#i always save it for last bc it just leaves such a profound impact on me every time i play it

[rosykims]

i rly wish there was more than one opportunity to harden alistair in dao. or at least make it a gradual process that you see occur over time as opposed to him overcoming a lifetime's worth of self esteem issues overnight lol. like ella ingame hardens him early on for conveniences sake, but i rly do imagine it as a slowwwww process that doesn't really sink in until the deep roads (before the landsmeet in my playthrough). elspeth is pretty unanimously the leader throughout the whole game and always carries herself the way that an archetypal leader should, EXCEPT in the deep roads which traumatizes her so deeply she's basically rendered useless and shellshocked for several weeks. and bc its just her, alistair, oghren and shale (and the dog bc mods) the vibes are AWFUL lol and alistair rly has to like. step up. for her. and in doing so it kind of occurs to him that oh im actually keeping this group together and not at all incompetent like everyone says i am?? anyways elspeth recovers but she's never rly the same after the deep roads and neither is alistair. they both grow up so much during those months and afterwards this a sort of mutual understanding between them and they finally fully realize exactly what the stakes are. and its sad sure. but it also makes me happy bc they have this comradery that's more than just friendship or romance its like. mutual purpose??? and theres nothing sexier than that

#tay plays dao #oc: elspeth #moving on from the mess that was tga as fast as possible <3 #i love the deep roads honestly its so horrifying #during the blight ella wonders if she'll ever stop dreaming of the archdemon and darkspawn and the broodmother #but in the years after it ends she mostly just dreams about ruck who she left alive down there #she's so haunted by the thought that hes STILL there and he'll BE there waiting for her when her calling finally arrives #and that he was right when he said he could sense the same darkness in her. that theyre the same and she'll end up like him or worse #ugh. just. narratively the deep roads feel like such a turning point and ik it can be played in any order but #i always save it for last bc it just leaves such a profound impact on me every time i play it