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stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage · 1 month

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Me, when Sebastian joins my party for the first time: Okay, this time I'm not going to forget about you, Sebastian. I'm going to make an effort to use you a lot this playthrough so I can better understand you.

Also me, immediately forgetting about Sebastian while finishing Act 2 and making it halfway through Act 3 before I finally notice his Faith quest: ......................Oh. Right. My bad.

#da2 #dragon age 2 #sebastian vael #listen in my defense..........i don't like bringing sebastian anywhere sksksks #okay look i seriously tried but every time i bring him somewhere i always think man i wish i had brought someone else #and also i do just forget about him! i finally added him to my party at one point and he had 24 points to spend...#that's how long i neglected him after i promised myself i was gonna use him more and then i didn't #it's not that i don't like sebastian as a character though i do tend to side eye him A LOT... it's just that i like everyone else more #even aveline like i'd take aveline over sebastian any day and that's saying something... or is it? i have a lot of feelings about aveline #whereas my feelings about sebastian could maybe fill a thimble...it doesn't help that in my canon run as a mage hawke #i romance anders and well... sebastian wants me to kill anders and my hawke is like 'do i approve of blowing up the chantry? complicated.'#'am i breaking up with anders for this? absolutely. do i still love him? mmhmmm. am i going to kill him sebby? i'd sooner set varric aflame #then sebastian threatens to bring an army to kirkwall and leaves so i can't say i have the greatest opinion on him #even the time where i did kill anders and he stayed in my party he was just... there #and then he glitched out and started t posing while asking if ed ever found out what anders wanted to do in the chantry so..... yeah #but even this playthrough where i'm playing as a lady warrior with a different personality and everything... i'd just rather use anyone els #also keep him away from bethany i do not approve sksksks she's too good for him #i want to understand and see the different angles of him like with the other companions but i've yet to convince myself to do it #also sebastian romancers out there can you like... explain? genuinely can you explain the appeal? i'm curious #because of all the love interests in da2 i look at sebastian and you'd think i'd maybe be more interested? but it's like...#i know about the chaste marriage and everything like that's fine i don't need sex to be a thing in the relationship but it feels less like #an asexual romance and more like... y'know... being with a priest and i guess that's just not one of my kinks? sksksks #i guess there's also the prince angle but i romanced alistair in dao and kept him a grey warden i don't really care about royalty power #and i don't have issues with him being a part of the chantry [well i do but yknow what i mean] since i romanced cullen in dai #and his whole deal with the chantry and magic and shit makes his romance interesting to me but sebastian is just.... a bit too much i think #i don't know i'd like to understand because i really don't but i also keep forgetting about him

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hiddenbeks · 5 months

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hrmm. i wish u could do actually bad/evil/stupid decisions with bad consequences in dai. yknow. like an actual rpg

#im just thinking abt celyn and the fact that shes licherally the least qualified of my dragon age heroes for the position of inquisitor #which is hilarious but also interesting and i wish i could explore that in the game. yknow #ch: celyn #like shes a blood mage n part of the mage rebellion she hates the chantry she would blow one up à la anders if she could #she was raised in a tower with no contact with the outside world n didnt get out until the age of 19 when andrale conscripted her #she is full of pent up anger she has no skill in diplomacy no idea how to lead n represent some holy army or manage foreign relations #and the only reason anyone listens to her is bc she has the anchor n bc shes kinda terrifying.#obviously the game cant accommodate every possible backstory n personality the player cooks up in their head for their inky #and i Guess not being able to roleplay properly is purely my fault for making a character with a homebrewn backstory in the first place lol #but like...... it would have been so interesting if they'd shown the inquisitor struggling with their position #and given them opportunities to make mistakes that are objectively bad #bc like none of the origins is qualified for that shit lmao. except maybe non-mage trevelyan #so in fact its also bw's fault for giving such vague backstories for the origins #like they could've given us a character who is qualified and whose competence is believable. like shepard or whatev #or. they could've kept the vague backstories n let players come up with the rest and given more room for roleplaying #and presented opportunities for the inky to struggle leading a fantasy catholic army #when they've never been in a leadership position before and/or are not fantasy catholic themselves #god i just!!!!! the lack of Thought put into dai's writing still frustrates me in the year of our lord 2023!!!!!!#they dont even let you shank an npc for looking at you wrong like in dao!!!!!#at least you can have vivienne kill that one noble guy for insulting inky's honor. celyn totally does that btw

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woohooincoffin · 10 months

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so i did trespasser again <3

#i cant stand his ugly ass #also me and the bestie #dont say anything about anja's armor it is ugly as hell but she is indestructible with this 350+ ac + unlimited barrier + 5 guard on hit #so much so we were just soling all the qunari and the dragon and the final boss on nightmare because everyone kept dying i ran out of potio #fucking untouchable build and op'ed as hell with ke i love it and i do love spirit blade it is so fun and the focus power of fucking heal #heal everyone to full health!! when your focus is building up like ander's bomb ready to blow at the chantry so you can abuse the hell out #out of focus? amazing #and then i fade stepped off the bridge <3 #dai gp #goodnight now #trespasser spoilers

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yshtal · 10 months

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wildly fun to have the opposite experience and play a “would NEVER stoop to this and is horrified by the actions of her formerly beloved best friend” hawke as a “actually this guy’s onto something” person

#da2 #anders did some things wrong but actually none of them are plot relevant #‘I can forgive the blowing up the chantry but I draw the line at outta pocket comments about fenris’ past’#‘you can FORGIVE blowing up the chantry??’#yeah actually mind ya business #dragon age #da anders

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scapedgrace · 2 years

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hawke vc: i can excuse blowing up the chantry but i draw the line at lying to my face.

#sebastian: you can excuse blowing up the chantry!???#ooc. ( out of pancakes )#tbd.

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kirkwallguy · 5 months

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dragon age dashboard simulator

🏙️ thechampginon Follow

literally DNI if you think shipping the champion with their REAL LIFE friends is okay. i can't believe i have to explain this to people. RPF destroys lives.

🧀 tethrasbitch Follow

"RPF is fine." - Varric Tethras

🏕️ meribella Follow

op is mad because i said hawke and seneschal bran fucked btw

(2721 notes)

🌿 quirkyorlesian Follow

I want to go to Ferelden.

I will spell couleur as colour and work on a farm. I would spend all night in The Pearl while drinking ale with my mates. I'll have cheese every day that's worth 1 silver. I would go to war and die. I am also more likely to meet bandits, The Hero of Ferelden and The Queen.

I wish I was Fereldan. :(

🐄 cheesegirl Follow

sick and fucking tired of mutuals putting this on the dash. yeah haha funny joke. fereldan stereotypes are so fucking harmful and irritating, you realise cheese is actually one of our major exports? that op is joking about working on a farm, a hard and painful line of work, whole being orlesian nobility? if someone made a post like this about kirkwall i know people would be shitting and crying lmfao

🌾 fereldan-detector Follow

Fereldan.

(18,000 notes)

⚫ magerights-deactivated090331

Need to get dicked down again :-/

🎇 firegirlballs Follow

This was his last post before blowing up the chantry btw. getting dicked down in your honour tonight king 🫡

🐜 faggotkirkwall Follow

what no dick does to a mage

🎉 mageheritageposts Follow

Heritage post.

(182, 172 notes)

🌌 elfroot Follow

She dark on my spawn till i hurlock

🎉 wardencommander Follow

i hurlock on her taint til she enters my deep roads

🌌 elfroot Follow

(128, 817 notes)

🍊 fujoshiandraste Follow

situationship with the girl in my alienage going really bad everyone like it's literally over for me 👍🏻

#can we get another blight soon or something i cant do this anymore

(5 notes)

🌠 makerstits Follow

☄️ mabariboy Follow

What the fuck happened to this poll .

(172 notes)

⚔️ sickoelf Follow

i think i hauve the blight

#thought about the cycles of violence in hard in hightown again #varric tethras when i GET YOU

(15 notes)

#dragon age #da2 #txt #da:i #dragon age inquisition #varric tethras #sorry i have to crosstag bc im giggling to myself makinf this. so stupid

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bookseffect · 8 months

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And one more thing, can you imagine the hilarity that is Varric having to watch Hawke fall in love with Fenris/Anders and then watching Lavellan fall in love with Solas?

After mr. "What has magic touched that it did not spoil?" and mr. Blow up a chantry for the mages he thinks that this time his friend might just be in safe hands. It's Chuckes! He hates tea and wears comfortable clothes and yeah, he is a bit weirdly fixated on the history of ye good ol' empires (like who in Andraste's tits asks a surface dwarf about the fall of the dwarven empire, seriously now) but he is polite enough and intelligent. And then he starts pulling shit like "for all the dalish got wrong, they got one thing right, they made you" and starts teaching Sera how to fight guerilla wars and poor Varric thinks to himself "well, shit, here we go again".

And the funniest part is that no matter what Varric may have expected, Solas did so much more.

#dragon age inquisition #solavellan #solavellan hell #fen'harel #solas #fenris #anders #fenhawke #varric tethras #solavellan brain rot #dragon age ii

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redlyriumidol · 2 months

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things that would have been cool writing choices for dragon age imo, not necessarily better just interesting:

loghain doing the dark ritual on his own if the warden chooses not to. I'm not sure this is in character really it just would have been wild for a character to make a Decision like that without you. maybe only if you have low approval or something (even though its difficult to get approval either way bc you get him so late)

anders somehow using gaatlok to blow up the chantry. much as i enjoy digging through sewers for poo crystals this would have tied the various plots between acts together so nicely. this one i legitimately think would have been better.

I said this in a different post but not allowing you to go to the circle during the arl of redcliffe because it's a cheap copout and makes no sense. either give us consequences for running off and spending 300 hrs in the fade or force us to make a hard choice.

a fourth secret persuade option for mage wardens to let eamon be possessed instead of killing connor or isolde. I know i've said this a lot. But the deal would be Arl Deamon agrees to act the part until the blight is over and the dialogue is slightly different during the landsmeet etc and ur the only one who knows why. ;) epilogue slide where he's eventually discovered and killed but not before he Wreaks some Havoc

giving thrask and grace more protagonism in da2 and having them survive, and THEY become the mage/templar leaders in dai rather than randos samson and calpernia.

an acknowledgment in the anders romance that justice is ALSO in love with hawke. awakening anders was a fun flirty commitmentphobe whereas justice was an intense weirdo about kristoff and aura's relationship and even expressed jealousy towards them. which was soooo interesting. anders being so intense and lowkey possessive (love him tho) in the romance makes so much more sense if it's actually coming from justice. "justice doesn't approve of my obsession with you" bro justice IS the obsession be fr.

isabela not betraying you in the fade if she has 100% approval and is romanced. i always find this out of character especially since she betrays you JUST for a ship and not anything actually meaningful like the others. or if it was a ship but the demon's offer was more explicitly about freedom/escaping from castillon (which can be read btwn the lines but I think it should have been more obvious) that would have been much better.

#i can probably think of more tbh but these r eternally in my brain #loghain mac tir #anders dragon age #dragon age #dragon age talks #isabela dragon age #justice dragon age #idk if anyone looks for justice content but i love him so much. he's an incredibly interesting character. justice4justice #all of his awakening banter is absolutely golden

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thatwavephenomenon · 1 month

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The concept of Inquisitor Anders (and Justice) is so special to me actually. Everyone agree that everything the "regular" Inquisitor goes through/accomplishes is already mind-blowing. But for Anders to be the Inquisitor? The stakes would be even more impossible.

Anders thought he was going to die for what he had done, but Hawke spared him. After that he has to go on with no plan whatsoever, as best as he can while on the run as one of the most wanted man in Thedas. The only thing that is clear to him is that he has to keep helping the mage rebellion until he is either caught and killed, or until his Calling. All he has is borrowed time. So even as a fugitive, Anders' story is likely already written and over.

And then the Conclave happens, and Anders not only has his eyes glow blue sometimes, but he now has an occasionally green glowy hand as well.

So here he is, Anders the apostate, Anders the Kirkwall Chantry criminal, who has nothing but with *everything* to prove.

Remember. This is the man that gave everything that he had, everything he was to his cause. He fought for *years* in Kirkwall with his clinic, his manifesto, with the Mages Underground and still things worsened, with barely anyone listening to him until he blew the Chantry up. And now he has to convince everyone that he isn't responsible for the explosion at the Conclave? Right, as if his track record would permit that. How could he possibly be able to close the breach in the sky when he was the one who started the war between the templars and the mages in the first place?

The regular Inquisitor already has trouble proving themselves trustworthy at the beginning of DAI, so imagine it now with Anders. People would literally be out for blood. The Chantry would not only discredit the Inquisition as heretics, it would call for his immediate dissolution/destruction. Anders would also try to help all the refugees just like before in Kirkwall, while being the very reason these people lost so much in the first place this time.

Now on to the advisors and companions. How would Leliana, who also walk the path of violence for her cause, who is pro-mages but also had great faith in Justinia, interact with Anders? Even if Cullen has left the templars, could he and Anders even manage to cooperate after everything? Especially considering that Cullen was Meredith's second and the one who dismantled Anders' Mages Underground? How would Josephine and Anders work together to promote their cause, with how Anders must regard nobility after living in Darktown for years or after watching Kirkwall nobles interact with Hawke?

After investigating what happened in Kirkwall, Cassandra would probably be more than wary of Anders. But at the same time in DAI she is among the first ones to believe that the character must be the Herald of Andraste. I imagine that Cassandra would be particularly conflicted on how to treat Anders because of this.

Varric. Anders was his friend. Anders is the one who set Kirkwall on fire. For all that they know each other, things would probably still be tense between them at first. Varric also followed Hawke to see him rise from having barely anything to his name to becoming the Champion of Kirkwall. What would he think about Anders, a companion of the initial protagonist (or even protagonists, if you take into account DA Awakening), when he's now taking a path that seems to lead him towards becoming so much more? Especially considering that in DAI Varric struggles with how to perceive the Inquisitor, having to juggle between seeing the character as his friend (if you have a good relationship with him) and seeing them as an icon, the Herald of Andraste.

Anders and Vivienne would absolutely despise each other and their snark matches would be the stuff of legends. The only reason those two could even work together is if they agree that closing the breach takes priority over everything else.

I imagine that Anders, Justice and Solas would have some interesting conversations about spirits and the Fade while also butting heads on a lot of things. Both would be convinced that they are the authority on these subjects. But perhaps they would learn to eventually concede on some things with time.

I think Sera would really like Anders for his continued dedication towards helping people and his insistance to give up what he has for others. Sera's fear of magic and Anders absolute pro-mages stance would definitely cause more than one row between them however. Not to mention Justice. Their relationship would be one of the most interesting there in my opinion.

Blackwall would also be another greatly interesting character to watch interact with Inquisitor Anders. Anders would be able to tell that Blackwall is bullshitting about being a Warden from the get-go, because he was one and can sense the taint. Those two would definitely have some interesting debates on justice (and with Justice), or talks about how to go on and do good after having committed an atrocious crime. Blackwall's admiration for the Grey Wardens versus Anders "Oh yeah, I was a Warden once, then I just quit" attitude would also result in some great banters I'm sure.

Anders would say to Iron Bull that he is very different from all the other Qunaris that were in Kirkwall, though I don't know how that conversation would go. Iron Bull would also definitely be afraid of Justice. I can see him adressing the question/problem of Anders being an "abomination" quite directly, because he is not comfortable with spirits/demons that are capable of taking over someone's mind, and Anders is a living proof of that fear. Despite this, I like to imagine that Justice would actually grow to respect the Iron Bull in some parts after hearing the Chargers' stories about him and seeing how protective of them Iron Bull is.

Despite their different upbringings, I think Dorian would somewhat remind Anders of himself when we was younger/before he merged with Justice. If Hawke isn't a mage, I can imagine Anders' relief and joy about finally being able to talk to someone about magic normally and openly. They would have conversations about Tevinter, politics, etc. In DAI, the Inquisitor can inspire Dorian and support him in his fight to change Tevinter. With Anders as the Inquisitor, this aspiration for social changes could be even more relevant.

Cole and Anders/Justice interactions would be another cool thing to see. Justice would recognize Cole as a spirit of Compassion right away. Despite their differences as spirits, I could see Justice becoming quite protective of Cole and defending him against people like Cassandra or Vivienne, having an unfortonate amount of experience being treated as a "demon" or "abomination". Cole would also try to help Anders with his guilt of course.

Discovering that Corypheus is their enemy would be less of a "oh it's him again/oh okay this is the villain" moment and become a lot more personal, with the worry that Anders could fall under his control if he is not strong enough.

Meeting Hawke once again in Skyhold would be An Event for sure, espeeecially if Hawke and Anders were (are?) in a romance. I'm letting everyone imagine how that would go with their own Hawke here.

And The Choice in the Fade, you know the one, would be even more heart-wrenching. Particularly if the Warden is someone that Anders knows, like Nathaniel Howe or even the Hero of Ferelden/Warden-Commander.

Bonus: Anders could also meet Fenris by chance during a mission to eliminate some Venatori.

Anyways. I really like the idea of Inquisitor Anders, yes.

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flashhwing · 10 months

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i don't get people who think that anders not telling hawke his plan was a major betrayal. a minor betrayal, sure, one you can fight about but ultimately get over in a day or so, but people who are like "i can forgive and even support blowing up the chantry. but going behind my back to do it? putting my foot down" like. what? considering anders' reasons for keeping the secret like. idk i wouldn't say he was necessarily right to but it's understandable that he did. come on

#this is like. hm.#was reading some tags on this one post #and it's interesting the difference between people who are like #jokingly 'the only thing wrong with your plan is you didn't TELL ME'#those are not the people i'm talkign about #and people who are like 'i support your action but the fact that you didn't tell me is a huge betrayal and we're over now'#wut #where does that thinking come from idgi #this has been a post #anders #dragon age

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niofo · 4 months

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i love all the ideas of canon characters being the inquisitor, it's especially fun in context of bg3 origin characters runs, but here are my fav options:

inquisitor anders, just for the sole fact of how mad the chantry would be at this idea. like they would be so mad. but also it has a potential to end with preemptive execution, bcos while with canon pc there can be a reasonable benefit of a doubt that they blow up the temple, now you have The Guy Known For Blowing Up Churches, who is just accused of Blowing Up Churches, i don't think cassandra would wait long enough to ask any questions. tho maybe anders is in disguise on the beginning and it's revealed who he is only later, that would be cool.

inquisitor merrill, bcos not only she's dalish, but also a blood mage, imagine the scandal. also she'd take no herald of andraste bullshit, if anything she'd say it was mythal who saved her, but most likely she'd suspect it was a spirit. she knows spirits, i don't think she'd consider it to be too outlandish theory. but also i'd love for her to call out all the dalish-related bs dai is trying to sneak in.

inquisitor zevran and he absolutely sneaked illegally into the temple just to spy. i can imagine him being a bit upset too, when everyone starts talking about inquisitor arainai, bcos now his brilliant new plan about convincing the crows that he's totally, absolutely dead, fr this time, kinda goes to shit bcos of this. also i'd love to see him teaming up with leliana again.

all of this would be even wilder if they were exported from a worldstate where they were actually romanced by hawke/warden. most of my pcs would be actually really supportive of their li having a recognition on their own, but at the same time would be very suspicious of chantry's intentions, esp when it comes to anders and merrill.

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #anders #merrill #zevran arainai

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stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage · 10 months

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just curious-- do y'all have romances in DAO/DA2/DAI where it completely elevates the experience you want from the game? And when you don't romance that character, the overall experience is actually weakened?

I want to know if others have this "If I don't romance this character this specific way, my game is ruined" thing like I do and over which characters.

I always consider branching out by making a separate timeline from my canon just to explore new choices and romances, and the only game I've been successful in doing that is DAI. But I try to romance someone new in DAO or DA2? I get maybe a few hours into the playthrough before I abandon it because I can't do it, it doesn't feel right!

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Morrigan, Leliana, or Zevran, but if I don't romance Alistair as my Warden Tabris, I feel like DAO is just not nearly as impactful for me. Even though I know I would adore those paths!

Then there's Anders in DA2. There's lot about that route that upsets me, but does my Hawke always end up with him anyway? Yep. But, I've actually completed Fenris' romance, too, and honestly? Highly recommend it. Sometimes I think I should do it again or consider making it my canon- but it doesn't feel right.

My Hawke being involved with Anders elevates DA2 to an entirely different level that I don't feel I can get from the other love interests. And it's not like Fenris, Merrill, Isabela, or Sebastian aren't good options for my Hawke, but they're not Anders. Like what's even the point of DA2 if my boyfriend doesn't blow up a Chantry in the end?? Why am I even here, y'know??

Seriously, I want to know. This is a free pass to gush about that romance and why they make your game better.

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cutelibrariangf · 3 months

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It's me ya boi

Anyway can we talk about how many parallels there are towards death and the strong themes of cheating death present in the DA games?

DAO: Cousland cheats death the first time by escaping their castle or whatever. Don't remember the other back stories but I know they also evade consequences or death. THEN you evade death AGAIN when you become a Warden. Then once more at the betrayal, when you get saved by Morgan and Flemeth. Then if you complete the dark ritual you manage to slay and survive the Archdemon. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS the entire point of being a Warden is to die. To slay dark spawns until you get killed or go insane -in which case you die anyway- Your whole premise is to be an honorable sacrifice, to die and take as many dark spawn as you can with you so that no one else has to. By surviving over and over again you're not only forsaking your purpose but spiting the wardens that came before you. How dare YOU be the one to survive? How dare you cheat your death over and over and over again? What about you makes you so special? More important than the other wardens? How fucking dare you?

Da2: So first Hawke survives the hordes of dark spawn in Fereldan, they survive the ogre attack in place of their sibling, then the trip to Kirkwall and then the entry into Kirkwall. How many died during those events, how many different times did Hawke cheat death in those instances? Hundreds of times, definitely. One wrong move and Hawke would've been killed, but they weren't. How lucky. Then in the deep roads, Hawke can lose their OTHER sibling to the taint. Then they lose their mother. What was all that surviving for if they were just going to lose all of their family, be left in this world without the people Hawke had worked so hard to save and to care for? Champion of Kirkwall, what a heavy title to bear with all the deaths of people Hawke couldn't save. They cheat death once more at the end, against Meredith.

DAI: Inky is sent to the chantry, and it blows up. You should've died but you didn't, instead you're given a key to close the rift and a woman saves you. Then you are found, imprisoned for terrorism. You should've been executed, good thing you have that key. Good thing you were the one to try and save Justinia, right? Good thing it was you who survived and not the thousands of others. Then comes the reinstitution of the Inquisition, a portion of the chantry long since dead -for good reason- that rises up from the ashes with you. Then in that one mission you get sent forward in time, in which everyone dies for you to get you to fix the disastrous consequences of you NOT defeating Corypheus. There are more moments but fast forwarding to the dragon secret and defeating Corypheus. You should not have been able to get that secret, but you did, the same way that key imbedded in your hand/arm. By all means, you were always meant to be dead. There was nothing special about Inky, there was no reason they should have survived any of what happened to them but they did. And that can be viewed as either happy, bittersweet, or outright tragic. Then, at the very end, the one thing that made you special, the key, has to be CUT OFF because it is killing you. You should have died but good thing Solas is there to take your arm, to help you cheat death again -which is a great parallel to how he helped you in the very beginning-

I stand by the idea that Dragon Age is a tragedy. The MC, whether that's Warden, or Hawke, or Inky has to give up EVERYTHING, their families, their lives, everything, to be forced into positions of power and save the world. And whether their willing or not, it doesn't matter because they will be forced into that position. Forced to be Hero of Fereldan, Champion of Kirkwall, or Inquisitor. You will be robbed of everything and forged into what people need you to be. That's the consequence of cheating death and being at the right place at the right time. But it's a good thing youre special, huh?

And you know the thing about being a Main Character is that you will cheat death over and over and over again, and the only consequence is that someone is going to be there to take your place, someone is going to die for you, eventually. There's nothing you can do about it except watch your life be taken away from you and watch all the people you love and care for die.

#dragon age 2 #dragon age #da #chaos #dragon age inquisition #dragon age origins #inquisitor lavellan #essay #adhd #adhd hyperfixation #literary theory #tragedy

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dalishious · 1 year

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Magical & Non-Magical Healing in Thedas

Magical Healing

Most healing magic falls under the School of Creation, which is about manipulating natural forces of life. It is a school rarely studied by mages, as it requires more finesse than any other school.

While any mage can study the school of creation and learn to heal, it is Spirit Healers who have the strongest healing magic. Spirit Healers can call in spirits to rapidly heal someone’s body, be it from physical damage or through disease. It requires a special gift of working with spirits in this way, which is rare among mages.

Finally, blood magic is also capable of healing. Solas says, “I once saw a blood mage healer who would shed her own blood to close a patient's wounds,” in defence of blood magic. But the details of this form of healing is unknown.

The extent of what healing magic is capable of varies by the skill of the mage practitioner. In the Tevinter Nights story Three Trees to Midnight, Myrion says that while he only knows a little bit of healing magic and can just close Strife’s wounds, his friend Jasecca was a Spirit Healer who “once reattached a man’s hand after it had been chopped off.”

It’s possible that the average mage in Tevinter is taught at least a little bit of healing magic, as in Tevinter Nights’s The Streets of Minrathous, Neve Gallus is also able to use her magic to slow the flow of blood out her wound, despite claiming to not be a proper healer. This is just like Myrion’s limited abilities.

There are also objects imbued with magical properties capable of healing people. For example, in Herold Had the Plan from Tevinter Nights, Bharv’s amulet completely heals the scratches on his hand without so much as a scar, closes up the wound on his stomach, and even keeps him from dying over a fatal blow.

While magical healing is very useful, because of Chantry-propaganda against magic, there are some in Thedas who would rather suffer than accept magical healing. For example, when the Inquisitor arrives at The Crossroads in the Hinterlands, a soldier tells Mother Giselle not to let any mage touch him when she offers to fetch a healer. But this is not the universal opinion. In Kirkwall, the people of Lowtown and Darktown were willing to shelter and protect Anders as thanks for his healing them.

Non-Magical Healing

There are books found in game that have anatomical diagrams, meaning there is some form of studying the body:

The most extensive evidence of what non-magical healing is like is from the Surgeon character found in Skyhold. The surgeon knows how to set broken bones, and also mentions doing amputations as a last resort. When asked how non-magical healing works, she replies, “good health isn't magic. It's diet, exercise and a balance of the humors.” She has many comments about bloodletting in particular:

“Hmm, somewhat off-colour today, Inquisitor? An excess of bile, perhaps. Might I bleed you?”

“Try not to touch the leeches. They are quite delicate.”

“Come for a bloodletting?”

Humorism was the real life historic belief that the body was made of four fluids: blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm. Disease was believed to be caused by an imbalance of the humors, and so treatment was to “balance” the humors, often by bleeding the patient. This goes against the basics of germ theory also evidently believed in Thedas, so perhaps this surgeon is in fact out of date?

A note found in The Fallow Mire says, “The Gardners are too sick to save, everyone says. Grandfather and my brothers barricaded them in their own house so they wouldn't make anyone else sick.” This would suggest that the average person knows the basics of germ theory, at least to a degree that they know how diseases spread and how to prevent them through quarantine.

If you take Dorian to the Fallow Mire, he will comment, “At least in the city, you can find a decent healer. Out here you have, what? Roots and berries?” So, healers are not always available. In lieu of practicing healers, common folk turn to those who know about herbalism.

[RELATED POST: Canonical Herbalism in Thedas]

Additionally, there are a variety of folk remedies found across Thedas. For example, to cure a cold: “Bring a cup of whiskey to nearly a boil in a kettle, until its vapors permeate your surroundings. Add the juice of half a lemon and two peeled and crushed cloves of raw garlic. Consume before the whiskey cools.”

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SOURCES:

Dragon Age: The World of Thedas vol. 2

Tevinter Nights: Three Trees to Midnight

Tevinter Nights: The Streets of Minrathous

Tevinter Nights: Herold Had the Plan

Codex entry: The Four Schools of Magic: Creation (DA:O)

Note: Diary of Peter Marsh (DA:I)

Creation Ability Trees (DA:O) (DA:2)

Spirit Healer Ability Trees (DA:O) (DA:2)

Dialogue with Fereldan refugees in Lowtown (DA:2)

Dialogue with Mother Giselle and a soldier in The Hinterlands (DA:I)

Dialogue from Dorian about the plague in the Fallow Mire (DA:I)

Dialogue with Solas about blood magic (DA:I)

Dialogue with Surgeon in Skyhold (DA:I)

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#dragon age #healing #da lore #meta

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squirrelwithatophat · 1 year

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Wynne defending children from the Templars

It’s interesting to reflect on Wynne’s Establishing Character Moment in Dragon Age: Origins, especially in light of the strange whitewashing of the Templar Order in Inquisition as well as her apparently conservative politics. When we encounter her in Broken Circle (our first interaction with her since the brief chat at Ostagar), we see her fighting to protect a group of young children not only from demons but from the Templars -- the very military force that claims to protect them. If she is recruited into the party, in fact, we discover that she had already sacrificed her life for them. She is technically dead/undead and only kept standing due to possession by a spirit of Faith.

As soon as the party enters the door, she’s fearful that the Warden has come to kill them all on behalf of Knight-Commander Greagoir, and depending on player choices/intentions, she may in fact be correct.

Wynne: It’s you! No... come no further. Grey Warden or no, I will strike you down where you stand!

Warden: Wynne - what are you doing here?

Wynne: I am a mage of the Circle. More importantly, why are you here? The templars would not let just anyone by.

Warden: You have children with you.

Wynne: The tower is a place of learning. Young apprentices are always here. Why is that surprising?

Wynne: But this is no time to discuss that. Why are you here? Why did the templars let you in?

Warden: I am helping Greagoir resolve the Circle’s difficulties.

Wynne: Then you do serve the templars as I feared. Do they have the Right of Annulment?

Warden: The Right of Annulment?

Wynne: The order from the grand cleric allowing the templars to completely annul a Circle. Do they have it?

Warden: No, but Greagoir expects it to arrive soon.

Wynne: So Greagoir thinks the Circle is beyond hope. He probably assumes we are all dead.

Wynne: They abandoned us to our fate, but even trapped as we are, we have survived. If they invoke the Right, however, we will not be able to stand against them.

Warden: It’s nothing less than this Circle deserves.

Wynne: Do these children deserve death too? Will they die by your hand?

Warden: Mages are a danger. If I had a say, you would all be culled.

Wynne: Kill us solves nothing, but with training and education, mages learn to control their powers.

Wynne: You’re mad if you think I’ll let you lay a finger on these children. If will fight you if you won’t listen to reason.

Wynne: I am not afraid of you.

Warden: This Circle must be destroyed, for all our sakes.

Wynne: If you insist on making war on the Circle, we have nothing more to discuss. It comes to blows, then. I will stop you or die trying.

BONUS - terrified child fleeing from being murdered:

Commentary

While Wynne can be condescending and sometimes preachy in her support for the Circle, her dialogue both here and elsewhere indicates that she has no illusions about the Templars keeping them locked inside.

After all, they imprisoned her in Kinloch Hold since she was a young child, took her own child away from her forever, and threatened to slaughter both her and the other children she was mentoring in her son’s stead. If recruited into the party, she opens up about the despair she felt as a girl when she realized she would be trapped there forever, and it was only by turning to the religious faith that was being forced on all mages in the tower that she began to make peace with her fate. She knows that if the Libertarian Fraternity successfully leads a vote for independence from the Chantry, the Templars will simply kill them all. She even uses the term “genocide” to describe what will happen. She explicitly cites this as the reason why she opposes the independence vote.

The mages will never be free! The Chantry would never allow it. Our only hope for survival is to show them we can be trusted! Don’t you remember what happened to the Circle in Ferelden? Do you want to give the templars another excuse to call for the culling of all mages?

She doesn’t reject freedom for her fellow mages for any personal advantage, throwing others like her under the bus to reap the rewards of brown-nosing. If she wanted any semblance of power or status, after all, she would have accepted the post of First Enchanter (or second-in-line to it) a long time ago. As of Dragon Age Origins, she has consistently rejected the opportunity to become Irving’s successor. As of the end of Broken Circle, if she joins the party and defeats Uldred’s rebels, she still needs to ask for permission just to temporarily leave the tower, despite having proven her loyalty and competence beyond any reasonable doubt both here and over the past thirty or so years of incarceration. It takes helping the Hero of Ferelden save the entire country by defeating the Archdemon to convince the Templars to allow her to come and go freely - an opportunity that, as her own son later points out, no one else has had or probably ever would have in their lifetime (and one, as the only the player knows, that is entirely conditional on player choices).

The only context in which she ever even considers fighting the Templars is when she has no other way of preventing the Templars from killing them all anyways - both during Broken Circle and in the climax of Asunder.

Her politics are, in the end, based on fear.

Not the usual fear of the Other or fear of social change that hamper normal politics, but the completely rational fear, as someone at/near the bottom of the social hierarchy, about what the authorities will do to her and everyone like her if they step out of line. As it turns out, she’s not wrong about what the powers that be are and how they will react - she’s only wrong about the potential for a better future and the rewards of fighting for it.

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meowmeowmage · 1 year

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// this is a stright up rant, not gonna bother wording it well

"Give Meredith and Orsino time to work out their differences..." man,, there's just so much to unpack here like

1. They're not a married couple to work out their differences ffs

2. "No good can come of showing favor to one side" bitch when one side is oppressors and the other is oppressed, not showing favor is siding with the oppressor. Simple as that. Especially when you're part of said oppressors

3. There's no working out differences when one wants to commit genocide and the other, shockingly /s, does not want that. What differences are there to possibly be fucking worked out??

4. You're supposed to keep Meredith in check, what the fuck are you even here for if you don't step in when there has been blatant disregard for Chantry law (nevermind that even if that's followed, it's still an oppressive system) for at least 7 fucking years??? Oh right, you're here to let Meredith (and the Chantry as a result) slowly take over Kirkwall, bc that's what it's all about apparently

Fuck this shit. I'm supposed to think that Anders finally blowing the lid off this dumpster fire of a city is the worst thing to happen? I don't. Things have been shit in the city and would've continued to get worse and worse and worse. Way more would've died if nothing was done and things still would've remained shit as an added bonus. At least after a revolt, there's a path to healing. Meredith would've annulled the Circle, then would've continued to lead a regime that got people killed for imaginary slights, and would've continued to raze through the city. A revolt was coming. Better sooner than later.

#rant #fuck the chantry #with a pineapple #making things shit not only for mages but for everyone as well #Kirkwall - from a Tevinter ruled shithole to a Chantry ruled shithole #that place can't get a break man #replaying the game and especially act 3 has filled me with rage all over again asfdgdh #anders was right

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