#avvar design

[lairofdragonagelore]

DLC: Honnleath and Enchanter Wilhelm’s basement - DAO

[Remade post, originally from here] 

In this attempt to play as an archaeologist, I went to recruit Shale and found several interesting statues that I did not remember they were there. 

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

[Index page of Dragon Age Lore]

The village and the first floor of the Enchanter’s house don’t have much to offer. We only found the typical dragon-like head symbol, which is a recurrent detail in many Tevinter ruins [Like the Ruins in Brecilian Forest] or in front of the Temple of Andraste. It’s hard to assume with certainty what represents exactly but we can speculate it’s a symbol related to old gods or/and dragons and, ironically, to Andraste sometimes. 

The most intriguing part in this house is its cellar, where the child is under the control of a desire demon possessing a cat. 

Here, the mage Wilhelm developed a puzzle that, curiously, has the same Chantry-like symbol than the quincunx arrangement found in Brecilian Ruins. We know due to the desire demon trapped in the cat that this is a device to sustain a field that prevents the demon to abandon the place. One may imagine that something of the like was performed in Brecilian Ruins, and went wrong, causing the Veil to thin in that part of Thedas. 

This device has six statues around the puzzle, which make no sense for them to be there. 

By the disposition of them, one could assume that these are the entities [the representation of them] that power up the field around this place. But it’s a mere speculation.  It feels like they used all what they had to make this DLC without developing anything new, no matter if it made some sense.

Starting from the top left, we have:

The first one is the usual Avvar statue of a man with a shield and a dagger. This statue is used in the Temple of Andraste to represent Maferath. They also appear in The Fade with arms made out of tentacles.

The second one is the same dragon-like Old God statue we found in the Brecilian Ruins during the  Dalish Origin, before reaching the Eluvian. It’s the same statue that Tamlen identifies as Falon’Din. This statue is also found in the basement of the Mage Tower of Ferelden [here] where the Circle keeps relics that are mostly from Tevinter. 

The third statue is the monstrosity of three heads. It can be found in the basement of the Mage Tower of Ferelden too, and in the Temple of Andraste, as guardians of the entrance towards her ashes. They are exactly in a place where you can find ruined paintings, one of them representing the Old God statue. So far, I could not find any way to link this statue to any lore. It feels like a monster proper of The Horror of Hormak . Or maybe, it’s related to Tevinter, since they have a representation of a three-head serpent statue too. Curiously, you can also find this statue in the residence of the Arl in Denerim [as decoration? lol]

The fourth is a typical statue we find in DAO to represent the Alamarri people. This same statue can be found in the basement of the Mage Tower of Ferelden [here] where it has trapped the soul of  Eleni Zinovia who was a former consort and advisor to Archon Valerius, and the mother of Archon Hessarian [the Archon who killed Andraste when she was burning].

The fifth statue must be an Old God, most likely Urthemiel, thanks to the iconography we find in the game files. We saw it in The Fade , and in the basement of the Tower of the Circle of Magi as well. This is the representation of the archdemons that we know were conceived originally according to concept art present in the instruction book of DA:O, but their tentacles made it difficult to animate in the game. In some interviews to Gaider, he explains that this concept was changed into dragons just because animation was easier this way in addition to the requirement that a game called Dragon Age should show more dragons too. 

And finally, the sixth statue is a warrior-like holding a sword. I tend to relate this statue as the representation of Tevinter people. In the Temple of Andraste we found this statue related to Archon Hessarian.

It’s hard to understand why such a mess of statues are there, and why they are arranged in a way that may imply they are sustaining the barrier. So far, the purpose of just pointing this out and gathering information related to architecture and statues and symbols we found around has been completed with this post.

My conclusion is that, specially in DLCs, they reuse resources already present in the game and sometimes this works against any intention of reading information in the environment. DAO in particular has always been very weak in this sense, unlike DAI.

[Index page of Dragon Age Lore ]

#Playing DA like an archaeologist #alamarri #avvar #avvar design #alamarri design #Old Gods

[whoisnotmyname]

fresh new paint job

#trying not to think about how muchi wnt to leave this counrty #by slappin gunnjar with paint #nailed it #my art #gunnjar #avvar #da #mostly #art #character design

[thekingofwinterblog]

Decline of the Avvar

So just a sad little thing I noticed from the Awakening DLC, is just how far the Avvar of the current Dragon age timeline has fallen back from their heighday when they were just as prominent in the Fertile valley as the chasind and the Alamarri(the people that won the war for the good land east of the Frostbacks, and became the Fereldens).

The Avvar are the Dragon Age's equivelant of the Norse, just like the Fereldens are the equivelant of the Anglo-Saxons and great britains Celts, if they had thriumphed over the invading normans, and reached the high middle ages as Britains dominant culture.

Only where the Fereldens despite their hardships were thriumphant, the Avvar instead is what the Norse would have become if they were defeated, displaced, and pushed further into the wilds by the people who took their lands.

They have become little more than barbarian Goat herders, raiders and hunters, living on what measle food they can produce through animal husbandry, hunting, and raiding. They fight with crude weapons, often stone hammers, or weapons clerly made from crude metal. The only real exception being their exceptional magical weapons of enchanted ice.

Their idea of heavy armor is leather, intervoven with simple metal plates intervowen with leather and furs, to varying degrees of effectiveness.

But it wasn't always this way.

In Awakening, we get a short glimpse of just how advanced the Avvar of that age actually was, and just how far north their traditional people once lived, having been the original masters of the lands around modern Vigil's keep.

They had full plate armor, advanced, enchanted swords, and was skilled enough in stone building that they constucted massive, stone mausoleums.

Either they forged these themselves, or as the designs imply, they traded these armaments from the Dwarves, but regardless, it speaks of a far richer, more advanced, and powerfull society than the current pockets of Avvar civilation left in the modern day.

It also highlights the fact that the "Barbarian Horde" of Holy warriors that Andraste led north to try and snuff out the Tevinter Imperium forever and end slavery, was a far, far cry from the way many people in universe tries to portray them as.

While they might not have been as rich as the Tevinter Imperium at it's height, these were powerful people in their own right, and no wonder is there that they fought the wretched Vints every, single stage of their expansion through Ferelden.

#dragon age awakening #dragon age #meta #avvar #avvar lord #plate armor #technology #decline #norse

[justanartsysideblog]

Concept art for my Witcherlass Rinah as an Avvar in Dragon age. Had fun designing her outfit and might do a full picture later.

#Rinah #avvar #dragon age #witcherlass #cinn art

[ladydarksbane]

Adaar Loves Horn Rubs

Inquisitor Anaan Adaar forged a strong bond with his comrade, Iron Bull, throughout their time together in the Inquisition. They had fought side by side, facing countless dangers and emerging victorious against challenging foes. Dragons, demons, vints, Avvar, it didn’t matter… the bigger the better.  Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of their missions, they found solace in their camaraderie and shared experiences.

One day, as they set up camp after a particularly grueling battle, Adaar found himself leaning against a tree, lost in his thoughts. Iron Bull noticed his kadan's pensive expression and approached him with a friendly grin.

"Hey, boss. Something on your mind?" Iron Bull asked, his deep voice filled with genuine concern.

Adaar looked up, meeting Iron Bull's gaze. "Just reflecting on everything we've been through, Bull. Sometimes it's hard to believe we've made it this far."

Iron Bull nodded, his expression reflecting the weight of their shared experiences. "Yeah, it's been a hell of a ride. But we're still standing, and we've got each other's backs."

A brief silence hung in the air, both warriors lost in their thoughts. Then, Iron Bull's face broke into a mischievous smile.

"You know, kadan," he said, a playful glint in his eye, "there's one thing I've noticed about you. You seem to enjoy it when I rub your horns."

Adaar's eyes widened in surprise, and a faint blush colored his cheeks. He hadn't expected Iron Bull to bring up such a personal and intimate detail, but he couldn't deny the truth in his words. There was an undeniable pleasure in the sensation of his horns being rubbed.

With a smirk, Adaar responded, "Well, I must admit, Bull, there's something oddly soothing about it. It's like a massage for the soul."

Iron Bull chuckled deeply. "I knew it! You're not the only one, kadan. Many Qunari find it relaxing. It's like scratching an itch you never knew you had."

Curiosity piqued, Adaar asked, "Is it a common practice among the Qunari?"

Iron Bull shrugged. "Can't speak for all of them, but I've met a fair number who enjoy it. Maybe it's something about the horns being a part of our identity and having them tended to... It just feels good."

A playful grin tugged at the corners of Adaar's lips. "Well, then, Bull, I suppose you've discovered my secret weakness. Are you offering to give me a horn rub?"

Iron Bull's eyes sparkled with mirth. "Of course, kadan. I'm always here to provide a quality horn-rubbing service. Just let me know when you're in need."

They shared a hearty laugh, the weight of their battles momentarily forgotten. In that lighthearted moment, Adaar realized that it wasn't just the physical act of rubbing his horns that brought him joy; it was the connection he shared with Iron Bull, the trust and companionship that had developed between them.

A few days later, Iron Bull surprised Adaar with a small jar of horn balm. He had crafted it himself, a blend of soothing oils and herbs specifically designed for the care of Qunari horns.

"Thought you might appreciate this, boss," Iron Bull said, handing the jar to Adaar. "It'll keep your horns healthy and make the rubbing even more enjoyable."

Adaar examined the jar, a mixture of gratitude and amusement on his face. "You truly think of everything, Bull. Thank you."

As the nights grew colder and their adventures continued, Adaar would occasionally retrieve the jar of horn balm and indulge in the sensation of rubbing it onto his horns. The fragrant oils would soothe his senses, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and contentment.

In those moments, Adaar realized that it wasn't just about the physical pleasure of having his horns rubbed or the practicality of the horn balm. It was about the bond he shared with Iron Bull, the understanding and care that transcended words.

Through the simple act of tending to Adaar's horns, Iron Bull exhibited a great deal of love, nurturing a connection that went deeper than battles and war. And in those shared moments, Adaar found solace and a reminder that even in the harshest of worlds, there was room for gentleness and compassion.

#adaar #qunari inquisitor #adaar x iron bull #inquisitor adaar #dragon age: inquisition #da:i #the iron bull #adaar x bull #qunari horns #horn rubs #horn balm #varric didn't have any so bull made some #kadan #dragon age

[anneapocalypse]

Mark Darrah's Memories and Lessons from Dragon Age: Origins

Former BioWare developer and Executive Producer Mark Darrah talks about the development of Dragon Age: Origins.

Summary below the cut!

Dragon Age: Origins was always conceived as the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate.

It changed engines several times, starting out on the Neverwinter Nights engine before being merged with Tag. It bounced back and forth between having and not having multiplayer.

The franchise was without a name for a long time while the first game was in development. The name was chosen essentially by compiling lists of fantasy words and smashing them together until "Dragon Age" was chosen. Darrah feels that Dragon Age isn't a perfect name, but it gets the job done.

There weren't actually dragons in the game before the name "Dragon Age" was chosen. The game was effectively "retrofitted" to the name. The archdemon was originally conceived as more of an angel kind of figure (and there's some early concept art in the video that looks more like how Corypheus and the Architect ended being designed).

"Origins are an interesting and troublesome feature," says Darrah, because they "allow you to establish a view upon the world depending on which origin you choose," and they add replay value to the game. From a development perspective though, they are "a bit of a nightmare" because you have to build six different tutorial levels. Tutorials have to be done very late in the process and have a big job of onboarding the player, so they're very labor-intensive. From a perspective of efficiency, multiple origins are not a great idea, but sometimes a "bad idea" ends up being the thing that sets your game apart.

Darrah came over to Origins mid-development after Revolver was canceled.

There was originally an Avvar origin that began in the Korcari Wilds, which was cut from the game before Darrah came to it. Two origins for each playable race was the original plan.

Darrah talks about how when a cut is made, it doesn't necessarily cut the same amount of development resources as it cuts content for the player. The more resources different parts of the game share, the less impact cuts have on development time. By the time he came to Origins, there was very little left that could be cut.

He feels that Orzammar has the most distinctly "Dragon Age" art direction, whereas the rest of the game have a very generic fantasy aesthetic.

Darrah prefers to think of "dark fantasy" as fantasy that deals with darker themes, not simply fantasy that has sex and blood. He thinks that the Dragon Age games have been moving gradually from low dark fantasy to more high epic fantasy.

He cites "Broken Circle" and "Lost in Dreams" as a part of the game that got unintentionally stretched out because the original concept was just the idea of arriving at the tower, and then entering the Fade, without considering what would be in the tower itself. "Luke" [Kristjanson?] then wrote the content that would actually fill the tower, but that additional length to the quest hadn't been considered when it was first considered, so the quest became a lot longer. He also points out that as the mage origin expanded to use more of the tower, "Broken Circle" was affected as well as that was more tower space that needed to be filled.

He cites the Fade as an example of how you need to be careful, when you're building a party-based game, when you decide to take the party away and make the player character fight alone, and some players won't be equipped for them. Expectations may need to be set early if some things are going to be taken away from the player later.

By the time Darrah took over, the story had been written and re-written, and the content mostly just needed to be finished.

He thinks that the job of porting the game to consoles in the late stages of development allowed them an opportunity to get one last good look and re-evaluate things. A longer post-production could probably benefit a lot of games, but he doesn't think that's likely to happen broadly in the industry.

One of the things he's proud of on Origins is how well the project controlled its bugs along the way rather than having a ballooning bug list at the end

He talks about Warden's Quest, a 24-hour play session they ran during Alpha in London, which the player who made it the furthest in 24 hours won a cash prize. There was also a very intense press tour in Europe.

The marketing for Origins really played up the Wardens as the coolest thing ever, and this caused some apparent confusion or disappointment with Dragon Age II when the protagonist was not a Warden. He says that "People market well," meaning that centering the marketing around some kind of image of the playable character tends to be effective, but it can also have its own problems, like giving people the mistaken impression that the player character is more static than they actually are.

EA was used to using up-and-coming pop music artists in their properties when Dragon Age: Origins was coming out, hence the Marilyn Manson trailer and the 30 Seconds to Mars end credits song.

The Shale add-on "The Stone Prisoner" was originally part of something called "Project Ten Dollars," in which an otherwise $10 DLC would come free as a download with a one-time code included with a new copy of the game. This would effectively devalue a used copy of the game by that $10. There was a lot of PR backlash to this tactic, with people believing that the add-on content had been cut from the game purely so that it could be additionally monetized. This wasn't actually true, as Shale had been cut for time limitations by the time the game was completed, but was able to be finished as an add-on before the game shipped. Project Ten Dollars ultimately generated such negative PR that EA discontinued it. Darrah says it was a clever idea, but "if the audience rejects your clever idea, it's not such a clever idea, is it?"

Awakening was in development while the base game was being ported to consoles. It sold well because it had a strong retail presence as an expansion pack and came out not too long after the base game. Expansion packs with a retail presence marketed like a full game (asAwakeningwas) have mostly disappeared.

With the success of the Mass Effect Trilogy remaster, a lot of people have wondered about a remaster of the Dragon Age games. Darrah distinguishes between a remake, which actually affects content, and a remaster, which updates aesthetic aspects of the game like graphics. He thinks a remake is unlikely forDragon Age: Origins,which might require a lot of changes to make it more palatable to present sensibilities; a remaster, on the other hand, could conceivably happen, and any such project would probably end up bringing DA2 along with it. A remaster of Inquisition would be pretty minimal work, since as Darrah points out, it still looks pretty good if you turn all the settings up.

Darrah also talks about his tendency to want to bring balance to a situation, and how he's learned that this can actually polarize a disagreement further by making people feel that they're not being heard. He hopes he's grown out of this habit by now and learned to listen first and let people know they're being heard. In game development, it's important to be able to communicate with people who express things in different ways.

Regarding the next Dragon Age game: Darrah says he sees a lot of similarities to Origins. The project has been in development for a long time and has seen several changes in direction and in leadership. He says he's confident in the team, that no game is the product of one individual's vision but about the collective creativity of a team, and that there is still a team with experience in the IP and a continuity of vision. He also feels that EA learned certain lessons from projects like Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. He encourages fans not to be worried about the game just because any one specific person isn't on it.

#mark darrah #mark darrah on games #dragon age #dragon age origins #dragon age awakening #game dev #bioware #ea #Youtube

[eluvianarts]

Pleased to share my addition to the DTIYS that @chrissabug is hosting over on Deviant Art! 💗

My mind got away from me & I ended up designing a whole Dragon Age AU backstory for her that involves this Qunari mage living a free life under the guidance of the Avvar. She took the Orlesian accent & fashion from one mother & the Avvar determination & harmonious magic skills from the other.

Saarebas

#DTIYS #Draw this in your style #ChrissaBug #Drawing challenge #qunari #elf #fae #witch #mage #magic #sorceress #enchantress #fantasy #mystery #elegant #witchtober #spooky #spooky season #Orlesian #Avvar #drawing #art #magical #Dragon Age #Art challenge #ChrissaBug10K

[shizuu-chann]

Favorite DA: Inquisition maps...

...and a short description of why--

Frostback Basin; I dunno what to say other than this is my favorite map ever. It's stunning and the quests involved are so fun. I mean, the tree house camps??? Hello?? *chef's kiss* And Ameridan is a fucking snack and I love his name.

Emerald Graves; Pretty much the same reasons as the Frostback Basin. It's just so vibrant and green, and I love trees in general. So the enormous, healthy greenery of the trees in this map makes me want to weep. Would be #1 if I wasn't including DLC maps. Also, I wish there were more remarks about the area from a Dalish Inquisitor or an Inquisitor with the History Knowledge perk.

The Deep Roads; I thought the map design was amazing, and the quests and little collection sidequests are delightful~ Also, Nug King.

Hissing Wastes; I don't know why I like this map so much, but I do, Maybe it's bc your explore it at night and the giant moon and the blanket of stars are lovely, but idk. It's a little tedious to traverse, but I generally don't mind.

The Hinterlands; I feel like this might surprise some people, considering every gaming news article suggests to get out of the Hinterlands as soon as you possible can, but I love this map. I describe it as one of the most beautiful maps with the most boring quests. Understandable, since it's an early-game map, but still. The little lake area near Valamar is my favorite <3

Emprise du Lion; This is where we start getting into maps I dislike. I don't hate Emprise du Lion, but I don't love it, either. Honestly, what drives me nuts is the constant howling wolves. If I'm in just the right (or perhaps wrong) mood, I have to leave the map bc the howling grates on my nerves. It's also a bit of a labyrinth to navigate.

Crestwood; I don't know why, but I hate this map when you finally close the rift under the lake. I try to complete all the quests at night while it's still raining and save closing it for pretty much last. It's not that visually attractive and the quests are boring. Plus, I feel bad for the dragon that's just minding it's own business and gets woken up by nearly drowning...

Forbidden Oasis; The oasis is pretty, but navigation is a bitch.

The Fallow Mire; Quests are interesting-ish, and the Avvar brat who wants to fight you is funny bc I love his father, but otherwise it's creepy and wet, and so help me if Cassandra challenges or Dorian casts another AOE spell that sets the bogfishers off...

The Western Approach; What can I say here? It's large, it's a desert, and I wish there were more Warden journals or something around. Though, I do really love the black tar areas beyond the bounds of the explorable area, and I desperately want to go to the other abandoned ruins off in the distance. But having to cross the sulfur pits to get to the other side of the map is uuuuggghhh.

The Storm Coast; Really pretty map, love all the greenery, but annoying as fuck to navigate because of all the goddamn HILLS that you can't Skyrim spam-jump your way up.

Exalted Plains; I don't think this one needs explanation, honestly. Desolate, sad, desecrated bc of the stupid war between royal twats, undead fucking everywhere, STALLED EVERY TIME YOU TURN AROUND BC OF BROKEN WOODEN WALLS/BARRACKS/ROCKS, no music in the background only this annoying droning... This map sucks and I always finish it as soon as possible so I never have to go back.

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #dai #dragon age maps

[kiivg]

are Doherty's stripes kaddish? Or tattoos? When does he get them?

.They are kaddis!! I figured that Fereldan’s or at least those who couldn’t afford warpaint that’s made for people would just apply mabari warpaint; which I imagine is cheaper because they just slap it on the dogs, whereas warpaint for people would have to be tested and stuff. Maybe it’s bad for skin or something, definitely not as poisonous as Vitaar would be for humans but there’s something bad in it for you.

.And he paints himself! I do think I should design something fancier, like his hands and forearms should be almost entirely covered to give some sort of protection if he’s casting spells without a stave; which it seems he does a lot since he’s proficient in physical magic. Plus it’d probably provide a barrier with him doing healing magic too, or would he just get paint in the wounds 🤔.

.He starts applying warpaint some time after he leaves Kirkwall, mostly because he becomes something of a wandering hermit, constantly trying to evade the Seekers, Templar zealots, and probably bounty hunters from Starkhaven and the Free Marches and probably anywhere else lbh... I was going to have some sort of Avvar thing where he meets one whose doing something idk, since I based some of his armours (particularly the way he wraps his waist) around the Sky Watcher(?) from DAI, but honestly I think it’s just Fereldan-Wilderness-Stylee 💫.

.EDIT: In DAO you can talk to some Ash Warriors(?) in Ostagar and they actually paint themselves and their dogs with Kaddis so their mabari can distinguish them on the battlefield by their smell. And they seem to have a deeper connection with their dogs, one of them says something like “if my hound falls in battle we will mourn tonight” like these dogs are family to them. My Hawke wouldn’t know that specifically (unless Andrastopher told him at some point) so maybe he just slaps himself with Kaddis like “hey ho this works” 👹.

#answers #doherty Hawke #anonymous #dragon age

[sourcannelloni]

Here's yet another wip of my Avvar Warrior! Now with a name! (Maybe, I'll see if it sticks). Anyways, this is Ilta (it/they).

Ilta is a Finnish word meaning evening. Even though the Avvar seem to take up inspiration from scandinavian culture, i Figured I might as well throw some self representation in by adding some Finnish influence to the mix!

As I'm not home rn I'm debating if I should colour this with pencils instead of markers as I usually do.. But the pencils I have are rather restrictive in the range...

Oh well!

I'm happy with the design itself, more details will be added as I colour it :D

#sour characters #original character #character design #traditional art #dragon age #artists on tumblr #dragon age oc #lineart #work in progress

[lairofdragonagelore]

Hinterlands: Tyrdda Bright-Axe Path

Tyrdda Bright-Axe was a legendary Alamarri chieftain attributed with founding the Avvar.

I personally thought that following the stanza [complete saga here] would point me out to Avvar sculptures. But I had strange results.  Also, the way these stanzas are written are quite difficult for me to understand, so any misinterpretation or mistake pointed out would be appreciated.

Updated December 2022

First stanza is given by the wolf/horse statue. It makes sense because it’s an Avvar/Alamarri statue, in the open, surrounded by avvar/alamarri arcs. The first stanza mostly says that Tyrdda was gifted in diplomacy and wisdom, and had a spirit as a lover who had the shape of an elf and it was considered The Lady of the Skies. Here is where the presence of elves among the Avvar shows.

Second stanza… things begin to look very strange. It’s triggered inside the Calenhad’s foothold, which is a recent construction, but we can assume that Tyrdda lived in the zone [close to the Calenhad Lake, after all]. Inside, there are many Ferelden paintings on the walls, and in a corner, we find the statue that triggers this stanza: the one usually considered elven, representing Dirthamen [Or Falon’Din, read the post Exalted Plains: Northern Ramparts and Citadelle du Corbeau for more details on this statue]

This stanza speaks about one of Tyrdda’s suitors: Thelm Gold-Handed, who apparently was a strong warrior; took weak clans, fed them and turned them into his army giving them weapons and armour. Apparently a demon [whispers in his dreams] encouraged him to reach a Golden City in the north. Even though it sounds similar to the Chant of Light, we also have Arlathan which was considered a “golden city in the north” by humans [We know in the Shattered Library that it was blue and more like a sky], so this stanza may mean Arlathan as well as the Golden City for all what we know. 

The third one is the mysterious Faceless figure holding a crown. It’s this same statue which allows you to rise an undead, which tomb shows Elvhen funerary lids. Is this statue Elven related? If the executors are an odd elvhen faction, and if that statue is an executor [simply because we can’t see their skin or face], maybe this situation could make a little more sense. So far, to me, makes no sense at all. 

Updated December 2022: I finally managed to understand and justify the statue Faceless figure holding a crown. It's andrastian and represents the Maker. The stained glass of Andraste's life represents him as a figure without face with a crown that looks very similar to this one. As The Maker, it makes a lot of more sense for it to appear in the places it does.

The third stanza basically says that Thelm wanted to marry Tyrdda to have her men as part of his army to reach the Golden City. She was tempted, since her tribe was starving due to the hard winter and the promises of food in the Golden city made her hesitate. She looked for the counsel of her elven lover, who saw the lies in Thelm. So that Tyrdda rejected him.

The fourth one is nicely marked on a hill through a path guided by the little guys of long arms and moustache [that I’m fond to consider the avvar representation of Dwarves with long limbs]. On its top, we find this eroded statue that looks like a dragon head [See the post Hinterlands: Statues, paintings, and structures found in the open]

The fourth stanza explains how Thelm did not take the rejection of Tyrdda well and fought her, wearing armour. He damaged her leg, but she killed him by burning him inside his armour, using the staff of her elven lover. 

The fifth staza is triggered by a screaming head, one of the Keepers of Fear.

The stanza tells that Tyrdda took her tribe and left the Calenhad lake heading to the Frostback Mountains. They took shelter in a cave where a dragon was found.  She asked for help to her elven lover, shouting her: "You I chose above a crown!" and the dragon was struck from the skies, saving the tribe.

The sixth stanza confirms my supposition that this statue is the avvar representation of a dwarf: it tells how after the battle, strong and shaped by the struggles, she went deeper into the cave reaching the Deep Roads, meeting the dwarves for the first time: Hendir’s men. The encounter was tense, ready to attack each other, until Tyrdda’s lover whispered her information to understand these men. She explained her that they were honourable, so Tyrdda chose to trade with them instead of making war.  

The seventh stanza is found in the central massive sculpture  of crossroads [Hinterlands] that must represent Tyrdda herself. It explains that after spending a night with her elven lover, the elf left her, whispering in her dreams that she needed to have a child in order to continue with the tribe. She had a baby with the dwarf prince Hendir, following the advice of her lover, who told her that one of her line, Morrighan'nan, “will shine in strength”.

The last stanza is found in this place where we can see one of these small sculptures with a dove that I thought were Andrastian.  It says that once Tyrdda saw her tribe stable, strong and safe with the alliance with the dwarves, she put her child as chieftain of the tribe and left to the skies to reunite with her elven lover in the afterlife [sky burial].

[Index page of Dragon Age Lore ]

#avvar #avvar design #tyrdda bright-axe #Monolith with swirls #Humanoid Dirthamen/Falon'Din #Faceless figure holding a crown #Dwarf with long limbs #Eroded dragon skull #Keepers of Fear

[whoisnotmyname]

“So, a short Avvar and a tall elf walk into The Hanged Man.....”

redrew some bros in their dragon age au designs! We love seeing a good growth comparison (and best friends being Dumb, always)

#they're the best bros #the way these two have tripped headfirst into so much fucking shit #laurust #gunnjar #dragon age #dragon age au #avvar #art #my art #elf #laurust is i think dalish but left to unfortunately deal with humans #i think?

[dragon-age-codex-entries]

Codex entry: Mouth of Echoes

“The savages speak to their gods in the cave passage. They call it the Mouth of Echoes. They light fires and feed them with green spruce and shout their questions into the deep. They say answers come to them on the last whispered echo. Superstition, we laughed. And now Razikale is silent and madness descends. I can only think, what if? What if there are irregularities in the Veil here? What if we could secure the Avvar cave and bend it to our purposes?

The slaves are gathering materials. We will build a shrine to the Dragon of Mystery—implant foci into the walls, cut sacred designs into the stone, the better to hear her with. We will hear her voice again, or we will die.”

—Scribbled in blood-red ink on parchment found in the Mouth of Echoes

#dragon age #codex entry #letters and notes

[softersinned-arc]

@xfindingtrouble said: [ FOREHEAD ]:          sender lowers their head to press their forehead against the receiver’s, trying to comfort them in the process. ellis, right after battle, wanting to comfort astoria but also make sure she is okay physically.

Talking darkspawn. She thought she'd seen it all, and yet...

The stench of darkspawn blood is near enough to make her ill. Six months without it has lowered her tolerance. The rain is a relief, cold enough to keep her grounded despite the absolute impossibility of what she's just seen, what she's just heard. Still, there's a strange comfort to it: the blades in her hands fit there as though they were made for her. The sting and burn in her palms from the unexpected bursts of magic are welcome.

And now, the warmth of bare, calloused hands on her: Ellis' gloves are abandoned somewhere and his fingers press carefully against the back of her neck, thumbs beneath her chin and guiding her face up towards his. For several long, wonderful moments her face is shielded from the rain as Ellis rests his forehead against hers and takes in a slow breath. He is not a peaceful man, not a quiet man, and whatever serenity he finds is rare and hard-won. But for now, for only a moment, between one breath and the next he seems to grant himself permission to feel some small measure of that peace so often denied him.

Astoria's own hands come to rest against his face, fingers slipping into his curls, and she closes her eyes and smiles. "Your hair is longer," she says, repeating her greeting to him from down in the Keep. It had been a silly thing to say then, practically dripping with darkspawn blood, bruised but miraculously whole, and it's a silly thing to say now, but it deserves to be said all the same. "I like it. It draws attention to the shape of your face. Particularly those cheekbones."

She hears a huff of tired laughter and she opens her eyes. Ellis draws back from her only enough to see her without having to cross his eyes, his hands slipping to her shoulders, skating down her arms, grasping her wrists. It's a familiar pattern: they gravitate towards each other, the rest of the world be damned, and they take what chances they have to heal one another, physically, emotionally. "Are you—?"

"I'm alright, sweet thing. No open wounds." She remembers her grandfather explaining to Ellis their burial rites, that those afflicted with the taint are not returned to the Lady of the Skies, and she wonders how often he thinks of that, if he thinks of it at all. The practical, earthly concerns of the taint are certainly enough. She's lucky; she's not dressed for battle, though her clothes were designed to be at least somewhat hardy. "I really do like your hair like this."

His hands fall to her waist, fuller than it was when they saw each other last. "You're eating more." It's a compliment; the constant stress of war and the insecurity of food left her too thin during the Blight, and when he presses his fingers gently to her sides and her back, he can't count her ribs so easily. "How long are you here?"

Astoria's lips curl up and she stands a little straighter in his grasp, and when she speaks she's mimicking the gentle lilt of her father's accent. "On behalf of the Donnellys of the city of Amaranthine, and out of respect for our families' long histories of friendship, we humbly offer our services to the Warden Commander, along with our unconditional fealty to the new Arl." She relaxes again, hands still at his face, expression impossibly fond. She's missed him. Six months apart have felt like hell after being together nearly every moment of every day for so long. "I made arrangements with Anora to help with the transition months ago, as well. The First Warden and the Orlesians have been a great help, but there's been a great deal of cleanup necessary after the Blight. I helped. Besides, it used to be Avvar." She laughs, stands on her toes to press a kiss to his forehead. "Thought you might find use for an historian. And I missed you."

The last words are so simple, so direct, as though she shouldn't have to say it. She missed him. Of course she missed him. How could she not? He is as necessary to her as the air in her lungs and the blood in her veins, dearer to her than anything or anyone could ever be. He is a piece of her, an extension of her soul. What more could she want than to be with him, wherever he is?

He lets out a snort of laughter. "Did you miss the darkspawn, too?"

"Worth it," she says at once, and she forgets that they have an audience, she forgets that there's blood and gore dripping from her hemline, forgets the rain. They didn't have much of a chance for a reunion earlier, and she can't bear the thought of not having a proper one now. "What about you? Are you hurt?" She's about to tell him that she's been working on her healing, that she's gotten better at it than she'd expected she could, but Oghren lets out a cough loud and hacking enough to pierce the shroud of privacy they've woven around them. It might have been meant as a discreet method of getting their attention, or reminding them of the others, but it simply sounds... wet.

"He's fine," Oghren says, "and I think that's Her Royalness approaching—"

It's a good catch. And Oghren is a good friend. Still, when Astoria feels Ellis gently extracting himself from her grasp, she has to fight the urge to simply throw him over the side of the Vigil and call it a day.

This is Warden business. Astoria keeps her distance as Ellis speaks to Anora, that fleeting moment of peace gone and the tension visibly returning to his shoulders. But he catches her hand in his own and squeezes her fingers as he passes her, and when he can't sleep that night they find each other, by chance or by fate, on the battlements, and they wind themselves around each other like they did when they were younger, more innocent.

They tell each other stories that might not be true, but the value, they know, isn't in the truth—it's in the telling. And she has missed telling him stories.

#xfindingtrouble #xfindingtrouble ( ellis cousland ) #iii. the difference my love is that when you laugh i forget about the sky. ( ellis x astoria ) #i. here's the truth from my red lips. ( answers ) #(i MISSED them) #tw: body image

[alienturnipp]

Character design commission for @kyupidete, of her Inquisitor Fyrrn📜🦁

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #avvar inquisitor #dragon age commission #fyrrn lejonhjärta #character design #drawing #alien turnip's art #alien turnip's commission #thank you again for commissioning me!

[levikra]

Okay, I know someone requested an Avvar Cullen, but have you considered.... Avvar Cassandra? I don't think my ass can handle that much sexiness, therefore I'd love to see it.

Avvar Cassandra Pentaghast

Thank you for the request, dear! I don’t know how about you, but I certainly couldn’t handle her gorgeousness xD

#dragon age #dragon age fanart #dragon age fandom #dai #dragon age inquistion #avvar #avvar au #avvar cassandra #cassandra pentaghast #levikra draws stuff #fan art #digital art #the design is not 100% avvar ofc #mostly drew inspiration from avvar and created my own interpretation of the outfit