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felassan · 3 years

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Extended thoughts on the Dark Fortress preview pages [spoilers at link]

(Would I be an MJ if I did not do this? This post is under a cut due to spoilers.)

I like the preview pages a lot, I’m excited for release - roll on March 31. There’s a lot packed into just these limited pages, so I’m looking forwards to seeing the issue and its contents in their entirety.

A flashback to the Battle of Ostagar all those years ago is the last thing I was expecting when coming to this comic and it hit me with a one-two of feelings and nostalgia. Up there just off-screen, the Hero of Ferelden and Alistair have just lit the beacon in the Tower of Ishal. In these panels, the rain, the lighting, the atmosphere - it’s surreal (not in a bad way) seeing these fateful events again, back where it all kinda began really, and that page does a good job of replicating that cutscene and the heavy feel of it in a different medium. It’s a nice touch seeing surprise/unsureness and even conflict on some of the soldiers’ faces as Loghain gives the order to retreat. A couple of them even seen disconcerted as they walk away (looking at one another in askance). I like this take on Ser Cauthrien, and I wonder if Aaron ever encountered Aveline, Wynne, Carver or non-mage Hawke at Ostagar before the battle...?

Loghain’s words “He must do what his honor compels him to do” almost feel like a bit of metacommentary, i.e. on Loghain’s character in addition to obviously being about Ser Aaron.

In-universe before now, there have been varying accounts of Ser Aaron’s experience at Ostagar. Did he miss the fight, did he kill two ogres, etc. Now we see the truth of the matter is exactly as he told Vaea, which speaks of the trust and close relationship between the two. I’m not going to lie, the “I am coming my king” and subsequent panels make me cry on this re-read. Aaron reaching out for Cailan in his sleep with his other fist clenched, jerking awake from a nightmare in a cold sweat.. Aaron is so brave, he was the sole or one of the few soldiers in Loghain’s company to make this kind of stand (and you can see that there was a moment when he did turn to leave and considered it before turning back), and these panels convey the extent of the trauma that he experienced on the field of battle that day. I’m positive that in panel 2 here, it’s the exact moment when he sees Cailan die. It also hurts to think that not far from there, Duncan is seeing the same thing. They’ve done a good job integrating the new characters’ pasts with previous canon events with things like these. It’s like, expanding on things, but without anything conflicting.

When Aaron reaches for his alcohol skin I’m pretty sure his hand is shaking. Vaea is so tender and understanding/supportive at this part and it’s a really poignant and soft moment for them.. Aaron’s nightmares are a regular occurrence it seems. I love her and their relationship so much.. keeping watch over him while he sleeps a bit away from the others and the fire. ;; Also Autumn’s ears here, she’s lying down but still listening to what’s going on with and between her people. ;;

Brief pause here: I always appreciate getting a good sense where different events are taking place in the additional media. Also we now have in-universe confirmation that in the timeline we’ve now reached 9:45, as opposed to only external word-of-god. Do you guys ever think about your Wardens and how it’s been 15 years for them?

Aaron is like a father to Vaea 😭

Fenris has two daggers now in addition to his twohanded sword. The better for ending Danarius’ bloodline my dear 🔪

Have they tweaked Fenris’ hairstyle a bit, compared to Blue Wraith? Possibly also his skintone and eyebrows, compared to Blue Wraith? (I find this kind of thing hard to tell. If I’m incorrect here please feel free to correct me.) He looks good in this preview.

Poor Francesca. Tessa is really kind at this part and it’s nice to see more moments like these between female characters (women supporting one another). It reminds me of the moment in a previous issue where Vaea hugs Francesca on the ground. Tessa makes a great point here that true strength isn’t necessarily being stoic and unemotional, it’s standing up for what you believe in and for the greater good, even at great personal cost. It’s not 'not crying' and hiding your sadness. That’s a nice message, and again, Fran has really grown on me.

I also think it speaks well of Fenris and his character development after all these years in-universe that he was looking for a way to help Aaron, then immediately thought to go speak to Francesca when she was upset to see if he could help her in turn.

hhh brooding silent Marius staring broodily and silently into the flames and not responding to Fenris’ attempt at making conversation tho, the gentle lampshading.. That’s so true to his character. These might be my favorite panels in the whole preview. Fenris’ dry wit and facial expressions, the general composition, Fenris peacing out like “ok bye ig” lmao. You also get the sense that Fenris is reeling a bit and feeling abandoned since Hawke and co split up. After trying to do something to help both Aaron and Fran above, he then tries to make conversation with Marius. He’s trying to lighten the mood but also to connect after being alone for some time. He has missed having a group around him, and I suspect this group with its varying troubles and issues reminds him a lot of Hawke and co. That both the humor aspect and this characterization comes through in these 3 panels is pretty brilliant.

We reach the titular dark fortress! If ever there was a fortress for a bad guy, huh? x) The narrow exposed causeway being the only approach is a smart line of defense, strategically. Also, the realization that this is where Fenris lived while he was a slave of Danarius’ :| It’s a horrible-looking place and will be full of bad memories for him.

If this is how stormy the Nocen Sea gets in places - well, it reminds me of the lore that in Thedas naval exploration beyond the known map has been historically limited by different factors like pirates, Qunari dreadnoughts, stormy seas and sea creatures etc.

Characters speaking their native languages in places is always a nice touch. Now we’ve heard “By the Maker!” in Orlesian.

Aspects of the style and architecture of the Tevinter buildings in this preview, like the window shapes and the red lights and stuff, echo or remind me of what we’ve seen of Minrathous in the most recent trailer and some of the recent pieces of concept art for the next game. Neat.

We have our name and identity for the mage on the cover! Tractus Danarius, bastard son of Danarius. Danarius fucked around huh. “Tractus” has a Latin root, fittingly for a Tevinter name. Its different meanings are quite interesting: being dragged, extracted, plundered, an anthem sung in some masses, an elongated area or abnormal passage... I wonder if one of them will come into play somehow, the name possibly having been chosen for a reason? I also wonder how young Tractus is relative to Fenris, and if their paths have ever crossed in the past.

Tractus makes his entrance with two elven slaves or servants in tow. Like on the cover, his eyes are red. The head of his staff is a red sphere, also. Can we assume a connection to red lyrium, then, given these factors and the villains’ interest in using red lyrium to power the sarcophagus? I would guess that as normal magic was required to make it work with blue lyrium, the thing required to make it work with red lyrium is blood magic? A blood magic ritual. My guess is that the thing Tractus shows Marquette and Nenealeus is probably a chained up dragon or similar, which they plan to sacrifice and use the blood/power derived from that to fuel the magic/ritual. This is considering blood as a theme in this setting, blood as a source of power mechanically and the dragon-like beast on one of the covers which has clearly at one point been shackled and collared. (Here’s some previous speculation about Dark Fortress based on the covers.)

Although Tractus’ relative youth and inexperience compared to Nenealeus comes across in these pages, I get the feeling that Nenealeus will regret talking down in this manner to Tractus later in the comic.

It seems Tractus paints his nails dark. His commitment to aesthetic I give 5/5 stars

Remember the fall of Ventus/Qarinus to the Antaam invasion in TN? The Antaam must be progressing through Tevinter if people fear that Neromenian may soon fall also.

I appreciate that everyone’s horse is different! It’s a nice touch. A lot of the time in media groups of people ride identical horses like they’re clones or automatons as opposed to actual creatures.

Tractus’ smile when he’s asking if they’re going to wait for Qintara to arrive is slightly manic, lol, he’s giving off “Are we there yet?” car journey energy here. The doorway in this panel - is that a portcullis-style door? It seems like it has spikes at the bottom which would sink into the floor, and that there’s some kind of mechanism running along the floor towards it. Presumably to contain the [dragon?]?

I forgot Nenealeus has a sword - I guess then he knows magic artforms similar to those of a Knight-Enchanter or Arcane Warrior. Also here, Marquette echoes the Executor in TN, with the sentiment that Qintara fell with Ventus. Nenealeus is then referencing Gaius, the impersonator Qintara, right? That’s interesting; Gaius’ true master was Fen’Harel, on whose behalf he accessed important information about the world. This means then [?] that some of the time when Gaius believed himself to be working on behalf of Fen’Harel, he was really being manipulated by Nenealeus. Poor Gaius, at different points Fen’Harel and Nenealeus were pulling his strings. Does Nenealeus’ manipulation refer to Gaius trading it away to House Danarius for information?

Marquette references the red lyrium idol, and suddenly my Dragon Age 4 ears are pricking the way Autumn’s do. x) He mentions that it makes weapons, referencing I assume Meredith’s lyrium sword, Certainty and the ritual blade that pops out from the base of the idol during The Dread Wolf Take You. I wonder when the events of this comic take place in relation to the stories related at the spy meeting in TDWTY? Is this before or after the events of the Mortalitasi’s tale? At any rate, Marquette voices something we’ve been obsessing over: what else can and does the idol do specifically, beyond just making weapons and being Ominous and Powerful? Because whatever it is, it’s key to Solas’ ongoing plans, and Solas obviously knows.

So it seems that the villains’ plan is to use the red lyrium idol’s sword part with the sarcophagus, red lyrium, a ritual and [the thing Tractus shows them in that panel - the dragon?] in order to transform Shirallas into, essentially, a Red Wraith, a Red Lyrium Fenris. And then to arm him, under Nenealeus’ control, with the sword.

Does Shirallas still have his vallaslin - is it just the lighting and the angle in that panel? Also, that panel with Shirallas and Nenealeus looks so ominous and foreboding 😭 .. (and reminds me somehow of Fenris and Danarius when Fenris was still his slave and bodyguard) Shirallas, we really are in it now 😭 This is a really cool panel btw, like the composition, the lighting, the dramatic-ness.

Nenealeus is motivated by a desire to route the Antaam from Tevinter (like the mage in the Mortalitasi’s tale in TDWTY) and reconquer lost lands in order to restore the glory of the Imperium (which reminds me in a way of of Aurelian Titus, who also wanted to restore the Imperium to greatness). Classically Tevinter here.

“Danarius the Lesser” is a sick burn. I’d guess Tractus’ life thus far, as a bastard, has had themes and struggles with inferiority and consequent lack of power but desire for it (being disrespected, but craving respect, being connected to a certain world but not really part of it, in fact rejected by it). Venatori connection confirmed. That the Venatori had to be convinced to accept someone as a Danarius - implications for the role of the Venatori remnants and their role in Tevinter and things in general going forwards? Lightning flashes overhead as Tractus and Nenealeus have this face-off in that panel, emphasizing the tension between the two. I wonder what the magic in the fortress and in the courtyard can do? It’d have been no mean feat to escape from this place as a slave, it seems, especially bearing in mind there’s only one proper way out, that causeway (passage not included). Tractus’ staff-head lights up when he’s making a threat (uh-oh), and then wow! Shirallas moves so quickly, in the blink of an eye suddenly appearing out of nowhere and startling the guard-mage onlookers. He’s fast and formidable.

I wonder about Tractus. Is he a “half blood” because he’s a bastard and his mother wasn’t an Altus, or even wasn’t a mage, or because he’s a bastard and his mother was an elf? Or both?

Will we see a face-off between perrepataes (Marius and Shirallas)? Will Marius face-off against his former master, Nenealeus? Perhaps a showdown between the Blue Wraith and the “Red Wraith” is on the cards?

Back to our team in the tavern! There’s a looot of great character content packed into these pages, which is really cool. Each brief character interaction conveys a lot, and in general this sequence is just well-executed imo. How troubled and tired Aaron looks at the bar (my heart.. it hurts); Fran worrying for Aaron; Vaea knowing that she can’t pressure him too much because that’s just not how it works when it comes to folks who struggle with issues like these; Vaea asking after Fran’s wellbeing; Fran struggling to come to terms with what happened to her father; Fenris watching the door waiting for news (he’s so vigilant isn’t he? safety, an escape-route..); Marius Broods Harder; Vaea’s [relative] pacifism being highlighted; Vaea engaging Marius looking for reassurance; and the choice of having Marius break his silence now is meaningful and impactful in that it shows what happens when one becomes ‘numb’ to the constant murderizing of people, so to speak. Fenris then rightfully points out that becoming numb to killing and violence isn’t really a good thing and is worse, really, than being ‘soft’ or uncomfortable with it. I wonder if he’s speaking from experience here, given the hundreds of people Hawke and co kill their way through during the Kirkwall years, for example. Then Vaea’s concern for Aaron and his state of mind, and Fenris’ uncanny insight into that, of a man he’s only recently met.

Tessa looks so cute when she comes in the door! I love Vaea’s lil “:D” face when she sees her, and I wonder what the tavern food on the table is.

Those two panels, when Fenris talks about Hawke and Leandra, are the biggest emotional gut-punch in the preview pages 😭 omg.. I’m not strong enough for this.. bls... bruh... This is then compounded by (hitting me when I’m down!!) the look of sheer... fear, fury, alarm, upset, shock - that appears on Fenris’ face as soon as he hears “I found Danarius”. Seriously, look at his eyes here. He (understandably) still has a trauma-response associated with the name/man.

Bless Tessa.

I have to say, it’s very Metal of Fenris that not only did he kill Danarius in DA2 (in those universes), but he has also been going around Tevinter since then killing all of Danarius’ [adult] heirs, and that his response to learning there’s still one remaining is to grab his sword and go to march off with the aim of ending the bloodline a second time. Very metal

I love the final panels in the preview as well! Vaea’s sense/smarts and how she wasn’t afraid to tell Fenris no, Autumn’s giant ears, how Autumn also moves with Vaea to step in front of Fenris to stop him (SHE! HELPED!!!), Autumn’s Happy Face and furiously wagging tail and agreement with Aaron, and Proud Dad Aaron rising from his slump to praise Vaea with the most Proudest Daddest expression that you ever did see... ( ´•̥̥̥ω•̥̥̥` )

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ikemenayakashi · 4 years

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I'll find you - Chapter 1

Pair: Asta x Yuno, don't like, don't read.

Manga spoilers! Don't read if you don't know Yuno's past and if you don't want spoilers (if you don't care of spoilers, I feel you and you are welcome to read)

‘Do you have any idea of what I had to do?’

‘You probably had to help someone doing the chores’

‘Oh right! I promised TVWOSTEC CYAT to help with them instead of TVWL. Thanks! Love you’

Yuno smiled while starring at the tiny hearts his mate added at the end of the message. He gave up years ago on telling him that writing names was worthless, since they were transformed into random letter by magic. Yuno didn't understand why magic would let him talk, well write would be a better word, with his soulmate with no problem, but wouldn't let them write things that would have actually helped them find each other. They could only tell the other vague information, Yuno knew his soulmate was a blonde man with green eyes. But that was a description of more or less a quarter of the whole Spade Kingdom.

Always hoping he wasn't in another kingdom, finding him would have been even more difficult then.

He just... wanted to meet him.

He wanted to hear his voice, to touch him and teach him to write in a calligraphy that didn't give Yuno a headache. He loved him, of course, they "knew" each other since they were born, but it took Yuno quite a while to be able to read what his soulmate was writing.

He remember the first time they could communicate. It was after a dinner with the nobles of the kingdom to celebrate some victory in a fight. Yuno was tired of them so he told his parents he was that he would have retired into his chambers to read a book.

He read for a while until he was interrupted by a warm feeling on his left arm, he was now used to understand that the itchy and warm feeling was caused by his soulmate trying to write to him. He threw the book away and went to search for a feather and some ink, in the past few years he studied what his soulmate was writing, to reach the conclusion that it wasn't some arcane language but just a terrible handwriting. He couldn't understand what the other person wrote for a lot of time because he was used to the elegant writing style of the nobles and the books of their library. Added to that, there was also the fact that his soulmate didn't write much.

His mother told him that, considering both of the information, his soulmate was probably not a noble, and in that case Yuno should have waited for the other person to write.

“Not all people can have whatever they want like us, Yuno. Some people have to take care of the few things they have. Writing is not something all people have the luxury to learn, so most people buy ink only to reach their soulmate when they grow up and when they have a job to be able to both buy the ink and pay someone to write for them. I am sure your soulmate is doing whatever is in their power to reach you. Wait for them to write something first, so you won't cause them troubles, ok?” his mother's words stopped him from writing to his soulmate for the past months. But now that they finally wrote to him again, he wouldn't lose this change.

Yuno looked at the messy handwriting trying to understand what it said before the ink disappeared.

‘Will... I get... magic?’

His hand trembled a little after reading that.

Were they ok? Why were they worrying about their magic? Did they get in trouble? Did he have to go and help them? His little face was now showing a worried expression but now he didn't have time to overthink it.

‘You will’

He wrote it fast.

He didn't want them to think he was ignoring them.

More worries crossed the young child's mind. Those were the first words he wrote to his soulmate. Were they ok? He tried to write in a simple style, to make it easier to read, but did it worked? Was it still too hard to read? Would the other person answer? He didn't answered for a year, maybe now they were angry at him? What if they didn't want to talk to them now?

‘WAIT YOU REALLY EXISTS?’

A part of Yuno wanted to scream. They didn't seem angry but damn, their writing was even worst now.

‘Yes, I do exist. I apologize for not writing before’

‘It's ok! I thought you just weren't born yet! Where are you? When can we meet?’

Well, they were surely energetic.

‘I am prince Yuno. Tell me where are you and we can meet even tomorrow. ’

Yuno realized it looked like an order right after writing it, so he quickly added

‘If you can and if you want, of course’

He didn't get an answer for a while. The ink disappeared and Yuno wondered what did he do wrong. Maybe they hated the royal family?

‘PBEDV7N VWUH says that names aren't shown correctly because it's really late and we should sleep right now! Maybe if we talk during the day we can see them! Good night! ’

Yuno replied with the same words, while starring at the random letters he supposed were the name of someone.

He never heard of a condition like that. His parents found each other when they were still children too. His mother wrote her first message when she was six and his father answered immediately. Yuno's father was a noble and the meeting with the royal family was arranged in some days, with the result of his father being accepted into the royal family without any issues. Neither of them ever mentioned problem of any kind, like not being able to read what the other was saying. They were lucky enough to grow up together and Yuno always hoped he could have the same luck as them.

It seemed it wouldn't have been that easy for him.

Since that day they wrote to each other every time the other boy could. Sometimes Yuno wrote random information of what he was doing, his wishes or anything that crossed his mind. He wanted to let the other know he remembered him and that he wanted to find him as soon as possible. The other guy tried to do the same as often as he could, but Yuno had guessed that his mother was right and his soulmate didn't have much money to spare. Yuno tried to convince him that he was fine even if they couldn't talk much, but the other tried his best to write to him everything major that happened to him, often followed by cute tiny hearts, and that alone warmed Yuno's heart, making him giggle with a sweet smile.

Yuno was sitting at the table having lunch with his parent, when he felt his left arm cold. He stopped eating and run to find ink, feeling his muscles tensing every seconds that passed.

He wasn't supposed to feel cold.

When your soulmate wrote to you, you are only supposed to feel warm. Like when it was snowing and you come back home with the fire there to make you forget the chills. Like the sun that touched your skin after winter, announcing the beginning of spring.

Cold was just... wrong.

Yuno soon reached his room, still feeling like there was ice all over his arm.

‘what's wrong’

He was sure his handwriting wasn't this worst even when he was learning how to write. He was holding his left arm, strong enough to be painful, but at that moment he couldn't feel the pain. He was probably going to break his own arm, when his mother's gentle touch made him lose the grip. He didn't notice her coming after him, but he was glad she did.

She looked at him with the same gold eyes, holding him gently into her arms. She didn't speak and Yuno was thankful for it. He didn't want to talk about it, everything that crossed his mind was too scary to say it loud.

Did it get cold because his soulmate was injured? Was he in danger? And if that were the case, how was he supposed to find him? He didn't know anything about where he lived. Yuno clung to his mother, with tears falling down without his control, hoping that was all a nightmare and that he would have soon wake up from it.

The cold didn't disappear for several minutes, with the growing of Yuno's worry. And then, as suddenly as it came, it disappeared.

Yuno couldn't take a breath of relief, because the cold was replaced by hot. Too hot. Yuno felt like his arm was burning from inside and fell on the floor in pain holding his arm, deaf to his mother's words of worry.

Unlike the cold feeling, this one didn't last more than mere seconds, but it was ten times stronger.

Only after he calmed himself with some deep breaths, he dared to look at the origin of the pain.

Yuno observed the ink while it slowly created not words, but what he guessed was a picture. His eyes never leaving the figure the soulmate magic was making over his arm. The first thing he saw was a building. Next appeared the surroundings of it, with trees and some little figures. Then an enormous thing was drawn right next to it.

‘A skeleton?’ he heard his mother whisper.

Yuno didn't answer, too busy looking at the drawing that was now getting the stunning colours of sunset.

When the drawing finished Yuno was speechless. He never saw something like that and he couldn't help think it was beautiful. He slowly passed his fingers over the paint, amazed by the art it was in front of him.

Then, right under the drawing that covered half of his arm, Yuno felt warm and then he saw the messy handwriting he was hoping for.

‘I dunno if this worked, but if it did, well, I am here... ’

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So, erm, well, hi. I wrote again lol. I actually posted this on Ao3 too because I really love that site too for fanfic (and there are some yunoasu fics if you want to check it👀)

#yunoasu #yuno x asta #yuno grinbellior #black clover asta #black clover #black clover yuno

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