvian is flanked by two of those familiar ancient elven 'tree' sculptures (highlighted in yellow below). this is a familiar scene, no? there have been various theories/speculations over time about these DA:I 'trees', what their purpose was/is, what they are/what they represent. for example, Mythal vallaslin resembles branches without leaves, and on the front of Flemeth's grimoire is intricate stitching in the pattern of a leafless tree.

the second new art piece, on the right, is a variation of/accompanying piece to the cover art. they should be compared side by side. Twitter user Hrungr was able to manipulate the image of the second new art piece to be front-on, and here it is on the right compared to the 'original' [image source]:

suddenly, the pre-existing artwork blurb and the color variant naming choices make sense. :) on the left is the Golden City, as it was. pure and uncorrupted. sculpted and shining, splendid and supporting growth/life. on the right, the Black City, having been blackened and corrupted. Blighted, blackened, dying, crumbling. gnarled and withered (...leafless...?), dark and sinister. "a pictorial timeline" of Gold->Black City indeed. we've seen this motif play out many times now, from the DA:O opening cinematic voiced by Duncan right through until the in-game Dragon Age: Dreadwolf cinematic that came out a few months ago.

these two versions of the City echo the color variants & patterns. :) in one, the Golden City with a cloud-like pattern in a teal/turquoise sky, and in the other, a golden setting ruined by blackness and 'faultlines', emanating out from the center.

apart from the obvious Gold to Black change, there are some other differences between these two pieces to unpack. on the left is a hooded figure on rock promontory, holding a horned or moon-like staff while looking at the dragon. this figure is absent after the City's blackening. on the right, that rock promontory and the other floating rocks are absent, presumably having fallen or crumbled away after the 'ruining'. on the left, in the center behind the dragon is a half moon-like shape. on the right, this changes to a sun-like golden disc complete with sunbeam-like 'rayed lines' emanating from it. the eclipse-like imagery of these is obvious, and the disc with rayed lines is an element we have seen before in the updated DA logo.

here it would be silly not to revisit previous related references and imagery such as:

two shadowed spheres among stars / an eclipse as Fen'Harel stirred [the Emergent Compendium]

and

and I looked up and saw the seven gates of the Black City shatter, and darkness cloaked both realms.

there is also the eclipse-style imagery in the in-game Dragon Age: Dreadwolf cinematic and a bunch of previous sun/moon motifs/references floating around e.g. Dalish lore holds Mythal created the moon and was born of the sea (so a moon connection there via the tides), and that Elgar'nan opposite her is the Eldest of the Sun, the guy who buried the Sun, the Pools of the Sun etc. also those art assets of overlapping spheres, repeating/concentric circles etc.

I also would like to highlight that it's either two different dragons we're seeing, or that the dragon changes at the corruption of the Black City. is the dragon on the right a depiction of inworld lore of an Old God becoming corrupted? or is something Evanuris-y afoot? (dragons, a shape "reserved for the divine" etc). who do/does the dragons represent? who is the figure with the staff?

additionally, the horns and general structure of the dragon is totally different on the right than it is on the left. the first thing this reminded me of was the "Double Blight???" DA:D concept art piece 👁️ -

the differences in the horns also reminded me of this stuff:

I'm not saying both dragons' horn shape match these, just that one seems to and that there's something going on here with all this anyways. there are of course other symbols around the outside of that ring beside just these two, and other types of dragon, including the style/type of dragon associated with Mythal.

the shape of the figure's staff is also curious, given all this.

left, silvery dragon - Mythal? right dragon (which is gold-toned despite the blackening) - Elgar'nan, after he's approached her [maybe as the figure on the rock promontory] and then murdered her and taken her place as the god, ruler, dragon who presides over all? moon and sun, moon dragon and sun dragon, beauty and destruction.. the shape of the 'right-hand' dragon's horns match the evanuris headpiece on the ring which is in the biggest hemisphere, and of the 7 gods those headpieces apply to (9 Evanuris, minus Mythal and Fen'Harel), the 'biggest' naturally is the patriarch leader opposite Mythal, Elgar'nan.

And so is the Golden City blackened With each step you take in my Hall. Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting. You have brought Sin to Heaven And doom upon all the world. --Threnodies 8:13

🌙 ◕‿◕ ☀️

#dragon age: dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #bioware #video games #long post #longpost #solas #mj meta #pls this post is just wild speculation for fun ok

[dreadfutures]

happy friiiiiday! was thinking about Solas & Merrill and the veiled (ha ha) conversations they might have. Both know what it's like to do what one thinks is the right thing with unintended consequences. Perhaps "it's never too late to do the right thing," from the the Hero Sentence Starters list? <3

Thank you so much!!! For @dadrunkwriting

Pairing: Merrill & Solas (at an Arlathvhen, after his identity is revealed)

Rating: G

Words: 624

-:-:-

"Is it true?"

Solas did not look away from the sky as Merrill's voice floated out from the busy camp behind him. He waited for her to get closer before asking, "Is what true, da'len?"

"That Fen'Harel considers it an honor to sit at the edge of our camps," she said. "We put statues of him there to guard for danger, but I always thought it was so lonely… My Keeper said that was his due after sealing away the Creators—but a hahren once told me that Fen'Harel just wanted to be included. He couldn't be allowed to hurt people again, but no one deserved to be kicked out of a clan. Not ever."

She did not laugh at the irony plain in her tale; there was no derision in her voice, no humor. She stated her facts and sat down carefully beside him, two plates of food carefully balanced in her hands. He saw them from the corner of his eye but did not turn in expectation, and she did not offer either one to him. Instead, she unfolded her legs and leaned back to look up at the stars, too.

"But here you are," she said simply.

"A wise woman has taught me that many things can be true at once," Solas replied quietly. "This is but one more instance, perhaps: it can be both an honor, and what is deserved."

Merrill shook her head. "I don't think she'd say you deserve to be alone, Solas."

He could not help but chuckle. He allowed the truth of her words with a slight nod, but when he did not respond aloud, Merrill spoke up again.

"I thought my Keeper was wise, too. I used to hear her a lot more than I do nowadays," she said, "but it was lots of 'I always told you' and 'what did you expect,' and of course, 'this is your due.'" She affected a low, serious voice when mimicking her Keeper, then returned to her conspiratorial tone. "I thought… 'This is it, Merrill. You tried to do what you thought was right, and your clan died for it. Stop trying.' Even when I encountered other clans, people who couldn't possibly know me… I felt like I should always be here." Merrill patted the ground between them. "At the edge. Guarding for danger, maybe, but not really part of things anymore."

The night suddenly felt colder, and the world, wider, than it had before. Solas looked at Merrill at last to see her face pensive, still tilted up to the sky. There were deep creases in her brow, and at the corners of her mouth, in contrast to how she was known for her carefree and light-hearted nature. They were marks left by great weight, and guilt, and he was all-too-familiar with how they could be masked with a smile.

She was not smiling now.

"But it's never too late to do the right thing, Solas," she said firmly. "If you stay out here by yourself, trying to do no more harm—you'll never have another chance to do good, either."

"Do you believe that, lethallan?" he asked.

Merrill did not answer except to lift one plate off of her lap and drop it into his. She tucked her legs back beneath her and made to stand, without looking at him.

"I wasn't the one who made that, but it was made for you," she said. "Take that how you will, da'fen."

He looked down at the platter of food as a lump formed in his throat. It could not have been Ixchel, for he knew she was still preoccupied with the meeting of Keepers in the old temple up the hill. But if not her, and if not Merrill, who might think to send him food so long after dinner? Or know that he had hidden himself away here in the shadows, just beyond the ring of firelight?

Merrill nudged his shoulder with her knee.

"Solas, that's your cue."

"My cue?"

He stared up at her in bald-faced confusion.

"I gave you my pep talk, and I want you to feel better, and you're certainly not going to feel better if you sit out here by yourself all night," she said with a smile. "Come on then, have your revelation, and hurry up!"

#da drunk writing circle #merrill #solas #bloodied and broken bits

[thebookworm0001]

oh no cute idea of ellana sitting in solas's lap where he turns his head just enough to kiss her forehead but he hits dead-center on the scar she got from when she smacked her head on a fen'harel statue and came into her magic because the dramatic irony would be good

#ellana lavellan #solas #solavellan #dragon age #then she put pen to paper #my writing #gotta save this idea

[foxx-queen]

the more I think about it the less sense solas' plans / half of what he says about himself / the old world makes any sense? and I can't figure out if I'm missing something, the writers left stuff out, or if it's deliberate because he's lying or somehow confused about what happened ? so heres a list :

he says he wants to bring the veil down to restore his people. we already know that means the destruction of pretty much the whole world / everyone including elves, and that to him that's worth it because they're not 'his' people / people at all. but he also trapped the evanuris, who were apparently so awful and powerful they were going to destroy the world, and the forgotten ones, who are probably the tevinter old gods, behind that veil, and the moment that comes down they'll be free. we already know that bringing down the veil requires immense power, so once hes done that, how does he expect to deal with both groups? he can't have had enough power back in the day or he would've just killed them then, so how could he possibly have enough power now? we know that both groups were extremely powerful, that's why the evanuris were considered gods, and they're going to be free, angry, and full of new power? does he just not care, because the world will be destroyed anyway? is he just gonna sit back and let the groups fight it out and then remake the world?

the writers apparently always planned the twist for the evanuris. they were apparently always supposed to be evil, except aside from what solas says / what we learn in trespasser, there's very little evidence of that? the way the dalish portray the gods isnt like the way the chantry portrays the maker - they're not perfect, they're not saints, they're almost mortal in the way they behave, capable of great kindness and compassion and loving their people, and also flawed. and yes I know the dalish are supposed to be 'wrong' because of how much they've lost, but it stands to reason they mustve got their beliefs and stories from somewhere. they pieced together their history and culture from what remained after the veil went up, and again and again each time they suffered at human hands. presumably the original knowledge they worked with was either from word of mouth right after the veil, or physical documents that ended up in the real world instead of the fade / crossroads. so there must have been some truth there, even if solas says / implies they got nothing right. (the fact that the culture the dalish have built now is valid whether is not they were 'right' is a given and a separate thing from this)

kind of on the same vein, why is there nothing to support what solas says aside from what's in trespasser? everything about the evanuris being mortal and having slaves / fen'harel freeing them comes from the fortress / temple he built. why is there nothing else anywhere in thedas about that? yeah maybe it was lost, or the evanuris destoryed all evidence of it, but some of that knowledge should have survived. in the same way that the dalish got their knowledge from what's been passed down and pieced together from the elves left behind after the veil went up, why didn't the elves solas freed ever pass that knowledge down? why didn't they build more murals or w/e about what he did? like yeah maybe theres stuff out there that we haven't seen, but there should be something that survived his deeds other than his fortress / temple.

solas says that he was never one of the evanuris / was always an enemy to them except for mythal. except we find statues of the 'dread wolf' all over thedas, along with the other evanuris. and yeah some of them / maybe even the majority were built after the empire fell / by the survivors, except there are some in places that must've been built around his time. for example there's a golden statue of him in the crossroads. maybe there are parts of the crossroads out of time or something, okay, but there's a statue of him in the library too, and you can do a whole puzzle thing to get a reward. why would the evanuris allow a statue of him in their library that also involves a ritual if they were enemies? if he wasn't at one point one of them?

codexs we find in trespasser in the deep roads / the library tell us that the evanuris often fought, and there's that one about elgar'nan having servants and building a giant statue to him, and mythal also leading a fight against the titans. that seems to support that they weren't completely benevolent (which the dalish have never said) except there are also codexs that describe peace, and a place that seemed beautiful ans prosperous. this seems to indicate that it was at least more complex than what solas tells us.

solas seems to have had no idea what would happen to the world when he created the veil, which makes sense since nothing like that had ever been done before. but then how did he create it? how did he completely split the physical from the fade? did he really have no idea that it would cause some destruction? did he think it was just. going to be fine?? listening to the last words of the elves from the archivist paints a very vivid image of what it was like for the elves he left behind, and why they called him the betrayer.

also how did the elves know he was responsible? again this is the thing about the dalish not being completely wrong, because they do say he's the one who imprisoned the evanuris / the forgotten ones. that part is true. is that purely the reason why hes often such a shadowy figure in their stories / is painted as a trickster? merrill tells a story about how fen'harel could visit elves in their dreams, and steal something from them, and we know solas can kill people in their sleep from the fade. the dalish also say he was kin to the evanuris and the forgotten ones. there has to be some reason for that.

solas says hes not an evanuris, except everything hes doing paints him exactly as the people he apparently hated. he's arrogant in thinking he knows best, openly mocks the dalish for not listening to him, doesnt see the current races of thedas as people, disapproves if you question him on something he doesn't want to reveal, because he only wants your knowledge to come from him / specifically what he wants you to know, is amassing great power by stealing it, using red lyrium, and has a following that's basically a cult. he's lying to all his followers, because we know that restoring what was doesn't actually mean the current elves will benefit, and is probably going to kill a bunch of them in a blood ceremony to open the fade. he takes by force when he can't convince someone to give it to him (brialas eluvians) and kills anyone that gets in his way. he's also obsessed with painting himself (literally) in a good light, and is extremely prideful. he even kills the possible last of his 'actual' people , the best of them, which was to him a terrible crime, for her power. how is that any different from the evanuris? how does any of what he's done / doing fit with a rebel god who was a hero of the oppressed? he hated thr evanuris for using people, and yet that's precisely what he's doing now.

like really is he just hypcrotical?? is he lying?? is he stupid??? is this bad writing or is it deliberate? is he confused from spending so long in the fade where dreams can seem like reality (ie did he dream that the evanuris were terrible and was idk actually seeing the forgotten ones / tevinter, and thought the dreams were reality / needed them to be when he woke up?) is he a spirit corrupted so that he doesn't realise he's wrong? is he being manipulated by the forgotten ones? or is he just. much darker than he wants us to believe?

the fact that the game expects us to take everything he says / is presented by him as truth just from his word, when he spent the whole of dai lying to us, is basically excatly why I don't trust him lol

#dragon age #da4 #da meta #da4 speculation #solas critical #the evanuris #the dalish #idk man it just. doesnt sit right djsjs #even if he was a hero once. hes not now. if he was a hero #hes become exactly what he fought against #something something live long enough to see yourself become a villain #even tho hes so prodeful hed never admit that

[ashequinnlavellan]

I finally got Dragon Age, Tevinter Nights! Its really good so far. Also i made a bookmark for it!

Image description: A Fen'Harel Wolf Statue sits in the middle. The Orb of Destruction hangs above the Wolf. Small designs like gold stars and moons, and green leaves surround the wolf and orb. In the top right corner, it says, "Fen'Harel Enaste." The bookmark also has Green background. Attached to the bookmark is a green and blue string that has two poorly tied knots. The True Lovers Knot and the Hangman's Noose.

#marvelous mod's masterpieces #dragon age inquisition #fanart #dragon age #traditional art #lavellan #dai #solas fan art #solas #solas dai #fenharel #the dread wolf #the dread wolf rises #tevinter nights #tevinter imperium

[ellie-shy]

Details I've found interesting after replaying DA:Inquisition #3

This is during What Pride Had Wrought, inside the Temple of Mythal.

If you chose to do the ritual, remember those 3 puzzles you have to do before proceeding? (I'm counting after we encountered Samson/Calpernia in the temple.)

They were called rituals to respect the temple (and Mythal in general ofc), and Abelas actually appreciates the Inquisitor for doing the rituals.

So, this time around, I actually took my time to appreciate the beautiful sceneries inside the temple. And I kinda observed something interesting when doing those rituals...

The rituals are sort of related to specific Evanuris Gods. Hint : THE STATUES.

This is gonna be a long post with basic speculations, please bare with me and my tinfoil-y thoughts lmao i just had to get these out.

This is the 1st ritual, and also the easiest and straightforward one :

Notice the statues among the tiles? I am not entirely sure of which Evanuris is related to this statue. Could it be Andruil (Goddess of the Hunt)? Please correct me if I'm wrong! Or could it be just a general Elven statue for the Elven race?

I don't have much comment on this one because I am unsure of which Evanuris is connected to this statue. However, take note of the straightforward and simplicity of the ritual.

The 2nd ritual, which is found at the upper level of the 1st ritual :

A big set of tiles that are separated. To complete the ritual, you have to connect them together! However, instead of just 1 statue, there are 2, an owl and a halla!

We first enter from the owl statues. If not mistaken, Owl is Falon'Din. But it can also symbolize Andruil (as her messnger).

And the second batch of tiles has halla statues, obviously for Ghilan'nain (mother of halla) :

(Notice that the entrance for Ghilan'nain has been crushed? Then in that case, could it actually be 2 separate rituals instead of 1 connected ritual?)

Here's the tinfoil-y part, 1) IF the owl statue is meant for Falon'Din, I think it would make sense that this big ritual is actually 2 separated rituals (for Falon'Din and Ghilan'nain each); and due to the inaccessible Ghilan'nain's ritual entrance, hence the Inquisitor has to connect both rituals to complete them.

Or, 2) IF the owl statue is for Andruil instead, it would make PERFECT sense if the rituals are meant to be connected. "Ghilan'nain was Andruil's beloved". Ghilan'nain and Falon'Din don't have that much stories together compared to Andruil, which explicitly states that they were lovers. And, if the rituals are meant to be connected, could it be that the crushed entrance to Ghilan'nain's ritual is like an exit? (What I'm saying is that we enter from the owl, then exit with the halla, or vice versa, something like that lol)

So, the 2nd ritual may be for Andruil/Falon'Din and Ghilan'nain.

And last but not least, the final puzzle. Which is also the hardest/confusing one for me lol.

Guess which elven statue greeted you?

The Dread Wolf. A whole ritual is just for Fen'Harel. And it's huge and complicated!

Other than the fact there are 2 types of Fen'Harel statues (the sitting wolf and the howling wolf), there are no other Evanuris rituals in the same ritual hall! (The first 2 rituals are located in the same hall, let me remind y'all! It is situated side by side, one located on the lower level, and the other at the upper level.)

This ritual hall is solely for Fen'Harel ONLY. I don't know about you guys, but... to have your own ritual hall, inside the temple of a goddess, and visitors have to DO your ritual, before entering the heart of the temple... speaks volumes to me. Generally speaking, Fen'Harel is indeed an old friend of Mythal.

Not only that, when I was doing this ritual, personally, I can sense why it's The Dread Wolf's ritual. It is full of trickery, wit and cleverness. If you don't plan out your steps well, one wrong move, you have to start again. (you have to know which tile to stop so you could pull the lever dammit lol). I headcanon that Solas silently chuckled if we misstep the tiles of his ritual, that bastard.

You can also find the mosaic of Fen'Harel at the entrance of the ritual, looking over the ritual area (Well, Solas was in the team too so, May the Dread Wolf guide you? lmao).

So these are the thoughts I have after replaying this quest, and taking my time to observe every detail in the area. I find it rather weird, if we're in the Temple of MYTHAL, why's there other Evanuris statues in the area, followed by the complicated rituals?

Oh, I also found some cheese wheels hiding in the dark :

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #dai #dragon age meta #mythal #the dread wolf #my post #my dai replay #longgg post for longgg thoughts lol #idk you guys but i think the rituals meant something #they're not just there just for the sake entering the temple #mythal is the mother anyways #and boy mythal really loves solas

[redinkofshame]

Arranged Marriage

Hipster AU did not spark joy, so I used the Arranged Marriage joker for day 3 of the @augustwritingchallenge. This is probably the last one I’ll do, unless I also do an arranged marriage for Cedric/Cassandra. It’s also my favorite one :D

The evanuris have survived to the dragon age, Fen'Harel included amongst them. In order to make peace with the free clans of elves a marriage is arranged between the Trickster and one of their own. Like all of Solas' plans, it goes awry.

1882 words, mature for smexiness but no actual hanky panky. Read on AO3

Wedding Night

“You still intend to go through with this, then?” Mythal asked.

Fen’Harel sighed, eyeing her reflection from where he stood surrounded by attendants. They made last minute adjustments to his wedding vestiments, buffed his nails, applied cosmetics. “I gave my word, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but even you must admit you have a proclivity for… last minute ‘tricks’. We must make peace with the free clans—”

“Easiest done with a marriage, and I am the only one amongst us who is yet unmarried, yes, I know,” he said, biting his tongue. He knew better than the rest of them how important this was; they continued to underestimated the power of the free clans.

“It’s merely surprising that you haven’t proposed some other crazy solution to avoid being tamed. You’ve been the lone wolf, all alone all these ages…”

He shooed away his attendants and sunk into the nearest chair. His hair dresser immediately made her move, beginning the bothersome process of brushing, curling, and braiding. An annoyance. A necessity. Long hair; the status symbol of a spoiled man who, supposedly, knew nothing of hard work, nor manual labor. No more a threat than a bunch of unaligned clans who could scarcely produce mages.

That is, of course, until he used this marriage to forge an alliance with his spouse’s people. The final key to in his plot to take down the Evanuris once and for all.

“All good things must come to an end,” he said with feigned disinterest. “Remind me the name of who I’m to wed again? That man from the garden with the curly hair?”

Mythal gave him a scathingly admonishing look. “Really, Fen, the least you could do is remember your intended’s name.” She kept up the look for another moment but when he gave no response she simply sighed. “You’re thinking of the ambassador they sent to announce that your bride was chosen by vote of the free clans at Arlathven.”

“She is important to them, then? A powerful mage?” he asked hopefully.

Mythal snorted. “Hardly. They say she has some skill with the arcane, but she’s better known for her sewing— no, embroidery.” He grunted in disappointment and she continued, almost to herself. “She’s no particular beauty, either. I can’t image she’s the best they’ve got to offer. Frankly, I’m tempted to take offense at the offering, but we already granted them permission to choose for themselves…”

He waved his hand dismissively. “It hardly matters what she looks like, so long as they care for her enough to lay down their arms.”

“I suppose. Her name is Keria, by the way, of Lavellan’s clan. Do try to remember it during the ceremony.” He felt her eyes on him, but kept his head bowed as his hair was adorned with golden toggles. “You know that you will have to gift her with her vallaslin during the ceremony as well.”

“Of course.”

Mythal stepped closer and lowered her voice. “A true vallaslin, Fen’Harel.”

The girl working his hair froze. He didn’t have to look at her to know that she, as all his servants, his “slaves”, wore a convincing imitation of his vallaslin on her face. He’d marked each of them with enough magic to keep them safe from the others, but it held none of the controlling or manipulation that a true vallaslin held.

He saw to it that his people followed him voluntarily, not due to fear or power. Many of them were agents of his grand plan playing a role until it was time to strike at the heart of their oppressors.

None of which Mythal was supposed to know, of course.

He met her eyes. “I understand.”

She held his gaze for a long moment, a silent threat, gauging his sincerity. At last, she nodded.

~~~~~

He remembered the name, of course, the ceremony lines, and the spell to apply a proper vallaslin to her pale face in front of everyone. Mythal’s assessment had been harsh — she was pretty enough. Her unruly black hair was short, of course, as was her place. He supposed she would grow it out, now. Her eyes were a shockingly bright blue, when he could get a good look at them, but she largely kept them averted. Her gown was a work of art. The cut of it was common enough, classic, but every inch of it was covered in painstaking embroidery. Her doing?

Not that her beauty mattered; he cared only whether or not she would become his willing ally in their fight, or if he’d have to use her new position as leverage. He’d expected her to fear him as the clans always did — with good reason. He was Mythal’s general, the attack dog she released whenever they stepped out of line or needed to be taught a lesson. At first he thought her unwillingness to meet his eyes was because she was afraid, or worse, because she loathed him. He would not hold it against her.

Surprisingly it was shy glances and flustered smiles he was met with. A blushing bride indeed.

The day was filled with much pomp and posturing, dancing and music and feasting and well-wishers and veiled insults and vague threats. Elgar’nan and the others were jumpy, so certain he was going to ruin this for them that they never considered it had been his idea to begin with. It was many hours before he and his new wife were able to retreat to his suite.

Or ‘their’ suite, he supposed, though he’d happily grant her separate chambers if she requested it. His rooms were plenty large enough for the two of them, but he didn’t relish the loss of this ability to move freely.

He left her for a moment upon entering to get familiar with the space as he stepped into the dressing chamber. He sighed in the relative privacy.

It was fortunate that Keria seemed to be a willing — perhaps eager — partner in this charade, but thus far she seemed too timid of a girl to bring honestly into his machinations. It would take some time to discern best how to proceed from here. In the mean time it was his wedding night…

He was certainly willing to bed her, but he would not press the issue. They needed to discuss rules and freedoms, what would be asked of her and what would not. What she could ask of him. He striped out of his vestiments and pulled on a pair of simple sleep pants. He did not bother with a shirt. He stepped back into the room.

“I think we should discuss our expectations…” He tailed off, not seeing her immediately. He found her in the dimly lit bedchamber, sitting on her heels at the end of the oversized bed, sheets pooling around her hips. She was naked except for the sash from her wedding gown tied loosely about her waist. When she saw him enter she raised to her knees, spread wide, and the blanket fell from her lap, exposing her fully. Her teasing smile beckoned him closer.

Well, then.

All thoughts of planning left him as his blood spiked, and he went to her. He stopped when he stood at the edge of the bed, inches from her, and pointedly looked her offering up and down. He reevaluated his own underestimation of her beauty.

“Lovely…” he murmured. His hand dropped and she arched her back in anticipation, her nipples tight, but it was the tail of the embroidered sash he took. “Did you make it yourself?”

To his surprise he laughed and shoved him playfully, illiciting a snort from him. “I did, in fact.” He ran his thumb over the intricate stitches and she shifted her weight nervously. “Do you, um, know a lot about embroidery?”  

“I don’t know much of the textile arts, I’m afraid,” he admitted, letting the silk slip through his fingers. “Perhaps you could teach me.”

She smiled coquettishly. “Oh, there’s a great deal I could teach you, Fen’Harel.” She sensually unknotted the sash.

He forced his eyes up to hers, determined to seem unaffected. “And here I thought I was wed to someone sweet and innocent.”

“Sweet? Sometimes. But innocent?” Keria flipped the sash up and over his head, where it settled like a scarf. “Certainly not.”

She tugged the ends of the sash and pulled him in for a kiss and he went easily, intrigued by this woman. He felt the brush of her lips but didn’t realize in time that she whispered an incantation, though his eyes flickered open just in time to see the hidden runes among the embroidered flowers light up, paralyzing him instantly. Her hand dashed beneath the covers and came up with a dagger that she plunged towards his chest.

The vallaslin on her face lit up as he activated it and staggered back, spell broken. She was frozen in place, mid-strike. His heart hammered in his chest in a way it hadn’t in decades, a mortal danger he rarely faced unwittingly.

No mortal blade could hurt him, but she would know that. Still shaken, he wrenched the dagger from her hand, careful not to nick either of them as she grunted, struggling to break free. He appraised the weapon, recognizing it easily even without the ravens in the hilt. It indeed would have been able to kill him, and was undoubtedly coated in enough poison to finish the job even if her aim ad been off. Smart.

“Dirthamen sent you, then?”

She still fought her bindings. He released her just enough that she could answer his question. “Yes.”

He tilted his head. She’d answered too quickly. He could see her tells, now that he knew what she really was. “A lie. Interesting. I’m only supposed to believe it was him.”

“You’re supposed to be dead,” snarled his darling wife.

“Ah, a fair point. Me, murdered on my wedding night, and Dirthamen to blame. To what end?” She answered by spitting at him and he paced as he thought it over, able to see how it would have played out — Mythal would exact justice before Elgar’nan could stop her, and Dirthamen’s twin would retaliate. The rest of the evanuris would choose sides. War, distrust, ample opportunity for more little assassinations.

A simple enough plan. One that damn near worked.

He lifted the dagger and it hovered in the air between them. With a twist of his hand he rendered the shining, poisonous thing inert, watching as it turned dull and clattered uselessly to the floor.

Keria looked like she was ready to tear him apart with her teeth instead. “It doesn’t matter what you do with me,” she growled. “Others will succeed where I have failed. You cannot stop us all! Your days are numbered, Dread Wolf — you and every other evil, murderous, slaving evanuris!”

Wordlessly he walked to a wardrobe, feeling her eyes following him as she waited for him to strike her down. How much of her shaking was from anger, he wondered, and how much from fear?

He pulled out a dressing robe and turned back to his bride, every inch of her radiating defiance despite the hold he still had on her.

He tossed her the robe. “Get dressed, vhenan. We need to talk.”

#solavellan #AU_gust #AU_gust_2021 #Solas #Keria Lavellan #I had a great time with this one ngl #:D

[dacompanionreactions]

Hello! How would companions of DA:I react to Inky, who is in fact a demigod (The child of Maker and mortal woman)? and there incredible powers to rip reality, heal any disease and cut, and fully talk with darkspawn and lyriam? With non and Romanced people

This was really fun to write! Sorry it took so longggg

Cassandra is relieved beyond measure. The fact that they were sent by The Maker (who just so happens to be their parent) gives her no doubt that they will win this war. Their abilities could be seen as scary to anyone who didn't know them, but what Cassandra sees is a good friend who just happens to be the child of The Maker.

If romanced, her reaction won't change much. Her primary thought is, "I am the luckiest woman in all of Thedas." She feels truly blessed to have the Inquisitor at her side.

Varric is Andrastian. He's not very vocal about it, but behind his blasphemy, Varric believes in The Maker. At first, he makes a joke about The Maker cheating on his bride. "Poor Andraste. Burned, cheated on... that woman cannot catch a break." Mainly, he's glad the Inquisitor is on his side. He dislikes it when they 'communicate' with red lyrium, stating he'd rather have it destroyed than crack jokes with it. The Inquisitor waves their hand and the red lyrium vanishes without a trace. Varric Greatly Approves.

Solas is in no position to judge. He is Fen'harel after all. He's got nothing against Andrastianism, but he dislikes blind faith. At first he's apprehensive of their overpowered abilities, but as they get closer all he sees is a friend. A friend he's unintentionally hurt.

If romanced, Solas will ask the Inquisitor a lot more questions about her abilities. His reaction doesn't change much, but he finds himself worrying about his vhenan when they're on the field, a lot more than is wise.

"Somebody, get me a fainting couch!" Dorian jests, but he's truly in awe. His friend, the Herald of Andraste ("How ironic."), the child of The Maker himself. He asks the Inquisitor many questions, less about their father and more about their god-given capabilities. When he learns of their ability to cure any ailments, he requests they do something for him. Dorian is eternally grateful to the Inquisitor after they cure Felix of the blight.

If romanced, Dorian will ask more personal questions about the Inquisitor's family, but only if they are willing to share. Mostly, he feels safe and secure when he's with his amatus. The events at Adamant have him feeling a lot worse, however. They were so close to the Golden City, so close to The Maker. Honestly, he was afraid the Inquisitor would be taken from him. Thankfully, his fears were for naught.

Sera is stunned into silence for the first time in her life. "Oh, shite," she says finally. This revelation means a lot to her. It means that the throne in the Golden City has a godly arse to sit on it. It means The Maker is real. The same could be said about what Coryphy-spit said. Sera's main concern is the Inquisitor, though. "Demi-what evers have powers, yeah? I'm just making sure you're not an entitled arse for it." She warms up to the Inquisitor quickly after they use their abilities for good.

If romanced, her reaction isn't much different. However, Sera is more appreciative of her Honey Tongue's powers, because she can use them for pranks. Stuff like punting pies through several fade rifts in Ferelden to hit a noble in Val Royeaux? Priceless. It's a shame her Inky's abilities can't be used to make nice cookies.

Blackwall chuckles at first; he thinks they're joking. When it hits him, he exclaims a loud, "Maker's balls!" The Inquisitor says something about not wanting to think about their father's balls and Blackwall starts wheezing. All jokes aside, he's very glad the Inquisitor isn't allied with Corypheus. He only asks them about their family if they ask about Blackwall's past. It's a mutual respect kinda thing.

If romanced, during the early days he'll be much more reluctant to start a relationship with the Inquisitor. His past is constantly weighing on his mind and he believes he is unworthy of her, unworthy of The Maker's child. As they grow closer, he finds himself feeling safe with her and vice versa. However, he knows the truth will come out, and soon.

Cole is less concerned about their status as a demi-god and more worried about them as a person. The Inquisitor's thoughts are unbearably loud, amplified by The Maker's blood running through their veins. It hurts to hear them. Demi-god. Maker's child. Inquisitor. Herald of Andraste. Why can't they see that I'm just a person like them? Cole takes them by the hand and says with utmost confidence, "You are a person. Everyone else sees it. They treat you with respect because you are worthy of it. Your thoughts are loud, pained. Let me help."

The Iron Bull was raised under the teachings of the Qun, so naturally he feels conflicted when he learns The Maker exists and has a child. Overall, and in the kindest way possible, he doesn't really give two craps. What matters to him is their safety, the safety of The Chargers and the destruction of Corypheus and the demons. Bull admits that he finds it pretty badass how the Inquisitor can snap their fingers and their enemies will disintegrate. It does get rid of the fun of bonking them with a sledgehammer, though.

If romanced, Bull will make some dirty jokes and ask questions like, "How does a god and a person even do it?" It gets a laugh out of his kadan every time. He likes to think of them as the most badass couple in the entire Inquisition, and let's face it... they really are.

Vivienne is rather pleased when she finds out. Their status as a demi-god will be handy when dealing with pushy nobles. She makes a mental note to contact her seamstress in Val Royeaux. They need clothes worthy of a god's child. When she takes them to see Bastien, they stop her from giving him the potion. At first she is apprehensive, but the Inquisitor places a hand on Bastien's face and cures him. Vivienne is forever grateful. "My darling, how ever can I repay you?"

Cullen could not think clearly when they told him. Lyrium withdrawal was making it difficult. The Inquisitor waves a hand over him and his symptoms almost disappear. The Inquisitor apologises and explains that while withdrawal is not a disease or cut that can be cured, they can still lessen the symptoms. He is grateful to them.

If romanced, like Blackwall, Cullen will be hesitant to start a relationship with the Inquisitor. "You're the Inquisitor, The Maker's child. I'm not worthy of you." She says she believes otherwise, and the two share a kiss on the battlements. Cullen is thankful for her presence. The fact that she's The Maker's daughter is just a side-benefit. To him, she is everything.

Leliana is almost angry at first. Not at the Inquisitor, just the circumstances they were in. She hates that the one person who could have saved Justinia was incapacitated by the explosion. "What is His game? You're His child, you must know." She struggles to hide her disappointment when they say they don't know. They talk often about Justinia and The Maker. Eventually, Leliana stops seeing them as just The Maker's child. They're her friend, too.

Josephine is delighted. First of all, it makes her job about ten times easier. Half of her attempts at diplomacy stem from Andrastianism being shared around Thedas. Secondly, it means that the Inquisition is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. She will ask the Inquisitor if they want that information public. If their mother is still alive, Josephine reaches out to her contacts to make sure she's brought safely to Skyhold. "It's the least I can do, Inquisitor."

If romanced, Josie's reaction won't change drastically. Mainly, she feels like she's been blessed by The Maker to have them with her. In a way, she has.

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #dai #dragon age companions #cassandra pentaghast #varric tethras #dragon age solas #solas #dorian pavus #sera dragon age #dragon age blackwall #dragon age cole #the iron bull #dragon age vivienne #madame de fer #cullen rutherford #dragon age leliana #josephine montilyet #inquisitor lavellan #inquisitor trevelyan #inquisitor cadash #inquisitor adaar #dragon age inquisitor #the maker #dragon age reacts

[actual-mammal]

Solas and the Original Elvhen Gods

For about five years I've been sitting on my theory regarding Solas's origins and the true Elvhen gods, and the new BTS trailer has me just revved up enough to post this. (Buckle up, this is gonna get long...)

Since Solas's first concept art was released back in 2014 I couldn't shake the impression that his design strongly resembled a monk/priest of some kind.

Let's attribute this assumption to 50% my loving ALTA and another 50% because I spent a ridiculous amount of time watching The Mummy movies in my youth. And not for Brendan Fraiser, oh no.

Ahem... anyway.

Aside from his very bald, bald head, Solas tends to wear robes and other more ceremonial looking garments. You could attribute that to him being a "god", but I think Solas himself would probably dislike the comparison. Before the DAI came out, we also got some shots of the companions on the armor inventory screens - including some of Solas in his all white base armor.

The Ancient Dreamers

At the time, this was a super exciting detail. I could count on one hand the amount of information we had on the ancient elves, but it was made pretty clear back in DAO that dreamers who achieved perfect Uthenera were clothed in all white. Once my theory of Solas being an ancient elvhen dreamer turned out to be true, I nearly forgot their cultural importance until long after Tresspasser came out. Mostly because I didnt realize so many people believed the rest of the Evanuris were dreamer mages as well.

So quick question, but do we have any evidence to assume that the Evanuris besides Solas were dreamers? Pre-inquisition codex entries made the dreamers seem a separate group of individuals - tasked with the protection of Arlathan specifically - and slain by the elvhen citizens once their magic failed to protect the city from Tevinter. If this lore hasn't been retconned or "misremembered" by the Dalish, Solas was part of an ancient order separate from his involvement with the Evanuris, which he would have felt deeply connected to because of the rarity of their shared magical ability (Marethari tells us dreamers have always been rare in DA2 when you assist with Feynriel).

Prior to Tresspasser, I assumed Fen'Harel was a lone wolf because he turned his back on his "pack", the other elvhen gods. But Solas paints a very different picture in his way of talking about the Evanuris throughout the game. In fact, he seems intent on not associating with them at all, even before their murder of Mythal or his open rebellion. I never get the impression that Solas was fond of the other Evanuris, or considered them enough of a family to warrant the "pack" analogy.

So who were the members of Solas's first "pack" that the Evanuris never lived up to? Probably the original bearers of the other foci. Wolves, up until the fall of the Dale's were seen as guardians and protectors in Elvhen myth (see the Emerald Knights). Perhaps they were also the sigil of the ancient dreamers of Arlathan, who were the city's protectors? That would certainly make more sense as to why wolf statues are everywhere in Thedas, despite Solas full tilt rejecting godhood. This is backed up by the murals in Vir Dirthara, full of wolves, individuals with bald heads, and foci. And they're fighting the titan.

But more on the Titan later.

I find it hard to believe that Solas personally had more surviving sculptures than all the rest of the Evanuris, particularly after he rebelled against them. It would make more sense to me if the wolves represented something greater than Solas individually. Particularly since he's titled, very specifically, The DREAD Wolf, as if there are other wolves that are not.

The Dreamers and Foci

In his first moment of really opening up, Solas tells the Inquisitor that the foci were used to channel power from "our" gods, which is the first time we hear him sounding so connected to Elvhen religion in 20 hours of gameplay. Solas never refers to the Evanuris as gods in a serious tone, so on replay this dialogue caught my attention. Why would a god need to channel power from himself? Do we ever get any hint of a foci belonging to another member of the Evanuris? Checking back on this topic throughout my playthrough, I can't find any instance of the foci being tied to the Evanuris. However Dorian is happy to tell us about the association between the orbs of Tevinter and the Ancient Dreamers. And Solas having one certainly lends credibility to his statement. My next thought became "so what if there were gods that predated the Evanuris, who were powerful spirits worshipped by the Ancient Dreamers using foci?." This assumption certainly makes sense given everything we know after JoH, since it uses the same structure of the Avvar religion (which Solas feels is highly enlightened for their time). It also provides a stronger story link for why we got that DLC in the first place, and hints what may have happened to these god spirits to facilitate the rise of the Evanuris.

The Original Gods

Surely we would have some hints as to who these dieties were this far into the games though, right? Oh wait, we do. My brain hurts to realize the writers even call them THE OLD GODS to make it easy for us. ::headesk:: Combining the lore of the old gods with the myths from the Astrariums and the archetypes of the Evanuris who supplanted them, we could try to guess their original forms. So let's line up the potential original pantheon:

Dumat/Silentir: The God of Justice, the Dragon of Silence. Supplanted by Mythal.

Zazikel/Kios: The God of Freedom, the Dragon of Chaos. Supplanted by Elgar'nan.

Toth/Ignifir: The God of Love, the Dragon of Fire. Supplanted by Sylaise.

Andoral/Servani: The God of Unity, The Dragon of Chains/Slaves. Supplanted by Andruil.

Urthemiel/Bellitanus: The God of the Artistry/Craft, the Dragon of Beauty. Supplanted by June.

Razikale/Eluvia: The God of Wisdom, the Dragon of Mystery. Supplanted by Dirthamen.

Lusacan/Tenebrium: (Owl) The God of Purpose, the Dragon of Night. Supplanted by Falon'Din (Lethanavir)

This makes so much sense when you consider Solas's hatred for the Grey Wardens, who have been systematically destroying the souls of the old gods once they're corrupted into archdemons. But how on earth did ancient elvhen god spirits get bound to dragons and trapped underground anyway?

The Fate of Gods and Dreamers

Back to Vir Dirthara and the Titan murals. We know the foci were used to seal away the blight in some way, because Solas told us (the angry red eyes are always the blight in his murals):

The rest of this will be pretty tin foil, but I think this mural helps illustrate my assumptions of the dreamers' involvement with the Evanuris.

The (bald) dreamers of Solas's order assisted Mythal in defeating the titan.

Sometime afterward, the "dead" titan returned in the form of red lyrium and threatened all of Elvhenan. This assumption is supported by the last codex entry in Tresspasser" where the Elves attempt to "seal away" a danger in the deep roads.

However they accomplished this, part of it required the dreamers to use the old gods power by binding their spirits to the forms of high dragons (just like JoH). These old god dragons are keeping the Blighted Titan "sleeping" which is why darkspawn seek to corrupt them (to free the source).

I believe the sinners judgement from the temple of Mythal also indicates that the dreamers themselves were the high dragons (taking the form of the divine), and why their foci were passed on to the Evanuris after the binding. The Evanuris were then able to use the power of the foci, as well as the vacuum left by the dreamers' absence, to establish themselves as the "new" gods.

So... thoughts?

#solas #dragon age #dragon age theories #evanuris

[jewishzevran]

between the shadow and the soul

thirty-five: “can i have one last kiss?” / requested by @purahs​ and @dalish-gloves​

a/n: massive spoiler alert for trespasser dlc

“tell me of something fiercer than the love with which i gaze upon you

or something softer than the tenderness with which i hold you.”- sanober khan

It had been hours. 

That morning, they had woken up in the Winter Palace, and Anders had helped Ori dress ready for the Inquisition hearing. The last of their companions had arrived. Dorian had announced he had been made a Magister. Everything was going smoothly. 

Then that damned qunari corpse had shown up and Ori had been travelling back and forth through eluvians all day, trying to find out what the hell was going on. The last time she disappeared, she’d winked at him and told him she’d be ten minutes. Anders had watched the sun set and almost rise since then. The sky was stained pink and yellow in the light of dawn. Birds were starting to chirrup in the bushes and trees. And Ori had still not returned. He was going mad.

He paced the courtyard, wringing his hands and at a total loss for what else to do. He couldn’t eat, even if there was food available; his stomach was far too knotted and he could taste bile in his throat. He hadn’t tried to sleep. How was everyone so damned calm? Anders was going spare because Ori was his wife, but that aside, she was the Inquisitor, the reason everyone was here; she had been missing for over half a day and people had just eaten dinner and gone to bed as usual. Like nothing was wrong. 

There was a loud crash from inside the cellhouse, and his skin tingled with latent magic. He felt giddy with relief for about three seconds before Bull’s voice echoed up the stairs. 

“We need help, NOW!”

Maker, no. 

Dread started to make Anders’ head swim as he almost fell down the stairs, bursting into the room and taking in the scene in front of him. Dorian was grey and looking incredibly panicked, Varric looked grim-faced and utterly out of his depth, and Bull was - Bull was - 

Bull was kneeling on the tiles, cradling Ori in his arms. She was limp, barely conscious, and writhing in pain. Her skin was ashen, she was covered in sweat, and her left arm was hanging uselessly at her side. Anders’ eyes followed the line down to her hand and almost fell over. 

It was stone. Frozen like a statue. He could see tendrils of it slowly creeping up her wrist and forearm, and his hands flew to his mouth before he dropped to his knees in front of Bull.

"We still don't know what happened," Bull said through gritted teeth. "She followed the Viddesala through an eluvian and came back like this. She’s said a few words here and there but she’s barely coherent, and half of what she has said has been in broken elvish.”

Anders pulled Ori into his lap, running his fingers over her forehead, letting frost crystallise in her hairline in an attempt to cool her down. She was writhing and moaning, and her eyes rolled to look at him. It broke his heart.

“Ori? Ori, darling, can you hear me? Talk to me. Help me understand.”

"Anders?" she whispered, frowning and trying to focus on him. 

"Yes, darling. It's me. I'm here. What happened?"

She murmured something he couldn't hear and screamed with pain again, her breath coming in shallow pants. Anders was vaguely aware that there were people shouting and scrambling around outside, and he could hear a bell tolling in the distance. 

"Ori, love, please. Tell me if you can. Anything that will help." He placed a hand over her chest, radiating blue light, and sent pain relief coursing through her system. She relaxed a fraction, and held his gaze a little clearer.

"Solas, he's… he's the dread wolf. He's Fen'harel. Spies everywhere. You have to tell the Warden-Commander. She has to know. You have to tell her. She'll help. She'll stop him. He - my arm - stone magic to stop the anchor spreading-" She cut off with another scream of agony, and Anders felt tears starting to burn in his eyes.

Anders took a deep breath, letting the familiar calm wash over him, and allowed the chaos around him dissolve into quiet. He could see the tendrils of the strange magic curling around her arm: a blue so pale and stark it was almost white. He felt it too, unforgiving, forceful, and relentless. 

Ori reached up to cup his face with her good hand. "I love you, Anders. I love you so much. Don't forget that, please, please don't ever forget how much I love you."

Anders' heart sank. "No, no Ori, you don't get to say that. You can tell me that later when we've worked out how to stop this-"

"It feels cold." She rasped. "It hurts so much. It's like frostbite but heavy. I don't think I can - I don't -"

"Shhh, shhh love," Anders said, starting to cry freely. "It will be ok. I promise you."

"Vhenan, please… can I have one last kiss?"

"No. Ori, don't, I'll save you, I promise. I’ll kiss you a hundred times when this is fixed -”

“Anders, we’re running out of time, please-”

Anders had never been able to deny Ori anything, and he sobbed as he leant down to press a fierce kiss against her cold and clammy lips. “I love you, Ori. You are my life.”

“I know, vhenan,” Ori whispered, voice trembling as her own tears rolled down over her temples and into her hair. “Thank you for seeing me.”

As she fell limp in his arms, finally succumbing to unconsciousness, panic, grief and rage all rose to a blinding cacophony in Anders’ chest. He delved into the very bottom of his mana pool and blasted as much healing energy as he possibly could directly at her arm, gripping it tightly, willing something, anything to work. He pulled on the threads of his healing magic and weaved them round the skin, but it did nothing, he tried to dispel the magic, he tried to force the curse out of her, but everything he attempted was like hitting a brick wall with a feather. 

Help me!

There is nothing that can be done, Anders. This is magic not even I recognise. It is ancient and powerful. If you do not stop it spreading, Anders, Ori will become stone. She will die. 

I can’t let her die, I can’t, I can’t, you have to help, there must be SOMETHING!

Other people were in the room now, other healers trying to pull Ori from his lap. He held firm, refusing to let her go, glowing so brightly with magic that he could see Bull and Dorian squinting. 

“Don’t touch her!” Anders yelled, tightening his grip on her shoulders, needing the warmth of her body against her to remind him she was still here, still alive. 

Be calm, Anders. 

Anders was about to retort to Justice when he realised he was right. He was no good to Ori lashing out like an animal caught in a trap. He took another deep breath, and extinguished the magic in his hands, looking up at the other healers, forcibly keeping a hold of himself. “It’s old magic. Ancient, even. I don’t recognise it. I don’t think it can be stopped. The longer we try to hold it back, the further it’s going to spread.” 

One of the other healers crouched beside him. “I know the two of you are married, but you’re the most senior healer here. Do you feel able to make the call?”

Anders felt his stomach lurch as he realised what he was going to have to do to save Ori’s life. She would never braid her own hair again, and for that alone, she might never forgive him, but he couldn’t let her die. Not as his patient, and not as his wife. He nodded. “We have to amputate the arm,” he said, and when the words left his lips, they didn’t feel real. “At this point, physical intervention is the only way to stop it spreading.”

The next 15 minutes were a blur. Anders stood, lifting Ori with him. The other healers left, and he followed, being led to a private room in the palace, where he gently lay her on the bed, and they began preparations. It felt odd, almost as though he was sitting back and watching whilst his body moved of its own accord. He was calm and level headed, just as if this was a normal surgery and not a life-saving operation for his wife. He was given surgical tools. He made sure the environment was sterile. He washed his hands, three times just to be sure. He could feel the panic simmering in the back of his mind, waiting for a moment where it could release, where he could scream and cry and process the fact he was watching his wife turn to stone before his eyes, but he was good at this, and he knew how to lock it away. 

The surgery itself took remarkably little time. When it was done, Anders cleaned his instruments, thanked the other healers, then when he and Ori were alone in the room, he crawled onto the bed beside her, pulled her close to his chest, and wept. Relief flooded through him, relief mixed with terror and profound loss; Meredith could rise from the bloody dead and it wouldn’t move him now, nothing else mattered except the fact that Ori was alive.  

When she woke up, he was going to kiss her as often as she could stand. 

#ash writes #anders x lavellan #anders #inquisitor lavellan #trespasser #ori x anders #wow this was physically painful to write

[lairofdragonagelore]

Exalted Plains

The Exalted Plains, also known as Dirthavaren ("the promise") in elvish, is a grassland region of the Dales in Orlais. Centuries ago, the Dalish kingdom met its end here, the holdouts of the elven army making their last stand, refusing to surrender against the champions of Andraste: the templar, the sister, and the nobleman patron. The champions' cause was just, and their faith led them to victory. The plains were henceforth called "Exalted". After the elves' defeat and the dissolution of their kingdom, Ville Montevelan became the first human settlement in the Dales, presided over by Revered Mother Amity, Champion of the Exalted March.

Currently, the region is a contested battlefield during the War of the Lions until Empress Empress Celene and Gaspard de Chalons's armies agreed to cease hostilities.

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

When entering this zone, Solas explains that this place has a thin Veil product of the battles that happened long time ago: the Exalted March of Dales. So we know we are going to see a mixture of elven ruins and human settlements. 

Scout Harding will inform us that in the area there is a group of rebels who are tired of the War of the Lions, and wants the Dales for themselves.

The first thing we see when we enter this zone are these statues that, design-wise, they are very, very close to the Humanoid Dirthamen/Falon'Din. Humanoid Dirthamen/Falon'Din is a squatted hooded figure, who doesn’t have any object in his hand. This one holds a plate which works as a brazier. In fact, the elven statues are placed in this entrance, but on the Emerald Graves side:

They are called Guardians of the Path, and by the note they trigger, they are Andrastian. Still the striking similarity between these statues and the one we associate with Dirthamen makes me suspect that, once conquered, the Orlesians repurposed the native statues.

The first ruin we find, which surrounds the camp, is an elven one, with a dragon painting on one of its columns.

Besides the path there is a rectangle statue which on its top has a star-shaped fountain with a dove. On a side there is a reused elven/dwarven relic tablet that will trigger the codex Memorials of the Second Exalted March which will be updated as we read all these stones spread in the region. They explain how the “battle” against the elves was happening, mixing Andrastre’s tale with probably bits of History.  It’s very curious how this piece of information depicts the elves as proud and murderous, far away from the Maker and Andraste, which is clearly a lie when we analyse Di’nan Hanin; these Dalish, unlike modern Dalish, had fused Andraste cult into their elven pantheon, not without reason: It had been some decades since they had recovered these lands thanks to Andraste’s promise.

The zone has several ramparts where the imperial army [either side] is trying to retake control from the undead and the demons. Recovering each of these is quite a repetitive task all over the place.

The only important comment about these ramparts is that they give us some idea to understand the function of these Strange Skull-Dragon totem : They seem to hold barriers around pits that allow the dead to rise, and also as columns surrounding zones with many undead or demons. They seem to be related to summoning rituals.

Along the region we find several Andrastian statues and the typical orlesian style in the remnants of the houses that still stand.

Fort Revasan shows the standard elven patterns of any elven ruin. The Orlesian occupation built extra, less durable additions with chess-like floors and decorated wooden elements.

Close to Fort Revasan there is a sealed entrance that requires a war table operation to be solved in order to open. It shows a Fen’Harel statue, guarding the entrance.  It’s a nice detail to see that the base of his statue shows an eluvian-like pattern worth to keep present.

Very far away in the North, over the mountains that surround this region, we see a big Fen’Harel statue observing the Exalted Plains. It’s hard to guess what this zone represented in the time of the Elvhenan [not the Dalish kingdom]. This place has 3 main elvhen ruins: the one in the North Rampart, the Ghilan’nair’s grove, and the Graveyard Var Bellanaris. There are more than these, but they are too destroyed or small. It’s hard to ponder if all of them date of the same time.

At some kilometres of distance from the Fen’Harel’s statue, we see a tower of radical different style. At a single glance, we can see it’s Tevinter. More details of this in the Post about Exalted Plains: Citadelle du Corbeau.

Riverside Garrison is another elven ruin which patterns make it look like Elvhen: flower pattern, square pattern and swirl pattern.

Inside, we find more elements that allows us to suspect this is Elvehan from the time when the Veil did not exist. There is an elaborated tile that we will see in puzzles in the Temple of Mythal, and one of those rounded trees, growing out of it.

With the exception of the rounded tree, the decoration looks like an elvehnan crypt; its style is the same one we found in the crypts of the Temple of Mythal. There are bodies, skeletons and urns everywhere. Of course, DAI has several bodies and skeletons that they use for everything dead, so I won’t focus on the armour or the details of these objects. They are always the same no matter what kind of dead you are looking at: an avvar body, an elven body or a dwarven body.

Close to Revasan Fort, there is a collapsed bridge decorated with a statue of Andraste and a landmark called Pont Agur. It explains with dubious accuracy that after the Exalted March of the Dales some villagers drown trying to cross the river, so the mayor built this bridge and dedicated it to humans and elves too. This started a rumour about the mayor having elven blood, and had to step down. I think this shows how complex was this land after the March; these things [elves and humans in relationships] have been happening since long time ago, as the Tomb of Elandrin shows us with the incident of Red Crossing. For more details read Emerald Graves: Din’an Hanin, Tomb of Elandrin.

Beside Port Agur we find villa Montevelan, where this story of the mayor happened. This was the first human settlement after the Exalted March of the Dales. It’s all destroyed now.

Inside some ramparts we can see big trees that got my attention: I don’t know if they can be considered the original vhenadahl, the trees that the city elves try to grow as a memory of their Dalish roots. These trees can be found in ramparts as well as in the Citadelle du Corbeau. In many times, they show bodies hanging from its branches, so they inspire some murderous sentiment to such an elven symbol [if these tree are supposed to be vhenadahl, I’m just guessing since these can’t be found in other elven ruins, so they seem to be more Dalish than Elvish to me.]

In this rampart in particular, we find a difference in comparison with the rest of the ramparts in the area: there is a small tower which construction date is hard to guess. It could have been built during the Exalted March or a bit earlier.  The entrance is decorated with these enigmatic tablets, depicting the Razikale Ceremony and the Horned warrior holding a sword. We have established they were Tevinter due to their presence in Coracavus and The Still Ruins. Inside the tower we find a Tevinter inspector, Tevinter containers, and minor, decorative Tevinter elements. Inside this tower there is a codex about Legend of the Three Sisters: Book 3, which makes the player aware of how stories change depending on factors such as historical-political situation, countries or censorship. This is yet another call out that the game does to us, players, to not take every single story we read as 100% true. 

It seems that Tevinter mages were present in the Exalted Plains at some point in History and performed some magic or experiments. Considering the Strange Skull-Dragon totem and the undead all over the place, I would be inclined to think that some faction during the Exalted March invited Tevinter mages to provide efforts in the battle. Which is a very odd concept if we remember that it was a war between Elves [many of them coming from families who had fought Tevinter by Andraste’s side to recover their freedom] and the Chantry of that time [which always had some frictions with Tevinter].

I thought in a possibility to explain this Tevinter presence: since many of the elves that fought in the Exalted March belonged to families that had been former slaves of Tevinter mages, some of them could have developed a vast knowledge of Tevinter arcane magic. I have the impression this is more or less proven in the Citadelle du Corbeau, where elves may have installed a Tevinter defence system in an elven ruin. Because of this last fact, I’m a bit inclined to think this is the reason why we find Tevinter elements in this region. However, that doesn’t add up that we find these tablets, which are more related to Tevinter gods and ceremonies than Elven ones. I can imagine elves resorting to Tevinter devices against the Chantry, but hardly performing rituals to Tevinter gods. 

As a conclusion I don’t think we can make a decent explanation of why we find so many Tevinter objects in the ramparts and elven ruin when there is no Tevinter building in the whole region.

We see this rock with an eye in many places of Exalted Plains, usually, but not exclusively, representing the attack of Orlesians [at least in the context of Exalted Plains and Emerald green]. During the main quest, in the attack to Adamant Fortress, it was the Inquisition who used these stones. Clearly a reused asset with little meaning, so I will skip it.

In Victory Rise we find more Elven ruins: we can see the elven patterns of swirls and flowers around this door.  In this place we find the codex of  Legend of the Three Sisters: Book 1. 

In Enavuris [such a name to confuse it so easily with Evanuris] we find a ruin that, after inspection, allows you to follow a quest to look for ancient elven glyphs. The power that the note  The Elven Glyphs talks about ends up being the “Dirthamen’s wisdom”, a strange shield that can be found at the end of the exploration of the Lost Temple of Dirthamen which has an oddly Tevinter look. [See the post related to the Lost Temple of Dirthamen]. It’s hard to understand what each of these symbols that appear in the glyphs mean. Clearly, all of them are secrets, such it is the nature of Dirthamen.  A brief, potential analysis can be found in the post of the Lost Temple of Dirthamen.

In Halin’sulahn we find a very small Dalish clan. They are placed close to a rock which shows the usual painting of a yellow halla, and the one that looks like a battle with many elves on hallas. There is also a statue of a hart. After talking with the Keeper of this clan we are informed about several elven-issues that the War of the Lions has caused.

The encampment shows the typical Dalish symbols: these fences with ragged hides and tree branches paint in red or green on them.

I always like to highlight that the Aravels keep these undulating lines that make me remember the undulating patterns in many, if not all, murals found in DAI. It is also worth remembering that the aravels were prison-ships filled with slaves that sent elves to dwarven cities [check The Horror of Hormak].

In search for those ancient elven glyphs, we explore a zone called Ancient Baths. By its name it seems to be an elven building which allowed baths in the river. Its entrance is decorated with two archer statues, and two wall paintings: the yellow halla, and the black twisted halla with white elves wearing vallaslin [the Dalish “remember” that golden hallas guided The people to places where they needed to be, specially in desperate times. The truth behind that probable is more twisted]. Every time I see these paintings I suspect that this building was meant to be used by slaves.

As we proceed, we find a point where we need to jump off. This chamber, in its configuration [not grandeur], looks like the Temple of Mythal's main chamber where the priest stays in a high place, inaccessible to reach [no stairs in this chamber], looking from above down to the petitioner. 

This section has ancient elven decorative elements: two inuksuit decorated with red swirls and a central squared stone, both elements used for the elven dead. More than half of the ruin has fallen apart but it seems to give an idea that this building was meant to be used to see baths in the river.

As it can be seen, the decoration is ancient elvhen.

As we explore the map, we find this statue which triggers Andruil's Messenger, a codex that produces more confusion than understanding of who is the god behind the owl symbol. There is a painting of a yellow halla beside the statue. Since it is an information given by Gisharel, it may be extremely wrong. The tale almost hides a command: the people, aka the slaved elves, will follow Andruil, she will tell them when to hunt, when to raise hallas, and when to settle down. And for that, she will use an owl. Since we do not truly have better sources confirming that the owl, crow, or raven are Dirthamen’s sacred animal, it’s hard to suspect how much of this tale has been twisted along the Dalish history.

In the open we see more of these four painting together: The row of slaved elves, The Armoured Figure,  The Vallaslin shifting halla, and the black halla with elves wearing vallaslin. All these paintings together seem to speak about elves being capture, alienated [ they have no face nor heart] under the control of a symbol we have seen a lot: the golden ring, and these slaves are related to vallaslin and deformed hallas that shift. For more detail, see the post Nation Art: Elvhen.

Several times in the open we can find these owl statues or the archers. Sometimes even marking a path, as if they were guiding us to some places. Sometimes they are accompanied with the paintings.

The Path of flame, a name designated by the Chantry to this part, looks like the entrance of a bigger elven ruin, which is protected by two big Fen’Harel statues. The landmark we trigger around this area, extremely unreliable, suggests that this place was an elven arena. I hardly believe it, but certainly there is something about gathering many elves and forcing them to walk certain paths [aka, a path to mark slaves? considering the paintings]. The truth is, that the game has showed us two elvhen arenas already: In Emprise du Lion, called currently by orlesians names since the original ones were lost to the ages: Etienne’s Ring and Leontine’s Ring, which are now used by dragons. So, I have to say that despite not trusting this source in the slightest, the Ruined Arches of Exalted Plains have a similar look to those we see in Emprise du Lion. So maybe elves had rings after all but the purpose of them is completely unknown. 

In this zone, we find a solitary statue of Fen’Harel on the waterfall.

Some meters away from it, there is a Shrine to Sylaise, which entrance is decorated in the same fashion than the Ancient Baths: two archers indicating the entrance, and two paintings depicting a yellow halla and a black halla wtih elves wearing vallaslin.

When we enter the temple, we only find crypt-related elements: inuksuit and urns, and a codex of Sylaise is triggered: Sylaise: the Hearthkeeper, which is the usual one we find in DAO, and extremely unreliable.

Inside the temple there is a small corner covered with a barrier, where a body can be found. This body has a valuable historical talisman of the Dales elves, and an ancient elven robe. It's not clear to me how to understand the situation in which we find it.

This talisman belonged to an historical warrior of the Dales, and since we find a Robe that looks like the same one than the Keeper of the Clan we met, I assume this body was an ancient Keeper who wanted to protect that talisman from the shemlen, and made a barrier with themselves inside, or they activated some trap of the small shrine and got caught in it..

[Index page of Dragon Age Lore ]

#Exalted Plains #elven design #Andrastian design #guardian of the path #paintings #Strange Skull-Dragon totem #Sitting Fen'Harel statue #Razikale Ceremony #Horned warrior holding a sword #Tevinter objects #aravel #dalish design #elvhen design #Elven Owl statue #Elven hart statue #Elven Archers #playing DA like an archaeologist

[felassan]

Now in the BioWare Gear Store: Varric Sun tarot card statue [source, item link]

Description:

CARE FOR A GAME OF CARDS, A TALE OR SOME ALE?  This card features everyone's favorite dwarf, Varric Tethras, sitting in his favorite tavern, the Hanged Man, playing cards and enjoying a pint or two. The radiant sun in the background symbolizes the positivity, vitality, and optimism that Varric exudes in his everyday life. Known for his quick wit, charm, and love of storytelling, Varric is the life of the party, and the Hanged Man is no exception. Whether he's regaling his companions with tales of adventure or just enjoying a quiet game of cards, Varric always manages to make the best of any situation. This card is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, a little bit of Varric's sunny disposition can go a long way. 

And for the ultimate collector's item, we present the "Varric at the Hanged Man" polyresin statue. This stunning piece captures Varric in all his glory, sitting on a tavern chair with his feet propped up on the table, tankard of ale right where he can reach it. The level of detail in this statue is truly breathtaking. From the wrinkles in Varric's clothing to the intricate patterns on the tavern floor, no detail has been overlooked. The statue is hand-painted to perfectly resemble Varric as he appears in the game, down to the tiniest freckle on his face.  

The tavern chair, table, and floor are also perfectly sculpted, making it feel as though you're right there at the Hanged Man with Varric, sharing a pint and a game of cards. A perfect addition to any Dragon Age collection. [source]

Also now in the store:

Archangel necklace (Mass Effect)

You can get 20% off in the BioWare Gear Store, on merch such as the Fen'Harel cloak and brooch bundle, until February 16th using my latest discount code BWAAAAA. After that date check back here for a new code. alternatively, you can use my >affiliate link<.

✧d(•̀ v•̀ )~~♪

#dragon age #bioware #video games #solas #mass effect #garrus vakarian #best boy #the desc on the garrus piece got me a lil.. #his unflinching loyalty.. a constant companion.. a helping hand.. the best bro.. 🥺🥺

[rowhanna]

9. Harellan - A young Lavellan hears a scary story about the Dread Wolf =]

Alright, bear with me on this one as I’ve never done prompts before and this is my first one. Let’s see what happens, shall we?

Keeper Alnar looked around at the small cluster of children, their upturned faces ready for the day’s lesson. All were accounted for, save one; Rowan. She was not present among the group. Again. He sighed to himself. Rowan had begun to shirk her studies more frequently than was usual, and though he had taken the matter up with her father, her lack of attendance persisted.

Rowan had just come into her abilities as a young mage and he had hopes for her future. Yet if she could not take even the simplest of studies seriously how would she fare when it came to her magical studies? He knew where she was, where she always hid, up high in the thick of the trees daydreaming while drawing away in her little sketchbook. He also knew that she would be well within earshot. Simply because she was not sitting among the group of her peers did not necessarily mean she was not listening in above them.

He gave today’s lesson a quick thought and decided on his course of action. He squared his shoulders and looked at the small gathering of children sitting patiently before beginning the lesson of the day. Their primary focus lately had been stories of the Creators, one per week. Today he altered his direction. He had intended to begin the week with Andruil yet decided on a different topic altogether; Fen'harel the Dread Wolf.

Looking at the children gathered around him he raised his hand indicating that the lesson would now begin. “This week’s lesson we will be focusing on Fen'harel, the Dread Wolf,” he said addressing the children before him. “It is time that you all know his story and thus must study even the great trickster God himself. For it is because of him that the Creators were tricked and banished. It is because of him that the Gods can no longer hear nor answer our prayers. For only he is left to walk the realms now.”

Keeper Alnar knew which tale he would open with for today. Perhaps this would shake young Rowan enough to be more attentive to her studies? He cleared his throat as he began recounting old tales that had been passed down from generation to generation.

“In ancient times, only Fen'Harel could walk without fear among both our gods and the Forgotten Ones, for although he is kin to the gods of the People, the Forgotten Ones knew of his cunning ways and saw him as one of their own. And that is how Fen'Harel tricked them. Our gods saw him as a brother, and they trusted him when he said that they must keep to the heavens while he arranged a truce. And the Forgotten Ones trusted him also when he said he would arrange for the defeat of our gods, if only the Forgotten Ones would return to the abyss for a time. They trusted Fen'Harel, and they were all of them betrayed. And Fen'Harel sealed them away so they could never again walk among the People. This is why the Creators could not prevent the fall of Arlathan. Fen'Harel’s hatred of the Elven people is so great that it is believed that He spent centuries in a far corner of the earth after his great deception, hugging himself and giggling madly in glee.”

Up above the group in the trees Rowan was listening idly by as she continued to scribble away in her sketchbook while perched up high in a tree. She was fond of drawing her fantasies of what the great beasts of old might have looked like as described by their Keeper, but she simply had no desire to sit with the others while class took place. Besides, her father, (though he scolded her publicly), always ensured that her studies were accurate. She was much more attentive when her father would relay the lessons than the Keeper. Still, it was disrespectful as well as rude to the Keeper, her father told her time and again.

As she sat daydreaming in the trees above one phrase penetrated her thoughts from below; Fen'harel. Today’s lesson was about the Dread Wolf himself. Her ears perked up and she moved from a sitting position to lay flat on her belly so she could peer down at the class beneath her and listen. And listen she did. She had heard of the curse “May The Dread Wolf Take You” and now he was a matter of discussion. This was the one time she had wished she had attended class, but she was still able to listen in on the class below.

All about their camp were small statues depicting The Dread Wolf facing outwards to protect against evil spirits, or so she was told. That he was so feared that his very image could ward off evil was intimidating to such an impressionable girl like Rowan. She soaked in every word, every detail, her eyes wide with wonder and awe as Keeper Alnar continued to relay many more frightening tales of Fen'Harel. Captivated by the retelling of the old legends her piece of chalk slipped from her hand and fell to the ground below her. She froze in place as she watched Keeper Alnar calmly bend down and pick up the fallen chalk and pocketing it as he dismissed the class.

“I know you’re up there, Da'len. Come down so we might speak.”

Rowan grabbed her book and scurried down the tree attempting to look as humble as possible before her Elder. She expected another scolding for failing to attend class. Instead, he merely reached into his pocket, plucking her piece of chalk out of its folds, and handed it back to her. “Do be more careful next time, Rowan.” Unceremoniously he turned and walked off. He offered no lecture, no reprimand. She did not know what was worse, when he scolded her or how he merely dismissed her for her transgressions today? Sheepishly Rowan returned to her area of the camp where she and her father kept to. Images of the Dread Wolf filled her overactive imagination and she knew she would be unable to sleep that night. Not even her father would be able to waylay her fears so she remained silent about them. Instead she devised a plan and waited.

As night fell and the rest of the Clan slept Rowan snuck out of her bedroll and, taking a large satchel with her, silently went about the whole of the camp. She approached a small statue of the Dread Wolf as if it would come to life and swallow her whole, especially for what she was about to do. With a shaky hand she lifted it off the ground and placed it within the satchel. She went around the camp collecting each and every piece, placing them one by one in the satchel. It had become so heavy she had to drag it across the ground as she headed out of the camp as quietly as she could. She knew she would be heavily reprimanded the next day but she couldn’t sleep knowing they were there. Even the mere sight of the statues sent a shiver running down her spine. When she completed her mission she made her way back to camp and returned to her bedroll beside her father as quietly as she could. Her transgressions would be made known come tomorrow, but at least tonight she could sleep without fear.

As the next morning fell upon the Clan she climbed out of her bedroll and was immediately greeted by the sight of Keeper Alnar speaking with her father in hushed tones. Both men turned towards her. She knew right away she was in trouble. She looked up at the two figures as Keeper Alnar turned his attention to her.

“It would appear that in the midst of the night all of our statues of the Dread Wolf went missing,” he announced as he looked down at Rowan’s little face. “Now, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about that would you, Da'len?” Immediately she looked down at the ground and began fidgeting with her fingers, her greatest admission of guilt along with the blush in her cheeks. She had to admit what she had done. Besides, if she lied it would greatly disappoint her father, perhaps more so than the crime she had committed.

“I took them away,” she admitted meekly.

“And where are they now, little Rowan?”

“I put them all in a sack and then threw them into the river.” She looked up at the two adults waiting to hear what form of punishment had been devised for her, but none came. Both men merely looked down at her. Keeper Alnar shook his head in disappointment then turned and began to walk away. Whatever was he going to do with this child, he wondered? He had other duties to tend to before the next class later today but something would have to be done about Rowan.

“Is the Dread Wolf going to come to take me away now? For what I did?” she asked with a slight hint of fear in her voice catching up to him.

He stopped and turned to look at her innocent face looking up at him. “If one is not careful He just might,” was all he said before walking off.YOU CAN FIND MORE PROMPTS FOR MY LAVELLAN AT:https://the-solavellan-archive.tumblr.com/

#may the dread wolf take you #lavellan prompts #the solavellan archives #Rowan Lavellan #Rowhanna Lavellan #ask rowhanna a question

[5lazarus]

Last Line Monday

oh, the sheer amount of wips... Dragon Age Fanfic Leandra Fucks Leandra’s mouth might have snapped shut in the surprise. It does not bear thinking about. Dream Time Adventures with Solas and Friends “Why are you all so fascinated with my sex life?” Solas asks, exasperated. “Surely you have more interesting things to discuss.” The Lightning-Struck Tower Leandra squeezes his hand. He feels parchment scratch at his skin. “Thank you,” she says. “I do love embarrassing my children. I’ll get right to it.” The Hit Anders has food to feed them; better than that, he has lyrium, and Justice won’t let him take more. The Sand Ship Perhaps if she blows on the embers she can get it to ignite. Nexus, Plexus Isabela flips onto her stomach and looks at him curiously. “I mean, you know—I was sold, too. Marriage certificate a property claim. That’s why I like to fuck. Means my body’s my own. Every three days, I’m my only constant. No one else claims me. The Tamassrans taught me that.” What Pride Has Wrought Merril says, “No.” Queen Takes Queen Anora has been told that Celene has brought Isolde’s family with her. That is a mistake. Industrial Coffee Workers of the World Merrill says, “Oh, but that’s mean. Even if it’s true. And he should.” Hackers Briala says, “We need to get this done. Before he comes back, and reroutes the matrix again. I’m tired of him playing with us.” Fen'Harel's Teeth: The Dhal'Vallaslin Solas regards the statue with a pained smile. “These forests have changed much since I was last here.” He takes her hand and squeezes it. “If we have time, I’d like to see it.” Disco Elysium Fanfiction Dispatches from the Homo-Sexual Underground The corpse sits in a windowless studio in a tall block of apartments, built during the disco age. Star Trek Fanfiction The Runaround Keiko beams. “Great! I’m here every morning, so, if you need me before you ship out—just let me know!” She thinks, that’s a sapling saved. None of my babies are going on the long haul just to choke from lack of care. First Canvass Then there will be a diplomatic meeting with three representatives newly elected to the Vedek Assembly, all from the Rakantha Province. Lactaid Acid Bashir stops Kira on the way towards the replimat. Disjointed Ezri, hyperconscious that she is there, takes Jake, Ziyal, and Nog to the holosuites. Whose Side Are You On? Odo scoffs. “Ha. Well, anything to help keep you busy.” He grins down at Quark, who scowls. ATLA Fanfiction Stray Dog “Just get it all out, honey,” the waterbender with the water arms says. “Puke it out so you won’t cry about him later.” Harry Potter Fanfiction Worst School Reunion Ever Lavender says, “Take me away, my friend, I can’t stand this saccharine mess.” They leave their sickles on the counter, and head into the London night. Baba O'Riley But she is fond of those bored summers listening to music, dancing in her bedroom and in his, she has to admit that. My Own Persephone, Illinois “No,” you said shortly. “Can you find my cigarettes?” Delphoi I stopped at the road sign, trying to remember which direction the hostel went—I knew it followed the sheer cliff. The fog quickly overtook me, sliding fingers down the narrow streets. The dog barked. Against myself, I turned around. The Apotheosis of Julia Augusta “It’s so hard to get your hair done in the islands,” she says. “Especially with the humidity, at this time of year. Requires so much maintenance, and with my eunuchs, well, the Claudians are a resourceful family, but my mother pushed me to my limits. She never understood how hair, especially, is a weapon. An assertion of identity, even in the desolation of that rock. She told me it was a sign of my guilt–that I was dressing up for the images of men, those traitors, who could come to me in dreams.” The woman smiles sardonically. “Unfortunately dreams do not make manifestations, however hard I dreamed.” He Rises “Hey, boychik,” Chaim said, “slow it down a little.”

#last line monday #wip #personal #writing

[bi-mirandalawson]

1k about romelos and co, after she meets solas in trespasser 

if ur on mobile and the readmore doesnt work, i apologize 

when romelos came to, she felt like she had been thrown off a cliff. her whole body ached, especially her head. every slight movement made her feel like she was being stabbed behind her eyes. her eyelids were heavy and she struggled to open them, but the bright sunlight made her close them again. she started to process her surroundings. she realized the jostling she felt were rhythmic footsteps. her head was pressed against something smooth, that smelled of sweat and blood. a deep rumbling was heard beneath her head and she thought it might have been words, if only she could focus on it. 

"-think she might be waking up." Iron Bull. he was carrying her. he found her. she forced her eyes open and saw bull looking down at her with a small smile on his face. "hey, boss." 

"what.. happened?" her words were quiet and scratchy. her mouth felt like it had been stuffed full of cotton. she remembers going through the eluvian, and it closing after her. she remembers her conversation with solas, but not the end, and not how she got here.

"the eluvian closed after you," a different voice said. varric. "we couldn't get through." 

"i think it was solas making sure he got you alone." bull's tone is steely. she knows he wanted to get his hands on solas. 

"it felt like hours we stood there, but it was probably only 15 minutes." varric sounds tired. "we ran through as soon as it was open again. you were passed out on the ground." bits are coming back to romelos. she remembers solas taking her hand, kissing her through her tears. she remembers blinding pain in her arm. she looks at her arm, or, where her arm should have been. she startles and almost falls out of bull's arms. the movement makes her head throb and she shuts her eyes. her arm still hurts, a dull ache that she can feel in the joints of the fingers she no longer has. it isn't nearly as bad as her head.

"i guess i should be grateful," she says slowly. "if i dont have an arm, i dont have a mark that will kill me." 

"well, i guess thats one way to look at it," varric said, and she can hear the sarcastic smile on his face. romelos shifts, looking around, trying to figure out where they were. she is suddenly very aware of the fact that its just the three of them. 

"where's cole?" she feels the silence from bull and varric. "where is he?" she asks again, more insistent. 

"he left. to the fade i think." varric says, looking down at his feet. 

"right after we found you." bull is trying very hard to hide how sad he is. "said some jumble- you know how he does- about not making us forget, and 'helping when the hurt is greatest'." romelos feels like she's been punched, and she struggles not to cry, because she knows it will make her head pound. 

she knew cole favored solas' company over anyone else's, and that solas leaving after corypheus was defeated hit cole harder than anyone. she found cole more often in solas' old study than in the tavern, sitting on solas' desk or on the scaffolding. she didn't let him help her hurt, because she wasn't ready to let it go, but he always offered. she wondered, not for the first time, what he would be like if she had sided with varric, that day in redcliffe. she wondered if he would still be here now. 

"so what.. happened, with solas?" iron bull asks carefully, the gentleness in his tone letting romelos know that she doesn't have to tell if she doesn't want to. 

"he's fen'harel." varric's eyebrows hit his hairline. "not an agent. actual fen'harel, the elven god. except he's not a god, we know the gods were just elves." romelos feels a tear slip down her cheek and she wishes she had something to drink. "he.. made the veil, ages ago. it destroyed the ancient elven culture. made us.. weak, i guess? without a strong connection to the fade." she tries to focus on what solas had said, not the pained expression on his face when he said it. 

"the breach, the orb, corypheus.. it was all him. he wants to tear the veil down, to restore elves to our former status. it would just be great if he could do it without destroying the world!" bull's grip around her tightened comfortingly. 

"i'm sorry, red. this must be hard to deal with." he laughs a little and rubs the back of his head. "i guess that's putting it lightly." 

"i just wish i didn't.. understand him? i can see how he thinks he has to do this. i understand his motivation, even if i don't agree with it. but i can't help thinking that if i had done something different, i could have made him change his mind."  

"hey," varric said sharply. "none of this is your fault. if he wants to be a jerk of the highest degree, thats his business. you didn't make him do it, and, knowing chuckles, you couldn't have stopped him even if you knew what it was you had to stop." romelos thinks of hawke, and thinks that this isn't the first time varric has had to talk a hero-leader out of self-loathing and blame. she smiles a little. she's glad to have them here. 

"how are you guys doing?" she asks. other than herself, they're the two people who are most upset at cole leaving, and perhaps the two most upset about solas' betrayal. she thinks they were almost friends, as much as solas would let himself have real friends. 

"we're ok, boss." bull's voice rumbles under her ear. "you're still here." 

"and it looks like the anchor isn't gonna kill you anymore." 

"and it's not my ex-boyfriend about to destroy the world." 

romelos laughs, and only regrets it a little when the pain behind her eyes throbs. she is glad to have them.

#sinatext #oc: romelos #my inquisitors #writing tag