#morrigan meta

[anneapocalypse]

Alistair, thanks to growing up without a family, just wants to be loved and fears being forced into a position of power. Morrigan, thanks to her upbringing, has been taught to desire power and fears opening herself to love which she sees as a weakness. Each of them desires what the other fears the most, and I think in Origins they both know that on a subconscious level--they see what they most fear reflected in one another, and they can't stand the sight of it.

Ten years later, an Alistair who has become King and is not so afraid of wielding power anymore, and a Morrigan who has Kieran and is not so afraid of love anymore--I wonder how differently they would respond to one another if they were to meet again.

#alistair theirin #morrigan #dragon age meta #dragon age origins #blunders of thedas

[ludinusdaleth]

im deeply enjoying the relationship ira is slowly building with fearne. he takes no umbrage with her for her father being zathuda, but their first meeting was marked by him not killing her because he realized she was of the calloways - and morri. she is nervous around him but naturally gravitates toward him and vise versa due to being the only fae in any given situation. they try to coerce fcg into being as whimsical as them on the silver sun. she steals his spyglass. they bond as ira tries to bring out the rascal fae instinct in her. he insults her by saying shes a disappointment where imogen is more powerful, but only says it because it's the unseelie perspective, and when he realizes she's hurt by it he spends the rest of the episode propping her up as fascinating, her father as shitty, and repeatedly says he would love her on his infiltration team, portraying her as extremely reliable before the volition.

ira is not a good man. and he knows that, and fearne knows that. but i think some part of him is deeply aware of the calloways' hospitality to him when he never deserved it, and even more aware this young woman is morrigan's ward. he is standing before a girl he doesn't see as a princess but the (grand)daughter of the people he truly does see as family. he never really knew how to treat people well, least of all them. but you can see him.... attempting, in his own way, to fit into a familial role to her. if there are two things fundamental to ira beyond his obscenity or his vengeance, it's his warped love of potential, and his even more warped, but even more sincere, care for a seldom few. he sees a literal fire of a youth before him, birthed & raised by those seldom few.

he wont let her peter out.

#cr spoilers #critical role #critical role meta #campaign 3 #fearne calloway #ira wendagoth #van speaks #long post #fae #morrigan calloway #athion zathuda #fcg

[aces-to-apples]

I'm never surprised to learn when writers don't put much thought into things but honestly Alistair and Morrigan being straight-locked makes complete sense to me.

The Chantry is very clearly meant to mirror the Catholic Church and, via banter between Alistair and Wynne, shown (despite Word of God and Doylist explanations) to be sexually conservative; Alistair not considering men as an option full-stop makes complete sense considering he was, in his words, "raised in a monastery" from the age of like eight (or ten? Not looking it up).

Flemeth deliberately raised Morrigan in a swamp, almost entirely away from people, and only ever lured men into her clutches; Morrigan herself admits that she doesn't know hardly anything about socially acceptable behaviors across the board and so, similarly to Alistair, I wouldn't be surprised if interest in women simply never occurred to her.

Conversely, Leliana was a bard and already had Marjolaine as a lover by the time we meet her, and Zevran was a Crow who engaged in sex work when considered necessary and his last relationship was a throuple with a woman and another man.

I'm not saying that it's, like, the only objectively correct conclusion that Alistair and Morrigan are straight. I'm just saying it does make sense for their characters' specific backgrounds, especially given how easy it is to interpret both as autistic. Like I can't speak for all autistics everywhere but I certainly can't invent concepts whole cloth without ever hearing about something similar as a starting point.

All this to say: same-gender Wardens who romance the bi same-gender companions are definitely Alistair/Morrigan's bi awakenings.

#dragon age: origins #alistair theirin #morrigan #da meta #by apples #at least cassandra specifically and explicitly EXPLAINS that she's flattered but Very Straight #afaik you just can't flirt with blackwall OR solas at ALL if you're a dude (and of course with Le Egg only if you're an elf) #(like i get that with solas they were hamfistedly TRYING to avoid the Evil Bisexual trope but like. give him a Straight Scene like cass!)

[sparring-spirals]

The idea of. Fearne, as a part of a trade. Years gone, not as a trick, but as an exchange, Fearne as someone (something) the Morrigan.... took a shine to. A collector. Safety as a favor, or a shiny posession lent out?

fearne, asking, quietly. if she was part of the trade. if there was a favor.

if she- was the bargain. not protected by one.

#critical role #cr spoilers #c3e30 #cr liveblogging #ye. l ll. i nng #fearne #morrigan #speculation #meta

[deramin2]

Critical Role is posing a big question about free will in fantasy creatures. Even in Exandria's deliberately less essentialist setting vs. D&D's traditional settings, the Feywild is a fairy tale land and it's denizens are more bound by their natures.

So how much free will and agency does Morrigan have? She claimed Fearn in one of her dark bargains. She kept Fearne safe but imprisoned in her realm and separated from her parents. Fearne is upset at her parents for staying away and not raising her, but Morrigan did that.

However, Morrigan didn't directly treat Fearne cruelly in any other way. She genuinely loved & doted on Fearne. Fearne had a wonderful childhood she cherishes every moment of. It's only looking in from the outside that we have to question how fucked up that caregiver situation is.

Fearne and her parents are victims of Morrigan's nature. But they also love her and forgive her. Both generations of Calloways fled back to Morrigan when they needed safety, protection, and a place they loved that is also part of that nature. They love her. She loves them. They're family and they look out for each other.

Fearne came to Morrigan for serious emotional crisis help in the time it most mattered and Morrigan genuinely helped them. In a terrifying, dramatic, entertaining for her (and us) way, but she did help. Morrigan is a Tragedy Enjoyer™ superfan, only for real life and she can donate to the stream to get the outcome she wants. She just loves watching people make fools out of themselves and suffer awkwardly. Which Bell's Hells did for her very willingly.

So is it Morrigan the Fate Stitchers compelled nature to make everyone she makes deals with suffer? Or is that just really enjoyable for her but if it's entertaining and enjoyable to help people she absolutely can and will do that. Does she always take when she gives? I think the answer is way more compelling if she has free will and we're seeing some of the few exceptions.

So now Chetney has made a deal to be the most famous toymaker ever. All he has to do is bring her a piece of the god-eater. Chetney did not discuss what happens if he fails. He also didn't necessarily need to be famous for his toys. If Bell's Hells succeed and Chetney upholds the bargain, Morrigan might be satisfied and make him famous for heroism. Which might be infamy more than adoration and be a curse all on its own. If he fails maybe she deliberately makes sure he's never remarkable and easily forgotten (Chetney's worst fear). I'm less afraid of her getting him killed because we've seen she likes to keep her victims alive. She makes them living topiaries in her garden. Or she sets them up for constant failure and then watches them flounder as her shows. But I she could still change how he's known if he incidentally dies. (Maybe differently depending on his Bell's Hells fulfills his bargain for him.)

Same with Orym. If Morrigan helps them (he still has to call on her like Percy's pact), Orym serves her. He might become ward like Fearne was with guard duties. He lives in her domain or where she sends him, and he lives in this freaky place with his best friend. Which isn't much different than what he did in and for Zephrah. Except his home is full of so many ghosts it's hard to be there anymore, even though he loves it and the people there. He's been on the road for years unable to settle down in his grief. His "price" for her is that she gives him a place where he has to settle down. Where he's loved and not alone, even if it's not the same. Like Fearne, the reading where this is a tragic sacrifice for Orym is from the outside in. From inside the restrictions come with a lot of benefits. Orym's Fearne's best friend. Morrigan doesn't have to take anything he isn't relieved to give up. Or so he thinks. Maybe his tragedy is that he'd start losing touch with Zephrah over time, like Fearne lost to her parents. What if that's what he thinks he wants so he can be someone new that isn't stuck in the past? Disappearing from his loved one's lives the way Will and Derrig did. But alive and maybe thriving with what feels like a new beginning and a different but happy ending as Fearne's friend.

Travis and Liam are also making a bargain with Matt: Matt sets up dramatic consequences, good or bad, and Travis will get to act out this super interesting story. Chetney's story is about a guy who wants fame so much he makes a huge gamble on his abilities for it. Could be the next Shakespearian tragedy where a hubristic guy makes terrible decisions chasing huge bets into the ground and destroying his own life and many others in the process. Could be the next Lord of the Crossroads.

Liam gets to ask both Matt and the audience if this is a tragedy of the moral chaos of the Feywild. What's a tragedy from the outside might not be one on the inside. Fate and Fate Stitchers are fickle that way. Nana Morri could show nothing but love and affection for Orym and it gets told as a terrifying fairy tale warning against Morri. That's a story that often doesn't get told, but there's so much inherent angst to it. (Which let’s be real Liam is also a Tragedy Enjoyer™ like Morri.

But either way Travis and Liam get to explore what that looks like and how it affects his OC. This is what roleplaying thrives off of. That's what makes it fun. Players, GMs, and dice all being unpredictable in constrained ways that drive the narrative forward, not always to good ends but interesting ends is what makes TTRPGs a compelling medium. The cast have repeatedly said they always enjoy taking the risk and playing out the consequences way more than the things they held back on. They said at the beginning of this campaign all bets are off. Matt's set some high stakes and big red buttons in front of them (even when he warned about the consequences up front).

This is emotional Roller Coaster Tycoon and it's unclear if the players are creating an effective roller coaster that scores high points, or one deliberately designed to crash in new and exciting ways just to see what happens. That breaks so many rules of narratives made for an audience but is totally normal in home-play if all the group consents to it. (Definitely something you need buy-in for from everyone before you play because if someone is expecting epitomized heroic play and gets that they're not going to have a good time.) Perhaps that's also why some audience members aren't vibing with this as much as previous heroic campaigns whereas I who greatly enjoy media like The Lighthouse, Uncut Gems, Torch Song Trilogy, and Dead Esther am having a grand old time. (Just a taste difference.)

Am I scared the characters aren't going to get a happy ending, yeah sort of. This could easily turn into EXU Calamity. But I love the territory they're exploring, the questions about human (and hag) nature they're exploring, and the importance of subjective experience. I have absolutely no investment in how the events ultimately pan out. Blorbos were meant to be tormented. It's important for their enrichment and mine. Is Morrigan going to fuck them over? Maybe, maybe not. But it is going to be a really interesting story either way. And really at the core of it, a really interesting story is what Morrigan likes most.

#critical role #critical role spoilers #critical role meta #critical role campaign 3 #Bell's Hells #Morrigan the Fate Stitcher #Fearne Calloway #Chetney Pock O'Pea #Orym of the Air Ashari

[pinacoladamatata]

"if you fancy Astarion, you might want to consider therapy. He's so damaged I must have him! Enjoy the fantasy and then call a therapist. It's a two step thing and it's very important you do both." - Amelia Tyler what do your narrator eyes see? 😂😂😂

#ohohooooohoo the little random tidbits devs and voice actors have dropped about his companion arc is making me NERVOUS #just throwin out some meta thoughts here #in order for astarion to *get rid of* the tadpole; cazador *has* to die first. like i'll bet my left tit this is conditional #since cazzy is apparently a control freak he might be enemies w the mindflayers/absolute cult bc ''bleh bleh my city'' #i think its entirely possible that we could ally w cazador against the absolute; this would like have to result in astarion attacking tav #im just worried it might be like; you have to at least temporarily side w the absolute if you kill cazzy? #idk! idk! #and like i do think there will probably be a 3rd option of like 'i hate both these groups kill them both' but man. #and then there's whatever is going on w his ''this soul is not for sale except in the realm of the undead'' stamp #like are we gonna have to go the there? wherever the fuck that is? #pls amelia i am begging on my knees i need a sign! of hope! #bc now the hug and hand holding in the trailer is making me think larian is trying to trick me into believing he'll be okay #only to hit me with a devastating ending(s) no matter what #idk. man. i read astarion's writer was fanes writer. idk dos2 but like i am aware of what......happened w that 'romance' #pls i need a sign larian #i am so sick of the bioware style romances! the morrigans! the solases ! the unresolved endings of it all! ENOUGH #i want closure from this i am begging #for once in my life i just want closure for a video game romance ending #i JUST THINK LIKE ideally. for me. he'd have at least 1 ending where he's not cured but lives happily ever after* #i am having a hard time picturing him cured of vampirism. tbh. but if it's possible without him immediately dying then. well hats off #its 2 AM here i need to knock it tf off and go to bed #........unless.....yall want to enable me and discuss this further #i am 1 more bad day away from writing a thesis on this in MLA format istg

[dalishious]

Have you ever made a post explaining your thoughts on Flemeth? If so, sorry I couln't find it, but if not, what do you think of her?

Yeah, let's talk about Flemeth.

Flemeth was a horribly abusive mother to Morrigan.

Flemeth speaks of and to Morrigan as if she has been a burden; an unwanted pest she is glad to be rid of.

When a female mage warden asks about magic:

Flemeth: Not that I would mind a replacement daughter to order around

Morrigan: Believe me, you do not want that.

When the warden asks Flemeth what she will do when they leave:

Warden: What will you do once we're gone?

Flemeth: (Snort) Have a moment's peace, for once.

Morrigan: I hear the peace of the grave is eternal.

Flemeth: This is the thanks I get for feeding you and putting up with you for this long? Bah! May your child one day treat you the same.

Morrigan: Feed me, she says. Without me, I swear she shall be caked in dirt and eating tree bark inside of a month.

When the warden presents Morrigan with a replica of this mirror, Morrigan is taken back, asking what the warden wants. She doesn’t know how to accept a gift.

Morrigan: It is incredible that you found one so like it. I am uncertain what to say. You must wish something in return, certainly.

Warden: Don't be ridiculous. It's a gift, Morrigan.

Morrigan: You say that as if I should be accustomed to such a thing. I have... never received a gift, not one which did not come at a price.

Morrigan: I suppose I should say thank you. For the gift. 'Tis… most thoughtful, truly.

In Morrigan’s Fade nightmare, she is with her mother, except she doesn’t believe the spirit posing as Flemeth because it is too benign.

Spirit!Flemeth: I am your mother... do you not love me?

Morrigan: You are as much my mother as my little finger, right here, is the queen of Ferelden. I know you, fade spirit, you cannot fool me.

Spirit!Flemeth: Are you more clever than your own dear mother? Surely such pride must be punished!

Spirit!Flemeth: (Slaps Morrigan) 

Spirit!Flemeth: There! That is for not showing respect!

Morrigan: That is far more like it, but it is too little too late, spirit.

Morrigan getting slapped across the face is more familiar to her than Flemeth asking if she loves her.

When Brosca meets their own abusive mother again, Morrigan comments "We have more in common than I thought…"

We spend a lot of time getting to know Morrigan in DA:O, and a lot of that is breaking through the trauma and negligence she suffered under Flemeth's care. And no matter how mystical and vivacious Flemeth is portrayed as in the following two games, that doesn't change. Morrigan still remembers, and was literally willing to give up her life before seeing her son suffer the same fate in DA:I. "Do whatever you wish. Take over my body now if you must, but Kieran will be free of your clutches. I am many things, but I will not be the mother you were to me," she says, in one of the most haunting voice acting moments in the entire game. And how does Flemeth respond to Morrigan? With a simple frown, like she's disappointed that Morrigan feels that way.

It irks me enough that Flemeth, a human, was apparently so in need of vengeance more than any elven person in Thedas that Mythal chose her to store herself in. That's a strange choice for the writers to make all on its own. But what makes it so much worse, is that Mythal is the goddess of motherhood and justice. So now we have the goddess of motherhood and justice inside an abusive mother, in a way that Flemeth describes as her being and Mythal's being blended to a point where you could not distinguish them easily, similar to Anders being possessed by Justice. What the absolute fucking fuck were the writers thinking with that???

Flemeth's backstory is a tragic one, yes. But that does not excuse her own actions in any way. I personally know a thing or two about feeling bad for what happened to your parent while also resenting them for the abuse they put on you at the same time.

#dragon age #morrigan #anti flemeth #meta #abuse tw

[yurikotigerisnotmaiwaifu]

Yuriko Tiger facebook page post 10/17/2023

🎃 PATREON RELEASE FOR THIS MONTH 🎃 Morrigan Aensland from Darkstalkers / Vampire Hunter🦇 Of one the sexy symbol in the game history!!! Finally one of my goal of Patreon is complete 🥲🤍 Thank you so much for supported me and make one of my dream cosplay came true!! I will do my best for the next sets!! https://patreon.com/yurikotiger

#Morrigan Aensland #Morrigan #Darkstalkers #Vampire #Facebook #Meta #Cosplay #Cosplayer #Cosplay Girl #Cosplayer Girl #コスプレ #コスプレイヤー #コスプレガール #コスプレイヤーガール #ユリコ・タイガー #ユリコタイガー #Yuriko Tiger #Yurikotiger #Yuriope #「エレ」 #エレ #「ERE」 #Ere7rock #Ere #ERELAST #Psykhere #EronoraMono #Eredalle #Yuriko tiger Is Not Mai Waifu!

[knife-eared-jan]

There’s a lot of posts where people wonder how Merrill would react to Solas. I’m a bit worried myself tbh. But here’s a different one: Merrill meeting Morrigan!

All I want in life is for Merrill to get to have a chat with Morrigan where she finds out that 1.)  Asha'bellanar, whom she met and spoke to, is actually Mythal, THE goddess whose valaslin she freaking carries and therefore once chose to committ to with a tattoo on her face for LIFE, like can you imagine what that would mean to her!!! 2.) what Eluvians can really do and what significance they had to Elvhenan 3.) that really she probably managed to fix hers a long time ago and all she is missing is the password and why yes, Morrigan would love to take a look actually 4.) that it makes no bloody sense for a demon to have been bound inside the mirror that somehow also could be let out by Marethari without activating the eluvian so really Marethari was full of shit and her death isn’t Merrill’s fault. 5.) MYTHAL HERSELF FREAKING CALLED HER BRIGHT I’M GOING TO CURL UP IN A BALL AND CRY NOW. 

Not even going into scenarios where the Warden is a Dalish elf...

Please just let Merrill befriend Morrigan. Can you imagine how her sweet little mind would just be blown. 

You know Morrigan would be weirded out by her unbridled enthusiam at first and try to keep her at a distance but Merrill would just worm her way into her heart by being oblivious to Morrigan’s initial coldness until Morrigan would realise that Merrill really is exceptionally bright and gifted at magic, equally doesn’t care about conventialism and social taboos around magic, and that they both share not just a goal but an obsession!

#merrill #da2 merrill #da2 #dai #dai spoilers #morrigan #dragon age #dragon age 2 #dragon age inquisition #dao morrigan #dragon age headcanon #da headcanon #dai morrigan #da meta #dragon age meta #my obsessive da ramblings

[riddleredcoats]

tell me about celene and mythal. TELL ME ABOUT CELENE AND MYTHAL! TELL ME ABOUT CELENE AND MYTHAL!!! TELL ME ABOUT CELENE AND MYTHAL!!!!!! TELL ME ABOUT CELENE AND MYTHAL!!!!!

tell me about celene and mythal. please.

please.

I- well, I assume this is about that fantastic Morrigan post that @ammoniteflesh did that I butted in with my ceaseless love about Orlais? I can do that. Settle in, it's a long boi.

Spoilers for The Masked Empire, if you haven't read it (and you should) then this probably won't make much sense. And spoilers for pretty much everything else in DA, tbh.

More under the cut.

The Andraste parallels.

Basically, just copy-paste everything that links Mythal and Andraste in this section. This is a great post/example, though I don't think they are the same, rather just the same story repeating. But TLDR: Betrayal, Heartache, Justice, etc etc etc. I think this is a popular theory I am not going to go much deeper into it.

Celene is compared to Andraste multiple times throughout The Masked Empire. In the play (End-ish of Chapter 5), by Briala (early-ish Chapter 5), and the whole Empress of Fire (both song and the Burning of Halamshiral) debacle. Not only that, but Celene has some genuine thoughts, intentions, and actions about reforming Orlais that are close to what Andraste was doing; they are both trying to reform an imperialist power, granted in different ways (of course) but the parallels aren't meant to be exact.

Fun add-on: Hilarious that Celene basically destroys herself/her image by (in the Fandom, at least, while in Universe is intact for the most part) setting a fire. Because being set on fire was what finally elevated Andraste. It’s still a point for the parallel, just a contrasting parallel rather than a direct one.

Fun add-on, #2: Andraste is described as being a redhead, even in DAI by Cass I think, but is depicted as a white blonde (like Celene in The Masked Empire’s cover or Flemythal's white hair) in multiple paintings throughout Dragon Age. I don’t know what this means, but it’s a fun detail, nonetheless. 

Justice! (But not really)

Both Celene and Mythal are arbiters of Justice, technically.

Celene as empress doles out justice as she wishes (more or less, see Halamshiral), but more specifically she wants to create a more just society for all Orlesians. Yes, of course, there is still that delightful imperialism there, but it just do be like that sometimes. Mythal is described several times as someone who doles out justice, throughout the games by Codex and Solas. She passes judgement, solves conflicts and was ‘the good one’.

Like the story of Elgar’nan and Falon’Din, where she solved it by each having champions and stopping the start of a devastating war. Sorta like Celene solved the Gaspard/Teagan conflict at the beginning of The Masked Empire (end of Chapter 1).

They can both be fair and reasonable but are also known for taking more harsh paths (i.e.; the slums of Halamshiral and the sinner who took divine form and went to Elgar’nan). They both promised to help the elves, yet they both seem to have ditched that idea; Mythal has done arguably very little for centuries, and Celene, while helping, without Briala is less than radical about it.

The Vengeance thing is here too. Celene is, after all, no saint and actively cannot forgive Gaspard for anything he does. Ever. And is definitely on a ‘war path’ by the end of TME. Mythal, similarly seems to be on a warpath forever for ‘a reckoning that will shake the very heavens’, whatever the hell that means. Also, everything Flemythal says in Origins just screams bitterness and vengeance.

Betrayal

Both of these women have been betrayed by those closest to them.

Celene by her court, her champion (The Masked Empire), her nobles (The Masked Empire and Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts), and both of her cousins (Gaspard and Florianne). Also, arguably, Mantillon betrayed her by ‘manipulating’ her into killing her own servants, but that is a whole 'nother bag to untangle. Oh, and Briala of course, by using Celene’s feelings for her and stealing the ruby during a kiss at the end of The Masked Empire.

FleMythal by her daughter (Morrigan), her husband (Elgar’nan, though if you want to include Flemeth’s here it is also applicable, I guess), her sons (if that’s what Dirthamen and Falon’Din really were?), her fellow ‘Gods’. Oh, and Fen’Harel at the end of DAI, too.

Funny is that both Celene and Mythal when it comes to Briala and Solas’ betrayals are fine with it. Celene completely understands Briala by the end of The Masked Empire, as does Mythal at the end of DAI. And they are both betrayed by Solas and Briala in front of Eluvians Which… yeah.

Another parallel; both Briala and Solas say they must do it for ‘The People’, aka, the elves.

The Rebels

Solas and Briala parallel a lot on their own, but their relationships with Mythal and Celene are fascinating too, as is seeing how Solas/Briala view Mythal/Celene.

Obviously, both of these pairs parallel Shartan/Andraste. Actual mention of this is in the play in The Masked Empire for Celene/Briala (Chapter 5 of TME).

Each pair is obviously fond of one another, likely in different ways - but perhaps not.

Interestingly enough if Solas really was in service to Mythal first (like Cole seems to imply in Trespasser) before he rose to ‘Godhood’ then, like Celene/Briala, the relationship likely started privately and then grew into the public like once Briala became Marquise and Solas became Fen’Harel.

If we take what Cole said, ‘He did not want a body. But she asked him to come. He left a scar when he burned her off his face’, as it really being about Solas/Mythal then we have another interesting parallel between Briala/Solas and Celene/Mythal.

Celene, arguably, makes Briala into what she is by sending her away after having her parents killed. Felassan helped and, of course, Briala herself is the way she is because she is herself, but Celene is the catalyst for her more abrupt change. Briala does not get a scar when she separates herself from Celene; at least not a physical one. Mythal makes Solas into what he is by asking him to come to her.

Interestingly, it is a contrasting parallel – because Celene lets Briala go while Mythal beacons Solas into her service. Which is super interesting, but that is more about the relationship between Briala/Celene than anything else.

The way both Solas/Briala describe Mythal/Celene in-game;

Briala, if you ask about Celene during the peace, but before you go to the servants' quarters, says: ‘Celene is the voice of reason in the empire…’

Solas, in that final Trespasser cutscene: ‘She [Mythal] was a voice of reason, the best of them, and in their lust for power they killed her.”

Granted, Solas is fonder while Briala is a bit harsher in her assessment, but Solas did ‘kill’ Mythal, and whatever wounds Mythal may have caused (which we will get there) have long passed while Celene and Briala’s breakup is more recent. This means very little but i suspect that much like Celene, Mythal also betrayed Solas twice. Once in the times of Arlathan - like Celene killing Briala's parents. And another in recent times - with the burning of Halamshiral. We don't know about it yet, but that's my bet.

Morrigan

Both Mythal (or Flemythal) and Celene have a protective relationship with Morrigan.

Celene is more of a patron and offers financial support and protection. And the protection seems to be mutual (or supposed to be, if Morrigan didn’t bail in WEWH, lmao). Mythal/Flemythal is well, her mother, who is supposed to protect her but who is trying to possess her.

Both of these relationships seem to range from a little contentious (Celene/Morrigan, if you believe the rumours of a palace servant) to very contentious (Flemythal/Morrigan).

Celene seems to not be as intense as Mythal. Morrigan speaks well of her, and Celene does not try to control her like Mythal did, Celene even ‘lets’ her go out into the world – something baby!Morrigan wanted – with her blessing and her protection. I legit find the relationship between them interesting, despite the arguments that apparently took place, lmao. (I also sorta lowkey ship it, but that’s another conversation).

To give the benefit of the doubt; we don’t know how much Mythal was ‘in charge’ of Flemeth (or if they can even act separately) so Morrigan’s abuse might not be Mythal’s fault. But there is no denying that she was abused and that whatever aspect of Mythal, The Mother there was, it absolutely did not act in Morrigan’s favour.

But that is yet another that has nothing to do with Celene/Mythal and all to do with Morrigan.

Symbols matter (or not)

Mythal fought with the Evanuris and the Valmonts fought the Drakons. A bit more *tinfoil* and a lot more thin, but if the Dragon is the divine form like we suspect from Codex Entry in the Temple of Mythal, then the Valmonts having gone to war with the Drakon line could be another interesting parallel. After all, the Drakons are represented by dragons. There is also, technically, the 'full' title of the quest where Celene appears in:

The Old Gods will call to you, From their Ancient Prisons they will sing. Dragons with wicked eyes and wicked hearts, On blacken'd wings does deceit take flight, The First of My children, lost to night. - Canticle of Silence 3:6

Finally, and this is really silly and not really a parallel and most likely it’s just a fun coincidence, but the name Celene, which comes from the root word ‘Selene’, means ‘Moon’, which, of course, Mythal is the Goddess of.

Unimportant sidenote: I am pettily annoyed that most characters pronounce it ce-LI-ne when it should be ce-LE-ne. Because Celine is a legit different name and Celine-Celene have different meanings and root words, but okay I’ll allow it because I do like the pronunciation ‘Celine’ better, lmao.

#celene valmont #mythal #flemythal #dragon age ... meta? #the masked empire #dragon age #several other characters here but yeah #solas briala morrigan etc etc etc #I am not entirely sure this makes sense #hopefully it does #this is unedited and mostly made from memory pretty sure i am forgetting some things #as an aside this is one of my favourite aspects of the series the way that cycles keep repeating and you can help break them #i know people don't like putting Celene and Briala back together but it does make me happy to do it #because i am breaking a cycle that has been going on for thousands of years #Mythal/Solas Andraste/Shartan Celene/Briala #should WEWH have been done in a better way? aye #but it isn't the worst option #..... it's the Truce imo if you're curious. I can't believe i am saying this but even Gaspard is fucking better than the truce.

[lheautontimoroumenos]

ok so I might be drawing parallels where there are none but I'm rewatching c1 because of tlovm so.

when they're in the Feywild looking for Fenthras they find a hag's house in a giant tree that has a bit of a glow to it (in ep 62 Uninviting Waters). Pike and Scanlan go investigate on Vex's broom, and they roll shit, so we don't get much, but I'm thinking it might be Nana's house?

the episode transcript for the description is this :

MATT Okay. You don't pick up a lot of detail, but as you come up over the top, looking on the inside, it looks to be rather comfortable, surprisingly. It's a small home. There's a table, and there's a small hearth. There appears to be what looks to be a shelf of some kind, ramshackle, maybe, but still functional, with books pressed into it. You can see a number of small baskets hanging from the ceiling, containing various roots and other pieces of plant matter that are gathered and bundled together. You can see there is a fireplace by the hearth. There is also a series of drying animal carcasses hung in the corner that are all stripped, and they're being aired out in that space. You also see what looks to be a large chair that is facing the hearth, slightly away from you, and a small end table next to it that contains a little teacup and a little tea set.

TALIESIN What size person is the chair for?

MATT Actually, the chair is pretty large. It's tall. The tea set is small. And as you're making a look, you see one large crooked hand reach out from behind the chair with impossibly long fingers with hooked nails reach over. You can see what looks like dried wrappings hanging from parts of its wrist and elbow as it reaches over and wraps its gnarled fingers around this tiny teacup and pull it back behind the chair.

so I'm thinking either the hag/Morri just has a small tea set, or it's for a young Fearne or even for her second mouth on her stomach.

also the description loosely fits the one Matt gives of Nana's house in C3E45

MATT There, you're greeted by a low-lit, cozy entryway, a flat expanse at the base of where the split is. You can see it's decorated in knitted dolls, placed on little naturally warped tables. You can see animal skeletons that have been posed in dancing positions with each other that are placed up on little shelves and along the sides of the entryway. You can see alien-looking potted plants that seem to be taking root on their side of the room and guarding it fiercely. More of the staircases and rope bridges you can see begin to splinter off from here and lead higher and higher up through the tree.

[...]

The wide shoulders are thin. They come out like pointed, skeletal shoulders, the sleeves extending these long, thin arms. You see, around the top of the dress from where these shoulders are, they're obscured by a bunch of dark linen and chiffon that creates a mantle around it.

The tree's description isn't quite the same, but that part of the Feywild was weird(er than usual) because of Saundor, so it could have changed a lot between Vox Machina and Fearne bringing Bell's Hells to visit.

so we have this in C1E62 for the tree

MATT You see the tree, while it is thicker, it is not as high as the other trees. In fact, where there would be a top of a tree, it looks to be instead a tangled mass of branches that have been matted over and tied down to the top of where this tree ends.

and this in C3E45

MATT You step within the tree, and you can see the actual trunk of this structure, and you can see the actual trunk of this structure. This is probably the largest tree you've seen aside from the Sun Tree. It's comparable in its thickness. You can tell, about 30 feet up, it splits into two separate trunks that then wrap around each other in a corkscrew upward.

Now, none of those are 100% like the others, and I'm very likely reaching, but! I think it would be funny because it would make Nana Morri Artagan's ex :)

(as per C1E63: "She's many things, but she's not a hag. She's an ex.")

TLDR: I think Nana Morri might be the hag Vox Machina crossed paths with in the Feywild when they were looking for Fenthras which would make her Artagan's ex

#critical role #bells hells #bell's hells #vox machina #fearne calloway #morrigan calloway #C1E62 #Uninviting Waters #C1E63 #The Echo Tree #C3E45 #Ominous Lectures #this is just me theorizing about things that have very little impact on the story don't mind me #meta #critical role meta

[ludinusdaleth]

while im still bitter about the discourse surrounding artagan during the travelercon arc, and how people could not comprehend the idea artagan was not an abusive groomer but rather a nuanced fae who made severe mistakes coming to terms with love for his friend, i am extremely grateful for his arc as a precursor to the events unfolding now. in a way, artagan's genuine act of selflessness breaking the idea fae were damned to selfish endings prepared folk for all the nuances that Can Be.

i could not imagine the backlash morri would have gotten for the way she is "possessive" over fearne if we didnt have a fae character who broke the "mother gothel" idea. i could not imagine the backlash ira would have gotten for his move to just save fearne if we had no previous story showing the way a fae began a path to care by hinging onto someone above all others, and how you can expect him to be blunt about what cruelty he wears, but also able to change. and of course i could not imagine how badly folk would misunderstand fearne & her tale, how the fae love she was raised with made her selfless, how she is the prime example of how fae are not born entities always meant to be deceitful & cruel, and the nuances of the possessiveness of fae love and the differences between holding someone tight vs forcing them to your whim. i think having an archfey set within a continent that had far larger, mortal concerns than him was such a good precursor because we got to see his "humanity" (for lack of a better term) unfold without bearing the brunt of all the fae's baggage at once.

#not to say all opinions toward fae are favorable or that people arent misogynistic about fearne #but god it's an improvement over c2 fans trying to understand it all at first #artagan #fearne calloway #morrigan calloway #ira wendagoth #critical role #critical role meta #campaign 3 #fae #long post

[broodwolf221]

ngl, now i kinda wanna do a meta post on morrigan. she's so interesting... problematic af!!!! but also like. im intrigued by watching her reject the abuse she grew up with... but then replicate it towards others.

flemeth was controlling, demanding, and forced morrigan into extreme isolation with no outlet but learning magic. it's little wonder, in some ways, that morrigan is as selfish and manipulative as she is. freedom means a lot to her, but not really for other people: for herself, and for knowledge, the one thing she was always given license to value

#i still dislike a lot of how she was handled in dai #bc there were FAR better options #but it does kinda track and i appreciate that #broodmeta #morrigan #mini meta

[deramin2]

Fearniture where it's like "Wolf Like Me" (A song on Fearne's playlist about the inherent eroticism of passing off the curse of lycanthropy to a partner because you love how you feel under it), but it's Fearne and Chetney's lives both being twisted by Morri's curse. Instead of Chetney making her a werewolf, she's the one that cursed him through love and they wouldn't have it any other way.

#critical role #critical role meta #critical role campaign 3 #Bell's Hells #Fearniture #Fearne Calloway #Chetney Pock O'Pea #Morrigan the Fate Stitcher

[tiredqueermushroom]

Post CR3 Episode 30 Thoughts: The Calloways and Intention/Impact

So I was right in my previous post that Birdie and Ollie are both irresponsible idiots. They willingly left their child daughter in the care of a known hag called the Fatestitcher and are then surprised when it's implied that Ira; you know child kidnapper/experimenter may have struck a deal with said HAG.

Trading away portions of their daughter's life/time. Her childhood in exchange for materials. Birdie and Ollie left Fearne when she was 8 years old, she's now 112 that is over 100 years of Fearne's life gone. And when their daughter brought up the years lost, they continued to brush it off until their daughter pieced together in like an hour of knowing Ira. They had 6 years to suspect something was fishy, 6 years to ask Ira what exactly they were building. 6 years of complete and utter irresponsibility.

Now I'm gonna talk about Intention vs Impact. Some may argue that Birdie and Ollie aren't bad parents because they ment well, that they risked 6 years of their lives, they had to work with morally dubious people all for they sake of their daughter. To keep Fearne safe. I have no doubt that they both love Fearne with all they have, but love isn't the only thing that makes you a good parent. They ment well, therefore they're good parents. The ends justify the means.

Now let's look at the impact of their actions. Fearne is a complete stranger to her parents, Fearne is so emotionally constipated that at the reveal of her being traded all she had to say was "Well that puts a wrinkles on things." Fearne has lost over 100 years and lived 100 years without her parents, that she can never get back.

They risked Fearne's childhood and lost. They should have never played with Fearne's life like that, they robbed her of her autonomy. Even if it was accidental. They knew Morri was a hag. They knew she was a Fatestitcher. Yet the played with Fearne's life, and yes, it was for Fearne's safety but was her safety really worth this?

I've seen people compare Birdie and Veth. Yes they both left their children in the care of others, for that child's safety and in Veth's case to give her time to reevaluate whether being a stay at home mum was what she wanted to return to. The difference is intention and impact.

Veth's intention: Keep Luc safe and have time for some introspection.

Impact: Luc was kept safe with his father and veth created a life where she runs a summer camp and takes care of her son.

Birdie's intention: Keep Fearne safe while she and Ollie further investigate Rudius.

Impact: Fearne has over 100 years stolen from her by a known hag and they may have unintentionally helped build a device that does something and accidental trading their daughter to said fatestitching hag.

It doesn't matter what their intentions were anymore because the impact has irreversibly changed Fearne's life, a life they accidental traded away.

#critical role #critical role spoilers #cr spoilers #birdie calloway #ollie calloway #ira wendagoth #fearne calloway #brief mentions of veth brenatto #long post #cr meta #charcter analysis #its all about impact #the road to hell is paved with good intentions #good people aren't always good parents #at what point do you stop and weight the cost #they love fearne but are so dumb #fearne needs some hugs #morrigan the fatestitcher #my meta

[sparring-spirals]

Yo, I think I was half asleep when the ep discussed Fearne being older than birdie??? Do you know the general area this was discussed?

Big mood, anon, I also needed to trawl through the ep rq to track this down, my braincells short circuited pretty early on.

1:04:41 on the youtube episode, Birdie talks bout leaving Fearne with Morri, and then we get:

Fearne: "Well- how- how- how old are you now?"

Birdie: "I mean, its hard to keep on years, but... you know- healthy early 50 maybe?"

Fearne (quietly): "... it looks like it."

(Overlapping) FCG, to Fearne: "Aren't you 112?-" Imogen: "How is that possible?"

Fearne: "I..... I'm a lot older than you."

3:12:43 on the youtube epsiode, they talk about Morri herself and we get just. So many Concerning Revelations At Once. "I was worried she was gonna take a shine to you" apparently translating to "warps spacetime to keep you around". And Birdie says "gonna have a stern talking to her about that" which. Damn. That's a way of phrasing it. And then just the well summed gut punch of Imogen saying: "she did it?? she kept you there for 100 years????" and like. good lord. holy shit. holy hell. someone give Fearne the biggest hug.

(also seriously, imagine you give someone your kid for babysitting and you're like "they get easily attached haha" except that apparently means "oh they might warp the flow of time so they can keep my kid around FOR 100 YEARS", hot damn.)

#folks. listen. i was thrown pretty off kilter by yu during the ep so i apparently missed a LOT of the lore because :O holy shit. #critical role #c3e29 #fearne #birdie #meta #character meta #spar speaks #ask away! #ALSO FEARNE'S FACE DURING THE FIRST CONVO IS JUST. :( #nana calloway #morrigan